Answers to WTFWTK 2.40!

[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 40 questions!

This round of questions were selected by zodak74,
and proofed against old Q&As by Uncle Montork.
Thanks to them for their help!

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1. zodak74: Fans are upset that She-Ra can not be shown maskless, due to the hole in her forehead needed in order to keep her classic toy mask on. When it comes time for Catra, will Mattel consider giving Catra two heads? One with the mask, and one with no mask? The "jealous beauty" won't be much of a beauty with a similar hole in her forehead!

We could have easily given She-Ra two non-removable masks. The peg in her head was Mattel going the extra mile by giving fans a third way to display her mask on, by rotating the mask. She was never designed (at least not in this version) to be displayed without a mask.

How Catra will be done remains to be seen. Nothing is locked down yet and these choices are usually made by the Horsemen and design, not marketing.

2. FAKER II: Loose ankles on MOTUC figures are starting to become more common than rare. Is this an issue which Mattel will be addressing in the near future?

Yes, this is something we are very committed to working on and, ideally, fixing permanently.

3. Eterniandreams: On the map of Eternia there is only 1 drawing that isn't named, the mountain surrounded by water north of the Temple of Hordak. It is weird that this is the only landmark on the map without a name. What is this mountain? Was the name forgotten by accident?

That info is yet to be revealed. There is significance, but it is under wraps for now.

4. Scorpia: When Mattel get to Entrapta, have any considerations been made into how best to tackle the character's long hair? (given that this is a vital part of her and that rooted hair has been ruled-out for any characters)

We have not yet begun to tackle Entrapa. She would be a challenge…but a fun one! Maybe one day we will get to her, but no plans for now to confirm.

5. bamf1980: If and when you get to She-Ra variants, would you please consider using the vintage bodice/skirt instead of the Style Guide/Filmation inspired outfit used for the current figure?
Having seen how awesome the vintage mask looks on her, I'd like to see the rest of the outfit show up at some point. If not on a "regular" She-Ra, then definitely on a Starburst She-Ra.

This is a great suggestion on a She-Ra variant and we do plan to revisit the Princess of Power again one day. However, there’s nothing specific to announce at this time.

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And, have fun discussing Mattel's answers to your Round 40 questions!

[PrinceAdam101]

Interesting.... ENTRAPTA is NOT coming to a toyshelf near you. At least, not for a very long while.

She-Ra variants are planned, down the line. Gooood.

Catra's not ready to be discussed yet. Hmmmm.

The ankle issues are a real pain in the a-nkle. I bought a TRU He-Man, and his right foot was lopsided in it's joint. So, I bought another one. Oh, well. At least I'm supporting the line at retail! What have YOU done for Mattel lately?

[Staff Of Ka]

sad about the Entrapta answer, but Freakin Thrilled about the She-Ra outfit answer!

I personally loathe the outfit shes wearing now, the vintage toy design on the bodice was beautiful, and the longer skirt was perfect!

I just hope that when they do release that version, they use the vintage colors.

[bcrduke]

As far as I'm concerned, whenever they hint that something is not coming for a LONG time... or "maybe one day," it means that it "IS" coming and probably not too far down the track.

That answer made it sound as though there is a possibility that Entrapta won't be made, yet TG has emphatically, time and again, said that ALL the characters will be made.

I'm really getting tired of these nebulous worry-causing answers.

It not only gives us cause to worry (needlessly), but it gives the vocal opponents of the 200X, NA, and POP lines fodder to argue that this line is all about vintage MOTU.

If Mattel can't/won't comment on something, that's fine, but it shouldn't tease us with comments like the answer with Entrapta.

And as far as discussing Catra, they said how she will be done "remains to be seen." Sure, by us. Not Mattel

I'm curious how they plan to permanently fix the loose joints issue. All I know is that I will NOT be buying corrected versions of figures I already have...

[Bulkhide]

Some of these answers are nice. I also agree with a lot of what BCRDUKE said.

[Swanmarsh]

No matter how vague Matty tries to be, I still choose to believe we will see Catra at SDCC. To give a little benefit of doubt to Matty, with a 6 month production lead time, maybe, just maybe, they are yet to decide between 2 swapable heads or movable cat mask.

[PrinceAdam101]

As far as I'm concerned, whenever they hint that something is not coming for a LONG time... or "maybe one day," it means that it "IS" coming and probably not too far down the track.

That answer made it sound as though there is a possibility that Entrapta won't be made, yet TG has emphatically, time and again, said that ALL the characters will be made.

I'm really getting tired of these nebulous worry-causing answers.

It not only gives us cause to worry (needlessly), but it gives the vocal opponents of the 200X, NA, and POP lines fodder to argue that this line is all about vintage MOTU.

If Mattel can't/won't comment on something, that's fine, but it shouldn't tease us with comments like the answer with Entrapta.

I agree, but in all fairness that character will be a tricky concept to pull off. I can't imagine that they have her planned for next year, but then I can't imagine most of those POP girls being on the slate next year. How many trademarks for POP have been registered?

[Tallstar]

Thank gawd they're open to revisiting She-Ra in her original toy outfit! For awhile there I was worried all the variants would retain the Filmation dress with a new accessory or two.

As for the issue of the hole on certain female characters, I guess I'm just going to take it to the 4H's boards and voice my disapproval there, though shouldn't Mattel have the ability to reject those design choices too?

The issues with the females in particular is giving me a headache...lol

[Eterniandreams]

I knew there was more to the unnamed landmark!

[MegaGearMax]

I knew there was more to the unnamed landmark!

Could it be in MYP? Like some overlooked location from the cartoon?

[Lookie]

No matter how vague Matty tries to be, I still choose to believe we will see Catra at SDCC. To give a little benefit of doubt to Matty, with a 6 month production lead time, maybe, just maybe, they are yet to decide between 2 swapable heads or movable cat mask.

Could it be in MYP? Like some overlooked location from the cartoon?

Perhaps something to do with the 3 towers?

[Scorpia]

I was expecting a generic answer for Entrapta but pleased Toyguru gave an answer and some exposure for the character. Thanks to zodak74 for selecting my question!

I think Entrapta could actually be done with plastic hair- in the cartoon, her hair separates into the braids around her mid-lower back and I think it'd be fab to have the hair articulated where it's braided...

...however, it would of course add weight to the character...if it was to be ground-length it could help her stand...but if the hair was articulated she may fall easier...it's a tricky one...

[King Kahn]

Perhaps something to do with the 3 towers?

this was my thought as well.

[bcrduke]

I agree, but in all fairness that character will be a tricky concept to pull off. I can't imagine that they have her planned for next year, but then I can't imagine most of those POP girls being on the slate next year. How many trademarks for POP have been registered?

I think the only TM's are Adora, She-Ra, Sweet Bee, Swiftwind, & Catra.
So, if things follow as they have been, I'm guessing next year we would see Sweet Bee, Catra, & Swiftwind.

I don't necessarily expect Entrapta next year rither, but it was the weird tone of the answer that irked me. I mean, just say, "she's planned for much later," because TG keeps saying that the line is planned out to 2016. Don't say that maybe she's coming (insinuating that she might not at all).

Thank gawd they're open to revisiting She-Ra in her original toy outfit! For awhile there I was worried all the variants would retain the Filmation dress with a new accessory or two.

YES!!!

Could it be in MYP? Like some overlooked location from the cartoon?

I kept wondering that too. I've been re-watching the series, and there are only a few things I think it could be:

MYP:
-the Well of Darkness
-the location of the underground Temple of Serpos

FILMATION/otherwise:
-Darksmoke (though, I always thought Darksmoke was surrounded by ice)
-Stone Mountain (Malek's home)
-Point Dread?

... then I wondered if it's a place that hasn't really been defined yet:

-where Sharella's tribe is from
-where the original Towers of Eternia stood (the "moat" around the main spire of mountain reminds me of the moat around Central Tower)

I think Entrapta could actually be done with plastic hair- in the cartoon, her hair separates into the braids around her mid-lower back and I think it'd be fab to have the hair articulated where it's braided...

I definitely think she'll have articulated, plastic hair. I think they could do it in a light enough plastic that might allow it to be poseable "in the air." She's going to be "tricky" in any case.

[Bulkhide]

Could it be in MYP? Like some overlooked location from the cartoon?

I think it might be the mountain where Grayskull "found his power" and learned his fate from the Oracle. As it would have required Grayskull to go through the Jungle and the Sands of Fire, like the show.

[bamf1980]

Very happy with the answer to my question!

As far as Entrapta goes, why can't they just do bendy hair? Soft plastic with a wire running through it? Sorta like how they do Plastic Man and Mr. Fantastic figures?

[Bulkhide]

Very happy with the answer to my question!

As far as Entrapta goes, why can't they just do bendy hair? Soft plastic with a wire running through it? Sorta like how they do Plastic Man and Mr. Fantastic figures?

They could, but over time, they will dry our, degrade, and crack...but we might get enough years outta the figures to not care.

[bamf1980]

They could, but over time, they will dry our, degrade, and crack...but we might get enough years outta the figures to not care.

Ok. um. how about Twizzlers or Red Vines?

[Bulkhide]

Ok. um. how about Twizzlers or Red Vines?

But then we'd just eat all her hair!

[Reboot]

That answer made it sound as though there is a possibility that Entrapta won't be made, yet TG has emphatically, time and again, said that ALL the characters will be made.

No, he's said that they INTEND TO make all the previous toy characters (plus some others they have the rights to, like Carnivus, Marzo & Faceless One). And that, as of a couple of months back, only 2010 was locked and 2011 "officially" being worked on.

Note the difference - firstly, if Entrapta isn't on the 2010 or 2011 lists, then as far as the Higher-Ups are concerned she's not officially being planned. Secondly, even being on Toyguru's longer-term (up to 2016) plan is no guarantee of being made - if Entrapta is tentatively planned for Feb 2015, but the line is canned at the end of 2014, she won't get made, and the notoriously picky Mattel legal dept (who, we've been told, vet these answers) will be acutely aware of that sort of possibility.

As for the issue of the hole on certain female characters, I guess I'm just going to take it to the 4H's boards and voice my disapproval there, though shouldn't Mattel have the ability to reject those design choices too?

Of course they do. However, we've been told that the 4H have primary direction - Mattel will reject something if they feel it's not in the "classics style" or otherwise goes outside the terms of reference they gave the 4H (budget, number of parts, no mechanical action features, only designs they have the rights for, etc); but not if it stays within those terms.

[PrinceAdam101]

I think the only TM's are Adora, She-Ra, Sweet Bee, Swiftwind, & Catra.
So, if things follow as they have been, I'm guessing next year we would see Sweet Bee, Catra, & Swiftwind.

I just poked around the trademark site; there's also an active one for Glimmer. I couldn't find "Bow"; the list was too long, so I gave up.

Has anyone ever done a comparison between when trademarks are filed and when the figures get revealed? Is it possible to announce something before a trademark for it appears on the site?

[Staff Of Ka]

Thank gawd they're open to revisiting She-Ra in her original toy outfit! For awhile there I was worried all the variants would retain the Filmation dress with a new accessory or two.

My thoughts exactly, After seeing She-ra and reading the old Glimmer thread I was starting to think that as far as the POP girls were concerned, TG and co were going to go back on the 'Vintage toys as main basis for re-interpretation' and just give us a lot of adora outfits in pastels!

I was really losing faith in ever getting the POP Figures I truly want!

[bcrduke]

I think it might be the mountain where Grayskull "found his power" and learned his fate from the Oracle. As it would have required Grayskull to go through the Jungle and the Sands of Fire, like the show.

good point - in fact, I think you're right. It looked like that didn't it?

Note the difference - firstly, if Entrapta isn't on the 2010 or 2011 lists, then as far as the Higher-Ups are concerned she's not officially being planned. Secondly, even being on Toyguru's longer-term (up to 2016) plan is no guarantee of being made - if Entrapta is tentatively planned for Feb 2015, but the line is canned at the end of 2014, she won't get made, and the notoriously picky Mattel legal dept (who, we've been told, vet these answers) will be acutely aware of that sort of possibility.

I agree, and had this in mind, but what you spell put here goes for every figure, and that's not what I'm irked by.

I think the tone and wording of the answer regarding Entrapta was a bit more extreme doom & gloom than the normal answer we get about "if" a character is made.

It's odd too because it's not like we're talking about Nocturna or someone who isn't entirely popular. Entrapta is not a a-lister but she's not unpopular. It just surprised me that the answer seemed to favor the idea that she probably won't be made.

I have a feeling that unless the 2011 sub does better than the 2010 sub, the line might not have the life it could and should. I agree that Mattel higher-ups play a big role in meddling.

At this point, figures selling out does not equal success. The budget may have been cut slightly (cheaper plastic, cheaper paint, and worse qc lead me to believe they might be using a cheaper vendor than they were last year?)

I know that is a negative thought, but that entrapta answer was weird.

Then again, whoever answered it might just have a different way of saying wher TG normally says.

[Bulkhide]

good point - in fact, I think you're right. It looked like that didn't it?

Yessir. I'm thinking it wasn't known/remembered during the time of Randor.

[Tallstar]

I think it might be the mountain where Grayskull "found his power" and learned his fate from the Oracle. As it would have required Grayskull to go through the Jungle and the Sands of Fire, like the show.

I'm sitting here with the map opened and Power of Grayskull paused on Mt. Imperium on YouTube.

Not sure if the unmarked location is Mt. Imperium, because the Oracle tells King Grayskull that he has to travel from the Corridors of Lithos to the Valley of Dragons, then to the Labyrinth of Thorn and finally he must cross the entire Sands of Time to get to Mt. Imperium...but The Sands of Time is on the other side of the map. His path of travel wouldn't match up to that location unless he went the other way around.

My thoughts exactly, After seeing She-ra and reading the old Glimmer thread I was starting to think that as far as the POP girls were concerned, TG and co were going to go back on the 'Vintage toys as main basis for re-interpretation' and just give us a lot of adora outfits in pastels!

I was really losing faith in ever getting the POP Figures I truly want!

We should still keep periodically reminding them so they don't forget.