SDCC > Rustin Parr’s Report, Day 3

Friday 7/23

What does one do on Day 2 when the vast majority of exclusive figures on their list were acquired on Day 1? Stroll and go to Panels! And pick up the voucher pre-sale stuff from Matty, of course (incredibly painless and easy – Hasbro, et al, should take note and do the same!). (more…)

SDCC > Mattel DC Panel News

It looks like 2011 will be the Year of the Green Lantern for Mattel’s DC Universe division.

Some highlights from the panel:

  • DCIH will focus on Green Lantern in 2011
  • There will be two DCUC-style waves of Green Lantern Classics, of six figures each, with a CnC for each wave
  • Some GLC figures will have swappable hands and heads
  • Wave 2 will feature an original Red Lantern figure created by the Four Horsemen and named by Geoff Johns
  • DCUC Green Lanterns may get the Blue Beetle super-articulated treatment
  • Ch’ip is coming
  • There will be 6 new DC vs. MOTU 2-packs, including Hawkman vs. Stratos (blue wing/red backpack variant) and Aquaman vs. Mer-Man (minicomic colors variant). Trap Jaw also in the works, possibly to be paired with Cyborg Superman or Metallo
  • Legion of Superheroes will get a DCUC 12-pack
  • More pics at TNI

Ask Mattel > Answers for July 15 [Roundup added]

1.) Damien asks: How committed is Mattel to providing plenty of new sculpts in the WWE line? There already seems to be a growing issue, especially in the BASICS line, with characters getting sculpts way too muscular for them. Fans are getting concerned that Mattel will continue the JAKKS trend of utilizing completely incorrect body types over and over again to reduce costs.

Our goal for the collector lines is to continue to pursue real “Superstar Scale.” We do this by literally had every Superstars go through a digital body scan to capture their physical attributes and visible body markings, which ensures characters like Big Show is physically larger than Rey Mysterio, just like in real life. There will be lots of new sculpts to ensure this scale accuracy. (more…)

Ask Mattel > Answers for July 1 [Updated w/ Roundup]

1.) This may have been answered before, but I’ve never seen the answer so I’d like to ask again: does Mattel have the rights to make MOTUC figures based on the DC Comics 3-issue miniseries from the early ’80s? (For example, the evil sorcerer Damon, who originated in that comic.)

Yes. We also have rights to any new outfits or variants of MOTU figures that appear in these comics. (more…)

Review > Blue Beetle III – Jaime Reyes (DC Universe Classics)

Making his first appearance in Infinite Crisis #3 in February, 2006, Jaime Reyes has the distinction of being one of the new kids on the block in the DC Universe. Of course he carries with him a long heritage spanning eight decades of Blue Beetle. Jaime Reyes is the third individual to take up the mantle of the Blue Beetle. First being Dan Garret, starting out in the late 1930s, which was then replaced by the best known Beetle, Ted Kord. Kord’s Beetle became vastly popular and for many fans is the definitive Blue Beetle.

Jaime Reyes’ Blue Beetle, or Blue Beetle III to some, has come to make a name for himself staring in his own titles, as well as teaming up with Kord’s old friend, Booster Gold, and also becoming a member of the Teen Titans. Most notably he’s appeared several times on the animated series, Batman: the Brave and the Bold, where the character has gained popularity and managed to come into his own. (more…)

Toy Aisle Trolls > Gotham City Dive

Toy Aisle Trolls is a feature highlighting acts of vandalism to in-store toy items. If you find a ruined package, a stolen figure, a swapped-out figure, or any other such acts, take a photo (cell phone photos are fine if they’re not blurry) and email them to poe AT poeghostal.com. Also, please note: I’m deliberately being over-the-top with my condemnation of these people–I don’t actually wish bodily harm upon them. Just severe mental anguish.

Reader 3B returns with another fine example of humanity at its best:

Man, they don’t quit! I snapped this pick a few hours ago at my local Walmart. My only question is, why would they take two of the most common figures and leave behind the exclusive Lex?

A good question, Mr. 3B. A good question.

Guest Review > The Wonder Twins SDCC Exclusive (DC Universe Classics)

The Wonder Twins should be no strangers to regular viewers of the Super Friends in the mid-to-late ’70s. They were the teenage alien replacement to Wendy and Marvin to the Saturday Morning Cartoon lineup. Unlike the two characters who they replaced, the twins had superpowers that were only activated when they touched each other and uttered the catch phrase “Wonder Twins Powers – Activate!” Zan could transform into any form of water in any of the three phases, while Jayna could morph into any living creature. (more…)

Toy Aisle Trolls > Bat Manta

Toy Aisle Trolls is a feature highlighting acts of vandalism to in-store toy items. If you find a ruined package, a stolen figure, a swapped-out figure, or any other such acts, take a photo (cell phone photos are fine if they’re not blurry) and email them to poe AT poeghostal.com. Also, please note: I’m deliberately being over-the-top with my condemnation of these people–I don’t actually wish bodily harm upon them. Just severe mental anguish.

Reader 3B sends in this gem:

Great. A crappy 2003 Mattel Batman variation. With what’s clearly a Batman, and not Aquaman, head. I’m guessing these things happen in the actual store as opposed to being returned with these ridiculous figures…but maybe I’m being naïve.

Ask Mattel > June 15 Edition

1.) Dead Man Walking asks: Mattel continues to insist that it will not do a fan’s choice figure for MOTUC because of the varying levels of unique tooling that figures require. However, Mattel is in the driver seat here-why not present the fans with three choices for figures with comparable amounts of new tooling, such as Battle Armor Skeletor, Terror Claws Skeletor, and Thunder-Punch He-Man, and allow fans to determine which will be the next bonus figure? (more…)

Toy Aisle Trolls > DC vs. MOTU 2-Hacks

Toy Aisle Trolls is a feature highlighting acts of vandalism to in-store toy items. If you find a ruined package, a stolen figure, a swapped-out figure, or any other such acts, take a photo (cell phone photos are fine if they’re not blurry) and email them to poe AT poeghostal.com. Also, please note: I’m deliberately being over-the-top with my condemnation of these people–I don’t actually wish bodily harm upon them. Just severe mental anguish.

Poester T16skyhopp pointed me to these two travesties, courtesy GTR-prime0088 on the TF2005 forums.

Where to start with this crap? First off, that’s the lame Superman from way back in Mattel’s early 2003 “Batman” days. This asshole couldn’t even be bothered to put a decent He-Man in there. That’s douche-y enough.

Then he puts a Green Goblin body with a first-release(?) Skeletor head on the non-Skeletor side of the second pack, and crams The Leader–THE LEADER–into what’s clearly labeled as the Skeletor side? And this thing was on the shelf at TRU?!

First off, may the jackass who did this be forever stuck in his parents’ basement until the despair drives him to suicide by masturbation. Second, while I try to have sympathy for beleaguered, overworked, underpaid toy store personnel, this is pretty ridiculous.