If you follow the news and hype constantly surrounding the Masters of the Universe Classics line, then you'll remember the big debate over flocking Moss Man. Mattel revealed that a full flock wasn't possible, so many advocated for "spot flocking" (spocking?), and today Mattel has released images of the results of that endeavor. Keep reading for my thoughts and a comparison of the newly "spocked" Moss Man with the original prototype seen at SDCC.
At first glance, this figure definitely looks okay. The Masters of the Universe Classics style is there, he's proportionate, he's fuzzy, and even a little cute. It's not the exact image of Moss Man that resides in my mind, but it's still a passable looking toy. I'm not the biggest fan of flocking anyway, so I wasn't expecting too much. Of course there are complaints out there about his flocked ears, which should in fact be free-of-flock and pointy (Spock!). I'd say it's too late for Mattel to make that change, so we're probably stuck with this teddy bear head. I can live with that particular problem and I'm not willing to say this is an ugly toy, but I definitely have some big complaints.
First off, you can see the effects of the spocking much more prominently from the side. A straight-on view preserves his good looks, but once the joints become more visible, he starts to look uglier. I think the main problem is that the flocking doesn't fade off towards the joint, so instead you're left with a big chunk of grass that immediately dips into a deep gap at the joint. Had it faded and gotten thinner/shorter as it neared the joint, the transition wouldn't be so abrupt and hard on the eyes. Sure that might cost a lot to effectively manufacture, but these are expensive toys! My other big complaint is made clear in the image comparison below. The final version is a kind of dark greenish-brown while the much brighter and livelier SDCC version was a beautiful vibrant green that seemed to fit into the MotU world more naturally. This is a big change for the worse in my opinion. You can see this even in the plastic underneath the flocking, where the new version dark murky green face, yet the old version has a beautiful brighter green. I fear I'll loathe this new color scheme in remembrance of the old one.
My last complaint is probably just asking for too much, but the style of flocking on the prototype looked so much more like real moss. I understand that it was probably a special technique made for the prototype that wouldn't be possible in a factory setting, but moving towards that thicker, spotted, and clumpier look of the SDCC version on the right would be a big improvement over the "fur" of the final version. He doesn't look so much like Moss Man as he does Fur Man. I probably wouldn't have this complaint if I hadn't seen the amazing prototype, but I did see it, and I do have the complaint. What might have been!
This is a major disappointment for me, but like I said before, this isn't an ugly toy. The Moss Man prototype was a total 10/10 and looked absolutely stunning and I was never expecting him to turn out that well. This will still likely be a unique and intriguing figure that looks great on the shelf alongside his companions. That is of course if the final production version looks as good as this second prototype, which is not always the case.
7 / 10 - Probably Purchasing It
Moss Man certainly has some problems, but I'm in love with Masters of the Universe Classics more than ever before and will definitely consider buying this figure. The only thing that might hold me back are terrible reports from the samples Mattel sends out or a budget issue that makes other figures a priority.
What's your Anticipation score?
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