Ask Matty! March 15th 2012

Here are the answers for the March 15th Q & A!



1.) When the Wind Raider goes back on sale around SDCC time, will the price be the same as 2011 ($45) or will it be raised to reflect the price increase of 2012 (10%)?

It will likely go up just slightly as all 2012 items have.

2.) We still have one $40 item to go in 2012. Can you confirm or deny that this last slot is another 2-pack?

That will be revealed at SDCC!

3.) With long droughts between "big reveal" conventions and shows (like the gap between Toy Fair and SDCC), it seems as if it might be a good idea to sneak out small reveals through other outlets to keep fans excited about the line. Toyfare used to be a good vehicle for this, but with that magazine now gone, have you thought about maybe reaching out to fan sites? Even small teaser images (like showing Grizzlor's back in Toyfare) would get fans jazzed while fostering a healthy relationship between your company and its supportive fan sites.

There will still be periodic reveals outside of the shows! Stay tuned.

4.) What is your ideal sellout time for the Wind Raider's second sale? I am not trying to stir up trouble here- It would just be nice for fans to know what will be deemed a success.

Sorry, we can't comment on things like this. This is proprietary information to Mattel strategy we don't share publically.

5.) With lower sub sales in 2012, did you give any thought to reshuffling the planned rollout of the line (which was previously planned out through 2017)? If not, and if sub numbers continue to dwindle, will you perhaps reconsider removing some of the "filler" figures (third or fourth tier characters) and moving some of the "heavy hitters" (like Ram-Man) scheduled for later in the line to an earlier spot in the hopes of making MOTUC as "complete" as possible?

Although the subs went down from 2011, they are still way way above our min units needed to run the line. We could actually cut the line to 2012 subs only and do just fine. The line is doing great. The dip from 2011 just meant we won't look at expanding too fast. It doesn't indicate the current line with the current roll out/number of skus is in any danger or not doing great.

Thanks again to the folks at Mattel for taking the time to do this!

-James

Ask Matty! February 15th 2012

Here are the answers for the February 15th Q & A!



1.) You stated that the Wind Raider sales were just "okay", despite the fact that there was no product left after 3 and a half days. When gauging the success of the Wind Raider, were the circumstances surrounding the sale factored into your assessment at all? It doesn't take a marketing expert to see that the confusion behind the Demo-Man shipping situation, and more importantly the fact that it was sold 10 days before Christmas when many fans don't have extra cash to burn HAD to be mitigating factors when it came to how quickly the item moved. Had the item been sold in October as originally planned (when the holiday crunch wasn't upon people and with Demo-Man and his problems months away), the ridiculously fast sellout you guys gauge as a "success" probably would have happened. It seems a shame that due to poor planning on your part in regards to the release date has reflected negatively on its performance, and therefore jeopardizes our chances at getting more vehicles... despite the fact that we did everything we could (i.e. buying everything you had despite those factors).

From Toy Guru:

"Let me try and clear the air on this one. First off, we had originally planned on the WR (and Granamyr is planned for) a Sept release. Due to circumstances we could not control the WR was delayed twice and had to wind up shipping in Dec. So it is not like we purposely planned or due to "poor planning on out part" to make this a Dec item. The other thing to take into consideration (and this is NOT an attack on customers) but we did make it very clear the cost of the WR well in advance. If this was an item you wanted to buy, you had months to save up and stash away needed funds. It is not like this high prices item came out of no where and surprises people. At the end of the day, it just took too long to sell a very small number of units."

2.) As a followup to number 1- You do realize that if you sell all of your product in a ridiculously short amount of time (like the Battle Cat and original Tytus sellouts), then you are missing out on a large portion of willing customers, right? I for one didn't get Tytus when he was originally available due to the short sellout time... and I know I wasn't alone. That was $40 you could have had from me then, but with a goal of super-rapid sellouts to gauge success, you missed out on me as a customer. I wonder how many Wind Raider sales you would have lost out on had it not lasted the whole 3 and a half days that it was up?

We are looking into doing a second run and selling it during a non holiday time. We'll see if this works out to help pay for the high tooling cost.

3.) Do you plan on having figures other than Skeletor, He-Man, Battle Cat, and Panthor available on a regular basis? Teela seems to be a perfect candidate for this.

It is possible but no one is planned beyond those 4 at this time.

4.) It seems many of the other companies are no longer shying away from big playsets. Playmates just unveiled an enormous Sewer playset for their upcoming Turtles line, while Hasbro has a 3 foot long Hellicarrier coming in their Avengers line (as well as multiple large Star Wars vehicles currently in production or coming soon). With your 2 largest competitors showing that they aren't afraid to tackle the large items, isn't it about time Mattel stepped up to the plate and took a risk on larger items (like Castle Grayskull)?

If the Windraider and the 2012 sub has sold better we would have started looking into a playsets, but neither one did so the idea was put on the back burner.

5.) Have you ever thought of doing another spirit variant in the line? A spectral form of Demo-Man cast in green translucent plastic would be way cool!

That would be awesome! But no plans at this time.

Thanks again to the folks at Mattel for taking the time to do this!

-James

Ask Matty! January 17th 2012 (UPDATED WITH ANSWERS!)

Hey all! After some e-mail confusion, Scott and the crew have supplied me with the missing answers from the January 17th Q & A!



1.) With all the plans that have been revealed so far with regards to the 30th anniversary, are there any surprises left to be revealed still (outside of the standard monthly releases)?

Yes.

2.) We were told previously that it took months for a figure to complete production, and they couldn't make changes due to this. Yet Toy Guru stated in his Sorceress video in mid -December that she has not even started going into production yet, with her release less than a month away... how is this possible?

Different figures and products go into production at different times based on logistics and line time.

3.) The customer service abilities of Digital river seem to be getting worse with time. MANY folks had problems with either their Swift Wind or Wind Raider orders (in some cases even both) and they are still caught in limbo with DR. Simple things like returning e-mails or phone calls just aren't happening. Speaking as one of those customers who has now waited weeks for any word on a broken Wind Raider replacement, it is becoming increasingly frustrating to deal with this. It shouldn't be this hard to get a replacement for defective product or to find out why your order hasn't shipped. Even worse, it seems as if the direct line to U.S. customer service has been shut down, leaving the standard DR call center as your only option for dealing with problems. Is there ANYTHING you guys can do about this? I fully expect the answer to be that "it is being looked into", but that really isn't enough to help all the customers who have issues in the present.

We are constantly working on improving customer service issues with Digital River.

4.) This question is in regard to the Demo-Man delay- Why were we not alerted until 2 days before the on-sale date that Demo-Man wouldn't arrive in time? With sub orders supposedly shipping 2 days before the sale date, it seems as if you would know already that Demo-Man wasn't going to arrive in time. Do figures really arrive at the warehouse the day they are scheduled to start shipping, with no advance warning on whether or not they will arrive that day? I just find it hard to understand how you wouldn't know a figure was going to be weeks late until the day it was scheduled to start shipping to subscribers.

We did not know until very late in the game that their would be a delay and we alerted fans as soon as possible.

5.) Another question regarding the Demo-Man situation- Why was the decision made to hold the Battleground Evil-Lyn figures back instead of shipping those to subscribers separately? It really felt like 2011 ended on a sour note for subscribers, since we were all stuck waiting for product while non-subscribers who purchased BG Evil-Lyn on the day of sale got her immediately. It seems like this would have been one of those cases where Matty should have eaten the cost of shipping BG Evil-Lyn by herself to subscribers as a show of good faith and as a way of maintaining the commitment to getting subscribers figures BEFORE day-of-sale buyers.

(This one was still missing an answer.)

Hopefully our communication issues are all straightened out now... Thanks once again to Mattel for taking the time to do this!

-James

Ask Matty! December 15th 2011

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



1.) It seems that many of the Swiftwind figures are arriving with production errors involving the front legs. Some are correct, but a large portion seem to have either 2 right front legs or 2 left front legs (in case you aren't familiar with the problem yet, check out this thread at the He-Man.org forums- http://he-man.org/forums/boards/showthread.php?t=217547 ). Back when the King Hsss shoulders error was discovered, we were told that there would be no exchanges for correct product since no correct product existed. In the case of Swift Wind, correct versions are out there so at least some were manufactured correctly. My question is this- Will fans who received incorrectly assembled Swiftwinds be given the opportunity to exchange theirs for ones correctly assembled? And if so, is there any way that a team outside of standard Digital River customer service could be brought in to handle the problem (since DR seems ill-equipped to handle just about any customer service issue)?

We are well aware of this issue and yes, fans can exchange and defective product through customer service. Overall it was a VERY small number of Swiftwinds that were affected by this production error.

2.) The "Mad Matty Monday" sale and the Black Friday/ Cyber Monday Sale saw a large portion of the MOTUC product available at discounted prices. It would seem that seeing so many items being sold at sometimes half the cost of their original retail would deter folks from "buying early". After all- Why pay full price for something that will be sold at 50% off months later? The leaves us to question the benefits of being a subscription holder, since it is fairly obvious that if you are patient, and can hold out a for a while, all of these figures will eventually be made available again for quite a substantial discount. Don't you feel that sales like these (while great for newcomers and folks that missed out on certain figures early on) are detrimental to subscription sales... which are supposedly at their lowest point yet?

Starting in 2012, production will be much closer to the sub sales (with some limited stock still available for day-of non sub holders). While there may be some sales, we don't expect a sale as expansive as the 2011 BF sale again in 2012.

3.) Another question regarding the Cyber Monday sale- Why was the decision made to trickle items in and out of the sale instead of just having all the product available at a certain time? Many folks couldn't spend the entire day refreshing the Matty site just to see what product would pop up... And those of us that did were forced into separate orders if we wanted to grab certain items before they sold out. What was the benefit in handling the sale in this manner?

It provided a little more chase for fans on Cyber Monday and added to the shopping experience.

4.) Is there any chance we could get a repaint of the 200X-style power sword in bronze in an upcoming Weapons Pak? It would be really cool to stick one with the bronze version of King Grayskull to make it more accurate to the "Powers of Grayskull" MYP episode.

We certainly can look into this. Cool suggestion.

5.) Many questions (like more international shipping options or earlier shipping for subscribers) are usually met with the same answer… something to the effect of "we are looking into this" or "we are constantly exploring more options". My question is this- Can we start instituting some kind of timetable for improvements and corrections to longstanding issues? It's all well and good to hear that you are looking for ways to improve, but until it actually happens, that's just more words... and in some cases, we've heard those same words for going on 3 years now.

We can't promise an exact time table as things are always in flux but as repetitive as the answer is, we are working on this actively and hope to have solutions as soon as possible.

Thanks again to Mattel for taking the time to do this!

-James

Ask Matty! December 1st 2011

Hey all! Here's the December 1st Q & A!



1.) This question is in regards to subscription charging & shipping- When we originally signed on for the subs, credit cards were supposed to be charged 2 days before the on sale date, with the items shipping on or before sale date. As time has gone on, charge dates have moved up earlier in the month while shipping seems to move further out. And to add to the frustration, the renewal e-mail notices sometimes arrive after a charge has already been made. For example, this past month I was charged on November 10th, got my renewal notice on November 14th , and still don’t have any kind of shipping notice as of the 15th (meaning the sub items won’t leave the warehouse until the 17th at the earliest, since the shipping seems to not actually occur until the day after I get my notice). My question is this- Why are we charged SO early on if our items aren’t going to ship until up to a week later? I’ve never had a week turnaround between charge and shipping with any other online store… It just doesn’t seem very efficient.

We are actively working on aligning shipping and CC charges to be as close together moving forward!

2.) My last few orders from Matty have included a $5 coupon good towards DCUC figures. This has been a pretty nice bonus, especially since I was able to use them towards the TRU DCUC Vs MOTUC packs! I am wondering though if you’ve given any thought into doing the reverse- Including a coupon good towards purchases at Mattycollector.com inside the package of figures bought at retail stores. It would seem that this would be a good way of making brick-and-mortar consumers more aware of Matty’s presence online…

It is always a promotion we can look into, but nothing planned at this time.

3.) Speaking of those DCUC Vs MOTUC packs- Is there anything being done to help clear the glut of Wave 1 Skeletor/ Luthor packs from stores? I have never seen Wave 2 or Wave 3 in stores due to the overwhelming supply of this pack and I’m a bit worried that I never will.

Yes, we are working with TRU to move through the older inventory and get to the newer figures.

4.) Are there any plans to create an add-on sub for extras like Granamyr in 2012? Having to go online to buy Bubble Power She-Ra is a good reminder of how inconvenient ordering non-sub items can be.

No, we purposely need to keep some items out of the sub so we have the freedom to grow or shrink the line as needed and to adjust prices for new concept items like vehicles and giant Dragons (like how the Windraider was originally 40.00 but had to be raised to 45.00 in the end). If we include items in the sub, we have to stick to the advertised price at sub purchase and need some flexibility to grow the line.

5.) I know it’s pretty far in the future still, but in regards to Granamyr- Is there any chance that he might get the same packaging treatment as the Wind Raider? It would be cool to see a vintage-style painting for this long sought after character as opposed to the standard window box.

It might be possible but we just are not there yet as far as his development as a toy and a package.

Thanks again to Mattel for taking the time to do this!

-James

Ask Matty! November 15th 2011

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



1.) You recently revealed that the 2012 SDCC exclusive will cost $30 instead of $25 like the previous 2 years. Just to manage expectations- Is this just due to the rising cost of figures or should we expect a little something more from next year's exclusive?

A little of both.

2.) Though I personally LOVE the Horde Prime figure, some folks were a bit disappointed that this character didn't get the large-sized figure treatment. Can you tell us why the decision was made to do Horde Prime as a regular-sized character?

From Toy Guru:

"Originally Horde Prime (whom we were calling Horde Supreme) was going to be our club exclusive figure. Before we had Filmation rights, he was extremely unique as he was a Filmation character that was never actually seen. This was a bit of a loophole (normally we are not ones to go for "loopholes", but oddly this one was legally clearly open to us so we went for it) and we thought doing Horde Supreme would be a great Club Figure because no one had seen the face and he was "slightly" Filmation without stepping on their rights (again, because he was never actually seen in the show). Our idea was (and still is!) people would see the face for the first time on the figure. When we got the Filmation rights the loophole of doing Supreme/Prime was less special as we had rights to all Filmation characters and we scrambled to get Shadow Weaver into the line to celebrate this. But we really didn't want to loose out on doing Horde Prime/Supreme so he was bumped to another spot in the year (and that figure was bumped out of the year entirely to accommodate the addition of Shadow Weaver and retaining of Prime). So I suppose the answer to your question is he was standard size because he was originally slotted in as the Club Figure which was a standard sized figure due to the 20.00 sign up fee."


3.) It has been stated for awhile now that you are looking into better shipping for international fans... but things are still the same. Is this something you are still looking into, or are international fans just stuck with the current options?

Yes, this is still something we are actively exploring. For domestic customers too!

4.) Another international shipping question- There was mention that you were trying to "un-combine" the forcibly combined subs, as many international buyers would prefer they still ship separately. Is there some definite solution at hand?

We are still working on locking in a solution.

5.) Have you guys considered perhaps giving the Wind Raider a special sale date earlier in the month (like say, December 1st), similar to what you did last year with the PKE Meter for Ghostbusters? The earlier date would help avoid site traffic and gives buyers a better chance at having them before Christmas. Plus, since this is the first vehicle in the line, a separate sale would make it feel a little more special!

No, it will go on sale on the same date to help customers save on shipping.

Thanks again to Mattel for taking the time to do this!

-James

Ask Matty! November 1st 2011

Hey all! Here's the November 1st Q & A!



1.) Since it seems like there is some sort of loophole in the 1987 MOTU movie rights that allows you to make accessories based on the props used in the film (Adora's handgun, Captain Glenn's rifle, the Cosmic Key), is there any chance that we may eventually see a film-inspired power sword included in the MOTUC line?

It might be possible but it isn't something we are in a rush to do. The guns were more of an Easter Egg then a loop hole!

2.) The inclusion of the Alcala Skeletor head with Demo-Man is quite a treat and is a very clever means of getting fans this much-requested item without forcing another Skeletor purchase on us. Is it possible that we may see this sort of pack-in again in the future (i.e. including a head meant for another character)?

Yes, our long term plan has always been to throw in these type of items to hit fan demanded requests without making fans buy extra figures.

3.) After Toy Guru's recent statements about He-Man.org's relelvance to the MOTUC fanbase (i.e. saying things like "the small passionate He-Man.org "bubble" -with about 200 posters and 50 of which post regularly"), I just wanted to ask if you were aware of the actual numbers behind He-Man.org? He-Man.org has over 8000 registered members. Out of those, between 1000 to 1500 log in each day, with an additional 4000 to 5000 guests also visiting and viewing the forums daily. Unlike other forums, He-Man.org also purges inactive accounts, so the majority of their 8000 registered users are actual regular users. Given the statements in the past that the MOTUC line is done on very small numbers, it would seem that trivializing this amount of the fan community was a fruitless move. Does Mattel as a whole view He-Man.org as such a small portion of the fanbase when they see these numbers in comparison to the overall number of MOTUC sales (especially when this is the "lowest-selling" sub yet)?

Yes, we are well aware of the number of fans who are active posters and visitors to websites through both Google analytics and manual counts. Further:

From Toyguru himself:

"Hey guys, I meant no offence at explaining this. All I was attempting to do we manage expectations as to why we might not be able to hit certain fan requests that come up a lot simply because there is a difference in something being requested by a large number of fans vs something requested by a small number of fans over and over. It is very similar to the JLU line on a site like Actionfigureinsider.com. The fans there are extremely passionate but we know from sales data as well as manual counts of posters within a 30 day period that it really is the same small group that post over and over. The internet has a way of giving everyone a voice which can be a lot louder then it is accurate in terms of the total fan base. Personally I have nothing but respect for all of the fan sites and He-Man.org is a GREAT site to chat MOTU."

4.) This one's just for fun- What's the consensus over at Mattel- Does Icarius look more like Val Kilmer or Arnold Schwarzenegger? My money is on Kilmer.

From Toy Guru:

"Personally, I also think a little Val Kilmer, but it is all Icarius!"

5.) Since only 3 of the 4 Quarterly variants get packed out with a mini-comic in 2012, are there any plans for the fourth variant to include anything special as a means of "keeping the trend" going? I'd feel sorry for that 4th variant if he or she doesn't include a little bonus like his 2012 variant brethren...

No. Alas we did not have a budget for a forth comic. Since fans are getting these at zero additional cost, it really is a bonus and not something we can include with every figure.

Thanks again to Mattel for taking the time to do this!

-James

Ask Matty! October 1st 2011

Hey all! Here's the October 1st Q & A!



1.) How are the mini-comics going to be packed: inside the mailer or inside the bubble? Many hope it will be packed separately like the maps, as packing it inside the bubble might be frustrating to MOC collectors.

It will be packed behind the figure in the blister just like the vintage figures.

2.) As a bonus to subscribers, is it possible for figures bought outside the sub continue to be priced at the 2008 pricing AND combine shipping with the sub figures? This would be a great bonus to subscribing!!!

We won't be offering quite this, but we are working on doing everything we can to find a way for sub holders to at least combine shipping on any day of purchases. This is still being worked on and we hope to have details to announce soon.

3.) If Draego-Man's high cost of production results in some of his accessories being dropped, would you consider making these items a perk for the 30th anniversary subscribers? Or perhaps making them an exclusive item available to purchase for subscribers only?

Actually yes. While we are not going to pack any "cut" accessory with other 30th figures, we are looking for a relevent/related figure down the line that we could pack them with in the future. So although we may have to cut his shield and whip (due to the high cost of plastic and deco with the wings and tail), we are looking for other ways to tool these and get them out one day.

4.) We know you guys are trying to figure out a way for subscribers to combine day-of-sale items in with their subscription items to save on shipping… but since subscription items are supposed to ship BEFORE day-of-sale items, would this mean that subscription items would have to be delayed in shipping until after the day-of-sale items go up for sale?

Honestly we are not sure yet. We are trying as lot of different scenarios for how we can make this work and hope to have more details soon. Please bare with us as we get our ducks in a row.

5.) Now that you guys have devised a way of doing add-on subs (like the 30th Anniversary subset), do you think it is possible that you might be able to do this for the few remaining non-sub items this year, like Granamyr and the vehicle? It would be great if we would be able to actually have a true "all-in" sub through the creation of such an add-on.

Actually, we specifically don't want to do this. We need to keep some items out of the sub so that we don't have to lock in a price or avail date. For example, the Windraider wound up being more expensive then we expected and slipped schedule, it is now coming out in Dec at $45.00. Anything pre sold as a sub needs to hold to a promoted price and for new items used to grow the line we need the flexibilty of keeping them out of the sub to allow us to make them the best they can be.

Thanks again to Mattel for taking the time to do this!

Ask Matty! September 15th 2011

Hey all! Here's the September 15th (or is 16th?) Q & A!



1.) In previous Q & A sessions, you've stated that the identity or backstory of the green head included in the Eternian Guards pack will be revealed at a later time. Many fans assumed after seeing the new mini-comic that the head represented a "snake-ified" Man-At-Arms. In the last "Ask Matty" segment though, you confirmed that the head included in the Eternian Guards pack is not intended to represent the transformed Man-At-Arms. So the question then is- If it isn't Man-At-Arms, then what is it?

You'll just need to wait and see. As we said, that info will be revealed in time.

2.) I know this has been asked before, but have you guys given any further thought to doing additional mini-comics as digital downloads? Even if you can't afford to do new stories, making the existing vintage mini-comics available in this manner would be a real treat for the fans.

Sure we know there is fan demand but when we say we have limited resources for this brand that really is so. Right now we are putting all we can into the 6" figure line, we simply don't have the available resources to branch out to comics or DVDs right now.

3.) Are vac-metalized weapons possible within the constraints of the Weapons Pak production budget? It seems like this would make a perfect outlet for Vac-metalized He-Ro armor!

Possible yes, but as vac metal is a bit more expensive it would take funds away from other items in a pack or reduce the total number of items in a pack if we included some with vac metal. Hypothetically speaking of course.

4.) This one is for Scott- Now that Filmation is on the table, which version of Evilseed do you personally want to see in MOTU Classics first: Filmation or 200x style? My vote goes to Filmation!

From Toy Guru:

"Personally? I think Evil Seed would be a perfect candidate for two heads since he has two distinct looks but could clearly share the same body. We'll just have to see what design and the Horsemen want to do when and if we get to Evil Seed, and what the budget for the figure is! But if I had to choose one head I like the "2002 head" better, not that the onion isn't cool, just not my personal choice."

5.) Time for a hint please- Can you tell us to which allegiances the 3 unknown quarterly variants in 2012 belong? You don't even need to be so specific as to say "Horde", "Galactic Protector" or anything like that… Just a simple thing like "2 evil and 1 good" would be a fun hint.

Sorry, this is still influx so we don't want to announce anything only to wind up being wrong later in the year.

Thanks again to Mattel for taking the time to do this!

Ask Matty! September 1st 2011

Hey all! Here's the September 1st Q & A! Unlike the past few segments, I'm going to be doing some commentary on the answers this time... as I am a bit upset by a few of them.



1.) This one is in regards to secret accessories- By now we all know that Megator's secret accessory was a second "zombified" head. Since many fans will buy multiples of a figure if it comes with extra heads, it is a bit frustrating to find out about the second head AFTER the sale has happened. Are secret accessories something that we will see pop up again in the line, and if so, will you guys reconsider keeping second heads as a part of that? I for one am VERY glad I found out about Megator's extra head before the sale date, as I was able to plan for purchasing a second before it was too late.

“Secret Accessories” are something we do for fun for fans. If the fans enjoy it we will continue to do it. If they don’t and it becomes “upsetting” we will move away from it.

Okay... I'm pretty fine with this one. I vote "no more secrets" for the reasons listed in the question. What do you guys think?

2.) What was the purpose of all the fake MOTUC subscription item lists posted during the week of comic-con? We all now know that the first list was 100% true and that all subsequent lists were fake, but why do that? It seems teasing items that weren't really coming (like the movie 3-pack and the Castle Grayskull Jawbridge) is a bad move, since not delivering these items for fans excited by them only leads to frustration and disappointment. Even worse, it possibly even cost sub-sales. For potential first-time buyers checking out the booth at SDCC (who might not have had any inkling of what was going on with the site), seeing a placard with the likes of Disco Skeletor and Zombie Randor as releases for 2012 probably didn't sell them on trying out the line.

All of our official announcements-- as always promised-- were done at our panel. If fans want the straight announcements we recommend coming to or reviewing the panel only.

And here we go... They completely avoid the direct question as to the purpose for the fake lists, nor do they comment on its possible adverse affects on sub sales. I'm sure we are all aware that the panel had the straight announcements... but that wasn't really part of my question.

3.) During the Megator/ Man-E-Faces sale, subscribers were first erroneously charged for just Megator at first. After the fans alerted you guys to this, the decision was made to cancel the first authorization and immediately run a second charge for the combined Megator/ Man-E-Faces bundle. Since you didn't wait for the first authorization to drop off before doing this, many subscribers were stuck with covering both charges at once, which lead to depleted bank accounts and, in some cases, bounced charges from other companies and overdraft fees from certain credit unions. What's worse, you didn't even bother to warn anyone a second charge was coming until after you had done it, leaving consumers without even a chance to pad their accounts in anticipation of the second charge. My question is this: Do you plan on reimbursing any of your customers that might have been stuck with fees (either overdraft from their credit union or late charges incurred by being unable to pay certain bills due to lack of available funds) due to your error? And if this were to occur again, would you at least reconsider how it was handled?

We have already taken steps to ensure this issue does not happen again and apologies for any inconvenience caused.

Again, not really answering the question at all. And apologies are great... but what about the folks who incurred fees over this? Will that be addressed?

4.) It has always been stated that extra items (like the weapons pak or the upcoming vehicle) couldn't be added in to the subscription because we only agreed to pay "X" amount of dollars for the year. This year, the total on the subscription sales page left off the 4 quarterly variants and only listed the sub total for the year as $430. After 2 weeks, a message was posted by you guys explaining the error and listing the new total as $510. Now since many folks never saw the message and the original sales page listed the price as $430, isn't adding the 4 quarterly variants after they agreed to the $430 total violating this standard? How is adding the 4 variants on after consumers agreed to the $430 price any different than adding vehicles or weapons paks on?

If fans wanted to cancel their MOTU sub due to the incorrect amount posted for the first two weeks they were welcome to do so and we will still honor cancelations due to this issue for the next month through Sept 30th.


Sigh... Really? Really Matty? I didn't even ask about canceling subs!!!

5.) MINI-COMICS SLIGHT SPOILER WARNING: Now that we have seen the first page of the upcoming initial issue of the 3-part MOTUC comic series, can you confirm whether or not the green head included in the Eternian Guard 2-pack is intended to be a "snakified" Man-At-Arms? The resemblance is pretty uncanny...

The caption is pretty clear who you are looking at. It is right on the panel.

This one actually made me the angriest of all. It was a completely direct question regarding the head in the Eternian Guards pack. I REALLY wanted tha confirmed... but they somehow turned it around to me asking if that panel was Man-At-Arms when the panel BLATANTLY says it's Man-At-Arms! Even worse, the answer was very condescending and a bit rude.

I am awaiting clarification on the last one at least. I figure the others are a lost cause.

UPDATE- Scott did send over a new answer for the last one:

No, the 4th Palace Guard head is not intended to specifically be Duncan transformed into a Snake Man.

Huh... Well I wonder what it's supposed to be then?

Ask Matty! May 3rd 2011

Hey all! Here's the May 3rd Q & A!



1.) In the past, it seemed pre-orders weren't logistically possible for the Mattycollector site. However, there is currently a pre-order listed on the site for the Cars "Lightning McQueen Alive" item. Has the policy on pre-orders for the site changed? If so, would it be possible to use this system for non-subscription items (like the upcoming MOTU Classics vehicle) so that fans won't have to deal with the sale day craziness? Even better, would it be possible to use this system to get non-sub items combined into out subscription items to save on shipping?

This was a one time thing we did for this toy. It will not be an ongoing policy to presell on Mattycollector.com. Maybe this will change one day, but not at this time.

2.) It seemed that there were a lot of problems with the e-mail receipt process on April's Club Eternia subscription items. One e-mail only listed Sy-Klone, one inexplicably alerted us to a change in the "pre-order" date, and none had any mention of Panthor. Is this being looked into? Can we expect that our e-mail receipts in the future will have a correct and detailed listing of the items we paid for?

Yes. We are addressing this.

3.) If Prince Adam does get a single carded release in the future, is there any way that his vest could be corrected to include the Four Horseman's original intended sword holster? (I am speaking of the vintage style Adam here, not the 200X style)

It is always possible but there is no single carded Adam planned at this time. Maybe one day down the road.

4.) You have stated before that mini-comics can't happen right now due to the cost of printing and packing them... But have you ever given thought to digital downloads? Even making the original versions available in this format would be neat... and digital versions of brand new stories would make a great additional subscription incentive.

Digital downloads would be a great distribution, but there is still the cost of producing them and creating them. We have VERY limited resources for the MOTUC line and right now we are putting all of these into the toys.

5.) It seems that each figure in the MOTU Classics line that had a 'dial' on their vintage counterpart now has a sculpted dial in the current line (like Optikk, Sy-Klone, and Hurricane Hordak). Will you guys be skipping this on characters like Tung Lashor, where the dial would have to be a part of their actual skin?

Correct. We will only add the dial if it is part of the armor.

Thanks again to Mattel for taking the time to do this!

Ask Matty! April 1st 2011

Hey all! Here's the April 1st Q & A!



1.) Mattel has used Toyfare magazine in the past as a venue for premiering new characters in the MOTU classics line. Now that the magazine has ceased publication, can we expect these debuts to be filtered into one of the other toy magazines still being published?

At this time, new product reveals that were scheduled for ToyFare magazine will now be shifted to Mattycollector.com.

2.) We know that 2011 will not see a price increase on MOTU Classics... but if prices do increase in later years, how will that be handled for subscribers? Since we are locked in at a certain price throughout an entire year, will any price changes always happen at the start of the year so that subscribers and regular buyers will always be charged the same amount?

If we ever were to have a price increase it would be in the beginning of the year and we would announce this in conjunction with purchasing a subscription for that year. We would not raise the price mid year during a current subscription.

3.) Many fans (myself included) aren't really happy with the new shipping company (Cornerstone Logistics) handling the non-subscriber orders. It seems that the packages needlessly travel back and forth between states, the items take longer to arrive, and the tracking offers no expected delivery date (which is sometimes essential to buyers so that they can plan to be home when the package arrives). The reason given for the switch was because of the increase in UPS cost... but since we as the consumers are paying for the shipping, why aren't we allowed the option of choosing to pay for the UPS shipping? I for one wouldn't mind paying a few more bucks for better shipping service.

As always suggestions are appreciated. We are CONSTANTLY looking to improve and offer better shipping methods and will pass your comments onto the team for review.

4.) Speaking of the new shipping- While you stated that subscribers would still be getting the UPS service (since it was chosen when the subscription was purchased), many subscribers have found that this is not the case, as their packages are being handled by Cornerstone Logistics. It seems that if a person had to have their sub reinstated at some point (due to things like expired credit cards, unavailable funds, etc), then they are now stuck with Cornerstone Logistics for their shipping (even though they choose UPS when signing up). Are you looking into correcting this issue, or are those fans simply at the mercy of the new shipping method?

The same answer as above. We will pass your comments along to the team to review as we continue to improve and offer the best methods possible for shipping.

5.) Throw us a bone... I don't think this will be revealing too much, so I'll give it a shot- Do any of the MOTU Classics figures slated for the rest of this year have a name that begins with letter"G"?

Sorry, our lips are sealed, you’re Gonna have to wait until SDCC!

NOTE- Mattel actually sent this back with the "G" in that last answer underlined and in bold font...Make of that what you will, but I'm REALLY hoping it means there's a chance for Gwildor! :)

Thanks again to Mattel for taking the time to do this!

-James

Ask Matty! March 15th 2011

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



1.) Is "Battleground Teela" in her final form already? Many fans are hoping that her arm bracers might be switched so that they can look more "correct". If it isn't too late to switch them, perhaps a poll could be run at Matty to see which way is preferred amongst fans...

Yes, the figure is tool’d and final as shown at NYTF.

2.) Both Catra figures shown at NYTF had a deformed/warped skirt which was too short on her right thigh- allowing the crotch peg to show. Are these just defective samples or should we expect this defect on the final figure?

This was still an early sample and we will pass these comments on to design as we move toward the final version!

3.) Is there any movement on other product related to the MOTU brand being released, like t-shirts or comic reprints?

We are ALWAYS working on new product for the MOTU brand. Hopefully we will be in a position to announce new things soon!

4.) Many fans are very excited about the "Collector Appreciation" tour! The past trend has been for Matty to reveal new figures at Toy Fair and SDCC... but will there be some new figure reveals at these tour stops as well? I for one would LOVE to see at least one new MOTUC figure revealed at each of these spots!

Most reveals will still be at NYTF and at SDCC. We will likely have one or two figures (in total across all brands) at some of the smaller shows, but don’t look for a huge reveal the way we do for SDCC (similar to how Carnivus was revealed at Philly Con last year!)

5.) Are there any plans for an official MOTUC fan club or convention on the horizon (similar to what Hasbro does with it's G.I.Joe and Transformers lines)?

This is something we are looking into, but nothing to confirm right now.

thanks again to Mattel for taking the time to do this!

-James

Ask Matty! March 1st 2011

Hey all! Here's the March 1st Q & A!




1.) What were the reasons behind using the green/ yellow Grayskull brick design for MOTU Classics packaging over the red/blue "burst" packaging of the vintage era? It seems that a line that plays such homage to it's original counterpart would have packaging more derivative of the vintage figures.

When we started the line we had very limited resources and the Grayskull brick was designed for the first SDCC item. When it came time to developing the full line, we did not have the resources to develop new graphics and chose to go with the existing green brick graphics that we had available (as opposed to the direction from management to just put the figures in a plain white box and call it a day!)

2.) With different time periods now established, and the seemingly impressive sales, would Mattel consider creating the Powers of Grayskull as a separate toyline, so as to increase characters? Or perhaps even the Olden Day Adventures of Vikor?

No. One of the core ideas of MOTUC has always been to create one line for all eras and sub brands.

3.) The Palace guards have a whole bunch of weapons, but no guns. Was that deliberate on Mattel's part and what was the reasoning behind it?

This was a choice made by the Four Horsemen from a design perspective.

4.) Speaking of the Palace Guards- Can you please settle the argument as to what race the reptilian head is? Is that a guard that's been "snake-ified", or a member of the Caligar race?

At this point, that has yet to be revealed!

5.) Many fans are expressing some disappointment over Panthor's lack of flocking (I for one think he looks great as-is). If you were to do a flocked Panthor eventually, how would you handle his articulations points? Would they be barren (like Moss Man's joints), or would he have to lose some articulation in favor of flock?

If we ever did a flocked Panthor, it would be done similar to Moss Man. For the record, we left the choice up to the fans at our SDCC fan panel. Also, the Horsemen were really pushing for a non-flocked version as they were disappointed in the 2002 Panthor where the flocking covered up all of their sculpting detail. So they were very happy with the way the fans voted.

Thanks to Mattel for taking the time to do this!

-James

Ask Matty! February 1st 2011

Hey all! Here's the February 1st Q & A!



1.) Is the Green Lantern VS Zodac DCUC/ MOTUC 2 pack pictured in Toyfare in it's finalized form? Many fans were hoping that Zodac would feature the gloved hands used on figures like Hordak and Zodak instead of the Skeletor forearms painted white. If this is the finalized version of this figure, why was this mold chosen for the arms?

Yes, this is the final version of the figure as based on early vintage cross sell art. We understand some fans are asking for the “Filmation” version, but that is not what we were going for at this time.

2.) Stratos has just had a new release as part of the DCUC VS MOTUC packs, yet he has a reissue planned for May... while She-Ra (a figure that many folks are missing from their collections) still awaits the reissue treatment. Why was the decision made to push out another Stratos before the more-requested She-Ra reissue?

There are a lot of logistical issues that go into releases that we simply cannot share with the public. We do have more plans for She-Ra, just not yet. We know fans are looking for the behind-the-scenes scoop, but honestly there just isn’t one in this case!

3.) You stated in a recent Q & A that figures going forward will feature the new ankles used on Vikor. Does this pertain to reissues as well, or will those remain the same as their original counterparts? (I for one hope they stay the same, as I would hate to have inferior figures just because I bought them earlier on...)

No, reissues will be straight reissues where we can ask the factory to just turn the machine on again. If a figure needs to be worked on or altered, it requires a “development slot” and we tend to save these slots for new figures.

4.) MOTU Classics has covered just about every era of MOTU now.... except the 1987 movie! Sure, Preternia He-Man has a Cosmic Key, but can fans expect to see one of the three vintage movie figures (Gwildor, Saurod, or Blade) done this year? (Gwildor is my number one most wanted MOTUC figure...)

We do have plans to get to those figures eventually (since they had vintage toys made) but we are not yet ready to reveal when they are coming. Stay tuned!

5.) The DC Comics character Warlord seems like a great fit for the DCUC Vs MOTUC treatment! If for some reason you did manage to get him into these packs, is there any chance he could use a MOTUC buck instead of DCUC parts? This would be a great homage to his vintage counterpart (which shared a very similar body style to vintage Masters figures).

Definitely not. MOTUC buck are proprietary to the MOTU brand and will not be used for other brands. This would make a cool pack however!

Thanks to Mattel for taking the time to do this!

-James

Ask Matty! December 15th 2010

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



1.) Is Earth a factor in MOTUC continuity, or is it going to be ignored like in the MYP cartoon? Marlena being an earthling was first introduced in the DC Comics series, so this element of the story was not limited to just Filmation...

Whether or not Earth is involved will be revealed sooner then later! Keep reading the bios.

2.) What happens to the faulty figures, the ones fans return because of some quality issue? Are they simply destroyed or are they recycled in some way?

They are analyzed, reviewed and then logged. Sometimes they are destroyed at the end of the process, other times they are maintained for records

3.) Why are many of the heads on the MOTU Classics figures molded in a different color than any colors actually seen on the finished product? For example, why is a caucasian head cast in black plastic and then painted over with flesh-toned paint? It seems molding it in flesh tone would eliminate the "nose-rubs" that many of these figures experience.

Many times this is done as a cost saving measure. Other times it is a logistical issue due to the production timing.

4.) Is it possible that we may see beast-sized flight stand clips in the future for Battle Cat, Panthor, Swiftwind, etc?

Not very likely. The Beasts many times are the “stand” for the figure. If there is enough demand from fans we can look into this, but no plans in the works now.

5.) Would you ever consider releasing a pink Teela figure to benefit breast cancer research? This has been a popular topic on the mattycollector.com forums...

This is something we have discussed. One of the issues is our production runs are very low as is for MOTUC figures (compared to say a Hot Wheels Car or a Barbie doll). Also we are very limited in the number of “slots” we have for figures and right now we are concentrating on getting out all new figures. A charity repaint is not out of the question, but not something planned right now for the MOTUC line.

Thanks to Mattel for taking the time to do this!

-James

Ask Matty! December 1st 2010

Hey all! Here's the December 1st Q & A!



1.) Can you drop a little hint on next year's MOTU Classics vehicle, like maybe how many figures it can seat?

Sorry, we won’t have this information until SDCC at the earliest.

2.) Would you guys ever consider doing a 12" figure of a MOTU character with real cloth outfit and metal accessories to fit in with the 2 existing Mattycollector 12" Movie Master lines (Ghostbusters & Superman)? Of course the ultimate treat would be figures based on the 1987 MOTU film, but with those being unavailable, even a standard He-Man/ Skeletor would be neat in this scale.

If we did a 12-inch MOTU figure it would need a brand new body. The current body used for the Ghostbusters and General Zod is not bulked up for the MOTU world. It is something we have looked into, but nothing we are ready to announce.

3.) It was stated that improvements in the website buying experience would be in place for the November sale... but it seemed like it may have been worse than ever, with many fans stuck on the "white screen of death" for over an hour or more. After nearly 2 years, it is still much harder to buy these figures than it should be. You guys probably get asked this a lot, but will we ever see an improvement in this buying process, or is this as good as it is going to get?

Yes. We are constantly improving the process and will be launching a sign-in screen soon that will help out a great deal.

4.) Does Mattel have the rights to reprint the 3 issue mini-series from DC Comics? It was great to get the 2 sneak preview reprints, but many fans would love to see this reprinted as well.

This series is owned by DC comics. We have the rights to the characters but the actual series is with DC.

5.) Would you consider Eldor to be a figure we'll see "sooner" rather than "later"?

Eventually. We don’t want to give away any more details for now!

Thanks to Mattel for taking the time to do this!

-James

Ask Matty! November 15th 2010

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



1.) Many folks have friends and family overseas that they would love to have figures sent directly to. Is there any chance of changes to the policy of not delivering to APO/FPO addresses?

Not at this time. Much as American customers pay higher prices for toys imported from countries like Japan, Mattycollector.com items are made for distribution in American. We would love to look at opening up International distribution centers that could offer this service, but currently there are not enough customers in any one area other than the US to justify this.

2.) Is there anything that can be done to ensure future figures don't have "cheap" plastic that bends on weapons/accessories? It was especially bad on Roboto's attachments.

We do take fan feedback into account and have passed this suggestion onto design.

3.) Any update on when She-Ra might be getting a reissue? With Bow coming in January, it would be nice for folks that missed her to know when she might be able to join him.

Not yet. We do want to get to a re-release but we don’t have a date locked in yet. She is a major character and will be back in time.

4.) With the upcoming release of the Ghostbusters PKE meter, He-Man fans are wondering if there any plans to do similar product with MOTU... like maybe a movie accurate cosmic key prop replica (perhaps using the old unproduced role-play toy prototype as a base to get around any legalities)?

We have been looking into prop replicas for other brands, including MOTU. Right now we want to wait and see how the PKE meter performs before branching out to other brands.

5.) When should we expect to see the reveal of next year's vehicle?

Likely at SDCC 2011.

Thanks to Mattel for taking the time to do this!

-James

Ask Matty! November 1st 2010

Hey all! Here's the November 1st Q & A!



1.) You have stated that the line is planned out for the next few years... Are there any never-before-seen original characters included anywhere in that lineup (like a new character created by the 4H that is a new addition to the MOTU mythos)?

This is something we have discussed. While our main focus is on all the vintage characters, it does not mean this is out of the question. We would just need a compelling reason to add a character and would not do so just for the sake of it. Time will tell!

2.) We know we recently got a couple of Toy Guru favs in the line (like Chief Carnivus)... but if the line were ending and there was only one last figure to be made, what would YOU choose for that spot?

Toy Guru jumping in:

“Only one figure left? Well, I would love to see either Stonedar or Rokkon. They were both two of my favorites but would need a lot of new tooling to make it into the current line!”

3.) Is there any chance of fans seeing more "official" product videos or even hearing an official matty podcast?

This is something we are looking into. Right now we are putting all of our efforts into getting the sales to work as smooth as possible. Once that is set we will look into adding more content.

4.) Some folks have already started getting their Roboto figures and it seems as if the shoulders are indeed reversed on this figure. You stated that this is something likely fixed on the reissue. While that is great for fans who don't have a subscription (since it gives them the option to wait for a corrected version), what about the people that do have the subscription? Since they have no choice but to take the inferior product, is there anything that can be done for them? Like working out an exchange program for reissues with corrected QC problems (like Roboto's shoulders)?

We totally understand the frustration of fans that Roboto wound up with reversed shoulders. While we don’t have any exchange program at this time (since 100% of the run was produced this way) all we can do is look into making this correction on a possible re-release down the road. We can let you know there is no re-release planned at this time. Hopefully one day we can make this correction. It took three years but we finally got around to correcting Sinestro’s height in DCUC, so you know we are committed to making these things happen in time.

5.) Is there a sale date for the Eternian Guards yet? (Note- This was asked before the sale date was announced.)

The set will go on sale with the January product.


Thanks to Mattel for taking the time to do this!

-James

Ask Matty! October 15th 2010

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



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