Fan relations - what is it fans want us to do that we are not?

[Toyguru]

Perhaps an official Mattel poll would garner more accurate results, hmm?

I'm not saying she should be made right away, as there are far more important female characters that need to be done first. I just wanted to point out that there are fans out there beyond He-Man.Org that want her, however few in number they may be.

Besides, just because you don't think she's popular or well known doesn't mean she'd sell poorly. Just look at how well Gygor sold, a character few people knew about or cared for 2 years ago.

And maybe one day it will happen. But right now we have more fan demanded figures in the wings. She just is not a priority. Hey who knows, maybe she will become the "Ice Cream Maker Guy" of MOTUC. You never know!

Ywhy not do a He-Man.org Exclusive figure? And run a poll.
\

Because we want to drive all MOTUC purchases to Mattycollector.com to build the brand. It is counter intuitive to sell our exclusive brands on other sites, especially a fan site or another online retailer. It would dilute both the MOTUC and Mattycollector.com brands.

[bamf1980]

I have no doubt Emiliano knows a lot about the brand. And if our staff is ever stumped I have his direct email. In a way, I guess you can say Val and Emilano are our online experts and "consultants" but with so many MOTU experts on staff these days we just don't need them that much these days. Our staff knows there stuff.

You know what would be great?

If you could stop this peeing contest you seem to have going on with Val and Emiliano, and get back on point.

Now, I'm not the biggest fan of siting here reading while the three of you go back and forth, but I think it's sad that you basically came here and said "you want my job, but it's mine. neener-neener-neener."

You asked what the fans would like, and not once in this thread have you offered anything resembling agreement with anything that's been presented to you.

We don't want to here what you can't do for us. We want to know what you CAN do.

[bigsexy_j]

increase fan relations by letting us know what we are buying. We're adults, we know some things change, if 1 or 2 figures moves then we can deal with it.

but it or we cancel doesn't create the aura of respect.

[RocketPunch]

And maybe one day it will happen. But right now we have more fan demanded figures in the wings. She just is not a priority. Hey who knows, maybe she will become the "Ice Cream Maker Guy" of MOTUC. You never know!

I'd be cool with that. Even if she's ends up being the very last figure in the line, she has to get made.

I just don't want her to end up in limbo like some of the Star Wars characters have (such as the Tonnika Sisters).

[PanMan]

Hi Scott,

First and foremost, thank you for taking your time today to not only put up this thread and take a lot of time today to check back and reply. It works towards showing us fans that we really are important to Mattel and Masters of the Universe. Of course, the key to this is actually following through on some of the feasible suggestions.

In my opinion, the number one thing you can do to better the fan relations is have Mattel be more frank and honest with the fans. Sure, there are things that Mattel cannot speak about due to legal reasons, and that's within reason. I don't expect Mattel to break any legal walls to become closer to the fans, but what can be discussed, please be more frank and honest with us.

As an example, for the longest time, Mattel swore behind the virtues of the white queue screen on mattycollector.com. I would assume that Mattel knew that it didn't work as well as we knew it didn't work, yet they insisted on telling us not to refresh and how it puts us in queue. Well, I personally have found that to be false, as many other of your customers have also.

On a side note before I get to my VERY important final point:



That's simply untrue. Jeremy Padawer came in regularly to participate in the original WTFWTK, and let us in on tons of information that would now be considered confidential. He even told us that we were getting a Wind Raider in the 200x line. Unfortunately, the line was canceled before it's release, and we the fans didn't riot.

Also, Val said on the podcast how Jennifer Hannon sent early product samples. But it seems like that was all. But Mattel Germany DID send samples to German fan sites. Only Mattel USA did not for whatever reason. But I seem to reacall the Four Horsemen saying how it was also hard for them to get samples too. It seems like Mattel USA was simply cheap with the samples when instead they should have been pushing the product samples out there.

Ok, onto my third point...

Thirdly, but equally as important, I feel that a lot of time, us fans are looked down upon in the tone of some of the communication coming from Matty. It seems like we, as the paying customers, are treated as second class in the responses. It seems like the replies imply that we're ignorant, and can't grasp the truth. The perfect case in point is right here:



With all of the existing Masters of the Universe mythos and cannon throughout time, how is another "conflicting story" a bad thing? With all of the stories told through Filmation, MVP, MVC Comics, mini-comics, Ladybird stories, Golden Books, MOTUC bios, and tons more, one more story is supposed to confuse us because it conflicts the others? I can't name any two of the cannons I mentioned that didn't contradict another. Every one of us fans are able to keep each and every one of those separate in our minds, and yet we don't get confused.

It makes no sense, yet we're supposed to accept that as an answer.

I have to be completely honest here and point out that it seems to me as if the MVC comic bible will overshadow Mattel's "official" bios because fans will like it better.

Fan demand to read this is here. Us fans WANT to read it, and believe me when I tell you that we won't get confused. We know it's an old story.

I expected you to say that the reason Mattel didn't want the comic bible posted is because Val and Emiliano intended to post it online. My understanding is that Mattel got mad about this. But ToyFare interviewed them about the comic. Fans knew about the bible and had wanted to read it for years. So the timing was right to post it.

Other bibles have been posted over the years. We aren't confused about the stories. No one got hurt. And it all created more interest and excitement in the brand. The same is easily said about this bible that's almost a decade old!

Emiliano and Val have only had good intentions for MOTU. Why not bury the hatchet on this? Give them permission to post it and give so many of us what we want to see.

Mattel isn't mad at creators for doing interviews on the DVDs, podcasts or on websites about their past involvement and ideas on Mattel and Filmaton, or for showing old source material. It only helps the brand and helps Mattel.

So why are Val and Emiliano singled out? It's why Eamon on the show said that this rift between the Org and Mattel comes across as very petty. It sounds more like someone there is jealous of Val and Emiliano when instead they should be your right-hand men! Yes, you said that if they want a job, they can apply at Mattel. The fact of the matter is that I believe that they don't. They have mentioned in the past that they would gladly give some of their services to Mattel in order to see the best product being released for the fans. That's the kind of involvement they should have, not as an employee.

That being said, if you want Val, Emiliano and anyone else at He-Man.org to follow certain rules or guidelines that you have at Mattel then you need to hire them. Those rules are for employees and contracted labor. If you all worked together then there would be no reason to get upset about them posting a comic bible or pitching themselves as movie consultants and Mattel, He-Man.org and MOTUC would all benefit from the team effort.

While we're referring to that quote, the phrase "best to let it go" really comes off wrong. Once again, it seems as if we're beneath you. That's a phrase that's used by a parent to tell a child to drop a subject before the parent looses his or her cool. It's not how a company embraces their fans on a public forum.

As mentioned before, it seems as if subjects including Val and company just strike a nerve with you. Same with the Illumina comment. There's equal demand for that character as there is for Bikini Teela, if not more because Illumina is a new character instead of a variant. Still, you're blowing off the fan request for Illumina, where you embraced it for a variant such as Bikini Teela. That really seems like there's something more to this.

Scott, please know that we do appreciate what you do for the community, but there is so much that can be done, and so much more that can be done better. Understand that I'm not bashing you or your efforts for the Masters of the Universe community, but answering your question on what can be done better.

Excellent post!

I didn't want to say it before, but I agree that the main reason why the MVC bible hasn't been revealed is because they believe it will overshadow the bios because the fans will like it more. I hope it gets unveiled soon because I really want to read it.

Edit - I know it feels like we're harassing you right now Toyguru, but that's not my intent at least. I do appreciate all of your efforts, including this thread.

[radrcks]

Yes, but this is counter to our goal of driving people to Mattycollector.com. We have no desire to sell Mattycollector.com exclusive brands on other sites. It defeats the purpose of driving fans and consumers to our site.

Please don't misunderstand I do get where your coming from in the respect of wanting to have all of the business done on the Matty site. But not to beat a dead/dying horse here Illumina would have been the perfect example (I'm not singling her out specifically, it's just the 'only' obscure character I can think of.

I get that she's not as popular as other obscure characters, and she is highly sought after here on the org. Why not produce her as an exclusive (as in non subscription) and work with Val and the rest to create I don't know like a 10% off shipping coupon or something. Not only would that help sell the figure but it would also give the members of the Org who don't frequent Matty's site (other than the actual sale dates) more of an incentive to come over there.

I'm not saying you would have to have an .Org exclusive to be sold here but something that would give the members here more of a reason to frequent Matty's site.

The recent news item on Mattycollector.com states that the Mo-Larr two pack that is going back on sale is from stock that was earmarked specifically for Cartoon Network - so why not have something 'earmarked' for the fans that are here.

This is the main 'fan' site and it is run by people who were a part of the team back in the 200X era, and interaction was a lot better back in those days. It's great that the brand is doing so well and that there's a full staff and all that but it was kept alive here in the meantime - and that's not something that should be forgotten or swept under the rug. There aren't any MotU conventions, there's no new media there's new fans sure, but there are people who have been around since day one and people at the Org who have stuck with everything good and bad. So something even as simple as an exclusive discount would be better received than the discount that came with the Battlecat error.

I like the involvement because I've been a part of things that had even less involvement than this so I'm not asking for less. But like others have said above me it's going to garner a lot better 'PR' (for lack of a better term) for example you putting up a poll like 'what was your favorite figure in 2010' instead of only interacting when there's a mistake.

You've said before that people come down on you and point out the mistakes that slipped through the cracks (and some will, with anything) and out of anger a few times I might have been one of them (hey I'm only human) but at the same time the posts (that aren't part of an 'oh this was wrong.. we'll fix it when we can' type of statement) where you 'fanboy' out over how excited you were when you saw the prototype for ________ are few and far between.

It's late, and I'm tired, I don't even know if I'm making any sense anymore.

[dorrmann]

Excellent post!

Thank you. I'm just sad that it didn't get the reply that it deserves.

[Donimo]

Yes, but this is counter to our goal of driving people to Mattycollector.com. We have no desire to sell Mattycollector.com exclusive brands on other sites. It defeats the purpose of driving fans and consumers to our site.

But, who are majority of the people that are driven to Mattycollector.com...? Yep, MOTU fans. What is the biggest and best MOTU resource on the web? Yep, He-Man.org. Goodwill toward this fan site will spread. When you show that you actively appreciate He-Man.org, it will do nothing but give you guys good PR.

But, alas, this thread has become so frustrating - most valid and forward-thinking suggestions or concerns posted here have been immediately batted away without further consideration.

I think the execution or statements related to the goal of driving people to the Matty website is so rigid that no one there is thinking outside of the box. It's a shame that you guys won't loosen up a bit to fully utilize the amazing resource you have here at the Org. I know these ideas are perhaps not the normal practice for Mattel at the moment, but MattyCollector.com is a new venture and you should try something different to become a progressive leader in the collector market. Dip your toes into the water when it comes to MattyCollector.com - not all of Mattel has to follow suit with such "crazy" ideas as embracing and working directly with a fan site. Matty is a niche in the collector market.

The main company that I work for came up with an idea to create a small sub-division and asked me to manage it to see if I could get it to grow. I started doing think tanks and my team came up with all kinds of progressive marketing ideas outside of the company norm. Some of them didn't work, but a lot of them did. The ones that worked managed to increase my small division's revenue exponentially. The growth percentage dwarfed the rest of the main company in comparison. When we decided to reach out to people that the main company wrote off as marketing prospects, it turned out to be a huge win for us. My point is, if you would give some of these ideas a shot, you will find that the collector fan base will increase and the traffic to MattyCollector.com will follow.

If nothing else, you will at least ignite even more excitement and enthusiasm here amongst MOTU fans, which is definitely a good thing. The membership here keeps growing.

[Toyguru]

Okay all! Thanks so much for the great feedback. I did see a few very actionable items like more official polls, link banners, bigger images and items like that. I'll get the team looking into this ASAP.

Please do feel free to post any other ideas like this or suggestions of what we can do based around the brand guidelines I mentioned. We do want to be close to the fan sites and He-Man.org is clearly a great place for MOTU fans to gather online. Mattycollector.com will continue to be the primary place I post so please don't look into that is me shunning this or any other site. We just want to drive fans to our site. I hope people can understand the strategy.

Thanks for the great feedback and conversation, always a blast.

Good night and good journey!

Scott

[Count Marzo]

You mean like figures for Gygor, Vikor, and Preternia He-man....? Yeah, those guys had TONS more exposure to the public and a larger fan base than Illumina.

Illumina could easily be a He-Man.org exclusive figure and would make tons of people on here very happy.

I dunno man...Illumina just does nothing for me much like most 200x era introduced characters.

Gygor - Prototype for original line
Vikor - Early sketch for original line
Preternia He-Man - Mini comic for original line

See the pattern there? Or maybe I'm just a vintage purist.

[PanMan]

Thank you. I'm just sad that it didn't get the reply that it deserves.

That's because you have a lot of valid points that can't be responded to without saying you're right. I hate being negative towards TG like that but that's the reality.

At the very least I hope TG brings some of these issues up with the Matty team to see what they can implement, and I'm not just talking about bigger images.

[Donimo]

I dunno man...Illumina just does nothing for me much like most 200x era introduced characters.

Gygor - Prototype for original line
Vikor - Early sketch for original line
Preternia He-Man - Mini comic for original line

See the pattern there? Or maybe I'm just a vintage purist.

I gotcha - I see where you're coming from and I understand it. Yet, I noticed that your avatar is footage from the 200X cartoon.

All kidding aside, I think there is definitely a market for any and all obscure characters in MOTU from all eras. Speaking of which, I hope they get this whole Goddess situation cleared up. Ugh. No one wants to buy those leftover broken figures. I'm too scared to move the one I have standing in my cabinet. I haven't even moved her once for fear that she might fall to pieces. It is abominable that they have not recalled those figures and admitted that they were defective. That's another way that Mattel could improve fan relations. It's so blatant. Yeah, they may take a bit of a loss on those recalls, but the good will towards fans for admitting the problem and then taking action to correct it would benefit them in the long run. Oh well. *sigh*

[Ornclown]

Wow! There are a lot of opinions, ideas, and suggestions going around this thread.

Some are quite legitimate and helpful to the topic while others are just expressing disdain for one thing or another....

#1. NO OTHER toy company even comes close to the level of fan/customer relations than Mattel does. For this, I thank you wholeheartedly.

#2. I totally understand your position Scott. You are trying to bring more attention to the MOTUC brand by bringing more traffic to Mattel's website, after all, you are a Mattel employee.

BUT, the fact cannot be denied that He-Man.org brings an insane amount of interest to the MOTUC property. When people "Google" the MOTU brand, whether it be the comics, DVD's, classic television show, action figures, movies, etc., etc.. - the first place they come is here to the .org!

I guess the point I am trying to make is this: a good relationship with the thoughts and ideas of He-Man.org is a good relationship with your customers, new and old. Listen to the Mods and take their suggestions seriously. In the end, we are ALL fans, right?

I think that this topic shows that you are highly interested and concerned with the fans of your product. Thank you Scott for willing to step into the line of fire, as sure as it will come, to hear what we have to say. It is much appreciated.

[Angel-T]

Well I guess Illumina will be good company for Mo-lar then scott. This will probably be shot down like every other suggestion by why not take Illumina's design and name but instead of having her be the light power weilding worrior make her Keldors mother! Many fans want to know more about Miro's first wife. Many fans on mattycollector want her loads of fans here want her. If you use this bio's to give her a killer backstory she will sell out like val said. She is no more obscure than gygor. It comes across like you are needessly putting the knife in to val and emiliano by not listening to fans on this issue. Fans wanted illumina just of the look of her art in the comic book back in the 2K days.

You say you are a fan but you have been comming across IMO as if you are trying to punish val and emiliano by refusing to let us see the MVC bible and consider Illumina for a figure. 2K fans spent serious time money and effort supporting matte back then. For goodnes sake man let the fans have the real ending to 2k MOTU that they want, let us see the bible and were the comic would have gone.....its that simple. People are discerning enough to know it has nothing to do with MOTUC's cannon. With it being on the org it's only going to be seen and appreciated by the chior anway. We have lived with conflicting cannons for almost 30 years. Just get permission for the bible to be shown and put Illumina on your list for 2017.

I have other suggestions I want to share with you but it's really late in the UK right now so I am off for some sleep but to be continued.... But thanks for being open to listening to our suggestions. :-)

[Toyguru]

Well I guess Illumina will be good company for Mo-lar then scott. This will probably be shot down like every other suggestion by why not take Illumina's design and name but instead of having her be the light power weilding worrior make her Keldors mother! Many fans want to know more about Miro's first wife. Many fans on mattycollector want her loads of fans here want her. If you use this bio's to give her a killer backstory she will sell out like val said. She is no more obscure than gygor. It comes across like you are needessly putting the knife in to val and emiliano by not listening to fans on this issue. Fans wanted illumina just of the look of her art in the comic book back in the 2K days.

You say you are a fan but you have been comming across IMO as if you are trying to punish val and emiliano by refusing to let us see the MVC bible and consider Illumina for a figure. 2K fans spent serious time money and effort supporting matte back then. For goodnes sake man let the fans have the real ending to 2k MOTU that they want, let us see the bible and were the comic would have gone.....its that simple. People are discerning enough to know it has nothing to do with MOTUC's cannon. With it being on the org it's only going to be seen and appreciated by the chior anway. We have lived with conflicting cannons for almost 30 years. Just get permission for the bible to be shown and put Illumina on your list for 2017.

I have other suggestions I want to share with you but it's really late in the UK right now so I am off for some sleep but to be continued.... But thanks for being open to listening to our suggestions. :-)

Okay last one because I want to clear the air and make sure people know no one is being punished and there is no gripe here.

We might do Illuminia one day. But it really just isn't going to be anytime soon for the reasons I stated above. There are just too many other females we want to get first. She just really isn't a priority and at the end of the day she is from a promo piece of modern art. It just isn't something we are ready to hit anytime soon. But she is available for the record.

As for the bible, that is a totally different story. It comes down to legal issues I can not discuss publicly and the best way to explain it is as I said earlier, we just don't want multiple stories out there right now. I'm not intending to be secretive, I just can't go into anymore and I'd like to see if we can move away from this one.

But hey, to leave on a good note, we did just have our meeting with management to go over the 2012 line. We also discussed the 200X head design and weapon design direction. While we are still not going to explore 200X redesigned character heads in the online line, I did get some sway on the weapons and we are going to now find a way to do the "Keldor Swords" in Classic style. (despite what people say I am in there fighting the good fight!).

This isn't indicitive of "rules changing", I just made the case that enough fans want these and it doesn't indicate a changed character design. So hey, chalk one up for a fan demand victory!

I was going to save this announcement for NYTF, but hey, you guy wanted a He-Man.org news break, there you go!

Alright, this time I am out. Have a good week everyone!

TG

[Mike Bock]

This has been a great thread! I and I am sure that a lot of us appreciate the time you took Scott to clear a lot of our questions.
Thank you so much for that!

[Mr. Shokoti]

I didn't listen to any of the Roast Gooble Dinners that acted as a catalyst for this thread, so I'm not sure exactly what was said about Scott & Mattel. To be honest, whether it's made public or not, I'm not too interested in the problems that have happened between MVC & Mattel. As long as it doesn't affect the MOTUC toyline or my ability to post on this site, it's just a case of he said/he said that is none of my business.

I will say that I respect Scott a lot just for the fact that he continues to come to this site to interact with us while refusing to get into verbal battles with those forum members aggressively looking for a fight. Sure, He-Man.org may be one of, if not the, most important MOTU fandom sites, but Scott already has his own site to converse with the fans on. In terms of fan relations, I feel Scott is doing a great job. Granted, this is the only forum I regularly particpate in, but, based on what I hear from other fans, Mattel makes attempts to reach out to the fans a lot better than Hasbro or any other toy companies do.

[Alexx]

I did get some sway on the weapons and we are going to now find a way to do the "Keldor Swords" in Classic style. (despite what people say I am in there fighting the good fight!)

THANK you! It's one of the few things I've ever spoken strongly about. All I ever expect from the line is to continue doing the stuff you've done well. I loved the Zodak staff, and I think Keldor's swords could be similarly dumbed down without turning them into the classic power sword. Looking forward to what comes from this.

[Raining Light]

And that will go a long way Scott!
Little things like that is very pleasing.
Thank you.

Now how are we getting the swords?-lol.

[bcrduke]

I think the catch is that the positions you and Emiliano are interested in have been filled.

The position of Brand Manager for the line is held by myself and the position of toy designer is filled by the Four Horsemen. I can understand you thinking the Horsemen "would have a hard time not wanting Emiliano's help" but in the end the Horsemen really enjoy designing MOTU characters themselves. It is what we pay them for. The job of MOTU designer is already taken and we are not looking for a second designer right now. The Horsemen have it covered and are doing a great job.

My first gig with Mattel was working as a writer in the Hot Wheels department on basic cars and track sets. I applied to Mattel, got a job and through my passion and work was able to work my way over to the MOTUC brand manager position.

I have offered both you and Emiliano multiple times the offer to pass along your resume. There is not currently an opening on the MOTUC or Mattycollector brand, but if you really want to work on the line, the best bet is to first apply to Mattel and let it work itself from there. Mattel is a great company to work for and has a way of moving people into positions they are passionate about, but I can tell you there is no current open rec on the MOTUC brand. But that doesn't mean you can't still apply to Mattel just as I did and work your way to where you want to be. Anything is possible if you can dream it! That's what a company like Mattel is all about.

I understand your desire to be a freelance consultant, but that position is not available. We already have quite a few brand experts on staff. If we are ever stumped or need a deeper insight you are on speed dial. But there is no lack of MOTU fans already on staff these days. As much as you and Emiliano are big fans, so are several Mattel employees. This isn't 2002 anymore when we didn't have as many experts on staff (and had to reach out to the fan community a bit more). Today things are much different and we have MOTU experts on staff already, so there isn't a consultant position available or even needed.

It doesn't mean we might not post or call if something comes up, but we've got the MOTU expert field covered in full already.



Yes, but this is counter to our goal of driving people to Mattycollector.com. We have no desire to sell Mattycollector.com exclusive brands on other sites. It defeats the purpose of driving fans and consumers to our site.

The fact that you are here arguing with your customer base betrays the fact that there is a major problem here. You asked for suggestions. We are customers, not fans. You're the face of Mattel when it comes to customers who buy MOTUC, Ghostbusters, DC products, etc. It's your job to make the customer happy, and make sure the brand sells. Fortunately the brand sells itself. The Org provided a way for you to launch the line.

The line was launched when Mattycollector's forum did NOT exist. You saved a lot of money on free publicity, free research, etc. via the Org. Without the Org, launching MOTUC would have been virtually impossible.... remember, the original plan was to have the line on "toy shelves." When stores ran screaming because of the bad case ratio memories of 200X, you quickly, and cleverly, spun the line into an online adult-collector exclusive. That would have been impossible without He-Man.Org. Frankly, I'm glad you DID make it an online brand.

I'll give just a few examples of things Mattel has done/you've done as brand manager that perhaps could have been done differently.

-When people questioned why Webstor's backpack pulley didn't work, you accused the "fans" of starting a rumor... when, in fact, you had forgotten that the backpack DID work on the vintage figure. WHY wouldn't you just say, "We apologize, we goofed." OR "We did the best we could with the budget we had." Those are simple answers that garner respect. Eating crow works wonders for customer relations.

-When customers began posting that The Goddess figures were breaking, you compared the breakage to the type of problem DCUC's early waves had... that the joining process was flawed. By doing that, you made it obvious that you had no idea what the real problem was with The Goddess figures. The joining process WAS flawed on those early DCUC figures, making the joints so tight that the limbs would twist off as the pelvis or torso prevented the pegs from freely moving in the joints. The Goddess figures are made of poor quality plastic. The plastic shatters if you move the legs too far, or if you turn the head. Regardless, even if you said about the joining process had been true, then that begs the question: "Why was this still a problem if it had been one with early waves of DCUC?" Again, honesty would have been the best policy.

-When fans asked for the Illumina figure, you could have said, "Sure, she's definitely possible! We probably won't see her for a while, but she's available on our long list of characters." Instead, you made comments that downplayed the importance of the 200X Comic, and its creators' input into the property's mythos. I don't think that that improved fan relations.

You have made figures like He-Ro (a character very few people, if any, outside of the Org, knew about from a canceled toy-line that never got off the ground), Carnivous (a little known character that very few people outside of those at the Org knew of, from a canceled cartoon), Vikor (a concept character that NO ONE outside of the Org knew of... wanna bet on that one?), Wun-Dar (you get my point)... because they were favorites of yours. See, you can't help but reveal those kind of tidbits because you want to express your excitement... and that's fine... but is it appropriate?

(on a side note, I LOVE all of those figures, so thanks!)

I think you can be a fan publicly AND you can be a brand manager and try to appear impartial, but you can't let your personal feelings muddy the waters of fan relations. The toy industry is competive... but I don't think allowing past contributors to contribute is going to threaten your place as brand manager.

Your comments about Val, Emiliano, MVCreations, etc. have been disrespectful. I'm sorry to be so frank. MVCreations held a license from Mattel for the MOTU brand. They are not like ME, for example, someone who has good ideas for the brand on occasion, and is a mega fan. If I were clamoring for some sort of validation or for the opportunity to contribute, your responses about resumes would be totally appropriate (though, you're welcome for the Starburst She-Ra research, if, in fact, you used it ).

Val & Emiliano actually contributed commercially viable material to the MOTU brand. You wouldn't tell Lou Scheimer to submit a resume if Mattel actually bought the rights to the Filmation characters and he expressed an interest in helping develop the Filmation characters.

I don't think this was intentional, but your assertion that they should submit resumes is deameaning. They were contributing to the MOTU mythos as licensed (by Mattel) artists when you, as you've said, were "waiting in line at Comic Con to buy Keldor and She-Ra." Some respect is all anyone is asking.

I don't think Hasbro required a resume from Emiliano. I'm pretty sure they pursued HIM. That's how the business works. IF you have a great reputation for being an incredible artist, you're pursued.

You've alienated your customer base in some ways, and by asking us for ways to improve the situation, and then arguing with us when we tell you what is wrong, you're further alienating us. That makes no sense and it is bad business.

The Org is a huge source of free research for you and your team, yet the members and the site, in general, are treated with disrespect. You allow all kinds of negative talk about the Org and its members on the forums at Mattycollector.com. The Org does not allow that kind of talk, and censors it.

An Illumina figure as an Org exclusive would be the PERFECT way for you to win HUGE props with the customer base. It would be in your best interest, sir. It might make you as favored as Val and Emiliano.

[urbanmyth]

Toy Guru,

Let me start off by saying that I am rather new to He-Man.org and only came back to Masters of the Universe/She-Ra with the start of Classics after loving it as a child of the 80s where I had the majority of the figures from both MOTU and POP lines.

Since I've been back, I've discovered so many things that I never knew. I first learned about He-Ro through Val and Emiliano's interview with ToyFare (this seems to have caused issues with Mattel but actually strengthened my resolve to give Mattel money so go figure on that). I've gone through and used the .Org and other internet help to find all I could about the original plans for the Powers of Grayskull line. I also never knew about the Eternia playset as a child and once I did, I went out and spent several hundred dollars to obtain one recently (even though I don't collect any other vintage He-Man items) just so I could learn about all of the great details on product from He-Man's past.

I am loving just about everything about the figures and accessories from the Classics line. I gladly spend lots lots of money with Mattel and am hungry for a new figure each month. I'm also hungry for a new variant, a new beast, a new vehicle, a new playset, a new poster, a new comic, a new cartoon, a new movie. . .well that last one there scares me more than excites me really. Obviously Mattel can not provide all of these each month and can not provide many of them in any month. So in exchange for this uncontrolled appetite, I (and many other fans/customers) are trying to find other outlets for this hunger. The .Org picks up a lot of that slack by providing several forums, picks of MOTU/POP/NA toys from the past, comics and more.

What we want out of Mattel is first and foremost to keep producing the excellent Masters of the Universe Classics figures and to make a VERY strong effort to release all vintage figures (MOTU/POP/NA) before letting this line fade in the years to come.

Secondly, I think we all want you and Mattel to make a stronger effort to give us MORE than just the figures. If we can't get new media like mini-comics, full-size comics, cartoons, etc. that cost Mattel a lot of cash up front and have logistical nightmares attached to them, we then want access to bits of the Mattel archive that cost Mattel little to nothing. I'd like to see things like the prints from the art book posted on Mattel's website (since the option to give you money for it was never available to me). I'd like small scans of the old promotional posters on Mattel's website. I'd like to see an archive of old MOTU/POP/NA figures posted on Mattel's website (something that you could probably get fans to help/complete for you without needing to pay them). I'd like to be able to read all of the old mini comics again, either by Mattel posting them over time on it's site or by selling me a collected addition of them.

We'd REALLY like to see never before seen stuff from the past like the already mentioned MVC encyclopedia and more information on the second and third Powers of Grayskull mini comic (it was very disappointing to first hear you mention that Preternia He-Man's bio would flush out the old outlines to those comics you found and then to get very little out of the actual bio).

The world has grown to a point where we all crave more opportunity to learn more, see more and create more for the things we are passionate about. If you are truly serious about wanting to try to harness these fan desires beyond just selling us the one or two toys a month, I think you/Mattel have to find ways to give us these opportunities. Some of those ways that wouldn't cost Mattel a ton of money I've listed above. If at this time you really are JUST interested in selling us the one or two Classics toys a month, I think that you starting this thread was pretty pointless and has just brought more ill will your way for it.

Thanks for trying though. Thanks for wading through all of us that want specific things like 200x, Filmation, Illumina, etc and trying to work toward the greater strength of the He-Man & She-Ra brand as a whole.

[Heidi]

Thank you Scott for starting this thread. It's great to have you interacting with us fans here at He-man.org!

I agree with a lot that has been said. I too wish that the MVC series bible could be released in the near future. I have been a huge fan of MCV's work (and of Emiliano's homecoming) and I envision the series bible to be something I'd really love to read one day. I'm sure we fans can look at it as a novelty from the past and not let it contradict the current continuum.

Like Penny Dreadful said, I'm hoping that there'll be a change of attitude with some people working for Mattel from "No, we can't" to "Yes, we can!" But I understand this is something that is not ultimately up to you, just voicing my opinion. If you can - as a fellow fan - tell whoevever it is at Mattel who is against publishing past novelties to loosen up, that'd be much appreciated!

Other thing I would like to see are fan-polls. I understand that there isn't that much in MOTUC that fans can vote about, but I'm positive there are some things that fans could have a chance to participate on voting (like the extra heads vs. mini comics vote or other votes that have been done at SDCC).

The news about the Keldor - swords is fantastic. It's good to know that we have a dedicated team working on MOTUC who listen to the fan input and react to it when possible.

[Jean]

Though Mattel has been very good in listening to fans, like the whole Moss Man fix, to the SDCC votes that dictated what Panthor and Swift Wind we are to get, I think Mattel should run an on-line Fan's Choice Character vote every year.

At least let us pick 1 character every year, even if it can only be selected from concept characters or less popular characters since we know you are spacing out the big names until 2017. Maybe even let us vote on what we think would be a great subscription exclusive or diorama piece.

That's really the only thing I think Mattel could let us do in regards to MOTUC.

And despite the furor being thrown your way regarding Illumina being at the bottom of the totem pole stay positive TG. This is just people showing their passion for the franchise, this is no different than the countless Ram-Man fans wanting him now, or the people that want the Filmation rights to be purchased so that a Shadow Weaver figure is finally made.

You can't please everybody and despite being a big supporter of Hiss' Slave Girl, I know not to hold my breath and raise a big stink or uproar because this potential Snake Men member won't be made. Yet I still hold out hope for her without unleashing vitriol at people who would disagree with her inclusion, whatever happens, happens.

If this line has taught us anything it's that we are a very passionate fanbase. Along the way, there will be plenty of discord be it regarding minor things such as a bio that doesn't please everybody to more serious matters such as quality control problems like the Green Goddess or Roboto being rather delicate.

But despite our vast vocal complaints, keep the MOTUC ship on its current course. It's going in a very positive direction right now, one that will leave the majority happy once its journey comes to an end and we have displays filled with figures, beasts, vehicles, diorama pieces and hopefully a big ol' green playset.

[phantom1592]

To be honest... I think the Fan-relations are better than can be expected. When I bought most of my toys... there WAS no message boards.. or knowing what we out 6 months before they hit the shelves.

You got your new toy... you looked on the back to see what ELSE was available.

The fact that you actually communicate with the fans at ALL is above and beyond what is needed for this line. The toys are awesome looking, and they have the subscription going... so Honestly that's all the communication that "I" Expect from a toy company...

However you asked for advice, and I'll give it...

Personally, I'd like to see you post here a little more often. NOT so much as a representive of Mattel... but as a FAN... There USED to be a lot more posts from you about how excited you were about xxxxx figure, or how xxxx was a great memory you had and what not.

Now, we get the WTFWTK... and the Toyguru comment thread... but other than that, it seems you've gone to lurking... Only stepping out when other posters say something that is 100% wrong and you want to correct it, OR to apoligize for something that didn't work out right...

I miss the... FEELING, that the head guy looking over everything is just as much a Fan as we here... I'd like to see you back in the community.



As for drawing people to the Matty site... To be fair... I don't see it really happening... I check it out occassionally to get some DCUC info in the Ask Matty thread... but people by nature are like to dwell where they're comfortable. People have been here for YEARS... and all the important information posted over there... Gets REPOSTED here in minutes.


As for Illumina... I personally don't care about her. You've already said the line is planned out till 2017 and she's not a part of it. She a possible character but not an important one.

As Val and the others... I'm sure there are MANY important Legal reasons why Mattel does not want to go outside their circle for information or Artwork... Even for Free... There are STILL Legal hurdles that just aren't worth jumping.

Honestly, I don't expect ANY exclusives or specials or anything like that... Even the biggest site in the world... I don't see where we 'deserve' stuff...

Except good toys!!

For all the praise I'll heap on about your connection with the fans... and I've never personally had a problem with the WSOD... I DO think toy standards have dropped drastically over the years.

And its not just MATTEL... It's ALL of them... When I think how rough I was with toys when I was a kid... NOTHING I buy now days could take that abuse... I bought a GI JOE Duke, and the hand immediately popped off O.O

I'd LOVE to get my 5 year old nephew into He-man... but when toys fall off a desk and break... It'd NEVER work!! He'd Break them in days!! and for 25-35 dollars... I SHOULD be able to play with them...

I'd just love to see toys made with the same quality they did 25 years ago. Things should be getting BETTER over the years, not WORSE

Back in the 80's and 90's NOTHING I bought ever came broken in the package... and they were a LOT cheaper then...

[Staff Of Ka]

To be honest... I think the Fan-relations are better than can be expected. When I bought most of my toys... there WAS no message boards.. or knowing what we out 6 months before they hit the shelves.

You got your new toy... you looked on the back to see what ELSE was available.

The fact that you actually communicate with the fans at ALL is above and beyond what is needed for this line. The toys are awesome looking, and they have the subscription going... so Honestly that's all the communication that "I" Expect from a toy company...

However you asked for advice, and I'll give it...

Personally, I'd like to see you post here a little more often. NOT so much as a representive of Mattel... but as a FAN... There USED to be a lot more posts from you about how excited you were about xxxxx figure, or how xxxx was a great memory you had and what not.

Now, we get the WTFWTK... and the Toyguru comment thread... but other than that, it seems you've gone to lurking... Only stepping out when other posters say something that is 100% wrong and you want to correct it, OR to apoligize for something that didn't work out right...

I miss the... FEELING, that the head guy looking over everything is just as much a Fan as we here... I'd like to see you back in the community.



As for drawing people to the Matty site... To be fair... I don't see it really happening... I check it out occassionally to get some DCUC info in the Ask Matty thread... but people by nature are like to dwell where they're comfortable. People have been here for YEARS... and all the important information posted over there... Gets REPOSTED here in minutes.


As for Illumina... I personally don't care about her. You've already said the line is planned out till 2017 and she's not a part of it. She a possible character but not an important one.

As Val and the others... I'm sure there are MANY important Legal reasons why Mattel does not want to go outside their circle for information or Artwork... Even for Free... There are STILL Legal hurdles that just aren't worth jumping.

Honestly, I don't expect ANY exclusives or specials or anything like that... Even the biggest site in the world... I don't see where we 'deserve' stuff...

Except good toys!!

For all the praise I'll heap on about your connection with the fans... and I've never personally had a problem with the WSOD... I DO think toy standards have dropped drastically over the years.

And its not just MATTEL... It's ALL of them... When I think how rough I was with toys when I was a kid... NOTHING I buy now days could take that abuse... I bought a GI JOE Duke, and the hand immediately popped off O.O

I'd LOVE to get my 5 year old nephew into He-man... but when toys fall off a desk and break... It'd NEVER work!! He'd Break them in days!! and for 25-35 dollars... I SHOULD be able to play with them...

I'd just love to see toys made with the same quality they did 25 years ago. Things should be getting BETTER over the years, not WORSE

Back in the 80's and 90's NOTHING I bought ever came broken in the package... and they were a LOT cheaper then...

Post of the week! Awesome and totally agree!