Ask Mattel > Answers for December 1

December 1, 2010 | Poe

1.) Mark asks: Can you please stop posing the WWE Legends figures in the packages as it is bending their legs to the side. Just pose them normally, they do not have to be in a dynamic pose to sell. Excellent figures BTW!

We pack out our Legends figures in dynamic poses that match trademark actions of those Superstars. However, we have become aware that some poses tend to negatively affect the figure inside and we will no longer be posing figures in ways that may happen do this.

2.) William Fontaine De la Tour Dauterive asks: Has the WWE team considered using the Terry Funk Elite upper body on more superstars? I feel that torso is more appropriate for folks like Edge, Chris Jericho, Drew McIntyre, Alberto Del Rio, Cowboy Bob Orton, prime Shawn Michaels, etc since it’s a little beefier than what’s currently being used. (more…)

Ask Mattel > Answers for Mid-November

November 16, 2010 | Poe

Poe’s note: Apologies for the really weak Q&A this time, folks. I asked a number of WWE questions and apparently there was no one available to answer them.

1.) MldMnrdReporter asks: Are any *new* steps being taken to make sure Quality Control on MOTUC improves in the future? We know it wasn’t a factory error regarding Roboto (his shoulders were clearly tooled incorrectly, with the “L” and the “R” on the wrong pegs). $20 a figure is quite a bit of money to spend each month and it’d be nice to make sure we don’t get a flawed product.

We are always doing what we can to improve quality control. While fans only see the “mistakes” that slip through, many don’t realize the hundreds of things we do catch that are fixed before market. We totally understand the frustration with Roboto. Honestly, this one slipped through. Hey, even fan sites in their reviews didn’t notice the shoulder’s being reversed. In the end, it really only changes the pattern of the tech on his shoulders, the figure is still fully functional. We will look at correcting this one day, but nothing is planned right now. Quality Control is, and remains, of upmost importance to us. Even so, sometimes things do slip through.

2.) Snarf! Snarf! asks: Is it possible to get some official info regarding the power levels and extent of the abilities of MOTU characters (Including PoP, NA, etc.) somewhere down the line. Since the bios are focused on the story we can’t get that info. Things like: “Can Beastman control sea creatures, or is that Mer-Man’s job? Where does Mekaneck keep that huge amount of neck and other organs within his body? How strong is He-Man compared to King Grayskull?” (more…)

Ask Mattel > October 1 Answers

October 1, 2010 | Poe

1.) 3B asks: The larger knee pads on some WWE figures (i.e. Triple H, Batista, and all wrestlers with the kick-pads, etc.) really restrict the leg articulation, is it possible to mold these in a softer, more flexible plastic?

This is something we have been looking into and will pass this comment onto our design team! (more…)

Ask Mattel > Mid-September Round

September 15, 2010 | Poe

1.) Dayraven asks: It seems a lot of fans are having more frequent issues w/ the QC of the MOTUC figuress they’ve received, with loose ankles and biceps swivels being the most frequent complaint. Is Mattel addressing these issues with the factory?

Yes, we constantly work with our vendors to improve these issues. (more…)

Ask Mattel > Answers for July 15 [Roundup added]

July 15, 2010 | Poe

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…)

Doc Thomas Probes > Essential Accessories, Part II

June 7, 2010 | Doc Thomas

Following on from last week and the ecstatic response by collectors and non-collectors alike, here is the second part of the two-hundred-and-sixty-seven-part-long series about the action figure accessories that you, the collector, simply must own! This is a special part including additions from the readers that I either neglected to mention, was going to mention later or simply completely forgot in a heroin-induced haze. Over to you!

5. Blades (Thanks, dayraven!)

Yes, guns get mentioned, and so do swords! But swords go part in parcel with butcher knives, switchblades, daggers, ninja swords, axes, swiss-army knives, machetes, scythes, foils, cleavers, and everything in between! Just as for ethnic gangs, bladed weapons are the source of amusement for many of your toys – not just your ninjas and vampire slayers, but also WALL-E!! He loves to cut. Not to mention… (more…)

2010’s Impossible to Find G.I. Joe Exclusive Will Be…

March 8, 2010 | Paul

As most die-hard Joe fans already know, Sargent Slaughter is the 2010 San Diego Comic Con exclusive for the G.I. Joe line. This is both awesome and maddening, because you’re either going to have to go way out of your way at the convention to try and get one (and you probably will fail anyway) or you’ll have to be lucky enough to get one when it pops up on Hasbro Toy Shop after the convention. To make things even harder, good old Sarge comes in two flavors, regular:

And extra gunny:

(more…)

Ask Mattel > Answers for Mid-December ’09

December 17, 2009 | Poe

matty_bone_throne

1.) Some collectors received Scareglows with QC issues (such as two left legs), or missing either the key or the entire reliquary. The response from customer service was that there are no replacement Scareglows available, only refunds. In the past, you’ve made it clear that a small percentage of each figure’s production run was held back for exchanges. Why has this changed, and will the option to exchange return? It’s badly needed when collectors aren’t able to check the figures before purchasing.

Faulty figures can be exchanged by contacting customer service through Mattycollector.com.

(more…)

Mattel Answers for December 1

December 1, 2009 | Poe

matty_bone_throne

1.) Tom-Tom asks: How expensive would it be in the short run to switch to an alternative-source plastic like Thermoplastic starch biodegradable plastics? That way, there’d be lower production costs and lower MSRPs in the long run.

A cool suggestion but not something logistically we can switch to.

(more…)