Twice a month, Mattel is kind enough to answer questions around the web on its lines, including WWE, DC, Masters of the Universe, Ghostbusters & More. Check out the January Q&A session sorted out by catagory!
DC Universe
Q: Many collectors who have been clamoring for Rocket Red in the DCU line have been hoping for the JLI version, but the MA version has now been announced. What was the thinking behind choosing a version of a character that’s the opposite of what people have been asking for?
A: This was the version that used the least amount of tooling and we did not sell enough subs to get more tooling this year.
Q: Mirror Master looks great. However, he’s shown with guns yet his right hand is closed into a fist. Will this be changed to an open hand so that he can hold both weapons?
A: No, he will have one closed fist per the Horsemen sculpt.
Q: It was very exciting to see Platinum and Tin revealed for Club Infinite Earths – thank you! They seemed to be painted the same colour – since they are meant to represent different elements will they have slightly different shading to show this correctly?
A: They are slightly different shades. It was hard to tell under the lighting.
Q: When will Matty make a proper sized Mongul and Doomsday? The same size as the C&C Darkseid.
A: It is something we could begin to explore if we sell enough subs to allocate the tooling needed for a fully tool’d figure like Doomsday. For 2012 we did not.
Q: Will Matty re-release other waves like they did for Metallo and the Legion? The Solomun Grundy wave and the Giganta wave would be awesome.
A: No, we do not have plans to rerelease any older waves at this time.
Q: Will rocker ankles be making a comeback in the DC Club Infinite Earths line?
A: No. We simply can not afford them at this time.
Q: When you first shown DC Universe 2012 Wave 2, it had Red Robin as the 4th figure. At Toy Fair he was missing from the assortment, and you said that a re-issue of Steel would be the 4th figure. Will we still be getting Red Robin?
A: The wave we showed in NY was Wave 3 with Steel. Red Robin will ship with Wave 2 which was not shown in NY since it was already revealed.
Q: You showed us a Plantinum and Tin figures for the DC Universe Club Infinite Earths Subscription. When you get to Lead, will he be a new tool?
A: We don’t have plans for Lead right now so that is up in the air.
Q: Will the Batman Legacy line continue through 2012?
A: Yes.
Q: Will there be kids line for The Dark Knight Rises, like you did for The Dark Knight?
A: Yes. There will be a 4″ line with quick change armor, role play and some great vehicles such as the Bat.
Q: DC Comics has officially announced WATCHMEN comics coming this summer. Do you see 6″ comic accurate Mattel WATCHMEN figures having their own dedicated WATCHMEN line, or say, salted into DC Universe All-Stars?
A: Watchmen figures would be awesome, but no plans at this time.
Q: Do you consider Frankenstein, whether in his Creature Commandos or Seven Soldiers look, an oversized character that needs 100 percent new tooling?
A: There are several ways we could tackle him, but we don’t have plans to announce at this time.
Q: Toyguru, there was a great article by ibentmymanthing on FWOOSH about the highs (Legion 12-pack) and lows (Modern Captain Boomerang over Classic, Wave 17) of the 2011 class of DC Universe Classics. Now that DCUC as a branded line at retail is over, can you name two “groups” or “teams” that you personally would love to have produced had the line continued on another couple of years?
A: From Toyguru: “I personally really want to finish the Doom Patrol and I know Corn Boy wants to get the rest of the Metal Men finished!!”
Q: For a long time now fans have been complaining about the female buck, specifically the skinniness in the limbs. Now that we have the sub, is there any chance that this buck could be re-done/modified to help improve the matchstick arms and undersized hands? I know it’s a tooling issue, but you were able to re-do the oft complained about teen buck recently, and seeing as how this buck could then be re-used many times over, I would imagine that the cost would be regained over time between both the sub and retail figures.
A: Yes, this is something we are always looking into if tooling and logistics allow.
Q: There seems to be a bit of confusion as to the status of DCUC/Club Infinite Earths multipacks. You seem to have ruled out multipacks at retail. Have you ruled them out as a mattycollector offering as well? Multi-packs seem like a more realistic way to get long-requested characters such as Flash Rogues like Heat Wave, James Jesse Trickster, Weather Wizard, Mirror Master, etc. Will we be seeing any multipacks online or in other venues in 2012?
A: Retail multipacks are always pending retailer interest. Multipacks online are not out of the question but we will have to see how 2013 subs sell this summer before tackling them.
Q: For Waves 17-20, 26 of the 40 figures were based on Geoff Johns work, as are the first handful of subscription figures, and four of the first six 2012 DC All-Stars. Is this an intentional focus on Geoff Johns work?
A: No, this is just a coincidence and likely due to Geoff’s heavy involvement as a writer. It is not intentional that we said “lets focus on Geoff characters” or anything like that.
Q: At NYTF, nearly everything for the DCIE subscription looked fantastic. The character choices were great and the figures looked sharp on display. That said, we’re somewhat puzzled by Rocket Red. Since Mattel opted to use the short-lived Geoff John/Ivan Reis version of Rocket Red, he should’ve received a standard size figure. Instead he’s been given an incorrect 8″ oversized slot. Is this an oversight that subscribers are just going to have to live with?
A: He is the correct scale as advised by our licensor partners.
Q: We need the Super-powers Penguin- at Toyfair you noted it was from a cancelled 2 pack. Any chance for this in 2012, or will it be later?
A: We are just waiting to confirm any retailer orders. As soon as we have some we can move forward.
Q: When might the reveal for the remaining 3 Batman movie masterpieces be? Will this line be at retail?
A: This will hit retail in May and we will reveal the remaining 3 figures around the same time.
Q: Thank you so much for coming through with DC IE sub, these are the types of characters that we want to see in our sub. A lot of the figures were still TBD at Toy Fair, do you know when the exact release dates will be revealed?
A: Atrocitus will be in April, Starman in May, Mirror Master in June, Flash in July and Pam in August. The remainder have not be announced.
Q: What’s going on with the 4″ Young Justice line? Will the next wave have a C&C? Or pieces like the Hall of Justice? Are there any other 4″ figures coming this year after Artemis, Superman, Green Lantern and Robin?
A: There is a second wave of 2 packs planned with a second C&C oversized figure that will be shown later this year.
Q: With Steel being announced at ToyFair as one of the figures coming up in the retail DCnU line, can you let us know which version you’ll be releasing? Will it be the one with the flat grey ‘S’ shield, the vac-metalised shield, or will it be done as a variant again?
A: It is the non shiny flat version.
Q: You’ve shown Poison Ivy in the sub, and have done her in her more recent green skinned look. But what are the chances of getting her in her classic costume with caucasian skin as a figure in the retail line further down the road? If you did do this, could you make some new parts like a new head, gloves and boots to make it comic accurate?
A: Certainly a possibility but nothing is planned at this time.
Q: You guys listed Metron as coming on 4-16, or the first day of the Club IE sub, so I was wondering if he will ship with Flash or will he be separate? I ordered two subs, but did so separately so I’m hoping I don’t have to pay shipping for two Flash figures and two Metron figures all in April.
A: They will ship together. At least that is the plan right now. (PK’s NOTE: It appears as if there is some confusion as to if Flash or Atrocitus will be released in April, however it looks like either way, Metron will ship with)
Q: Will the subscription line be used as a feeder line for retail, where tooling and sculpts will be first released for the subscription figures and later worked into products (though not necessarily identical figures) for retail?
A: With some lines yes, other no. It depends on the line and retailer needs.
Q: Platinum and Tin were a surprise from Toy Fair. Can we expect other potential “double packs” featuring smaller characters like Oberon from the Mister Miracle stories?
A: Yes, you can expect this when appropriate.
Q: It seems like DC Direct is going to continue developing the Watchmen property. Does Mattel have the right to make anything involving the property, either the original comic, the movie or the upcoming “Before Watchmen” titles?
A: Not at this time.
Q: Is Shazam! exclusive to the Action League 5-pack, or can we expect him to be re-released in a two pack later (potentially with an easy repaint into Black Adam)
A: He is exclusive.
Masters of the Universe
Q: There was recently an announcement that there would be no more split shipment for MOTUC items and that instead they wouldn’t go on sale until all were in stock. However, it has now been announced that the February items will now be split-shipped. Why did you go back on your word so quickly, and will it happen again?
A: It was only a 3 day delay so we decided to go forward with the sale and just hold all product for 3 days. We didn’t want to hold up any figures and longer due to the Jan delay.
Q: For the Weapons Pack 3 coming later this year, have you thought about doing a Gold Power Sword just like the way it looked in the German New Adventures comic?
A: It is a cool idea and we will pass this along to the design group.
Q: In the last Q&A, the reason for Fisto not having interchangeability was given as “the 4H didn’t design him that way”. Mattel representativess have made comments in the past that the Four Horsemen aren’t responsible for engineering the figures, so is interchangeability considered a design aesthetic? Should we be lobbying the 4H for future interchangeability or should we continue to lobby Mattel so we can get that feedback to Terry Higuchi and the rest of the MOTU team?
A: It is always a good idea to post your ideas on the Four Horsemen’s site as they often make these choices when designing the figure.
Q: Is the MAA Arm cannon to large/expensive to be in possibly the next planned weapons pack?
A: That is yet to be determined, but as of now the weapons pak does not have any tooling allocated. So it is not a question of size vs. tooling.
Q: Is the possible re-run of Windraiders for SDCC, separate from any planned SDCC MOTU exclusive?
A: Yes
Q: Since the Frosta proto shown at TF was still early, is there a chance that maybe the design department could add a pearlescent and clear deco to her cape (like Jewelstar)?
A: We will have to review this with design, but right now that is not the plan.
Q: A talented fan posted a picture of Sir Laser-Lot with the He-Ro style shorts in a matching color scheme. It really did a lot to break up the blue and looked great, any chance that change could be made?
A: No, we will be sticking to the color scheme Geoff designed. It is his figure much as Photog was Nate’s and Draego Man was the Horsmen’s. The creators of each choose the color scheme for their figure.
Q: Scott, I have a slight fear that maybe we are burning through the vintage characters in the line a little fast. Don’t get me wrong, the 2012 vintage figures are AWESOME (especially Spikor) but when can we expect getting a deluge of FilMation characters and characters from other media like comics and such? I want MOTUC to be strong for a long, long time.
A: Filmation definitely helps fill in the gaps. Not to worry, we have the line very well thought out for several years for just this reason. But we did want to make 2012 very vintage due to the 30th.
Q: When will we see the last couple of reveals for the last figures in the MOTUC 30th Anniversary line?
A: Ideally at SDCC.
Q: Although the MOTUC line was staying away from 200X decos, Snake Man-At-Arms appears to be exclusively a 200x idea. Can we expect more 200x concepts going forward?
A: Yes, but all done in Classics style.
WWE
Q: A lot of fans thought that when Arn Anderson was revealed at Toy Fair, he was build on a body that was too skinny for him. Any chance we could get that changed to a thicker torso prior to release?
A: We will definitely look into this but no plans to confirm right now.
Q: Iron Mike Tyson will be inducted in to the 2012 WWE Hall of Fame, will we see him in toy form when that happens?
A: Unfortunately just because someone is in the WWE Hall of Fame doesn’t necessarily mean we have the rights to make an action figure of them.
Q: When the Legends line was at retail the average price per figure was $14.99. The Rockers 2 pack was $30 which seems right, but Andre The Giant is $20. Why is he priced so high? Will all of the legends be listed at $20 each?
A: The reason Legends (and other items on MattyCollector) generally have a higher price than at retail is because we make a lower quantity of the MattyCollector items. The factories charge us a premium whenever we produce figures below a certain quantity so those figures end up having higher prices.
Q: what are the chances of doing another andre, maybe with an afro with blue tights?
A: If this Andre sells exceptionally well you can bet we’ll do another one down the line. If not, then it would be hard to justify.
Q: Kofi Kingston has worn Stay Puft themed tights and tonight he was in Riddler themed tights. Were these surprises to you guys, or have they given you a heads up so you can produce one (or more) of these looks to stores quickly. It holds awesome crossover possibilities, like the MOTU and DC Hot Wheels releases.
A: Like a lot of things in WWE, the Superstars’ outfits aren’t planned very far in advance and in most cases the talent kind of does whatever they want. In general they wear their new outfits as soon as they’re ready so we don’t get the reference photos until then.
Ghostbusters
Q: What articulation will be featured on the Dana as Zuul figure?
A: She will have a swivel waist.
Q: When will the Ghostbusters bonus/incentive that has been talked about be know, I don’t recall an answer from NYTF.
A: It was supposed to be announced at NYTF but was delayed. We should have info to post any day/week now.
Q: With the wonderful ghosts we have, has their been thought to do a Capture Beam for the proton pack ? This would wrap around the ghosts just like when they caputured slimer in the ball room. I imagine this would be cheap and a HUGE pack-in for the line!
A: Definately something we would love to do. Just hasn’t happened yet. Maybe in time.
Back to the Future Hoverboard
Q: I have to know before I throw down on a preorder–can a human adult stand on the board? If these are furniture pads, it should be able to move a little with some weight on it. I know it can’t float, but how much weight can it support?
A: At this point we do not know the weight limit, but it is not designed to carry a human or anything else. It is a prop replica to look and sound cool, not actually hover or move someone.
Q: You’re producing a 6″ scale Hoverboard. Awesome. How about some figures to go with that? Are they still off the table, or is there some hope there?
A: No plans for figures at this time.
Q: Are we going to get to see a working sample of the hover board and the 6″ scale version before you expect us to pre-order? There don’t seem to be any details about either item. Are there any lights or sound? Does either roll or come with a stand? It would be nice to have some more information before we are expected to commit to a $120 purchase.
A: It will make all the sounds it did in the film and will glide over most surfaces. If you have the PKE or Ghost Trap you know the quality you will get. We won’t get a working model to show off until sometime late summer. Maybe SDCC.
Q: I was wondering if the handlebar that Marty breaks off the hoverboard right before the big chase scene would be included. (Maybe make it twist on/off or a quick release button?)
A: We really considered doing this but wanted to keep the price low. The bars would have added 50 bucks if not more to the price. But we did include the handlebar slot on the board!
Credit:
actionfigureblues.com
pendragonspost.com
mintconditioncustom.com
pendragonspost.com
criticalmess.net
itsalltrue.net
elkkthunderstoyroom.com
thefwoosh.com
actionfigureinsider.com
therumorbuster.com
