When it comes to Masters of the Universe as a property, I’m about as hardcore as it gets. In recognition of the “universe” part of the title, I want everyone and everything. There is no character too big or too small that I won’t happily buy to add to my collection. Even much-maligned characters like the scientists from New Adventures or Crackers the Clown from the Filmation cartoon are more than welcome.
However, and maybe unfortunately, not everybody can share my unbridled zeal for the Masters of the Universe. Among the collecting community, I have heard the words “I have no interest in _____” a baffling number of times. Either they’re Filmation purists or vintage purists or they only want the serious characters while disavowing the Plundors, or … well, you get the point. While I will never understand people’s ability to fragment their own interests in something (I just can’t do it; I’m forever an all-in type of guy, which should either be the subject of its own article or what I say at some kind of support group somewhere), it’s clear that after so many years of toys, the MOTU brand is reaching a point where a lot of people are happy with their collection as-is.
With the end of Mattycollector’s website and the news that Super7 will be picking up the reins on the Masters of the Universe Classics line, we’re at a point of mystery, speculation, and confusion. 2017 is going to look a lot different to those of us for whom a brand new Masters of the Universe figure (or two, or three) a month has become not only expected, but welcome. We’ve logged eight years on Eternia, Etheria, and beyond, and that’s simply a lot of figures. Masters of the Universe Classics has far exceeded its origins. But I don’t think it has exhausted its potential.
From a purely clinical view, all the “big characters” have (mostly) been made. What remains are characters that will fill up and enrich that universe, but to the less devout, those characters can easily be viewed as third or fourth stringers. While Lodar’s continued — and frustrating — absence means a colossal hole in my collection, others that didn’t worship at the alter of the mini-comics might find him dull, uninteresting, superfluous, and even … unnecessary.
Gasp.
While there’s definitely a line of thought that says “it’s had a good run, let it die,” I just can’t be that cynical. I think there’s every bit as much capacity for excitement and life in MOTU going forward as there ever has been.
Nobody knows what Super7’s plans are for the MOTU brand. All we know is that they do intend to continue it in some form. That’s more than we know for Thundercats right now — and trust me, that’s a slow stab with a rusty knife at this point.
For me, personally, I need those characters that we don’t have yet. I need this universe to keep spreading itself wider and wider. Masters of the Universe has been on the receiving end of a ton of pure imagination from a wide variety of creative people. There are still so many untouched characters from every era. There are still mini-comics, New Adventures, Princess of Powers and more. Your average wishlist at this point can still easily run twenty characters strong. I still balk at the idea that vintage can be called complete without a healthy set of Meteorbs, so to me the mission of “vintage is finished” is a stroke in the win column that has been erroneously marked.
Refreshing the brand requires a two-pronged approach. First, we have to go back to the roots of the line, meaning the characters on whose backs the property has been built. At the same time, we have to push forward. We still need those unmade characters, after all, but those of us who have been in since the beginning can’t expect the line to get by on pre-licked donuts.
If you wanted to start this line now, you’d find a very unfriendly endeavor waiting for you. There are so many characters that are essentially eBay exclusives, and even then you’re going to be paying a ridiculous premium for the opportunity.
For your sake and mine, let’s simplify everything using a single figure as an example. And since he’s arguably the star of the show, let’s use He-Man himself.
He-Man is a fine figure. He debuted in 2008 and still looks good by today’s standards. Sure, he may not be as articulated as some of the other toys out there, but he maintains a streamlined sculpt and does exactly what he needs to do. That’s not bad at all for a toy that’s eight years old.
He-Man was available for a while on Matty as an “evergreen” figure, meaning he was consistently available for purchase. At some point he sold out, meaning right now you cannot officially buy him. Of course, you had plenty of time to buy him dozens of times over if you wished, but right now, he’s gone.
Refreshing a line means having to look backward as well as forward. New customers are fine, but you also need the die-hards to come back.
I have He-Man. I have many flavors of He-Man, including Filmation. I have the vintage head, and I have several options for swords. For me, personally, I don’t technically “need” another He-Man, not the way I need someone like Lodar.
So what do you need to do to get me to buy He-Man all over again? Or, if this is the first time, what do you do to make me not only want him, but neeeeeeeeed him, as in “that is the coolest He-Man ever and will be the beginning of my collection”?
My initial instinct, and I think it’s a good one, is to look to Japan.
When I buy a toy from Japan, I know I’m going to be guaranteed a certain standard. Let’s take Bandai’s Figuarts line. I know when I buy a Figuarts figure, I’ll be getting, at minimum, some extra hands, an extra head (maybe in the form of swappable face-plates, or maybe complete heads) and several accessories. It’s highly probable I’ll be getting some type of special effect like a weapons blast or something. Now, I won’t be paying mass-market Walmart prices for it — all those extras don’t come cheap — but I know that I’m going to be getting a deluxe package.
The same needs to happen for He-Man, and then apply that same concept to the other “major” characters in the line.
For me to buy another He-Man, he would have to not only offer options I already have, but other options as well. A minimum three heads — Classics, vintage, and maybe something more stylized like screaming or windblown, either of which would be good for manic “I’m gonna smack yo momma!” -style He-Man. I’m talking full-on warrior He-Man, none of that duck-and-chuck cartoon stuff. We have gotten multiple heads in the line when appropriate, but it would be nice if it were a standard feature.
He would need an assortment of hands. Most important would be the now standard gripping hands with the additional joint the Filmation He-Man has that allows him to pose with sword or axe aloft — any sword-wielder needs this as standard.
To complement the standard hands, he’d have to have a set of fists. While, yes, you can simulate a punch with gripping hands, nothing is as satisfying as having your barbarian-esque dude having a pair of actual fists.
Finally, a pair of splayed expression hands. That’s a minimum three sets of hands that can all be interchanged to give you a ton of posing options. Pair the screaming head, a left-handed expression hand, and a right-handed fist and you’ve got a He-Man that’s about to punch you into the sun.
Along with his standard sword, shield, and axe, He-Man could use some weapon effects. Maybe a lightning sheath than can slide over his sword. Or an impact effect that could clip-on to his sword or axe, for the slicing of the evil.
Pair this all with a figure stand that allows him to be posed in any manner you wish and you’ve got a deluxe He-Man that even those of us who already have one would have a hard time turning down.
Now replicate that with all of those early, hard-to-find figures, but get creative. Give Fisto a partially open ginormous hand to go with his big metal fist, for those who don’t think his fist is permanently closed (I personally think it’s a solid chunk of metal and doesn’t actually move like a real hand).
Give Teela swappable ponytail lengths. Give Ram Man a concussion effect that can slide onto the top of his head. Give Stratos two colors of wings. Give Beast Man a few different expressions. Go nuts.
These would all be pricier than the standard He-Man figures, but I can’t think of a more apropos line than the one that Kevin Costner was on the receiving end of: “Screw you dad, I’m Superman.”
No, wait, that should be: “If you build it, they will come.”
The last thing I’d like from a figure standpoint is full modularity. It’s no secret that customizing new characters bridges the gap between consumer and creator and that a ton of extra toys are bought up by people looking to create their own entries to the canon. Well, what if the ability to swap body parts around was as easy as it is to swap heads? We already know characters like Trap Jaw and Hordak came with removable arms. Why not expand that to every figure, so anybody can share parts? Those figures are no worse for their swapping ability than any other. Acknowledging the fan base’s insatiable need to create new things could stimulate a ton of goodwill, and could further sales of individual figures.
This current absence of the next one doesn’t really bother me, but it is something that no toy should be without, so I will say it simply: toy packages need bios. Across the board, a toy should have a bio about whom you’re buying. I don’t care if it’s a toy for kids or adults — and in a perfect world there wold be no dividing line between those concepts. While I don’t think the bios need to tell an interconnected story like the previous MOTUC bios, I am a fan of a simple bio that tells a little bit about the figure you’re buying. I think we need to go back and look at toy lines like G.I. Joe and Super Powers to see how bios can inject personality into the figure you’re buying. While He-Man’s power set might be obvious, someone like Dylamug might be a little less so without a nice summary of his general state of being.
The last thing I’d like to see is possibly the most unlikely of all, but I’d love it if regular mini-comics came back. Again, like the bios, a perfect mini-comic includes a simple adventure featuring the character you’re buying. You get a quick read, a utilization of powers, and always always always you get appearances from other characters that are currently available. Without any other available media — and it was a huge mistake for the DC MOTU comic to feature designs that were alien to the actual ongoing toy line — there needs to be something out there to build enthusiasm for the brand. While mini-comics were attempted before, the concept of the concise, illustrated adventure needs to be simplified into its purest purpose: building excitement.
The climate and budget for toys today is vastly different than it was thirty-some years ago, so the age of the included mini-comic might be something I’ll have to look at fondly in the rearview mirror. But in my mind I always have a symbiotic connection between MOTU as a brand and the mini-comic.
Masters of the Universe has a lot of life left in it. Those of us who have been with it since the beginning might be either ready for the next surge (my position) or sick of it altogether, but with a little effort it could be revitalized for a brand new round of people that could be waiting to jump aboard with the right enticement. I have everyone, but if I had the chance to re-buy all of them with increased accessories, multiple heads, hands, and so forth, I doubt I’d be able to turn them down, especially if I knew that it was fueling a landscape that would finally get Lodar out, along with all the rest of those great unmade characters. Can any collection be complete without Uncle Montork?
I don’t think I have to answer that one.
