Answers to WTFWTK 2.85!

[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 85 questions!

This round of questions were selected by bcrduke.
Thanks to those fans for their help!

-------------------

1. Arvulis: In 2014, might we still expect to see some MYP/200X characters (like Prahvus or Calix), essential concepts (like Eldor or Horde Mummy) and Filmation (like Batros or Scorpia) or will the shift be completely vintage motu/vintage pop/vintage na?

Right now it is too early to tell since we don't know how many skus we will have in 2014. But we will do our best to make every sku count!

2. The Fallen: Is the missing ball from King He-Man's crown an intential design choice or a broken prototype?

It was broken on the prototype. The final fig will have balls on all the crown points!

3. Jun-Yor: You pledged to get thru the remaining Vintage line, PoP mainstays and NA mainstays in 2014. How might you plan on achieving this in a 12-month period, given 3 dozen characters spring to mind? Would 2-packs be an option, even as early as 2013?

We will still do our best to get to as many vintage figures as possible and will make every slot count, but in order to have enough skus to really get to ALL the vintage figs we needed much closer to a 100% renewal rate. At the current 2013 sub rate (which was just a smidge over the bare min) it is unlikely we will be able to do as big a line as we did in 2011 and 2012. It is still too early to know how many slots we will get in 2014 (which again will be based on sell in of the 2013sub) but we will make every slot we get count!

4. Loo-Kee: Kowl was a huge player in the Great Rebellion, almost in every episode, and one of my favorites as a kid. Would he (or Loo-Kee) come with a figure as was the case with Orko & Adam? Would he be articulated like Orko? I don't want these guys to be static.

There are a lot of options to get Kowl out but we just don't have concrete plans yet. He is on our hot list to get into the line as soon as possible!

5. Coptur: We know you don't like to discuss plans involving other companies but would Mattel ever consider having any Master of the Universe characters appear within Wizkids/Neca's Heroclix game?

Sorry, this isn't something we can comment on.

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And, have fun discussing Mattel's answers to your Round 85 questions!

[lorde trooper]

Wouldnt had mind King He-man without that extra knob missing.

As far as the whole 2014 sub goes and how many skus, i find it hard to believe that they totally forgot something as important as letting fans know that if we hit the sub great we will have 2013 subs but if we dont hit the extra 100% or whatever the target is skus will/may be reduced.

TG said in his video feeds that we will have pretty much a complete collection, wont be any closer to being complete if skus are reduced. If 2014 is more vintage heavy to finalise a collection so to speak then subs may rise. Just dont know how the subs had like a 39% increase in the last 24hrs and TG was laughing how motu fans smashed it out of the park.

Im a supporter of TG and motu fans hit the bare minimum when Mattel was counting on us, just disappointing now that subs have closed on 2013 and new info comes to light. I can see why fans get annoyed alot of the time.

[Grayskull's Heir]

Good answer there on the Kowl question!

[Irian]

4. Loo-Kee: Kowl was a huge player in the Great Rebellion, almost in every episode, and one of my favorites as a kid. Would he (or Loo-Kee) come with a figure as was the case with Orko & Adam? Would he be articulated like Orko? I don't want these guys to be static.

There are a lot of options to get Kowl out but we just don't have concrete plans yet. He is on our hot list to get into the line as soon as possible!

I don't want to offend anyone and I don't want to say Mattel shouldn't make those characters (I hate it when people say that about my favorites)...

But personally, I had hoped the more "cartoonish" PoP characters like Kowl, Lookee, Madame Razz and the Twiggets wouldn't be at the top of the list. But this is just me, who sees them as too cartooney for this line.

[snakeeyes0217]

4. Loo-Kee: Kowl was a huge player in the Great Rebellion, almost in every episode, and one of my favorites as a kid. Would he (or Loo-Kee) come with a figure as was the case with Orko & Adam? Would he be articulated like Orko? I don't want these guys to be static.

There are a lot of options to get Kowl out but we just don't have concrete plans yet. He is on our hot list to get into the line as soon as possible!

I don't want to offend anyone and I don't want to say Mattel shouldn't make those characters (I hate it when people say that about my favorites)...

But personally, I had hoped the more "cartoonish" PoP characters like Kowl, Lookee, Madame Razz and the Twiggets wouldn't be at the top of the list. But this is just me, who sees them as too cartooney for this line.

I too feel these characters do not fit Classics. They are also fully tooled figures and I hate to spend "resources" on them that might go to accessories and heads for vintage characters, tna characters, or pop humanoid characters. Further, if they do "Classicise" them, I feel that their fans will be disappointed. There's no way to please everyone on these.

[Tundra_Torque]

It's good to hear that Kowl has a good probability of making it in. Here's hoping that Scorpia also makes it into 2014.

[WDWFreak53]

I, personally, can't wait for the "little guys" because I like a diverse line as far as size goes.
As it stands right now, the majority of the figures are all the same size...and then you have the beasts and the giants. Orko is the only little guy we have right now (counting Cringer as a beast).

Ram Man will be a nice addition for a guy on the "bulkier" side...and the guys like Kowl, Lookie, etc. will nicely fill out the smaller characters.

[synthalus]

It's awesome to hear Kowl is on Mattel's hot list to get into the line asap!!!
He is one of the characters on the top of my want list because he's an essential and fun character

As for the other 2014 answers, it sounds all doom and gloom. Almost like maybe there isn't going to be a 2014 line but they are keeping it quiet. They did the exact same thing with Ghostbusters. Giving people some hope for the longest time, then after SDCC changing their tune and cancelling the line! I really hope this isn't the case for MOTUC. Mattel should be a lot more positive towards 2014 and make up their mind quickly to announce a minimum of 12 monthlies and whatever else there might be. If this doom and gloom talk continues, I feel more and more people will get fed up with it and not resign up for 2014 club Eternia subs... It's obvious the scare tactics is one of the things that chased the sub buyers away!!!

Positive reinforcement is the way to go now. It started with talk about giving us all the vintage MOTU/PoP/NA in 2014. Stick with giving us at least as many vintage MOTU/PoP/NA as possible and if 2015 sells the same or better than 2013/2014, we get more vintage MOTU/PoP/NA and that this way we can complete all of them.

Be positive Scott! The fans and customers need it now more than ever to keep MOTUC alive! It's never to early to start!

[Prahvus]

1. Arvulis: In 2014, might we still expect to see some MYP/200X characters (like Prahvus or Calix), essential concepts (like Eldor or Horde Mummy) and Filmation (like Batros or Scorpia) or will the shift be completely vintage motu/vintage pop/vintage na?

Right now it is too early to tell since we don't know how many skus we will have in 2014. But we will do our best to make every sku count!

Toyguru & co. keep pretending they don't know a thing about 2014. I don't believe a single word of it ! They do know things, but they just don't want to reveal a thing. Probably so fans won't be to disappointed too quickly...

2. The Fallen: Is the missing ball from King He-Man's crown an intential design choice or a broken prototype?

It was broken on the prototype. The final fig will have balls on all the crown points!

Good to know that King He-Man will look "normal", and will have a decent, complete crown ! I really hated the crown without that "ball"... it looked really weird.

3. Jun-Yor: You pledged to get thru the remaining Vintage line, PoP mainstays and NA mainstays in 2014. How might you plan on achieving this in a 12-month period, given 3 dozen characters spring to mind? Would 2-packs be an option, even as early as 2013?

We will still do our best to get to as many vintage figures as possible and will make every slot count, but in order to have enough skus to really get to ALL the vintage figs we needed much closer to a 100% renewal rate. At the current 2013 sub rate (which was just a smidge over the bare min) it is unlikely we will be able to do as big a line as we did in 2011 and 2012. It is still too early to know how many slots we will get in 2014 (which again will be based on sell in of the 2013sub) but we will make every slot we get count!

OK, so I guess it's official : Toyguru backpedaled compared to what he said before the end of the "subs sales season". Now that the subs have "sold out" and that "sub season" is over, the tune has changed tremendously : instead of getting ALL of the vintage figures by the end of 2014 - which was obviously a "truth-twister" for anyone who has a brain and who can use it, since there are several dozens of vintage characters to be produced in order to reach that goal (and this can't possibly be done in just 2 years time) -, we now get the truth : they WON'T be able to release all the vintage figures by the end of 2014 ! So much for the portion of the fans that reluctantly (and very naively) accepted to buy one or several subs ! One good reason to not get fooled again and to avoid buying the 2014 sub next year, I guess.
Of course, the argument stating that "in order to have enough skus to really get to all the vintage figs, they needed much closer to a 100% renewal rate" comes very conveniently to try to justify TG's "fibbing" and backpedaling...

4. Loo-Kee: Kowl was a huge player in the Great Rebellion, almost in every episode, and one of my favorites as a kid. Would he (or Loo-Kee) come with a figure as was the case with Orko & Adam? Would he be articulated like Orko? I don't want these guys to be static.

There are a lot of options to get Kowl out but we just don't have concrete plans yet. He is on our hot list to get into the line as soon as possible!

Ah-ha ! So I guess we could see Kowl soon... maybe even in 2013 !?

[phantom1592]

I don't want to offend anyone and I don't want to say Mattel shouldn't make those characters (I hate it when people say that about my favorites)...

But personally, I had hoped the more "cartoonish" PoP characters like Kowl, Lookee, Madame Razz and the Twiggets wouldn't be at the top of the list. But this is just me, who sees them as too cartooney for this line.

I have ZERO interest in Twiggets and Lookee. I'm also not really a PoP 'fan' per se... But I REALLY want a Kowl and Madame Razz to get made. They are just TOOOOOO important to the PoP mythos. Kowl was in SOOOOOOOO many episodes, and Madame Razz is 'One of three who share her secret'... VERY important and worthy of figures...

Especially compared to the likes of Perfuma and Sweet Bee and Spinneralla... I'm sure they could be great figures... but they are drastically C list compared to Razz and Kowl. It's really a crime that Razz didnt' get a figure in the 80's.

Personally, I'm hoping for a $35 set of Razz/Broom/Kowl for SDCC. They're gonna need the extra money to get the extras in there...

As for too Cartoony?? PoP has mostly stepped off the screen. Between Catra, Adora, She-ra, Orko, new Randor, Marlena... Kowl and Razz can fit in JUST fine

Much like the ORIGINAL line... we have so many visions going on here, that it will be hard to 'not fit in' with the MOTUC style.


- - - Updated - - -

As far as the whole 2014 sub goes and how many skus, i find it hard to believe that they totally forgot something as important as letting fans know that if we hit the sub great we will have 2013 subs but if we dont hit the extra 100% or whatever the target is skus will/may be reduced.

TG said in his video feeds that we will have pretty much a complete collection, wont be any closer to being complete if skus are reduced. If 2014 is more vintage heavy to finalise a collection so to speak then subs may rise. Just dont know how the subs had like a 39% increase in the last 24hrs and TG was laughing how motu fans smashed it out of the park.

They didn't forget. These things WERE mentioned... Just not Harped upon. The Thermometers ALWAYS have 2 marks on them, One to go ahead with the current year... and another higher one that deals with teh NEXT years subs.


He also said in the video that it will FEEL like we have a pretty complete collection. Not that he would cram all 35 80's figures into one year... As Pravus pointed out, we KNEW that wasnt' going to happen.


Also a LOT of doom and Gloom for 2014. I'm actually MORE excited about it with the weaker showing. He says that to get a line as big as 2013, we had to Sell the same as we did in 2012... and we didnt', so it will be smaller.

GOOD!!!

2013 is HUGE!!!! Multiple multi-packs... 16 figures slots a year.. Giants.. $500+ If we got an 'all in' sub of JUST the 16 figures we were getting around 2009/2010... the Sub will cost MUCH less, and MORE people will buy it.

You can NOT have 'MASSIVE Sku's'.... AND an 'ALL IN sub business model' It just doesn't work. If you need EVERYONE to buy EVERYTHING... then EVERYTHING has to be cheap enough for EVERYONE to buy.

[He-Kal]

I have ZERO interest in Twiggets and Lookee. I'm also not really a PoP 'fan' per se... But I REALLY want a Kowl and Madame

Also a LOT of doom and Gloom for 2014. I'm actually MORE excited about it with the weaker showing. He says that to get a line as big as 2013, we had to Sell the same as we did in 2012... and we didnt', so it will be smaller.

GOOD!!!

2013 is HUGE!!!! Multiple multi-packs... 16 figures slots a year.. Giants.. $500+ If we got an 'all in' sub of JUST the 16 figures we were getting around 2009/2010... the Sub will cost MUCH less, and MORE people will buy it.

You can NOT have 'MASSIVE Sku's'.... AND an 'ALL IN sub business model' It just doesn't work. If you need EVERYONE to buy EVERYTHING... then EVERYTHING has to be cheap enough for EVERYONE to buy.

You make a good point and I have been thinking the same thing about this too. The one thing that I have really wondered about along these lines is if the 2014 sub sells well (maybe even closer to 2012 sub) due to a better line up and a more resonable price tag will a 2015 sub be possible (and further on)?

[Scorpia]

Can't wait for Kowl! And Madame Razz and Broom

[He-Dad]

I would hope Kowl and Lookee are on the hot list as they are vintage......

[karg182]

If it don't use the standard buck, they don't give a ****. This is why the Ghostbuaters line failed. So many opportunities but cos they're 100% tool they just can't afford it. I would LOVE to see Madame Razz, Broom, Kowl, but it just doesn't seem like we will ever gt to them because they don't conform to what resources are available. And because they're POP figures they are kinda no go (Frosta is 'the test')

[bcrduke]

I have a feeling Razz, Broom, and maybe Kowl could show up a lot sooner than later...

That being said, WHERE are Dree-Elle and Montork?? They already have the Orko buck. Why haven't they used that buck again?? They could add new heads/scarves, and maybe change the hands a little, and the shades of the clothing.

Easy sell!!

[phantom1592]

I have a feeling Razz, Broom, and maybe Kowl could show up a lot sooner than later...

That being said, WHERE are Dree-Elle and Montork?? They already have the Orko buck. Why haven't they used that buck again?? They could add new heads/scarves, and maybe change the hands a little, and the shades of the clothing.

Easy sell!!

I find it interesting... that I'm really NOT a PoP fan... but nearly all the Filmation characters I want.. ARE PoP.

Maybe its' a case of PoP getting screwed in the 80's... but there were a LOT of cool characters in PoP's cartoon that SHOULD have been made back then. Razz & broom.... Sea Hawk, Octavia, scorpia... Filmation She-ra/Catra... It just felt like there was something missing all the time...

He-man however... Off the top of my head.. Robot Knights for Skeletor. That's about it. All the Masque's and Dre-elles, and lizard men mean pretty much nothing to me. They tended to be SOooooooo rare in the cartoon, that they never felt important enough to me to miss... and theres usually someone cooler already made for the MOTU line...

Honestly I would have preferred seeing more of the characters I already owned guest starring then making up new guys...

[He-Boy]

Really great questions and answers. Arvulis, your question is exactly where I’m coming from. The characters you mentioned are awesome and should not be excluded by rigid rules that don’t allow (for example) concept characters.

To me, the waning interest in the line was not because concept characters and new characters were shown, it was that they chose the wrong D-listers and too many were revealed in one hit. Sure, there’s at least one person that loves them all but one person does not make a toy line successful. Characters like Calix and Horde Mummy are too awesome and should be made well before the Strobos and Cy-Chops of the line.

Scott mentioned that the 2014 line is possibly unlikely to be as big as 2011-2012. I’m fine with that because there was too much filler creeping in. It’s just my opinion, but I’d be happy to see no more beasts or NA (besides NA He-Man, Skeletor and maybe Sorceress).

Great news regarding Kowl. Bring him on!

[Firefly]

I'm a big Kowl fan, so I am glad he is on the "hot list."

[Jubilation]

Love the Kowl answer, good to hear that he is on the hot list.

[lorde trooper]

I have ZERO interest in Twiggets and Lookee. I'm also not really a PoP 'fan' per se... But I REALLY want a Kowl and Madame Razz to get made. They are just TOOOOOO important to the PoP mythos. Kowl was in SOOOOOOOO many episodes, and Madame Razz is 'One of three who share her secret'... VERY important and worthy of figures...

Especially compared to the likes of Perfuma and Sweet Bee and Spinneralla... I'm sure they could be great figures... but they are drastically C list compared to Razz and Kowl. It's really a crime that Razz didnt' get a figure in the 80's.

Personally, I'm hoping for a $35 set of Razz/Broom/Kowl for SDCC. They're gonna need the extra money to get the extras in there...

As for too Cartoony?? PoP has mostly stepped off the screen. Between Catra, Adora, She-ra, Orko, new Randor, Marlena... Kowl and Razz can fit in JUST fine

Much like the ORIGINAL line... we have so many visions going on here, that it will be hard to 'not fit in' with the MOTUC style.


- - - Updated - - -



They didn't forget. These things WERE mentioned... Just not Harped upon. The Thermometers ALWAYS have 2 marks on them, One to go ahead with the current year... and another higher one that deals with teh NEXT years subs.


He also said in the video that it will FEEL like we have a pretty complete collection. Not that he would cram all 35 80's figures into one year... As Pravus pointed out, we KNEW that wasnt' going to happen.


Also a LOT of doom and Gloom for 2014. I'm actually MORE excited about it with the weaker showing. He says that to get a line as big as 2013, we had to Sell the same as we did in 2012... and we didnt', so it will be smaller.

GOOD!!!

2013 is HUGE!!!! Multiple multi-packs... 16 figures slots a year.. Giants.. $500+ If we got an 'all in' sub of JUST the 16 figures we were getting around 2009/2010... the Sub will cost MUCH less, and MORE people will buy it.

You can NOT have 'MASSIVE Sku's'.... AND an 'ALL IN sub business model' It just doesn't work. If you need EVERYONE to buy EVERYTHING... then EVERYTHING has to be cheap enough for EVERYONE to buy.

Even if we get 12 to 16 figs and no beasts, just more multi packs id be fine with that but i think if it gets down to 6 figs for the year and really hope it dosent (as management havent decided on 2014 skus) well then it should have been harped on, especially when you have fans buying multiple subs if they really didnt require them just to help the line to keep going.

Never even saw a motu thermometer so it couldnt have been highlighted too much. As far as a collection being colse to complete well everybodies definition of a complete collection will differ, like i said if we only get 6 skus in 2014 then its going to be a lesser "complete collection" as opposed to getting 12 to 16 action figures.

[Snake Hunter]

I have a feeling Razz, Broom, and maybe Kowl could show up a lot sooner than later...

That being said, WHERE are Dree-Elle and Montork?? They already have the Orko buck. Why haven't they used that buck again?? They could add new heads/scarves, and maybe change the hands a little, and the shades of the clothing.

Easy sell!!

Add Oracle in a 3 pack and Ill buy it for sure!