Hawkman Planned in Wave 19 + more news

[JediJaida]

If I may chime in; I'm looking forward to the new SuperGals. Not just the original set either. I hope it gets expanded to include some of the Marvel heavy hitters like Storm, She-Hulk, Spider-Woman, etc.

I know that it's a matter of what sells, but we can always hope.

She-Hulk would require a whole new body; it'll be difficult to make her look as ripped as she is in the comics yet retain her femininity.

[B-Lister]

Ultraman figures still sit in my Walmarts (and these can can check out with no problem, unlike a lot of recent Megos, so that's not the problem). Poin is, the 50th figures sell, apparently even with the Walmart problems.

Sounds like we have the opposite problem.

Ultraman sold out FAST in my area, and the boring old Superhero rehashes sit in piles of ever worsening boxes.

[palitoy]

Yeah I forsee a period where it's mainly superheroes and pop culture references for the next little while. Mego is going to make what the retailer chooses. I wish the toy buyer for Wal-Mart liked Apes...

[scott metzger]

Some of us aren't into women.

And my point isn't that I'm upset they're doing WGSH (it may come off that way, but I'm just being extreme to emphasize my point), I'm upset that they seem i pnterested ONLY in WGSH.

I said it before that it feels like the goal was to use the other licenses as stepping stones to re-acquire the Marvel and DC licenses, and now that they have them, it certainly reinforces that idea.

They let the Universal and Hammer licenses lapse, they don't seem interested in the Ultraman license (Where's my Ultraman Zero?), and they are trickling out Trek and Apes, but they clearly aren't a priority.

I just don't see how this is a long term strategy. It sometimes feels like they're trying to do a thousand things at once, and other times that they're narrowing their focus to the point that it's alienating fans such as myself.

I'm never gonna get the DC characters I want, so what's the point for me? Same with Marvel.

From what we've seen so far, I think a lot of it comes down to simple sales. We saw the two much touted Trek aliens, which, yes, I was really looking forward to, cancelled from current assortments because there weren't enough orders to justify making them. Now, I don't know what the bar is as far as what level of orders makes it worth producing a figure, but that does come into play. Ultraman figures still sit in my Walmarts (and these can can check out with no problem, unlike a lot of recent Megos, so that's not the problem). Poin is, the 50th figures sell, apparently even with the Walmart problems. It's not like they haven't tried other stuff, and there should be some 50th love for Trek soon. I'd be surprised if they didn't do the same for Apes with a new movie on the horizon bolstering the brand. But if sellers aren't ordering Game of Thrones figures in enough numbers to justify making them, why would Mego proceed and use resources that could go to things that would sell better? Now the monsters have always seemed to be solid sellers for Mego, but Universal and Hammer are licenses that cost money up front. I'm not sure what the returns were on that investment or how much more Mego thought they could get out of the licenses. THey did some really good stuff that a lot of general monster fans gave positive reviews to, so maybe that was soemthing to try to continue, but, again, I don't know the cost vs returns. THere is a very valid point of going too far with one thing, like certain companies that have had the DC license and interpret that to be "All Batman, all the time" to the exclusion of anything else. That's not a formula for success. But Mego has tried different things, and I'm not sure how well they did, though a lot seem to have sputtered as no further figures were added to the sets. And there is a heck of a lot they can do with the DC 50th line and the Bronze Age (not like McFarlane has shown much interest in doing a lot from that era for DC, so not much competition on the toy aisles), so I can't blame them for putting an emphasis on that at this time. I do hope they continue to add properties or continue some they started (I hope the GI Joe faction someday goes beyond just Snake Eyes and StormShadow), but I also understand the reality of business. The 50th stuff sells, and it has had the biggest buzz around it out of anything Mego has done since its return. THat's where the money is.

[B-Lister]

Yeah. I don't wish him any bad vibes or anything. We just had a bad row, he said some pretty awful things to me, and I just don't care for the guy.

He's free to do his thing, I'm not gonna badmouth him, but I'm also not gonna give him any of my business. If this NuMego thing was just him, I'd have none of it. But I'm not offended that others buy his stuff, and think he's a great guy. I'm sure most of the time he is. But he wasn't to me, and I don't care for him.

[TheXFactor]

I have history with Paul. We don't get along. I will not speak to him after what he said to me at Mego Meet several years ago.

But I will not speak ill of him on this forum either.

I had similar experiences with certain musicians back in my music journalism days, and- just like yourself- I don't speak ill of them publicly. I don't listen to/support them anymore either, but that's a me thing.

I think that "Mego Ambassador" Facebook pages allows anyone who joins the opportunity to give input/make suggestions, and since Mego is obviously not just run by one person that might be a good option for you. Couldn't hurt, right?

[danadoll]

No Marvel until 2025? Mego, you’re killing me!

Dana

[B-Lister]

I just hope we see MORE Ultraman.

Reissue the original four in boxes (preferably with some Japanese on the box) on the new bodies.

Then give us Zero, Zoffy, Leo, and Dyna

[TRDouble]

I don't think Mego gets enough credit for the other things they *are* trying.

Ultraman, the Rocketeer, Willy Wonka, Rick & Morty, Ted Lasso, House of the Dragon, Pinocchio, Creepshow, the Nun, music icons, etc. None of those were "sure things" for the brand. Some have paid off better than others, but I like that they are not afraid to take risks on interesting properties with crossover appeal.

I think that's a very good point.

[TheXFactor]

I think a POTA line would definitely be a hot seller, along with more Trek aliens and villains.

In the video, it sounds like any future POTA releases have been scrapped- partially due to Fox/Disney wanting to focus on that CGI-travesty movie series with a new installment coming out next summer. It's worth noting that- in the past few years- all the primary ape and human characters from the film series have been done, save for Aldo and Virgil. Personally, I wouldn't mind other Human characters such as Dr. Hasslein (ESCAPE), Governor Breck and Mr. MacDonald (CONQUEST), as well as Kolp and MacDonald (BATTLE), but they could be cost-prohibitive because of licensing their likeness of each actor vs the amount of figures that would actually sell. Taylor and Brent made sense since they were both the main protagonists in each of the first two films. None of the four TV series figures were reissued, nor was the generic Astronaut. If they want to go with new characters while keeping the costs down, there's five ape and five human characters from the animated series that could use figures with screen accurate outfits. In case you're wondering: Cornelius, Zira, Dr. Zaius, General Urko, a generic Ape Soldier, as well as Bill Hudson, Jeff Allen, Judy Franklin, Ronald Brent, and Krador. Possibly a generic Underdweller as well.

[B-Lister]

Dr. Mego seems fairly easy to get in touch with. Why not reach out to him with a list of DC and Marvel characters that you'd like to see produced?

I have history with Paul. We don't get along. I will not speak to him after what he said to me at Mego Meet several years ago.

But I will not speak ill of him on this forum either.

[sprytel]

I don't think Mego gets enough credit for the other things they *are* trying.

Ultraman, the Rocketeer, Willy Wonka, Rick & Morty, Ted Lasso, House of the Dragon, Pinocchio, Creepshow, the Nun, music icons, etc. None of those were "sure things" for the brand. Some have paid off better than others, but I like that they are not afraid to take risks on interesting properties with crossover appeal.

[TheXFactor]

And my point isn't that I'm upset they're doing WGSH (it may come off that way, but I'm just being extreme to emphasize my point), I'm upset that they seem i pnterested ONLY in WGSH.

I said it before that it feels like the goal was to use the other licenses as stepping stones to re-acquire the Marvel and DC licenses, and now that they have them, it certainly reinforces that idea.

They let the Universal and Hammer licenses lapse, they don't seem interested in the Ultraman license (Where's my Ultraman Zero?), and they are trickling out Trek and Apes, but they clearly aren't a priority.

I just don't see how this is a long term strategy. It sometimes feels like they're trying to do a thousand things at once, and other times that they're narrowing their focus to the point that it's alienating fans such as myself.

I'm never gonna get the DC characters I want, so what's the point for me? Same with Marvel.

Much like an indie music label who has an act or two with significant mainstream success, radio play, etc which- in turn- allows them to keep smaller acts signed, sales from the WGSH line (both back in the 70s as well as now) certainly helps pay for other licenses.

I haven't read anything official stating that they have the Marvel license (maybe I missed it?), although there was mention earlier in this thread of Marvel Characters coming out in 2025. You can't argue the popularity of the WGSH line over all the others when you compare what vintage mint, carded, CIB versions currently sell for. Just look at the prices for the Mego items in the Hake's auction recently mentioned on the main page.

Someone else could have the Universal and Hammer licenses (ditto for Ultraman), and that would explain the lack of new figures from those lines. As far as Trek and Apes go, I was under the impression that something was being targeted for the 50th anniversary of both those lines.

I do agree with you that the business strategy seems to be all over the place. I wasn't interested in a single character from Wave 18 (outside of the Big Lots exclusives), and- as stated previously- felt that they should have done ALL the original WGSH first. Super Gals (including Isis), Teen Titans, Secret Identity, and Mxyzptlk before any other new characters, maybe with the exception of "new" classic characters such as Two Face, Brainiac, and Bizarro because they're all major villains for three of the original four WGSH (although it's weird that Flash got a Rouges Gallery villain before Aquaman did). Weaving new figures in is fine of course- especially when it's more of the Filmation characters that inspired the line to begin with (Green Lantern and The Flash, in this instance). To make that complete however, we'd need both Hawkman and The Atom.

Dr. Mego seems fairly easy to get in touch with. Why not reach out to him with a list of DC and Marvel characters that you'd like to see produced?

[LonnieFisher]

Make Mine Marvel! I'd take Marvel over any other property in existence. Mego and Marvel are my two favorite properties ever. Third would be Star Trek, the original stuff before the first movie came out. More TOS and TAS would be super awesome.

[Xavion2004]

Some of us aren't into women.

And my point isn't that I'm upset they're doing WGSH (it may come off that way, but I'm just being extreme to emphasize my point), I'm upset that they seem i pnterested ONLY in WGSH.

I said it before that it feels like the goal was to use the other licenses as stepping stones to re-acquire the Marvel and DC licenses, and now that they have them, it certainly reinforces that idea.

They let the Universal and Hammer licenses lapse, they don't seem interested in the Ultraman license (Where's my Ultraman Zero?), and they are trickling out Trek and Apes, but they clearly aren't a priority.

I just don't see how this is a long term strategy. It sometimes feels like they're trying to do a thousand things at once, and other times that they're narrowing their focus to the point that it's alienating fans such as myself.

I'm never gonna get the DC characters I want, so what's the point for me? Same with Marvel.

I completely understand where you’re coming from. All WGSH, all night, all day, in stereo works for me, but I’ve been in your position many times with other lines and other licenses. I’m a firm believer that the “Something for Everyone” approach works best over the long run. Hopefully WGSH was just the hot topic at the Rhode Island Comic Con and future waves (including Wave 19) will continue to have a variety of characters from different licenses.