Roast Gooble Dinner - Episode 020 Discussion!

[JVS3]

again, great podcast

i was drawing this while listening

Battle-Pigeon

Awesome!

[tmc1984]

awesome pod-cast guys - as always!

i'm no artist ... in fact, i'm a long way from it! but - i totally agree with eamon about the quality/standard of the recent 2-pack art-work ... the mer-man and the stratos (i'm not much of a DC guy ...) just really don't hit the mark at all (i'm not trying to offend, just my opinion) ... and i long for the days of the vintage art-work, which was a lot more wholesome and emotive ... as well as giving off the 'moody'/'gothic' vibes, which i love about the vintage art-work ...

i thought the whole point of motuc was to re-create, evoke and re-kindle the original/vintage motu lines - if the figures are going to do this (which they completely and utterly do!), then the art-work should too ... i just looked at the castle greyskull box-art, and it's as if they have gone a step back with this latest art, instead of going forward ...

whilst i won't be buying the 2-packs, i do agree with the general consensus regarding these particular art-works ...

[Scotward]

About 2/3 of the way through now. Carrying in the groceries this evening, my wife asks me why in the world I'm singing "berserker" quietly to myself. So, thanks?

Also, awesome art all around in this thread. Eamon, as cool your He-Man is, what I really like is Point Dread in the background. That's a playset that I think doesn't get nearly enough love.

[josh]

Fan Art of the Week: Him-Guy by jerryfleming
Fan Site of the Week: Fearless Photog Lives!
Collectible of the Week: Games > Puzzles > Cube Puzzle

Discussion: Optikk MOTUC bio.

Items of Note:

• Leanne Hannah, A.K.A. StratosMacca, drew Casper and the Spectrals #3
• Masters Cast episode 38 (The passing of George DiCenzo, & more)
• The unofficial cartoon guide to He-Man and the Masters of the Universe by James Eatock, A.K.A. Busta Toons
• No spare body parts nor offspring? Even if you just have an extra dollar, you can help the site!
• Toys 'R' Us 2-pack cardback art
• Superman Batman #75 cover colored by Val
• Blonde Bikini Teela! (Aw yeah!!!)
• Half Gar Queen Marlena?

[Jon-O]

Yeah Bikini Teela!!! There's a place for her on my shelf... even if Adora pushes red headed Teela off to make it.

[Moominsthenmotu]

Haha! Man! THE RAW, that 'Battle Pigeon' is awesome!

On the subject of art - I'm going to be really controversial and say that I think the new ToysRUs exclusives 2-packs art is fine.

Let me explain. As in the 'Grindhouse' movie where Robert Rodriguez and Quentin Tarantino deliberately "DIRTIED UP" the film, cast b-movie actors and put in deliberately ropey dialogue, they did it as a stylistic nod. This was a nod to seventies an eighties trash cinema, but done artfully.

The art on the new 2-packs, I believe, has been commissioned to depict comic scenes that never were. Only Superman clashed with the Eternians and, to justify the new 2-packs, Mattel's packaging artist did a deliberate homage to the kind of sell-through, pulpy-standard, near-newsprint basics of mid-eighties DC and Marvel, working Mer-Man and STartos in there to brilliant and evocative effect.

To sum up - the cardback art is basic, bold and - like the Grindhouse example in recent films - "deliberately bad", which I "get" and kind of like.

The art of Emiliano and Eamon is excellent, technically brilliant - but very stylistic.

Whether it be the dynamic lines and contours of Emiliano's art or the Frazetta-quality pomp, gloss and car-body chic of Eamon's work, I don't believe these styles would have fitted what Mattel had in mind here.

Mattel have gone for a kitschy pastiche of the good-but-rushed-to-market tie-in art of 1980s comics like Marvel's 'Secret Wars' and 'Transformers' and the utlitarian art of the original DC Superman vs. MOTU comic. Maybe Eamon, Emiliano and Val could have come up with a better solution to that mid-eighties comic-art-style brief - but I like what Mattel kind of humorously did here and think it was kind of nifty.

[Eterniandreams]

Items of Note:

• The unofficial cartoon guide to He-Man and the Masters of the Universe by James Eatock, A.K.A. Busta Toons

Thanks Josh!

Bought!

[Emiliano]

Whether it be the dynamic lines and contours of Emiliano's art or the Frazetta-quality pomp, gloss and car-body chic of Eamon's work, I don't believe these styles would have fitted what Mattel had in mind here.

I honestly don't think Mattel put so much thinking into this.
Plus, that isn't a good reason to have wrong characters portrait and color schemes.

[Eamon]

I think you are gonna have to break out the art Emiliano!!

again, great podcast

i was drawing this while listening

Battle-Pigeon
http://i975.photobucket.com/albums/a...-raw/taube.jpg

This of course amazing!! Ya gotta send me a high res of this!
Of course the big question is, what message is he carrying? Eternian Playboy perhaps?!

And what ya need behind him is a bunch of enamored and satisfied looking female pigeons.

**Please remove image tags when replying with a quote. Thanks!**

[Mr.Treeface]

On the subject of art - I'm going to be really controversial and say that I think the new ToysRUs exclusives 2-packs art is fine.

Let me explain. As in the 'Grindhouse' movie where Robert Rodriguez and Quentin Tarantino deliberately "DIRTIED UP" the film, cast b-movie actors and put in deliberately ropey dialogue, they did it as a stylistic nod. This was a nod to seventies an eighties trash cinema, but done artfully.

The art on the new 2-packs, I believe, has been commissioned to depict comic scenes that never were. Only Superman clashed with the Eternians and, to justify the new 2-packs, Mattel's packaging artist did a deliberate homage to the kind of sell-through, pulpy-standard, near-newsprint basics of mid-eighties DC and Marvel, working Mer-Man and STartos in there to brilliant and evocative effect.

To sum up - the cardback art is basic, bold and - like the Grindhouse example in recent films - "deliberately bad", which I "get" and kind of like.

I like that theory.


On the topic of Optikk's bio, here's a question of mine from a previous WTFWTK.

Optikk's bio leads me to believe that neither He-Man or Skeletor travels to the future. Is this indeed the case? Has that story line been scrapped?

Not as much scrapped as much as it has been streamlined. We looked at the notes for the proposed 3rd and 4th season of the 2002 series and tried to incorporate those ideas into the bios. One of our big goals for the MOTUC line was to create as many diverse characters and as many “battle situations” as possible to fuel fan’s imaginations as they create their own adventures. In the case of Optikk and the NA characters, they were incorporated into the Classic bios as they would have been incorporated into the 4th season of the 2002 show.

[tmc1984]

The art on the new 2-packs, I believe, has been commissioned to depict comic scenes that never were. Only Superman clashed with the Eternians and, to justify the new 2-packs, Mattel's packaging artist did a deliberate homage to the kind of sell-through, pulpy-standard, near-newsprint basics of mid-eighties DC and Marvel, working Mer-Man and STartos in there to brilliant and evocative effect

despite my previous post, i actually think this is a really good explanation to the standard/quality of the 2-pack box-art ...

whilst i'm still not a fan of it, it does kinda make sense through your interpretation ...

[Minion]

Got this bad boy on my iPod ready for a plane ride!

[tmc1984]

Got this bad boy on my iPod ready for a plane ride!

good journey!

[tenno]

I feel like this needs to be said: Swiftwind should not be in the first MOTU movie, talking or otherewise. Audiences can't handle more than nine characters. I'm not starting a nine characters thread, but it is pretty standard cinema fair.
Meanwhile, I have to say that although an official timeline is desperately needed, Optikk's bio pushed me over the edge to get him. It's just cool.
I've always imagined that Castle Grayskull was built the same way Eternia was built. Hands may have added to it over time, but it's always been there. And I love the idea that there is a universal level importance to its existance.

[Moominsthenmotu]

I feel like this needs to be said: Swiftwind should not be in the first MOTU movie, talking or otherewise. Audiences can't handle more than nine characters. I'm not starting a nine characters thread, but it is pretty standard cinema fair.
Meanwhile, I have to say that although an official timeline is desperately needed, Optikk's bio pushed me over the edge to get him. It's just cool.
I've always imagined that Castle Grayskull was built the same way Eternia was built. Hands may have added to it over time, but it's always been there. And I love the idea that there is a universal level importance to its existance.

I feel that too, but would love it if, in any future bio, it was still the case that Tytus built the skull insignia into the front and drawbridge (jawbridge) of Grayskull, but that he used the skull of the dead Megator!

[kolobosrexx]

...I'm afraid that's rather unlikely, as according to Tytus's bio, Megator KILLED HIM, well after he built the castle and helped build the Eternian Towers...

[bcrduke]

There's no excuse for this other than shortsightness or vanity.

It's vanity. We all know that's the reason...

I feel that too, but would love it if, in any future bio, it was still the case that Tytus built the skull insignia into the front and drawbridge (jawbridge) of Grayskull, but that he used the skull of the dead Megator!

Do we know for sure that the symbol of the cosmic warriors that was placed on the front of Grayskull is the skull or the thing at the top that looks like Zodac's white emblem?

On the vintage Grayskull, there is that "w" thing... no one has ever confirmed which symbol it is...

We don't know that He-Ro's cape symbol is the emblem of the Cosmic Warriors... We don't know that the Zodac(k) white "w" isn't the Cosmic Warrior emblem

[13977]

Great episode guys. I must say I don't mind the standard MOTUC packaging but agree with you on the new DCU two-packs art.

I like Opick's bio but am also interested in seeing where it is placed chronologically. I thinking it may go something like this, Skeletor has defeated Hordak on Eternia, then we have the events of NA, then he comes back to Eternia with the mutants added to his ranks to take on the intergalactic Horde empire (aka Horde Prime).

Nice Battle Pigeon picture The Raw. I love the roll of paper in his leg, 'Heroic Flying Messenger'.

[Eamon]

BATTLE PIGEON:
Heroic fighting courier
Real Name: Colum-Badd
From the Red Stone rooftops of a distant land, Colum-Badd often visits Eternia to help improve communications between it's many native cultures and races.
Each scroll the mighty avian warrior carries contains the synopsis of each He-man.org Podcast, an anchient periodical recording of four wise Terrans that provide comfort to the many races of Eternia and indeed the Universe.
Battle Pigeon journeys through dangerous galaxies and skies to deliver vital Podcasts to the good people of Eternia!

[RageTreb]

I came here looking for a link to Emiliano's 2-pack artwork. D:

[josh]

I added a few new links to the appendix & notations.

[JVS3]

Thanks josh!!!

[tmc1984]

bring on dinner time!

[Minion]

good journey!

Thank you.

Just finished listening to the last part of this one - and I see another is out which i'll download for a lazy moment by the pool!

Cracking episode guys. Had me laughing my butt off at times.
Props to Eamon for another awesome rant or two (love those) - and to Emiliano for coming clean with his Teela love
Pixel Dan's quiet bewilderment at the art discussion was just hilarious.
Thanks to Val for tying it altogether as the MC though. I also found Val's observations on liscensing and fan projects very interesting too.

[soundwavempl]

I am a bit behind on listening and just finished this episode.

What I found most interesting was the comment about He-man.org having more website traffic than all GI Joe websites. I always assumed the biggest fan bases were:

1. Star Wars
2. Transformers
3. GI Joe
4. MOTU

There is probably a lot of Star Trek fans as well, but since there is no current show airing or movie coming out soon, I don't see much web traffic happening on the Star Trek front.

I really don't see He-man.org getting more traffic than Star Wars websites, especially with the new Clone Wars in full swing. I am not surprised that Transformers websites get more traffic (I'm betting either allspark.com or TFW2005.com are right behind Seibertron.com). However, I can't believe He-man.org gets more traffic than some of the top GI Joe websites (yojoe.com or HISSTank.com). Of course, with MOTUC going strong and the GI Joe front being in calmer waters since the 25th anniversary stuff is over and Rise of Cobra was not that popular (although Pursuit of Cobra is a great GI Joe line), it leads a bit more credibility of He-man.org getting more traffic than Joe website currently.

I would really love to see the web traffic stats that Val saw when he made the web traffic comment - if the information is available to the public, of course.

If He-man.org is getting more traffic than any GI Joe sites, I think this is a good indicator there should be an official annual MOTU convention - especially since GI Joe has one.