Clarification Regarding Style and Design of MOTUC Figures

[Jorge Pelaez]

Toy Guru speaks up regarding 200X elements in MOTUC...

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A few weeks back, Scott Neitlich made a statement regarding the non-inclusion of 200X heads in future MOTUC figure releases. That statement was not well received by fans and stirred up a lot of discussion among MOTU collectors. Today "Toy Guru" posted the following statement regarding the style and design of the Masters of the Universe Classics line and also addressed the 200X style Vs the Classics toy line.

He-Fans and She-Ravers,

So there has been a lot of info flying back and forth on the "style" of the Classics line compared to the style of say the 200X or vintage lines as well as just who/which characters we have access to. Let me see if I can do a catch-all and clarify as much info as possible.

The Masters of the Universe Classics line (available every month on Mattycollector.com!) is a new interpretation of the vintage MOTU toys.

The 200X line was also a new interpretation of the vintage line. The 200X line’s style or "reinterpretation" included taking the vintage figure and adding flared hair and extra hyper details (which we’ve called Anime Hyper Detail, but "200X style" may work best going forward, for some reason some fans found this description offensive!).

The Classics line takes the same approach and also "reinterprets" the vintage line. When we pitched doing an on-line MOTU line, the request from management was to retire the 200X line and create a new interpretation for MOTU. So for the Classics "style" we applied "modern detail and modern articulation to the vintage designs".

Basically, the design question we asked was, "what if the vintage line had today’s technology in toy making? What if today’s toy technology was around in 1981?" or maybe said as: "Vintage toy look, modern collector articulation and detail". This would define the look of the line much as hyper hair and detailed defined the look of the 200X line.

There were a few other edicts we had. Such as with action features. If they required a lever or button that broke the design of the figure, we would lose it. But if we could find a way to make an action feature work with the sculpt in tact (like with Roboto or Tri-Klops), then more power to the line!

A lot of fans still ask about 200X "elements" in the line. To be clear, as has always been the creative direction, all parts of of the Classics line will be done through the "Classics style" not 200X style. So if we are doing a figure from the 200X line/series (like Carnivus) or new weapons or body parts from the 200X line/series (like with Hordak’s staff or Webstor’s arms) all would be done in "Classics style".

This is why you don’t see 200X style head sculpts in the Classics line. When you are changing the actual face interpretation or hair style of a character into 200X style you are no longer reflecting the Classics style. Right now we’re not doing 200X style figures, we are doing Classics style figures.

We will add 200X elements into Classics, but not in 200X style. Right now the 200X style is retired. Marzo and Whiplash had a bit more of 200X style, but since then we have pulled back a bit.

So you will still see plenty of characters, weapons, armor and design elements from the 200X line, but all will be done through the "lens" or creative style/interpretation of the Classics style (meaning vintage design, modern collector articulation and detail interpretation, not flared hair and hyper detail interpretation).

And I should add, this does not mean 200X redesigned heads are gone forever from Classics. It just means now for the current Mattycollector.com line they don’t fit the creative direction to retire the 200X look/style. We’d love to find a way to get to them some day, perhaps if the line ever goes to retail we could find a way to work this in. Maybe a box set or mutltipacks of "then and now". Who knows? But for now, the 200X style/interpretation is retired for the on-line Classics line. Nothing like that is on the drawing board, I’m just speaking off the top of my head.

Okay, hopefully that helps clarify some things. As for which characters you will see, MOTUC is all about creating the largest world possible including all of the vintage toys from Masters of the Universe, Princess of Power, New Adventures and the "modern" 2002 line. Personally I’d love to get to every vintage figure in time!

You will also see characters from the vintage mini comics, DC comics, concept toy art, package art and other vintage toy sources.

Currently, we do not have access to the Filmation characters, various children’s book libraries or the 1987 film (outside of the three figure in the vintage line!).

Going forward you will see figures from all of the areas we have access to. We’ve worked the line out (give or take) for a few years, to ensure each year has a good mix of characters from all eras, teams and recognition level (i.e. A-list characters). So if you are not seeing your favorite character next month, it doesn’t mean he or she won’t be along in time! Hang in there, we promise one great ride!

Finally, once again to comment on the bios. They are not intended to be a all definitive cannon to the MOTU world. The toys have always been avatars for the imagination. Fans have always made up their own stories and these are just as valid as any movie, cartoon or comic book story.

Our goal was to create a world that would let us make the greatest number of characters (i.e. toys) possible, delivering fan requests like the Goddess, Wun-dar and He-Ro along with mainstays like He-Man and Skeletor in one universe (which proved more difficult then you know, there is lot of contradiction between different stories!).

If the bios are not for you, make up your own! Every adventures is just as valid.

The line is doing great and we can’t wait to reveal what else is coming in 2011. We’re just getting warmed up!

TG

This all makes sense and fans understand that the hyper detailed look of 200X is retired but it still does not explain why we cant get a 200X He-Man with longer hair in a Classics-cized style.

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[wesitron]

I dunno, it just seems dumb to me. I get the whole "reinvisioned" idea where they want everything to look like it was designed then and for the most part that stuff looks great, but why the heads? For the price they NEED accessories to keep people interested, variant heads guarantee that completists will buy two so they can display both, and 200x heads means you keep fans of the MYP series like me happy.

I really don't care for some of the original head designs and I, like many other MYP fans, won't be buying the figures that don't look like the characters I grew up with. So why deliberately cut out a portion of your sales? Just doesn't make sense to me.

And for the record, I'm not a bitching MOTUC fanboy who wants everything to be "hyper anime styled" or whatever bs they call it, I'm just curious from a business standpoint. If people are big fans of product a and product b, and the people who collect them like both, why would you cut out product b when it gives you greater total sales?

If this means the line is moving towards fewer accessories while maintaining the 28 dollar price point, it's going to be one I have to cut out. At least with 200x heads I can display the characters I want and swallow the cost.