Saturday, October 16, 2010

Ask Matty!
October 15th 2010

Hey all! Here's the October 15th Q & A!

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1.) When you guys do get around to doing one of the 1987 film figures, is there any chance it will have a movie-inspired logo sticker affixed to the front like the vintage figure (in keeping with the other "subset" stickers we've had so far)?

No. We do not have rights to the 1987 movie at this time and those characters will be treated as updated to the vintage figures, not movie figures.

2.) Gygor's axe seems like a perfect fit for Tytus! Is this weapon being considered for future "Weapons Pak" treatment, perhaps in the same gold tone as his warrior smasher?

Definitely a cool suggestion but we don’t have definite plans right now. You never know what the future will bring!

3.) Can you tell us which DC artist provided the art for the upcoming DCUC VS MOTUC 2 packs? It would be neat to get these pieces signed by the artist at a convention!


Sorry, this is not information DC Comics is providing at this time.


4.) Speaking of the DCUC VS MOTUC packs... The art seems very slanted more towards the DC style as opposed to classic MOTU style. Is there any way that future packs might switch this up a bit; showing both the MOTU and DCUC characters drawn in classic MOTU style? Perhaps even drawn by some of the past artists that made the MOTU packaging so special?

Currently part of the “deal” to do these packs is for us to use current DC staff artists. We will look at adjusting the style a bit more to the exact current look, but overall you won’t see too many changes.

5.) You stated that Grizzlor's extra head was something that was done as an extra by the Four Horsemen, and that often times they will sculpt extras that can't quite be costed in. Are there any other past releases that had unseen extras that didn't make the cut for whatever reason?

Yes. Tons of figures in both the DC and MOTU lines have had extra parts sculpted by the Horsemen that were not asked for or costed in, simply because they are very enthusiastic. While we appreciate them going “the extra mile” once we are set on the cost of a figure it is often impossible to include an extra piece even if they look very cool. Batman Beyond’s wings and Wonder Woman’s extra spear are also examples of this. We do our best to only show a sculpt with the parts that will actually go forward but every once in a while extra parts sneak into a PR shot.

Incidentally, we also do try to find a way to get to these sculpts down the road. The Bottle City of Kandor in our JLU Superman was actually originally sculpted by the Horsemen as a 6-inch accessory for the 2006 Superman figure!


Thanks to Mattel for taking the time to do this!

-James

Monday, October 11, 2010

Early MOTU Memories...

While searching through some old photos, my mom found a batch of me during my early days of MOTU fanaticism that I thought I'd share...

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My wardrobe consisted of a bunch of crap I hated wearing... and my He-Man shirts. Check out my sweet Justin Beiber hair! And I like that you can spot a Sectaurs toy in one of those shots too.

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I had forgotten until I saw this pic that Clawful was one of my favorites as a child. That grasping claw feature was endless fun. My sister is seen here with her first Cabbage Patch Doll (named Brandy if I remember right), and some knock-off pretender Cabbage Patch doll that I don't even remember her owning. I'm sure that one got sent to the closet shortly after she got the real deal.

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My 6th birthday party. Also my only childhood birthday party. We had a choice as kids: Party or more presents. I almost always chose the latter, but on my 6th birthday I picked party over extra presents. The table was decked out in He-Man stuff, and my newly acquired Ram-Man rests right in front of me. Also in front of me is another present I got that year that would go on to become my favorite childhood toy- Gizmo. He went everywhere with me for the next few years, becoming (though it may sound strange) one of my closest childhood friends. Gizmo (though his fur is old, the paint on his eyes is almost totally worn off, and he long ago lost his ability to squeak) now resides with the rest of my 2 sons' stuffed animals, as he deserves to keep getting playtime for the years of enjoyment he gave me. Oh... and you may notice the lack of MOTU presence on the cake. That's because we had a separate cake for the party. The He-Man cake was reserved for the family birthday celebration.

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Lastly, one of the greatest Christmas days ever- The year "Santa" brought Snake Mountain home to join Castle Grayskull. I apparently also got Road Ripper that same year, as evidenced by me maniacally clutching the zip-strip in my hand. Funny story- My mom used to have all the presents wrapped under the tree a short time before Christmas. To keep us from taking peeks or shaking the boxes, she would tell us that they were just empty boxes waiting for Santa to come fill them. Santa would know if we touched any of them, and would leave those that had been touched empty so that she would know on Christmas if we had touched any. Sneaky moms.

-James

Wednesday, October 6, 2010

Chief Carnivus
Heroic Feline Warrior

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Real Name: Carnivus Fervelius III

Leader of a race of Eternian cat warriors called Qadians, Carnivus keeps his people safe high in the village of Felis Qadi. For many years, the Qadians kept a neutral stance, preferring not to get involved in the affairs of other tribes. But with the rise of Skeletor and the subsequent release of the Snake Men and the Horde from their interdimensional prisons, Carnivus agreed to re-evaluate his core principles and joined the struggle for freedom, allying himself and his people with King Randor’s new Eternian Council. Carnivus uses his feline agility and great courage to fight against evil.

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Accessories: Sword of Saz, Ancestral Shield

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Additional Pictures:

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