Zodac goes on sale today at 12pm EDT. I think we’ll all be interested to see just how quickly he sells out.
Good luck to all those ordering!
MOTUC Webstor coming in September
According to ToyFare #143, available in comic shops today, the September Masters of the Universe Classics figure will be Webstor. (That’s the original 1980s version above–thanks to TCM Hitchhiker for the pic.)
I’m going to forego the almost-mandatory Emmanuel Lewis joke and just say that I’ve seen the ToyFare photos and he looks good. He has the backpack, complete with the grappling hook and line (and it looks like the action feature might even function). More importantly, he also has four spider-like legs that attached to the backpack a la the staction version. They appear to be ball jointed at the point where they join the backpack, but that’s all. There’s no word yet on whether they’re removable, but they’re evident in only one of the three ToyFare photos, so I’m guessing they are removable.
I’ll post photos once I receive them from Mattel’s PR department or they’re posted on Facebook or Mattycollector. Until then, ToyFare has the exclusive rights, so if you want to see ol’ Webby, nab a copy of ToyFare #143–particularly since there’s an article by yours truly in there!
Odds ‘n Ends
- Saw Star Trek over the weekend. Review to follow anon. Short version: loved it. I’m glad the figures aren’t that great, or I might be way too tempted to collect them.
- CornerStoreComics and ETC will begin shipping DCUC8 this week. I’m very proud to say I never broke down and got any figures–not even a single Parademon–off eBay or anything.
- I’m surprised no one has taken advantage of my Most Wanted feature. Send me those submissions, folks!
- I’m also going to start making the interviews a weekly thing, interviewing collectors as well as industry types. If you’re interested in being interviewed (and showing off some pics of your collection), email me.
- On a random note, why hasn’t DC incorporated Space Ghost and some of the other Hanna-Barbara characters into the DCU now that Warner Bros. owns the H-B library? Seems to me Space Ghost would be a perfect fit for their cosmic books, and they already did the Space Ghost miniseries. I’d love to see SG face off against, say, Despero. And Space Ghost has way more name recognition than, say, The Shield.
- Remember, Friday is Zodac Day, and the following Monday the subscription plan will go on sale. I’m very curious to see how quickly Zodac sells out compared to Mer-Man.
More MOTUC subscription news
Via Mattycollector.com:
Good Great news, MOTU fans!
Nothing bums me out more than fans not getting the figures they want. So, to make sure you get all your fave MOTU figures, I’m starting a subscription service! All the details will be on the sign-up page when it launches, but here’s how it’s basically gonna work:
- From May 18th through May 22nd (five days only), come to MattyCollector.com to sign up for the 2009 service.
- Every month, from September through December, you’ll be guaranteed to get the figure of the month at current prices, for a total of four.
- Once you sign up, you’re in for the whole period (subscriptions can’t be canceled).
- Exact figures will be announced approximately three months from each on-sale date.
- Figures can either be shipped and charged once per month as they become available, or they can be held for the year, and charged and shipped together on December 15th.
- You can sign up for as many subscriptions as you want during the five day period. No limit!
- Figures will also be available at MattyCollector.com on the 15th of each month without the subscription. So, if you want extras of some figures, you’ll still have the option to buy more — but availability won’t be guaranteed.
- The subscription will only be for the figure of the month, and won’t include convention figures, or other special figures.
- Subscriptions for the full year 2010 will be available in August 2009.
It doesn’t get a whole lot easier. Sign up once and you’re done… MOTU figures just show up at your door! No worrying about being logged in when a sale starts, or a figure selling out before you get one.
Again, complete details (including all the legal mumbo-jumbo) will be on the sign-up page. And remember, you can get as many as you want but subscriptions will only be available for five days, so mark your calendars for Monday, May 18th!
—Matty
MOTUC updates
Two big Masters of the Universe Classics updates yesterday.
First, some new information on the subscription service. (more…)
Poe’s Point > An Unscientific Analysis of Average MOTUC Aftermarket Prices
There’s been a some talk amongst the toy community about a greedy aftermarket of speculators (a.k.a. scalpers) snatching up MOTUC figures from Mattycollector.com and re-selling them on eBay for high prices. Often the existence of this aftermarket is simply assumed in forum conversations, without the presentation of any sort of evidence. It is often used to justify asking Mattel to lower the 10-per-household limit on MOTUC orders to five figures or less.
Mattel has repeatedly stated their research shows “the vast majority (close to 90%) of orders are for 3 or less units.” Of course, it would be naive to take them at their word, but it’s just as close-minded to dismiss it out of hand as corporate bullshit. The real question is: what is the aftermarket for these figures really like, and is there evidence that collectors are paying scalpers huge prices for them? (more…)
MOTUC news tidbits
Rob over at Raving Toy Maniac has posted what he knows about the MOTUC production numbers. While obviously this hasn’t been verified by anyone at Mattel, it sounds reasonable to me. (more…)
Mattel Q&A Roundup for May 1
Here’s your bi-weekly (bi-monthly? I can never remember) roundup of Mattel Q&As for May 1:
- Poe Ghostal’s Points of Articulation
- The Fwoosh
- Action Figure Insider
- Kastor’s Korner
- Critical Mess
- DC Hall of Justice
- DC Collector
- Action Figure Pics
Some highlights:
- The Walmart wave will have 7 figures, not 5 as some have guessed.
- Brown Man-Bat is confirmed for 2009 and will be in his own package, not a BAF.
- The Bill Murray sculpt for the Ghostbusters line has still not been approved. (Whether or not they even have the likeness rights was not discussed.)
- Mattel is working on re-releasing DCSH Catwoman and Two-Face.
- Mattel has the rights to make Cyclotron and Golden Pharaoh from Super Powers.
Mer-Man, Take II
Just a reminder, the Ocean Warlord goes back on sale today at 12 noon EDT (that’s 9 AM Pacific Coast time). May Matty have mercy upon your souls!
Review > Mer-Man (Masters of the Universe Classics)
Next to Beast Man (and maybe Trap-Jaw), Skeletor‘s most recognizable henchman is the creatively-named Mer-Man. The original figure was distinctive for his bizarre, vaguely cat-like head (which looked nothing like the packaging art, seen above) and the so-called “corn-sword,” which was supposed to look like an aquatic weapon of the sea, made from a sawfish’s rostrum, but instead came out looking like one of those things you use to hold corn-on-the-cob. On the 1980s cartoon, Mer-Man had a voice that sounded like Alan Oppenheimer gargled whenever he spoke a Mer-Man line. (more…)