It was a mad dash from the Hasbro/SW Panel that basically gave me five minutes to get between two Panel Rooms that were literally as far apart as possible (7AB & 25ABC).
Panel:
-Ruben Martinez, Design Manager
-Bill Beniecke, DC Brand Manager
-Eric Treadaway
-Cornboy
-Joe pharans, franchise team
-[missed his name], motu franchise development
I had seen a dude in Mighty Spector costume posing for photos at the Mattel booth that morning... aaaaaand it turns out it was Scott Neitlich. The costume is a mix of cheesy home sewing and pretty solidly done accessories and I have to say this is the first thing that Neitlich has ever done that really makes him cool. Regardless of the Mighty Spector debate I think it's awesome that he has never stepped back and is just owning it. Love it or hate it I love that he's fan. So... it's goofy but it's cool (for the record I don't like the figure at all but agree it was fair and right to give him one of the six slots). The panel was delayed for several minutes due to trouble getting the computer linked up to the projector, so Scott chatted a bit and someone stood up to show off a Mosquitor helmet to much applause - pretty cool.
And then, at last, the Matty Collector adventure began...
-JLU Line has been running since 2001 and this year it really, actually, finally ends
-One more 6" scale Young Justice 2-pack Superboy & Martian Girl to complete the team. Only on Matty, will only get made if minimum preorder is met.
-Dark Knight Rises: Stealth Fusion 8" Batman uses internal articulation like Swamp Thing. Includes stand and batarangs.
-Club Infinite Earths: next oversized figure: oversized Elastigirl with a micro version of her, 6" John Constantine, 6" Uncle Sam with mini Dollman, then Platinum with Tin, then oversized Lead
-CIE 2013 - will run the full year/12 figures with two goals: 1st goal is for production of line, 2nd goal for a 100% new tool figure to be included. $18 each or $20 Day Of Sale (DOS) + 1 oversized club exclusive. Saint Walker (Cornboy says it's for a kid from the Mattypalooza panel 2 years ago who asked for him), Phantom Stranger, Elongated Man, Larfleeze, Wally West Flash circa '95 (no applause), ovesized Monseiur Mallah with Brain
-Mystery Line - Watchemen! 6 figures, $25/each, no sub exclusive, includes bases and accessories. First is Rorshach, then Dr. Manhattan. 6" scale, sculpted by the Horsemen.
-Voltron blue and black lions will be it, whatever remaining stock is left goes on sale again this fall
-Ghostbusters - new prop for spring 2013 (ecto goggles - wearable and projects Slimer onto glass in the goggles - can control Slimer's speed and it syncs to the PKE meter), toys will continue but nothing to announce beyond the next figure: Courtroom Ray and Tony Nunzio Ghost!
-Non-repsonse to Hoverboard prop by audience
MOTUC
-October is Rattlor, 30th Cy-Chop figure, sticker sheet for PoP with Rattlor, accessory pack for "Great Unrest"
-November is Dekker with old/young heads, Palace King Randor, fan figure for 30th Anniversary is Castle Grayskullman
-December - Mosquitor, oversized Procrustus, Granamyr
2013
- $25 per figure, $27 DOS. 4 quarterly figures, variants or oversized, 1 $25, 1 $30, 1 $50, 1 $75.
-January: Netossa (pop), Ram-Man oversized; February: Jitsu; March: Fang Man
-2013 subscription figure is King He-man (gets staff, mech sword, subternia map, mini comic)
-2013 q2 - Fighting Foe Men 3-pack (interchangable hero/horde chest symbols),
-There will be a fans choice slot for 2013 with voting only open to subscribers ("Crash Landing" Marlena Glenn [repaint new gloves], "Cloak and Dagger" Evil-Lyn [Mo2K], Geldor [from the mini-comics], mini-comic green Trap-Jaw, Illumina, Songstor, Camo Khan, mask of power green demon - will be released in November)
-2013 will have a traveling convention exclusive Strobe-o.
Q&A
-limited chance of of the not-Professor X characters (Will Magnus and The Chief) from Metal Men and Doom Patrol, but possibly a two-pack if they did them at all
-flocked Panthor? no plans right now
-fly stands for nunzio bros? talked about and could happen, a possible DCU flight stand that could be used across the line
-GL 12-Pack? weary to do another 12 pack because of the massive amount of time and effort put into. The Legion 12 pack equal some amount of work as two full series of figures.
-possible to do Superboy and Martian Girl Young Justice season 1 costume? Well season 1 M.G. needed new tooling and this version was already under development
Superboy and Martian Girl? How about they worry about getting Kid Flash to the market before double-dipping on Superboy?
I'm liking the Rorschach figure, but that Doctor Manhattan just looks cheap. The giant shoulders and painted-on speedo? Remember, the Watchmen characters are supposed to look realistic. Giving them bulked-up proportions and painted on costumes doesn't work. The movie figure looks better.
the characters are supposed to look "realistic" in proportion and not super bulky, yes....EXCEPT Dr manhattan who is a perfect physical specimen, so the bulky muscles are actually just fine for him. as far as "realism" the art itself was kinda simple and cartoony, which is what makes mattel's manhattan look better than DCD's movie version, because it matches the art more faithfully.