Mattel DC Figures

Oh god, my sister has been nonstop mentioning Slaine to me every fucking day this year, if he ever got a new figure I'd probably have to own like... four. Nemesis as well. I mostly just need Johnny Alpha and Durham Red.
 
Atomic Knight said:
All true. And even if there isn’t a panel or press conference, we know what a great detective you are Mike. I expect you to do your best possible snooping. And report back here with as much as you can share without breaking any confidences. All off the record of course. Can’t burn sources.
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Thank you for the kind words, old buddy. Here's the thing though: After Neitlich got fired, NO ONE at Mattel wanted to step up and be the new DC brand manager. If there was a new Toy Guru, he or she flew way under the radar. And you know what? I don't blame them. After the way Scott was eviscerated, both by the company and online, the best thing that person could do was stay hidden. Cowardly? Maybe. But sometimes discretion is the better part of valor.

Now admittedly, all this was a long time ago. Someone at Mattel may be willing to talk now and be what Dwight and Dan are to Marvel Legends. And that would be great. We'll have to wait and see.

I guess I could talk to Julius Marx and see if I could get my old press pass back. BUT ... let's wait and see exactly what Mattel has planned here. So far we're just speculating. We've seen the core line and we got all excited. But we may be putting the cart before the horse.

But yeah, I'll head over to the Mattel booth and see if I can make some new friends. And of course anything I find out I'll report.
 
I’m actually encouraged. Mattel seems to have a plan. One that’s long term, sustainable, and has legs. Even coattails for other brands.

But what has me most encouraged is the fact that, like him or not, McFarlane has made oddball/outlier characters commercially viable. A character doesn’t have to come from the JLA, the JSA, or the Titans to sell.

Mattel has to see that. And if they indeed do see it, this is gonna be a fun ride.
 
Well, Mattel did make Kamandi, Eclipso and OMAC when they had the license the first time. They're not against obscure characters, at least they weren't then.

My best guess: They're going to do just enough classic comic characters to keep the classic guys interested. They're going to do just enough modern comic characters to keep the modern guys interested. They're going to do just enough live action TV and movie characters to keep the live action guys interested. Just enough cartoon characters to keep the cartoon guys interested. And on down the line.

If Mattel produces, let's say, 130 figures next year in the collector line, I'll probably be interested in maybe 20. 30 tops. That's IF they copy the Hasbro Legends formula.

And that's perfectly fine. It saves me money and shelf space. And I don't have action figures taking over my whole house.

But again, all speculation on my part until Mattel announces their plans. Which I hope is sooner rather than later.
 
SDcomics said:
Thank you for the kind words, old buddy. Here's the thing though: After Neitlich got fired, NO ONE at Mattel wanted to step up and be the new DC brand manager. If there was a new Toy Guru, he or she flew way under the radar. And you know what? I don't blame them. After the way Scott was eviscerated, both by the company and online, the best thing that person could do was stay hidden. Cowardly? Maybe. But sometimes discretion is the better part of valor.

Now admittedly, all this was a long time ago. Someone at Mattel may be willing to talk now and be what Dwight and Dan are to Marvel Legends. And that would be great. We'll have to wait and see.
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If you aren't already aware, Steve Ozer and Kyle Wlodyga (formerly of Super 7) from Mattel were on Gotham City Tonight a couple of months back. They were showing off the kids line, but that is actually a different team and these are guys are working on the collector's line. They didn't say a single thing about the collector's line (nothing until 1/1/27, according to them), but at least they are willing to be public facing. And you've got collectors working on the line who don't exhibit the narcissistic tendencies of Nite-Lik, so that is a positive sign.


EDIT: Bill Beneke is still at Mattel as well, looks like he worked on the kids line. Steve posted on Instagram a few days ago.

 
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The only 2000AD figure I have is Durham Red, based on some incredible artwork from almost 30 years ago. Good articulation for the time but yeah, I’d love a modern one, plus the ABC Warriors, the Dark Judges, Joe and Cass, etc.
 
SDcomics said:
If Mattel produces, let's say, 130 figures next year in the collector line, I'll probably be interested in maybe 20. 30 tops. That's IF they copy the Hasbro Legends formula.
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My hope is that whatever they produce, comic accurate figures will be the dominant genre. At least 60% of the lineup. Classic (pre-1987), modern, or Elseworlds. It’s all the same in my mind and I’ll happily cherry pick my way through it. No “wagging the dog”. Comics need to drive this forward. Don’t be like Marvel where media drives everything. Furthermore, I’d like to see Mattel take a page out of the Hasbro playbook and make the animation and gaming figures more compatible with the comic figures. Broaden our options. Live action, by necessity, has a different aesthetic. Dictated by human physical proportions.

Final point (for now). A rising Batman lifts all characters, so to speak. Do not break him out into his own dedicated line. Fully integrate him into the integrity of the main line itself and have him as a selling point. Batman along with his Family and his Villains should probably clock in at somewhere around 30-40% of the overall lineup including all genres.
 
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scottg10 said:
If you aren't already aware, Steve Ozer and Kyle Wlodyga (formerly of Super 7) from Mattel were on Gotham City Tonight a couple of months back. They were showing off the kids line, but that is actually a different team and these are guys are working on the collector's line. They didn't say a single thing about the collector's line (nothing until 1/1/27, according to them), but at least they are willing to be public facing. And you've got collectors working on the line who don't exhibit the narcissistic tendencies of Nite-Lik, so that is a positive sign.


EDIT: Bill Beneke is still at Mattel as well, looks like he worked on the kids line. Steve posted on Instagram a few days ago.

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This right here tells me all I need to know. I guess for the first time in a long time Mattel will be getting my money. Right now and in the future. Awesome.
 
scottg10 said:
If you aren't already aware, Steve Ozer and Kyle Wlodyga (formerly of Super 7) from Mattel were on Gotham City Tonight a couple of months back. They were showing off the kids line, but that is actually a different team and these are guys are working on the collector's line. They didn't say a single thing about the collector's line (nothing until 1/1/27, according to them), but at least they are willing to be public facing. And you've got collectors working on the line who don't exhibit the narcissistic tendencies of Nite-Lik, so that is a positive sign.
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That is very good to know, thank you! I'll try and seek them out at SDCC. They seem like nice, affable guys.

Good to know that Bill Beneke is still around and working on DC again. I'll look for him, too.

Thanks again!
 
I have a concern that hopefully you guys can placate for me.

Social media:

Hasbro has a great social media game. McFarlane too for that matter. So where does Mattel stand on that now?

Neitlich exemplified what not to do. It was a different media world back then anyway. Back then Mattel announced DC figures 2-3 times a year. Toy Fair. SDCC. And NYCC. That is if they went to NYCC at all that year. News was doled out with one of those eye droppers you use to feed newborn kittens when the mom disappears. Any leaks were severely punished. Actual information was treated like state secrets. Not just normal corporate stuff, but life or death, cloak and dagger bullshit. The Q&A’s were fun. For a while. The you realize “Toy Guru” is talking in circles about nothing. And about every third sentence was a lie on top of the corporate gibberish.

So has this situation improved? Or is it still like pulling teeth on a crocodile without anesthesia? Or a no prep colonoscopy?

I mean so far, so good. But this is just the appetizer. The steak and potatoes are still in the kitchen.
 
Dwight and Dan do monthly (sometimes semi-monthly) live streams on Hasbro Pulse to announce new figures.

But Dwight and Dan don't have to deal with Warner Brothers Consumer Products. Mattel does.

I know people blamed Scott for a lot of things, but not everything was his fault.

WBCP is the fly in the ointment. They are the enemies of fun. To put it mildly, they suck scummy pond water.

Now, that whole fiasco with DCUC ending at retail was a long time ago and I'm sure things have changed with WBCP. God, I hope so. But I guess we'll find out.
 
Atomic Knight said:
Furthermore, I’d like to see Mattel take a page out of the Hasbro playbook and make the animation and gaming figures more compatible with the comic figures.
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What do you mean by this? X-Men TAS is basically just a comic style cartoon with the actual comic designs, but we really do not have anything along that lines for DC cartoons and games, except maybe Super Friends. I'm completely open for DCAU figures that don't explode upon using their articulation, but I can't see them being properly "compatible".

If we skew them to be just labelled JLU or something and be comic figures with those overall looks, those designs are 99% of the time just going to be the most evergreen or iconic costume of each respective character and miss what makes that incarnation special. Granted, I'd much rather standard comic style releases of these exact outfits anyways, but I don't see the point in DCAU, etc figures if they're going to be "compatible" in the sense we think of typically.
 
Niko (protozoalord) said:
What do you mean by this? X-Men TAS is basically just a comic style cartoon with the actual comic designs, but we really do not have anything along that lines for DC cartoons and games, except maybe Super Friends. I'm completely open for DCAU figures that don't explode upon using their articulation, but I can't see them being properly "compatible".

If we skew them to be just labelled JLU or something and be comic figures with those overall looks, those designs are 99% of the time just going to be the most evergreen or iconic costume of each respective character and miss what makes that incarnation special. Granted, I'd much rather standard comic style releases of these exact outfits anyways, but I don't see the point in DCAU, etc figures if they're going to be "compatible" in the sense we think of typically.
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What about Creature Commandos and the upcoming Mr. Miracle?
 
I totally get the fear of breaking a new figure but man I find myself yelling at the reviewers who say the new figures have no waist articulation. If it doesn't move with the tiniest attempt they move on and say "no waist or torso articulation". Even Dan Who? Reviews did it. Lol. Twist harder! Lol.
 
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