Mattel’s Damon Nee on why Masters of the Universe is a dream brand for action figure designers

Damon Nee – Senior Director of Action Figures Design at Mattel – tells us why Masters of the Universe is a brand designed for fans by fans.

Damon, it’s great to connect. It’s a big year for Masters of the Universe. What makes this an exciting property to design for?
Masters of the Universe is such a unique brand wherein it is a beautiful blend of fantasy and sci-fi. From a design perspective, it offers amazing variety. You have the opportunity to work on warriors, creatures, spaceships and cool playsets! It really is an action figure designer’s dream brand.

Absolutely – and it’s a movie year for the brand. What would you point to as some highlights from this year’s MotU offering?
Oh wow, there are so many cool toys in the works. First and foremost, amazing action figures. We have some of the most playable figures at an entry price point. They look great, are well articulated and have vehicles and playsets to interact with… Modern collectible figures with fantastic detailing, including spot-on portraits and over 30 points of movement. And we also have some killer role-play items so that you can become your favourite hero or villain. Some of the features in these roleplay items will really surprise and delight folks!

Why do you feel the brand is still so well-regarded by toy fans?
As an action figure brand, it is incredibly iconic and has been an inspiration for so much of what has come since. The form of the vintage body – what we internally refer to as the “Squatty Body” – is as enduring as it has been distinctive. The Masters of the Universe figures were always the most powerful action figures in your toy box, and they had features and actions that separated them from the pack.

Were you a fan of the brand before joining Mattel? And does being a fan matter as a designer?
Oh yeah, I had the figures as a kid. As a toy designer, you want to tap into your inner child and with Masters of the Universe, it is easy to do so. As a fan working on the line, you want to be reverential to all the contributions that have come before and find means to expand the brand for today’s kids and collectors. This is really a brand that is for the fans, by the fans.

Has the extra focus and attention on the brand in this movie-year given you and the team license to push boundaries or try new things?
The movie has provided an amazing new content source for us to dig into. What Travis Knight and his team has accomplished was nothing short of astounding. We needed to find a means to bring their vision for the brand to life in toy form. There were all kinds of unique challenges to overcome – cool new mechanisms and features that captured specific traits in the film, that uses movie magic, we needed to sort out using plastic gears.

How many different audiences are you designing for in mind when it comes to MotU?
I think with any product you are working on you want it to appeal to the widest possible audience. However, you absolutely need to keep you target demographic in mind when it comes to the execution of an item. Whether it’s ease of use for a younger consumer or nuanced details that an adult collector would appreciate.

Specifically for Masters of the Universe, you have to think about the fans who have been here since the beginning. They love the vintage line and the retro design sensibilities. At the same time, you want a kid – perhaps new to the brand – to find those Origins figures a blast to play with. The customization aspect of the Origins figures is a really compelling play feature. You can create your own characters!

In addition to the longtime fan, we needed to keep in mind new entrants to the brand, both kids and adults alike. So, we were designing for everyone!

Does your work across different brands inspire each other? Could a design decision on MotU spark a thought for DC, say?
Oh, absolutely – inspiration can come from any source. Certainly, other action figure brands offer some direct means of inspiration but working at the Mattel design centre, you are inspired by a whole house of creatives and a slew of amazing brands.

What else fuels your creativity?
The drive to make great product experiences. To share the excitement that we feel making product with anyone who plays with it.

Last question! What is the most underrated character in the world of MotU? We’ll show them some love here!
That’s a tough question as it seems like everyone has a favorite character and so many are different… I think that it has to do who made that first positive impression on you and why. Was it an episode from of an animated series or that figure that you marvelled at when you first played with it? If I had to answer the question, it might have to be Adam. The unassuming prince who is secretly the Most Powerful Man in the Universe!

Damon, a huge thanks for taking time out to chat. Let’s do it again soon!

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