Odds ‘n Ends

March 17, 2009 | Poe

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  • Mattel’s Facebook page is back. It currently offers such goodies as in-package pics of Mer-Man and Zodac (along with Zodac’s new bio, which I think nicely ties together all the various incarnations of the character) and the Ultraman & Alex Luthor two-pack. Love the face sculpt on Ultraman, but seriously, does anyone really want that Alex Luthor? He’s sculpted well, but he just looks so…goofy.
  • Even I was surprised Faker sold out in a mere three hours. Mattel did warn that quantities were limited after NYCC, but nonetheless, that’s amazing demand for what’s basically just a repainted He-Man. While a lot of fans have been predicting that the increased production on future MOTUC figures will backfire, that’s not looking likely at the moment–at least, not with Mer-Man. Zodac will be the true test, since he lacks Mer-Man’s popularity, number of accessories, and alternate head.
  • The next review I write will be my 150th toy review. As such, I’ve decided to center a contest around it. Look for a post about that this week or next.
  • If you missed it, be sure to check out my overview of some of the action figure display stands on the market today. How did you guys like this article? Would you like to see more pieces like this?
  • Skeletor, much to his chagrin, is still taking your questions for round 2 of Ask Skeletor.
  • Loved How I Met Your Mother last night. The whole thing with the nightshirt was priceless. And I’m quite glad Laura Prepon is gone, because she was so obviously not the mother and I have no interest in sitting through yet another long-term relationship everyone knows won’t work out (a la Robin).

Ask Mattel > Mid-March Edition

March 16, 2009 | Poe

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Poe: The Matty Mattel Facebook page has been very good about updating collectors on the status of various toy lines. However, not all collectors have Facebook accounts. Would it be possible for these updates to be cross-posted on Mattycollector.com?

Mattel: Ideally we would like to do this, but believe it or not it is a bit more complicated to update MattyCollector.com’s news page due to unforeseen legal issues which is why we started using Facebook. We highly recommend that if fans want the latest info they register for the Facebook page. (more…)

Any questions for Mattel?

March 11, 2009 | Poe

mattyI should be getting the mid-March round of Q&A answers from Mattel in a few days. I’ll turn in my next round of questions about the same time, so if you have any questions for Mattel, post them below and I’ll choose some to ask.

As always, please be civil. I’m much more likely to choose a polite, well-thought-out question than a mean-spirited or whiny one.

Odds ‘n Ends

March 10, 2009 | Poe

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Pardon the late O ‘n E this morning, folks–had to take one of our guinea pigs, Tribble, to the vet. The good news is, he’s fine!

  • While my CornerStoreComics order has yet to ship, I have got my hands on the Flash and Captain Cold, thanks to Power Pals Paul and Pete, respectively. Keep an eye out for those reviews this week or early next week.
  • Speaking of CSC, there has apparently been some trouble with the credit card processing company they use. You should check your statements, online or otherwise, to see if there are any unusual charges on the card(s) you use to buy from CSC.
  • I know some of you have ordered figures from EE via my associate’s link (it tells me how many commissions I get, though not who or what they ordered), and I just want to say thank you, I really appreciate your support.
  • As I write this, I’m listening to The Best of Godzilla, 1954-1975. I just wanted you to know how incredibly nerdy I am.
  • I almost wish I didn’t get Faker so early…this is going to be a pretty quiet month for MOTUC. But for those of you who didn’t get a Faker from NYCC, he goes on sale on Mattycollector.com this Monday, March 16 at noon EDT.
  • You may have noticed that I’ve stopped doing the toy news roundups and brought back the link feed on the left. That’s because I found the toy news a bit too sporadic, but more importantly, the newsfeed allows me to post some geeky but non-toy-related links too. You can also add it to your favorite feed reader, if you so desire.

He-Man meets the Evil Dead

March 5, 2009 | Poe

What if Skeletor killed He-Man, then re-animated his corpse with a demonic spirit?

The answer can be found in the customs work of Passion Designs, who created this amazing zombie He-Man, a.k.a. “The Wanderer.”

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He also created some very cool Shadow Beasts that Mattel would be wise to consider producing. I know I’d buy at least two.

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VM poll results and new poll

March 2, 2009 | Poe

Well, Vintage Month is over and it’s time to tally up our poll results.

In answer to the question, “Which 1980s property most deserves a revamped toyline?” here’s how you voted:

  • C.O.P.S. ‘N’ Crooks: 39 votes (28%)
  • Bravestarr: 30 votes (22%)
  • Sectaurs: 29 votes (21%)
  • Inhumanoids: 26 votes (19%)
  • Captain Power: 15 votes (11%)

While I think all these lines could make for an appealing update, I can see why C.O.P.S. won: like Masters of the Universe, it has a broad range of crazy, unique character designs. And so, with any luck, Hasbro will give us a new Buttons McBoomBoom in the near future. (Man, does that name sound NSFW…)

There’s a new poll up, this time asking what new features (if any) you’d most like to see if and when Mattel re-releases MOTUC Skeletor. Note you can choose up to three options in this poll.

Review > Stratos (Masters of the Universe Classics)

February 27, 2009 | Poe

stratos_cardI love Stratos. Something about the design–the gray fur, the red feathered “wings,” the jet pack, the flight goggles–really appeals to me. He was one of my favorite He-Man figures as a kid.

While I liked most of the MOTU2K figures, I didn’t like the revamped Stratos much. His articulation was limited by his action feature, which probably had a lot to do with it. But ironically, I think it was the consistency and realism the Horsemen added to his design–the feathered loincloth, the jetpack handles–that made him less cool. Stratos is supposed to be a mash-up of various animal parts–it’s part of his charm.

Fortunately, the Masters of the Universe Classics version of Stratos restores him to his flying-monkey-like glory. (more…)