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Headlines!

February 6, 2012 12:29 am by JVS3

He-Man.org's Roast Gooble Dinner - Episode 073

Are you hungry for Episode 073 of He-Man.org's Roast Gooble Dinner?

Val Staples, Danielle Gelehrter, "Pixel Dan" Eardley and James Sawyer are back to discuss He-Man and She-Ra.

In this episode we discuss Princess of Power in MOTUC concerns,
MOTU movie and the future of the brand,
the Ultimate Battleground,
Evil-Lyn's skin color,
Son of Skeletor,
Time travel,
Donuts and Home Alone,
Criticisms,
Talking animals
and more!

MOTUC bios discussed in this show:
Battle Ground Evil-Lyn
Demo-Man
Swift Wind

MOTUC figures discussed in this show:
none

Intro/Outro info:
(none)

Plus, fellow He-Fan josh on the forums has created this fantastic Roast Gooble Dinner podcast Appendix & Notations which contains a ton of info about the show, with all the info about the Fanart, Fansites and Collectibles of the week, along with links to sites and user profiles of interest, and also details on how to contact the show with your feedback. Be sure to check that out!

Another fan contribution are episode wallpapers and backgrounds, created by Matt Tyree also know as Tyree on the forums. Matt is commercial illustrator who you can find out more about at www.tyreeonline.com

Also, don't forget the Roast Gooble Dinner iPhone App, which is great for organizing and downloading current and past episodes. Click here to get yours today!

So pull up your chair and fill up your plate! It's time to chow down on a tasty serving of fandom here on He-Man.org's Roast Gooble Dinner!

Runtime: 1 hour, 27 minutes, 05 seconds

Direct link for Episode 073

Discussion thread on the forums

Subscription options:

Link to subscribe with iTunes
or
Direct link to RSS feed

Latest News

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He-Man.org's Roast Gooble Dinner - Episode 072

February 5, 2012 1:43 am by JVS3

Are you hungry for Episode 072 of He-Man.org's Roast Gooble Dinner?Val Staples and Danielle Gelehrter are back to discuss He-Man and She-Ra.In this episode we discuss the 2011 fan poll discussion (for the 2013 subscription slot)and fan e-mail covering such topics asShe-Ra's transormation,Lightsaber... More

MOTUC Q&A From Around The Net (2/1/2012)

February 4, 2012 7:20 pm by MegaGearMax

This is the last MOTUC Q&A until the toyfair reveals!Poe GhostalBarbecue17 asks: What does Mattel consider a legitimate QC issue that would warrant figures to be delayed or exchanged in mass? For some figures who customers have perceived as having problems, these have been responses from some Mattel... More

He-Man.org's Roast Gooble Dinner - Episode 071

February 3, 2012 6:24 pm by JVS3

Are you hungry for Episode 071 of He-Man.org's Roast Gooble Dinner?Val Staples, Danielle Gelehrter, and "Pixel Dan" Eardley are back to discuss He-Man and She-Ra.In this episode we are joined by Tim Seeley as we discussPart 1 of the new MOTUC The Powers of Grayskull The Legend... More

Answers to WTFWTK 2.72

February 2, 2012 10:44 am by JVS3

Mattel has once again provided answers to your questions.Thanks again to them for taking the time to answer these!Check out their answers to your Round 72 questions!This round of questions were selected by masterenglish & Jon-O.Thanks to those fans for their help!1. sailoruranus: Customer... More

MOTUC Director's Commentary #2: He-Man - the most powerful toy in the universe

February 1, 2012 2:36 pm by MegaGearMax

Welcome back to the second installment of Toyguru's ongoing blog on the secret origins of each figure in the MOTUC toyline. This time, it's the flagship character of the line--HE-MAN!Welcome back He-Fans and She-Ravers (never get sick of that fan coined term!). So King Grayskull’s success was behind... More

Toyguru Speaks on the Cancelled Subscriptions

February 1, 2012 12:06 am by MegaGearMax

Toyguru has just provided a much-needed update on the recent sub-cancellations! Hey Matty Fans,There has been a ton of chatter online regarding "canceled subs" and I want to quickly clarify the issue.Digital River attempts 3 times to charge customers for their sub(s) every month. If it fails the third... More

Mattel Offers Refund for Broken Goddess Figures

January 27, 2012 7:53 pm by MegaGearMax

Do you have a MOTUC Goddess figure that is broken? Mattel has some good news for you if you haven't thrown her out yet!MOTU Fans, as some fans know, we had a production error on the 2009 Goddess figure that caused a small portion of units to break at the leg joints. While we can no longer replace Goddess... More

MOTUC Director's Commentary # 1: King Grayskull - Secret Origins

January 27, 2012 1:57 am by MegaGearMax

Toyguru has started a new blog on the Mattycollector.com forums called MOTUC Director's Commentary! The first entry focuses on the premier figure in the MOTUC collection, King Grayskull! You can see the original post HERE!I’m a toy fan. That’s no secret. It’s pretty much the reason... More

Toyguru Addresses Numerous Quality Control Issues

January 27, 2012 1:41 am by MegaGearMax

In a long-awaited message to many fans, Toyguru addresses the numerous quality control issues that have recently plagued the MOTUC line, some of which happened last year.MOTU Classics fans,Toy Guru here. Last week I posted an update covering many of the recent issues on the MOTUC line. A few (okay, more... More

Kobra Khan and Draego-Man Bio and Packaging Revealed!

January 26, 2012 8:41 pm by MegaGearMax

Matty has revealed two new bios for the forces of Evil! Read on to learn the tales of the Evil Master od Snakes, Kobra Khan and the Evil Fire-Breathing Menance, Draego-Man! Kobra Khan - Evil Master of SnakesReal Name: Khan of the Clan KobraA descendant of the ancient Snake Men, Khan became fascinated... More

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English: January 30, 2012 10:21 pm	Italian: January 1, 1970 12:00 am

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English: January 26, 2012 6:12 pm	Italian: January 1, 1970 12:00 am

English: February 7, 2012 11:46 am	Italian: January 1, 1970 12:00 am
<p><span>Tim Seeley isn't the only He-Fan doing comics.<br /></span></p><p><span>Comic Book Resources' columnist </span><span><strong>Tim Callahan</strong> sits down and has a short discussion with </span><span><strong>Tom Scioli</strong>, the artist of the independent comics "GODLAND" and "American Barbarian" about the Pre-Filmation Era Alfredo Alcala mini-comics, among other topics. It turns out that Tom was inspired at an early age by the 4 Alfredo Alcala Mini-comics and other the Pre-Filmation Era comics, which were his first introduction to comics. </span><span><strong><br /></strong></span></p><p><span>Read the Entire Interview <a href="http://www.comicbookresources.com/?page=article&id=36823" target="_blank">HERE</a>!<br /></span></p>
English: February 7, 2012 11:46 am	Italian: January 1, 1970 12:00 am

English: February 6, 2012 9:31 pm	Italian: January 1, 1970 12:00 am
<p><a href="http://roastgooble.libsyn.com/" target="_blank">Are you hungry for Episode 074 of He-Man.org's Roast Gooble Dinner?</a></p><p><br /><strong>Val Staples</strong><span>, </span><strong>Danielle Gelehrter</strong><span>, </span><strong>"Pixel Dan" Eardley</strong><span> and </span><strong>Eamon O'Donoghue</strong><span> are back to discuss He-Man and She-Ra.</span><br /><br /><span>In this episode we discuss Coke Zero vs Pepsi Max,</span><br /><span>11 O'Clock Comics,</span><br /><span>Dan's sickness and codliver oil,</span><br /><span>Happy birthday Rachel,</span><br /><span>Danielle: the Big Show,</span><br /><span>New Year's resolutions,</span><br /><span>MOTUC predictions and expectations,</span><br /><span>Remaining 30th anniversary figures,</span><br /><span>Dan featured on Blip.tv,</span><br /><span>Excercise,</span><br /><span>MOTU movie,</span><br /><span>the Christmas Special,</span><br /><span>Flash Gordon,</span><br /><span>He-Man and Skeletor available all year,</span><br /><span>the price of vintage figures,</span><br /><span>production numbers,</span><br /><span>30th anniversary styleguide art,</span><br /><span>Alvin Lee,</span><br /><span>Frank Frazetta,</span><br /><span>Christmas cards,</span><br /><span>Earl Norem fan site</span><br /><span>and more!</span><br /><br /><span>MOTUC bios discussed in this show:</span><br /><strong>none</strong><br /><br /><span>MOTUC figures discussed in this show:</span><br /><strong>none</strong><br /><br /><strong>Intro/Outro info:</strong><br /><span>(none)</span><span><br /><br /></span><span>Another fan contribution are episode wallpapers and backgrounds, created by Matt Tyree also know as <strong>Tyree</strong> on the forums. Matt is commercial illustrator who you can find out more about at </span><a href="http://www.tyreeonline.com/" target="_blank">www.tyreeonline.com</a><br /><br />Also, don't forget the Roast Gooble Dinner iPhone App, which is great for organizing and downloading current and past episodes. <a href="http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/he-man-org-roast-gooble-dinner/id390442013?mt=8" target="_blank">Click here to get yours today!</a><br /><br />So pull up your chair and fill up your plate! It's time to chow down on a tasty serving of fandom here on He-Man.org's Roast Gooble Dinner!<br /><br /><span>Runtime: 1 hour, 27 minutes, 46 seconds</span><br /><br /><a href="http://media.libsyn.com/media/roastgooble/Roast-Gooble-Dinner_Episode_074.mp3" target="_blank">Direct link for Episode 074<br /></a><br /><a href="forums/boards/showthread.php?t=220705" target="_blank">Discussion thread on the forums<br /></a><em><br /></em><em><span style="font-style: normal;">Subscription options:<br /><br /><a href="http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?id=373493817" target="_blank">Link to subscribe with iTunes</a><br />or<br /><a href="http://roastgooble.libsyn.com/rss" target="_blank">Direct link to RSS feed</a> </span></em></p>
English: February 6, 2012 9:05 pm	Italian: January 1, 1970 12:00 am

English: February 6, 2012 1:44 pm	Italian: January 1, 1970 12:00 am
<p>He-Fans were treated to the first animated appearance from Classic He-Man in decades! He-Man and Battle Cat were racing through the woods during a Met Life commercial that aired during Super Bowl 2012!</p><p>Toyguru chimes in on the appearance of our classic hero:</p><blockquote><p><strong>Met Life approached Classic Media and Mattel and asked us if He-Man could be in the spot. We read the script and approved. Worked out nice for his 30th!</strong></p></blockquote><p>Because of his sudden appearance during the games' commercial last night, He-Man became the number 10 trending topic on <strong>Twitter</strong>! He-Fans have certainly noticed this!</p><p>See what the fans have to say about the commercial <a href="forums/boards/showthread.php?220632-Check-out-the-Metlife-Superbowl-Commercial-that-features-He-man!" target="_blank">HERE</a>!</p><p>For the Twitter news, go <a href="forums/boards/showthread.php?220684-He-Man-is-a-trending-topic-on-Twitter!" target="_blank">HERE</a>!</p><object width="480" height="274"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/j1RCplpVaQ0?version=3&hl=en_US"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/j1RCplpVaQ0?version=3&hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="480" height="274" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true"></embed></object>
English: February 6, 2012 1:05 pm	Italian: January 1, 1970 12:00 am

English: February 6, 2012 12:40 pm	Italian: January 1, 1970 12:00 am
<p>The Halftime show at Superbowl 2012 was performed by none other than Madonna! However, unlike other Superbowl performances, the Material Mom performed her song "Vogue" at the Superbowl Halftime show with Viking, Norse and Roman inspired outfits. She-Ra fans have pointed out Madonna's outfit bears a resemblance to <strong>Bubble Power She-Ra</strong>.</p><p>Comparison pics by He-Man.org member <strong>DisneyBoy</strong>.</p><p>See what the fans have to say <a href="http://www.he-man.org/forums/boards/showthread.php?220680-Madonna-s-Half-Time-Show-She-Ra-influence" target="_blank">HERE</a>!</p>
English: February 6, 2012 12:40 pm	Italian: January 1, 1970 12:00 am

English: February 6, 2012 12:47 am	Italian: January 1, 1970 12:00 am
<p><a href="http://roastgooble.libsyn.com/" target="_blank">Are you hungry for Episode 073 of He-Man.org's Roast Gooble Dinner?</a></p><p><br /><strong>Val Staples</strong><span>, </span><strong>Danielle Gelehrter</strong><span>, </span><strong>"Pixel Dan" Eardley</strong><span> and </span><strong>James Sawyer</strong><span> are back to discuss He-Man and She-Ra.</span><br /><br /><span>In this episode we discuss Princess of Power in MOTUC concerns,</span><br /><span>MOTU movie and the future of the brand,</span><br /><span>the Ultimate Battleground,</span><br /><span>Evil-Lyn's skin color,</span><br /><span>Son of Skeletor,</span><br /><span>Time travel,</span><br /><span>Donuts and Home Alone,</span><br /><span>Criticisms,</span><br /><span>Talking animals</span><br /><span>and more!</span><br /><br /><span>MOTUC bios discussed in this show:</span><br /><strong>Battle Ground Evil-Lyn<br />Demo-Man<br />Swift Wind</strong><br /><br /><span>MOTUC figures discussed in this show:</span><br /><strong>none</strong><br /><br /><strong>Intro/Outro info:</strong><br /><span>(none)</span> <span><br /><br />Plus, fellow He-Fan <strong>josh</strong> on the</span> forums has created this fantastic <a href="forums/boards/showthread.php?t=197309" target="_blank">Roast Gooble Dinner podcast Appendix & Notations</a> which contains a ton of info about the show, with all the info about the Fanart, Fansites and Collectibles of the week, along with links to sites and user profiles of interest, and also details on how to contact the show with your feedback. Be sure to check that out!<br /><br /><span>Another fan contribution are episode wallpapers and backgrounds, created by Matt Tyree also know as <strong>Tyree</strong> on the forums. Matt is commercial illustrator who you can find out more about at </span><a href="http://www.tyreeonline.com/" target="_blank">www.tyreeonline.com</a><br /><br />Also, don't forget the Roast Gooble Dinner iPhone App, which is great for organizing and downloading current and past episodes. <a href="http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/he-man-org-roast-gooble-dinner/id390442013?mt=8" target="_blank">Click here to get yours today!</a><br /><br />So pull up your chair and fill up your plate! It's time to chow down on a tasty serving of fandom here on He-Man.org's Roast Gooble Dinner!<br /><br /><span>Runtime: 1 hour, 27 minutes, 05 seconds</span><br /><br /><a href="http://media.libsyn.com/media/roastgooble/Roast-Gooble-Dinner_Episode_073.mp3" target="_blank">Direct link for Episode 073<br /></a><br /><a href="forums/boards/showthread.php?t=220679" target="_blank">Discussion thread on the forums<br /></a><em><br /></em><em><span style="font-style: normal;">Subscription options:<br /><br /><a href="http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?id=373493817" target="_blank">Link to subscribe with iTunes</a><br />or<br /><a href="http://roastgooble.libsyn.com/rss" target="_blank">Direct link to RSS feed</a> </span></em></p>
English: February 6, 2012 12:30 am	Italian: January 1, 1970 12:00 am

English: February 5, 2012 1:45 am	Italian: January 1, 1970 12:00 am

English: February 5, 2012 2:28 am	Italian: January 1, 1970 12:00 am
<p><a href="http://roastgooble.libsyn.com/" target="_blank">Are you hungry for Episode 072 of He-Man.org's Roast Gooble Dinner?</a></p><p><br /><strong>Val Staples</strong><span> and </span><strong>Danielle Gelehrter</strong><span> are back to discuss He-Man and She-Ra.</span><br /><br /><span>In this episode we discuss the 2011 fan poll discussion (for the 2013 subscription slot)</span><br /><span>and fan e-mail covering such topics as</span><br /><span>She-Ra's transormation,</span><br /><span>Lightsaber VS Sword of Power,</span><br /><span>Mantisaur,</span><br /><span>drinking problems,</span><br /><span>Danielle's bed time stories,</span><br /><span>displeased Kit Kat,</span><br /><span>MOTU music,</span><br /><span>Power-Con VS SDCC,</span><br /><span>MOTU commercials,</span><br /><span>3-headed figure,</span><br /><span>custom action-figures,</span><br /><span>Val's real voice,</span><br /><span>Emiliano's Homecoming comic,</span><br /><span>SDCC Fan Get-together,</span><br /><span>Earth and Eternia,</span><br /><span>unpainted MOTUC faces,</span><br /><span>return of the mini-comics</span><br /><span>and your likeness on a figure.</span><br /><br /><span>MOTUC bios discussed in this show:</span><br /><strong>(none)</strong><br /><br /><span>MOTUC figures discussed in this show:</span><br /><strong>none</strong><br /><br /><strong>Intro/Outro info:</strong><br /><span>(none)</span> <span><br /><br />Plus, fellow He-Fan <strong>josh</strong> on the</span> forums has created this fantastic <a href="forums/boards/showthread.php?t=197309" target="_blank">Roast Gooble Dinner podcast Appendix & Notations</a> which contains a ton of info about the show, with all the info about the Fanart, Fansites and Collectibles of the week, along with links to sites and user profiles of interest, and also details on how to contact the show with your feedback. Be sure to check that out!<br /><br /><span>Another fan contribution are episode wallpapers and backgrounds, created by Matt Tyree also know as <strong>Tyree</strong> on the forums. Matt is commercial illustrator who you can find out more about at </span><a href="http://www.tyreeonline.com/" target="_blank">www.tyreeonline.com</a><br /><br />Also, don't forget the Roast Gooble Dinner iPhone App, which is great for organizing and downloading current and past episodes. <a href="http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/he-man-org-roast-gooble-dinner/id390442013?mt=8" target="_blank">Click here to get yours today!</a><br /><br />So pull up your chair and fill up your plate! It's time to chow down on a tasty serving of fandom here on He-Man.org's Roast Gooble Dinner!<br /><br /><span>Runtime: 1 hour, 31 minutes, 11 seconds</span><br /><br /><a href="http://media.libsyn.com/media/roastgooble/Roast-Gooble-Dinner_Episode_072.mp3" target="_blank">Direct link for Episode 072<br /></a><br /><a href="forums/boards/showthread.php?t=220643" target="_blank">Discussion thread on the forums<br /></a><em><br /></em><em><span style="font-style: normal;">Subscription options:<br /><br /><a href="http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?id=373493817" target="_blank">Link to subscribe with iTunes</a><br />or<br /><a href="http://roastgooble.libsyn.com/rss" target="_blank">Direct link to RSS feed</a> </span></em></p>
English: February 5, 2012 1:42 am	Italian: January 1, 1970 12:00 am

English: February 5, 2012 1:42 am	Italian: January 1, 1970 12:00 am
<p>This is the last MOTUC Q&A until the toyfair reveals!</p><blockquote><p><a href="http://www.poeghostal.com/2012/02/ask-mattel-final-edition.html" target="_blank">Poe Ghostal</a><br /><br />Barbecue17 asks: What does Mattel consider a legitimate QC issue that would warrant figures to be delayed or exchanged in mass? For some figures who customers have perceived as having problems, these have been responses from some Mattel reps: “Mossman is not a bath toy.” “It’s not a big deal! Reviewers didn’t notice the backward shoulders.” “The figure is not defective, it just is not working as perfect as we will like.” Recently, we have seen widespread QC problems with Swiftwind’s legs. How defective or “not working as perfect as we would like” would a figure have to be for Mattel to take action on a QC issue? Missing limbs?<br /><br /><strong>We don’t have a specific rule for this but we do replace any defective product so if a figure is assembled incorrect you can return it for a corrected item.</strong></p><p> </p><div class="bbcode_container"><div class="bbcode_quote"><div class="quote_container"> <a href="http://www.elkkthunderstoyroom.com/2012/02/ask-matty-q-for-2112.html" target="_blank">Elkk Thunder's Toyroom</a><br /><br />1- Are the delays in figures from December (Demo/BGEL) related to shipping from US to China, production delays or something else?<br /><strong> They were a combination of several issues hitting all at once. To resolve this, we will no longer ship or sell subscription product until the full quota is in our distribution center.</strong><br /> <br />2- Any idea on how many Windraiders were missing the mini-guns on the under-side?<br /><strong> We do not share this information publically.</strong><br /><br />3- Has Mattel finalized plans for their Conventions for 2012 or at least where the Traveling Sorceress will be available? <br /><strong> We will announced this at NYTF in Feb. </strong><br /><br />5- Are the MOTU/GB figures that are planned to be for sale in 2012, original run stock or newly manufactured? <br /><strong>A combo of both<br /><br /></strong> </div></div></div><div class="bbcode_container"><div class="bbcode_quote"><div class="quote_container"> <a href="http://kastorskorner.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1006&Itemid=54" target="_blank">Kastor's Korner</a><br /><br />Kastor's Korner: The MOTUC Wind Raider was a smashing success, selling out quickly despite its price tag and lack of inclusion in the sub. Does this vehicle's success-- and the new online home of DC Universe with Club Infinite Earths-- change the previous precedent of no 6" scale vehicles in the DC Universe line?<br /><br /><strong>Matty: The Windraider actually only performed "okay" for us and therefore we have no plans for more vehicles in the near future.There is just too much tooling involved that is a one time use.</strong><br /><br />Kastor's Korner: Digital River is requiring damaged or defective Wind Raiders be sent back before a replacement can be issued, but there are now reports that customers who return the defective product are being issued refunds instead of replacements, thus making their collections incomplete. Is there no stock allocated for defectives for vehicles, and will this lack of replacements for defects and damaged items be the same for all subscription products going forward? More to point for the Wind Raider, will it be offered again for those who were issued a refund instead of a replacement?<br /><br /><strong>Matty: There are still customer service stock of Windraiders available if you have a defective one to send back for a replacement.<br /><br /></strong> </div></div></div><div class="bbcode_container"><div class="bbcode_quote"><div class="quote_container"> <a href="http://www.planeteternia.de/" target="_blank">http://www.planeteternia.de/</a><br /><br />Is there any possibility to give subscribers an option to decide whether or not they want combined shipments?<br /><br /><strong>We are always working on improved shipping options but this is not available now.</strong><br /><br />You revealed that another Weapons Pak is planned for Fall 2012. Will that included only repainted accessoires, or completely new, previously unused sculpts as well?<br /><br /><strong>That is still on the fence. We will have to see how the first few 2012 figures sell to see whether we can get tooling for this set or if it will be all repaints.</strong><br /><br />Will the lava on the Snake Mountain stands be just colored red, or is there still a change to produce them in transculent red?<br /><br /><strong>It is not cast in clear but rather painted per the Horsemen's design specs.</strong><br /><br />Fans Choice Contest Question: You said that only Club Eternia 2013 subscribers will be able to vote for the final figure that's gonna be released next year. But there also are fans who didn't subscribe directly, but through friends or import shops who placed multiple subscriptions. Can they vote through their "middlemen"?<br /><br /><strong>For every 2013 sub you buy you will get one code to let you vote in the poll. If you or a reseller wants to pass those codes on to friends or other customers to use and vote they are welcome to. But it is one code per sub bought. And the window to use the codes and vote will be limited to the time of the sale. Once the sub sale ends, the voting will also be closed regardless of how many sub holders use their codes and vote.</strong><br /><br />Another Fans Choice Contest Question: Let's say, an overwhelming majority of subscribers vote for one particular figure. Does that mean that we ain't gonna see the other candidates for a couple years?<br /><br /><strong>Yes. We will only be doing the winner in 2013 but it is possible we could revisit other "non winners" in future years.<br /><br /><br /></strong><div class="quote_container"> <a href="http://www.hordak.de/newssystem/index.php?option=news&aktion=newslang&ID=414" target="_blank">Hordak.de</a><br /><br />1. Now that the main characters are available all-year-through would you consider doing this for Horde Troopers or other army builders as well?<br /><strong><br />When and if we get to Horde Troopers it is definitely something we can think about! No plans right now.</strong><br /><br />2. Will we see Keldor's twin blades at NYTF?<br /><br /><strong>At this point we don't know yet. If not NYTF at SDCC for sure.</strong><br /><br />3. Obviously Fisto's fist is now removable. Has this been made because of fan demand? Earlier it was stated that it won't be interchangeable with Jitsu's hand.<br /><br /><strong>His fist is not intentionally removable.</strong><br /><br />4. From Mattel's point of view: Has the Wind Raider been a success and can we now expect more vehicles down the line, maybe for the beginning of 2013?<br /><br /><strong>No, the Windraider only performed "okay" which makes it doubtful we would tackle another vehicle in the near future. Maybe in a movie year if the line goes wider.</strong><br /><br />5. Fans are demanding a skinnier and a bulkier buck for MotUC. With the inclusion of filmation rights there could now be a lot more use of it. Emiliano has done some awesome drawings and show's how a younger Prince Adam could share lots of parts with Lizard Man. Are Mattel and the 4 Horsemen looking into this or will we rather see a bulked up Lizard Man with existing parts?<br /><br /><strong>A skinny buck would definitely be a cool addition. There are quite a few figures that could use this including the ones you listed and others like Modulok and other vintage figures. If and when we get to these figures this is certainly something we can look into. </strong> </div></div></div></div><div class="bbcode_container"><div class="bbcode_quote"> </div></div></blockquote><p>--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------<br />The sites listed below are the sites who want to participate in the Q&A round-up in these threads and on the He-Man.org homepage news entry.<br />Be sure to check out their sites! There's a lot there to see in addition to the Q&As.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.planeteternia.de/" target="_blank">http://www.planeteternia.de/</a><br /><a href="http://www.popculturenetwork.com/" target="_blank">http://www.popculturenetwork.com/</a><br /><a href="http://www.figures.com/" target="_blank">http://www.figures.com/</a><br /><a href="http://www.superherotimes.com/" target="_blank">http://www.superherotimes.com/</a><br /><a href="http://www.kastorskorner.com/" target="_blank">http://www.kastorskorner.com/</a><br /><a href="http://experiencethewonder.com/" target="_blank">http://experiencethewonder.com</a><br /><a href="http://www.motucportal.com/" target="_blank">http://www.motucportal.com/</a><br /><a href="http://www.facebook.com/hordak.de" target="_blank">http://www.facebook.com/hordak.de</a><br /><a href="http://www.maitresdelunivers.org/" target="_blank">http://www.maitresdelunivers.org/</a> <br /><a href="http://www.poeghostal.com/" target="_blank">http://www.poeghostal.com/</a><br /><a href="http://www.kittyspryde.com/" target="_blank">www.kittyspryde.com</a><br /><a href="http://www.infinitehollywood.com/" target="_blank">http://www.infinitehollywood.com/</a><br /><a href="http://www.motucfigures.com/" target="_blank">http://www.motucfigures.com/</a><br /><a href="http://www.he-man.de/" target="_blank">http://www.he-man.de/</a><br /><a href="http://www.elkkthunderstoyroom.com/" target="_blank">ElkkThunders Toy Room</a><br /><a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Ultimate-She-Ra-Guide/204898812866360?ref=ts" target="_blank">The Ultimate She-Ra Guide</a><br /><a href="http://www.motuclassics.com/" target="_blank">MOTUClassics.com</a></p><p>See what the fans have to say <a href="http://www.he-man.org/forums/boards/showthread.php?220535-MOTUC-Q-amp-A-s-From-Around-the-Net-%282-1-2012%29">HERE</a>!</p>
English: February 3, 2012 6:25 pm	Italian: January 1, 1970 12:00 am

English: February 3, 2012 7:44 pm	Italian: January 1, 1970 12:00 am
<p><a href="http://roastgooble.libsyn.com/" target="_blank">Are you hungry for Episode 071 of He-Man.org's Roast Gooble Dinner?</a></p><p><br /><strong>Val Staples</strong><span>, </span><strong>Danielle Gelehrter</strong><span>, and </span><strong>"Pixel Dan" Eardley</strong><span> are back to discuss He-Man and She-Ra.</span><br /><br /><span>In this episode we are joined by </span><strong>Tim Seeley</strong><span> as we discuss</span><br /><span>Part 1 of the new MOTUC The Powers of Grayskull The Legend Begins mini-comic!</span><br /><br /><span>MOTUC bios discussed in this show:</span><br /><strong>(none)</strong><br /><br /><span>MOTUC figures discussed in this show:</span><br /><strong>none</strong><br /><br /><strong>Intro/Outro info:</strong><br /><span>(none)</span> <span><br /><br />Plus, fellow He-Fan <strong>josh</strong> on the</span> forums has created this fantastic <a href="forums/boards/showthread.php?t=197309" target="_blank">Roast Gooble Dinner podcast Appendix & Notations</a> which contains a ton of info about the show, with all the info about the Fanart, Fansites and Collectibles of the week, along with links to sites and user profiles of interest, and also details on how to contact the show with your feedback. Be sure to check that out!<br /><br /><span>Another fan contribution are episode wallpapers and backgrounds, created by Matt Tyree also know as <strong>Tyree</strong> on the forums. Matt is commercial illustrator who you can find out more about at </span><a href="http://www.tyreeonline.com/" target="_blank">www.tyreeonline.com</a><br /><br />Also, don't forget the Roast Gooble Dinner iPhone App, which is great for organizing and downloading current and past episodes. <a href="http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/he-man-org-roast-gooble-dinner/id390442013?mt=8" target="_blank">Click here to get yours today!</a><br /><br />So pull up your chair and fill up your plate! It's time to chow down on a tasty serving of fandom here on He-Man.org's Roast Gooble Dinner!<br /><br /><span>Runtime: 1 hour, 46 minutes, 41 seconds</span><br /><br /><a href="http://media.libsyn.com/media/roastgooble/Roast-Gooble-Dinner_Episode_071.mp3" target="_blank">Direct link for Episode 071<br /></a><br /><a href="forums/boards/showthread.php?t=220592" target="_blank">Discussion thread on the forums<br /></a><em><br /></em><em><span style="font-style: normal;">Subscription options:<br /><br /><a href="http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?id=373493817" target="_blank">Link to subscribe with iTunes</a><br />or<br /><a href="http://roastgooble.libsyn.com/rss" target="_blank">Direct link to RSS feed</a> </span></em></p>
English: February 2, 2012 10:47 am	Italian: January 1, 1970 12:00 am

English: February 2, 2012 10:49 am	Italian: January 1, 1970 12:00 am
<p><span>Mattel has once again provided answers to your questions.</span><br /><span>Thanks again to them for taking the time to answer these!</span><br /><span>Check out their answers to your Round 72 questions!</span><br /><br /><span>This round of questions were selected by </span><strong>masterenglish </strong>&<strong> Jon-O</strong><span>.</span><br /><span>Thanks to those fans for their help!</span><br /><br /><em>1. <span style="text-decoration: underline;">sailoruranus</span>: Customer service has always been bad but the last few months it seems like Digital River has completely stopped responding to emails and phone calls. What are fans supposed to do when they receive a defective figure and have gone for weeks without a response from Digital River?</em><br /><br /><strong>This is absolutely unfortunate and we will pass this comment along to DR. Return call time should be within 48 hours and we will work hard to improve this.</strong><br /><br /><em>2. <span style="text-decoration: underline;">slackrguy</span>: I really enjoyed the Mad Matty Mondays in 2011 and the excitement of not knowing what I was going to get. With the 2012 subscriptions down, are those Mad Matty Mondays gone for good or just less probable?</em><br /><br /><strong>That is still up in the air. We will have to see how well the 2012 items sell at an overall reduced quota.</strong><br /><br /><em>3. <span style="text-decoration: underline;">carafa</span>: Will there will be a female character among the six 30th anniversary characters?</em><br /><br /><strong>That is yet to be revealed. We have not yet picked the winner of the new contest yet and there were many female entries! And we are not ready to give details on Geoff or Terry's character.</strong><br /><br /><em>4. <span style="text-decoration: underline;">Jean</span>: 2011 and 2012 has finally given us some brand new art for our beloved franchise. However most of it, if not all appears to be digital art. Has Mattel considered having someone create some brand new art with more traditional methods?</em><br /><br /><strong>We are constantly looking at new artists and new platforms for art. Anything is possible!</strong><br /><br /><em>5. <span style="text-decoration: underline;">Fabulous</span>: If and when you get to Dragon Blaster Skeletor, will he have a tasseled loincloth (like the cardback) or the furry loincloth (like the vintage toy)?</em><br /><br /><strong>Some fans have proposed a removable tasseled loincloth much like Fisto's new belt. A great suggestion and one we will look into for when and if we get to him.</strong> <br /><br /><a href="forums/boards/showthread.php?t=220536" target="_blank">Check out what fans have to say</a> about the answers to the WTFWTK 2.72, as well as find links to all the previous WTFWTK sessions!</p>
English: February 1, 2012 3:45 pm	Italian: January 1, 1970 12:00 am

English: February 1, 2012 3:45 pm	Italian: January 1, 1970 12:00 am
<p>Welcome back to the second installment of Toyguru's ongoing blog on the secret origins of each figure in the MOTUC toyline. This time, it's the flagship character of the line--HE-MAN!</p><blockquote><p>Welcome back He-Fans and She-Ravers (never get sick of that fan coined term!). <br /><br />So King Grayskull’s success was behind us. Now what? How (and can we) do a full line of MOTU characters using these new shared parts?<br /><br />Grayskull was a bit easier to green light since we already had an approved “slot” for him for SDCC (before we ever saw the Horsemen He-Man proto!). Switching him from being the “last” 200X figure to the first “Classics” figure was a bit easier (due to having the slot already for one SDCC MOTU figure). Pitching an entire line would now come with its fare share of hurdles. <br /><br />The original idea from the management team was to pack MOTUC figures as two packs pairing an A list figure with a B or C list figure. Experience from other brands had shown that only the top guys tend to sell so if we could pair a top guy with a not so top guy it might help move more units. (little did we know that in time the customer base would prove almost any MOTU character would sell! A true exception in toy making and a testament to the strength of the brand and the fans!)<br /><br />We knew that MOTUC needed to use heavy shared tooling and parts to work from a financial stand point. Luckily the vintage line shared this strategy so we had precedent for this tactic without looking like we were going cheap. It also made the figures feel very “MOTU” by having them use common arms, legs, and furry loin clothes! Additionally, we came up with a creative direction for sculpting (more on this in a later blog). <br /><br />All figures would be done in the new “Classics style” the Horsemen so brilliantly created. Much like 200X is a (and I know fans hate this phrase) “hyper detail” interpretation of the vintage toys, Classics was a new interpretation of the same vintage figures but in a new style. Yes, there were many fans who wanted more 200X style figures, but that was not what Classics was about. We took the same starting point that 200X did (the vintage line) but created a new look and style called “Classics” that would work for any character. Essentially, this was the idea: <br /><br />-All characters would be considered modern upgrades of MOTU Vintage figures from the 1982-1987 line. <br /><br />-If a figure did not have a vintage counterpart from the 1982 line, we would first “imagine” what that figure might look like had he or she hypothetically been in the vintage 1982 line and then make the update into Classics style. <br /><br />So for example, a POP figure that was originally a doll figure in the 1980’s girl’s line would first be reimagined as what she (or “he” for Bow) would look like had the POP figures not been in a girl’s doll line but rather were females in the boy’s MOTU 82-87 line (like Teela or Sorceress who were female action figures not dolls). Then we would update that hypothetical vintage figure into Classics using shared parts. While this meant doing away with some of the POP soft goods and rooted hair, it helped make them into female action figures, not dolls, which was the idea. (Additionally the original vendor couldn’t do rooted hair so that sealed the deal on that option). <br /><br />This was also applied to NA and 200X original characters (i.e. Carnivus, Faceless One etc…) We didn’t want to do a direct 200X character with all the Spawn inspired hyper details of early 2000’s toy making. Besides, management was VERY clear that this style was to be retired. We could do 200X weapons or armor in the Classics style, but not character faces or bodies (so Beastman for example would not be larger like he was in 200X but rather in scale to all other figures like he was in the vintage line). <br /><br />We wanted all Classic figs to have the same style based on this new look the Horsemen created. So even a 200X character was first reimagined as if he or she had “had a vintage MOTU fig” and then updated for the Classics line. Same with NA to ensure we had the beefed up look for the Galactic Protectors and Space Mutants and not the super skinny look they had in the vintage NA line. <br /><br />With this creative direction in place, we put together a proposal to management for how we wanted to do a handful of skus. 3 actually. The plan was to create 3 different 2 packs pairing a good guy and a bad guy together. By using these packs to tool the 3 main body types we would be set up for success should these sell well. The original plan was: <br /><br />He-Man vs. Beastman<br />Skeletor vs. Stratos<br />Man-At-Arms vs. Zodac<br /><br />Yes, yes you can argue that Zodac is not a bad guy but really this was about zeroing in on 6 characters that could use the human, reptile and beast bucks with minimal new parts. Mer Man needed more new parts vs Zodac so he didn’t make the cut. <br /><br />Very late in the game the choice was made to split these 2 packs up into single figures to spread the releases out and have 6 months worth of product. This would give us time to gage success of the line and whether we could move forward with a 7th figure. (and on a personal note I am so glad this choice was approved!)<br /><br />While most of “He-Man” was paid for already though King Grayskull, obviously a few additional items were needed. Originally design only wanted to give He-Man the half power sword. In one of those (not so rare) occasions of me stepping out of my marketing silo, I literally begged design to please throw in the full sword as well. <br /><br />Additionally, the original plan was not to have the swappable heads or armor (which is why King Grayskull’s head and armor was not removable). As a fan, I really wanted swappable heads and armor for customization, and I extrapolated that my desires for multiple heads likely mirrored most fans’ desires. So again I literally pleaded and begged the design group to please look into this as an added feature. <br /><br />While this meant a two month delay in product launch, design was willing to execute on my proposal to make removable heads and armor. He-Man was reworked to have this feature. This is why He-Man was delayed from early fall to the very end of 2008. I think it was worth it!<br /><br />Packaging was also a major issue from the start. Management was pretty clear that we needed to do this on a very minimal budget and we had almost zero resources for new packaging. Actually, the specific direction from management was to slap them in a plain white box and send them out. Because this was an online toy line, management did not see why we needed full color packaging (retail needs packaging for obvious reasons). As a toy fan, again I knew many customers want to keep their figures mint in box as “art” pieces so it was important to go all the way (if we could). I was willing to fight for this too. <br /><br />I sat down with packaging and pretty much begged them for any resources possible. While we couldn’t go with the red rock vintage homage concept that the Horsemen had pitched, we had the great Green Brick design from the SDCC figure already in the can. If we could use these existing graphic elements it would save a huge amount of time. <br /><br />I was also very insistent that the bubble blister had the inverted belly button mark that was an homage to the vintage line. Because this was a simple addition, packaging agreed to add this even though they had little budget or resources. Essentially a few MOTU fans in the package group stayed late on their own time to make this package happen. (so while some fans have complained about the package over the years, you have to realize this was all done on spit and wax. It was pretty much reusing the green brick from the SDCC figure or having a plain white box. The option for a more elaborate package was just not available or possible). <br /><br />We also knew that there was no new entertainment planned to support the line and we had no budget for mini comics (like I said, we could barely afford to create a new package!). Especially when fans voted for multiple heads over mini comics at NYCC in Feb of 2008. <br /><br />To give fans some type of “entertainment” we decided to put bios on the back panel. Obviously there are tons of contradictory cannons for MOTU. We didn’t intend (and still don’t) for MOTUC to be the definitive cannon. There is no definitive cannon. The stories fans make up in their play and imaginations are just as valid. <br /><br />But what we did do is take the best elements from different (often contradictory) cannons and merge them into one storyline. I’ll have more to say on this when we get to Stratos which was about the time all of the bios (beyond the first 6) were written. <br /><br />The last packaging element was getting the vintage art for the shield. Luckily most of the vintage figures had art across the top. I put in a request to the archive department and pulled the 6 vintage figures that corresponded to the 6 figures in the roll out. (boy was there a lot of dust!) Cards were scanned and the art was good to go. <br /><br />One quick side bar to note. All of the vintage figures also had one line of “copy” across the art. He-Man’s was something like “He-Man defends Eternia with his friends and allies” or something like that. I thought it would be really cool if the one line of copy from the vintage figures was incorporated into the bios so we made sure that the “last” line of most bios (Skeletor is an early exception) was the final line of the new bios. The idea (kinda) was “what if these bios were around for the vintage line, they just got cut down to one line on the final figure”. Now for the first time we were presenting the hypothetical “full bio” for each character as written in the vintage days (at least this is kinda how I saw it in my head, take it or leave it). <br /><br />So there we had it. 6 figures ready to go, 6 bios written and we even managed to find a way to create packaging with almost no resources available What a month that was. <br /><br />But I digress. Back to He-Man specifically. <br /><br />So here was our flagship guy. The most powerful man in the Universe ready to kick off what could potentially be an entire line of new updated collector aimed figures. Man I hoped this worked! A lot was on the line. <br /><br />The first samples came back and he looked great. A little bit too much overspray on the eyes and a few small adjustments, but the head was now removable as was the power vest. He had the half sword and the full sword that I begged for. At this point it was time to see if he would sell. <br /><br />He-Man went up on Mattycollector.com in late fall 2008 and did “okay”. He was not at all a runaway success. We sold a modest number of units, but not anywhere what I expected or what Mattel needed to sell in order to green lit more figures. <br /><br />Oh well. At least we got He-Man, King Grayskull and Beastman and Skeletor were already in production so we knew they would at least be sold. I had little hope after He-Man’s slow initial sell that we would ever get to another figure beyond the first 6 (well 7 if you count King Grayskull – which I do!). <br /><br />One side note I should add is that He-Man was actually the first figure to suffer from the dreaded “reversed shoulder” issue. When He-Man was assembled (and actually the original King Grayskull too I should add) the male human shoulders were new to us and no one but the Horsemen caught that the shoulders were reversed. Obviously we made this correction with the second run, but man, now embarrassing. Luckily the detail that differentiated left from right was very minor. But still. A figure that wasn’t perfect was not what we wanted to sell. <br /><br />Luckily (for us) fans did not have much exposure to these figures yet and no one really caught his until Skeletor came out with corrected shoulders (more on that when I get to Skeletor in this blog series). Plus, since He-Man was our main guy, we were able to get the resources to swap his shoulders for a second release later on. <br /><br />Packaging and accessory issues aside, the line was kicked off. It wasn’t a run away success yet and no one (including myself) was looking or even thinking we could do more then these 6 figures ending with Zodac. At least we had 6 in the pipe and if sales picked up maybe, maybe we would get to more. Only time and fan interest would tell.</p></blockquote><p>See what the fans have to say <a href="http://www.he-man.org/forums/boards/showthread.php?220473-TG-Blog-2-He-Man!" target="_blank">HERE</a>!</p>
English: February 1, 2012 12:41 am	Italian: January 1, 1970 12:00 am

English: February 1, 2012 12:41 am	Italian: January 1, 1970 12:00 am
<p>Toyguru has just provided a much-needed update on the recent sub-cancellations! </p><blockquote><p>Hey Matty Fans,<br /><br />There has been a ton of chatter online regarding "canceled subs" and I want to quickly clarify the issue.<br /><br />Digital River attempts 3 times to charge customers for their sub(s) every month. If it fails the third time, an automatic message generates to that customer letting them know. By not having adequate funds in your account (after 3 attempts to charge you) customers will trigger an automatic "cancelation" of their subscription and a message that (up until last week) stated "as you requested, your subscription has been canceled.” We can see why this would be confusing!<br /><br />Of course we know customers are not "trying to cancel their subs" (and we certainly don't want to cancel them) but by not having full funds available in their account, in essence customers were “self canceling.” This is why the messages went out like this. 100% this is not the ideal wording we want to use to explain the situation. We have already reworded this message for the future to clarify what is happening.<br /><br />We had a long conf call with Digital River and should have this issue resolved going forward. Orders will still be in limbo (inactive versus active) if your payment doesn't clear, but fans will no longer get a message telling them they "chose" to "cancel their sub." Going forward, any customers without full funds will get an email instead informing them to “contact Customer Service to get their subscription back on track”. We will reword the message so it no longer tells customers they “chose to cancel their sub” (since we know this is not what customers intended by not having funds!)<br /><br />For the smoothest subscription experience going forward, we highly suggest you use a credit card with enough of a credit limit or a debit card with enough funds to cover your monthly order. Customers without adequate funds will continue to receive messages letting them know their monthly item(s) will not ship and they will be in limbo needing to call customer service to reinstate.<br /><br />We will work on improving the message to make it clearer what fans need to do. And anyone who is "kicked out of a sub" due to payment failure can get back in simply by calling customer service and proving a credit card with adequate funds.<br /><br />Additionally, we are rolling out a much improved method of changing credit card and shipping address information for your accounts. We've absolutely heard you on this issue and it has been looked into. We'll let you know as soon as it's online and will also send out an email at the beginning of next year reminding everyone to update their credit card information in the system.<br /><br />So in conclusion, we know fans are not "opting to cancel their sub" and this was our fault for a poorly worded error message (automatically generated when funds are not available). If you're not sure when your card will be charged, we have been posting the key dates in our sale announcement stories in the News Section. We'll continue to post them there and we will also start posting them in the Fan Forums, and on Facebook and Twitter. These are the dates for February:<br /><br />Your card will be charged 5 CALENDAR days before the on-sale date, so plan to have funds available before Friday, February 10, 2012. Subscription orders will begin shipping 2 BUSINESS days before the on-sale date, which is Monday, February 13, 2011. These dates apply to Club Eternia®, Club Lion Force, and MOTU 30th Anniversary Series.<br /><br />Hope that helps!<br /><br />Scott </p></blockquote><p>See what the fans have to say <a href="http://www.he-man.org/forums/boards/showthread.php?220470-Update-on-Sub-cancellations" target="_blank">HERE</a>!</p>
English: January 28, 2012 2:12 am	Italian: January 1, 1970 12:00 am

English: January 28, 2012 2:12 am	Italian: January 1, 1970 12:00 am
<p>Do you have a MOTUC Goddess figure that is broken? Mattel has some good news for you if you haven't thrown her out yet!</p><blockquote><p>MOTU Fans, as some fans know, we had a production error on the 2009 Goddess figure that caused a small portion of units to break at the leg joints. While we can no longer replace Goddess figures as she is several years old, we would be happy to refund your order if you want to return the broken figure. All returns must be accompanied by the defective product. Again, we do not have additional units to replace your figure, but we are happy to offer a refund. For help, call 1-877-GO-MATTY or email MattyCollector.CS@digitalriver?.com.</p></blockquote><p>See what the fans have to say <a href="http://www.he-man.org/forums/boards/showthread.php?220320-Goddess-refund-offered!!" target="_blank">HERE</a>!</p>
English: January 27, 2012 2:14 am	Italian: January 1, 1970 12:00 am

English: January 27, 2012 2:14 am	Italian: January 1, 1970 12:00 am
<p>Toyguru has started a new blog on the Mattycollector.com forums called <strong>MOTUC Director's Commentary</strong>! The first entry focuses on the premier figure in the MOTUC collection, <strong>King Grayskull</strong>! You can see the original post <a href="http://forums.mattycollector.com/eve/forums/a/tpc/f/4971046837/m/5171096837" target="_blank">HERE</a>!</p><blockquote><p>I’m a toy fan. That’s no secret. It’s pretty much the reason I applied to work at Mattel. I’m also a big movie fan (I was a film major in college, well at least one of my majors was film, I’m an overachiever sometimes). One of the things I love about movies is hearing the behind-the-scenes info and the DVD format was perfect for this because it gave us “Director’s Commentary” with insights and secrets behind some of our favorite films. <br /><br />In honor of the 30th anniversary of MOTU, I thought it would be a blast to take a look back at MOTUC (circa 2008 – current) and create a blog reflecting on each figure released to date. It is rare for one brand manager to work on a single line as long as I have so I’m in a cool position to share ramblings on both the origins of the brand and a look behind each figure. I don’t remember every detail of every figure, and I’m sure as we get closer to current releases I will have more clarity. But for now, much like getting the director’s commentary on a DVD, this blog is my attempt to offer that same concept but for a fantastic collector toy line – Master of the Universe Classics!<br /><br />Each entry will focus on one figure, starting with King Grayskull from SDCC 2008 and going all the way up to the current monthly or quarterly release coming out this year. I hope by the end of 2012 to be caught up with all the figures. There won’t be an exact rollout of these blog entries as I’m going to write them in my “spare” time. But look for them every so often as we take a trip down memory lane and reflect back on the greatest collector toy line of them all, MOTU Classics!<br /><br />So where did it all start? <br /><br />Well, back in 2007 I was new to the Action Play Marketing group. I had just moved over to the group from the Hot Wheels packaging team where I was a writer on basic cars and track sets. I was moved over to the Marketing team to help start up more robust collector lines as I was a collector myself (in addition to helping to launch the DCUC line with the WB group!). <br /><br />One of the first things at the top of my list was somehow through **** or high water getting a MOTU line up and running for collectors. MOTU was my favorite line as a child and getting to work on a MOTU line (or line extension) was a dream job. Basically I wanted to make the MOTU line I always wanted, meaning highly articulated, fully detailed and huge character selection. Yes, that sounds 100% selfish, but remember, as a fan myself my plan was that if I was pleasing myself (as a HUGE MOTU fan), likely I was pleasing most fans (not every fan obviously) but I used my own “requirements” for what a collector MOTU line should be as a jumping off point. <br /><br />First stop was SDCC. <br /><br />We were a year off from SDCC 2008 and I really wanted to find some way to bring MOTU there. The 200X line had “ended” about 4 years earlier but we still had all of the tools and molds for this line at our factories. I was a HUGE fan of this show and the line (I remember waiting in line at SDCC myself for a Keldor and She-Ra figure and being very upset I only walked away with one She-Ra the year she came out. So much for having a second one MIB!)<br /><br />A lot of folks were a bit unsure whether we could launch a MOTU line without any new entertainment and relying on collector interest only. Others were very supportive of the idea. In the end, what we decided was to try one figure using shared tooling. <br /><br />There were quite a few characters that never made it into the 200X line and the original idea was to just pick up where the retail line ended and keep pumping out 200x style figures using what shared tooling we could use. Very early on, King Grayskull became the character we wanted to do as he would be a great SDCC item since he was “He-Man” but was not really “He-Man,” appealing to both hard core fans and ideally casual new buyers as well. <br /><br />The original idea was to use the 200X Ice Armor He-Man body buck since it had the cape and boots we wanted. A new head would give us this figure perfect to “close out” the 200X line. King Grayskull was not originally intended to be the start of a new line but rather the “final” figure in the 200X line (or if he hit perhaps the start of a 200X collector line). <br /><br />Design started looking over the concept and management approved King Grayskull as the SDCC exclusive for summer of 2008. We reached out to our vendor to dig up the old Ice Armor He-Man tool and were about to call the Horsemen to ask about creating a new head. <br /><br />But then fate stepped in. <br /><br />The Horsemen showed up at SDCC 2007 a month later with an all new concept for a He-Man figure they created on their own independently. You all know what I’m talking about because we slipped it into the display case just to see what fans thought! <br /><br />This was a highly detailed, fully articulated figure that used the proportions of the vintage line but updated with today’s standards (set pretty high by a certain 6” Superhero line that was legendary and marvelous). <br /><br />The best part about the Horsemen’s new pitch was the figure was designed to heavily use shared parts. I can’t overstress how important this is for a collector line. Tooling is INCREDIBLY expensive. So finding a way to incorporate shared tooling from day one was the only way a line could work. AND what was great was the vintage line was based on shared tooling, so reflecting that in a collector line actually worked without it looking like the line was going cheap.<br /><br />The sneak peak in the case was a huge hit with fans at SDCC 2007 and we quickly came back to El Segundo and scrapped out plans to use the Ice Armor He-Man buck and instead thought, “what if we used this new buck for a whole new line of MOTU characters?”<br /><br />Now at the same time, we were starting up Mattycollector.com (my major project for coming over to the marketing group). If we could get this new MOTU shared parts line up and running it might be the perfect backbone to this new online distribution model. <br /><br />We hatched a plan to use the new buck system to premier King Grayskull at SDCC 2008 as planned, with the idea that if we reflected the vintage line and created basic human, beast (Beastman/Stratos) and reptile (Skeletor) bucks, we could make a variety of characters with minimal new tooling (heads, capes, weapons, etc…). <br /><br />I’ll go into detail about the first 6 characters when I get to their blog entries, but for now, a look at how King Grayskull came about. <br /><br />We had very little assets and very little time. The packaging group came up with the idea of putting him in a castle-like package and even adding in lights and sounds for that extra Comic-Con affect. Yes, he would be a 100% tool, but we were looking at him as an investment that if we tooled King Grayskull, we would essentially have He-Man and the base for countless other figures. <br /><br />The dice were rolled and we took a risk!<br /><br />I remember getting the first early sample back and plunking him down on my desk. Wow. We did it! The first new MOTU figure in almost 5 years and boy, was he amazing! I completely credit the Horsemen with the amazing look. Keeping those buffed-up proportions from the vintage line was a stroke of genius. While the original idea was to use the limited shared tooling from the 200X line, having an all-new buck system and starting an all-new line actually made way more sense (especially to upper management) because it gave us the chance to make ALL of the characters again, not just the ones that didn’t make it into the 200X line (like King Grayskull). <br /><br />At NYCC in February 2008 we announced the figure as an SDCC exclusive with the idea that there was more to come and a whole new MOTU line with “the best distribution ever” and “MOTU would be back on shelves everywhere.” This was my first experience of fans misinterpreting what I meant. A lot of fans took this to mean store shelves everywhere. I wasn’t yet cleared to announce Mattycollector.com as the distribution model (as that was a reveal saved for SDCC in a few months). <br /><br />What I had intended to mean was MOTU would be back on “your” shelf. Meaning the shelf you keep your collection on at home. And by the “best distribution ever” what I meant was anyone in any country could order these online. (As opposed to a retail-exclusive line. If MOTU was, for example, a TRU line, if you lived in a country without a TRU you were out of luck!). Online distribution really meant the widest distribution possible. I honestly never intended to mislead fans and customers and this was a good key learning to watch what I say as everything I say will be picked apart and possibly misinterpreted! A lot of fans were upset when they learned at SDCC this would be an online line, but I think over time it has worked out. Not having to rely on retailer interest has actually been a great move for this line and what has allowed us to do items without thinking about retailer shelf space. <br /><br />Anyway, regardless of a few early communication issues, King Grayskull was off to a great start. We even came up with a concept for a “chase” version at the show to help generate more PR and noise by doing a bronze statue version (for the record, this was the suggestion of some of the web masters at He-Man.org who have been a great resource, especially in the beginning when we were getting out feet wet!). <br /><br />The figure and package really came together nicely. We no longer had rights to use the actual voice from the 200X series in the toy, but luckily we had a recording from a talking figure from 200X that was a sounds-like voice that we owned. The sound studio deepened the “I have the Power” call from this toy to make it more “King Grayskull” and the package was set. <br /><br />We brought King Grayskull to SDCC 2008 and he was a huge smash. This was also the show where we announced Mattycollector.com itself and that there would be more MOTUC figures coming later that fall. (I’ll get more into that in the next blog entry.) We also made sure to produce a few additional units to sell online to kick off the website. Unfortunately, due to not thinking holistically, the electronics we used in the package prevented us from shipping King Grayskull outside of North America. This was never something we did intentionally, but when you are trying to make a cake sometimes you break a few eggs. This was a big one. We really wanted to cultivate an international audience so it killed me that we had this restriction. <br /><br />But in the end, despite a few missteps, we had a hit. King Grayskull wound up being the perfect figure to kick off the line since, as I said above, he “was He-Man, but was not He-Man”. He was a figure that was not in the vintage line, but was being done in the new Classics style as an interpretation of what an updated hypothetical vintage King Grayskull would be as updated through the new “Classics style.” Just as the 200X line was a reinterpretation of the vintage line, so was the Classics line. All characters would be in the same Classics look, regardless of where they were from, the vintage line, 200X, POP, NA etc… One all-inclusive line for all figures in a new style. How awesome. <br /><br />King Grayskull sold out pretty fast online and it was soon clear that we could proceed with a whole line. But how to do them? Singles? Two packs? What would the packaging look like? How deep in character selection could we go? <br /><br />The future was wide open and no one at Mattel was more excited then I. A skinny little kid from Connecticut who played with MOTU when he was 4 was now helping to make figures. Wow. A dream come true no matter how you shake it. For the very first time, MOTU had actual MOTU fans running the line. We were in for one heck of a ride. <br /><br />SdN <br />(AKA Toyguru)</p></blockquote><p>See what the fans have to say <a href="http://www.he-man.org/forums/boards/showthread.php?220271-TG-MOTUC-Blog-at-Matty-forums" target="_blank">HERE</a>!</p>
English: January 27, 2012 2:14 am	Italian: January 1, 1970 12:00 am

English: January 27, 2012 2:14 am	Italian: January 1, 1970 12:00 am
<p>In a long-awaited message to many fans, Toyguru addresses the numerous quality control issues that have recently plagued the MOTUC line, some of which happened last year.</p><blockquote><p>MOTU Classics fans,<br /><br />Toy Guru here. Last week I posted an update covering many of the recent issues on the MOTUC line. A few (okay, more than a few) customers have written to me to clarify issues about quality control (QC) that were not addressed and explain how we will be improving on this. I am happy to address this and to do so, let me go back and cover some previous issues we have had to shed some light on why certain figures have turned out less than perfect.<br /><br /><br />1: Green Goddess – Breakage Issues on the Torso<br /><br />Despite constant rumors, this issue had nothing to do with “cheap plastic” or even the use of translucent plastic. A small percentage of Green Goddess figures did have issues with the lower torso cracking. This was the same issue we had with retail DCUC Wave 3 and Wave 4 produced at around the same time. The sonic welder used to fuse the joints together was causing microscopic tears in the plastic which would later lead to breakage. We quickly tried to inform customers that this was a joint issue and not a plastic issue (although for some reason many didn't believe us and cusotmers continue to rail about cheap plastic which I assure you is not the case as noted above) What is key, is as you may have noticed, this issue has not come up in ANY other figure since then. Fans and customers like to use this as a bell cow for QC issues, but it only happened to one figure and we quickly resolved the issue by recalibrating the sonic welder. So it hasn't and won't happen again. ISSUE RESOLVED!<br /> <br /><br />2: Backwards Shoulders on Roboto and King Hssss<br /><br />Okay, this one we messed up. Both figures were assembled wrongly from Day 1, but the catch is that not a single member of the team noticed this issue. I am 100% to blame just as much as design and engineering as I personally had both figures on my desk for weeks and never noticed this swap. As a frame of reference only, this issue was so minor in the details that it was missed by the Horsemen and all of the fans at NYTF, as well as by all the reviewers who received a PR sample. Not that that is an excuse, it is just a point of reference for how easy it was to miss this issue! Yes, the shoulders were attached wrong and it kills me that we missed it. We now take extra care with any new parts to ensure it is assembled correctly. It hasn’t happened since King Hsss almost a year ago and shouldn’t be an issue going forward. ISSUE RESOLVED!<br /> <br /><br />3: Inverted Legs on Swiftwind and Missing Missiles on the Windraider<br /><br />While on the surface this seems like a similar issue to the shoulders on Roboto and Hssss, it is actually not. For Roboto and Hssss, Mattel was sent early samples to review and we (myself included) completely dropped the ball and didn’t notice the fine detailing that differentiated the two shoulders.<br /><br />For Swiftwind and Windraider, a very small number (but just as important) of customers received horses and vehicles with errors. All of the pre-production samples we received at Mattel were assembled correctly. So this is not a case of us missing QC problems with review samples. This is purely a case of human error at the vendor.<br /><br />What looks like happened is a small batch of Swiftwind figures was hand-assembled incorrectly against our review instructions. The same for the Windraider, a small number were shipped without both projectiles. This was a case of human error. It does happen sometimes.</p><p><br /><br />I know that is not an excuse, it is an explanation. All MOTUC figures are assembled and painted by hand. Sometimes (ideally rarely or not at all) mistakes will happen.<br /><br />We do have a return policy where any product may be exchanged free of charge (for 30 days) for a correct product. But you do need to return the defective toy to get a new one. So in a sense, this issue is resolved. There will always be that small percentage of human error in any product line. It is regretful when it happens, but it does happen some of the time. To compensate, we have a return policy in place to ensure customers get a corrected figure. We can’t stop human error, but we can compensate for it with a return/exchange policy. HUMAN ERROR.<br /><br />I hope this sheds some light on some of the issues we have had. Of course we are committed to eliminating all QC issues, but at the end of the day, when you are running a very small online collector line, there will be QC issues on occasion. I hope the fact that the breakage issues with Goddess and the shoulder swap issue with Roboto/Hssss has not repeated itself is a sign that we are working on things. We can never fully eliminate human error, but we can put a policy in place to ensure returns and exchanges are possible on the occasional -- but hopefully rare -- human error.<br /><br />Nothing is more important to us than our customers and delivering the high end product you expect and deserve. We are committed to constantly improving QC issues and hope to continue to deliver the highest quality figures possible!<br /><br />For the role I have had in maintaining or dropping QC, I personally and humbly apologize. Things like the swapped shoulders are absolutely my fault as well, as I had those figures on my desk with the wrong assembly and never noticed. Other issues like human error in China are hard to control from my desk here in El Segundo. They do and will happen from time to time, but we will do all we can to prevent or correct them.<br /><br />I know fans continue to bring up QC issues a lot. But really, to take a step back, except for the repeat of the reversed shoulders on Roboto and Hssss, other issues such as the pelvis breakage have never repeated themselves. Even smaller issues like tighter joints, softer loin clothes and better paint ops have improved over time. Ideally the fact that customers have not seen the same issue pop up again is proof that we are addressing issues. But we can certianly solve one issue and another unrelated one does pop up.<br /><br />Yes, QC issues will always be there (as with ANY consumer product line) but we are working around the clock to fix things and improve things. Human error (like what happened with Swifty) does happen from time to time and is unavoidable. But as I said, we have a policy in place to replace items at our cost if this happens.<br /><br />The future is nothing but bright for all of our collector lines. We are committed to eliminating as many QC issues as possible and will keep working to bring you the best product possible.<br /><br />Scott Neitlich </p></blockquote><p>See what the fans have to say <a href="http://www.he-man.org/forums/boards/showthread.php?220274-Scott-address-QC-issues" target="_blank">HERE</a>!</p>
English: January 27, 2012 12:11 am	Italian: January 1, 1970 12:00 am

English: January 27, 2012 12:11 am	Italian: January 1, 1970 12:00 am
<p>Matty has revealed two new bios for the forces of Evil! Read on to learn the tales of the Evil Master od Snakes, <strong>Kobra Khan</strong> and the Evil Fire-Breathing Menance, <strong>Draego-Man</strong>!</p><div class="bbcode_container"><div class="bbcode_quote"><blockquote><div class="quote_container"> <strong>Kobra Khan - Evil Master of Snakes</strong><br />Real Name: Khan of the Clan Kobra<br /><br />A descendant of the ancient Snake Men, Khan became fascinated with the many legends of their victories in the Great Wars. Breaking into the archives of Eternos Palace, he learned that the great King Hsss had been locked in the Void at the end of the war. In a ruse to free his King, Khan joined forces with Skeletor and, with the help of Evil-Lyn, they acquired Zodak's staff, the key to freeing his Snake Men brethren. Together he and Evil-Lyn opened the Snake Pit portal releasing Hsss and his ageless army, returning their terror to Eternia. Khan went on to loyally serve Hsss, controlling his prey with his evil hypnotic mist! </div></blockquote></div></div><p>Packed out in the same pose as his vintage counterpart! Kobra Kahn will ship in March 2012 as the monthly club figure (with some limited day-of stock)</p><blockquote><p> <strong>Draego-Man - Evil Fire-Breathing Menace</strong><br />Real Name: (Renounced his given Dragonian Name)<br /><br />During the Great Wars, the Dragoons of Darksmoke fought in many epic battles against King Grayskull and the Snake Men. A magical half human/half dragon creation of the Great Black Dragon Wizard, Draego-Man was shunned by Granamyr and allied himself instead with the Free People of Eternia. After the truce of the Three Towers, Draego-Man became so disgusted with the humans that he isolated himself from all civilization, living as an outcast in the Caverns of Rakash. After several millennia of bitter retreat, Draego-Man discovered Skeletor's plans to enslave his dragon kin and use them as weapons against the Royal Palace. He returned from hiding to join Skeletor's Evil Warriors seeking revenge against all who betrayed him. Draego-Man uses his flame breath and ability to manipulate fire to battle for the side of evil!</p></blockquote><p>Draego-Man really filled out the package. The wings are detached as is the tail to fit inside the blister, but they all easily snap in. He comes with the flame on sword. We are working on finding a home for the unreleased sword and whip accessories, perhapes with a future figure. The massive wing span and all the deco hits he needed forced us to reduce a few accessories to keep him as a $20.00 figure. We would rather remove the shield then have to remove the wings or tail!<br /><br />The all new bio based on the Horsemen's backstory! The shield art was also supplied by the Horsemen from their concept sketch sent to our design team! Draego ships in April as part of the 30th sub (not the main Club Eternia Cub) with some limited day-of stock for non sub holders.</p><p>To see what the fans have to say bout the new bios, go <a href="http://www.he-man.org/forums/boards/showthread.php?220256-Facebook-has-Bio-s-for-Kobra-Kahn-and-Draego-man!" target="_blank">HERE</a>!</p><p>To read other the Bios for the other characters, go <a href="http://www.he-man.org/forums/boards/showthread.php?165447-MOTUC-Bios-amp-Canon-Discussion-%28updated-as-bios-become-available%29" target="_blank">HERE</a>!</p>