3rd Party Toy Makers & MOTUC

Masters of the Universe Classics, or MOTUC, has become a robust line with 94 released toys - including action figures, beasts, vehicles and display stands and weapon packs...and there's more to come! This exclusive online collector-grade toy line has been around since late 2008 - so it's going into its 5th year of existence. By ALL standards, MOTUC is a VERY successful line. One of the great things about this toy line is its versatility - it doesn't take much to create a new character with existing parts and imagination. Collectors and customizers alike have produced some awesome results in using existing parts, and even creating new parts, to create a character based on existing mythology, or a totally new character.

Transformers, the behemoth toy line managed by Mattel's rival Hasbro, has experienced an unprecedented boom in 3rd Party companies that provide product offerings that Hasbro just doesn't seem to be willing or able to provide - yet fans and collectors are frothing at the mouth to get them. From weapons, to alternate heads, to extra accessories, to sticker decals, to entire figures, and even play sets, Transformers 3rd Parties are rivaling what Hasbro can produce - in some cases, the 3rd party products are superior or more revolutionary to what Hasbro has released.

This 3rd Party trend is no stranger to Masters of the Universe...

I'd say that the MOTUC product line is relatively young compared to the Transformers products that have constantly been on the retail shelves for more than ten years. The TF 3rd party experience has evolved with Transformers over the years. In parallel, MOTU 3rd party "companies" are organizing and growing, but they're relatively young as well. The 3rd party trend with TF has experienced a significant boom in the past couple years - it's just been a matter of organization on the part of those small "companies", and the obvious success of selling such sought-after "custom-made" items. I think with MOTU, many of the folks who are capable of providing 3rd party goods and services are slowly discovering the potential of the market. If MOTUC is around long enough to support continued 3rd party growth, I suspect we will see expansion beyond already-produced alternate heads and weapons, and actually get armor sets, full-blown figures, and perhaps even beasts, vehicles and playsets.

There are already budding outlets for 3rd party Castle Grayskulls, but I've heard some rocky news on those fronts...waiting lists exist and are quite lengthy, so obvious mass production and distribution issues must be overcome, here's an example: http://www.facebook.com/pages/On-Deadly-Ground/353030601395875

Manta Raider by Rudy Obrero & Joe Amaro

We've also seen the first 3rd party vehicle getting pushed. The Manta Raider offers great potential for quality 3rd party products to come:  http://geek-news.mtv.com/2012/03/08/manta-raider-custom-motuc-vehicle/

There's great potential for 3rd party companies in MOTUC - I just think the entities that are capable of filling the rolls are not ready yet if you get my drift. All sorts of logistics need to be worked out if you're going to step in this roll and provide products to a large buyer group.

Transformers 4 Cometh

UPDATED: 9/16/2012
There's been a a lot of talk about the next Transformers movie, which is tentatively scheduled for a June/July 2014 release. Despite vehement denials that he wouldn't return to the TF movie franchise, Michael Bay is indeed returning to direct the flick - looks like Paramount made an offer he couldn't refuse. With TF3 making 1.124 Billion, Paramount and Hasbro are compelled to keep the film series going, and whatever Bay did to bring in that kinda dough can't be turned away. But is it really ALL thanks to Michael Bay's genius, or is brand recognition, and the simple theme of giant alien transforming robots helping to rake in the cash too?

It is too early to know what TF4 is going to be - a continuation of the previous movies, a total reboot, or a mixture of both of these. Many fans are hoping for a turning point in how these movies are approached. Indeed Bay and his producers are promising a fresher take, taking out the questionable humor, and maybe offering more character and action. Only time will tell - my fear however is that we'll only get more of the same.
UPDATE: Due to a drop in toy sales, Hasbro is looking to bring in new Transformers, and more of them. The new movie will likely focus more on the new characters. http://screenrant.com/transformers-4-story-new-robots-cast/

Who's coming back?
As mentioned, many fans are hoping for a change. What we DO know is that Optimus Prime and Bumblebee will be mainstays in the film franchise for the foreseeable future. Hasbro learned a crucial lesson when they tried killing off Optimus in the '86 animated film - BIG MISTAKE. Plus, killing off Optimus again in the live action movies should be avoided at all costs (he died and was resurrected in REVENGE OF THE FALLEN) - it's become a running theme for any version of Optimus Prime to die off, and return in a great resurrection. As for Bumblebee - he's always been a popular part of the brand, being one of the only Transformers to get a figure released in all but one of the years of the original 80s line.

So, we know Optimus and Bumblebee will be there, what else is there? Based on comments from Bay and the producers, as well as some of the actors, most of the human cast of TF will not be returning. This could mean one of two things: 1. The human cast will simply be replaced with new humans (perhaps Marissa Fairborn and Daniel Whitwicky), or 2. More focus will be placed on the Transformers themselves, who admittedly have been backseaters in their own movies. Hopefully, the latter will occur - these movies just have too many humans clogging up the plots, leaving little opportunity to explore and focus on the true Cybertronian narrative. IF Bay and his cohorts are true to their word, this is the fresh take that a lot of fans new and old are looking for. Doing a movie without Spike...ahem, I mean Sam, will not hurt the movies - it just might push us into a direction where we get a more ideal TF movie. If the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles can have a successful movie, not having humans in focal protagonist roles, then the TFs can do it too.

The Decepticons
Michael Bay made it a point to close out his TF trilogy by killing off ALL the big Decepticon baddies: Soundwave, Starscream, Shockwave and Megatron himself are all destroyed by the end of the film. But we HAVE to have a Decepticon threat. Most fans have been screaming for GALVATRON to take up command of the Decepticons. Galvatron is a reformatted, souped up version of Megatron - typically, Unicron is the force that resurrects Megatron in this scenario, and it seems to be the most logical direction to go. Megatron got a huge proverbial shafting in all 3 previous TF films: he spent most of the first movie on ice, only to have Spike...oops, Sam hand it to him after not even 20 minutes of screen time. In Revenge of the Fallen, Megatron is resurrected, but plays second fiddle to the Fallen, the true Decepticon Master. By the end of the film, a Matrix-powered Optimus wipes the floor with Megatron, succeeding in ripping off his cannon arm, and tearing off half of his face. Instead of coming back in DARK OF THE MOON all bad ass,

Megatron spends the film in pretty bad shape, again playing second fiddle to Optimus's jaded predecessor Sentinel Prime. Optimus again hands Megatron his own head, decaptitating him and ripping out his "spine". I don't know what Michael Bay had against Megs, but he never came off as the villain he should have been. Resurrecting him as Galvatron may be a good way to redeem the character, and offer a solid antagonist that audiences can root for.

The Story
The story could be anything. At this point though, the great MacGuffins: The Allspark, The Matrix, and The Space Bridge have all been used - it's probably time to change the formula a little...if you want to truly go for a fresh approach. I and many other fans have suggested a UNICRON TRILOGY. We know that TF4 will be successful, so there is room for some risk. I fear that "playing it safe" with the MacGuffin formula that was used and res-used for all 3 previous films COULD lead to a decline in the series. Why not plan for 3 films at once - at least create a loose treatment/plot line that carries through all 3 films, culminating with the third act of the third film. The Unicron Trilogy could ultimately be about the resurrection of Cybertron - as apparently there is still hope for the planet, despite Optimus's claims that Earth is home to the TFs now. Perhaps after the events of TF3, the Autobots are allowed to establish territories on Earth and the moon, seeing the rise of Autobot City, and the influx of new characters. With the scaling down of human casting, we could shift focus to more TFs - Ultra Magnus, Hot Rod, Kup, Springer and Blurr could be the new batch of Autobots to focus on.

TF4:
Galvatron comes to Earth - in search of Dark Energon. Under his command are new Decepticons: Cyclonus, Scourge, the Stunticons, the Quintessons, Seekers and Vehicons. The Quints are his scientists and engineers. Unbeknownst to the audience, these Decepticons are all Heralds of Unicron. The first film is about half of the Decepticons distracting the Autobots, while the other half track down Dark Energon - fuel needed to fully resurrect Unicron.

TF5:
Perhaps TF5 takes the story into space, with the previous film acting as a launching pad for this new turn. The Autobots discover that the Decepticons have returned to Cybertron, and are attempting to reshape the dead world for unknown purposes. Half of the Autobots remain on Earth to stop the Decepticon incursion, and their extraction of Dark Energon. The other half venture to Cybertron. TF5 could be the first time we the audience actually experience Cybertron in the story. TF5 comes to be about the Autobots finding the Key to Vector Sigma, a device that could resurrect the Allspark and reboot Cybertron. The Decepticons seek the Key to power the Heart of Unicron. Unicron could then take control of Cybertron, becoming it's new sentient core. In an ultimate clash, Hot Rod sacrifices himself to prevent Unicron from taking over Cybertron.

TF6:
TF6 sees the Decepticons fail in implanting Unicron as Cyberton's core, but succeed in establishing him on one of the moons. The Quintessons, having developed a distaste for Earth, look to use the planet's sun as an energy source to fully restore Unicron. Galvatron, finally giving up his ruse of loyalty, betrays the Quintessons, opting to destroy the sun, rather than drain it of its energy. The two Primes - Optimus and Rodimus work together to stabilize the sun, and use the excess energies to reboot Cybertron. Unicron awakens by siphoning energy from his "brother", and manifests to destroy his enemies. Rodimus and Optimus merge with the Allspark and send Unicron and his minions through the space bridge, and into a black whole. Transformers begin returning to Cybertron to repopulate it.

In Conclusion
We don't know what the next film(s) is going to be about, but with the above illustration, there's many possibilities and potential for the next outing. Only time will tell...

G.I. Joe 2 Sets to Redeem it's Predecessor

Though G.I. Joe: Rise of Cobra did well enough to warrant a sequel, the film itself has been panned by critics and fans alike. Unlike its sister Hasbro franchise The Transformers, G.I. Joe has yet to find a niche for itself as a multimedia juggernaut. The strong sci-fi elements of Transformers, plus the transforming gimmick in itself, lend a lot more flexibility to the Robots in Disguise brand taking a gamble at successfully reinventing itself.

One of the factors that made G.I. Joe successful in the past was the fact that it could happen - despite some of those hokey terrorist plots. The first live action Joe movie strayed away from that, and didn't take itself seriously enough. Sure, you need some wiggle room - not wanting to take yourself too seriously - but the plot reeked of 80s cartoon hokiness...it was dated and contrived. For longtime fans, attempting to inject character conflict by making Cobra Commander the Baroness's brother, and Duke the Baroness's fiance was painful, forced and a major slap in the face. The corrosive nanobite tech, and the underwater sea base pushed limits as well.

Though I enjoyed the first Joe movie, I see its flaws, and welcome a more serious and faithful take on the Real American Hero. The sequel's director promises to give us the fans what we want, along with bringing non-fans in with action stars like Bruce Willis and Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson - it's a smart combo. We've already gotten glimpses of Cobra Commander, and a slightly redesigned Snake Eyes. And with characters like Lady Jaye, Flint, Roadblock, Stormshadow and Firefly, this film looks like it's on the right track. A sneak glimpse of Destro - perhaps leading into a third film also has my interest peaked.

Either way, I will be returning to the box office, and buying this film on DVD as well. I predict G.I. Joe: Retaliation will put this franchise back on track, and open up the brand for a much-deserved expansion.

New Transformers Stuff

According to seibertron.com and tformers.com, Transformers is getting some fresh entertainment with a new animated series called Transformers: Prime. This new show marks a new chapter in the rather schizophrenic Transformers franchise (the changes in the franchise are MORE THAN MEETS THE EYE), as the door to the rather over-extended Revenge of the Fallen line comes to a close. Very few details have been revealed about this show, other than the fact that actor Jeffery Combs will be portraying the legendary Autobot Medic named Ratchet, and that the show will air on Hasbro's new network The Hub. The Hub is Hasbro's joint venture with Discovery Communications, and presently exists as the network Discovery Kids. The Hub will start off with a heavy focus on programming from Hasbro's extensive library of kids' entertainment. I would suspect that the success of the two Transformers movies, and the mild success of the recent G.I. Joe film has emboldened Hasbro to push further into the multimedia arena - now having a movie production wing and a television network to call its own.

We'll see...

There are only two Transformers series that I remember as having any true substance and staying power - The Beast Era (composed of 3 seasons of Beast Wars, and 2 seasons of Beast Machines) and Transformers Animated (the most recent Transformers cartoon series that had excellent character development and story, and was painfully short-lived). I hope Hasbro doesn't decide to do Transformers: Prime for a year or so, and then decide that the franchise needs to take yet another new direction.

I for one feel that the franchise is becoming far too over-saturated with new reboots, and reinventions. The core of what Transformers is is getting lost in this goopy soup of marketing/merchandising overload.

Hasbro, stick with one thing and find a creative way to keep it going for a few years, and allow your "audience" to get attached to the characters/figures for a while.

I mean, think about it: DOES ANYBODY EVEN GIVE A SHIT IF OPTIMUS PRIME DIES ANYMORE? HE JUST COMES BACK IN 50 DIFFERENT REINCARNATIONS, OR A WHOLE NEW SERIES.

Sexist Toys

This entry is inspired by two sources: A five hour chat with a friend at Starbucks, and numerous postings on the Mattycollector.com facebook page. I haven't blogged in quite a while, and it's time to get back to it...

I am not the most avid toy collector - though I do have a designated Toy Room, I have seen other peoples' collections, and my collection pales in comparison. I am in now way a completionist, and would never dream of being so - too stressful. My two main lines of focus are Masters of the Universe by Mattel, and Transformers by Hasbro. If I could own stock in these two companies, I would...some day. I'm 32 years old, and I grew up with these two lines and others. I collected them as a kid, and continue to collect them in my adulthood.

Transformers as of late is proving to be far too oversaturating - the movie line is crap in my humble opinion. I do like the complicated, biomechanical, realistic design of the characters onscreen, but the designs do not translate well to the toys. You have repackaged G1 stuff, reimagined G1 stuff, Animated toyline stuff, the movie stuff...there's just too much of it.

Right now, my focus is on Masters of the Universe (MOTU for short), albeit I don't actually collect the figures...not in the budget. Mattel has a good thing going with its MOTU Classics line. Although there's such a limited supply that it sells out quickly on the Mattycollector.com website, and so those that don't act fast enough are forced to pay anywhere from $34 on up for a figure they missed out on - that's some mark up. These third party stores - Ebay, Bigbadtoystore, Amazon, have to recoup their costs from buying the figures from Matty, and try to make a profit. Understandable, but that leaves me and many others out in the cold. It's already a lot to pay $20 plus shipping and tax for one figure, so to invest more? I'm a fan, but I can't go that far.

Well, that is until Adora comes out in the beginning of 2010. Adora, He-Man's twin sister, is She-Ra Princess of Power, the central figure of the female spin-off line Mattel produced back in 1984. The thing is He-Man was re-released in a Commemorative Series in 2000, then was reimagined in 2002. And thanks to the 4 Horsemen toy sculptors, the He-Man flame was kept alive with their "staction" figures and busts, until Mattel released MOTU Classics. She-Ra and company would not receive any sort of attention until the Princess of Power herself received an update as an exclusive San Diego Comic Con retooling of the 2002 Teela figure. The MOTU toyline itself is guilty of having only three female figures in its entire run from 1982 to 1987 - Teela, Evil-Lyn and the Sorceress. What's tragic is the Sorceress was a central character to the mythos, and her figure was not released until the end of the line...hmmmm.

She-ra's line was relatively successful, essentially being an amalgumation of Mattel's two successes - Barbie and He-Man. This amalgumation unfortunately was a key component in the ultimate failure of the She-Ra toyline. Most action figure lines historically have been guilty of producing mostly male figures, and having maybe one or two female figures. The logic is that boys don't want to have girl figures because well...it's too girly. Mattel's decision to make She-Ra strictly a girls' line doomed it from the start, that and the divergent marketing of both the MOTU and the Princess of Power (POP) lines - which ultimately doomed them both. The problem with POP is that the powers that be really didn't know what it should be. Though it was a line for girls, it was an action figure - which was something that boys typically played with. The term "action figure" was coined so that boys didn't have to refer to their 12" G.I. Joe as a doll. Some parents were apprehensive in buying She-Ra figures because she was considered too violent for girls, and they didn't want to promote tom-boyishness. Boys themselves would not dare venture into the "pink" isle at Toys 'R' Us or where ever to pick up a She-Ra figure. I myself had my mother smuggle my She-Ra figure, and kept her in hiding so my father and brother wouldn't ridicule me.

Filmation, the animation house that produced both the He-Man and She-Ra cartoons, essentially used She-Ra's show as a tool to market both the He-Man and She-Ra toylines...

MISTAKE #1. He-Man was cancelled to make She-Ra. So, in essence, She-Ra season one, is He-Man season 3, with He-Man in a guest starring role. This is where the confusion starts. He-Man's success is largely based on this syndicated cartoon series that catapulted the toy franchise to unprecedented fame and sales. You take that marketing vehicle away, and you are destined to see a decline in sales - which is what slowly happened with MOTU. She-Ra, though being a girls' line was made to be hoplessly codependent on MOTU to evolve. Rather than establish She-Ra as her own independent line with some connections to MOTU, the She-Ra show depicted her universe as half MOTU. ALL of her villains, save for Catra and Entrapa, are MOTU characters. So, in order for a girl to logically complete her toyline, her parents have to buy her boys' toys...big no no. Catra should have been the leader of the Horde faction on Etheria (while Hordak re-established a Horde presence on Eternia perhaps). The feline beauty should have had a mass of colorful villainesses at her beck and call to fight against She-Ra's rebellion. But the logic was that you can't have too many "bad girls" in the line, because you don't want girls to want to be bad...sugar and spice and all that.

MISTAKE #2. The inconsistent marketing for She-Ra, as mentioned above, is another dooming factor. The commercials and collectible fiction depicted She-Ra with more Barbie-esque qualities. Pinks, and orchids donned the advertisements, with She-Ra combing her hair wilst admiring her reflection in a pink mirror in the pink Crystral Castle. This was stark contrast to the television series, which did a good job of balancing the sexes if you will. The pinks and orchids are toned down, and She-Ra herself is a strong, but beautiful take charge kind of lady. Boys could watch the show and respect girls, and girls could watch and aspire to be a strong leader. However in Marketing, you have to have a clear and concise direction for what your product should be, and how it is to be represented. This is definitely not the case.

MISTAKE #3. Making a unisex figure toyline....uh a little too early for that. Let's face it, She-Ra was way ahead of her time. Idealistically, a toyline should be accessible to both sexes, not just for boys or girls. This idea that boys only want swords and guns, and girls want combs and dresses is a little dated. Is it the norm for a lot of people, perhaps. But the doors shouldn't be closed to the boy that wants to comb a doll's hair, or have more female action figures, or a girl who wants to wield a sword and be a warrior princess. Maybe conquering sexism starts with the action figure.