MOTUC Castle Grayskull Discussion Thread w/ Feb 26, 2013 Q&A

[Darkspecter]

I figured this should probably be posted in the official Castle Grayskull discussion thread:

The size reduction has caused some VERY noticeable issues (He-Man barely fitting in the entrance of Grayskull, Fisto and Clawful barely fitting on the first floor and only being able to see up to Trap-Jaw's CHEST when he's in the dungeon. In the original b-sheet, the dungeon wall was nearly 10 inches tall...you know...so characters would be visible through the bars to the top of their head, not chest.





We also get a nice view of his ARM through the prison window.

[Whiplash7]

Moving away from that door size issue... What's the OFFICIAL word in regards to the interior walls of the castle? Are they going to remain as it is - i.e. these smooth panels of plastic? - it looks really really custom-esque. They should really have textured parts with stones. The 200x castle was really nice inside, it had a lot of eyecatching details and I assumed that the new castle would top that.

I think a lot of us assumed that. Apparently it'll just be a shell, no walls other than the reverse of the other side (that's what's being said around here, anyway...).
A huge missed opportunity, but the upside being that it'll free up a little space.

As for the dungeon: yikes. Maybe that can be fixed, somehow.

[Crusader]

They have to increase the size of the door and just sculpt a new jawbridge.
Take a look on the pic posted by Joeycruel just changed a bit by photoshop and that s a big big difference !

They can't just make the entrance bigger without throwing off the proportions of the skull, which is sculpted to perfection. Either scale up the whole castle, create some sort of recess in the base to accomodate the opened jaw or just leave it as is.

[scott metzger]

They can't just make the entrance bigger without throwing off the proportions of the skull, which is sculpted to perfection. Either scale up the whole castle, create some sort of recess in the base to accomodate the opened jaw or just leave it as is.

Letting the jawbridge hinge sit lower in the base would basically solve the problem with the least amount of tweaking, and allow it to lay flat. It does look a little diving-boardish hovering above the ground.

[Crusader]

Letting the jawbridge hinge sit lower in the base would basically solve the problem with the least amount of tweaking, and allow it to lay flat. It does look a little diving-boardish hovering above the ground.

I'd say that that's probably the best solution. Although I'm not sure if this wouldn't compromise the aesthetics of the castle when the drawbridge is closed.

Whatever they decide, I hope they leave this one up to the Horsemen rather than Mattel's design team

[MegaGearMax]

Ugh. The often maligned 200X Castle got the interior walls right. Well, at least the throne room.

[bObA_fEtt_Ox]

http://www.he-man.org/assets/images/...003pm_full.png


.

with this size for the door that would be perfect imo

[oulala]

It's a bit frustrating. I see the limitations that Mattel has to work with but the empty flat walls are really disappointing since that's a HUGE step back from the 200X castle.

As for the jawbridge, whether or not it was tweaked or not won't make much difference. You basically CAN have your figures stand underneath it. Whether you add an inch won't make that much difference. It's what it is. Even by removing that inch from the floor, no giant character or a figure on swift wind or Battle cat will be able to go through but I never actually expected this to be possible.

I'm way more worried about the interior of the castle. Every INCH of the windraider is detailed and sculpted to perfection, so I'd be really suprised and disappointed if Mattel would release the castle with no detailing whatsoever on the walls. Toyguru and the few people at Toyfair DID say the interior was a work in progress. Would be nice to ask Scott though!

[Crusader]

I'm way more worried about the interior of the castle. Every INCH of the windraider is detailed and sculpted to perfection, so I'd be really suprised and disappointed if Mattel would release the castle with no detailing whatsoever on the walls. Toyguru and the few people at Toyfair DID say the interior was a work in progress. Would be nice to ask Scott though!

Scott already adressed this, the interior walls are going to be hollowed out, so you'll have the negative of the exterior as detailing.

[MegaGearMax]

Scott already adressed this, the interior walls are going to be hollowed out, so you'll have the negative of the exterior as detailing.

Just like you remember!

[Crusader]

http://www.he-man.org/assets/images/.../grayskull.gif

Just like you remember!

And to think Scott kept saying that they wouldn't do a just a mere facade but a fully sculpted playset with all the bells and whistles.

[Darkspecter]

http://www.he-man.org/assets/images/.../grayskull.gif

Just like you remember!

I wish I knew where the quote was were Toyguru said they wouldn't merely make the interior the opposite of the exterior (like the vintage one), if they ever did a Castle Grayskull, and how they would "do it right." Also, it's a bit scary that the 200X Castle seems to have more head room. I also love that there's a giant window for The Sorceress.



I will be keeping my pre-order (I CAN'T miss out on Castle Grayskull!), but I REALLY hope Mattel and the 4H can iron out some of these problems. It really concerns me paying $250 + $69.65 shipping + $32.50 customs ($352.15 total).

[Whiplash7]

I wish I knew where the quote was were Toyguru said they wouldn't merely make the interior the opposite of the exterior (like the vintage one), if they ever did a Castle Grayskull, and how they would "do it right."

If anyone can find it, it's you

Anyway. In all honesty I'm fine with the door. I wouldn't want to see the prefect sculpt compromised. I can see it being lowered a bit on the base, but not too much. I'm perfectly fine with the exterior. The sculpt is unbelievably perfect. What concerns me is the interior.
No sculpted walls is lame, but might look better and roomier than what we saw the other day. A missed opportunity, though.
Missing items -- not cool, as well as the possibility that more could be cut.
The dungeon is now too small

That said, it's still a thing of beauty. I just hope we don't lose anything else.

[bObA_fEtt_Ox]

I wish I knew where the quote was were Toyguru said they wouldn't merely make the interior the opposite of the exterior (like the vintage one), if they ever did a Castle Grayskull, and how they would "do it right." Also, it's a bit scary that the 200X Castle seems to have more head room. I also love that there's a giant window for The Sorceress.

http://frankshemanpage.net/dree02.JPG


I will be keeping my pre-order (I CAN'T miss out on Castle Grayskull!), but I REALLY hope Mattel and the 4H can iron out some of these problems. It really concerns me paying $250 + unknown shipping + $32.50 customs.

Yea a lot of collectors want to see the sorceress on her throne but I would rather to see her at the window. But regarding that I know that s impossible.
But imo that s not impossible to change JUST the entrance

[Berserker79]

They can't just make the entrance bigger without throwing off the proportions of the skull, which is sculpted to perfection. Either scale up the whole castle, create some sort of recess in the base to accomodate the opened jaw or just leave it as is.

I agree...the proportions would look wrong...

- - - Updated - - -

Scott already adressed this, the interior walls are going to be hollowed out, so you'll have the negative of the exterior as detailing.

I guess any detailing would look better than clean walls, even if it's the negative of the outside...

[Clawful Ofit]

So wait, we get reversed walls/no detail??? Ol' Darth Neitlich is altering the deal. Pray he doesn't alter it further.

[Morningstar]

I agree...the proportions would look wrong...

- - - Updated - - -



I guess any detailing would look better than clean walls, even if it's the negative of the outside...

The proportions would be fine. Only needs a taller door.

[Darkspecter]

If anyone can find it, it's you

I've decided to look for it. While I haven't found it yet, I found some interesting ones from TG about Grayskull:

This is the one we have all waited for. It is in scale with our 6” figures and chock full of every detail, crammed with accessories, and ideally will be sculpted to perfection soon (once we hit that minimum number of pre-orders on Nov 12th!). And for those a little unsure, it does include ALL of the items shown in the blueprints. We hope to add more, but there won’t be less.

Toyguru:

It looks like to avoid cost reducing it we are going to set the price at 250.00. That does not include shipping.

http://forums.mattycollector.com/eve...7/m/7811077187




Still looking for info on the walls.

[MegaGearMax]

"You lied to us!"

I'm kidding, but I can see how some fans can feel this way.

[Weasel]

Has anyone seen what it looks like with the windraider actually parked in it? The windraider is massive and I don't know how it could look good in the castle.

[Morningstar]

We were cheated!

[Darkspecter]

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ouYdQkBl1t...the+moon+2.jpg

"You lied to us!"

I'm kidding, but I can see how some fans can feel this way.

An interesting point of note (looking at stuff from October 2012), a lot of people were excited about He-Man riding Battle Cat through the entrance of Castle Grayskull and some were freaking out, thinking it wouldn't happen. I didn't realize there was so much talk about it back then. I guess it's not so surprising that it's THE hot button issue right now.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Kelly Edmonds' video of the Castle Grayskull presale announcement detail/blue prints. Castle Grayskull info starts @ 20:47.

- TG said the $250 price tag was to "have enough wiggle room to put enough into it." Hoping to put more into it, but you're NOT going to see less. Toyguru repeats, multiple times and EMPHASIZES that we will NOT get less than what's shown in the blueprints. He was very insistent on this.
- "Will there be decals?" Toyguru answer: "I think we're going to actually sculpt everything, like the Wind Raider." (lots of cheering and clapping occurs). Translation - demon grate in blue prints was NEVER a sticker. Interesting point of note, Ruben and his team drew up the blueprints based on notes from 4H, so the playset could be costed out. So...they knew about the grate, because that work was all done in-house by Mattel.
- Playmat (the moat thing) is NOT included, but they're looking into ways of including it, like a cut-out in the packaging.
- "...at MINIMUM, this is what you're going to get. So, you can see the dimensions are called out..."
- "The original Castle goes up to about the eye balls of this one. So, that's how big this thing is. I mean, you're going to need a new room." (laughter ensues).


I officially give up on trying to find the quote about the Castle walls interior though. Sorry guys.

[JKM]

Here he said that their goal was to have sculpted interior walls, but that it wasn't guaranteed:

http://forums.mattycollector.com/eve...787#2521090787

[Lookie]

An interesting point of note (looking at stuff from October 2012), a lot of people were excited about He-Man riding Battle Cat through the entrance of Castle Grayskull and some were freaking out, thinking it wouldn't happen. I didn't realize there was so much talk about it back then. I guess it's not so surprising that it's THE hot button issue right now.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Kelly Edmonds' video of the Castle Grayskull presale announcement detail/blue prints. Castle Grayskull info starts @ 20:47.

- TG said the $250 price tag was to "have enough wiggle room to put enough into it." Hoping to put more into it, but you're NOT going to see less. Toyguru repeats, multiple times and EMPHASIZES that we will NOT get less than what's shown in the blueprints. He was very insistent on this.
- "Will there be decals?" Toyguru answer: "I think we're going to actually sculpt everything, like the Wind Raider." (lots of cheering and clapping occurs). Translation - demon grate in blue prints was NEVER a sticker. Interesting point of note, Ruben and his team drew up the blueprints based on notes from 4H, so the playset could be costed out. So...they knew about the grate, because that work was all done in-house by Mattel.
- Playmat (the moat thing) is NOT included, but they're looking into ways of including it, like a cut-out in the packaging.
- "...at MINIMUM, this is what you're going to get. So, you can see the dimensions are called out..."
- "The original Castle goes up to about the eye balls of this one. So, that's how big this thing is. I mean, you're going to need a new room." (laughter ensues).


I officially give up on trying to find the quote about the Castle walls interior though. Sorry guys.

I would go back to the RGD where he sold us stories vocally instead of in writing. He really wanted it to go through and I was so excited. Now, I am just waiting for SDCC to see what the final product has been slimmed down to. I don't feel it will be worth $300. I wanted it to be.

[Darkspecter]

Here he said that their goal was to have sculpted interior walls, but that it wasn't guaranteed:

http://forums.mattycollector.com/eve...787#2521090787

Thank you for finding that! I forgot to search for the "greyskull" spelling. I knew it was said somewhere about sculpted interiors. That must be the quote I was thinking of. The rest of the "we want to do it right" quotes were from years ago and are more irrelevant