Retro Action Heroes Hit the Shelves

[Meule]

this 75th Anniversary Batman figure

Batman's only been around for 71 years

[gonzo]

I found a set (minus GL and missing one Sinestro) in Orlando, FL today. They look amazing on their cards. Too bad their legs are made of string. If Mattel can fix the lower bodies, these will be great.

[Cmonster]

Let me see if I can provide a bit of a different perspective here;

Given the fact that I've been on both sides of the fence (Worked for many major toy companies including Mattel as a designer and sculptor, and also an action figure collector for most of my life) I can really see and understand both opinions here, and respect them both. That being said, the simple fact that a major like Mattel even seriously considered, let alone actually went ahead and produced this line, is believe it or not folks, nothing short of a miracle.

Let me clue you in on something you probably don't know... I've been trying to get a toy company to do something like this, for the better part of 10 years. Even though I had a strong working relationship with companies like Hasbro, Toy Biz, and Mezco, and they trusted me implicitly when it came to anything superhero or Star Wars related, NONE of them, even though they admired my passion for them, never responded to the idea of doing a mego-like, 8 inch figure line with roto heads and cloth costumes. Even Toy Biz, who pretty much is (was) Marvel, who could do ANYTHING they wanted with ANY of the characters in their library, would simply not go down that road with me, and I knew those guys pretty well, and had done all kinds of work with them during my tenure there back in the day, and mind you, a lot of the guys I was working with, were our age and grew up with the same toys we did. They always came back with; "Sandy, I know you love these things and it'd be awesome, but it would be strictly a nostalgic collector thing, and it's just not that big a chunk of the demographic to move forward with, and they'd be super expensive in the limited quantities we'd have to do to hit that specific a slice of the demographic..."

The point I'm trying to make here, is that IN SPITE of the above mentioned fact, Mattel made these figures, and I gotta tell ya, they made them for US. Though I can understand some of the quality and price point issues, I really can, especially in this economy, but guys... GUYS... C'mon, there's 8 inch figures on what basically looks like a mego card at first glance, hanging (albeit crookedly) on the shelves at TRU!!! Did you ever think you'd really see the day?!?!?!? Warms the heart, doesn't it?

SC

[drmego]

This happened because of two words - Marty Abrams. He has relationships higher
up in the food chain. When the word comes from the top down, it gets done.

[The Bat]

No...we are grateful. Sure we're unhappy about some of the quality issues...and feel it's our job to point them out to Mattel, in hopes that they will be corrected in future Waves. But a lot of Us don't mind doing a simple "Body swap" to a Mego or Cast-A-Way Body(others feel it drives up the price point...but it doesn't bother me)...it's great that they're are in the right scale to make this even possible!

One concern for me is...if the quality issues aren't fixed...there might not be any future waves. And that would be sad.

[MegoMark71]

For the first time in my life i have kept my mouth shut. I am so so so grateful we have what we have. I just never thought the day would come when we saw them on the pegs again.

[Toy Talk]

Yesterday my six year-old son needed to buy a present for a birthday party; so we went to TRU. I gave him $20 and told him to go scower the store for what his friend would want. Away he went, running for the wrestling isle. His little legs run faster than my old ones so it took me a while to catch up with him. Before my tired old body made it to the action figure isle I found myself frozen in position at the end-cap just staring at him. There he was, holding a wrestling figure in one hand and a Retro Green Lantern in the other.

The wrestler was hanging waist level in his left hand and the Green Lantern was in admiration status in his right. Until that point I had no idea they had made it to our local TRU. I just stood there and watched his face as he stared, eyes all glazed over jaw slightly lowered. It took less than 20 seconds for him to drop the wrestler on the floor and come running to find me.

Of course the answer was yes. Hayden left TRU with a Green Lantern for himself and Superman for his friend. I am not sure if watching my son toss aside what was his favorite toy line for a Mego brought me the most joy. Him wanting to buy a Mego for his friend so they could play together might rank right up there.

Thanks Paul and everyone at Mattel for nearly making me cry.

[Raydeen1]

I have had similar moments with my boys but I'm hoping to have the exact same moment you had when we find them.

Thanks for posting this. This may very well be the best post I've ever read.

Yesterday my six year-old son needed to buy a present for a birthday party; so we went to TRU. I gave him $20 and told him to go scower the store for what his friend would want. Away he went, running for the wrestling isle. His little legs run faster than my old ones so it took me a while to catch up with him. Before my tired old body made it to the action figure isle I found myself frozen in position at the end-cap just staring at him. There he was, holding a wrestling figure in one hand and a Retro Green Lantern in the other.

The wrestler was hanging waist level in his left hand and the Green Lantern was in admiration status in his right. Until that point I had no idea they had made it to our local TRU. I just stood there and watched his face as he stared, eyes all glazed over jaw slightly lowered. It took less than 20 seconds for him to drop the wrestler on the floor and come running to find me.

Of course the answer was yes. Hayden left TRU with a Green Lantern for himself and Superman for his friend. I am not sure if watching my son toss aside what was his favorite toy line for a Mego brought me the most joy. Him wanting to buy a Mego for his friend so they could play together might rank right up there.

Thanks Paul and everyone at Mattel for nearly making me cry.

[The Bat]

Yesterday my six year-old son needed to buy a present for a birthday party; so we went to TRU. I gave him $20 and told him to go scower the store for what his friend would want. Away he went, running for the wrestling isle. His little legs run faster than my old ones so it took me a while to catch up with him. Before my tired old body made it to the action figure isle I found myself frozen in position at the end-cap just staring at him. There he was, holding a wrestling figure in one hand and a Retro Green Lantern in the other.

The wrestler was hanging waist level in his left hand and the Green Lantern was in admiration status in his right. Until that point I had no idea they had made it to our local TRU. I just stood there and watched his face as he stared, eyes all glazed over jaw slightly lowered. It took less than 20 seconds for him to drop the wrestler on the floor and come running to find me.

Of course the answer was yes. Hayden left TRU with a Green Lantern for himself and Superman for his friend. I am not sure if watching my son toss aside what was his favorite toy line for a Mego brought me the most joy. Him wanting to buy a Mego for his friend so they could play together might rank right up there.

Thanks Paul and everyone at Mattel for nearly making me cry.

Man...that's a GREAT story!! Love it!

[Uni]

Me tooo! Jeeez this is awesome.

Thanks, Sandy, for reminding us to be in that place. I have literally had dreams about finding new Megos in Toys R Us, but never would have thought it would happen. I'm absolutely thrilled!

[CrimsonGhost]

I found the Mattel Retros at the Rockaway Mall Toys R Us in Rockaway NJ today.

They were all just piled on top of each other so I spread them out for the pic. It looks like they had two sets. Some lucky customers got there before I did got and both Green Lanterns and one of the Superman figures. But I bought the other Supes, both Luthors, and a Sinestro, so I left them with a Sinestro. I'll have to try again to get GL. BTW, they all looked fine.
For what it's worth, I picked a DVD copy of Baron Munchhausen for 10.00 as well. I love tax write-offs!

[Earth 2 Chris]

Called the Florence, KY TRU last night and nada. That one and the Lexington store that BKane mentioned are the closest ones to me.

It sucks!

Chris

[gonzo]

I just boiled my Superman to pop his head off. It came off, eventually, but unfortunately the red and black from the towel I used to grip him rubbed off on his face. Now it looks like he was just beaten to a bloody pulp.

[WannabeMego]

Just picked up a set from the Blue Star Mall Toy-R-Us in Watchung, NJ.

Looks like they had 2 sets...Someone had bought a Superman before I got there.

I bought a complete set for Berto and left a Sinestro, Lex Luthor, & Green Lantern for some of my fellow Megoheads who live nearby...Go Get'em Guys

[Monsterama2000]

Nothing at the TRU in Montrose, OH just outside of Akron. They didn't even have pegs for them.