Just thought I’d pass on this interesting little link–ComicTrek.net has a Web page that tracks completed MOTUC auctions. It’s a great way to keep an eye on how the market for each figure is doing. They’ve also got tracking pages for vintage MOTU, Sideshow, and other toylines.
Odds ‘n Ends > Arthropod Edition

- So, Voltron is back and Mattel has the toy rights. Thoughts, opinions, bitterly sarcastic comments regarding the availability and quality control of new toys?
- Once again, ItsAllTrue.net has taken an idea I had and beat me to the punch. Check out their interview with Mel Birnkrant, inventor of the Outer Space Men. A must-read.
- And while you’re there, check out their review of the awesome Revoltech Jack Skellington. I’m tempted, despite the price…my NECA Jacks are pretty fragile.
- Any thoughts on the Lion-O staction by Icon Heroes?
- Masters of the Universe will be inducted into the ToyFare Hall of Fame at WizardWorld Philadelphia this weekend. So that’s cool. Also, Scott Neitlich is going to reveal a new MOTUC figure on Friday at the “Big Toy Industry” panel. It’s the September sub figure, and the odds-on favorites on the He-Man.org forums are Roboto and Chief Carnivus. Anyone want to make their guess?
- On a side note, I had to reset the poll because I realized it was only allowing one choice per person, instead of three.
Poe’s Point > I Never Loved You, Action Features
I try to avoid participating in arguments on forums these days, but I ended up chiming in when a He-Man.org thread comparing DCUC to MOTUC veered into a discussion about action features and whether those were–and are–really as popular among kids versus something like articulation. (more…)
AFI preview of Count Marzo
Thanks to good connections and geographical proximity to Mattel HQ, AFI continues their domination of early MOTUC previews with Count Marzo. My thoughts are below. (more…)
Keldor & She-Ra previews up at AFI

To counteract the what-might-have-been blues from the Thundercats-Bandai announcement, enjoy some nice big pics of Keldor and She-Ra from AFI.
Loving the cape on Keldor–and Skeletor–but man, is Keldor blue or what? Damn. I guess being alive is good for the complexion. Or rather, being dead is bad for it. Even if you’re blue.
These pics are also the first time I’ve gotten mildly excited about She-Ra. She came out pretty well, I think. But Keldor is definitely the one I’m most excited about. Now, will I be able to even get one? That remains to be seen…
Tytus Revisited
I came across some interesting tidbits regarding Tytus’s production, and given the controversy he seems to have inspired among collectors, I thought I’d post them here.
First, there’s this post by ToyGuru on the Mattycollector forums:
Tytus also has a 100% sculpt. But at that size (13″) if we did him fully articulated he would have been very expensive. It is not the sculpting that is expensive, we pay the same amount to “sculpt” a figure as we do a 12″ figure. It is the production that costs more when a figure is larger because a larger figure uses more plastic etc…!
Gygor is not as large as Tytus so we can afford (plastic wise) to give him more articulation. At the end of the day, Tytus was just too large to produce with full articulation and keep him under $100.00. We wanted Tytus (as a giant) to be as big as possible, which is why we used Roto casting which is less expensive to keep him at the $40.00 price point.
We do have big plans for both the Gygor (gorilla buck) and Tytus (giant buck) in the future. So both were an “investment” for Mattel for future figures. We are making a deliberate attempt to spread out the big beasts and giants so that each year will have a good selection. That is why you don’t see all the big name big beasts like Panthor, Megator, etc… all in year one. I imagine in time we will get to them! Our goal is to keep the line going for quite a few years and to do that we need to save big guns for each year.
To add ball joints we would need to make Tytus completely the same way we do a figure and this would drive his price to over $100.00. We used roto casting to keep the price down but when you use Roto Casting it prevents ball joints from being used.
Would fans be willing to buy a new Tytus for over $100.00 that would include all the articulation you see in a MOTUC figure? Let us know.
Ask Mattel > Answers for June 1

1.) When you get around to characters like Buzz Off who had “claws” for hands, will those claws be articulated–i.e., will they be able to open and close–or will they just have wrist swivels like the rest of the figures?
It is too early to tell, sorry.
2.) RM asks: When it comes time to make Clawful, would it be possible to make the articulation point in his *large* claw ratcheted/stepped, so he can maintain a solid “grip” or open claw without fear of looseness in such a small, and (sure to be) often used joint? (more…)
Review > Optikk (Masters of the Universe Classics)
We live in an age where our favorite pop culture franchises get “rebooted” every other month. Sometimes the franchise and its characters get a brand-new origin, other times it’s just taken in a radically different direction. In this age of 25th Anniversary G.I. Joe, the countless Transformers incarnations and the Clone Wars, it’s easy to forget that one of the first major “reboots” in popular toy history was The New Adventures of He-Man.
After MOTU died its ignominious death on the shelves (and in theaters) in 1987 (forcing great toys like Tytus to be released only overseas), Mattel set to work trying to figure out how to revitalize the brand. Since MOTU had always borrowed a lot from Star Wars, it must have seemed a natural to ditch the sword-and-sorcery angle of the franchise and revamp it as a space opera. They slimmed down He-Man, gave him a helmet and armor, redesigned the Power Sword to look more high-tech, and sent He-Man, Skeletor and a new crop of heroes and villains into the future.
The new toy line–called simply He-Man–debuted in 1989. But by that time, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles–whose toys owed much to the original MOTU line, stylistically and in terms of its execution–had become the true masters of the universe. He-Man limped along for three years, with a short-lived cartoon in 1990; but fans of the original toys and cartoon were hostile to the new take on the premise, while others (including an adolescent Poe) were too busy with Leonardo and Donatello. (more…)
Sponsored Review > 7″ Fantasy Shields by Spy Monkey Creations
Spy Monkey Creations continues to create excellent accessories for use with 7″ action figures. While they could be used with any figure, it’s obvious they’re inspired by Masters of the Universe Classics.
I previously reviewed the Master Blade of the Empyrean and the Witching Axe of Ruination, as well as the Blade of the Demon King and its variants. The subject of this review is the Shield of Deliverance and its variants. Since I received samples of the product and SMC is now a sponsor, this won’t be a normal review with a raven rating–I’m just going highlight the product and allow you to decide for yourselves. (more…)
Odds ‘n Ends > Spyeye Edition

- Apologies for the lack of a real update today–I’ve got two or three major updates in the queue, but finding the time to get them done is proving difficult. It does not, however, have anything to do with my increasingly unhealthy addiction to Dragon Age.
- In case you missed his column this weekend, check out the newest contributor, the enigmatic Doc Thomas. In his first column, the good doctor examines action figure scale so deeply you’ll need to drink some MiraLax first.
- Optikk review is coming, but the short version is, he’s pretty cool. What I really like about him, though, is the way Mattel and the Horsemen incorporated the New Adventures design into the MOTUC style.
- I’m working on my review, but Spy Monkey Creations’ new shields are now available.
- For the record, I was apparently wrong about the relative scarcity of the 3¾” Twitch, since no less than four people found him within two days of writing that post. I haven’t seen him myself, though.
- One thing I’ve been remiss in reporting on are the two new Transformers/G.I. Joe cartoons that are being developed. Do people care about those? Do you want coverage? Speaking of, would people like me to get in on the various Hasbro Q&As? I’ve been skipping them solely because they lie outside my own interests, but if people want to submit questions for me to in turn submit, I’d be fine with that.


