Is Mego Missing the Mark?

[Mego-Amigo]

No fault of Mego's but being a MOC / MIB collector I decided not to buy the Super Heroes simply because of the cards. The figures look great but I really dislike those New 52 character designs. They don't match the figures they are supposed to represent. Were those three figures on retro cards they would already be in my collection.

[Spyweb007]

Design by committee, when I was at Hasbro everything had to go through 3 review teams, art department, legal and marketing. that means 2/3 of the people making the decisions are not necessarily able to visualize, and then there are request from the various vendors and licencors on top of that. Honestly it is a miracle when something truly special makes it through the whole process.

[enyawd72]

Reason was that the character IS the figure itself and not the package. Seeing the figure side by side with the image was considered redundant. The consumer should be drawn to the toy first. Certainly not aligned with virtually every other toy packaging out there but this was the reason.

Wow. You'd think they would realize how backwards that thinking is. Arguably the most popular figure cards of all time have always had the character pictured...Kenner Super Powers anyone? Hasbro has made an entire business out of nostalgia just for those cards.
Too bad. Maybe someday they'll try something different.

[palitoy]

Having worked with a lot of kids brands at one point in my career, there are people that have jobs that need to justify their existence. I can't think of a license I had that didn't have to have at least one sniggling change to my work, even after following the rigid guidelines.

Also, many of these people aren't fans of the properties they manage, it's just a job. I do know some people that are, there are absolutely some folks in charge of properties that should be there thanks to their love but it's the exception, not the norm.

[Brown Bear]

Just out of curiosity...do they ever offer an explanation of WHY they don't want the character's image on the cards, or is it one of those "because we said so" kind of deals?

Reason was that the character IS the figure itself and not the package. Seeing the figure side by side with the image was considered redundant. The consumer should be drawn to the toy first. Certainly not aligned with virtually every other toy packaging out there but this was the reason.

[enyawd72]

We have to stick to a style guide provided and not have free reign of google images like folks may think. Throw in requests to keep the character's image off the front of the card and you're left with less options. We do our best staying within the guidelines we must follow.

Just out of curiosity...do they ever offer an explanation of WHY they don't want the character's image on the cards, or is it one of those "because we said so" kind of deals?

[Brown Bear]

We have to stick to a style guide provided and not have free reign of google images like folks may think. Throw in requests to keep the character's image off the front of the card and you're left with less options. We do our best staying within the guidelines we must follow.

[palitoy]

have at it. Style guides are BS most of the time.

[enyawd72]

It 100 percent is because of this. We have the same licenses here at work and yeah, our DC stuff is particularly bland.

I can't show it but I saw the card design that Mego submitted that WB shot down, it was beautiful.

Well, if WB or DC won't listen to their licensees, maybe they'd listen to their customers.
I'd be happy to point out to these corporate geniuses that I'd buy more of their product if the packaging didn't suck.
First rule of retail is presentation is EVERYTHING. I buy two of every FTC figure because the cards are gorgeous, despite them costing more than double what Mego charges.
I only buy one of each Mego...no need to keep carded figures, so there you go.

[palitoy]

I believe it’s because Mego has a mass market license.

It 100 percent is because of this. We have the same licenses here at work and yeah, our DC stuff is particularly bland.

I can't show it but I saw the card design that Mego submitted that WB shot down, it was beautiful.

[CrimsonGhost]

I wonder how FTC has gotten around that? Something different in the original agreement before Warners got so picky? Or is the fact that FTC is using the more classic packaging the actual reason Mego can't do that? Maybe Mego's packaging can't be similar to avoid confusion in the market.

I believe it’s because Mego has a mass market license. Everything on the shelf with a WB license seem to follow the same template.

FTC’s license is more boutique and not on mass market shelves, so perhaps they don’t have the same restrictions. Maybe they were even grandfathered in.

[scott metzger]

I wonder how FTC has gotten around that? Something different in the original agreement before Warners got so picky? Or is the fact that FTC is using the more classic packaging the actual reason Mego can't do that? Maybe Mego's packaging can't be similar to avoid confusion in the market.

[zeedox]

Packaging and the Mark

Ah i recall as a kid trying to figure reason to all the different packaging. I think I liked the box ones more than the card, but I can't recall. I think I do recall wondering why Trek didn't have box versions. I remember meeting Nimoy at the mall in Brooklyn in the 70's and sorta wanting to ask him.

Anyhow I guess the boxes change and have always changed. The changes in the box art isn't nearly as bad as what they have actually done to some of these heroes in the comics themselves. I think we are happy to get items that we get. I hope we get the 8" flash and lantern.

I will say I was looking at my post-mego era megos as an ensemble the other day. From the Mattel Batman, to the Figures Toy Adam West Batman etc. You can see our interests have really been searching and going through quite a bit. The Mattel cards look like the originals but the figures are poor. The Adam West Figures Company one I can't really get passed the arm pieces which is very un-mego.

The ones under the branded mego line are the best, save for the redos of the originals from figures toy. I think if you look at Figures Swamp thing we have the perfect balance of the packaging.

I think the real issue isn't Mego at all. I think the distribution has been really fumbly and its not the current events. The wacky shelves from a year ago with Tootie are strange. A one off of Action Jackson without accessories defeats the point of what I recall from that toy. Taking on licenses like Bradys without intention of completing core characters. Decieding we don't need Dr. Bones from Star Trek and of course most of all that dreadful head of Captain Kirk.

That's prob the worst of it the Kirk head.
Why doesn't it get fixed even? They should just make two four packs for Trek and get it right.
Kirk Spock Bones and Uhura in one set
Sulu Checkov Scotty and a Klingon in the other.

And then that Awful shows Saru? I mean does anything even know what it takes to get a full crew from that show? And Pike hasn't been there in a long time so that is silly too for toys for that show. Q in robes or Borg are not representations of that show either in any substancial way. How about making Sarek?

[Earth 2 Chris]

^I think part of it is the advancement of software tools, making them easier for people with little artistic talent to use. It gives ...ahem... managerial types with no actual skills just enough of a leg up to design PowerPoints and rudimentary Photoshop presentations that wow the upper management (who also have no skills or training), and get jobs managing actually talented graphic designers, and marketing departments. The software doesn't develop their eye for design, however, and they therefore create stringent, uninspired corporate blah.

Needless to say as a graphic designer, I have seen this happen far too often in the past 25 years.

DC's current look on most of it's product is probably the most "corporate" look I've ever seen used by an entertainment company. Even when they use style guide art of the characters, its often a few iterations back from what's in the comics now, and it in no way looks like the classic versions of the characters anyone knows, or even the films. The New 52 designs should have been expunged from the style guide at this point. They have absolutely no relevance in the market.

For some reason the "DC Classic" arm of merchandise often escapes this, and gets to use the Garcia Lopez art from 1982 onward. They would be better off JUST using that.

I applaud the folks at Mego who tried to buck this trend. I'm sorry it didn't work.

Chris

[The Batman Professor]

^^This is something I’ve been up against for the past 20 years, as both an illustrator and a graphic designer. Marketing has corrupted design, pure and simple. Way too many "art directors" now with MBA’s instead of BFA’s. When I entered the NY design market in 1984, an art degree from a prestigious school was your ticket in and the fast track to advancement. Not any more.

I wish I could tell you some of my horror stories, but since I’m still in the field, I won’t burn any bridges.