Non-fixed Mattel bodies

[LovethoseMegos]

I'm not critical of Doc Mego or the look of the figures, just how flimsy. If they are strung better I would be pleased. I hope they do fix that.

[zeedox]

Dr Mego going renegade or another Dr Retro

What I would say wouldnt it be great if we could by a "2.0" package for each new figure for perfection from a toy doctor preferably Doc Mego etc.

[hedrap]

Also, I recall Doc saying something at the Meet about Mattel and using mego-like stuff. Mattel insists on using completely homemade stuff. They don't want someone coming out of the woodwork a year from now claiming they sculpted that foot or something.

That's pretty close to the reality of it. It's all patent protection stuff.

Why does this line exist? Because 15+ years ago, Charlee Flatt, the internet/web and toy customs converged at the roughly the same time. Doc Mego capitalized and we all went crazy with a repro/custom hobby. But this same hobby dropped the Mego design into a public domain nexus.

From Mattel's perspective, what do they own? Not the characters, Mego brand name or figure patent. So if they did exactly what we wanted, they'd be screwing themselves because Mattel would be creating an entire new market they had no proprietary control over. If Mattel released "DC Mego's", Hasbro could release "Marvel Megos". Mattel would then sue, and eventually lose. Why? Because of us. We've turned the word "Mego" from a brand name into a noun. Mego-Like, Megoesque, etc...For example, the movie "Hot Tub Time Machine" is not "Jacuzzi" or "Whirlpool" Time Machine because those two companies have fought hard as hell to keep the brand name from becoming nouns.

So Matty came up with the "Retro-Action" name and dug through the vaults to find a dormant patent, namely Big Jim, and modify it for a new filing, stopping market confusion. If the line succeeds, Hasbro has to come up with something totally new. If Marvel was stilled owned by Toy Biz we'd probably begin to hear about a new Famous Covers line re-tooled to 8-inch...and then we'd ***** about something in that line not being Mego-like.

[WannabeMego]

I started this thread to point out the fact that the bodies aren't "fixed"...

I didn't realize that a thread needed to be started when it was so obvious from the pictures...

[LonnieFisher]

I didn't realize that a thread needed to be started when it was so obvious from the pictures...

This is for the discussion of the fact that they aren't "fixed". So that this topic would hopefully not be a big discussion in the packaged figures thread.

[drmego]

Not really - I could have patented the body in 2001, since I made significant
changes to the design of the original, but patents are costly to protect and
someone else could have made other changes and that would not be covered
by my patent.

"Doc Mego capitalized and we all went crazy with a repro/custom hobby. But this same hobby dropped the Mego design into a public domain nexus"

[drmego]

Not true either - someday I will tell the backstory, but not today.

"So Matty came up with the "Retro-Action" name and dug through the vaults to find a dormant patent, namely Big Jim, and modify it for a new filing, stopping market confusion"

[Corellian Corvette]

In the first place no anger or criticism should be directed towards Paul on this topic and Im surprised it still comes to him. My admittedly limited knowledge on the matter is that Paul is merely a consultant and not a Mattel employee, so he's not calling the shots. None of the prototypes I've seen him produce are hunched over like quasimoto or have enormous clown boots. In fact it appears most of the things I like about the toys emanate from Pauls early work and the POS toys that come out the other end are mattels fault.

I've said this before but any minor criticisms there may be over Trek, POTA, the Castaway or BBP toys are vastly overshadowed by the fact that these are small operations run by guys who care. Heck even CTVT was a small operation and they did a lot right. I'm not going to put down these guys because they aren't doing anything any one of us couldn't do so who am I to judge.

But Mattel... This is a big company with vast resources. And Im holding them to a higher standard. While I may not like a certain design aspect of the toys that's not the issue. I own no rights to Batman and I get 0 say in what his cowl looks like.

But make no mistake - Mattel is NOT putting out a quality product and that is deserving of every bit of nerd rage. They are putting out an inferior product, with a badly designed body, which is being assembled poorly. They are using inferior materials that aren't holding up to a gentile collectors touch let alone kids play, and producing ill-fitting accessories that don't do justice to the characters.

By the way - when Doc accidentally put silver cuffs on a figure he basically apologized to the entire community. Mattel is producing crap and doesn't appear to care. I don't care how hard it is to make a running change. They should delay the line until they fix the issue not continue shipping junk.

Rant off until wave 3.

[Meule]

In the first place no anger or criticism should be directed towards Paul on this topic and Im surprised it still comes to him. My admittedly limited knowledge on the matter is that Paul is merely a consultant and not a Mattel employee, so he's not calling the shots. None of the prototypes I've seen him produce are hunched over like quasimoto or have enormous clown boots. In fact it appears most of the things I like about the toys emanate from Pauls early work and the POS toys that come out the other end are mattels fault.

I've said this before but any minor criticisms there may be over Trek, POTA, the Castaway or BBP toys are vastly overshadowed by the fact that these are small operations run by guys who care. Heck even CTVT was a small operation and they did a lot right. I'm not going to put down these guys because they aren't doing anything any one of us couldn't do so who am I to judge.

But Mattel... This is a big company with vast resources. And Im holding them to a higher standard. While I may not like a certain design aspect of the toys that's not the issue. I own no rights to Batman and I get 0 say in what his cowl looks like.

But make no mistake - Mattel is NOT putting out a quality product and that is deserving of every bit of nerd rage. They are putting out an inferior product, with a badly designed body, which is being assembled poorly. They are using inferior materials that aren't holding up to a gentile collectors touch let alone kids play, and producing ill-fitting accessories that don't do justice to the characters.

By the way - when Doc accidentally put silver cuffs on a figure he basically apologized to the entire community. Mattel is producing crap and doesn't appear to care. I don't care how hard it is to make a running change. They should delay the line until they fix the issue not continue shipping junk.

Rant off until wave 3.

This pretty much sums it all up. Putting the blame where it's supposed to be and addressing the problem directly

[geoffdude]

If I remember most of what was said on this.. (which I may not) I don't recall anyone calling Doc out on how the figures turned out by blaming him. Did someone actually fault Doc for quality of production?

I do recall though people faulting Mattel for not fixing Wave 2 bodies. Which was strange too.. as, I've never seen an actual "Press Release" or "Announcement" from Mattel that these bodies were going to be fixed. Was there one?

The only statement(s) attributed to this issue I recall is what Doc posted many months back, that wave 2 bodies would be fixed, or updated, or whatever. That's all I've ever heard as "fact" towards anything being done to change/improve the bodies.

Was there ever anything besides that initial statement which confirmed an updated body style was forthcoming? (From Mattel I mean.)

regards,

g.

[WannabeMego]

I'm not one to drive away traffic from the Museum Forums...but...

...for those people that have issues with Mattel's Retro Action Line, shouldn't they be posting them on the Matty Collector Forum: Matty Collector - Mattel Forums

Since Mattel owns that site, they're most likely gonna get the message pretty loud and clear over there...

...Just a thought.

[Meule]

I'm not one to drive away traffic from the Museum Forums...but...

...for those people that have issues with Mattel's Retro Action Line, shouldn't they be posting them on the Matty Collector Forum: Matty Collector - Mattel Forums

Since Mattel owns that site, they're most likely gonna get the message pretty loud and clear over there...

...Just a thought.

From what I've heard people complaining there are being redirected somewhere else and complaint threads are deleted

[Meule]

If I remember most of what was said on this.. (which I may not) I don't recall anyone calling Doc out on how the figures turned out by blaming him. Did someone actually fault Doc for quality of production?

I do recall though people faulting Mattel for not fixing Wave 2 bodies. Which was strange too.. as, I've never seen an actual "Press Release" or "Announcement" from Mattel that these bodies were going to be fixed. Was there one?

The only statement(s) attributed to this issue I recall is what Doc posted many months back, that wave 2 bodies would be fixed, or updated, or whatever. That's all I've ever heard as "fact" towards anything being done to change/improve the bodies.

Was there ever anything besides that initial statement which confirmed an updated body style was forthcoming? (From Mattel I mean.)

regards,

g.

I don't think anyone has blamed Paul for anything, but he does get a lot of crap about this dumped all over him (and I've been guity of this too, so again my apologies Paul) as he's sort of the spokesman for Mattel, at least here he is.
That also means - to me anyway - that when he makes a statement on Mattel's behalf that this statement is confirmed. Meaning if Doc said Mattel would fix the bodies by wave 2 that is all the confirmation I need from Mattel. In case you haven't noticed, Mattel doesn't have another spokesman posting here

[geoffdude]

I don't think anyone has blamed Paul for anything, but he does get a lot of crap about this dumped all over him (and I've been guity of this too, so again my apologies Paul) as he's sort of the spokesman for Mattel, at least here he is.
That also means - to me anyway - that when he makes a statement on Mattel's behalf that this statement is confirmed. Meaning if Doc said Mattel would fix the bodies by wave 2 that is all the confirmation I need from Mattel. In case you haven't noticed, Mattel doesn't have another spokesman posting here

I guess I get that. Kind of.

However, Mattel does have actual spokespeople, and Facebook announcements. I would, personally, be more inclined to take info from those sources to heart, rather than a non-official statement.

I don't know Doc's "official" capacity with Mattel (consultant?), but I'm pretty sure he's NOT an "official" Mattel spokesman (not dis'n' Doc here, if he is please feel free to correct me.), and that's one of the reason's I never believed the bodies would be improved.

In my experience watching Mattel over the years, unless they clearly, and pointedly, addresses an issue specifically, it's quite likely not worthy of their attention, nor an issue that action will ever be taken on. They're quite happy to let sleeping dogs lie. (No lawsuits basically, so why do anything?)

In summary, Doc was only "relaying" what he had been told. Mattel, however, never actually made an "official statement" towards the body-fixing issue. It kinda put Doc in an awkward spot, but totally not his fault that Mattel didn't follow through.


regards,

g.

[Meule]

In summary, Doc was only "relaying" what he had been told. Mattel, however, never actually made an officially statement towards the body-fixing issue. It kinda put Doc in an awkward spot, but totally not his fault that Mattel didn't follow through.

I agree it's not Paul's fault, but I can't believe Mattel would tell him something that wasn't true