Why do they make what some of us consider lesser known figures into Action Figures...

[rlkrefft]

I don't really care to see lesser known figures either. I mean we need Martian Manhunter to complete the original JLA and Shazam is a major character and Darkseid is a pretty well known foe but really at $20.00 a pop I can't see characterts like say Dr. Fate,Spectre or Red Tornado selling well. I sure won't be spending money on these guys. Where is Robin,Hawkman,Black Canary,Supergirl,Batgirl,Hawkgirl,Joker,Penguin,Ca twoman,Riddler,Brainiac,
Solomon Grundy,Plastic Man etc? These are characters that will keep the line alive. Those other characters will kill this line (especially at $20.00 a pop) there is a place for lesser known figures and thats matty.com. At least there they will only make enough to meet demand and they won't be warming the pegs at stores. Just look at how all the lesser known characters in the DCUC lines warm the pegs.

[jasonmego1277]

To me the homage being paid is not so much the characters being made. I think its meant to pay more tribute to the style of action figure. I personally like to see a good mix of characters from the era' s but I just hope that we don't get clogged with variant hell. I don't really see the problem with the characters being released thus far it is good strategy for the health of the line. As stated earlier Kenned screwed themselves on the Super Powers line, and to think about it so did Mattel with the Secret Wars line. That line though very popular showed Mattel was not afraid to produce secondry characters with top characters. The line missed a lot of biggies that were in the marvel series and added ones not. It also missed big names like the Hulk or the Fantastic Four. I like what they doing and it is working. To me.the tribute is to the style of figure not the actual characters of the era.

[johnmiic]

Out of the new Retro-Acton figures I only consider Cheetah a "lesser known" character and Captain Cold an "un-popular" character. There are still Captain Colds in 6 inch DC universe form warming the shelves at Target and TRU. Cheetah stood in the background on the Super-Friends. I see they recently re-vamped her but the old style Cheetah was released-not the re-vamp. Was Cheetah chosen because she doesn't have rooted hair?

If it had been me, I would have gone for Supergirl, Batgirl, Wonder-Girl/Donna Troy, Catwoman, Black Canary, Harley Quinn, Zatanna, or Poison Ivy to make good use of the new Mattel female body before releasing a classic Cheetah figure. I would have done Cheetah further down the line out of respect for the Super-Friends but not this soon. I would also start introducing the Titans style characters late this year or early next if I were Mattel. They have their own game plan tho.

[huedell]

Cheetah stood in the background on the Super-Friends. I see they recently re-vamped her but the old style Cheetah was released-not the re-vamp. Was Cheetah chosen because she doesn't have rooted hair?

No, because that's the perfect version of her to compliment the
Bronze Age releases thus far.

Your question perplexes me because of the above reason.

...Captain Cold an "un-popular" character. There are still Captain Colds in 6 inch DC universe form warming the shelves at Target and TRU.

Well... he's the one that was matched up from SF along w/GRODD.

We'll just SEE how many are still hanging from THIS line when all's said and done.

[TrueDave]

Is this line being marketed to kids at all or only through Nostalgic Dads?

I am confused by Toys R Us carrying Comic Shop type figures in the actual stores.

Does it really make enough compared to the big toy guns they have out there?

Based on that I would say If I were mattel I would do whatever they did with the Resue Rangers Superfriends . And yes that includes endless rereleases of Batman, Wonder Woman, and Superman. It works for retail and with teh Dc direct line.

[The Bat]

We'll just SEE how many are still hanging from THIS line when all's said and done.

I'm betting Captain Cold will out due both Lex & Sinestro in the "Peg warmer" department.

[rlkrefft]

Personally I'm glad they did the Cheetah they did,I only love this version of the character. As for Captain Cold I think he is the best looking foe done yet in this line. I only like Lex Luthor and Black Manta almost as much. I guess they are matching the biggest foe with the hero. So far they have all been great choices except Two Face. Joker should have been paired with Batman and Penguin should be paired with Robin while Catwoman and Batgirl could have come out together. Two Face and Riddler could have been paired with heroes who don't really have well known foes (like Hawkman,Plastic Man or Green Arrow)

So far I'm o.k. with the waves done but I really hope waves 5 and 6 are jammed pack with popular heroes and villains. I hope to see every character Mego made get re-done by Mattel. I mean Robin,Joker and Penguin especially need to get made. They are the only characters left to do that were with the Mego line's entire run. Prooves how popular they were. These three were right up there with Superman and Batman. Can't believe they haven't come out by now. Supergirl and Riddler were two figures not very popular at the time but became the two most desired and expensive figures in the run...where are they from Mattel? And we all wanted a REAL Catwoman in the purple dress,green cape. Mattel can make alot of people smile with making this version of Catwoman. I'm hoping toyfair shows more than Green Lantern stuff. The movie will probably bomb anyway.

[huedell]

I'm betting Captain Cold will out due both Lex & Sinestro in the "Peg warmer" department.

I'm betting he won't.

Firstly, I haven't seen diddly squat of wave 2 let alone wave 3 in stores...

Secondly, I read on another thread that they are dealing w/overstock by
making less of certain characters.

So I seriously doubt Cold will "win" in THAT race.

[Batman]

The more the merrier and they can string the line along without making the characters that everyone wants and keep the line going...Look at how Mattel is doing it with the MOTUC line...

[Tothiro]

I'm betting he won't.

Firstly, I haven't seen diddly squat of wave 2 let alone wave 3 in stores...

Secondly, I read on another thread that they are dealing w/overstock by
making less of certain characters.

So I seriously doubt Cold will "win" in THAT race.

Coming back from my Lazarus Pit to re-point out another ... point.

Unfortunately "seeing at retail" is completely off kilter for this line.
Individual Store Managers for TRU have zero capacity for ordering or setting numbers on RA DC. All of it is corporate decision, based on voodoo volumetric sales history.
Since no history existed, the initial decision of what location would or would not carry the line was based on a sales history of similar items (in this case collector goods... so we're talking Gremlins and Spawn toys). Once a location received initial shipment, they are only restocked and the second wave is only ordered based on sales data.

If Wave 1 didn't immediately fly out the door, that location never got a second case, and they weren't shipped Wave 2.

Looking at my area as an example - I have one TRU 20 minutes from me which used to sell Spawn and Lost toys well. They got 1 case in, three weeks after everyone else (no idea why). I had already gone 1 1/2 hours drive north to pick them up by my sister's place. Because they sold there, her location is getting every wave, and that's where I've had to pick them up. My local didn't sell through, and so they aren't getting future waves. (no wave 2, and no wave 3 in their shipment que).

The next closest TRU carrying the line is an hour south of me. So for 18-25 or so TRU locations in the Ft Lauderdale metro area, only 3 carry them at all and only 2 got wave 2. If Jupiter is sold out you have a 2 1/2 drive to the next location.

I would guess that this is why there was Wave 2 overstock - because TRU sucks at working out their ordering systems.

PS I love fringe characters!

[megalomaniac001]

I like this line so far, I am wanting every "Challenge of the Superfriends" character. As for the "seeing at retail" thing, I have seen the same pattern so many times. Store orders new toy-line, they order too much. Some figures warm the pegs. The store does not order much or any of the next wave or two. Toy line is canceled.
Another problem is if the line does well. Look at the DCUC line. When Walmart first got these, they flew off the shelves. Then Mattel makes a two case assortment and dumps them all over the place. Walmart then has 20 Captain Colds hanging on the pegs. So no new stock comes in for about a year! Fortunately, now we have web based stores. Theses stores seem to be better at their order quantities. I now order my toys online to avoid the headache of running around trying to find a series. The other thing I like is Matty collector, yeah, it does have it's problems, but it does allow for more obscure characters to be made.

[MIB41]

I look at the Retro Action name as meaning the style and scale the figure comes in. From there, I think it's a real broad scale approach. I think Paul and company are trying not only to reexamine what Mego put out (or should have put out) in the 70's. But also what they COULD have put out if they had never closed their doors. So that leaves a broad range of possibilities. All done in the retro action design.

[DocDrako]

I'm happy with the characters they're putting out. I have my personal favorites that I'd like to see, like Robin for instance, but if the line is doing well with the choices they're making I'm okay with waiting. I'm glad that alot of the figures so far were on the Superfriends because my son Davey loves the show and wants the characters. Sinestro and Lex Luthor were big hits in my house because Davey likes being the villains. I don't remember the heroes ever winning in his adventures. But then, the villains always get away on the Superfriends. At least in the end.

[TrueDave]

Knowing what little about corprate that i do I would never "authorize' so many villians. The top guys sell best. I want my money now, and I want it all.

Other than GI Joe and Star Wars just about every toyline leans too heavily on teh good guys.
I really like what Mattel is doing with these villians but it looks like it's hurting them if theyre turning into peg warmers. Really seems out of character for a big company.
Where is teh commercial support for these guys?
They need to make a couple of commercials and show them during cartoons to nab the kids and then thier sales would take off.

[fumetti]

He aslo observed that the new line tends to be more Mego-style inspired than repros of the original figures.

Which is why I haven't bought any WGSH figures.

So far, I've bought all the Star Trek and some of the POTA. Note that the new figures are almost indistinquishable from the old, blending in as if they were made in the 70s.

The DC superheroes are inspired by, or in the vein of, the vintage line. Not reproductions. Of course, the argument here will be that the new ones are superior, and of that there is little doubt (except Superman's head). But I can resist new designs. I can't resist the old designs.