2012 Toy Fair: Bandai - ThunderCats Or Lack Thereof

[Wheeljack35]

Oh this doesn't sound good....

 

2012 Toy Fair: Bandai - ThunderCats Or Lack Thereof

by JayC in 2012 New York Toy Fair

 

 

I've been covering Toy Fair for over 10 years now, and one thing I have learned over the years is that it's usually not a good sign when a company has nothing new to show at it. You see Toy Fair is an event meant to let toy companies show off their NEW product for the coming year to perspective buyers, IE the retailers. So when a company has nothing new to show, well we will let you do the math.

 

I mention all this because when we attended the Bandai showroom this week for Toy Fair we discovered they had nothing new to show us for their ThunderCats line. Everything that was on display was product already out on store shelves. When we asked the folks at Bandai about new product we were simply told, "we have nothing to comment on at this time."

 

So what does this all mean? Well honestly we don't know. We certainly didn't leave Bandai with a good feeling about the future of the ThunderCats line, but it doesn't necessarily mean the line is done either. One thing we do know is, we have nothing new to show you this week for this line. We were also told an announcement should be coming soon from Cartoon Network about when new episodes of the ThunderCats animated series would start again.

 

I personally feel this line has potential and hope it manages to continue, but at this point only time will tell. Let us know what you think. Do you want to see Bandai continue their ThunderCats line or not?

 

 

There are photos on this link

 

http://toynewsi.com/news.php?catid=311&itemid=18327

[gruntcast]

Man I was hoping to get an 8inch panthro and cheetara, looks like 8inch might be dead

[CLAM]

Man I was hoping to get an 8inch panthro and cheetara, looks like 8inch might be dead

 

 

oh the 8 inch is definitely dead.. that was dead when they started the 6 inch classics

[CLAM]

I would say that the entire line will be dead soon.... for one of several reasons.

 

 

1. Cartoon Network hasn't had any new episodes for a very long time.. and we have all seen Cartoon Network cancel very good shows even when we love them (HEMAN seems to come to mind. They won't keep the toyline going if there aren't any new episodes coming

 

2. Seems like maybe they shot out of the cannon too fast with the line. They put out a ton of new product right out of the gate and it's possible that they haven't seen the return results that they wanted. I know that I saw alot of product that wasn't moving very fast. Maybe they didn't give it enough time to develope a fan base, add onto that the lack of new episodes.. maybe this thing hasn't been as much of a winner as they hoped and they aren't willing to invest anything more into it.

 

3. The toys weren't that good. Well the 8 inch classics were nice, but they made a mistake going for an 8 inch scale to begin with. And they made a buttload of Lion-O and Tigra and then nothing to go with them... that doesn't exactly get folks to buy them up. The toys based off the cartoon were not any good in my opinion. They lacked detail and looked like they were cheaply done.

 

 

I would love it if Bandai canned the line and Hasbro could get them and come out with a new classics line in a 4 inch scale.. but that will never happen

[CaptainTriumph]

I think that the line is dead.

[Wheeljack35]

I would say that the entire line will be dead soon.... for one of several reasons.

 

 

1. Cartoon Network hasn't had any new episodes for a very long time.. and we have all seen Cartoon Network cancel very good shows even when we love them (HEMAN seems to come to mind. They won't keep the toyline going if there aren't any new episodes coming

 

I would love it if Bandai canned the line and Hasbro could get them and come out with a new classics line in a 4 inch scale.. but that will never happen

 

 

 

Yeah the 2002 MOTU as you said along with JLU ,Megas XLR to name a few

 

I would love for Matty to get the line

[FUGAYZIE]

i agree with Clam and a lot of what he said. the show is amazing, that is fact. they have had two huge gaps between episodes. that really takes its toll on new viewers just getting into the show. it's like as soon as you really start to get drawn into the show, BAM a 4+ week dry spell.

 

the toys i did not care for one bit. they were ok, but overall compared to ML, MU, DCUC, TF's, GI Joe, etc. they looked a little cheesey. just as clam stated, the 8" line (while pretty cool) was dead as soon as they brought the 6" classics in...which i dont understand why on earth they didnt run with the 6" from the get-go. even with a "pretty cool" 6" classics line, they still pale in comparison to other 6" lines. heck, look at the new TMNT 6" classics. now that is how it's done! the turtles have better sculpts, more articulation, better joints, and look to be made with better plastic.

 

i REALLY hope the show continues because it is a very high quality show. i just think they went with the wrong company to produce their toys. it doesnt help that action figures seems to be a dyeing breed. my son (6) and all of his friends (5-8) hardly own or ever play with action figures. i asked them all once when they were gathered at the house playing lego's. none of them really cared for action figures. they all said lego's, playing outside, and video games was what they loved to do. my kids own a bunch of action figures, but thats mostly because i buy them for them. they almost never ask for them. though, my 6 yr old did ask for the TMNT figures when i showed them to him. other than that all's he ever asks for is lego's and bionical/lego hero's. i think the majority of action figures sold in stores are to adult collectors. if that's the fate of action figures than these companies need to follow the lead of Mattel and the MOTU line. they have had great success thus far...and they dont even have a damn current show on tv.

[Nguyen_Dragon]

I think it was poor planning... How the hell was TOYSRUS the only store carrying TC when it premiered?...

[BigBot84]

It seems the 4" figures sell, I only ever see a long Panthro or Lion-O on the pegs. The 6" sells too, right now Mumm-Ra is the pegwarmer for that line. I always see the vehicles and deluxe 4" figures though. Those don't seem to move at all.

[Dragonrider1227]

I want to see Bandai continue the line D: Though seeing as how Cartoon Network doesn't seem very gung-ho about it and would rather push Adventure Time more, not to mention though they're not selling poorly, the figures aren't exactly flying off the shelves. They can't keep the Sword of Omens stocked ;p but that's about it

I hate how they insist on instant success with little to no effort. This sort of thing almost killed Avatar: The last Airbender

 

Maybe I'm just overly optimistic but is it possible they're just really pacing themselves here? I mean, they may be trying to make sure they don't give us too much at once. I think that's one of the things that hurt the GI Joe: Rise of Cobra line. The 2002 He-Man line had this issue too. They rarely gave you enough time to hunt out a wave of figures before discontinuing them and focusing on the next wave. Is Bandai perhaps trying to avoid this problem?

[yojoebro82]

Maybe I'm just overly optimistic but is it possible they're just really pacing themselves here?

 

Nope.

 

The reason why is kids and the fact that they have no attention spans. If there is no product, they will forget it and move on to the next thing. Everyone on this board knows it, and people in the industy certainly do too. When Bandi Rep is asked where the new stuff is and replies "no comment", it means "We're all done".

 

It is a shame because I'm still looking at my Lion-O and Mumm Ra 6 inchers and thinking how happy I am with both of them. A few more would have been really great. I'm not even talking about getting into every Berble Bear and 2nd teer character. If they could have gotten in a few of the mainstays before the end it would have been great.

 

I was really excited about this line...

[Pizza Man Z]

I think that the lack of anything new is not the worst thing here. I think this is an indication that WB is getting a little more strict on the Bandai release of toys for the show and the classic line. The fact that we heard of the new toys and got them around Christmas tells me that we are seeing WB getting more active on the guidance of the line and they are making Bandai do the toys better and are not just letting them release it without giving it some real scrutiny.

At least that is what I am hoping for.

[Dragonrider1227]

Yeah, this is why I stopped going on toy boards for a while. One inch in the wrong direction and suddenly everything is doomed

[CaptainTriumph]

I take a lot of things said on toy sites with a grain of salt but giving a "No Comment" answer about your toyline at the NY Toyfair does not sound good for any line.

[Nguyen_Dragon]

They might as well give up the Classics to Mattel...

[RockthePlank]

They might as well give up the Classics to Mattel...

 

Harsh!

 

 

Im dissappointed at the lack of any new products at Toy Fair. Personally, I bought almost all TC stuff I could get my hands on. The show itself is ok, nothing I really want to watch every week (just being honest) but I love the characters, and I am a big fan from the 80's, so I gave all the support I could by buying as much merch as I could. The REAL shame in all of this is the classics line, there is such a vast assortment of characters we can have, and Im not even talking second tier characters either. Such a shame to see it go out like this.

 

The only thing that can soften the blow of ThunderCats Classics being cancelled is the emergence of TMNT Classics.

[Superpowers1980]

I agree with the perspective of most everyone here on the boards except those critical of the 6 inch line. As much as I am anti- Bandai I am surprised at how good these came out, even the growl faced Lion O. The 8 inchers were weak for sure but because of the glossy paint and size. I do see some of the items as peg warmers, but the classics are never on the shelves I have considered myself lucky to of found them. They are sold out at the Target's I frequent. As for the cartoon, Cartoon Network is the worst vehicle to launch a show/toys after. They cancel shows with high viewership, well first they change timeslots like they fell on their heads a couple of times.

 

I love the 6 inch Lion O and even though the Mumm Ra has a few mistakes I still like the figure. Bandai handled the lines all wrong, they actually invested too much money in product.

[Nguyen_Dragon]

They might as well give up the Classics to Mattel...

 

Harsh!

 

 

Im dissappointed at the lack of any new products at Toy Fair. Personally, I bought almost all TC stuff I could get my hands on. The show itself is ok, nothing I really want to watch every week (just being honest) but I love the characters, and I am a big fan from the 80's, so I gave all the support I could by buying as much merch as I could. The REAL shame in all of this is the classics line, there is such a vast assortment of characters we can have, and Im not even talking second tier characters either. Such a shame to see it go out like this.

 

The only thing that can soften the blow of ThunderCats Classics being cancelled is the emergence of TMNT Classics.

 

The lack of product didnt get me worried as much as the "No Comment" from reps... Its a shame... I really wanted an updated TC team...

[Superpowers1980]

They might as well give up the Classics to Mattel...

 

Harsh!

 

 

Im dissappointed at the lack of any new products at Toy Fair. Personally, I bought almost all TC stuff I could get my hands on. The show itself is ok, nothing I really want to watch every week (just being honest) but I love the characters, and I am a big fan from the 80's, so I gave all the support I could by buying as much merch as I could. The REAL shame in all of this is the classics line, there is such a vast assortment of characters we can have, and Im not even talking second tier characters either. Such a shame to see it go out like this.

 

The only thing that can soften the blow of ThunderCats Classics being cancelled is the emergence of TMNT Classics.

 

The lack of product didnt get me worried as much as the "No Comment" from reps... Its a shame... I really wanted an updated TC team...

 

You are right, the New York Toy Fair always seems to get very few reveals, more so, SDCC gets the huge splash of new figures, but the no comment rings and bad bell in our heads. I hope if anything we get at least 6 inch classics figures. I could care less about completing the 8 inch line even though I own the first two.

 

Also Hasblow would be one of the worst companies to get the license for T-Cats, their shoddy Joes and Marvel Universe figures are terrible. Not to mention some of those outdated and ugly molds for Marvel Legends, come on. The sad thing is that Mattel with all their drama is still the best choice, however I do applaud Bandai on their 6 inch line, its as good or better than any of the other major brands going now, screws or no screws..........a customizers dream!

[SKYWARP]

I have to agree with the majority of what everyone else has said. I really like the cartoon. It took me a few episodes to get into it, but I think they did a good job with it. I too think its ashame that they have already had such gaps in between episodes and now a big gap between seasons.. short seasons at that.

 

As for the toys I think they could have been done a lot better. I think they should have stuck with one size of figure, and just left it at that. Also if they would have given us more characters. Instead of having three different sizes of Lion-O, three same size different figures...

[CLAM]

Also Hasblow would be one of the worst companies to get the license for T-Cats, their shoddy Joes and Marvel Universe figures are terrible. Not to mention some of those outdated and ugly molds for Marvel Legends, come on. The sad thing is that Mattel with all their drama is still the best choice, however I do applaud Bandai on their 6 inch line, its as good or better than any of the other major brands going now, screws or no screws..........a customizers dream!

 

 

HUH? how do you figure that? Hasbro's "shoddy Joes and Marvel Universe figures are terrible"? since when? The GiJoe figures that they have released in the last couple years alone are better than ANYTHING Mattel has EVER done. And it's no mistake that the Marvel Universe line is a hit as well.

 

Mattel is the worst company out of all the major players and they make the crappiest toys. If you want to complain about Joes and MU, let's just look at the figures Mattel has made in the same scale for comparison. Infinite Heroes and the Green Lantern movie stuff are some of the worst toylines EVER. And look at how crappy the Young Justice figures are compared to Bandai's Thundercats, both driven by a cartoon and shooting for the same audience...

 

Mattel is garbage and I don't want to see them ever get another license that I like.. it's bad enough they have DC

[JayC]

Ok lets not turn this to a Hasbro vs. Mattel thread please. Each company has its positives and negatives and leave it at and since neither has the license its kinda moot anyway.

[yojoebro82]

With mattel you would get the same buff, barrel-chested male figures that 90% of DCUC figures have, a 3 3/4" line that is far from being perfected, and drama that tales all the fun out of collecting.

 

Hasbro has done 6" figures with at leats some attempt at variety (yeah, I know the Havok mold gets a lot of use), and GI Joe is as good now as it's ever been.

 

Gotta go with Hasbro in this hypothetical.

[Superpowers1980]

Also Hasblow would be one of the worst companies to get the license for T-Cats, their shoddy Joes and Marvel Universe figures are terrible. Not to mention some of those outdated and ugly molds for Marvel Legends, come on. The sad thing is that Mattel with all their drama is still the best choice, however I do applaud Bandai on their 6 inch line, its as good or better than any of the other major brands going now, screws or no screws..........a customizers dream!

 

 

HUH? how do you figure that? Hasbro's "shoddy Joes and Marvel Universe figures are terrible"? since when? The GiJoe figures that they have released in the last couple years alone are better than ANYTHING Mattel has EVER done. And it's no mistake that the Marvel Universe line is a hit as well.

 

Mattel is the worst company out of all the major players and they make the crappiest toys. If you want to complain about Joes and MU, let's just look at the figures Mattel has made in the same scale for comparison. Infinite Heroes and the Green Lantern movie stuff are some of the worst toylines EVER. And look at how crappy the Young Justice figures are compared to Bandai's Thundercats, both driven by a cartoon and shooting for the same audience...

 

Mattel is garbage and I don't want to see them ever get another license that I like.. it's bad enough they have DC

 

Marvel Universe, the design flaw enables the figures to break apart easily much like the joints for their Transformers figures. The design aren't that all varied and even with todays's tech they don't or most often capture the likeness of the character. Don't get me started on the flawed cape designs. I have no defense for MAttel's small figures, they are the worst and I don't even buy them.

 

GI Joes, again horrible designs, they are too skinny and for the life of them actually cannot make a decent Cobra Commander and helmet. They have those ball hips that stick out. The O ring Joes may lack the overall detail of the current figures but I rather have them than the current ones. Also the hands suck on them.

 

Marvel Legends - talk about reuse, ha! HAvok, Klaw, Falcon all use that bird chest body style that 57% of their figs suffer from. Then the stupid and weak hand articulation, ugh. Also in as many years they have yet to produce a decent Iron Man figure, seriously, a man in an iron suit is smaller than or has the same build as Spider Man, ple - frickin - ease.

 

Bandai did good with the 6 inch classics, glad that they did a good job and hope the line continues under them, at least they got it right as opposed to any other company that would of made the designs worse!

[GPM in ICT]

Well it sucks that Bandai didn't show anything and that the line might be dead, but I really don't think that any other company would have handled the line as well as Bandai did. And before everyone starts shouting about how Mattel or Hasbro would have, I would say history proves you wrong. When was the last time either one of those companies had a huge hit toy line (for boys)? I think it would be the Hasbro and the first TF movie. Outside of Star Wars I can't think of any other Brand (for boys) that Hasbro manages well and even then they screw around with SW quite a bit. Mattel is no better. However, Bandai has done a really good job of getting Toys in store (Tcats has been at both TRU and Walmart since the debut), gave us the whole team plus cool vehicles and play sets (when was the last time Mattel or Hasbro gave us a whole team in under six months?). They may not be the most collector friendly company, but between how bandai has handled this line, Ben 10, the Power Rangers line as a whole and the old Teen Titans line, well I think they did a good job for Kids and even for adult collectors.