Why is Mattel giving us black plastic and painting over it?

[Whiplash7]

No, people want stuff to have good paint APPLICATIONS. We do not want a figure who is supposed to be purple molded in black and then painted purple. Paint wears off. No toy collector wants that much paint coverage, especially on joint areas. Pieces should be molded in a correctly colored plastic. If an entire arm, for example, should be purple, it should be molded purple and not in black and then painted purple.

The complaint here is that characters like Vykron or spikor are being Molded in black Plastic and their flesh is being painted in their appropriate color. (Caucasian flesh for Vykron and Purple for Spikor.)

i could sort of tell from the promo photos that spikor was cast in black and painted so i passed.

Note the neck pegs, and the primary colours on the figures.



Randor and Marlena have painted skin tone on the minimal parts where they show it. The pegs are cast in the same colour as most of the figure.
Why would Spikor have a purple neck peg? It doesn't mean some of him isn't painted (ie: joints, or a part of him like Tri-Klops). But something is cast in purple, and I don't think it would be minimal.

[MasterCollector]

Randor and Marlena have painted skin tone on the minimal parts where they show it. The pegs are cast in the same colour as most of the figure.
Why would Spikor have a purple neck peg? It doesn't mean some of him isn't painted (ie: joints, or a part of him like Tri-Klops). But something is cast in purple, and I don't think it would be minimal.

Wow, you're realy going that extra mile with the neck pegs!

It is strange that Spikor has a purple one but was cast in black plastic.

[DO4M]

Note the neck pegs, and the primary colours on the figures.

http://i942.photobucket.com/albums/a...u/40465087.jpg

Randor and Marlena have painted skin tone on the minimal parts where they show it. The pegs are cast in the same colour as most of the figure.
Why would Spikor have a purple neck peg? It doesn't mean some of him isn't painted (ie: joints, or a part of him like Tri-Klops). But something is cast in purple, and I don't think it would be minimal.

the pegs on elbows and knees are purple (talking about Spikor) while the arms and legs are black with purple paint on him. scratches on multiple figures have shown that the biceps/forearms seem to be black as well as part of the legs, which are from the softer Plastic... It's not so bad on Spikor than it is on vykron

[Whiplash7]

the pegs on elbows and knees are purple (talking about Spikor) while the arms and legs are black with purple paint on him. scratches on multiple figures have shown that the biceps/forearms seem to be black as well as part of the legs, which are from the softer Plastic... It's not so bad on Spikor than it is on vykron

Thank you. My problem though is that nobody has really said anything about it other than the knee joints, and it's really hard to tell on some of the figure whether it's painted purple, or has a 'black wash' of some kind.
I think the hands are cast in purple. I suspect the forearms are painted purple, based on the colour inside the holes. It's hard for me to tell with the rest. It honestly looks fine. But it would be very weird for them to only cast a tiny bit of plastic in purple, when they say paint costs so much that accessories are being cut.

[He-bro]

It appears that two of the most recent figures releases- Spikor & Vykron aren't molded in their particular skin tones. Instead it appears Spikor & Vykron are molded in black plastic and then painted.

Is this going to be the norm for future figures' torsos/legs/arms being painted over black plastic rather than molded in the color they are supposed to be?

Things like this are a design choice and a case by case basis. There is no "rule".

http://forums.mattycollector.com/eve/forums?a=tpc&f=5681027317&m=2731099177

[orbles]

Interesting; I never thought of used plastic. Given the cries of anguish we hear from Mattel about costs, that sounds like a very possible explaination. I can't help but wonder what that would do to the ultimate longevity of the figure; does the second use weaken the plastic in the long run?

I have heard that the more times the plastic is melted, the softer it gets, but doesnt it seem odd that they would used recycled plastic and then have to pay to paint the whole damn piece to match the color of the figure?? God they never stop amazing me with the ****ing cheapest methods to make this "Adult Collector" line. These are collector pieces that have to hold up to "toy" standards and they dont even hold up to an adult posing them. They really need to pull their heads out of their butts and start treating us like adults and not stupid little kids that dont matter and dont care about the quality of what they are getting. I try to be supportive of Mattel, but they are making it harder and harder for me to do it, especially when I am paying 20% more and seem to be getting worse quality and less accessories for my money. It will be the death of this line.

[Hoffman]

So I didn't mind the painted Spikor at all, since it wasn't noticeable. But it is really bad on Vykron. Not that it's painted, but that the arms and legs are and the torso isn't. It makes them a totally different color. It's least noticeable as Tank Top (which is what I bought him for anyway), so I guess he's staying that way. I was really warming up to the barbarian look though, too bad.

I don't mind if they paint the odd limb on a "color" figure like Spikor, but it really doesn't work with flesh tone.

[Fug-Lee-Faces]

So I got my Sir Laser-Lot and he is black plastic painted blue. I know this even though I am a MOC collector because his right bicep as a blob of blue paint on it as well as a large scratch that shows black underneath.

GRRRRRR



- - - Updated - - -

So, is Sir Laser-lot painted over black plastic?

Yep. Just got mine and he is indeed black plastic painted blue.

Why, Matty? Why??!!!

[uaxuctum]

If this paint-over-black-recycled-plastic is confirmed to be the new standard of MotUC "quality" going forward, then I'm definitely done over with this line. I'm in no way going to accept paying big money to get figures that look and feel cheaper than a bootleg, and I hope other fans make this point absolutely clear to Mattel/TG.

If we get bonked by any more figures with a production quality like that of Vykron, which looks embarrassingly, infuriatingly dirt-cheap when placed side by side with the older figures, Matty can say goodbye to my money. I'm totally not going to be "taken for the ass" like this.

[Fug-Lee-Faces]

Amen brotha.

Based on the fact that subs were in the gutter for 2013, I'm pretty sure everybody is fed up. Those of us who stuck around for 2013 are basically giving Scott one last chance. I think the people who are in no matter what are the minority at this point.

[Hoffman]

I actually don't mind paint. Paint to me is never something that seems "cheap". It does create a bit of a stylistic difference though.

One thing that is ESSENTIAL though, is that it is consistent across a figure. No more Vykrons with painted arms and molded torso.

[Fug-Lee-Faces]

I actually don't mind paint. Paint to me is never something that seems "cheap". It does create a bit of a stylistic difference though.

One thing that is ESSENTIAL though, is that it is consistent across a figure. No more Vykrons with painted arms and molded torso.

I might agree with you, except that it is painfully obvious on these figs that they are painted, and in some cases not done good at all. My Spikor looks acceptable. However, my Sir Laser-Lot has a blue blob of paint. That looks lame. Not to mention, on SLL, the paint is painfully obvious. Looks sloppy too.I just don't get why they wouldn't mold in the primary color and paint-app the highlights?? Boggles the mind.

[Hoffman]

Maybe it's another Reuben special.

[Tiger-Boy]

I'm personally not fond of skin-color paints over black (or other color) plastic.

(Long Story Short: Wanted Jedi Luke Skywalker Jedi when I was a kid. Got 'im. Felt to the floor once. Scratched the point of the nose. Realized that head was the Hair color plastic, with painted skin color. Now I had a Luke with scratched nose. Not so heroic... )

In some occasions, I can understand this to be made, specially if the skin color of the figure is only a 10% or 15% of the figure.

In case of He-Man, he is 75% skin, or more, yet all heads are the color of the boots, but painted with similar skin color to match.

I'm sure Mattel would have it's reasons for doing this (cheaper...). Still, this is one of the reasons I made this guy over here. I used Vikors Head, a Skin-color plastic, with He-man's Body.

Now I am in peace...

[musclor]

I definitely prefer the paint over black plastic on spikor and sll - gives their skin a matte, more realistic look. I like it much more than the shiny cast plastic look.

[KUZEH]

Holy cow... this thread is funny... yet scary...
To me it's a non-issue... EVERY action figure line does this... and it's NOT cheap...
it's just an optimization of materials and resources.
Wow... cannot believe this... seriously...

[Fug-Lee-Faces]

Holy cow... this thread is funny... yet scary...
To me it's a non-issue... EVERY action figure line does this... and it's NOT cheap...
it's just an optimization of materials and resources.
Wow... cannot believe this... seriously...

Yes, toylines do this. However, not every HIGH QUALITY ADULT COLLECTOR line does this. These figures are expensive and billed as high-quality adult collector items. They are neither.

[KUZEH]

Yes, toylines do this. However, not every HIGH QUALITY ADULT COLLECTOR line does this.

Exactly... so it's a non issue...

These figures are expensive and billed as high-quality adult collector items. They are neither.

According to whom?
You want "high quality adult collector" figures?
Collect Hot Toys, $250.00 a pop... yet people still complain about them anyways...
Apparently everyone is a production/designer/manager/expert nowadays...

[shadowfall1976]

I definitely prefer the paint over black plastic on spikor and sll - gives their skin a matte, more realistic look. I like it much more than the shiny cast plastic look.

So now we have 3 majorly painted figures? Vykron would have been fine, but the other 2 are sub figures, not acceptable.

Holy cow... this thread is funny... yet scary...
To me it's a non-issue... EVERY action figure line does this... and it's NOT cheap...
it's just an optimization of materials and resources.
Wow... cannot believe this... seriously...

So what if other toy lines do it, those other lines are not the premium we are paying for these. And it is an issue, especially once the paint rubs off the joints and other areas. It's fine to say it's a norm for most other lines, but it has never been for MOTUC, ever. Many figures feature a new tooled part or piece molded in another color and painted...Tri-Klops' forearm, Fisto's bicep....most heads, but never the majority of the figure, and for the money these go for, it's not acceptable for this to continue.

I get Man-E-Faces because 3/4 of him was blue, with the chest molded in skin tone, but nothing but the loin cloth on Spikor was black, therefore, it was stupid.

I didn't buy a damn 2013 sub to have black plastic painted, I bought a sub based on what the line has been thus far, very few body parts painted....I am not happy about this. This better not be the norm for 2013 or I am seriously done.

So I also guess I have to look forward to Mek, CGM, Frosta, DB Skeletor & Rattlor in painted black plastic?

[Eternian Poet]

Exactly... so it's a non issue...

The paint scratching off isn't really an non-issue.

Though perhaps it is Mattel's generous way of teaching us how to paint?

[Whiplash7]

Just b/c there is a black mark, doesn't mean it's black underneath. Also, if something is molded in black, it doesn't mean the whole figure is. I can assure you SLL is cast in blue and red parts - sometimes red painted over with blue (see: left forearm). That doesn't mean there isn't the odd part cast in another colour, but people are making it out like these figures are cast completely in black, and then painted.

But, as Kuzeh pointed out this is nothing new anyway.

[shadowfall1976]

Just b/c there is a black mark, doesn't mean it's black underneath. Also, if something is molded in black, it doesn't mean the whole figure is. I can assure you SLL is cast in blue and red parts - sometimes red painted over with blue (see: left forearm). At least, mostly. It doesn't mean there isn't the odd part cast in another colour, but people are making it out like these figures are cast completely in black, and then painted.

But, as Kuzeh pointed out this is nothing new anyway.

It is for MOTUC.

And I can see that Spikor has many painted parts vs what other Classics have, especially the parts that rub against each other. And Spikor also has only one thing black, his loin cloth, so I'm expected to believe half of the figure was molded in black because of his loin cloth?

Fisto....right bicep, paint doesn't match the other skin
Tri-Klops....left forearm, paint doesn't match the other skin
Mer-Man....forearms yellow, painted green above gloves
Man-E-Faces (keeping in mind 3/4 of him is blue, and the painted skin tone is very little)....thighs, biceps, forearms
Spikor....(from what I can tell) upper calves, forearms, biceps, abs.....

Hold the figure in a black light, and you can tell what is painted and what is not....the painted sections will glow a different color than the molded parts. I will be getting one tomorrow to use and see exactly what is painted and what is not.

[Whiplash7]

Parts being painted isn't new for MOTUC.

[shadowfall1976]

Parts being painted isn't new for MOTUC.

Parts yes, heads, small parts like forearms and such, but almost or more than half a figure is. I don't have one figure in my collection that has more than 1 or 2 parts painted, aside from Man-E-Faces, and he is predominately (3/4) blue, and his torso is still molded skin color.

[Fug-Lee-Faces]

Exactly... so it's a non issue...



According to whom?
You want "high quality adult collector" figures?
Collect Hot Toys, $250.00 a pop... yet people still complain about them anyways...
Apparently everyone is a production/designer/manager/expert nowadays...

Ummm....according to MOTUC's BRAND MANAGER they are a high-quality adult collector item.