The Return of the King

Mattel's Masters of the Universe (MotU), one of the company's most successful multimedia franchises, is to return in the Fall!

Behold King Grayskull, who will be a SDCC Exclusive! King Grayskull is the inaugural MotU figure to feature super articulation and classic detail sculpting by the Four Horsemen. Grayskull comes in a brand new package, featuring lights and sounds, which transforms into a mini Castle Grayskull playset.



Castle Grayskull was once home to King Grayskull, an ancestor of Prince Adam. He appears in the Episode, "The Power of Grayskull", waging battle and ultimately defeating the Snakemen led by King Hiss. King Grayskull's triumph was shortlived and he dies defending his kingdom from Hordak. During his lifetime, King Grayskull ruled with wisdom and compassion.

With the emphasis on the collectors market, and The Four Horsemen in the sculpting saddle, the revitalised MotU line is sure to raise the bar on what constitutes the very pinnacle in mass produced collectibles! Read my childhood Masters of the Universe recollection!

If anyone at Mattel is reading this, please contact me to discuss the possibility of running a 'give-away' competition during the holiday season! Thank you in advance.

Faking It!

My late Grandmother, Louise Farley née Curtis, was an immigrant from Calgary, Alberta, Canada. So, Happy Canada Day to all my readers.

Currently selling Masters of the Universe Faker ToyFare Exclusive on eBay. Happy bidding.

"He Slimed Me!"

I wouldn't profess to be an avid memorabilia collector, but I take pride in the pop culture ephemera amassed since childhood. Although Mattel's Masters of the Universe line is defunct there are bargains to be had for conservative collectors.

Spending $500 on a ToyFare exclusive is anathema to me, but mint sale swag like The Mutant Slime Pit™ is irresistible at $4.99 (available from Toys "R" Us) and includes Slime® compound and exclusive exploding Mutant Warrior™ figure. As I never owned Hordak’s Slime Pit or Fright Zone (spied on the shelves of Tesco's Lee Mill superstore in the '80s), there’s no danger of duplication and the Four Horsemen Studios' sculpts outclass any at McFarlane Toys.



Continuing with the Mattel collectible theme. The Hot Wheels 1989 Batmobile is a definitive die-cast model and surpasses those released by ERTL® or Toy Biz. The 1:18 object d’art is in short supply and an investment. Anton Furst would be proud.

Caprica 6 Mattel 0

Further to my post regarding Diamond Select Toys' new action figures line based on Battlestar Galactica. From today Forbidden Planet International has started taking pre-orders.

Caprica 6, Lee Adama (Apollo), and Flight Deck Chief Tyrell are the first wave of what will surely be a hit with fans and merchandise collectors alike. DST should avoid the mistakes Mattel made with their license.

Passion for Fashion!

Many of you are buying products from both my Amazon UK and USA associate links. Thank you for supporting my passion for blogging in this way. Please don't underestimate its significance.

Because Bratz are an ever-popular collectible with readers, I've decided to add another aStore.

Bratz Shop

David Rowan, editor of the Jewish Chronicle and a Times columnist, wrote this compelling article; The Times Magazine: How Bratz beat Barbie.

Mega news in the next post!

Toys "R" Us "Hot Toy"

Fellow collectors may want to read the following Toys"R"Us press release issued on Tuesday.

WAYNE, NJ (September 26, 2006) As holiday shopping commences, Toys "R" Us has released THE definitive list of toys destined to be big winners with kids across the country this year. Culminating months of review, today Toys "R" Us unveiled its annual "Hot Toy" list of 36 toys that will top wish lists from coast to coast. Organized by age from Baby's First Christmas to Big Kids, customers looking for the perfect gift can turn to Toys "R" Us for the best selection of must-have and exclusive toys new to the market in 2006. From the overall list, the "Fabulous 15" were chosen, representing the very best, new toys of the holiday season. Toys featured on the list are available at all Toys "R" Us stores nationwide and at www.toysrus.com.

"As a global toy retailer, our "Hot Toy" list is the result of a yearlong evaluation of new toys from around the world," said Ron Boire, President, Toys "R" Us, U.S. "We are in the toy business 365 days a year, and our team worked hard to identify fun toys that will leave kids speechless when they open their gifts this holiday season." He continued, "With new toy shipments arriving in our stores daily, customers can count on our toy-trained staff to help them find the perfect gift this Christmas at The World's Greatest Toy Store."

THE TOYS "R" US FABULOUS 15 THE BEST OF THE HOLIDAY SEASON
Following are the Toys "R" Us "Fabulous 15," representing the best new toys of the holiday season (listed in alphabetical order):

*Blue Man Group Percussion Tubes from ToyQuest®
*Designer's World™ from Tiger® Games
*Dora's Talking Cash Register™ from Fisher-Price®
*ESPN® Fast Action Football™ from Fisher-Price®
*Kid-Tough™ Digital Camera from Fisher-Price®
*Laugh & Learn™ Baby Grand Piano from Fisher-Price®
*Mindstorms® NXT from LEGO®
*My Scene™ My Bling Bling™ Styling Head from Mattel®
*Pink Nitro Notebook™ from VTech®
*Power Rangers Deluxe Manticore Megazord from Bandai®
*Speed Stacks® StackPack® from Play Along®
*Sound City Railway from Imaginarium
*Tap Dancing Mumble from Thinkway
*"T.M.X." ™ Elmo from Fisher-Price®
*Wii™ from Nintendo®

Old Saint Nick's going to need a lorry to carry all this cool stuff!

The Entertainer

In time for the holiday season, let me introduce The Entertainer.

The Entertainer is the largest independent retailer of toys in the UK, with over 25 years offline and 8 years online experience. The brand ‘The Entertainer’ has been well established amongst parents through its network of 41 stores.

The Entertainer’s target audience is young children to late teens together with a small adult market (via board games). The product range includes many brand names such as Bratz, Doctor Who, Pixel Chix, Tamigotchi, Playmobil, Thomas & Friends, Hasbro, Mattel, Lego, Hornby, Star Wars, TP Activity Toys , MB Games, Barbie, Fisher Price, TOMY, Play-Doh, Heelys and many more.

DC's Dark Deeds

Following The Four Horsemen's feted sculpts for Mattel's Masters of the Universe franchise. They turned their attention to DC Super Heroes (amongst others). These are amongst some of the coolest mass-produced articulated figures I've ever seen!

More then a match for Marvel Legends? I'll let you decide.



DC Super Heroes Series 5 from Mattel focuses heavily on the Superman mythos featuring Lex Luthor, Darkseid (see picture for illustrative purposes only), Brainiac and more from the boy scout's universe.

Merchandise Maniacs

So, avid reader what are you favorite franchises to collect? To start the ball rolling, I'll list (in no particular order) some stuff:

Star Wars Transformers
Why Hasbro didn't think of this sooner is a question for another day! Of course they didn't merge with Kenner until the early 90's. The initial releases were a bit hit and miss. Waves 2, 3 and 4 and there's no looking back, eh Annie?

Star Wars Die-Cast Titanium Series
Kenner's die-casts were collectible gold in the 70's and 80's. My parents bought me Darth Vader's TIE Fighter, X-Wing, Land Speeder, Imperial Cruiser (and Rebel Blockade Runner), Y-Wing, Snow Speeder, Slave I and Millennium Falcon. These are just too great for words and are ample compensation for never owning the elusive TIE Bomber!

Transformers Die-Cast Titanium Series
The G.I. Joe crossovers are an homage to the 80's Marvel comic. Can't wait to see Skywarp/Cobra Rattler jet.

DC Super Heroes
Mattel finally unleashes the Four Horsemen (MySpace friends) and demonstrate that they can go head-to-head with Marvel Legends. Marvel Legends are now licensed to Hasbro. The toy wars continue!

Doctor Who (both classic and 200x)
The Denys Fisher Mego range of 10" figures and accessories has a very special place in my childhood! Giant Robot, Doctor Who, Cyberman and Dalek were welcome company during an extended stay in hospital in 1977! Now Character Options' new merchandise has pride of place on my bookshelves.

Masters of the Universe (200x)
I'm still collecting 200x and NECA stactions (static action figures). Aren't you?

The Powers of Grayskull: Part III

The evil cadre of Skeletor, Beast Man, Trap Jaw and Tri-Klops were hired to bolster Darth Vader's Bounty Hunters. Castle Grayskull served as Vader's weekend retreat so-to-speak and Snake Mountain became the adopted home of the Emperor and source of unimaginable Sith power.

During a family holiday to Innsbruck (1984), between organized coach trips we would walk around the shops. The Austrian toy and model stores overflowed with Masters of the Universe action figures and accessories (sold seperately) that were not available in the UK. One of the most coveted was Prince Adam and the fact that I wasn't allowed to buy him left me emotionally scared. I had to content myself with an Action Force Summer Special comic instead!

By 1987 I set aside 'childish' things and waited anxiously for the release of Michael Jackson's Bad album. However, that didn't preclude me from seeing the camp movie (starring a young Courteney Cox) and savoring Bill Conti's copy cat score (see John Williams).

Mattel's 2002 revival of the enduring billion dollar property has met with mixed success. Mattel flooded the market with worthless repaints. In 2004 I tracked down Mer-Man (an overlooked figure from the original) and last year made a successful bid for the elusive and very rare Evil-Lyn. The new sculpt, by Four Horsemen Studios, captures the beauty of Skeletor's duplicitous sorceress.

With the R1 release of Masters of the Universe DVD and UMD, the Masters of the Universe renaissance is secure for generations to come.

The Powers of Grayskull: Part II

Mattel's marketing approach was quickly copied. Product-based TV shows were created for The Transformers, Care Bears, G.I. Joe, Visionaries (perhaps the best animated tie-in of the era) and many other toy lines which followed. Cartoons (inspired by) the figures became nothing more than commercials for the toy companies. Critics mourned the loss of 'educational' programs, but there was no arguing with ratings and the 'value' of this inferior edutainment form.

Masters of the Universe was a cash cow and Mattel extended the brand with the introduction of She-Ra: Princess of Power (think action Barbie, also a Mattel property) and The Evil Horde. Hordak was the insidious successor to Skeletor and his Horde Troopers shamelessly copied the Stormtroopers of a galaxy far, far away. A variety of beasts were released. Modulok resides in mint box in my attic.

Primary characters were often redecorated with different features over the years, a trait that would destroy toy lines including, ironically, Masters of the Universe. Figures were sold on bubble-packed cards which changed as new merchandise was released. In 1990, a new series of figures was marketed under the name He-Man. Masters of the Universe, including its spin-offs, ran for a decade. History lesson over.

The Powers of Grayskull: Part I

At a time when Mattel's strapline, the world's number one name in toys, could be seen on every toy aisle around the globe, Masters of the Universe were a feature of my childhood. First a history lesson.

Masters of the Universe is significant for two reasons. It was the first major toy line which incorporated action features, making the figures more than just posable toys. As a result, many future lines would strive to include some sort of action feature... even if it was nothing more than an accessory which snapped onto the figure itself. Action features, however, were not the key factor in the success of the line.

Just prior to Christmas 1983, the Federal Communication Commission (FCC) lifted a number of restrictions on children's television programming. Among the regulations, which were overturned, was a 1969 decision that prohibited television shows based on toy products. This precedent had been established when the Tonka corporation filed suit with the FCC to prevent Mattel from producing a Hot Wheels television program.

The now-defunct Filmation Associates, a subsidiary of Westinghouse, was quick to take advantage of the deregulation. With the cooperation of Mattel, they produced sixty-five half-hour episodes of He-Man and the Masters of the Universe. Filmation was unable to sell the series to any of the major networks, so they tried a different approach. Instead of selling the show, they traded the animated sequences for a portion of the air time, allowing local stations to keep the advertising revenues.

I'll conclude the history lesson in my next post!