World's Greatest Heroes! New "Series 2" Full-Page Ad

[monitor_ep]

I agree When I was kid I could never find a Wonder Woman. I had the rest but WW, now I own a WW I got for under $50. If I knew when FTC was going to release more characters I would have waited. I will buy buy one of each FTC ReMego when they came out. If I can think of a reason to customize them I will buy extras.

I have the Mattel figures, but I have been replacing there bodies with ReMego. The only problem I had was the head, but I customize JLU figures so making a neck for the figures was simple for me. Now I have more character in my collection. Soon I will have more since I have decided to start customizing Megos.

[Figuremod73]

I'll do the same. I already have a Batman and Robin but no villians, so I'm happy their releasing those.

These figures will eventually be pieced out like their doing the kiss figures. Theres probably a number of vintage megos out there that could use a suit, shoes, whatever.

[boynightwing]

I'm only getting ones I don't already have. This is a good way for me to get the Alter Egos.

[jayraytee]

I think the 1/9th scale has the biggest translation problem because of the generation gap created after Mego closed it's doors in 1982. When this occurred, there was no one left to make this scale. And actually Mego had already quit that scale before they ever went under. And if you're really looking at the 1/9th scale as a viable product sharing space in the boy toy isle, that actually ceased in the late 70's after Star Wars took over everything. So by the time Famous Covers got here, 20 years had elapsed, which covers basically two generations of kids who grew up seeing only 3 and 6 inch figures. And even after this reentry, the 1/9th scale figure looked more like an oddity on the shelves than a game changer the way Mego broke out with Action Jackson. But unlike the days when Mego was breaking new ground, there was no pent up need for this scale when Famous Covers came out. The only ones who seem to want them were those original kids, now grown up with money to buy them. Then Hasbro took a shot at it and tried their own "updates" to that concept. They did both DC and Marvel licenses but didn't tip the scales with their offerings either. Now enter an underground movement led by our beloved Dr. Mego. He begins manufacturing reproduction parts online for those original Megos. And that's a story that could take pages all by itself to properly document. But long story short, Paul jumps through many hoops of fire to make this a viable resource for collectors.

Plus the famous covers figures were elaborately dressed and boxed but freakish in appearance typically. I wanted to revisit Mego so bad when I heard about those coming out, but what I would of done was scale down the packaging and elaborate costumes to lower the price and attempt to fix the horrendous proportion issues... Daredevil could crush his own head in his hand like a walnut. I still bought all of them, but was never happy with them, didn't really flinch when the line ended and eventually sold them all off.

With the Retro Action figures, I bought every figure again and they were much closer to Megos except for the disappointing Mattel body. But I was sad to see that line end and will hold onto my figures for years.

These look to be exactly what we have been waiting all these years for, the packaging is right, the bodies look right, they are new Mego figures for crying out loud. Just like back in the day there were figures I skipped (catwoman, Mxy), figures I bought multiples of, figures I always wanted but never had... and the line went on until Mego eventually closed shop.

Everyone should buy the ones they like, skip the ones they don't.. and be happy they are back.

[jayraytee]

I just paid $375.00 for a case fresh MIB Mego Joker. About three weeks later I read that FTC has acquired the rights to reproduce Mego Batman characters and the Joker will be in the first wave for around $25.00. Had I known this I personally would have saved my $375.00 and put it on the entire line of FTC Mego WGSH repros. I could care less about how valuable the originals are now or will be in the future. I only care about having the exact same figures I had as a kid in some kind of nice packaging to display and enjoy. I know of other friends on this forum that feel the exact same way. Not everyone here has the money or is willing to spend it if they do on high grade originals. I know I am in the minority here but I for one am very happy that Figures is producing the exact same figures that Mego did. Now I can have all of them case fresh new without having to spend thousands of dollars on them as I have done in the past.

Sell the minty $375 MIB Mego Joker on the board or on ebay and buy a ton of these new figures... problem solved.

[garfoot]

I think the 1/9th scale has the biggest translation problem because of the generation gap created after Mego closed it's doors in 1982. When this occurred, there was no one left to make this scale. And actually Mego had already quit that scale before they ever went under. And if you're really looking at the 1/9th scale as a viable product sharing space in the boy toy isle, that actually ceased in the late 70's after Star Wars took over everything. So by the time Famous Covers got here, 20 years had elapsed, which covers basically two generations of kids who grew up seeing only 3 and 6 inch figures. And even after this reentry, the 1/9th scale figure looked more like an oddity on the shelves than a game changer the way Mego broke out with Action Jackson. But unlike the days when Mego was breaking new ground, there was no pent up need for this scale when Famous Covers came out. The only ones who seem to want them were those original kids, now grown up with money to buy them. Then Hasbro took a shot at it and tried their own "updates" to that concept. They did both DC and Marvel licenses but didn't tip the scales with their offerings either. Now enter an underground movement led by our beloved Dr. Mego. He begins manufacturing reproduction parts online for those original Megos. And that's a story that could take pages all by itself to properly document. But long story short, Paul jumps through many hoops of fire to make this a viable resource for collectors.

But it's through this underground movement that Paul's example spurs others to start their own companies. And if you think about it, that's where it remains to this day. Mego style figures have never regained that once glorious space on the shelves where they were once the dominant figure. Those days seem just as elusive today as when Famous Covers tried it 15 years ago. The greatest difference is our market has built inroads with EMCE, BBP, FTC, ZICA, and what should have been a prosperous Castaway Toys (no thanks to a scrupulous factory in China). So while I think that original idea of having a cheap and easily affordable figure for anyone should exist, unfortunately we don't enjoy the kind of market share that will ever allow that kind of price point to exist. What's more we, as customers, need to quit courting companies that enjoy pushing the envelope on driving that price point even higher. We have good companies that are selling good product at good prices. Take care of those companies and we take care of the market we do have.

Well said sir!!!

[enyawd72]

I somehow completely missed this line. Never heard of them. A quick Google search later…They appear a whole lot nicer than the ToyBiz Famous Cover series. Is that fair to say? How many characters did Hasbro produce in those two years? Are they popular among collectors?

I love them...I think the Dr. Octopus is the definitive version of the character in toy form. They made a pretty nice assortment including:
Spider-Man, Black Costume Spider-Man, Iron Spider-Man, Green Goblin, Dr. Octopus, Wolverine, Captain America, Daredevil, First Appearance Spider-Man, Punisher, Cyclops, Mr. Fantastic, Sandman.
The great thing is they use the exact same bodies as the earlier DC figures so you can display them all together.

[hedrap]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but FTC only courts the Adult Collector market. To my awareness, they have never marketed their products to kids, and they don't try to make "playable" toys, so there is no "Rack Toys mentality" for them to "get back to."

Or are you merely suggesting how you would do it if you were a toy manufacturer?

Yeah, it's my suggestion for anyone attempting a license launch. As much as we fawn over Kresge cards, colors, carded vs boxed, Abrams and company really didn't give that big a crap. I mean, they didn't even care to get an accurate character guide for the figures. We're the ones caught up in the intricacy, and it doesn't translate.

FTC is the closest to "get it" right now, because they're reappropriating the crap out of everything, which is what every company in the 8" market did at that time to cut costs. So you either go that route, hard, to cut costs, or you go with ZICA and redesign So it can sit next to any hard plastic figure and not seem out of place.

I don't know that Hasbro has done much better in this space (i.e. 1/6th scale) than the other BIG toy companies. Toy Biz Famous Covers had a long run, but do you remember those "DC Super Heroes" figures Hasbro came out with about ten years ago? Aquaman, Green Lantern, Green Arrow, and then a couple of Target exclusives, Batman and Superman? The latter were tricky to find since they were store exclusives, but man the former three? Those were some mad peg-warmers! Hasbro may not be in any hurry to go back to that well.

I loved the Hasbro DC Silver Age figures, but the scale was terrible. I got all the FC figures for my kids because they've come to like them over most Mego figures due to their blank stare.

With Hasbro, I see what you're getting at and you could very well be right, but I was working from the idea FTC makes a go of this and piques their interest as to "how".

What Toy Biz and then Hasbro have repeatedly botched is the design. The Hasbro Signatures are fantastic, but the scale fits nothing but FC. Who made that decision? Why? I know it has something to do with it being easier to shrink molds by equal ratios, but then you have to package them as a way to inform people what you're trying to update. The Signature packaging was a mess, just as it was for their DC Silver Age.

If FTC works, I could see Hasbro talking to them or Doc even moreso since he was trusted by Matty. Maybe then they listen to "scale down the Signature figure to 8-inch and simplify the packaging and you're in business".

...on a side note, the Target/JLA push has me wondering if FTC is working that deal to try and secure peg space before they release new DC figures, and they're using these early waves as bait that the figures will sell. Unless WB has a license uniformity code in work, and doesn't want retro to mingle with New 52,

[MIB41]

Cut the frills. Cut the collector's nostalgia and treating these as works of art. Custom work is art, manufactured are supposed to be playable. Get back to the Rack Toys mentality and make it competitive.

...and I don't see how they get the Marvel license. The opportunity for DC was created by Matty dropping the ball. If FTC DC shows life, I would think Hasbro would be more inclined to do their version of Retro Action.

I think the 1/9th scale has the biggest translation problem because of the generation gap created after Mego closed it's doors in 1982. When this occurred, there was no one left to make this scale. And actually Mego had already quit that scale before they ever went under. And if you're really looking at the 1/9th scale as a viable product sharing space in the boy toy isle, that actually ceased in the late 70's after Star Wars took over everything. So by the time Famous Covers got here, 20 years had elapsed, which covers basically two generations of kids who grew up seeing only 3 and 6 inch figures. And even after this reentry, the 1/9th scale figure looked more like an oddity on the shelves than a game changer the way Mego broke out with Action Jackson. But unlike the days when Mego was breaking new ground, there was no pent up need for this scale when Famous Covers came out. The only ones who seem to want them were those original kids, now grown up with money to buy them. Then Hasbro took a shot at it and tried their own "updates" to that concept. They did both DC and Marvel licenses but didn't tip the scales with their offerings either. Now enter an underground movement led by our beloved Dr. Mego. He begins manufacturing reproduction parts online for those original Megos. And that's a story that could take pages all by itself to properly document. But long story short, Paul jumps through many hoops of fire to make this a viable resource for collectors.

But it's through this underground movement that Paul's example spurs others to start their own companies. And if you think about it, that's where it remains to this day. Mego style figures have never regained that once glorious space on the shelves where they were once the dominant figure. Those days seem just as elusive today as when Famous Covers tried it 15 years ago. The greatest difference is our market has built inroads with EMCE, BBP, FTC, ZICA, and what should have been a prosperous Castaway Toys (no thanks to a scrupulous factory in China). So while I think that original idea of having a cheap and easily affordable figure for anyone should exist, unfortunately we don't enjoy the kind of market share that will ever allow that kind of price point to exist. What's more we, as customers, need to quit courting companies that enjoy pushing the envelope on driving that price point even higher. We have good companies that are selling good product at good prices. Take care of those companies and we take care of the market we do have.

[imp]

I think you mean 1/9 scale? (Because Hasbro invented the action figure when it introduced 1/6-scale GI Joe in the '60s.)

Yes. 1/9th scale. Thank you.

Regarding their recent endeavors, Hasbro's Marvel Signature 9" line ran several waves in 2007/2008.

I somehow completely missed this line. Never heard of them. A quick Google search later…They appear a whole lot nicer than the ToyBiz Famous Cover series. Is that fair to say? How many characters did Hasbro produce in those two years? Are they popular among collectors?

[madmarva]

With Diamond carrying Figures.com products, it will be interesting to see if they show off anything to retailers at Diamond's booth at the San Diego Comic Com.

It would be a great place to debut the protos of the 66 figures and some of their other lines.

[Mego-Amigo]

40 year old figure...Brand new figure
Mego...FTC
BMW...Volkswagon

There's also alot of freshly packed merchandise in the dollar store thats never been touched too. Hopefully your definition of "quality" is measured by more than the adhesive on a backer card.

I'll decide whether the FTC WGSH figures are quality or not when I get them. Having original 40 year old perfect figures is not that important to me. Just want the same figures in nice packaging.

[garfoot]

I liked the Famous Covers series,especially the artwork on the boxes. The Target exclusives were not too bad either. I agree with you that Hasbro might not be in much of a hurry to let loose the 8" retro Marvels anytime soon. But if FTC does well with the REMEGOS who knows?

[PNGwynne]

I think you mean 1/9 scale? (Because Hasbro invented the action figure when it introduced 1/6-scale GI Joe in the '60s.)


Regarding their recent endeavors, Hasbro's Marvel Signature 9" line ran several waves in 2007/2008.

[imp]

Cut the frills. Cut the collector's nostalgia and treating these as works of art. Custom work is art, manufactured are supposed to be playable. Get back to the Rack Toys mentality and make it competitive.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but FTC only courts the Adult Collector market. To my awareness, they have never marketed their products to kids, and they don't try to make "playable" toys, so there is no "Rack Toys mentality" for them to "get back to."

Or are you merely suggesting how you would do it if you were a toy manufacturer?

...and I don't see how they get the Marvel license. The opportunity for DC was created by Matty dropping the ball. If FTC DC shows life, I would think Hasbro would be more inclined to do their version of Retro Action.

I don't know that Hasbro has done much better in this space (i.e. 1/6th scale) than the other BIG toy companies. Toy Biz Famous Covers had a long run, but do you remember those "DC Super Heroes" figures Hasbro came out with about ten years ago? Aquaman, Green Lantern, Green Arrow, and then a couple of Target exclusives, Batman and Superman? The latter were tricky to find since they were store exclusives, but man the former three? Those were some mad peg-warmers! Hasbro may not be in any hurry to go back to that well.