What She-Ra fan are you?

[AlessandraF]

Time ago I posted here a poll to se what She-Ra's look the fans prefer, Filmation style or Mattel toy style. Maybe polls have automatic delete but reading Mattel's panel I saw that they has doubt of what style they will choose to relaunch She-Ra. So I read that they will hear what the fans think/want through this board and I would to reiterate this poll again to help they choose the best

[Havoc]

As a rule, I'd say Mattel, BUT, I voted Filmation as they turned the girls into more streamlined and more pleasing to the eye (of this guy anyway) than the frilly very girly oriented 'dolls' that Mattel made.
I don't want to see any cloth or rooted hair on POP characters, so.. Filmation based styling, or atleast a nod towards it, would be much better.

Im sure they could pull it off, since 200x She-Ra was more like the toon than the toy.

[Tallstar]

I think overall I prefer a lot of what Filmation did, but it really depends on the character.

For instance, I prefer Mattel's version of The Star Sisters, over the gawdawful ones that appeared in the one episode.

[gnewton34]

I also prefer the Filmation style most of the time. The Star Sisters are the exception. Ooooooohhhhh...I just thought. Could you imagine a new Spinnerella or Netossa? *almost faints* It's sad though some of the other good characters won't get to be included in this like Sea Hawk, Octavia, The Red Knight, Hunga and others. Although, I doubt those would see the light of day anyway. I'm still holding out hope for Shadow Weaver and Scorpia.

[TheShadow]

The Filmation designs, for the most part, trump everything Mattel did with the She-Ra toyline in my opinion.

Like Havoc, I'd also prefer molded hair and clothing on any new toy releases.

[Angel-T]

I will take my She-Ra anyway I can get her! But, given the choice Filmation would win hands down everytime! Filmation inspired She-Ra please Mattel! Taking inspiration from the prototype for the 2004 sculpted hair She-Ra is the way to go!

[zodak74]

Guess I'm in the minority...
I actually like the toy versions and depictions on the boxes and packaging better! I think the 4H could definitely "toughen" the characters up just a wee bit... maybe not soo frilly and lacey... LOL. But there are a lot of design elements to the PoP girls' costumes that I thought looked cool but were smoothed-down for the cartoon. I'm on the fence about rooted hair vs. molded. I thought rooted hair would look good but then we got the 2004 She-Ra exclusive which I thought looked awful with rooted hair. But then it was the opposite with costuming... I thought her molded skirt made her difficult to pose and would actually prefer cloth clothes...
but really... I won't be too picky! It's not like I'm NOT going to buy a Four Horsemen Double Trouble if her hair is plastic, you know?

[oulala]

Guess I'm in the minority...
I actually like the toy versions and depictions on the boxes and packaging better! I think the 4H could definitely "toughen" the characters up just a wee bit... maybe not soo frilly and lacey... LOL. But there are a lot of design elements to the PoP girls' costumes that I thought looked cool but were smoothed-down for the cartoon. I'm on the fence about rooted hair vs. molded. I thought rooted hair would look good but then we got the 2004 She-Ra exclusive which I thought looked awful with rooted hair. But then it was the opposite with costuming... I thought her molded skirt made her difficult to pose and would actually prefer cloth clothes...
but really... I won't be too picky! It's not like I'm NOT going to buy a Four Horsemen Double Trouble if her hair is plastic, you know?

The problem with the exclusive She-ra we got at SDCC is that it was a doll's head with doll hair on a boy's action figure body with plastic clothes... And an added, not so integrated red sparkling cape.If they wanted to do a doll commemoration, fine, but give it doll's hair AND real clothes costumes.

However to me it's obvious that they should do an all Plastic She-ra for the new MOTU wave so that it is consistent in style with the rest of the other figures. I think they should really try to make her look like the Filmation She-ra, with that big mane of blonde hair and those high cheek bones!

[motu77]

I like the MAttel toys but Filmation took the line ti a whole new level. Besides they had the Horde as an enemy and made it enjoyable for both boys and girls.

[mermisto]

If any of the POP girls come out with plastic, molded, uncombable hair, I am going to be sorely disappointed. Half the fun of playing with these as a kid was combing their hair and putting it into ponytails and things.

I thought the 2004 She-Ra was beautiful, and I really wished that they had made a Catra, Angella, Glimmer and Frosta as well. I hope that we will get at least 1 POP character per wave for the MOTU Classics line, and that they all have their original hair colors like the original toys.

[wingprincess]

I loved the Mattel line. I really enjoyed the mini comics and would play my she ra characters in that way mostly. When my brother and I would combine the he man and she ra universe, it would become more filmation.

I thought the figures were just beautiful. I hope so much for some figures in the new line.

[GK Version 1]

I'd love a Filmation based She-Ra but with a skirt similar to Mattel. I love her longer-in-the-front gimmick on the doll, but love everything else about filmations.

[Killian]

I like the rooted hair and removeable clothing of the Mattel style for customising etc... But Filmation made the characters look like warriors who fit in with MOTU. It's hard to say really.

I suppose since most collectors are male, the rooted hair wouldn't be as popular?

[RocketPunch]

I like some of the figures better than the cartoon versions, but overall I prefer Filmations.

[Orko-78]

For me personally, Filmation is better.

[hhhelmsley]

Filmation.

[Darkspecter]

I prefer the toys. Filmation was better for She-Ra, I love all the versions of Catra (toy and show) and the rest were pretty much the same (Filmation had duller colours though). I feel the worst interpretation of any of the toys in Filmation was Castaspella though. The blue killed it for me.

[Emiliano]

I prefer the toys. Filmation was better for She-Ra, I love all the versions of Catra (toy and show) and the rest were pretty much the same (Filmation had duller colours though). I feel the worst interpretation of any of the toys in Filmation was Castaspella though. The blue killed it for me.

Well, we also need to keep in mind that, for most of the characters, they are not an interpretation of the toys, but the opposite: Filmation designed them first, then Mattel based their design on them (changing them a lot)
With wave 2, Mattel started creating new charcters and Filmation based their design on those.
On a side note, on a rare document we hope to put on the site soon, there is a Castaspella prototype colored with Filmation colors (as se was originally designed).

[Darkspecter]

Well, we also need to keep in mind that, for most of the characters, they are not an interpretation of the toys, but the opposite: Filmation designed them first, then Mattel based their design on them (changing them a lot)
With wave 2, Mattel started creating new charcters and Filmation based their design on those.
On a side note, on a rare document we hope to put on the site soon, there is a Castaspella prototype colored with Filmation colors (as se was originally designed).

That's really interesting. Is there any documentation about Filmation being the first design and then the toys? I thought it was the opposite way around. Aren't the She-Ra mini-comics and 1st wave of figures pre-Filmation?

[Emiliano]

That's really interesting. Is there any documentation about Filmation being the first design and then the toys? I thought it was the opposite way around. Aren't the She-Ra mini-comics and 1st wave of figures pre-Filmation?

It's more simple than that: She-Ra (and POP) was originally created and developed by Filmation, and Mattel creted the toys based on the cartoon characters.
Of course the development had Mattel involved as well, bu the concept was originated at Filmation and varius designers created the look of the characters.
I'm not sure what kind of documentation we'd need here: all this is (realitively) well known already, however, for example, there is the POP bible with early concepts that have nothing to do with the toys or the final look.

As fro date, I don't know what was released first, if the toy or the cartoon (US people can tell us), but that wouldn't mean much, because, even if the cartoon aired after the toy were in store, it aired the same year, so it was develped at the same time.

[Agostinho]

See if I were Mattel, I would be greedy and sneaky, but it would make money. If anybody out there collects GI Joe, they know EXACTLY what I'm talking about in my illustration below. Hasbro does this ALL THE TIME, but it works financially.

Let's use Castaspella and Entrapta as examples:

Around 75% of us want POP characters in MOTUC to match the Mattel Style Guide/animation colors because it's more streamlined, less girly, and more closely matching the MOTUC warriors and well as our memories of watching the show growing up. Comic-Con comes around, and we get a huge announcement. This year Princess of Power will be present in MOTUC!!! STAY tuned.

We wait.

Mattel then announces two females we'll see in late 2009/early 2010. They announce Castaspella and Entrapta. We even hear rumblings that they are in the spirit of the cartoon. The prototypes are revealed and we get the figures looking like this.




Reactions are mixed. Some people love them. Many are upset that it doesn't match the cartoon. Maybe both ladies include a piece of a Battle Cat Collect & Connect figure, so some are buying these two just for the Battle Cat pieces. Some respect the fact that it looks like the cartoon, but is an homage to the toy as well. Some feel it doesn't matter what they look like because something is better than nothing.

Let's make up a number. In order to recoup their production costs and turn a profit, they need to sell 3,000 units.

Blame it on the need to own a Battle Cat, the popularity of the MOTUC line in general, the fanatical need to have new POP figures or collectors simply needing to have the whole collection. They completely sell-out. They achieve their goal for those two characters. Now the fun starts.

This is what Hasbro does with GIJoe. They check the threads on message boards and go to conventions. Everyone says the same thing. We love them. They look great, but my only problem is that they don't look like the cartoon. Can you please release ones like the style guide/cartoon. They wait a few months.

Mattycollector.com announces that they will begin doing battle packs featuring popular sold-out MOTUC characters. They announce one of them will be a 2-pack of Castaspella vs. Entrapta. People kind go, "ok, well... we already have them." Then we get these pics:



Straight up cartoon colors. To a toy company it's just paint. No new costs, no new tooling, not money spent. But it's exactly what POP fans have wanted. They slap a big old "limited edition" sticker on the box and they sell another 5000 figures (2500 pieces of each lady). All it was is paint and a new packaging, and Mattel almost doubles their sales.

On top of that, they can release both colors again the following year with rooted hair. Same body molds and everything, with the only new piece being a head with rooted hair. Old school POP fans will then snatch THOSE up, and Mattel looks like a hero. The original production run set out to sell 3000 units, and with some clever marketing and maneuvering they can sell over double their projections, with very little cost. Mattel makes money and fans get the figures they've always wanted.

Hasbro does it all the time with GIJOE. Yesterday they just announces a 5-pack with Cobras and GIJoes. The Cobra 5-pack has a Storm Shadow that my best friend Mike has wanted since he was a kid. No sleeves, all white. What did Hasbro do? The sculpted him right. But they painted his belt and feet grey, when his feet should be white and his belt needs to be black.

http://i.toynewsi.com/g/index.php?mo...ze=600&start=0

My Mike is annoyed, but he'll buy the boxed set just to get him. I GUARANTEE YOU we will see an all white Storm Shadow with a black belt 6 months later. And my friend Mike will be first in line to RE-buy him. Hasbro knows what they're doing. It's sneaky, but it keep the fans talking, and money coming in for the brand.

[Uki]

You really put a lot of thought into that scenario!

[Adam_Portugal]

twinAJ1, I love She-Ra Original Art so much...

Even if POP Classics they don't respect the Original Colors I will buy it! For sure!

[Colton]

I´m a Filmation guy, but they ( Mattel ) can throw on me what they want. I will catch every PoP Classic Fig.

[vadersfist]

I agree with you colton.