Demon Skeletor - A Masters of the Universe Classics custom figure

This is the 3rd time I made one of these and this time I'm finally satisfied with the result.

Since Demo-Man was released back in 2011, I wanted to make some kind of green Skeletor custom figure, but something always felt wrong:

My fist one used the Alcala-head on the Demo-Man body. I repainted the hood to brown to match Demo's clothes. It was nice, but didn't look quite right.

The second time I used Demo-Man's body again, changed the clothes/armour, using  Skeletor's ones now and used the Alcala-head. That one was pretty okay, but just somehow wasn't what I wanted.

In this 3rd (and final) Version, I again used Demo Man's body, but changed his arms to Skelli-arms and repainted them. Instead of using the Alcala head, I used the BA-Skeletor head. Now I think he has the right looks. What do you think?

If you like, check out my other Masters of the Universe Classics custom figures >>HERE<<

Masters of the Universe Classics - Super 7 Collector's Choice Wave 1

I just received the latest bunch of Masters of the Universe figures released by Super 7, being Collector's Choice and Club Grayskull Wave One. Besides the Ultimates (re-releases of pre-existing figures) and the Power Con exclusives, these are the first and long awaited figures, following the MOTU-Classics collector's line startet in 2008 by Mattel, since Super 7 took over. I pre-ordered these figures on May 10th 2017 and received them on March 19th 2018. Ten months of waiting...but was it worth it?

For years and years I hear (read) people complaining, complaining and complaining about the tiniest of issues - sometimes even about issues, where I personally don't even see an issue. It sometimes seems to me, the MOTU-community is never satisfied with anything and producing those figures must be a real pain in the ass as it seems whatever you do, it's never good enough and people are complaining anyway.

Yes, I have my thoughts, too. For example I wish some of the Princess of Power figures in this line would be closer to their 80's toy counterparts instead of sometimes being heavily based on their Filmation cartoon looks (which I never really liked, neither the show, nore the looks). But anyway, for the most part I was happy about every new figure and and I think most of them are awesome.

This being said, I myself start complaining now and give you my thoughts on the new Collector's Choice figures by Super 7:

Hawke

Though I know she is a fan demanded character and people were screaming for her for years, I never really cared about her.  I grew up with the minicomics and the figures itself, not the cartoon. I got to know the cartoon much later (and I'm still ignoring most parts of what they made of MOTU storywise), so I have no connection to the character herself. That itself is not a bad thing, there are many new characters, or characters that are based on foreign books, comics, prototypes etc. which first appear in action figure form in the Collector's Choice line - and I love that.

What I don't like are these for the most part lame, kept easy and in my eyes not very creative Filmation inventions (I know, not all of them were really invented by Filmation, but you know what I mean, so let's keep it easy here). So she's the female counterpart to Stratos. Fine, but do we need a male or female counterpart to each male or female figure in the line? With Stratos being released, all is said and done about the bird people, so let's move on to another "species" in the Motuverse. No? O.K. So for all those people who demanded her for so long, I'm happy for you, you finally got her, but don't you wish the designers would at least have been a little more creative?.

Did I say bird people? Well, here's my first issue with the character herself: She is no bird(person). Stratos had this overall furry, feathery, whatever looks and body and was clearly not human - so why is his sister a human in a dress? And besides: Why does Stratos have/need a backpack (at least the original toy version) and tiny-wings Hawke doesn't? I guess I just should stop searching for logic in these kind of things in the motuverse and obviously it's one of those "great" (irony, if you didn't notice) creations/ideas of Failmation, so why do I wonder anyway? (...sorry to all the Filmation fans out there... I just had to 😆).

This off my chest, the figure itself turned out pretty nice anyway and I'm about making peace with her BUT there are 2 more issues I have:

1st she looks like she's being made/planned originally for the Club Grayskull line as she has that flat and plain "straight out of the cartoon" look. If I place her in my Collector's Choice collection, I'll always have the feeling she doesn't belong there and I should place her with my Club Grayskull figures. If I place her with my Club Grayskull figures instead, I'll always have the feeling this character is missing in the Collector's Choice line (yes, call me a geek, call me nerdy, but that's how I feel about this figure).

I really think characters should first appear in the Collector's Choice line in a more detailed and ornate/extravagant way and then maybe (if at all) somewhen later in the Club Grayskull line. As this is a 2-in-one character (she comes with an extra head, turning her into a character called Delorah...don't ask, it's complicated), a great choice would have been if this figure had first appeard in Collector's Choice in a look based on her Ladybird-Comic-Delorah looks (much different from the Filmation style) or MYP-Cartoon looks and then later appeared in Club Grayskull in this Filmation look, BUT these are just my thoughts on this figure and who am I anyway? I'm still happy about this figure, even if I don't sound too much like it.

2nd complaint (I said there'll be another one) is a really bad one. In the past, I often read about people complaining about quality here and there - those were never real problems for me and though some of them were right, it never was too much of an issue to me and I didn't care - nothing that couldn't have been fixed easily or bothered me much BUT this time it's different and I have a serious issue: The really first time I pulled off Hawke's head to replace it with her second "Delorah" head, the neck piece broke. I didn't even pull hard or anything, it just broke like wax. I fixed it with some moldeable glue, but this is a thing that really shouldn't happen.

The good thing: As I had to repair/fix her anyway, I placed the head a little higher so she doesn't look like she doesn't have a neck (her head really sits too low originally, which looks goofy).

Anyway: It's not cool the neck piece broke and in this case not even heating up would have helped, because as I said: I didn't even pull hard, it just broke in two parts without any pressure, like the plastic was rotten (it wasn't, I just try to make clear about the texture). Well, I really recommend to be very, very careful if you change heads and that you don't do it too often (if at all). Choose your favorite look and stick with it.

Fang-Or

This is the figure I was looking for the most of this new bunch of four. I think Fang-Or is amazing and really fits well into the motuverse - maybe because of the "action feature" of popping the fangs in and out. Well, obviously there is no action feature as - Collector's Choice wise - it is represented as an extra/interchangeable head, which is fine, but it has the feel to it as if there was and an original 80's figure of this character which would have had that feature.

Also the character's name Fang-Or is directly based on that feature - that always feels very classically motulike to me ("What's obvious about this guy? What's his special feature? What's your fist thought when you see him? Fangs? Well, straight and easy that's his name then. He stinks? So let's call him Stinkor, he's a robot? Well, Roboto then and here's a guy with fangs? Sure, Fang-Or...I love that easyness).

I'm the kind of person who loves to pull off everything removeable and put it back together then - maybe even get a spare figure for customizing or just playing around, pop on different heads, different armour, whatever. It's a shame that's not really possible with most of these new figures. The armour is glued and soft and some plastic pieces are pretty fragile, so these are not toys to play with really (well, yes they're not really supposed to be, they are collector's items, but I at least like to have the possibility). Non removeable, or even sculpted on armour (worst) is never a good idea...Motu (at least for me) has always been about being able to interchange parts, that's part of the fun...but I digress (if you already read some of my other stuff, you know I tend to 😅) ...back to Fang-Or:

As Fang-Or comes with a second head and Hawke's neckpiece just broke, I was really nervous about that one - it really takes some fun out of the figure, if you have to worry about things like "will it break if I actually use it for what it was made for?". Well, as for Fang-Or: Don't worry, you can exchange heads easily and as often as you like without worrying of breaking the neckpiece...maybe even a bit too easyly, because the head just fits pretty loosely on the neck: You just have to grab it and it's off. But that's fine with me and of course much better than the other way around (...did I mention Hawke's broken neckpiece?).

Anyway, I love Fang-Or and I'm really glad they released this character, even if I'm starting to be one of those complainers, which I usually find annoying and not much helpful. I'm really happy of this character choice Super 7 made and I hope for the next bunch of figures being released they get that issues out of the way, so I can fully enjoy those figures. Also, I really hope much more (if not all) of those figures which appeared as scratches by Axel Gimenez before, would get an action figure released...his scratches are awesome, go and check them out if you don't already have.

Lodar

Well, well, well. Here he is: Lodar. I see why this never was an action figure in the 80s line as it has no special action feature or anything at all. Also he's pretty dark. Maybe you can say being a gladiator or something is his feature, but in Classics we have a lot of figures straight from the cartoon, or comics anyway, which lack action features, so I don't care and Lodar fits fine here.

I really like how the figure turned out and in hand it even looks better than on the pictures I've seen before. Also, I'm a fan of including more "normal" figures (means non action feature based) into the line. I would trade my right arm to see characters like Josh, Scrollos or Tug O'War in this line someday...well o.k. not my right arm, but maybe a toe (as I said before: check out the amazing scratches by Axel Gimenez on those and other characters...they are easy to find on google and you'll see they'd make awesome figures).

Quakke

I know, Mattel considers their line as complete regarding figures being based on characters pre-released in figure form, but I surely don't. To me the line won't feel complete without for example Starburst She-Ra or Scratchin' Sound Catra (btw check out my Scratchin' Sound Catra Custom HERE) and the few other variants missing from the 80s line. Even more important: The line surely isn't complete without the rest of the New Adventures figures. 

I never liked the New Adventures back then but I think transferred into classics they are great and work very well with the rest of the bunch. A shame we didn't get all of the characters from Matty and I really hope Super 7 manages to complete the NA - there are not too much characters missing, which had an action figure back in the early 90's (I guess Kayo, Nocturna, Vizar, Hoove, Sagitar, Spin Wit, Artilla, Butthead, Staghorn and a few variants), so it's a reachable goal I think. 

I admit, some of these missing NA characters are not figures I desperately want from a fan point of view, but figures I need and want for the feeling of completeness from a collector's point of view - plus: each released NA character in classics turned out pretty awesome so far, so go on and keep those missing characters coming, so we can check off NA for good and concetrate on new/other characters without that "sword of damocles" hanging over our collector's heads, the fear the line will stop one day without being complete because of these characters.

Did I say the NA figures released so far always turned out pretty awesome? Yes, and so did Quakke. There are not much of design changes compared to the original figure, but simply just being transferred into classics, works very well with this figure. 

The armour by the way is again glued. Not too bad in this case and could be removed, but it's not really meant to. As I said before: I prefer easy removeable armour. The meteor/rock is pretty heavy, so you'll have to ballance it right to get the poses you want, but that's o.k. and I love the details within the rock when "broken" into two halves.

Final thoughts:

I'm very happy finally owning these figures and I'm very thankful Super 7 continued the line. Yes, that neckpiece issue with Hawke isn't a funny thing (won't mind if you'd sent me some goodie as a compensation guys 😉), but overall, I'm happy they make these figures at all and I'm pretty sure, the next bunch of figures will solve problems like that...nobody's perfect and you always keep learning, so at the end of the day I'm a happy motuanier (whatever).

Hawke/Delorah: 5/10 (...because I'm mad at her for being a Club Grayskull figure actually)

Fang-Or: 10/10

Lodar: 8/10

Quakke: 9/10

Check out my "Ultimates" review HERE and don't forget to search Google for those scratches by Axel Gimenez I mentioned. Search for Josh, Scrollos, Bug-Eye, Lady Slither, Bandwirth, The Great Black Wizard, Tug O'War, Quick Flick, Stretch Nek and Vipor for example, they are amazing. And if you like them as much as I do: Request, plead and beg at Super 7 over and over until they are annoyed enough to finally produce those figures to shut us up (sorry Super 7: hard times, rough methods 😆).

Something I just have to say (even if I may upset some of you): 

I love that MOTU still has such a huge and for the most part loving and really awesome community, but there's something that really bugged me throughout the last year or sth. and I just have to say this, even if some people really will dislike what I'm saying:

No, I don't care if final figures look different than their prototypes, because...well, they are PROTOTYPES, but thanks to all those complaining, complaining and complaining people (did I mention those complaining people?) who compare each and every detail and change to the prototypes and ruin the experience to be part of the process for us other people, who acutally get that those are PROTOTYPES.

I'm always much intersted in the development process and think it's really exciting to see how something (action figures in this case) evolves from scratch to final product, but I totally do understand, why Super 7 doesn't show us early concepts and prototypes anymore. It's a shame, but I do understand and I'm really impressed how calm they were within the process though constantly being attacked by some so called fans.

Yes, everyone has his opinions and that's totally fine, but I read many, many comments that really went too far and were overbearing and unappreciative. Yes, I have complaints, too (...did I mention the broken Hawke neckpiece?), but the way the company, which tried to be transparent and fan orientated (which is NOT a common thing) was spoken against as if it was natural and if certain people had the right to intefere with each and every step Super 7 did? No, that wasn't fun. So thanks, we don't get to see any prototypes etc. anymore, just because of you guys, thanks a lot.

...but we all know: haters will hate and I think those people I'm talking about, never get it anyway, so feel free to leave a comment down below on how much of a bugger I am 😉

If you haven't checked out already: Here's a link to the index page of my Motu customs and stuff I posted here (so far): Motu-Index
...and check back in a few days for my thoughs on Super 7's Club Grayskull Wave 1

Masters of the Universe Classics: Ultimate Edition Wave 1

Finally...

I'm so excited: I pre-ordered the "Masters of the Universe Classics Ultimates" in November (I guess) last year and they finally arrived. I just picked them up from the customs today. The figures were pre-paid ($175 + $48,- shipping) and I had to pay roundabout $44 when picking them up from the customs, so with a total of $267 ($53,40 per figure = 43,-Euro) they were quite pricy...but I totally love them :)

As these are the first Masters figures from Super7 I had concerns they would differ from the Mattel style or quality, but be sure: They don't. They fit right in and there's no difference between these figures and the ones Mattel produced.

The figures are packed very well inside a fitting box holding the 5 mailer boxes with no air in between. I just came in from the rain, so the box is still a little wet on the photo, hope you don't mind :)

The mailer boxes were in totally fine condition and I just couldn't wait to unpack them.

The first figure I unpacked was He-Man. He comes in a blister packaging with the classic 80's design (not the usual Classics' green brick design).

He-Man is displayed inside the blister with his alternate head, but also brings the original Classics head as well as the Oo-Larr head with him. He comes with his power sword, his half-power sword, an Alcala style power sword, his axe and his shield. Nothing new here. In He-Man's case the most noteable differences are the paint details on his belt (different colours) as well as on the Classics head (much darker hair, cleaner face paint). I'm glad Super7 changed some of the paint details on these figures compared to their original releases. So you can easily see (if they're loose and unpacked) which one is the Mattel released figure and which one is Super7's Ultimates figure.

As for He-Man the differences (at least to me) are not huge enough to have a second one on display on my shelf, so I leave this one unpacked in it's beautiful package. Note: The blister packaging is non resealable - so if you unpack, it's final.

The second figure I took from it's mailer box is Skeletor. Skeletor is pretty much of a mix and match here. The figure uses the Dragon Blaster Skeletor's body with original Classics Skeletor's armour and Keldor's Cape. He also comes with a Keldor Head and an Alcala style head.

Accessoires include his havoc staff, his power sword and his half-power sword. In addition we get an Alcala style power sword which is brand new to this figure (we got a similar one with NA-He-Ro, but never had a purple Skeletor style one). I think this is a great addition, but again no huge enough differences here to justify an unpacking of the figure to me and I could easily build an "nearly" Ultimate Skeletor by using the mentioned parts from pre-existing figures and put them together. No need to rip off the beautiful case.

There are very little differences in some of the colours they used (a brighter "gem" for example), but nothing too outstanding and I think (at least on this figure) it's not by choice, but simply because of a different colour.-brand the factory used or different plastic as in 2008. Overall this variant of Skeletor is a great figure, but I'm fine with leaving him inside the blister packaging.

The third figure is Teela...and omg...I love love love this one.

Teela comes with her snake armour head, her regular red headed head, a blonde repaint of the regular head and the BG-Teela long haired blonde head. She also brings her sword, her snake staff, a speer (which formerly came with The Goddess figure) and her shield.

The speer, though it comes from a different character, makes sense, because in the prototype artwork and sketches Teela was displayed with that speer instead of the snake staff. Teela was originally supposed to be two figures in one: A female warriour (Teela) with a speer and a Sorceress with snake armour and snake staff. With this great set you have multiple possibilities to display Teela and finally this is a figure which really makes sense to me to unpack and display though I already have original Teela on the shelf.

Her red-brown parts are much lighter and more red-brown than brown-red like the original was so this makes the first difference. Displayed with her blonde repainted head (which is a hint on the early minicomics by the way), and her speer, she's almost like a totally new figure (well, or variant). I love it and I wish I had bought a second one...I really hope to get my hands on one more one day as these are not for sale anymore at Super7 (they were made on pre-order...did I mention?).

The fourth figure is Faker.

I think this is a really awesome figure, too, because like with Teela - or even more - you can build a totally new variant.

Faker comes with his power sword, half power-sword, Alcala style sword, axe, shield and 3 heads in total. The Alcala sword is totally new to this figure and the shield is totally differently painted than the one that came with the weapon's pack back in the days.

The included Classics head is orange haired (the original one is dark red haired).

The hair on the battle damaged head is much better glued on spot and the face has a different (human) eye paint on the blue side of the face other than the one that came with NA-Skeletor.

The 80's style head is totally new to Faker and makes a nice addition (remember: we only got that one for He-Man with the Oo-Larr figure).

So this set again is really great to create a totally new variant of Faker as you can see on the picture above. The painting on the figure is much simpler than on the original Faker, as the belt and wristbands are simply just black and the armour is missing that "dirty-goldwash", but this is fine to me, so it makes an even bigger difference to the originally released figure and totally justifies buying another Faker figure (to me).

As you can see, they also painted different parts of the axe with the orange-gold paint compared to the earlier released one. This does not make a huge difference to me but I thought it deserved to be mentioned.

The fifth and final figure in the Ultimates wave 1 set (well, I call it wave 1, because I really hope there will be a wave 2) is Ram Man.

 

Ram Man is a figure I never cared much about and I don't think there's much "ultimate" about him as he simply just brings his regular alternate head and his axe. Anyway seeing his as a variant, not an ultimate, he's pretty nice and I think many people are very happy to see Ram Man in his minicomic colours for the first time in figure form.

I'm very happy that this bulky figure - remember: Mattel sold him as an more expensive oversized figure - is sold equally priced as the other figures in this set. I guess I'll display him with his alternate head, so I have two very different Ram Men on the shelf...by the way, looking at these pictures, I recognize I really should dust my figures off someday soon :)

Wow, I'm more than happy with the Ultimates though I was very much of a skeptic in the beginning. I kind of wish there were some more paint differences on some of those figures to seperate them more from their original releases, but overall this is an awesome set. I have to say the paint jobs on these figures, especially when it comes to the heads/faces are very clean and in some cases better than Mattel's ones. It seems (at least on the figures I received) quality control is superb at Super7. What I love most about these figures is, that you can build "real" variants with most of them, which (at least for me) justifies buying theose characters again and Overall I'm very satisfied how these figures turned out.

What about you? Do you like this set? And if there was a second wave of Ultimates...what would your choice of figures be and why? Let me know in the comments :)

P.S.: If you haven't already checked out my latest custom figure "Angella", just click HERE

And please be sure to check out my brand new MOTU CUSTOM INDEX PAGE, a guide to all the customs I posted here (so far): Motu-Index