Anthony Scott of ToyHypeUSA took part of a new Q&A with Mattel’s Masters of the Universe brand team, and they were kind enough to take time from their busy day to answer three questions about the new Turtles of Grayskull line making its way early next year (some people already have these in-hand!). The Turtles of Grayskull line is a co-brand offering, and for the first-time, Masters of the Universe and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles are offered together in Origins style, and these parts will be compatible with all Origins style figures.
Q&A:
- When reviewing the images released so far, it would appear as if not every figure/character will be a crossover between the other brand. An example of this would be Man-At-Arms, as I don’t see where the Turtles element is. In Masters of the WWE Universe, the co-brand line between Masters of the Universe and WWE, not every figure had a crossover. Will the Turtles of Grayskull line also not have every figure be given the crossover design, or will all of them be given this?
- The Turtles of Grayskull cross-over line explores a unique design language which delves into both traditional mash-up concepts as well as overlay concepts. In overlay concepts, fans of either brand will instantly recognize their favorite characters from Masters of the Universe and Teenage Mutant Ninja Characters. While these characters keep their core identity intact, they are heavily influenced by the other world. A great example of this is the Man-At-Arms figure you mentioned – while he is still definitively Man-At-Arms, he is influenced by the Turtles and now dons a bold new colorway with turtle-shell inspired armor, a shield, and an awesome new turtle-inspired staff accessory. In mashup concepts, we take characters from both the MOTU universe and TMNT universe to create an entirely new character altogether. A great example of this is the Mouse-Jaw figure we revealed – here the cybernetic walking weapon of destruction is fused with Baxter Stockman’s M.O.U.S.E.R technology, making him an imposing new mutation terrorizing Eternians.
- Are vehicles and playsets a possibility between the two brands? Example: The Party Wagon/Battle Ram? Technodrome/Snake Mountain?
- The current lineup exclusively focuses on figures, with a dynamic slate of TMNT characters entering Eternia and MOTU characters infused with new technology and/or mutagen ooze, yielding unexpected results!
- For turtles, are you only allowed the classic ’87 characters that appeared in that show, or can you expand this line with other Turtles characters from other shows and entertainment such as comics, video games and films to use as co-brand ideas?
- While there are many iterations of both franchises we could look to explore, what felt most compelling and authentic for both our brands was to celebrate our collective heritage from the heyday of 80s cartoon content.
Look for pre-orders and MOTU Origins figures on Entertainment Earth, BigBadToyStore and Amazon.
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