Watch the Mattycollector panel live.
Yeah, I know I always use this pic, but I just love it so goddamned much. Sudden thought: would people be interested in a T-shirt with this image? Or maybe this one?
Anyway, the Mattycollector Fan Panel is due to start at 12pm Pt (3pm ET). I’m not sure I’ll quite be able to live-blog the event, but I’m sure Twitter will have live updates, so just keep an eye on my Toy Geeks Twitter List and you’ll get all the info as it happens.
The DC Panel will start two hours later (6pm ET), so I’ll cover that here as well.
Lots of pics of everything at ToyArk.
I’ve only got a few minutes right now, so I’m just going to post the highlights for Masters of the Universe Classics:
October 2012: Rattlor, Great Rebellion Stickers, Cy-Chop (30th Anniversary Figure by Terry Higuchi), Great Unrest Weapons Pack
November 2012: Dekker, Eternos Palace King Randor
December 2012: Castle Grayskullman (Fan Create-a-Character Winner, 30th Anniv.), Mosquitor, Procrustus Large Figure, Granamyr
January 2013: Netossa, Ram Man
February 2013: Jitsu
March 2013: Fang Man, King He-Man (Sub incentive w/ DC comic “The Secret Origin of Skeletor”),
Second Quarter 2013: Fighting Foe Men (Vintage Box Art Characters)
Fan Choice Options: Minicomic Trap Jaw, Cloak and Dagger Evil Lyn, Crash-Landing Marlena Glenn, Illumina, Songster, Geldor, Camo Kobra Khan, Mask of Power Demon
Traveling Con Exclusive: Strobo
Sunny
Great reveals but International fans have lost out – they have been priced out of this line which is a huge shame. A single figure will cost British fans nearly £40.00 after taxes (60.00USD) it's not worth it.
Mark
Yeah, I agree Sunny, after a few figures when the line started I sold them all off. Even tenn 09 they were making £40+ each on ebay and I just culdn't justiy that on one figure.
Jonathan
For the most part I’m happily surprised. The reveals that I’m not stoked for are ones that I’ve already bought into… Dekker and Procrustus. Dekker I just couldn’t care less about and Procrustus is just a giant waste of what could have been a great slot. I wish they would have done Horde Prime as a giant if they were going to do another. I think the fan response to a giant metallic Horde Prime would have been much more exciting.
The 2013 sub reveals though I’m really excited for. Ram Man looks great! Netossa is a nice looking figure though I am a little confused why they’d choose her for January. Fang Man looks amazing and Jitsu… YAY Jitsu. Also, I am really digging the 3 pack figures. I love that there’s finally a female included and I think the way they incorporated the vehicle designs into their weapons and armor is really on point!
I was a little unsettled by the price increase, but I am VERY happy that there will only be 4 quarterly items added to the 12 monthly figures, as opposed to 4 quarterly bonuses on top of 4 large scale blah blah blah. With the price increase the actual subscription ends up costing about the same as it did in 2012 for the year.
Bigbot
A POP figure has started each year for the past couple of years now, I assume that's why Netossa is first next year.
Jonathan
I meant more that I don't understand what made them choose Netossa out of all the other POP figures.
Dark Angel
Other thoughts:
Granamyr: I said it before and I will say it again: This figure is the answer to a question no one asked. Is he cool? Sure. Necessary? Hardly. Desirable? Well. Only the individual can answer that, and I freely admit I appear to be outvoted on the tubes…
Dekker: Wow, OK. I didn't realize I wanted – nay, NEEDED – this figure until I saw him. Awesome.
Filmation Randor: Seriously? Because people have been asking for MYP Randor for years, and just about every single Filmation-only character except Randor for years, Nietlich thinks this is a good idea? A ginned-up Randor with his belly button showing through his supposed clothes. Huh. This is why Nietlich really needs to go.
Ram-Man: Finally. Too bad about the face. And the other face. And the knees. In fact, overall, this is a major, major letdown.
Dark Angel
Procrustus: OK, I have to admit this is avery cool surprise. Again, didn't know I wanted him until I saw him. Definitely my favorite of the large-scale figures before I even have him in hand.
Frosts: Better. I mean, better if you consider looking like an angry whore instead of a whore with way too much makeup on "better".
Netossa: OK, this is one fugly design. But I really love that there will finally be a woman of color in the line! I am torn.
Rattlor, Mosquitor, Fang-Man, King He-Man, Fore Men: Yeah. Some are bland, some are just ugly, and if I buy a sub, all we be joining Hose-Nose et al. in the closet, unopened.
Bigbot
But to have another Millennium character like MYP Randor right next to Dekker would be a travesty to all vintage/filmation zealots!
dayraven
ram man's kness are clearly backwards. i don't know where off the top of my head, but one of the galleries showed him from the side, and he has a mid thigh swivel that's turned around backwards, so the photos we're seeing are actually the back of rammie's knees. then the boots are turned the correct direction… but the kness you don't like are the backs for articulation, if you can find that side shot, his knees look totally normal from the front.
i personally love the ram man execution, even if he looks like french stewart on steroids. if you had his eyes open normally, w/ that body and helmet, he would quickly turn into a buffoon. the squinty eyes at least don't make him look stupid.
dekker makes me enormously happy, partly because the wily old coot sneaks in under the price increase.
and procrustus… oh sweet sweet procrustus. talk about separating the die hards from the weekend she-ravers.
Newton Gimmick
I disagree. If you opened his eyes, he'd look WAY better. Still, it is what it is. I'll take the dopey head sculpt (x2) to get any Ram Man.
Dark Angel
Still undecided on sub. Just want to say that Terry Higuchi and this Daniel Benedict are, IMO, the first people to really capture the old MOTU look and feel in their designs. Cool as he is, even the Horsemen's Draego-Man is just a bit too clean and (all things being relative, mind) elegant to quite match up with the original MOTU aesthetic.Cy-Chop aqnd Castle Grayskullman, though? I am pretty sure I could convince a casual fan that they were in the original line.
Robzy
I really only like Ram Man, Rattlor and Procrustus. I'm on the fence about Mosquitor and Jitsu. The rest are very meh!
Both the price and the international postage charge increases are a big deterrent to me. As is the whole 'may not be available if Subbies buy them before cherry pickers' concept. It's becoming very 'exclusive', which may turn people away. If that's how TG wants it – it will inevitably happen. Sub or die!
JAWart
I think we tend to forget the Toy Guru has people to answer to too. He's not the be all and end all of decision making for the line, he is however the one that takes all the blame every time we don't like what's happening with the line, and being that he is the product manager that's understandable … to a point.
The line has always been exclusive, or are we forgetting the days when a figure would sell out within the first half hour of being on sale. I think the line is also seeing a decrease in sales, not so much that they question whether or not to proceed, but enough to make changes to ensure it's survival and without selling something in retail locations, subs are the only way to guarantee that.
Newton Gimmick
I'm really pleased with the reveals because I don't like 90% of them The rest of 2012 looks great and 2013 has Ram Man and not much else. I never cared for Jitsu and don't know who most of these other guys are. I was afraid they might show Evil Seed and that would make me tempted, but this way, it's an easy choice. With the price increases and the line heading deep into Filmation and fringe characters, I can officially turn into a cherry picker and be done for the most part.
Castle Greyskullman is the dumbest name for a cliche zombie guy and the 30th figures have turned out to be a huge waste short of Draego and Photog, IMO. King He-Man looks cool, I might track him down, but I dunno, I've already got 50 guys who are the He-Man of their era, that particular concept is getting a bit boring to me.
Don't get me wrong, I'm not complaining. I'm breathing a HUGE sigh of relief. The end is near. Couple more oddball figures and I'm done.
Jack Static
There is so much doom preaching and nay saying going on around the web, but i honestly couldnt be happier with these reveals. Sub prices goin up sucks, but if it means we can get more of the unique sculpts and crazier guys then fine, i just hope this price holds for a while. The whole subbers can buy before DOS thing kinda sucks for DOS buyers but if the items still sell out it means little to mattel who actually got them. Im gettin a sub so for me its cool, but i get why it isnt for others. Castle grayskullman isnt a good figure, and i THINK my opinion is affected by the blonde hair. It looks terrible and out of place. Pretty sure id love it if it wasnt for the hair… Cant stop staring at it…. Other then that cac, randor is a figure i was bleh about. Woulda preferred a 200x randor tbh. Fighting foe me? Ive always wanted a figure of the roton driver and now ill have him. Victory in my book. Procrustus and fang man are tight! And i voted for geldor.
Agent 86
Not happy Jan.
Improved Frosta looks good, although I'm not a fan of the translucent hair. The fans were asking for a translucent cape (like Jewelstar), not translucent hair.
Ram Man looks good. I don't understand the need for a second head for Ram Man (as opposed to characters like Clawful).
Netossa looks good, but incomplete. The paint details need to be revised (blue on the gauntlets, silver on the skirt). The helmet/tiara needs to be included (the "wings" on the side of her head look stupid without the helmet, especially as they were originally part of her cape but now somehow just stick onto her head like ears). And she needs a weapon, not just another repaint of She-Ra's sword. If Netossa can't have a uniquely sculpted weapon (like a trident), then she needs a repain of BP She-Ra's sword (which the original toy/doll) was meant to come with.
And now for the bad news. Higher figure AND shipping costs. If you don't pay for the most expensive option, then Mattel aren't interested in hearing about any orders which go missing. Subscribers will apparently be able to purchase all of the "day of sale" stock before the DOS, yet Mattel still won't be combining their shipping. Cherry pickers (like myself) may be left with nothing but the bare branches of the MOTUC tree. I know Mattel seems to have a complete disregard for their customers (who are only trying to give Mattel their hard earned money), but such open contempt for their customers is still really surprising.
ridureyu
PREDICTION TIME:
Rattlor: Neck will be on backwards
Cy-Chop: Will be shipped with Jitsu's head
Dekker: paint will cover not only beard, but whole face.
Eternos Palace King Randor: Head and left leg will be switched.
Castle Grayskullman: Due to price cuts, he will be shipped with no weapons or pants.
Mosquitor: Broken nose on 2/3 of shipments.
Procrustus: All four forearms switched
Granamyr: Mattel will make him out of foam so he can stand. Will crack and disintegrate within weeks.
Netossa: Will not be shipped. Instead, Mattel will send out empty Aunt Jemima bottles.
Ram Man: Spring will be too strong, launching his torso in the air with each use.
Jitsu: Shipped with normal hands.
Fang Man: No fangs
King He-Man: Shipped with wrong biceps and Skeletor's feet.
Fighting Foe Men: Will be a box of spare, disconnected parts and half a Barbie in the box.
Monte
I chuckled aloud in response to several of your prophecies. Well done.
ridureyu
Ram-Man!
Now I wonder if we will ever see Modulok.
toyman
Wow. Holy randomness Batman! They're really reaching into the ol' bag of whatnot now that most of the vintage line has appeared in MOTUC. Ram Man, Jitsu and Mosquitor are all fantastic. Fang Man King He-Man and Cy-Chop are pretty nice too. The Fighting Foe Men are….interesting. I have no idea who Netossa and Procrustus are. Castle Grayskull man is just weird and makes no sense so I hope he has a good bio. Gangstor and Major Header should have won over him IMO. Not sure why we need a Filmation Randor before Rio Blast or Ninjor.
@PCabezuelo
Definitely subscribing in 2013. The price point is kind of sucky but considering everything else has gone up in price, not surprising – and at least there appear to be less variants next year. Much better than what they have in store for Club Infinite Earths in 2013 which I predict…won't happen.
T-bone
T-shirt answer: YES.
RocketPunch
A big Yes from me too. Love that pic!
fengschwing
I will third the motion.
clark
Uh…Cy-Chop. Why do I…um….love him so much? He looks so insanely mish-mashed that it's like getting some MOTUC version of an Indian bootleg toy. Everything looks cool to me. Castle Grayskull man, interesting, but it looks like he's been pulled off (I'll wait for a clearer picture).
Out of all the reveals I will probably only put down money for Jitsu, but everything looks cool to me.
stack32
The price increase is almost too much for me, but since I won't be buying anything until Ram Man comes out I guess I'll be okay.
Misterbigbo
Oh, and I just read the sub details. $27 MOTUC for cherry-pickers will go a long way to kill teh lien for us/them.
THE_PR0F3550R
Still cheaper than the secondary market. I love Granamyr and I'm really liking King He-Man.
Misterbigbo
Ram Man was the last figure I was waiting for, the last one I would get, and have been so excited to see him. Now that he's here, my first reaction isn't as joyful as I had hoped. Maybe I expected him to be built on the classics buck, so he'd finally be consistent with the rest of the heroes. I guess he'll hafta grow on me.
And for the life of me I cannot say why that fan creation Grayskull Man is so appealing to me. . .
Valo487
I love the reveals, not a single lame duck for me. 2013 subscription sold.
Mario
My head just exploded!
Jack Static
I am f’n stoked!! December and september are both going to be expensive months!!