Secrets of the MOTU Classics Sorceress action figure from Mattel. Her wings, her color scheme...
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- Опубліковано 15 жов 2024
- Scott Toy Guru Neitlich continues his Director's Commentary on every Masters of the Universe action figure from Mattel. Next up is the pretty bird lady herself. A bit about her origin, her connection to Teela (not just as her mommy) and some logistical issues with deco, articulation and shipping we faced.
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I must admit, I always had the new adventures sorceress on my wants list, but glad we got a few versions of her. A gorgeous figure
If we could have only gotten that deep!
I'll admit that I sold off my MOTUC collection earlier this year while out of work due to COVID-related cutbacks. The high prices these go for made it worthwhile, in my mind. But the ONE figure I absolutely could not part with was the Sorceress. It's such a beautiful sculpt of my favorite MOTU character, capturing her mystery and elegance. (I eventually did get called back to my job and then Origins began, so it's not like I'm hurting for MOTU toys.)
She is worth keeping for sure
Glad there’s a happy ending to the story.
This was the figure which made me interested in the all MOTU Classics line. Such an amazing figure.
I always thought so too!
I'm really glad S7 released the CG version. The S7 one serves as my "sitting" Sorceress for Grayskull's throne, while the Matty version is my "standing" Sorceress. Because of the wings, there was just no way that the Matty one could work with the throne, despite there being a slot in the seat.
Really? I have my Sorceress in the Throne and it looks great. But I am biased. I love thrones
Mr Scott, what do you do about the arm wings when she's seated?
15:25...ohh my ❤
Truly
@@spectorcreative1872 Scott is still thinking about pleasing the fans! :-D
So interesting to hear the lore about the series, most of us were only introduced to the series from the Filmation cartoon so seeing stuff like "Yeah the bird lady Sorceress used to be a green skinned snake woman" really throws us for a loop
It really does
The sorceress was always one of my favorites. Thanks for doing the video!
Thanks for enjoying it!
It's amazing there were many off-shoot characters from one figure
Seriously right!
Clever capitalist thinking!
I wish I had been paying attention when this line was coming out. I've binged most of your commentary videos and it sounds like you had some fans that just like to complain. From what I can tell you all did a fantastic job!
I was and am still quite proud of this fig
My favorite character in all of MOTU cannon. The figure is beautiful and is still in a place of honor in my heart.
A cool favorite to have!
The science of toys. Your videos never cease to fascinate me
Feel free to share with others, it helps the channel a ton!
This is like being back at university. I miss a couple of days of updates and the notes are up and professor Spector has hit us up with SO MUCH knowledge
The mid term is coming up. Tie to study
I love how calling the Sorceress the "Q" of MOTU can really reference both the James Bond Q (who I think you were intending to reference) and Q from Star Trek, albeit the Sorceress is a far more pleasant character.
They really got a LOT of use out of that original Teela sculpt didn't they? And yeah until I started watching this channel I never really understood what was going on with Teela's armor that never appeared in the show.
Q is Q!.
😂. When he said "Q" I automatically thought of Star Trek, but then remembered there's also a James Bond character of the same name ("Q" as in "Quartermaster"--which basically is a military term for "supply chief").
But I think Man-At-Arms is more of the "Bond Q", because he actually designs & builds the weapons/gadgets for the MOTU, whereas "Goddess" was more of a "guardian" of magical items (including the weapons she bestowed upon He-Man).
I remember being so excited for The Sorceress of Castle Grayskull to make it into figure form in the Classics line. I also remember the complete disappointment/disgust upon actually seeing the finished product. The enormous mechanical drums drilled into the backs of her shoulders combined with the tri-segmented plastic wings were a heartbreaking sight to behold. The Sorceresses' wings are part of a costume, attached to the sleeves and back of the bodice. They flare out when she spreads her arms out wide, or above her head. They cover her like a shawl when she crosses her arms in front of her. They are not biologically functional in her human form, and they most certainly should never have been clunky mechanical crap. The whole issue could have been solved rather easily IF Mattel had not been stubborn shits who refused to use FABRIC for things where it made sense LIKE WITH CAPES!!!
And that is why we did her again in Filmation line!
It was how it interfered with the articulation that bothered me the most. Pose her with her arms moving out forward in any way and it looks awful with the wings sticking forward unnaturally too.
@@spectorcreative1872 You mean Super7.
@@TrevorToonArt it’s not that cut and dry.
@@spectorcreative1872 ... and yet again, the character was failed with the Filmation sub-line: only this time, with static plastic interchangeable wings that pegged (rather poorly) into the backs of the arms. SMDH
The other problem is that we were told that Classics wasn't going to have action features. Along comes the Sorceress and the wings were essentially an action feature. A lot of collectors felt that went back on what we were originally told (remember Mekaneck?). It seemed at the time that articulation was sacrificed for a gimmick that didn't really work very well unless she was serving drinks on those massive wings. The Shadoweaver figure is proof of concept that a rubbery material or a quality cloth material would have worked better. The other problem is that once she was made now you have to reverse engineer the throne for a possible Castle Grayskull to work with this "unique" figure. It was a mess all around.
Believe me, it was tried. And an action feature requires a mechanism. The wings were articulated. Much like Tri Klops helmet was.
@@spectorcreative1872 but there weren't supposed to be action features in the line. The features were sacrificed for articulation. The Super 7 Sorceress although too shiny approache the wings correctly. 2 different interchangeable pieces.
Congratulations on 18K 🥳🥳🥳🥳🥳 the march to 20K continues!!
March forward toy solider!
Blue feathers at the bottom was the right decision in my book. Looks great. I can ignore the drums as I don't display my figures back-to-front on my shelf...
There is never an easy way
She always reminded me of the Hawk, a half-man, half-bird from Buck Rogers in the 25th century. It was a TV show back in 1981.It was kinda a popular show I wonder if it had influence.
Or DC's Hawkgirl...
@ 13:57 - "Battle-Bird" armor for the Falcon... that's pretty damn cool!
muhahaha
Shes my top 5 fav motu characters, wasn't it Linda Gary that did her wonderfull voice
She did officially make fan's top ten of all time when we did the vote
Neat! Thank you! I hope to upgrade mine (both Standard and "Temple of Darkness") with fabric wings, one day. If I can get it to work, I'll try to post the how-to here on UA-cam.
I"m all for upgrades!
One of the most beautiful figures that I have.
I think she came out perfect myself
@@spectorcreative1872 I never considered the drums an issue at all. I thought you nailed the figure perfectly.
Awesome.
I'm really looking forward to Origins' Sorceress - I don't think I can afford a vintage one!!! :-)
Maybe Mattel will bring Classics back?
I like Serpos SORCERESS TEELA in the D.C comics from a few years back
That was a cool design! Origins?
@@spectorcreative1872 It was the same story that gave us Horokoth Evil-Lyn. Great designs for the three priestesses all around.
I was extremely happy with her and what you guys did! I figured the wings were the they were for exactly the reason made sense. Rick Nelson said it best in his song, “Garden Party”, “You can’t please everybody, so might as well please yourself!”
Good way of thinking of it
why didn't they just make her wings out of cloth like a cape?
That's one of the fixes I plan on getting around to, someday. If I figure out how to do it well, I'll share the recipe on UA-cam.
It looked terrible
@@spectorcreative1872 that's just a design issue. DC comics did a Batman with a cape that did the same thing and it layered so that it folded as his arms moved around and it look great. if you use a cheap silk like material with a shitty print it will look terrible, layer it and use the right material and it would be epic. and before you say it would have cost more, the amount of plastic used to make the wings they did would cost more than the thicker material.
I wondered why they didnt use the same material that they used for Shadow Weavers cape for her wings? Now sure how that would have turned out
Nice to see that the Sorceress did receive her own action figure. She's my fave MotU character. It stunk that she was confined to Castle Grayskull far too much. Her wing design was so unique; looking like wide sleeves on the outside but actually serving as more of a cloak or cape.
Why was a snake motif chosen in the first place? Was the goddess meant to be a deity to the snake men who was cast aside as their beliefs changed? Was she depowered by the Unnamed One who then took over as the snake men's master?
Have any mini-comics tried to "explain" how the goddess changed from that snake motif to avian or if maybe that was a change made across the succession of Castle Grayskull's guardians?
There is a connection between the Goddess and the Snake Men. a video will be coming soon!
@@spectorcreative1872 Groovy! Thank you. :)
Sorry the issue with those wings is that you had a figure that couldn't hold her arms straight forward without the wings looking like daggers jutting foward.
One of the only things Super 7 got right was how they did her wings by having 2 different wing sets. Sure the wings didn't move but it also didn't limit her arm movements and you could still get spresd out wings or relaxed wings.
And I do love how they pulled it off
Can't understand all the fuss about her wings. I was just so happy to get her as I didn't have one as a kid. She looks great. And I got myself an Origins one last month for my bday. Iconic character. I did miss 200x Sorceress during the Classics years though. Even though Veena kind of made up for it (although I couldn't buy her at the time), the whole Egyptian vibe is the Sorceress's best look in my opinion.
Never noticed the... uhh... _yaunic_ decoration on Teela’s pelvic region. That’s an interesting choice. Freud would be proud.
And I'm married to a Freudian therapist!
That Classics one is really nice. I have the Mega Construx mini-figures of her. The Filmation colour one that came with Castle Grayskull and the white one that came with the Point Dread set (and both came with matching coloured Zoar in perched pose). Her wings are a rubbery piece on it which I really like though I do worry about it tearing or deteriorating over time like rubbery parts did on some 80s figures. Hopefully these more modern rubber parts are longer-lasting.
Yes, I do fear what happens to rubber parts over time
still looks great all this time, Motuc are some of my prized possessions in my collection..glad got these from Matty on retail, she now runs $175-$230 on eBay..cant wait for the MOTU Castle Grayskull..200X was my generation's Motu so got that sorceress statue as well.
Wow, I didn't realize the after market got so high!
About the orange vs blue feathers: Classics was IMHO like a synthesizer. It doesn’t copy other instrument’s sounds, it creates NEW sounds. So that’s what Classics is to me. It’s a new line and a totally new rendition of the characters and they are not totally animated nor vintage figures. They needn’t be. They are just something new!
Very well said
Good video 👍🏼 haven't reached my open or sell moment yet, so it's cool to get this info. Have the queen grayskull classics as well
My rec is to hold on to her. Classics is a line that won't repeat itself
The second head that came with the fimation sorceress was for the woman who was sorceress before her Kuduk Ungol. One of the reasons I supported the Super 7 MOTUC lines was in hopes of getting the 200X sorceress. I was very disappointed when that didn't happen. She was an absolute stunning design. I also would have liked to see an actual Teela Na figure made at some point (the 200X version would been preferred over the filmation one). With the 200X series, It could be implied that Teela NA and Veena were from a hidden race on Eternia since they were the only people we see with actual bird wings..
Oh i wish we did as well!~
Spect-or!! ....you need a figure! 😆 your videos are awesome👍
Well I have a few....
Great video.
Well thank you kindly
If I were a toy company exec, and if the whole darned thing wouldn't be prohibitively expensive, I would have suggested they include the female action figures with a cool vehicle or playset. That way, little boys wouldn't have to recruit mischievous sisters to buy the figures, thus, safeguarding their manliness.
I can imagine those wings being a pain in the... tuckus. People will only get it right after a new form of flexible plastic is invented in a city on Mars.
As a kid, I remember being dissapointed that Zoar was the transformed form of the Sorceress, making Zoar a female, and thus, filled with cooties.
And note that the only way to currently get Sorceress is to buy Origins Castle Grayskull!
I never quite understood. Are the Sorceress and Zoar the same entity? It seems like Filmation based her design on Zoar. There was no Sorceress figure at the time I played with MOTU toys and I had to just use Zoar as a substitute.
In Filmation and Classics they are the same, in the original line, they are not.
I now own the prince adam and skid set... Most of the 2020 and 2021 set except hordak. Stratos and
Ninja warrior
Go Origins go!
I remember getting the Sorceress. And then another Sorceress in a Fisto box. I love the figure, but have bad memories associated with it.
Yeah, I am trying to block this out. It wasn't fun for me either sitting on the sidelines unable to do anything to help
I never blamed you (wish I could say as much for the rest of the community of the time). We all knew it was DR.
Sometimes it seems like the story behind the figure is almost as 'exciting' as the actual backstory minus the magic & talking animals. But as always I am impressed with the depth of story & the inter-connectedness of a lot of the MOTU stuff. Another great video sir! On a side note, since you have a love for things Egyptian, do any of your videos cover Stargate or SG-1 & that universe?
You know I actually don't have any Stargate toys. I'm as shocked as you are
Huh, I could've sworn that Veena (sp?) would _become_ The Sorceress after Grayskull's passing. Or at least, that's what I presumed when I watched that episode of the 200X series way back then. They're separate people?
Yup. Different ladies
Veena would be the first Sorceress of Grayskull or maybe more fitting, Guardian of Grayskull.
I know you have done multiple videos about the evolution of the Master's Line (starting with min comics, then Filmation, how they compliment and contradict each other, etc). That feels like it was standard for in the 80s, because Transformers had the storyline in the comics which was different than the cartoon, same with GI Joe and I am sure others that had multiple stories. If a new line was rolled out today, would it still have multiple storylines across multiple forms of media, or is it more beneficial for the toy company to control the narrative and have one unified story line across all media (if such an idea is even possible)?
Likely no. If a new line came out they would try to cement it in one story.
I was wondering if you had any idea why Filmation decided to go with a bird theme instead of the snake theme?
Prob friendlier to kids
What good timing my next video is gonna be...
Glad it worked out. Rarely is the universe so lazy.
The Sorceress is one of the most iconic characters in MOTU, so it sucks that her story is so convoluted, & that there were so many issues w/ getting her fig out. I like how they gave her blue-tipped wings on both sides, because it makes sense, & it obviously was an "animation error" from Filmation--which was notorious for trying to save money by skimping out on "detail".
Much like everyone else, my only real complaint about the the Sorceress fig is the look and functionality of her wings. I think that "soft goods"/cloth wings would've been a better choice. They should've done them more like Silverhawks fig wings, which were: cheap, poseable, durable (mine never "broke" or tore after yrs of being played w/ & then shoved in my "toy box" as a kid), and even detachable. And "toy tech" has improved drastically since the 80s, so I think that should've maybe been incorporated w/ some type of "Revoltech" to make the Sorceress's wings look nice, last longer, & work w/ modern articulation.
I imagine there are many Sorceress figures still ahead in our future. Long live MOTU toys!
Cool beans.
My favorite type of beans.
@@spectorcreative1872 did you get that email I sent you about MOTU and the hobby database?
I have watched all of your videos and learned a lot of info about MOTU from those, but if your willing to email me any pics and production numbers with years and info like that, it would help out a great deal.
Unfortunately this is one I missed since I had a late start to motuc and she's going for a high premium on ebay but I did get the filmation.
Maybe Mattel will reissue!
Who came up with the puns or phrases at the Mattel figures advertising?
For Classics? That was all me.
@@spectorcreative1872 i KNEW it!!!
When examining these characters' connected histories, It's important to note that according to the "Tale of Teela" mini-comic, both the serpent-armored Goddess and her clone, the "Woman Warrior", were named "Teela". Mr. Neitlich, starting at 6:25 you mistakenly call the Goddess "the Sorceress" and mention that only the Warrior is called "Teela", but neither of those statements is factually correct. Just FYI. Other than that detail, you've given us another insightful and entertaining video!
Can't tell your clones without your scorecard!
@@spectorcreative1872 So true!
"you generally think of three" ...yes. Teela, Teela Na, and Evelyn.
queen marlena getting no love. :(
@@carn9507 That's #4 on my list. Especially the badass astronaut version.
What about King Hssss' Slave Girl from the mini comics?
@@spectorcreative1872 Well... it would not be proper manners to leave her out of the list, now, would it?
I always wondered why they waited until the end of the original line to release characters that were on most of the Filmation episodes. King Randor and Sorceress were in the majority of episodes.
Because toy development takes 3 years. So when they appeared in 1983, the soonest they could come out would be 1986. See here ua-cam.com/video/uOM6rwI96ms/v-deo.html
@@spectorcreative1872 I get that, but a lot of characters got made that were much less prominent in the TV series. Those 2 were there from day one & were in almost every episode.
@@spectorcreative1872 They got Orko out faster than that.
Should have made her like the silverhawks action figures , perfect like that , that's how the wings would've worked like the cartoon articulation and all.
Yeah but that would have needed an internal mechanism.
One of the pictures you showed had her landing behind Hordak, and he looked surprised. Was Hordak a personal enemy of the Sorceress back then too, kinda like the 200X MYP versions of the characters?
Well yes Hordak was an enemy of the Sorceress
@@spectorcreative1872 I kind of just assumed that since the MYP cartoon was my first real exposure to He-Man lore, and noticed that Queen Grayskull and the Sorceress looked VERY much alike...plus she was kind of like Grayskull’s Laserbeak since she spied on Hordak.
Nice to hear from a fellow creator, Spector!
Now that its all been said & done, i,d like a copy of her now.
Time travel can make that possible
@@spectorcreative1872 .... & with time , ANYTHINGS possible . to a degree :D )
Going for Veena rather than 200x Sorceress was absolutely the right choice, though I am biased since I started getting Classics to supplement my 200x collection in the first place so already had her staction 😁 Are you able to confirm the rumor I heard that stactions actually had articulation built into them but were ‘immobilized’ to get around Mattel’s license restrictions for selling them?
As far as I know the stactions never had articulation. It was not used for cost reasons, not licensing.
I was so happy to get the Sorceress, until I tried pulling her staff from the package and it snapped. I have to say, I hate how accessories are packed these days, where you basically need to cut the plastic tray or risk bending/snapping the accessories when pulling them out. I tried contacting Matty for a replacement but they were out by the time I received mine. Fortunately I was able to buy her staff off the Org for fairly cheap.
I"m sorry to hear that! A lot of times it is due to safety and quality control that the accessories need to be locked in place.
Yes. The blue tips is better
Ok. I totally forgot that Queen Grayskull wasn't the Sorceress in 200x. In my mind when King Grayskull died, she stayed in the castle and became the Sorceress. Now I remember her origin story episode. Duh...
Hey it all does blend after time
15:26 ...not the kind of imagery I expect to see on this channel...
Hey, this show is not aimed at kids. If you can't take seeing a girl with "big lungs" and her crotch. Well, too bad. Some of us like that the show is more towards us adults. Some don't.
@@berkajr3685 I have no issue with it. Hell, my partner is a professional pinup model. It’s just... A bit tawdry. But then again, tawdry is literally my name. So I guess I shouldn’t complain.
I do try. And yes, this channel is noted as note for kids.
@@spectorcreative1872 what kinda notes are you offering kids?
Shouldn't there have been a reverb when you said Toy History?
I"l work on that!
You can always count on 'fans' to complain and show a lack of respect to the people behind the scenes who put their heart and soul into a product.
Well I do.
Well there is always someone behind the scenes of any company and product being made. But if the product the customer is paying for isn't satisfactory then they have a right to complain about what they're paying for.
@@darkwoods1954 exactly.
It sucks we didn’t get the 200x Sorreress
I know. I couldn't agree more
I got sorceress horde trooper while at college many years after ,was a must
that was a brilliant classics figure and with zoar bonus never see back of mine original also big barrels lives in my castle
You not doing original is surprising oh look up the pyramids of mars Dr who
Pyramids! On Mars!
@@spectorcreative1872the pyramids of mars...sutekh the destroyer
Imagine being a boy in the early 80's in Latin America.....You barely read Spanish let alone English..... So you think is just cool Teela comes with a Snake Outfit.....
Well yeah. Snakes. Girls. How can it not work!
Shout out to HE.BRO check out his channel he does custom HE.MAN figures
Oh I have seen em! Very talented.
Don't like the name Temple of darkness I call her the Crystal SORCERESS
That is legit too!
@@spectorcreative1872 I always find myself calling her "Temple of Doom" Sorceress.
The solution for The Sorceress' wings is obvious if you actually watch the Filmation cartoon: she does NOT have wings in her human form! It's a freakin' cape (attached to her sleeves) that transforms into wings when she fully transforms into Zoar! You made a figure more complex than she needed to be, making her more awkward and ugly in the process. I don't own any of the Classics figures, but I'd bet few, if any, have the same action features the original MotU figures had, so why try to give the Classics Sorceress such a feature? A soft goods cape would have been so much better. Don't over-think things.
I like the wings better with the blue. However I never liked the way the wings were attached to the back of her shoulders. Terrible design choice. Made an utter mess of her arm articulation when moving and posing her arms forward. I also had to cut the back part of the arm rests off of the Grayskull throne to get her to sit in the seat without her wings sticking out the sides in a stupid looking way. Such a shame as otherwise it was a great looking figure. So frustrating when you get so close to a great figure then make one bad design choice that nigh on ruins it. The ugly stumps sticking out of the back of her shoulders looks bad too. However the main problem is how it screws up the posability of the figure. You can have her arms down by her side or sticking out to the side. having them go out forward looks awful with her wings sticking out oddly.
It was just such a no win solution with one clear answer
Guilty! Have the Filmation version. mucho better than the Filmation Teela.
And glad it is available!
I don’t like this face sculpt. She looks kinda ugly. I was happy the Club Grayskull version looked good.
Really? Of course entitled to your opinion but I thought the horsemen nailed it
@@spectorcreative1872 yeah do a comparison against the Club Grayskull face and you’ll see what I mean. Her face is too elongated. Overall it’s a nice figure and I’m being nitpicky.
Getting so sick of hearing this fumbling through the narration. You're trying to build an audience with this channel, yet you can't be bothered to do correct takes or not make the narration sound like you're spitting it out while you're getting dressed to go do some important work. This isn't a one-shot convention panel.
I'm pretty sure Scott is just one guy doing this and is probably more of a fan of MOTU toys than a video editor/docu-series producer. I'd imagine most of us here are fine with the down-to-earth casual approach. What were you expecting exactly from a one-man-crew? a Netflix series?
I'm actually going for a one shot convention panel type of feel. I don't want to make videos that feel overly scripted. I want to "talk" to the viewers. I know this style is not for everyone, but I think it helps make the videos feel more conversational.