MATTEL: The Universe is open and holds a lot of possibilities. However, we also have to be thoughtful about how we prioritize the projects – we can't do all of them at once. We're open to anything that makes sense within our strategic plan.
Christopher Reeve was a hero in many more ways beyond his role as Superman. However, at this time, we do not plan to do any specific toys based on his character in the near term.
BYTB: How will Mattel handle the retialers? As of right now the DC figures have maybe 5 rows of pegs. Thats including JLU, DCSH and The Batman. Will this new deal change that and the fact that we, the customers, can't find certain figures, like the Blue Suited Supergirl?
How figures are displayed at retail is a process that goes through a lot of channels. Mattel is working on getting figures to collectors in the best way possible. I think you’ll be very happy with our plans for next year.
BYTB: In the DCSH line, will we get a Batman Line, then Superman, Flash, Green Lantern, Ect.. my suggestion is to mix it up. Use the Justice League of America title, like the JLU line is right now. Perhaps for the sidkicks use a Teen Ttians line.
We’re really excited to meet fans at the summer conventions this year and reveal many of our upcoming figures and toy lines. Until then, the lid is shut!
SEPTEMBER Q&A #1:
BYTB: Are their any plans for more civilian figures (Bruce Wayne, Lois Lane, Perry White, Alfred Pennyworth, Jimmy Olsen, Jim Gordon, etc..)
MATTEL: Actually yes, we do talk about doing these figures. The trick is just finding the right time and place. Civilian’s don’t tend to do as well for us at retail but it doesn’t mean we can’t do them if we can find the right venue.
BYTB: Besides 1:18, what other sizes are planned for the 1966 Batmobile? Could we see a 1:43 version to compare with the Corgi’s? Or perhaps a 1:24??
MATTEL: We have a few other surprises on the way, but you will just have to stay tuned. Future announcements for these collectibles will be made through the Hot Wheels Red Line Club.
BYTB: When the animated line is redone in 2008, will the Legion Of Superheroes Figures be included or seperate? What kind of figures can we expect to see?
MATTEL: Our LOSH line was in a slightly different scale compared to the JLU figures so they wouldn’t fit in directly with the JLU line. However, it doesn’t rule Legion characters from being done in the JLU style. Just exactly what direction and what characters we do in 2008-2009 for the JLU style (and what the line will be called) has yet to be announced.
SEPTEMBER Q&A #2:
BYTB: Will boxed sets be done, similar to ML?
MATTEL: Nothing to announce quite yet, but this is something we are looking into for late 08. Keep in mind that this line has yet to hit stores so any larger items will depend on how well the basic figures do at retail. If there is demand this is clearly something we would consider.
BYTB: The DCUC series are a mix of different characters from various franchises(I.E. Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, ETC.), so is there going to be a pattern to how you balance the franchises in each wave? If so, how often are we to expect characters from each franchise?
MATTEL: There is no set pattern, but pretty much you can expect the following “types” in each wave: (wave 1 used as an example)
Batman – “A” list hero
Penguin – “A” list enemy
Orion – “B” level character
Red Tornado – “B” level character
Etrigan – fan favorite/request
It won’t always go like this, but we try to keep some type of rules when choosing which characters go into a wave. This pattern allows us to have a well known hero and his/her villain (this is a “play pattern”) in each wave as well as lesser known and fan requested characters.
BYTB: With Lucius Fox, Jim Gordon and Alfred Pennyworth all signed on for 3 films, will we see figures of them for either The Dark Knight (maybe as store exclusive sets) or the third Batman film? (or at least in the comic
line?) Adding to this, The Star Wars line has all kinds of characters, even D & E list characters. Although it's a different company, does this help in depending on which characters to use?
MATTEL: No plans right now for those specific characters though we do talk about the right time and place for them. We are just as interested in doing the “C” and “D” and “E” level characters. Our plan is to try and spread them out among the more well known “A” level heroes and villains for balanced waves. If we did all “A” level characters or all “D” level characters it would make the waves a bit unbalanced and harder to sell through.
OCTOBER Q&A #1:
BYTB: Regarding The Dark Knight's 6" figure line, it has been stated that there are going to be six characters... 3 heroes, 3 villains. Is that the count of actual figures, I.E. Begins suit Batman and TDK suit Batman would count as two characters, or is that the count of actual characters, meaning variants count separately.
MATTEL: Actually, we didn’t say it would be 3 heroes and 3 villains. Just that the line up would include both good guys and bad guys. Exactly who will be made in the 6 inch line is yet to be revealed.
BYTB: Any plans for a new sculpt for The Joker? Perhaps one displaying more physical prowess than the last one? And perhaps in different clothes? Like a purple business suit to fit more in line with TDK, or a trenchcoat like the iconic '80s depictions? (It could come in handy for a Joker/Harley 2-pack with that new Harley Quinn y'all are making)
MATTEL: Because the Joker is the main villain in the new film “Batman the Dark Knight” we choose not to include him in our DCUC line for 2008 to avoid having too many Jokers on shelf at one time. (Several versions of the Joker will be available in our Dark Knight line in the summer of 2008) The Clown Prince of Crime is a character we will look at exploring for the DCUC line in the future however!
BYTB: Kenner’s The Dark Knight Collection and Batman Returns figures used the same figure molds for both those series. Will The Dark Knight figures be the same as the previous Batman Begins figures or is there all new tooling?
MATTEL: A little of both actually. You will see some older figures re-released as well as all new figures of both the villains and heroes of Gotham City.
BYTB: Also, One of our board members REALLY wants to know if we will we get Attack Armor Batman in the states?
MATTEL: At this point we’ll be concentrating on newer versions of DC characters. The older Attack Armor Batman will not be re-released in the DCUC line.
OCTOBER Q&A #2:
BYTB: Will hard to find figures such as Steel, Lex Luthor, Brainiac, Supergirl, Batgirl (both versions), etc. be released under DCUC?
MATTEL: Eventually we will look at re-releasing some of these hard to find figures. Right now, however, all of our efforts will go into the first year of basic figures, which will not include any re-releases. Exclusive box sets might be a good potential place to look for older figures in re-release.
BYTB: Any Plans for a Batman Beyond Figure? Either in the DCUC or the JLU line?
MATTEL: Anytime we get a question about a specific figure that hasn’t been announced, the standard answer is always going to be “wait and see”. Doing Terry as a figure in either 6-inch or JLU style is something we are looking at. Just where and when he shows up will be revealed in time. We hope fans will understand that we simply cannot comment on any figure or figure idea that has not been specifically announced.
BYTB: Any chance of getting "The Batman Nightwing figure?" How about other characters such as Black Mask, Harley Quinn, Clayface #2, Everywhere Man?
MATTEL: We have to revert to our previous answer on this one too. While doing Nightwing is a great idea for a figure, again, we cannot comment on figures or ideas for figures that haven’t yet been announced.
NOVEMBER Q&A #1:
BYTB: Will we see those clear plastic flying stands similar to the ones that came with marvel legends at all in DCUC?
MATTEL: For the 2008 line up we aren’t able to include flying stands but this isn’t out of the question for 2009.
BYTB: Why was the Cyber Revolutions line cancelled? It seemed to have progressed quite a way before it was shut down.
MATTEL: Many times toy lines are changed or branding direction is revised which causes a line to alter direction. This was the case with the Cyber Revolutions line.
BYTB: Mattel’s Animated line (TNBA Style) figures have not been seen for awhile, are they gone for good? It’s too bad if they are because there was potential for Mattel to make some figures that Hasbro did not make.
MATTEL: We will have some exciting news for the animation style to announce in the next few months. We hope fans of the DC Animated Universe will be very pleased but right now we are still working out the details. It is too early to make any official announcements.
BYTB: Why is Robin's head so huge in The Batman Shadowtek line? Batgirl has a large head too, but why is Robin's head way out of scale compared to Batman?
MATTEL: There is a simple answer to this. On the show, Robin is smaller then even Batgirl. If we made him exactly in scale his body and head would be so small he would fall over! Many times toy lines have to slightly adjust scale both for price value and design stand points.
NOVEMBER 2008 Q&A #2:
BYTB: Instead of Build-A-Figure, why not do Build-A-Scene? Rather than include a body part to make a larger figure with each figure, include pieces that form a scene like The Batcave or The Daily Planet or Arkham Asylum or Crime Alley or bases that connect or something. As I collector I don’t always get the whole series and I would have parts of a body that I will never build. But if there were bases or scene pieces I could at least maybe use them as part of my display.
MATTEL: This is something we have looked at, but for the time being we are waiting to see how the line performs at retails before making any changes to the line architecture. Plus there are so many good BAF choices out there. Nothing is off the table, but for now the bonus will be a figure that is 25% larger then a standard figure.
BYTB: The new DCSH Clayface is awesome, but there is a lot of buzz Online about the rubber arms tearing apart. What are those arms made of and what can a collector do to protect them? With all the other Toy Recalls going on, is it possible that Clayface gets recalled as well?
MATTEL:The arms are made of rubber with a metal rod in the middle (that lets the rubber hold a bending shape). Collectors and kids should have no problem posing Mr. Hagan in any number of ways without fear of his arm breaking off!
BYTB: Does “logic” ever get brought up with regards to certain action figures? For example the JL line had Batman, Green Arrow and The Flash figures on motorcycles. Batman and Green Lantern make sense, but why would The Flash use a motorcycle?
MATTEL:To impress chicks.
BYTB: Does Mattel ever look back on the Kenner/Hasbro lines of Batman figures for inspiration for something new? Total Justice / JLA and Legends of Batman / Legends of the Dark Knight were some really cool figures and you might find some cool ideas.
MATTEL:We do look at a lot of different older toy lines to see what has been popular with collectors over the years. Right now we have so many characters open to us that it is pretty easy to go full steam ahead.
BYTB: It’s been awhile since Mattel produced a Batmobile for the Comic Style/DCSH figures. Did the recall of the previous Batmobile have any influence on not making an all new, different version?
MATTEL: No, the recall of the previous Batmobile has not influenced us in this way. So everyone knows the Batmobile you are referring to was from our first line of comic based Batman figures. It was recalled because the styling of the rear tail-fin came to a point and was made of a hard “unforgiving” plastic. We retrofitted the fin with a softer rubber tip. Since then we’ve had many Batmobiles in the animated line, movie line and pre-school lines. A new Batmobile will be made for the upcoming Dark Knight line as well as the first ever vehicle for the Four Horsemen sculpted figures in the Fall of 2008. This will be revealed at Comic Con.
FEBRUARY 2008 Q&A #1:
BYTB: Will we see those clear plastic flying stands similar to the ones that came with marvel legends at all in DCUC?
MATTEL: For the 2008 line up we aren’t able to include flying stands but this isn’t out of the question for 2009.
BYTB: Why was the Cyber Revolutions line cancelled? It seemed to have progressed quite a way before it was shut down.
MATTEL: Many times toy lines are changed or branding direction is revised which causes a line to alter direction. This was the case with the Cyber Revolutions line.
BYTB: Mattel’s Animated line (TNBA Style) figures have not been seen for awhile, are they gone for good? It’s too bad if they are because there was potential for Mattel to make some figures that Hasbro did not make.
MATTEL: We will have some exciting news for the animation style to announce in the next few months. We hope fans of the DC Animated Universe will be very pleased but right now we are still working out the details. It is too early to make any official announcements.
BYTB: Why is Robin's head so huge in The Batman Shadowtek line? Batgirl has a large head too, but why is Robin's head way out of scale compared to Batman?
MATTEL: There is a simple answer to this. On the show, Robin is smaller then even Batgirl. If we made him exactly in scale his body and head would be so small he would fall over! Many times toy lines have to slightly adjust scale both for price value and design stand points.
NOVEMBER 2008 Q&A #2:
BYTB: Will the Movie Masters line extend beyond The Dark Knight? If so, do you plan to expand to past movies such as Batman 89 and the Christopher Reeve Superman movies?
MATTEL: This is something we are exploring but do not have news to announce quite yet.
BYTB: Will Heath Ledger's passing have an effect on TDK's merchandise?
MATTEL: We will still be offering several versions of the Joker figure in the 4”, 5” and 6” figure lines. We will however change some of our marketing tactics in respect for Mr. Ledger’s family
BYTB: Why the name change from Crime Stopper Batman to Classic Detective Batman? This is the first time I recall seeing such a change during a production run.
MATTEL: There were a few logistical issues regarding the name “Crime Stopper” and it was changed to “Classic Detective”. That is the big mystery! It was a running change. The figure itself did not change.
BYTB: Will we ever get a few playsets for DCUC like a Batcave?
MATTEL: Playsets are always a tough thing with 6inch figures due to size and logistical issues. We are well aware of fan demand and are always working on finding ways to bring playsets to the line. However we do not currently have any news to announce.
BYTB: There’s a big demand for Wal-Mart to carry the new DCU figures, but so far they have not. Along with that, It was said that Wal-Mart would have a "DC" Aisle much like the one they had for Marvel last year. Is this still planned?
MATTEL: Mattel would love it if Wal-Mart (or any retailer) did an entire aisle for DC action figures and toys. However any decision like this is entirely up to individual retailers as is what Mattel product they decide to carry. If you are not seeing DCUC figures at your favorite retailer be sure to let them know!
FEBRUARY 2008 Q&A #1:
BYTB: Will we see those clear plastic flying stands similar to the ones that came with marvel legends at all in DCUC?
MATTEL: For the 2008 line up we aren’t able to include flying stands but this isn’t out of the question for 2009.
BYTB: Why was the Cyber Revolutions line cancelled? It seemed to have progressed quite a way before it was shut down.
MATTEL: Many times toy lines are changed or branding direction is revised which causes a line to alter direction. This was the case with the Cyber Revolutions line.
BYTB: Mattel’s Animated line (TNBA Style) figures have not been seen for awhile, are they gone for good? It’s too bad if they are because there was potential for Mattel to make some figures that Hasbro did not make.
MATTEL: We will have some exciting news for the animation style to announce in the next few months. We hope fans of the DC Animated Universe will be very pleased but right now we are still working out the details. It is too early to make any official announcements.
BYTB: Why is Robin's head so huge in The Batman Shadowtek line? Batgirl has a large head too, but why is Robin's head way out of scale compared to Batman?
MATTEL: There is a simple answer to this. On the show, Robin is smaller then even Batgirl. If we made him exactly in scale his body and head would be so small he would fall over! Many times toy lines have to slightly adjust scale both for price value and design stand points.
APRIL 2008 Q&A #1:
BYTB: Will Mattel’s new 1:50 scale Batmobile series be like the Corgi series with Batmobiles from the different films, TV shows and Comic Books?
MATTEL: Yes, Mattel will be doing different Batmobiles from TV, film and comics.
BYTB: Why are there so many Batman Begins figures being reused for the new The Dark Knight series of figures?
MATTEL: The basic Batman line is more of a kid friendly line and reuses some tools from the previous film because they are in scale with the current line. The adult oriented Movie Masters line is sculpted by the Four Horsemen and features all new sculpts.
BYTB: Will the Movie Master series of figures have Batman figures from any of the other films?
MATTEL: The current line up of Movie Masters figures are all based on the new Batman films. The future of the line may see other film properies in time.
BYTB: If the JLU is now considered a Collector Series, can we get Peg Holes and or Stands to come with these figures?
MATTEL: We are working on this! News to come at San Diego Comic Con.
BYTB: Is it know yet, which stores would carry the new DC Universe: Infinite Heroes line? When The Classics was announced it was beleived that Wal-Mart would carry the line, then later they changed their minds.
MATTEL: We are working with Wal-Mart and other retailers like Target and TRU to carry the IH line. We hope all of the major players will be on board with this exciting new line of DC heroes and villains.
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