Rant Review: Mondo 2002/200x Skeletor Figure Timed Edition

I wasn't expecting this until next month, but you won't hear me complaining! Much of my stuff is packed up and I don't currently have a good photo setup since I'm moving soon, but I took some quick and dirty pics, including some comparisons with what I have handy, of the Mondo 2002 Skeletor timed edition.  There's a special guest star if you make it to the end. 😉

 

Some initial thoughts: The figure and the accessories feel great, very high-quality. Everything has its own wrapping within the packaging, so it's well-protected. The articulation is great, and joints move well and hold poses. The chest is a soft, rubbery material that aids with posing, but I'm a bit worried about how it will hold up over time. If the chest on this thing is cracking and splitting in a year or two, Mondo will have some very displeased customers to deal with. The cloak is very well-made and the wires aid greatly in posing, but I don't know if I'll be using it most of the time. I'll have to work to find display poses that don't have the cloak covering too much of the figure.

 

The skull plates lock firmly into position within the hood, though I wish a pry tool or something was included to aid with removing them, as I always feel as if I might be on the verge of breaking something. And maybe it's just my big meaty hands, but plugging the straps into the back of the chest armor is very finicky, easily the only thing about the figure (other than the price) that has truly annoyed me. The hold seems firm, though, and I don't expect it to be unfastening on its own.

 

This is the only time I've sprung for one of Mondo's very pricey figures, and likely the only time I will, but the level of quality here doesn't have me regretting my purchase. I've waited for a high-quality figure of this design for 24 years, and I finally have it! My sole complaint is that they didn't include a skull plate that actually looks like the 2002 toy! That seems like a huge oversight. This figure is awesome, though, and I'm damn glad I sucked it up and paid for the timed edition. Keep scrolling for plenty more photos!

 

Rant Review: Masters of the Universe: Skeletor 1,000 (-1) Piece Jigsaw Puzzle (Mondo, Art by Florian Bertmer)

This puzzle was released by Mondo several years ago alongside their 1/6 scale Skeletor figure and features the art used on the figure's packaging. I was interested in it, but like everything Mondo produces, it was overpriced, so I figured I'd wait and see if I saw one at a significant discount. That day turned out to be last week, when I came across a new copy of it for around $17 shipped. The box has a nice matte texture, with bold colors that pop nicely against the black background. The art is quite nice, using the design of Mondo's figure, with a skull design based closely on the iconic rendering of the Lord of Destruction by legendary artist Alfredo Alcala. 

This puzzle was much more difficult than I expected. After the edges were done, I began working on Skeletor's head and the ram skull atop the Havoc Staff, both of which went together quickly. From there, I did the purple sky, then the smoke, then the ground and Skeletor's body, saving the awful expanse of purple for last. Each area was significantly tougher than the preceding ones. Neither the cross-hatching in the art nor the gradient in the purple area helped as much as I expected. It's not a crazy photomosaic level of difficulty, but it took a fair bit longer to complete than I expected when I started it.

As I worked on that final purple section, it had become clear that I was missing a piece. I've only had missing pieces with new puzzles twice before, and both of those were bargain puzzles I got for around $5. For what Mondo charged for this, I was pretty surprised at such lax quality control. The pieces are paper-backed, have a very glossy finish, and multiple pieces had minor damage simply from being jostled around within the sealed box. The fit was so loose that simply moving the board would make some of them begin separating. This is one of the loosest-fitting puzzles I've ever done! Needless to say, I won't be keeping an eye out for a similar deal on the He-Man puzzle they released alongside this one. I feel bad for anyone who paid full price for one of these! All that said, I do like the art, and I'll probably tape the back of this so I can frame & hang it on my Skeletor wall once I move.