Scott Toy Guru Neitlich from Spector Creative dives deep into one of the most iconic vehicles in the Masters of the Universe toy.line and discusses how it was changed for the online collector brand and sold direct to collectors.
I love how much influence Kitby had over the MotU franchise. I didn't realize it was on the toys so much, however I've read about how the original movie was being developed as a Fourth World feature and He-Man and Skeletor were slotted into Orion and Darkseids spots
It was not developed as Fourth World, Goddard just used aspects of it for the movie when he found materials at Mattel and read the comics as they came out.
Great video! Thank you! The Battle Ram is one of my favourite vehicles from any line, ever. Used to have loads of fun with the original as a kid, setting up stuff and knocking it down from across the room. It was especially satisfying to hit a Horde Trooper right on the button and watch it burst apart at the seams, spin around, and get knocked backwards. This Classics version was just amazing, and it made me gald I got an extra Sky High set. I ended up putting the spare Sky Sled -- copyright issues be damn'd, I refuse to call it a Jet Sled -- onto the front of the Battle Ram, and repainted the snake-headed War Sled in shades of green. As for the Man-At-Arms: constructing him so that his parts could be mixed-and-matched to make Cross-Sell Art, Filmation, and MYP versions was absolute genius.
Earlier this year I bought a vintage Battle Ram at a local toy store, Pixel Dan even did a toy hunt there. I bought all three projectiles from the same eBay seller, they fire like a dream. To finish it off, I bought reproduction stickers. 1982 is back!
The Classics Battle Ram is dope. But I still maintain that you guys missed out on a big opportunity to make a blue road ripper that was compatible with the Battle Ram as it was with the Sky sled. That would have enhanced the play value even more :)
Love the siege engine idea. That concept should definitely be explored. I first encountered the term "Masters of the Universe," in DC Comics Presents as a tease for an upcoming issue. I thought at the time that it sounded very Kirby-ish. It's nice to know that even though MotU wasn't quite Kirby, his DNA is still in there.
Ted Mayer, the designer of the Battle Ram, has been interviewed several times, once by me, once by the Roast Gooble Dinner crew, and another time in a recent unpublished interview. Every time he is asked about his inspiration for the vehicle, he mentions muscle cars and Star Wars (I should add the griffin on the front was inspired by some architecture he saw when visiting England, where is originally from). He actually worked on Star Wars before joining Mattel. I've never heard him articulate an influence from Jack Kirby or the fourth world series. Just curious if you know who at Mattel worked on the Fourth World line that was never released?
The Classics Battle Ram was lovely, I wish I'd bee able to afford it at the time (it was one of, I think, only 2 or 3 items I skipped during the Mattel era of the line), I've handled a couple at conventions since and it's really nice: sculpting the stickers was abosutely an awesome thing.
Even I got a Battle Ram as its got the detachable sled that made it pretty cool too. That would make me think of Flash Gordon Sky Cycle or so. I'm wondering if I still have the projectiles or all the parts. I'm impressed by the people who still have the instruction manuals ;). I think this is like the only vehicles I ever had. I always wanted the Green Flying one too. Lords of Power or LOP really had a nice ring to it ;). The Wind Raider I think is the name of it. I had the Battle Cat along with the Panther. I think my friend pulled the stuff off his unless that was mine ;). Big Jim Say his Name Spector Creative ;). Somebody was talking about Matty Collector today. Related to like Movie Props for Ghost Busters. They got Back To The Future Skateboard too :).
Just ordered the Origins Talon Fighter, will be released any day this week. What about yup, the Battleram? WHEN is Mattel releasing this?🙂 Also ordered origins Snake Mountain. I missed the boat on that GS 3D parts upgrade set.😢
I never thought too much about troop builders in the vehicles of different lines (being more a figure person, except for the Batmobile, as a kid) but I'd love to see a video focusing on that idea. Though wow it must been beyond many's price range; even back in the 70s lots of us skipped them because instead we could more of something else.
The only vehicle I ever intentionally "troop-built" was the Imperial Speeder Bike, to get a lance of four; the rest of the time, I was just picking up a couple of the latest version of whatever that had gotten a slight upgrade. With MOTU Classics, the most I ever purposefully got was two per vehicle. I ended up getting wo Sky Sleds (I refuse to call them Jet Sleds), one for itself and one in case a Battle Ram was released, plus one Sky High for my Heroic Warriors shelf display and one Sky-High flying the Wind Raider. I got two Rotons, so I could have one with the canopy, and one without, and two Point Dread & Talon Fighter sets (one to keep separate, one to tack onto Castle Grayskull). And the main reason I was able to do any of that is because I wasn't in a relationship at the time. 😉
Scott, can uou discuss why this was the first vehicle sculpted and shown but the wind raider came first? Did yhe horsemen just make it like they did the classics he-man? And can you discuss the action feature inclusion?
Hi! Is Tadorian (seen on the back of the package; "Tadorian Anti-Blockade Launcher") a name referencing something else in the MOTU universe? A manufacturer, tribe, species? Or just a throw away made-up word for fantasy purposes.
This commentary had me freak out. I thought an Origins Battle Ram was coming. I have a vintage one. I originally had vintage Battle Ram, Castle, Man-at-Arms, Skeletor, and Teela.
