And thus, we close the Classics tome again, having completed the sixth(!) full year as 2014 comes to end. It has been a roller coaster of a year, but what would a year of Masters of the Universe Classics be without the ride?
Since our “Class of” articles have grown into something all of their own, I think it is still important to recount the year that was (as it was) when it comes to one of the most popular and prolific action figure collector lines of all time. As collectors, I know we are all guilty of always looking for the “next thing” when it comes to reveals and releases, so I like to take an opportunity to reflect on what we have, rather than what is coming. Have you taken a long look at your MOTUC shelves lately? That “full collection” that has been bandied about for years has suddenly taken shape and much of that can be attributed to what we added in 2014. I cannot believe how empty some corners of my display were last year, and now packed to the gill, so while many things changed for the line this past year, much of it remained very much the same. For those of us that have been here since the beginning, that is a pretty awesome thing.
So, did you think the well would start to run out by now when that first He-Man figure was released back in December of 2008? Well, Modulok, Tung Lashor, Rio Blast, Glimmer, Scorpia and all of the rest of the 2014 have some words for you. I know I say this just about every January, but I think last year might have been the most diverse year we have had yet in Classics and that is a testament to the property, but also the line itself. Sure, the wait has been excruciating for guys like Two Bad, but we are approaching to the culmination of a plan coming together and it is hard to imagine anything like this coming along ever again, at least for Masters of the Universe in its iconic form.
The More Things Change, the More They Stay the Same
As always, at the heart of this has been the Four Horsemen. I like to take this time to remind myself (and you) that Classics does not exist without the New Jersey Superstars. That is not meant as a slight to the strength of the original designs or the other talented people working on the line, but Classics and the Horsemen have become inseparable, and that is to the benefit of us all. While it may seem like over-inflated exuberance, the fact is that, even after all of these years, the 4H still find ways to surprise and amaze us with their contributions to the line.
We have been living with the foundation and blue print for the aforementioned Two Bad and Modulok for most of our lives, but the Horsemen still manage to not only “nail” them, but also give us figures that continually surprise us. Aesthetics and cohesion within an action figure line has become a BIG thing for me over the years, and MOTU Classics plays to that perfectly, so you know the Horsemen get the lion’s share of the credit for that. Be it a character that has had a life in plastic for decades or one like Madame Razz that has never had the pleasure, the 4H find a way to put it all together and give us individual releases that inspire on their own, and build a universe like never before.
And Sometimes, the More Things Change, Well, the More They Change
While the Horsemen continue to be the constant rock, every year brings about some kind of change within the line as well, and 2014 is no exception. We all know that internal design at Mattel has been a constant source of discussion (and occasional ire) with fans and most of the attention was constantly focused on on designer in particular. Now, I am not going to get into all of that, but we know that some of the less-than-popular design choices were attributed to this person via speculation, and some were certainly confirmed. The ongoing issue of the female hip overlay is always at the forefront and in year where we had more female figure releases that any other time (by far) this was a ubiquitous issue in 2014.
However, we did learn, shortly before SDCC, that a new designer, Brandon Sopinski, would be taking the reigns in transition at the end of the year, and full time by 2015. I had a chance to talk with him at Comic Con and aside from being a really cool guy, I can say that he “gets it” and wants to do right by the figures and the fans, so I am very content in my trust with him and I am now looking forward to how design challenges will be met in the future, rather than fear them.
Good Journey to You, Toy Guru
It cannot be denied that the October departure of the line’s brand manager, Scott Neitlich (aka, Toy Guru) was one of the biggest story lines of the year for Classics. Your personal feelings about the guy aside, he has been central to just about every aspect of the line since its inception so many years ago. Much like the Horsemen, Classics would not be what it is today if not for Scott, and when you put aside all of the chatter, politics, and background noise, I am left with one of (if not THE) best lines in my collection, and I recognize that Scott has been instrumental in that, so for that, I absolutely thank him.
We are in a strange place regardless of your opinion of better or worse for the line now, and for the first time every, the brand will be managed by someone else. Personally, I hope that we continue on as we have been and that we get an opportunity to every character from every corner until the interest completely dies, but we will see. 2015 has been billed as the “End of Line”, so as we move into the future, a new and different approach is possible, so it will be interesting to see. It will also be something to see how communication about the line will be handled going forward and if the new manager(s) will continue to be the internal champion for the figures we love so much. Only time will tell, but in the interim, thanks for everything, Scott, and good luck with the next chapter at Jakks Pacific.
For the Honor of Classics
We could talk all day about what the single biggest release or impact to the line was in 2014, and I could consider strong cases for a lot of what was released. The Unnamed One had his share of talk and controversy, we FINALLY got not one, but TWO characters from the MOTU movie in Blade and Gwildor, and after years in the making, the Battle Ram finally (and unexpectedly) came to fruition in the line. That is a lot of “big” stuff for a line so long in the tooth and it just goes to show the strength of the property to be able to make such splashes after all this time.
However, if I were to pick the biggest single impact of 2014, I would choose Club Etheria. You cannot be a big deal without some controversy, but when I consider where we were at this time last year and where we are now, Club Etheria has made the biggest mark. The Princess of Power label has been taken as a full part of Masters of the Universe (as it should) so the inclusion of those great characters has always been a part of the plan in the line. However, at the outset of the year, the Great Rebellion was not so great, at least in terms of numbers. Sure, She-Ra, Bow, Frosta and some others were hanging out at the Crystal Castle, but the “add-on” subscription brought us Double Trouble, Madame Razz & Broom, Sweet Bee, Light Hope (a revelation of a figure thanks to Nate Baertsch and the Horsemen), and Spinnerella for the Rebels, as well as Entrapta for the Horde and Galactic Protector She-Ra for New Adventures. We essentially doubled our PoP presence in one year and Queen Angella, Peekablue, and Perfuma are the only ones left from the vintage sect for 2015, so this was a big year for Etheria and Classics in general.
The Classical Age, By the Numbers
So, in case you were wondering, here is the full MOTU Classics roster released in 2014, including all of the add-ons, exclusives and variants:
That is: Two Bad, Glimmer, Modulok, Hydron, The Unnamed One, Kowl, Loo-Kee, Goat Man, Blade, Scorpia, Battle Lion, Extendar, Flogg, Intergalactic Skeletor, Double Trouble, Hordak (blue), Imp, Flutterina, Madame Razz, Broom, Rio Blast, Entrapta, Eldor, Sweet Bee, Light Hope, Tung Lashor, Galactic Protector She-Ra, Arrow, Battle Ram, Man-at-Arms (ponytail), Mermista, Gwildor, and Spinnerella.
That makes, 25 figures, three “beasts”, four “buddies” and a vehicle. I am not even going to count how many that is for a total for the entire line, but we have to be closing in on 200 soon. By the Sorceress, that is pretty amazing.
To Eternia and Beyond!
So, here at the end of 2014, we have arrived at a crossroads. We know that the vintage figure “wrap-up” will conclude in 2015 and what comes beyond will be a new approach to the line. Ninjor, Squeeeze, Blast Attack and others are already well on their way and the completion of the vintage line is most certainly within sight now, it is just a matter of what order they will be presented to us as this year plays out.
It was advertised as the year where “All Lines Must End”, be we have come to know that meant mostly for the name and a re-branding will take place for the 2016 product, if there is support for it. The completion of the vintage roster is a bit sad if you think about it, but it is also very exciting. MOTU Classics will get a change to spread its wings now and go to places beyond what we have always expected.
Right now, we do not know where that is, but hints have me hoping that it will be a continuation that pulls from all corners of MOTU history. Once guys like Dragstor, Peekablue and Saurod are in the can, other great characters will get a chance to step into the limelight and prove their worth in our lore. There are so many opportunities with Filmation because the roster is so deep with the likes of Evilseed, Vultak, General Sunder, Hawke, General Tataran and othere, so I hope there is a lot of pull from there. New Adventures and Mini-Comic are due their day in the sun, and even the new characters introduced during the Classics era like Lady Slither, The Great Black Wizard, and Fang-Or should get a chance to be realized as well. There are still years’ worth of possibilities in front of us, and if you take those more obscure guys and balance them with new and improved versions of the heavy-hitters, the future is VERY promising. I just hope there will be support for it.
Masters of the Universe Classics: 2008 – 2014
And here it is, the story so far, all of the characters that we have gotten in the line up to December of 2014:
It really is quite a thing, isn’t it? Even with the variants removed, we are far beyond any vintage or 200x roster ever imagined at this point, and all I can say is, give me more. Legitimate arguments can now be made whether this is the best MOTU line ever, and I think with the further addition of some vehicles and play sets, those accolades would be correct. Regardless though, there is no denying how amazing and impressive Classics has become and how much it continues to be as we enter the seventh full year.
By the time I look back next year, all of these vintage character posters will be complete, and all of the guys masterfully painted by William George will have their Classics counterparts take their place. This started as a funny project so many years ago, and even I (an eternal toy optimist) never would have thought that they would all be complete one day.
Epilogue/Prologue
We have never really had any idea where the Classics line would take us at the onset of a new year in the past, but 2015 will be a little different. As we all anticipate that final vintage figure and where we will be going in 2016 and beyond, it is important to take a little stock of what is already haunting our shelves. Even if it all ended tomorrow, we would be left with some VERY impressive collections.
2014 had a major role in that, and I think I had more fun this past year than just about any other for the line, and things continue to look positive for me. I am sure 2015 will be just as exciting and emotional, but that is a good problem to have because I love MOTU Classics and being able to see it through to its next incarnation is a thrill all its own.
See you in 2015!
*Thanks for reading and thanks to all of the talented people whose contributions (past, present and future), make this one of the greatest collector lines of all time!
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