Tag: toys

Revolution Skeletek

Recommended music: Oingo Boingo – Weird Science

Happy Monday, MOTU fans! So this #MastersMonday finds us continuing our look at Revolution figures in the Mattel Masters of the Universe Masterverse line. Next up: Skeletek!

In the closing moments of the Netflix Masters of the Universe: Revelation animated series, Skeletor tries to attack the idol of Motherboard. This backfires on him as the statue comes to life and immediately infects Skeletor with a techno virus, as he turns to technology in place of magic in the Revolution series. This Skeletor 2.0 figure from Mattel features his transformed cybernetic version of himself with an oversized havoc staff ram head permanently replacing his arm, which is also reminiscent of the ‘snapping skull’ accessory for Terror Claws Skeletor. During the season, he uses this arm to infect Two-Bad and others with some sort of techno virus as well.

Mattel revealed this Skeletor and the rest of Masterverse wave 11 at San Diego Comic-Con 2023, a full five months before Masters of the Universe Revolution appeared on Netflix in January of 2024, with the wave hitting store shelves in the spring.

The sculpt and paint on the figure are similar to the cartoon, and Skeletor comes with 30 points of articulation, one alternate open hand, and his crown from the show. Overall, it’s a decent figure, and the oversized cybernetic legs definitely give me a Clone Wars Darth Maul type of vibe.

Masters of the Universe Revelation/Revolution turned four years old this year! I “figure” there’ll be a new figure from this series to share here for the rest of the year!

#ActionFigurePhotography
#MastersOfTheUniverse
#MOTU
#ToyPhotography

Favorite Episode

Recommended music: Dr. Dre – The Next Episode (Instrumental)

On this #SomethingElseSunday, we’ve got another Masters of the Universe collaboration with Eternian Epic Imagery. This week’s theme is “Favorite Episode.”

Our goal this week was to recreate a scene or tribute to an animated episode from the Masters of the Universe franchise. With nearly 400 episodes to choose from across the various series, including Filmation’s He-Man and She-Ra series, The New Adventures of He-Man, She-Ra and the Princesses of Power, and the 2002 and 2021 He-Man and the Masters of the Universe series, there were many great options.

I decided to go with episode 10 of the Filmation He-Man and the Masters of the Universe series, “A Friend in Need.” This is one where Teela’s friend Ileena is swayed to use an addictive potion and steal a device called a transmutator, basically the “Say no to drugs” episode of the series. I made a custom figure of Ileena some time ago, and have a ton of original artwork from the episode as well. I’m planning to share all that at some point, but in the meantime, here is a quick homage.

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Favorite Episode Collab

One of the most well-known cartoon series of the 1980s, He-Man and the Masters of the Universe, ran for two seasons and is still watched by droves. It was followed by The New Adventures of He-Man in the 1990s and then by the Mike Young Productions series in 2002.

Because this franchise is so popular, it has had even more recent iterations and films. Eternian Epic imagery selected a scene from their favorite episode and brought it to life!

Check out the photos from the following artists, and see their own pages for full images:

@the_thanoscopter
@b.a.dtoyphotos
@backyardeternia
@cob_web_collector
@raw_photoygraphy
@kidult_1983
@takemoretoyphotos
@raoof7136
@dalestoys
@81_eternal
@opt975

#ActionFigurePhotography
#EternianEpicImagery
#He-Man
#MastersOfTheUniverse
#MOTU
#ToyPhotography

Revolution Sorceress Teela

Recommended music: Air Supply – The One That You Love

Happy Monday, MOTU fans! With this #MastersMonday post, we’re starting to look at Revolution figures in the Mattel Masters of the Universe Masterverse line. First up: Sorceress Teela!

In the first episode of the Netflix Masters of the Universe: Revolution animated series, “Even for Kings,” Teela has a different appearance than in the previous Revelation series. Not only is she now voiced by Melissa Benoist instead of Sarah Michelle Gellar, but she has fully embraced her heritage as the new sorceress of Castle Grayskull. When Scare Glow refuses to relinquish his hold on Fisto and Clamp Champ’s souls, Teela, other Heroic Warriors, and Royal Guard storm into Subternia.

Mattel revealed this Teela and the rest of Masterverse wave 11 at San Diego Comic-Con 2023, a full five months before the January 2024 debut of the Masters of the Universe Revolution series on Netflix. The wave of figures eventually hit store shelves later that spring.

The sculpt and paint on the figure are pretty accurate to the cartoon, and Teela comes with 30 points of articulation, the traditional sorceress staff, an extra set of open hands, and a soft goods cloak that is an improvement from the Sorceress cape earlier in the line, as it no longer needs to attach to the arms. Overall, it’s a good figure and a great way to kick off characters from the new show.

Masters of the Universe Revelation/Revolution turned four years old this year! I “figure” there’ll be a new figure from this series to share here for the rest of the year!

#ActionFigurePhotography
#MastersOfTheUniverse
#MOTU
#ToyPhotography

Scary Skelly

Recommended music: Michael Jackson – Thriller

Happy Halloween! Today, we’ve got another Masters of the Universe collaboration with Eternian Epic Imagery. This week’s theme is “Scary Skelly”

When I thought about this picture, it occurred to me that the Masters of the Universe villain, Goat Man, has a design similar to the iconic red jacket worn by Michael Jackson in the Thriller music video. An idea was born, and I was off to play with some dancing skeletons. 😄

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The Eternian Epic Imagery group is celebrating THE Villain of the Century during the scariest time of year. See what Skeletor does best in these exclusive shots captured by our brilliant photo makers, and have a ghoulish, spooky season

Please give a like and follow to our talented crew of Eternian visual historians:
@kidult_1983
@glare_foe
@raw_photoygraphy
@cob_web_collector
@b.a.dtoyphotos
@the_thanoscopter
@oldmanwithalawn
@backyardeternia
@phoenix_of_grayskull
@shadowfigurephotography
@raoof7136
@emerald_knight_photos
@takemoretoyphotos
@dalestoys
@motu_joe

#ActionFigurePhotography
#EternianEpicImagery
#He-Man
#MastersOfTheUniverse
#MOTU
#ToyPhotography

From the Archives: Devil

Recommended music: Pentatonix – Making Christmas

For this #SomethingElseSunday post from the archives, we’re continuing with figures perfect for the Halloween season through the Christmas season. From the Funko ReAction The Nightmare Before Christmas line, it’s Devil!

I don’t believe this is supposed to be the actual devil, but rather he’s a devil lookalike who does show up in a handful of scenes and gets multiple lines in the film. He enjoys singing with the other residents of Halloween and also “Making Christmas,” including assisting Corpse Dad and Wolfman in making the Scary Teddy.

Funko actually included Scary Teddy, pictured here with the Barrel figure, when The Nightmare Before Christmas ReAction line debuted in 2016, but they did give the devil his signature pitchfork. Super7 did not rerelease the Devil figure for the eventual relaunch of the line.

#ActionFigurePhotography
#TheNightmareBeforeChristmas
#ToyPhotography

Castles and Mountains

Recommended music: Vivaldi – The Four Seasons (Autumn)

Coming at you this #SomethingElseSunday, we’ve got another Masters of the Universe collaboration with Eternian Epic Imagery. This week’s theme is “Castles and Mountains.”

Our theme this week focuses on iconic castles and mountains, as these elements are ever-present as the setting in the Masters of the Universe franchise. My picture idea came to me as I was driving around for work. A perk of my current role is being able to travel around Colorado, and while tourists will visit the Rocky Mountains to check out the fall colors, I simply get to see them during my commute. The shades of yellow really stood out to me from recent photos, and I felt like adding in Heroic Warriors that also may be flying around with yellow in their color scheme. I also added in the redesigned Point Dread as it appears in the Masters of the Universe: Revelation series, and is not actually found in the mountains on the road to Aspen. 😄

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Masters of the Universe – Castles and Mountains Collab

From the mighty walls of Castle Grayskull and the menacing peaks of Snake Mountain to the Whisper-Towers of Etheria, the Masters of the Universe saga is defined by its colossal fortresses and forbidding mountain ranges.

Castles are the ultimate seats of power and ancient secrets. Mountains are the silent, protective witnesses to legend.

This is a tribute to the epic scale and enduring prominence of these fortresses and summits in the MOTU and She-Ra Mythos.

Join the crew of Eternian Epic Imagery as we climb the cliffs and unlock the gates. We have the power!

Check out the photos from the following artists:

@cris.hobby_photography_toys
@the_thanoscopter
@cob_web_collector
@backyardeternia
@phoenix_of_grayskull
@shindanrod
@b.a.dtoyphotos
@dalestoys
@glare_foe
@takemoretoyphotos
@raw_photoygraphy
@81_eternal
@shadowfigurephotography
@opt975
@eternianroyalty
@oldmanwithalawn
@raoof7136
@kidult_1983

#ActionFigurePhotography
#EternianEpicImagery
#He-Man
#MastersOfTheUniverse
#MOTU
#ToyPhotography

From the Archives: Behemoth

Recommended music: Behemoth – Ov Fire and the Void

For this #SomethingElseSunday post from the archives, we’re continuing with figures perfect for the Halloween season through the Christmas season. From the Funko ReAction The Nightmare Before Christmas line, it’s Behemoth!

In the film, Behemoth is a large man wearing overalls with an axe sticking out of his head. The axe must have caused some damage (like striking a zombie in the head), as Behemoth rarely speaks outside of his exclamation of “BUNNY!” when he is near the accidental hostage Easter Bunny. When Jack is handing out jobs for Christmas (Behemoth’s role is producing nutcrackers), his list says “Farmhand” as Jack doesn’t even appear to know his name.

When The Nightmare Before Christmas ReAction line debuted in 2016, this version of Behemoth included the well-placed axe in the head and included a small nutcracker that fits in his hand (and could really use some more hits of paint). The sculpt is solid, right down to the detailed chest hair. 😄 Super7 did not release the figure again for the eventual relaunch of the line.

#ActionFigurePhotography
#TheNightmareBeforeChristmas
#ToyPhotography

From the Archives: Mayor

Recommended music: Billy Idol – Eyes Without A Face

For this #SomethingElseSunday post from the archives, we’re continuing with figures perfect for the Halloween season through the Christmas season. From the Funko ReAction The Nightmare Before Christmas line, it’s Mayor!

In the film, the Mayor of Halloween Town briefly enjoys celebrating another “successful” Halloween (whatever that means), but quickly turns his focus to planning for the following year’s holiday and briefly freaks out when Jack Skellington doesn’t answer his door the morning after Halloween. The mayor is literally a “two-faced” politician who can rotate his head around 180 degrees to reveal either a happy or a sad face.

When the ReAction line first made The Nightmare Before Christmas in 2016, this first version of Mayor came with his megaphone cast in purple plastic and his sculpted paper “plans” for next Halloween. The Super7 version released four years later would not retain the plans and changed the megaphone to black. The biggest upgrade for that version is that the “sad” face received a significant paint upgrade with additional detail, resulting in a more screen-accurate white face instead of the blue appearance in this version.

#ActionFigurePhotography
#TheNightmareBeforeChristmas
#ToyPhotography

From the Archives: Sally

Recommended music: Catherine O’Hara – Sally’s Song

For this #SomethingElseSunday post from the archives, we’re continuing with figures perfect for the Halloween season through the Christmas season. From the Funko ReAction The Nightmare Before Christmas line, it’s Sally!

In the film, Sally is a rag doll from Halloween Town who longs for her independence from Dr. Finklestein, while also being enamored with Jack Skellington. She is voiced by Catherine O’Hara, who previously worked with the film’s writer/producer, Tim Burton, on Beetlejuice in 1988 and later on the 2012 remake of Frankenweenie.

When the Reaction line first covered The Nightmare Before Christmas in 2016, this initial version of Sally came with her basket and hole-filled spoon. The Super7 versions released four years later would replace those accessories and upgrade the paint job, but I think this figure is just fine on its own for this simplified 4” toyline.

#ActionFigurePhotography
#TheNightmareBeforeChristmas
#ToyPhotography

Revelation Horde Skeletor

Recommended music: Savatage – Gutter Ballet

Howdy MOTU fans! This #MastersMonday post, we’re taking a look at the Mattel Masters of the Universe Masterverse: Horde Skeletor!

During the eighth episode of the Netflix Masters of the Universe: Revelation animated series, “The Gutter Rat,” Skeletor has a slightly different look. This look is quite distinct from what was seen in animation for the previous 40 years. In a flashback scene, Evil-Lyn (the gutter rat) reminisces on a very different backstory. In Revelation canon, Evil-Lyn runs away from her starving parents as they are going to eat her and finds herself in a life of crime and magic on the streets. When her back is against the wall against a couple of tough characters, Skeletor saves the day by showing up via a magic portal and steering Evil-Lyn’s life down a very different path.

Fortunately, the Skeletor design seen in this scene was captured in this Masterverse figure. Mattel labeled this figure simply as ‘Skeletor,’ but the ‘Horde Skeletor’ nickname has stuck due to the Horde bat emblem on Skeletor’s belt. The expanded backstory of The Evil Horde was eventually revealed during the Masters of the Universe Revolution follow-up series on Netflix.

The fun thing about this design is that once you’ve removed the soft goods cape, it’s easy to see the black and red outfit is basically an update of the ‘200X’ Spin Blade Skeletor figure. Only this time, instead of a silly accessory on a repaint that practically spelled the end of the 2002 toyline, this figure includes a havoc staff with a semi-transparent ram head.

Not only does the weapon get an upgrade from the wave one Skeletor, but the paint applications on the face are also a big improvement. The figure comes with 30 points of articulation, an extra set of hands, and a much better soft goods cloak than what was included with the first release. The biggest downside to this figure is that the skin tone is slightly too purple compared with the traditional blue-skinned skeleton.

Thankfully, Mattel included this one last Revelation figure in Masterverse Wave 10 before moving on to Revolution and ‘New Eternia’ designs.

Masters of the Universe Revelation/Revolution turned four years old this year! I “figure” there’ll be a new figure from this series to share here for the rest of the year!

#ActionFigurePhotography
#MastersOfTheUniverse
#MOTU
#ToyPhotography

From the Archives: Jack Skellington and Zero

Recommended music: Danny Elfman – Doctor Finkelstein / In The Forest

For this #SomethingElseSunday post from the archives, we’re continuing with figures perfect for the Halloween season through the Christmas season. From the Super7 ReAction The Nightmare Before Christmas line, it’s Jack Skellington and Zero!

When the Reaction line first covered The Nightmare Before Christmas in 2016, Funko was still producing it. They released several carded versions of Jack, each with a different facial expression. However, none of the regular retail releases included Jack’s ghost-dog Zero. There was a limited-run early-bird release of Jack and Zero for San Diego Comic-Con in 2014. Still, Zero was otherwise unavailable until Super7 rebooted the line without Funko in 2020, which included these two in the first wave.

I like the look of this Jack figure with his lanky limbs, and the Zero figure is a cute addition. This scene in the film shows Jack taking Zero for a walk and passing the door to Thanksgiving Town, while the door to Christmas Town is much more appealing and quickly pulls him in with a snowy gust of air. This is becoming increasingly common among people who decorate early for Christmas, often looking past Thanksgiving. [I also love how this picture turned out, as I think it was the first time I discovered how to make a layer transparent like Zero – DM]

#ActionFigurePhotography
#TheNightmareBeforeChristmas
#ToyPhotography

Revelation Clamp Champ

Recommended music: O Fresh – The Champ is Here (Remix)

Happy Monday, MOTU fans! This #MastersMonday post, we’re taking a look at the Mattel Masters of the Universe Masterverse: Clamp Champ!

Clamp Champ, also known as Raenius per his Masters of the Universe Classics bio, appeared in the very first episode of the Netflix Masters of the Universe: Revelation animated series. The character’s design is a very familiar look that we’ve seen since 1986, and it was great to finally see him in animated form.

Unfortunately, his vintage action figure came out a year after the Filmation He-Man animated series ended, so he was limited to comics and newspaper strips in the 1980s. According to the producer of the 2002 Mike Young Productions Masters of the Universe cartoon, he was the next vintage character planned to appear in that series before it was canceled. The character also did not make it into the accompanying ‘200X’ Mattel toy line but did get made in the NECA Toys “staction” line shortly afterward.

Mattel not only nailed the look of the Clamp Champ from the Netflix series for this figure but also provided a modern rendition of the character for fans who missed out on the MOTUC version. The well-painted sculpt contains 31 points of articulation, and Champ comes with an extra set of hands, as well as a redesigned spring-loaded techno clamp. This weapon gets a big upgrade and actually fits all around his hand.

Unfortunately for the character, after protecting the royal family a couple of times, he was basically killed off mid-way through Revelation, as his character became a skeletized minion along with Fisto. There was a chance the characters would have their souls reborn later in the season, but it didn’t happen. Thankfully, Mattel included the figure in Masterverse Wave 10 before moving on to Revolution designs, but I guess I’ll need a second one to make a custom of the skeletized minion. 😜

Masters of the Universe Revelation/Revolution turned four years old this year! I “figure” there’ll be a new figure from this series to share here for the rest of the year!

#ActionFigurePhotography
#MastersOfTheUniverse
#MOTU
#ToyPhotography

From the Archives: Barrel

Recommended music: Catherine O’Hara, Danny Elfman, and Paul Reubens – Kidnap the Sandy Claws

For this #SomethingElseSunday post from the archives, we’re kicking off a new series of ReAction figures from the collection. From the Funko ReAction The Nightmare Before Christmas line, it’s Barrel!

While the look of this youthful character’s head (both with and without his removable mask) now reminds me of Jared Leto’s look for Joker in the Suicide Squad film, for the 23 years before that, he was just a cute 5-year-old from Halloweentown who served as a costumed henchman for Oogie Boogie. The film’s composer, Danny Elfman, provides the voice of Barrel for the film and soundtrack.

The action figure captures his appearance from the film well, even with the limited paint applications and articulation the line is known for. Besides the mask, a little vampire doll is included for a rare (for this line) second accessory. In the film, the doll is seen when Jack Skellington (as Santa) leaves it for a child on Christmas, only to have it come to life and fly after a pair of children until the (real) Santa returns and replaces it with a normal doll. This has nothing to do with Barrel but is a wonderful way to add value to this release. An additional release of this figure also included a lollipop accessory, but this first release did not.

#ActionFigurePhotography
#TheNightmareBeforeChristmas
#ToyPhotography

Revelation Prince Adam

Recommended music: Electric Light Orchestra – Livin’ Thing

Happy Monday, MOTU fans! For today’s #MastersMonday post, we’re taking a look at the Mattel Masters of the Universe Masterverse: Prince Adam!

In the Netflix Masters of the Universe: Revelation animated series, the character design for Prince Adam was a very recognizable and classic look for Adam. Unlike the Filmation He-Man animated series, which used the same character model for Adam and He-Man, and simply replaced hair and skin-tones post heroic transformation, this Adam is noticeably smaller. Also, his hair curls in more like a mop top than the flowing look used for the Revelation He-Man.

This was a very smart move for the show creators as Prince Adam can’t rely on glasses like Clark Kent hiding he’s Superman. While we don’t know how often Prince Adam had to run off screen to become He-Man prior to the first episode, it seems like the secret identity was only figured out by Queen Marlena in this canon.

Mattel really nailed the look of the Prince Adam figure for the Masterverse line. Not only does he have an accurate paint job and sculpt with over 30 points of articulation, but Adam also comes with a set of fist hands, an alternate smiling head, and two versions of the Power Sword. One sword is painted with an accurate metallic look, but we also get this speckled semi-transparent “powering up” version as well.

The biggest downside to this figure is his availability. Despite being a main character in the series, Adam was saved until the last wave of Revelation characters in the Masterverse line. It appears this wave was short-packed as the packaging quickly changed over for wave 11 and the debut of Masters of the Universe: Revolution figures. Unfortunately, I had to spend quite a bit over retail to pick him up, but I’m so glad to have this version of Adam of the House of Randor in the collection.

Masters of the Universe Revelation/Revolution turned four years old this year! I “figure” there’ll be a new figure from this series to share here for the rest of the year!

#ActionFigurePhotography
#MastersOfTheUniverse
#MOTU
#ToyPhotography

From the Archives: Ghosts ‘n Goblins Art

Recommended music: The Amazing Brando – Ghosts’N Goblins

So, on this #SomethingElseSunday post from the archives, we’ve come to the end of the Super7 ReAction Ghosts’N Goblins line.

Here are some of the figures popping up in the promo art for the game. This artwork was seen in advertisements, on the sides of some arcade cabinets, and on console game cartridges.

No skeletons included here, I think that’s enough #GhostsNGoblins for this year!

#ActionFigurePhotography
#ToyPhotography