What a scaled down size may look like for both action figures side by side

MTV Geek got a exclusive interview with Brehan Maul, senior director of marketing, boys division about Bandai’s new 6-inch ThunderCats Classic line. You might remember previously that the ThunderCats Classic line was 8-inches tall. I thought the re-release was rad with all the modern articulation included. The figures did suffer from a few quality issues though like the peg joints not being painted the same color in wrists and ankles and a few joint issues. Bandai has heard the woes of the fans and have dealt with the issues in the upcoming 6-inch ThunderCats Classic line.

Honestly, the best thing about this change is two classic lines can literally meet eye to eye! The Masters of he Universe Classics line has always been a premium quality action figure using a standard 6-inch figure buck. When the 8-inch ThunderCats Classics line was introduced they stood 2-inches taller and you really could not intermingle the two together. There is a kindred spirit between the two lines and having them scaled near close the same size makes for doubly a impressive display!

MTV Geek’s interview below:

MTV Geek!: With the Classics figures being released in the 6 inch scale, what is the fate of the current 8″ ThunderCats Classics line?

Brehan Maul: The move from 8” to 6” was not one that we took lightly. While very successful, the ThunderCats 8″ figure line will not be continued in its current form. However we do plan to release the 8” scale in a limited edition capacity in support of those who have been with the line since the first release. Details are still being worked out, but all I can say is SHE is a fan favorite.

Geek: Lion-O looks to have the same body sculpt as the 8 inch release, while featuring a new “roaring” head; however, Mumm-Ra is all new. While he’s obviously been updated to match today’s sculpting, was his design influenced more by the vintage figure or the original animation?

Brehan Maul: Actually both sculpts are new due to the scaled down size. As for Mumm-Ra, we utilized the original animation as reference for the sculpt, to get the detail as close to what was shown on screen as possible. While we all loved those original LJN figures we felt like there was much to improve on to deliver the look of the original animation.

Geek: With Tygra and Cheetara being announced for the modern 6″ line, the ThunderCats’ team is almost complete. This will leave mostly villains for upcoming releases, along with 2nd tier characters. Any hints as to who we may see in the future?

Brehan Maul: What makes the new ThunderCats different from other animation out there is its scope and epic feel. With that comes a true sense of time, as you live the story along with the characters, watching them evolve and grow week to week. It’s in that evolution that we see our heroes change with updated armor, outfits and other physical developments. Without spoiling too much you can expect to see more than just villains, our core heroes will be available with all new looks and variants.

Geek: In our previous interview, it was revealed that Wily-Kit and Wily-Kat were being planned as a two-pack for the current animated series’ 6 inch line. Any word on how far along those two troublemakers are in terms of development and release date?

Brehan Maul: See previous ambiguous answer, those WilyTwins always seem to wind up somewhere.

Geek: The 6 inch modern line has fantastic articulation. However, with the Lion-O figure in particular, his joints are put together using black pins instead of a more matching color and really causes them to stand out. The same can also be said for the exposed screws on his back. Collectors displaying their figures tend to frown on things like this. Has a fix for this (orange colored-pins, screw caps, etc.) been looked into for Tygra, Cheetara, and future re-issues?

Brehan Maul: We truly believe that our 6” line is one of the highest quality out there. We have taken measures on our 6” line to correct just those issues.

Geek: When can fans expect to see these two series of figures in stores?

Brehan Maul: Some of the Spring 2012 product line may be creeping onto store shelves as early as December, but for sure January and February in store.