Review > Icarius (Masters of the Universe Classics, Mattel)

October 25, 2011 | Poe

I can’t recall ever seeing a single episode of The New Adventures of He-Man. I’m sure, as an adolescent, I caught one randomly somewhere and though, “That’s not He-Man! Lame” (along with “”Man, am I way too old for He-Man”–it would be another ten years before I was again the right age for He-Man). As I’ve mentioned before, I did own the Optikk toy, because it was a scifi alien dude with an eyeball for a head. But the rest of the NA universe didn’t exist for me.

I certainly never owned Flipshot, known as Icarius overseas.* If I’d seen him at a store as a kid, I probably would have dismissed him as a generic-looking science fiction soldier guy with a jetpack who looked an awful lot like other toys, especially Ace McCloud from the Centurions.

And on the surface, that’s what his Masters of the Universe Classics figure is, too. However, Icarius has been lovingly crafted by the Four Horsemen into an amazing action figure–possibly the best since Trap Jaw. (more…)

Happy Icarius Day!

October 17, 2011 | Poe

Link to the all-in-one sale page.

My NYCC write-up is coming soon (probably tomorrow), but in the meantime, we can celebrate/discuss the arrival of Icarius. As discussed at the Mattel NYCC panel on Saturday, the name “Icarius” was used for the vintage figure in Europe because the name “Flipshot” didn’t translate well. When it came time to name the Classics figure, the team chose Icarius because it was, well, cooler-sounding than “Flipshot.”

I have to say I think he’s a great-looking action figure, and I can’t wait to get mine.

Also available in today’s sale is the massive Legion of Super Heroes 12-pack for $180. I’m not a Legion fan and I can’t afford that thing anyway, but it looks awesome.

This is a big sale; there’s also the prop replica Ghost Trap and Battle Cat is back, along with Mer-Man, one of the finest MOTUC figures. Finally there’s Ray Stantz w/ Slime Blower and a number of DCUC figures available. I’ve got Icarius coming by subscription, so the only thing I might pick up is Ray.

Odds ‘n Ends > Good News and Bat News

October 5, 2011 | Poe

  • Warner Bros finally announced their new Batman cartoon for 2013, Beware the Batman. Apparently instead of Robin, Batman’s sidekick will be Katana, and the bad guys will include Professor Pyg, Mister Toad, and what looks like maybe Harley Quinn?
    • I agree with most of the comments from Bat-fans: Bruce Timm’s art style does not work in CGI, Batman’s head looks like a bug, and while I don’t mind the idea of making Alfred a more active badass, arming him with guns is just wrong. Yes, Alfred sometimes picks up a rifle to protect Wayne Manor, but Batman allowing or encouraging the butler to carry guns as part of his crimefighting crusade is painfully out of character.
    • Also, I have to say that I find Grant Morrison’s work on the Batman comics very hit and miss, and in my opinion Professor Pyg and Mister Toad are big whiffas. Pyg’s gimmick (he performs unnecessary cosmetic surgery on his victims to make them “beautiful”) isn’t exactly something kids will find compelling, while Mister Toad is just…Mister Toad, apparently. Except evil. Oh, and he’s dead in the comics. I suspect these characters will be very different in the show. Professor Pyg will be some sort of generic crime boss and Mister Toad will be his Slythe-like lackey.
    • All that said, I applaud the obvious effort to do something new here. Let’s face it–Batman: The Animated Series is the definitive animated take on the classic Batman. I really don’t know how you can top it without waiting for a few generations to pass. So I guess we’ll see how the kids react to this one. If they love it, then I’ll concede that maybe the people behind the show know what they’re doing. Except for Alfred’s guns. That is just so wrong.
  • In more Bat-news, two new characters have been revealed for Arkham City: Nightwing and the Mad Hatter. Both are looking great, especially Nightwing. I hope we get an figure of him from DCD or Mattel. I’m sure we will.
  • On another Bat-related note, there is now a dedicated Batman Ask Matty forum on Mattycollector.
  • Apparently people still don’t know what the deal is with the 1970s Batman Arkham City repaint figure, which is supposed to be free if you preorder Arkham City at Toys R Us. Details are allegedly coming soon.
  • Also, we may getting a DCUC-style First Appearance Batman, which would be awesome. I’ve always loved that early look.
  • I mentioned this elsewhere, but that mystery prototype Joker is in fact an NYCC exclusive. Which I’ll be getting, since I’ll be at NYCC (along with Poester MisterBigBo). The figure still kind of grosses me out, though.
  • Mattel is going to have another Mad Matty Monday on October 10. Three mystery packs–DCU, MOTUC, and Ghostbusters–for $40.
  • The Four Horsemen have announced where and how you can buy their NYCC-exclusive Outer Space Men Beta Phase Waves 3 & 4 figures, if you’re at NYCC. They’ll also be selling some on their website after NYCC, but if history repeats itself, those will sell out right quick.

Review > Leech (Masters of the Universe Classics, Mattel)

October 5, 2011 | Poe

The two boys stood knee-deep in the swamp, ignoring the thick mud that sucked at their legs. They were too amazed at what they were looking at.

Before them lay an enormous body. It was vaguely anthropoid in shape, but far larger than a man. Its features were rough and wrinkled, like those of an ape, and a stubby horn protruded above its brow. It was curled slightly on its side, its huge arms tucked beneath it. It was obviously very, very dead.

“Procrustus!” exclaimed one boy. “That’s a Shadow Beast, isn’t it?”

“Sure looks like it,” said the other. “But…what happened to it?”

One of the boys, gathering his courage, grabbed a stick and poked at the creature’s face. It didn’t move, but its face shifted slightly, revealing empty sockets where its eyes had been.

The boys shuddered in horror. “I wonder how it died,” said one.

The other boy frowned. “Look at its face. It’s all…shriveled up. Like an old plant…or…”

The boy never finished the thought, for at that moment, something grabbed both of them around the legs and yanked them beneath the murky water. A few bubbles, popping at the muddy surface seconds later, were the only sign they had ever been there.

As a kid, Leech was one of my favorite He-Man figures. Like King Hsss, Leech hung around my toy box for years after I’d given away most of my other Masters of the Universe toys. His appeal, I think, lay in the fact that he was a big green monster with sucker hands and a fun suction action feature. He also had a really unique sculpt, which was rare among He-Man figures and may have been part of the reason I didn’t mind using him with other toy lines.

(more…)

Poe’s Point > Thoughts on the Mighty Spector & Other PowerCon Reveals

September 29, 2011 | Poe

Unfortunately there are no good official pics of the Mattel PowerCon reveals. There are a few tiny, watermarked images on Mattycollector that do the figures no justice and are really just sad. The best pics I’ve found are in this post on the Fwoosh, so that’s what I’ll be referring to in this article.

First up: Stinkor. You know, for all we’ve been told about how the designers have been told to minimize the Millennium features on MOTUC figures, we’re getting an awful lot of Millennium features on these figures. Stinkor gets a new gun, stink-tanks on his back, and a Millennium-style head (along with a repainted Mer-Man vintage head). I’m not the biggest Stinkor fan. He was a bit too goofy and gimmicky even for five-year-old Poe. But the Four Horsemen have done a great job on his design, and I won’t begrudge him his place in my collection–I have a hunch he’ll actually be one of those figures that grows on me once I have him in hand. (more…)

5 Questions With > Josh Van Pelt of the Power and the Honor Foundation

September 28, 2011 | Poe

The Power and The Honor Foundation is a fan-funded, non-profit organization that is dedicated to documenting, archiving, preserving, and sharing the rich history of He-Man and the Masters of the Universe and She-Ra Princess of Power. Their first product, The Power and The Honor Foundation Catalog Volume One: The Art of Masters of the Universe Toy Design, is now available for order.

I got in touch with PHF executive director Josh Van Pelt to find out a bit more about the project.

Poe: Tell us a little about yourself and your history with MOTU/POP fandom–when and how did you become a He-Fan/She-Raver, and how has it developed over the years?

JVP: Since I was born in 1977, some of my earliest memories are of playing with my He-Man figures in the early 80s. I can remember getting a Castle Grayskull for Christmas in 1983 and always having a large box of figures, vehicles, and playsets that I would drag around the house. After school each day, I watched Masters of the Universe on TV and recreated the battles between He-Man and Skeletor with my action figures.

Most of my original childhood He-Man figures disappeared over the years and I did not restart collecting MOTU until I went to college. When we needed a break from schoolwork, my girlfriend (now wife) and I would go to fleamarkets, toy shows, and comic book stores, mostly picking up loose figures.

Still in college, I decided to start a website, The Cafe Wha?, where I created a very amateur site that sold MOTU figures, accessories, and minicomics. This was a great way for me to build my own collection and help other collectors complete theirs. It also allowed me to meet hundreds of fellow collectors, many remaining friends even after The Cafe Wha? closed.

Since graduating college in 2002, I have had very little time to dedicate to my MOTU collecting but I continue to keep an eye out for one-of-a-kind pieces that I might never see for sale again. The past few years, my action figure and toy collection has remained relatively stable but I have been able to preserve a large collection of prototypes, original artwork, and rare items. (more…)

MOTUC Batman Custom by MasterEnglish

September 26, 2011 | Poe

I just wanted to post a bigger pic of the MOTUC Batman custom I commissioned from MasterEnglish, which was revealed at PowerCon this weekend. I’ll do a more thorough write-up with more pics once it arrives.

It’s made from parts of Bow along with Keldor-style boots and Skeletor-style arms. The head, cape, and belt are from a DC Direct Dark Knight Returns Batman.

Odds ‘n Ends > PowerCon Edition

September 25, 2011 | Poe

  • First off, the big reveals from the Mattel panel yesterday.
  • You can find pics here and here.
  • The Wind Raider has been pushed back and the price raised to $45 (from $30 $40);
  • Stinkor is the April subscription figure, and he will feature the same smell from the vintage figure (as Mattel still has the original “recipe”)
  • The May figure will be the New Adventures character Slush Head, who will have a removable helmet for those who want to fill it with water;
  • The first large-scale beast of 2011 is Beast-Man’s Griffin from the Millennium series, which is an extensive retooling of the Battle Cat sculpt;
  • There will be Snake Mountain figure stands;
  • There will be an exclusive white Sorceress variant from the mini-comic “The Temple of Darkness” that will be available at all regional comic conventions in 2012 except SDCC. and remaining stock will be available online in December 2012;
  • The latest 30th Anniversary figure to be revealed is the ToyGuru-creator “Mighty Spector.” This reveal has had quite a backlash among MOTUC fans. Here’s the pic. Your thoughts?
  • As a few have guessed, the custom I commissioned from MasterEnglish was indeed a MOTUC Batman. Pics to come!
  • Spy Monkey Creations has a PowerCon exclusive, the Blüdsaw of Carnage. SMC is hoping to mass-produce the Blüdsaw (in other colors) later on.