{"id":6725,"date":"2010-06-25T09:00:40","date_gmt":"2010-06-25T14:00:40","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.itsalltrue.net\/?p=6725"},"modified":"2013-07-01T22:37:11","modified_gmt":"2013-07-02T03:37:11","slug":"8-things-mattel-should-do-for-motu-classics","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.itsalltrue.net\/?p=6725","title":{"rendered":"8 Things… Mattel should
do for MOTU Classics"},"content":{"rendered":"

Every month Mattel unleashes another MOTU Classics figure and every month it sells out within minutes. Collectors seems to love this line. It\u2019s hard not to – classically styled versions of the inhabitants of Eternia rendered by the Four Horsemen. These figures are the perfect mix of nostalgia and modern toy ingenuity. <\/P>
\n

No wonder Masters of the Universe Classics<\/del> was inducted into the Toy Hall of Fame. But this Classics toy line isn\u2019t perfect yet. So here\u2019s my list of what Matty needs to make in order for this line to become the true master of the toy universe.<\/p>\n

8. Orange Axe and Shield for Faker<\/strong>
\nOne problem that some of the earlier figures from the line had is that Mattel stuck too close to the original figure when it came to accessories. The one figure that best exemplifies this is Faker. When the original Faker debuted, the only accessories he came with were his Power Sword and Skeletor Armor colored in orange. They updated the figure for the 200X line, but it was a Toyfare Magazine exclusive. So it\u2019s not much of a surprise that they skimped on his extra accessories. But when the Classics Faker first debuted, I was pretty disappointed that Mattel still went the cheap route.<\/p>\n

Sure, it\u2019s cute to pay homage to the older releases, but I\u2019d rather get my money\u2019s worth instead. Faker was an early release in a line that the folks over at Mattel weren\u2019t quite sure would make it. So I can understand them being wary of making a ton of new accessories. But that\u2019s the beauty of Faker, he\u2019s just the He-Man mold run through with different colors. So I\u2019m hoping Mattel realizes their mistake and adds these two garish items to the upcoming Weapons Pak.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

7. Fuerza T<\/strong>
\nI realize this is a long shot, but it would still be awesome. Fuerza T is a toy line made by the Argentinean Company Top Toys. They bought the original Masters of the Universe molds from Mattel and began to make their own line. These new characters were a mix \u2018n match bunch of bodies, heads, and arms recombined and given all new color schemes. With original bios and an all new story, Fuerza T easily became its own line.<\/p>\n

Copyright laws are different all over the world, so I\u2019m not sure where these stand when it comes to other companies making them. I\u2019m pretty sure Mattel doesn\u2019t want to take the chance though. It\u2019s always better safe than sorry when it comes to getting sued. So I don\u2019t think we\u2019ll be seeing the Fuerza team joining their MOTU cousins anytime soon. But I can still dream, can\u2019t I?<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

6. Camo Khan<\/strong>
\nBack to Argentina, where toy repaints are the bomb apparently. Back in the \u201880s, when Top Toys bought the original molds, they originally put out the MOTU figures we all know and love. The interesting thing is that they would sometimes repaint the figures, for whatever reason. Some of these repaints are awful, like Beast Man\u2019s blue face or Stratos\u2019 pink wings. Others were interesting and inspired. The most unique, and my favorite, is Kobra Khan Camouflage. Or as he would later become known, Camo Khan. <\/p>\n

This version of Khan was given a darker green paint job on his body with black splotches dotting his torso, arms, and legs. There was a light green Snake Man symbol painted on the middle of his chest, and his belt, boots, and claws were painted gold. Yes, I said claws. Not only did Camo Khan have a different paint job, but Top Toys also gave him Buzz Off\u2019s arms. Somehow this pushes the figure into the realm of awesome. Don\u2019t ask me how, it just does. <\/p>\n

Even if Matty can\u2019t do Fuerza T, I\u2019m hoping they can still do their own characters. I mean, he\u2019s still all the same parts they\u2019ll already have. He\u2019s the same character, technically. So there shouldn\u2019t be a problem with Mattel doing a\u2026 similar repaint of a Classics Khan, right? Let\u2019s hope so.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

5. The Little Guys<\/strong>
\nIt\u2019s not looking good for the little people of the MOTU-verse. The Widgets are outright Filmation property, so their off limits. Count Marzo\u2019s figure will be out next month, but we already know he\u2019s not going to come with his shorter alter-ego. This doesn\u2019t give me much hope for Stinkor\u2019s former self, Odiphus. Aside from Orko, there isn\u2019t much indication that Mattel cares to make any character that doesn\u2019t come up above the waist. <\/p>\n

The bad thing is, even if Mattel wanted to make them, they already lost an opportunity with Marzo. I don\u2019t think Marzo or Odiphus will sell on their own, and I doubt seriously that a Midget Pak will be popular either. Maybe they can put them in with a large scale beast to cut costs a little. Or they might just be cute, like with Orko, and put a regular figure in with them as an \u201caccessory\u201d. Either way, I\u2019ll need these little guys to make my collection feel complete.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

4. Battle Stands<\/strong>
\nOriginally, I wasn\u2019t too excited about the Grayskull Battle Stands. I didn\u2019t have anything against them personally, I\u2019m just not a big fan of stands for my figures. To me, stands usually take up too much room on the shelf and are usually unnecessary, especially on a line like MOTU Classics where they all stand pretty well anyway. But then the order date came around, and I bought a set to review. That\u2019s how they got me.<\/p>\n

The basic green Grayskull brick pattern was sculpted so well. Plus there was the ability for them to sit next to each other in a pattern, creating an Eternian sidewalk of sorts. I was very impressed, and my mind began wondering about the other possibilities. Why not have a different set of stands each year from the various locations in MOTU-verse? Just think, Randor could be on an Eternian Palace base while Skeletor hangs out on a Snake Mountain floor. They could even get exotic and make things like jungles, fields, swamps, or even a space ship. The opportunity here is almost limitless, plus it\u2019s the closest thing we\u2019ll get to playsets anytime soon.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

3. Unproduced Figures <\/strong>
\nIf you\u2019ve seen the MOTU Art book or some of the various magazine articles over the years, you\u2019ll know that there are a lot of characters out there who never got beyond the concept stage. There were a lot of reasons for this. Sometimes the designs were refined and turned into something better. But there were others who were passed over because they were impractical to make in the 1980\u2019s. Either their designs were too intricate, or maybe the toy technology wasn\u2019t up to the challenge back then. Either way, these characters exist only as rough sketches an proto-ideas waiting to still be brought to life.<\/p>\n

I\u2019d like to see more of these forgotten characters brought into the Classics fold. After all, Classics isn\u2019t just dedicated to one idea of whom or what He-Man is, <\/p>\n

but a combination of all versions of these characters. So why not bring back some of the long lost brothers and sisters who were there from the beginning, but just never got their day in the spotlight. If Oo-lar can do it, why not Red Beast?<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

2. Filmation <\/strong>
\nIt\u2019s sad, but true, that some of the characters we remember most from the cartoon we grew up loving will never be made in toy form. Due to lack of foresight, Mattel gave up those rights to Filmation. Twenty years later, Matty\u2019s going to have to pay to get them back, literally. So far, this has been too big a sacrifice for Mattel to take. But I think they might want to reconsider.<\/p>\n

Masters of the Universe, as a brand, will never be hotter than it is now. The interest is so strong that Mattel\u2019s even able to get TV shows to report on their toy news. Plus, the MOTU line was just inducted into the Toy Hall of Fame, and its only two years old. When you\u2019re this popular, you\u2019ve got to take advantage of it. There is a current fanbase who is willing to buy these characters at a volume that sells out within minutes of debuting. Toy lines have peaks and valleys of popularity, and MOTU is heading towards a peak right now. If this isn\u2019t the time to make money on those characters, when is? <\/p>\n

\n

<\/center><\/p>\n

1. Castle Grayskull<\/strong>
\nHow can you have a Masters of the Universe line without Castle Grayskull? The answer is: you can\u2019t. Grayskull is the centerpiece to the story of He-Man, no matter what version you consider cannon. It\u2019s what all the bad guys want to break into. It\u2019s what all the good guys protect. It holds unlimited power and possibilities. It was the literal center of the Universe in the live action movie. Whoever holds Grayskull, holds the fate of Eternia and the entire MOTU-verse. Sure Eternia was awesome, Snake Mountain is cool, but neither is as central to the myth of He as the big green castle with a skull face on it. But will it ever get made?<\/p>\n

In our last Q&A with Toy Guru, I asked him if we might see a smaller playset with few pieces, like the Slime Pit. His answer was basically a no. Like I said, MOTU\u2019s heading towards a peak in popularity, yet they don\u2019t have plans to produce even the simplest of playsets? What does that mean for Castle Grayskull? I love MOTU Classics, but if we get to 2016 and Castle Grayskull isn\u2019t made, I\u2019m going to have to consider this line a failure.<\/p>\n

-Vault<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Every month Mattel unleashes another MOTU Classics figure and every month it sells out within minutes. Collectors seems to love this line. It\u2019s hard not to – classically styled versions of the inhabitants of Eternia rendered by the Four Horsemen. 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SDCCExclusive Battle Armor Faker","date":"July 1, 2011","format":false,"excerpt":"In a press release today, Toys R Us and Entertainment Earth revealed a handful of shared SDCC\/online exclusives. There's plenty of cool items from several hot toy lines, but there's one you know is near and dear to my heart. A DC vs MOTU 2pk featuring Bizarro facing off against...\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "MOTUClassics"","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.itsalltrue.net\/newsimages\/Bizarro-vs-Faker.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":16031,"url":"https:\/\/www.itsalltrue.net\/?p=16031","url_meta":{"origin":6725,"position":1},"title":"MOTU Classics.Com: DC vs MOTU Zodac Review","date":"December 28, 2011","format":false,"excerpt":"This summer was a challenging time for me as a MOTUC collector. The loss of our subscription sent me back to the Monthly Matty Madhouse. The con exclusive Faker had me (successfully) watching TRU.com like a hawk, but another TRU 2pk, Zodac vs Green Lantern, slipped through my fingers... until\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "MOTUClassics"","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":19955,"url":"https:\/\/www.itsalltrue.net\/?p=19955","url_meta":{"origin":6725,"position":2},"title":"Vault Review: Masters of the Universe Classics Griffin","date":"July 31, 2012","format":false,"excerpt":"Seems like just a few days ago I was opening a gigantic box packed full of various MOTU and DC figures. But that was actually way back in June, and now that it\u2019s almost August I thought I\u2019d better catch up before that San Diego Comic-con package gets here. Before\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "MOTUClassics"","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.itsalltrue.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/07\/grif1.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":4221,"url":"https:\/\/www.itsalltrue.net\/?p=4221","url_meta":{"origin":6725,"position":3},"title":"Matty’s Full March-June Schedule! Hordak, Mer-Man, & Faker Reissues","date":"March 2, 2010","format":false,"excerpt":"On the MattyCollector News page, Matty has updated their full March through June schedule. Most of it is the same, but we do get our first word of reissues for Hordak, Mer-Man, and Faker. Toy Fans, We do our best to plan when products will be released, but sometimes the\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "DCClassics.Com"","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":3497,"url":"https:\/\/www.itsalltrue.net\/?p=3497","url_meta":{"origin":6725,"position":4},"title":"Truetorial: Is There Room for New Characters in MOTU Classics?","date":"January 20, 2010","format":false,"excerpt":"Last month, the IAT staff sat down and beat out our Jan 15th Mattel questions. We bounced around a few ideas and, like we always do, we got off track. This time talking about Masters of the Universe Classics and the future of the line. Vault had done a little\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "MOTUClassics"","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":23289,"url":"https:\/\/www.itsalltrue.net\/?p=23289","url_meta":{"origin":6725,"position":5},"title":"MOTUClassics.Com He-Man Review(Masters of the Universe Day)","date":"April 28, 2013","format":false,"excerpt":"Back in 1987, LA Mayor Tom Bradley decreed that April 28th as \u201cMasters of the Universe\u201d Day. Today, 26 years later some crazy toy bloggers are teaming up for a day of MOTU reviews. 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