Updated: Limited Edition MOTU ART BOOK at SDCC - Official Discussion

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Originally Posted by Emiliano

I don't think it has anything to do with Movie concepts or Warner.
Based on my experience and knowledge in the field, these mentioned concepts may just be concept exploration done by Mattel and thus owned by Mattel (it's a commoning thing, brand's owners do that to show the studios what their brands are about)
If it was a Warner problem, they could have just done without it.

From my understanding, it has nothing to do with rights, I think it has more to do with it being a publication, and not another kind of merchandinsing, but I may be wrong.
I must remark, in this case this was totally out of Toyguru's hands, so the folks at the other departments may just not be aware of the demand of such item.

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First in regards to BCI Guy's story - GEEZ! I'm surprised none of you guys suffered any long term head trauma from slapping your foreheads at the legal dept. demands.

On to Emiliano's post - I wonder if that's the case, not really legal restrictions but some sort of fear, the same stuff that came up when you guys (MVC) started the encyclopedia and then the Power of Fear mini-comic that came out. nothing ill happened to mattel of those and nothing would have. but they shut it down fast out of some (seemingly) illogical fears. I think Mattel legal needs some phobia therapy.

I'm pretty sure the issue surrounding this book is 1 of 2 things, either matty threw out much more then they realized when they sold the entertainment rights, OR, simply put, some dept. at matty thinks this won't sell, and therefore said we'll only allow u to make 1000 copies of this. but I will say this.

I feel that this is a load of bs that fans can't enjoy the artwork so i say whoever manages to get a copy of this book scans pages, and just posts it on mattys facebook wall

After reading about your experience, I want to thank BCI Guy, Val, and Emiliano for your hard work and dedication to the MOTU property and fans for delivering quality products despite the ridiculous legal restrictions and paranoia coming from Mattel's legal department. It's too bad that a great property such as MOTU has to be held back by the very company that built it.

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Originally Posted by BCI Guy

They used their OWN property as an example of what people do.

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...and they were within their right to request you do what they want.

Often times I think we/fans/whatever think we own the property. We forget... Mattel owns the property. We can constructively give them an opinion (like you did with the examples from other high profile DVDs based around character properties) but at the end of the day, they make the final say and are responsible for what the actions cause. We will always be outsiders looking in, even if, like BCI did, had an actual working relationship with them. At the end of the day, they have their reasons, even if they don't make a lot of sense looking at them.

Anywho, we are a week away from preview night. Only time shall tell!

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Originally Posted by Zodach

After reading about your experience, I want to thank BCI Guy, Val, and Emiliano for your hard work and dedication to the MOTU property and fans for delivering quality products despite the ridiculous legal restrictions and paranoia coming from Mattel's legal department.

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Heartily seconded.:hmgrin:

I'm hoping the problem isn't the fact that this is a book and thus a new venture, given this:

"the design team at Mattel just announced the first book in their "Designed @ Mattel" series and it's a MOTU art book!"

If their idea is to produce a series of books at 1000 copies apiece, they might as well not do it at all.

The company I design for is sure to put a TM and an R on everything it can in copy and I'm hard-pressed to complain. As long as you only do it once I don't think it's so bad, especially if you make sure it's a smaller font and superscript it. It just cracks me up when companies do it for EVERY mention of a character EVERYwhere (you really only need to do it once per document/piece). I seem to remember there was a time when they would both BOLD a character's name and add the marks. Talk about interrupting the flow!

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Originally Posted by scott metzger

For a while, I've had a well discussed problem with talking about and to a a paper mache headed fictional character, but the thanks given to Toy Guru for the book, though on the surface just a pat on the back to a Mattel employee, comes across as a bit self serving if TG was writng it. I know Matty is supposed to be a blanket ID so that anyone at Mattel can fill the writing shoes, but it's also been clear that many of Matty's comments have been written in a style identical to TG's. It just makes Matty even a little bit creepier than he already is (if that's possible) if TG is writing in the third person praising himself.

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Someone else said something similar, but for some reason I thought "Matty" was an actual person's alter ego.

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Originally Posted by Johnny_E

I am a idiot. I just made a bid of 150$:hmsad:

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And I won..

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Originally Posted by TheShadow

...and they were within their right to request you do what they want.

Often times I think we/fans/whatever think we own the property. We forget... Mattel owns the property.

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Unfortunately that is true. We as fans can only hope it will change in the future. Or that Mattel gets it's act together.

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At the end of the day, they have their reasons, even if they don't make a lot of sense looking at them.

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Sometimes there is no reason, just madness. That is a lesson I have sadly learned in work life. Sometimes the people in powerful positions are at a wrong place for them, and they corrupt and pollute the air around them. I do not know how things are at Mattel, but if things can be messed up in other organizations, they can be messed up at Mattel too.

Heidi

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Originally Posted by Johnny_E

And I won..

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Congratulations! :hmgrin:

Heidi

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Originally Posted by TheShadow

We forget... Mattel owns the property.

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Except the fact that they kinda don't. At least not the way Hasbro owns G.I. Joe and Transformers...

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Originally Posted by Johnny_E

And I won..

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Congrats man

For what its worth, I am in the same boat with you.

Maybe we will look back on this and laugh, paying 3 dollars a page for a softcover book... :hmsad:

Seriously, I am really feeling bad for those who might be a little tight with money right now. I remember the days of hearing about exclusives and knowing that there was no way it was in my budget.

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Originally Posted by Emiliano

Well, now you have an example of what almost caused me a nervous breakdown while working on those DVD. Seriously.

We wanted to do many more cool things that were not possible because of legal dept restrictions.
I think we didn't give up on the whole episode 40 comic thing and the 4H documentary just because we were stubborn and loved MOTU so much :sklol:

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One thing I will add is some of the people we worked with at Mattel were 100% behind what we wanted to do - and tried their best to push some ideas past legal. Sometimes winning a little, often times losing.

Point being, there really are people at Mattel who are not only passionate about MOTU, but sympathetic towards the situation - and would've loved to have done more with the DVDs. Unfortunately legal always has the final veto.

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Originally Posted by LORD FALLEN ELDOR

Except the fact that they kinda don't. At least not the way Hasbro owns G.I. Joe and Transformers...

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Exactly -- which could lead to their increased legalese on the entire franchise.

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Originally Posted by TheShadow

...and they were within their right to request you do what they want.

Often times I think we/fans/whatever think we own the property. We forget... Mattel owns the property. We can constructively give them an opinion (like you did with the examples from other high profile DVDs based around character properties) but at the end of the day, they make the final say and are responsible for what the actions cause. We will always be outsiders looking in, even if, like BCI did, had an actual working relationship with them. At the end of the day, they have their reasons, even if they don't make a lot of sense looking at them.

Anywho, we are a week away from preview night. Only time shall tell!

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Not saying they aren't within their right, but it's an illustration of how ridiculous they exercise those rights and truly how paranoid they seem to be about doing ANYTHING contructive with their properties outside of Barbie and Hot Wheels. also a good example of how the lengths a corporation will go to to prove that THEIR way is the right way, even if their ONLY example is something they did themselves. puts me in mind again of how they used their focus group findings to mess up the 200X line.

we the consumers who were seeking out and buying the merchandise had no idea what we were talking about because their random group of 6 year olds wanted: Anime Hair, Skinny He-man,useless variants of He-Man and skeletor over unique characters and finally, he-man needs to wear pants because pants makes him 'relevant'.

yeah it's up to them to do as they wish but we have seen time and again how doing things as they wish it hasn't worked out very well. Sometimes I think of The Bowler Hat Guy from meet the Robinsons as a mattel exec, the rest of us look at him and say "I just don't think this plan is very well thought out."

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Originally Posted by TheShadow

Exactly -- which could lead to their increased legalese on the entire franchise.

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All the more reason to purchase back all the rights before a movie deal is signed.

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Originally Posted by Captain Greyskull

Congrats man

For what its worth, I am in the same boat with you.

Maybe we will look back on this and laugh, paying 3 dollars a page for a softcover book... :hmsad:

Seriously, I am really feeling bad for those who might be a little tight with money right now. I remember the days of hearing about exclusives and knowing that there was no way it was in my budget.

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I just could not resist.:hmblsh:
But don't tell my wife...:hmwink:
This month is getting way too expensive. MAA, the book, He-ro and the 4Horsemen Queen Counsil set... and I just got a deal for the A. 9:hmshift::hmroll:

....and no Egon and Slimer?:hmwink:

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Originally Posted by LORD FALLEN ELDOR

Except the fact that they kinda don't. At least not the way Hasbro owns G.I. Joe and Transformers...

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I wasn't aware, other than the Filmation rights, that Mattel didn't own MOTU outright. How are their rights to the franchise broken down?

That Hasbro owns G.I. Joe and Transformers and we still get movies like we do based on their properties(imo 2 stink and the next one looks bad as well) is really unforgivable.

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Originally Posted by Mr. Shokoti

I wasn't aware, other than the Filmation rights, that Mattel didn't own MOTU outright. How are their rights to the franchise broken down?

That Hasbro owns G.I. Joe and Transformers and we still get movies like we do based on their properties(imo 2 stink and the next one looks bad as well) is really unforgivable.

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I thought the first Transformers movie was fantastic and second was ok. And based on the trailer G.I.JOE could be quite fun. :)

Heidi

Hey

i had to bite the bullet and bought one on ebay. paid $160 plus postage. I want it sooo badly. Massive Fan.

I think I am going to hold off on ebay until some resellers have these in hand. If I have to pay more for waiting thats fine. I just want to make sure i get it.

*sigh* I wish they'd give us a little preview of what's inside.

http://toynewsi.com/news.php?catid=9&itemid=14708

Hasbro To Release Book Featuring The Images Of Action Figure Photographer Gianni Lopergolo
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Insight: will be available for sale nationwide on www.HasbroToyShop.com for the approximate retail price of $29.95 beginning today. The high quality book features over 120 pages of images, some previously unreleased, for readers to explore and appreciate and will also be available for immediate purchase at the Hasbro Toy Shop booth at San Diego Comic-Con July 23-26.


Sorry, but... BWAHAHAHAHA! The timing couldn't be ANY better! Eat that, Mattel Legal! :sklol:

Mattel 0 : 1 Hasbro

I'm hoping we'll get a general release of this and more books in the future. I'd like to see a big table book released someday.

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Originally Posted by Tallstar

*sigh* I wish they'd give us a little preview of what's inside.

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i second that