Toy Guru is at it again, claiming MOTU is canceled.

[palitoy]

It's pretty apparent all parties are just guessing at this point, so it's really pointless to keep it going. There is no insider here.

[Earth 2 Chris]

I normally do, and will moving forward. I just find this behavior kind of fascinating to watch. Makes you wonder if he really believes what he's saying at any moment or is just constantly spinning in different directions to get attention.

[Werewolf]

...and now he's saying we should be able to tell it's ending, because the line is on clearance in many stores. That's now how he knows.

It's obvious he has no idea and just comes off as having an axe to grind. It's probably best to try to ignore him.

[Earth 2 Chris]

...and now he's saying we should be able to tell it's ending, because the line is on clearance in many stores. That's now how he knows. He's picking up on clues other content creators and irate fans are in denial about. Where did the "Retailers were told in October" part go? He never mentions it. This guy should be in politics.

[palitoy]

What I remember about the JLU line is the poor quality. Warped rubbery figures that couldn't stand and ugly rushed looking sculpts. They also never did release a Wonder Woman or Hawkgirl with proper hip joints so they could actually move their legs. The Hal Jordon employee exclusive was also fairly big PR disaster.

The only problem I had was female characters' heads popped off like dandelions. The rest survived a lot of play, and yeah, I'm looking at this like a dad, not a collector, so don't misconstrue my perspective as facts, but they are a wonderful memory for me.

RE: The Hal Jordan, man, that almost seemed to be done to tick off the fans. Such a cool figure, and they were like bragging about destroying the mold after! Even I was like WTH? when that happened.

[Earth 2 Chris]

^Yeah, that was a 1701 level disaster, but worse. VERY poor decision. Releasing the unmasked Hal with the other swappable parts later helped a bit, but still no actual Hal GL figure. Just silly.

Being a JLU guy enough to start a podcast about it, I love the line for the representation. But yeah, the QC wasn't up to the standards of Kenner's BTAS offerings for sure.

[Werewolf]

What I remember about the JLU line is the poor quality. Warped rubbery figures that couldn't stand and ugly rushed looking sculpts. They also never did release a Wonder Woman or Hawkgirl with proper hip joints so they could actually move their legs. The Hal Jordon employee exclusive was also fairly big PR disaster.

[palitoy]

^ I haven't met the guy either. I guess I should remember he extended the JLU line well past any retail expectations. Getting the figures through Matty Collector was always choppy waters though, and I seem to recall he liked to deflect a lot about that.

Yeah and that was really not good. I don't collect He-Man but I remember some video he did for Mattel that I watched and let's just say, he's not good at public relations.

I do hate the "evil corporation" vitriol that's thrown at toy companies ad nauseum. Come of the complaints are valid, but it often goes overboard to threats and/or slurs against people who work there, or demeaning comments about those who still support the proudcts or companies they are railing against. That kind of talk just makes me unsubscribe.

Yeah, it's such a weird juxtaposition mainly because corporations sometimes make obvious or glaring mistakes, and we all go "I could do better!" However, it seems to swing the other way where people who are mega fans are convinced they could run a business better and get completely hateful and distrustful. The company can do no right. Oh, and if they've ever worked a retail job, they think they're the president of Hasbro.

The last time I waded into a debate about the packaging of something, I was called a liar by a couple of fans who have never worked in any industry. One guy said he would "Speak to the manager and get it right" like it's Starbucks. It didn't matter that I worked on the project, read the style guide restrictions or spent a decade in a licensing department, bottom line, I didn't know what I was talking about. I realize this sort of distrustful discourse and willfully ignorant biases exist outside of toys but man, it sucks it's made it's way into our hobbies. I just stopped trying to change people's minds, it's a waste of breath.

[ODBJBG]

I do oppose the "sucking up for free toys" projection notion about Pixel Dan. I know Dan a little, and he pays for most of the stuff on his channel.

I understand and I do generally think Dan is a nice guy. I knew him before he was popular. We've always had good interactions. I'm not here to smear Dan, it's just the facts. He gushed over MOTUC, Scott and obvious problems. The two would run around as bosom buddies at conventions and stuff for years. Far beyond the usual reviewer-friendly with company relationships. He was basically Scott's personal PR man for a while and it came with a lot of perks, namely free toys and extra access to Mattel. If we're discussing the rise of Scott, Dan for better or worse had a lot to do with that. Likewise Dan's rise in popularity came almost exclusively because Mattel sent him free toys. Sometimes MONTHS before anyone else. The two are irrevocably linked in that regard.

I generally think Dan's reviews have gotten better and are a bit more honest (not to say they were dishonest before he just glossed over issues) now that he doesn't get as much free stuff. But a spade is a spade.

I prefer it to the endless "Toy Company is the heartless enemy" mush that seems endlessly popular.

Agreed on this front. I don't really think these companies are evil and the dudes that get all bent out of shape about that I find bizarre.

As for JLU, well, I can't really pat Scott on the back for that. Pretty much all the bad things he did in MOTUC he invented in JLU. He was deep in that community and most people forget how awful at times he treated those fans and milked fans in ways that exploited collector weaknesses that he learned as part of the forums. His JLU stuff usually doesn't get much mention because it was such a small line in comparison to what MOTUC became, and AFI fell apart dissolving the JLU community but it was basically the prototype for all his bad behavior. THAT SAID, yeah, it was nice to get a lot of those figures and it's possible that we may not have gotten them otherwise, but it's also possible someone else would have done better. Boy Wonder who handled the line before Scott, actually was working on a lot of things before his untimely demise and Scott just kinda picked up the mantle.

[Earth 2 Chris]

^ I haven't met the guy either. I guess I should remember he extended the JLU line well past any retail expectations. Getting the figures through Matty Collector was always choppy waters though, and I seem to recall he liked to deflect a lot about that.

I do hate the "evil corporation" vitriol that's thrown at toy companies ad nauseum. Come of the complaints are valid, but it often goes overboard to threats and/or slurs against people who work there, or demeaning comments about those who still support the proudcts or companies they are railing against. That kind of talk just makes me unsubscribe.

[palitoy]

Can't say much about the Guru as a person as I've never dealt with him; his actions made my kid happy by keeping JLU alive, and if I ever were in close quarters, I'd mention it to him. His early videos were entertaining but later stuff feels like conjecture as he's speculating on decisions he's not involved with. Sure he's earned his take but as every year passes, it's just educated guessing.

I do oppose the "sucking up for free toys" projection notion about Pixel Dan. I know Dan a little, and he pays for most of the stuff on his channel. He also doesn't engage in slamming of the guy post-Mattel, which is honourable because it sure seems like it's everywhere. Scott could be generous with stuff but trust me; you didn't have to do much. (I am not speaking about me here but surprised friends). Having a good relationship with the brand manager of the thing you love is sometimes because you love the thing and are willing to mitigate the personality involved. I've certainly had my share of moments in the past with folks that I hope I never have to deal with again, but I probably would because I love this hobby. I prefer it to the endless "Toy Company is the heartless enemy" mush that seems endlessly popular.

[ODBJBG]

Haha yeah, he did not win a lot of hearts and minds back then, and his subsequent huckster routine also didn't do him any favors. Before he was relegated to pandering for views on YouTube he stuck around the MOTU community for a bit, to blame fans for the cancellation of the line and to post weird manifestos about what he was going to do and shifting blame for the various failures during his tenure. Again, not a good way to redeem your tarnished reputation, but eventually he just went all-in on the conspiracy nonsense.

[Earth 2 Chris]

^Well, okay then.

I knew the guy was disliked once he started his YouTube channel, but I guess I had forgotten he was pretty much persona non grata even before that, thanks to his online precense when he actually managed MOTU.

[ODBJBG]

what does this guy have to gain from this? Is he so hell-bent on making waves he's willing to completely erode what little credibility he has left in the industry and fandom? Does he have that huge of an axe to grind against Mattel for no longer being their brand manager he's willing to destroy his own personal cred to take them down with him? I find it utterly baffling, and strangely fascinating.

What does he have to gain? Attention.

He has no credibility. None. The people who believe him are either gullible fools, completely unaware of who he is and just see the "credentials" or finally just conspiracy theorists.

Yes, he has a huge axe to grind because he was convinced that ONLY he could save MOTU and that only HIS vision of MOTU made sense and would be successful. Origins has been 500x more successful than any MOTU project he ever spearheaded. It makes him froth with rage because MOTU was his baby and the only thing he was ever connected to that was even remotely successful (IN SPITE OF HIM NOT BECAUSE OF HIM) and everything he's done since then has been an abject failure. Before he hitched his wagon to MOTU at Mattel, he was largely a failure there, poorly writing bios for HotWheels cars.

He is the Qanon of MOTU. He never has to be right. Because he spins everything as deep mysterious conspiracies. So when he's wrong, it's just onto the next thing, no time to talk about why that didn't happen. Or he was actually right, but the Mattel deep state changed things to make him be wrong because it's all a vast conspiracy, yadda yadda.

He's a liar, an idiot, a thief and a goof. He was propped up for years by guys like Pixel Dan who sucked up to him to get free toys and connections and unfortunately as a result it led to him having more standing in the community than he ever should have. But those of us who weren't in it for free toys, pointed out even when he was working at Mattel that everything he said was nonsense and lies, even then. No doubt part of the reason he was eventually fired... Along with incompetence. And then subsequently fired from every other toy company that mistakingly hired him.

Remember, this guy calls himself ToyGuru... An identity he literally stole from someone else, from a forum he was associated with and then went to great lengths to basically steal the branding and use the power of Mattel to say he was the "Real" ToyGuru.

He's not misguided, he's intentionally rotten to the core.

[Mr.Marion]

I'll admit there are more popular lines out there than He-man and origins might have run its course. To claim the line is dead when every other voice says it will continue is a fast way to upset your fanbase and ruin your reputation.

Also usually lines die when Dinosaurs are introduced, MOTU is only up to Snake-men. Battle Dino-armor Faker is when I would be worried.