Geoff Johns is now head of DC and he loves MOTU--so what the hell are we waiting for?

[Professor Griffin]

Personally, I think Straczynski is over rated. But besides that, who's to say he's even a fan?.

Oh I absolutely loathe his work. That was meant as an example of the type of drawing-power it would take for a publisher to perk up to the idea of publishing MOTU.

He was never meant to be included as a suggestion to be the writer. In fact my post makes no suggestions for anyone who should be on the book.

[MegaGearMax]

Personally, I think Straczynski is over rated. But besides that, who's to say he's even a fan? Geoff Johns is already a fan, and the hottest thing in comics right now, like him or not.

I loved Supreme Power and his Thor run.

As for the question on "would they?", the question that's relevant is what sort of control Mattel would exert. They have shown in the past to be extremely protective of their trademarks, and I believe that because MOTU has never had any strong, iconic comics creators work on it in the past, Mattel do not feel they are obligated to maintain a comics presence.

The reason Transformers and GI Joe have been so successful as comics properties, and keep being so today, is that they have Simon Furman and Larry Hama respectively. Say what you will, having a very profilic author who has basically been a fan even while working on the 1980's versions of the comics helps -immensely- in building a presence in the comics industry.

I disagree.

Hasbro isn't afraid to take chances with their properties and know that the comics help to keep the brand out there. There haven't been G1 or RAH toys out for years (until recently), but Hasbro kept those brands out there, despite there being no new toys to promote. Mattel, on the other hand, killed EVERYTHING MOTU when the 200X toyline failed, even the cartoon and comic book, which were well received, were stopped. Instead of keeping the MOTU brand out there, alive and prospering in some way, Mattel let it sink to obscurity.

Simon Furman and Larry Hama did great work, but now other creators are writing those books. It is Hasbro that keeps a comic presence with their lines. And now they are starting to do this with video games (if only G.I. Joe can have a good modern game).

[SSj3 Derek]

I would like to see a series of direct-to-dvd MOTU animated movies, using the bios from the MOTUC figures as source material. It was a really slow day at work today, and I found myself spending most of it brainstorming a plot for the first movie. Brushing aside that for a minute, I do think MOTU direct-to-dvd movies would be a great idea, and could help spread the word about the MOTUC and MOTU vs. DCU figs at the same time. In addition to the current age of Eternia (meaning Adam, Man-At-Arms, and the rest), they could do a couple movies about Eternia's past - The saga of He-Ro and King Grayskull, a featurette about Wun-Darr, etc.

[kelddorr]

so, there is a god! awsome.

[Kevenn]

Personally, I think Straczynski is over rated. But besides that, who's to say he's even a fan? Geoff Johns is already a fan, and the hottest thing in comics right now, like him or not.

Oh bless your heart, you're serious! Straczynski? The man who wrote many Filmation episodes of He-Man - INVENTED the Origin of the Sorceress and wrote that episode - who helped to create She-Ra (along with other Filmation staff) and wrote several She-Ra episodes, including the origin of Catra's powers. Who graciously appeared on bonus material for the Filmation He-Man & She-Ra DVDs and talked a LOT about them.

Yeah, I'm sure he loathes the whole franchise.

[Sandman]

See, I disagree with this. Furman and Hama haven't done anything worthwhile on both those franchises' comics (not anything worth while) in the 2+ years that they've been writing them. TF's still doesn't have an ongoing per se, and GI JOE is as bland and boring as you say BN and BD are.

I stopped reading them both, and I was an avid 80's comic reader.

IMO, TF's and GI JOE were their best, when they were in the hands of Dreamwave and Devil's Due, respectively. Same with MOTU, when they were in the hands of Val and Emiliano.

If anything, your are proving that "big names" aren't necessarily the best thing for these franchises, as was your point with Geoff Johns.

You're reading way too much into what I say.

At no point did I say Furman and Hama's comics, past or present, were good. Whether you like them or not is totally up to your own tastes, just like with Johns, or any other comic.

What I said is that Transformers and GI Joe were run by a company which allowed the comic versions for their toylines to take their time. in the 80's, both TF and GI Joe lasted for -years- (100ish and 150ish issues respectively, plus spinoffs). Furman and Hama came in, became fan favorites, and kept working, and Hasbro let them.

Then look over at MOTU. 3 DC issues, then change publisher. 14 (or was it 13?) Star issues, then cancel the comic. How long did the 200X line last? A bit more, but not really a long run.

If Mattel had allowed a Hama or Furman to guide a comics of theirs during the 80's, there would be a significantly higher probability of a revival today. They didn't, and now it's too late. A new author coming in to write He-Man comics now would be "thrown in the deep end" of the pool

Now THAT would be absolutely awesome!! All the more reason why Mattel and DC need to link up... With DC doing the comics and the animation, and Mattel already doing DC's toys, it's win-win for everybody.

It would have, but I think that ship has sailed. Timm is big enough to pick and choose projects now, and unless he's got a burning desire to return to MOTU -and- was allowed a free reign as a creator (which... I think we can agree would be doubtful), it's not gonna happen.

Simon Furman and Larry Hama did great work, but now other creators are writing those books. It is Hasbro that keeps a comic presence with their lines. And now they are starting to do this with video games (if only G.I. Joe can have a good modern game).

Kind of what I was getting at. MOTU never had time to let any creator (except the Filmation folks, of course) become "the" MOTU writer.

I would like to see a series of direct-to-dvd MOTU animated movies, using the bios from the MOTUC figures as source material.

One problem I see with this, completely free of the author issue, is that MOTU classics bios reveal almost every "Big" secret in them. Would Mattel be willing to keep important plot points off the bios in order to facilitate a cartoon with dramatic tension?

Oh bless your heart, you're serious! Straczynski? The man who wrote many Filmation episodes of He-Man - INVENTED the Origin of the Sorceress and wrote that episode - who helped to create She-Ra (along with other Filmation staff) and wrote several She-Ra episodes, including the origin of Catra's powers. Who graciously appeared on bonus material for the Filmation He-Man & She-Ra DVDs and talked a LOT about them.

Yeah, I'm sure he loathes the whole franchise.

I think he was referring to the comics work of JMS, what with Spider-Man making a deal with the devil to end his marriage, and now the Wonder Woman retcon/reboot dealie-o. He's very controversial among comics readers.

[Emiliano]

Then look over at MOTU. 3 DC issues, then change publisher. 14 (or was it 13?) Star issues, then cancel the comic. How long did the 200X line last? A bit more, but not really a long run.

I agree that Mattel wasn't really thinking about the future back then, but honestly both the 2002 comic and the Star Comic really went to an end because the entire franchise was sinking

If Mattel had allowed a Hama or Furman to guide a comics of theirs during the 80's, there would be a significantly higher probability of a revival today. They didn't, and now it's too late. A new author coming in to write He-Man comics now would be "thrown in the deep end" of the pool

Hmmm, I don't think it would be the presence of a big name that would increase chances of a new comic. It's all about logistic, money (how good would it sell?) and legal stuff.

It would have, but I think that ship has sailed. Timm is big enough to pick and choose projects now, and unless he's got a burning desire to return to MOTU -and- was allowed a free reign as a creator (which... I think we can agree would be doubtful), it's not gonna happen.

Timm has zero interest in MOTU.

[Professor Griffin]

Hmmm, I don't think it would be the presence of a big name that would increase chances of a new comic. It's all about logistic, money (how good would it sell?) and legal stuff.

.

I disagree, I think to most companies today, the presence of a big name creator (especially one who was "important" to the publisher) would translate to money and sales. Now of course, using logic we know that isn't always true, but when was the last time the money people in the entertainment industry used logic to make a decision. Heck, let's release it in 3-D.

I agree that Mattel wasn't really thinking about the future back then, but honestly both the 2002 comic and the Star Comic really went to an end because the entire franchise was sinking

Yeah, but if the comic were popular enough, it could have survived the sinking of the entire line. Though few and far between, look at certain titles like Rom, Space Knight or Micronauts, both based on toy lines, both have much more heralded comics titles that lasted much longer than their toy lines.

Which goes back to my point, I don't believe the audience for this book is large enough right now to be profitable without some "industry-spin" attached to it to make it noteworthy.

Note: This isn't a personal attack against your or Val's work. Quality and popularity are rarely connected.

[King Kahn]

I'd LOVE a new comic.

it'd be even BETTER if they put brand new comics in the comic packs like they had done with the GIJoe comic packs.

i bet even more people would buy the dc/motu packs if there were new comics in them

[Viper Steve]

I think Mattel would be fools to let an opportunity with DC slip out of their hands, considering the relationship they already have with them.

Remember this is MATTEL. Calling them fools would be a compliment in a LOT of cases

Personally, the ONLY reason I think MOTU hasn't recieved a comic at this point is internal issues at Mattel. For whatever reason, they STILL have no faith and no vision for the brand.

Plus, comics really aren't a viable advertising medium anymore. Seriously, only the long time fans are buying comics, which is why the current ongoing Transformers and GI Joe series basically have NOTHING to do with the current toyline (aside from superficial crossovers like the use of some Universe/Classics designs in the Transformers series).

I'm not sure Mattel really grasps that and simply won't bother with a comic series until a new mass media push comes around (even though kids are unlikely to find and/or purchase anything that gets published)

[midor]

Geoff Johns loves Mattel product and MOTU. And he's good friends with Toyguru! Seems like this is the perfect opportunity to get a new MOTU book on the stands!

Or at least some mini-comics with the figures!

Now keep in mind DC's contract with Mattel expires in 2012 (as stated in the link above. It's one of the questions!), so Mattel could be waiting to re-negotiate their deal with DC Comics. Comics could be part of that new deal, if nothing can be done right now.

SUH-weet

First Mini--7 parts--MOTU:blackest night--black rings bring back:ZodaK 's brother, king greyskull, veena, megator, the dinos, tytus, eldor & all the other he-man to face the current masters. who doesn't love a zombie comic?

2nd Mini--7 parts--MOTU:brightest day--white rings bring ZodaK 's brother, king greyskull, veena, megator, the dinos, tytus eldor & all the other he-man to life to live in current eternia

promo items--multi colored foam swords

don't forget about the one shots:
Red tornado vs horde robots
Plastic Man/Extendar team
JLA/Master vs Kobra/Snakemen
Merman vs solomn grundy
Dr Fate/orko team up
Cyborg/Roboto team up
Prince adam makes a move on princess diana aka wonder woman
batman(wayne)/Mr terrific/m-a-a team up

don't forget about the MOTU hero clix

dc version of MOTU figures

Amalgamated dc/motu mini comic

all new he-man varients based on dc events:
red he-man
blue he-man
bizarro he-man

countless direct to dvd movies

[SSj3 Derek]

One problem I see with this, completely free of the author issue, is that MOTU classics bios reveal almost every "Big" secret in them. Would Mattel be willing to keep important plot points off the bios in order to facilitate a cartoon with dramatic tension?

They wouldn't have to. Honestly, those of us already collecting these figures pretty much know what is going to happen in any event, but it would be a great vehicle for spreading the word about the figures to those people who aren't collecting them. Even without selling more figures, I can't imagine that the number of dvds sold would have to be that high in order to give the project a net present value, and if there is a live-action movie planned, putting an MOTU animated movie out beforehand, when all of the live-action movie publicity gets going would be a smart idea.

Any movie based off of a book has the same problem you outlined above, but we still watch them if they are good. All in all, I think this could be a huge win for everyone involved. Look at the DC Animated movies - sure, we all knew in Superman/Batman public enemies that Supes and Bats were going to win, heck most of the main points were given away in the comic story run of the same name, but that didn't stop people from enjoying the movie anyway.


EDIT: A PG or PG-13 movie could be spectacular. Imagine this - Kronis' unseccessful rebellion against Skeletor is crushed. He is laying on the ground in front of Skeletor, switch to a Kronis point of view shot. You see Skeletor point his Havoc Staff at the screen, he says something suitably vicious, or perhaps cold and arrogant, but nothing catoony, and fires a continuous blast at the screen. You hear Kronis scream, and wisps of smoke start to rise as his left arm blackens. Skeletor intensifies the blast, and the screen goes black. Later, Kronis awakens, his left arm mangled, bandages around his face. Skeletor coldly tells Tri-klops to "fix" Kronis, and then callously informs Kronis that the only reason he is being fixed is that Skeletor is impressed he survived the attack, and decided he could still be useful, but then coldly tells Kronis if he betrays Skeletor again, his death will be agonizing. I think it could be really good.

[Mern-Ra]

He's a very uneven writer, Blackest Night was pretty bad,

Um, WHAT? He's amazing and I think you're in the minority with that thought--please correct me if I'm wrong as I don't frequent comic sites, but regardless I thought it was the first event book that lived up to the hype in years.

[Uninvited Ghost]

Who thinks Busiek would be a good writer for MOTU?

[Ornclown]

Geoff Johns could potentially make MOTU as big a name as anything going right now. I really don't see him adding "sex," "drugs," and "rape" to anything MOTU just for the sake of it. (He knows the difference between Heavy Metal and DC Comics...) He understands his subject matter inside and out, and I would totally give him the benefit of the doubt.

I have loved, LOVED the Legion of Super-Heroes from the day I could read, and I can't tell you how absolutely awesome Johns work has been with the Legion after they were abandoned by DC yet again. He has a knack for tying-up the loose ends that other writers have left behind. If you are planning on going to the SDCC, make a mental note of just how many times you hear the name: Geoff Johns. (your head might fry...)

But really, I'm looking at this thread from the opposite angle. If Johns is buddy, buddy with TG, then WHEN THE HECK ARE WE GONNA SEE LOSH FIGURES ADDED TO THE DC UNIVERSE CLASSICS!!!!!!!!!!!!! Please, I can't wait any longer!!!!!

[maltesefalcon]

ive been a fan of geoff ever since i read his teen titans run and followed most of his green lantern stuff that said i would prefer motu to be written by grant morrison in the style of 90's jla. maybe have both of them working together geoff handling the stories and morrison handling the characters

[Toymaker]

Getting new comics is a must! Whilst I'd love to see Emilano and Val get the license again (with a bit more freedom) it looks like that's never gonna happen, so DC could be the next best thing!

[Larry Waters]

Yes, Mattycollector is TG's baby, but the Green Lantern movie products are the biggest potential money-makers TG is working on...

Wait... MOTUC is GL.





Isn't it?