Tweeterhead Masters of the Universe Trap Jaw

Sideshow started this "Legends" series of MOTU statues back in 2016, and handed over the reigns to Tweeterhead that has continued the series since about 2021. And for MOTU fans, Tweeterhead have given us some of the best interpretations of these classic characters that have ever been produced.

I'm glad that Tweeterhead have taken this series to the next level. I've loved every one of their releases, and this new Trap Jaw is no exception. Click through below to watch my video review over on the Kool Kollectibles YouTube channel!

Thankfully there is no exclusive version for this Trap Jaw, so every release has all the swap out parts to tailor this just the way you like it. For me, I like to have that hint of the original cartoon style, mixed in with some new interpretations. So I decided to go with the classic, almost NFL-like, head sculpt as opposed to the new orc-like interpretation.

I also coupled it with the more basic hook arm that is also more reminiscent of the cartoon. Together, I think the two swap out pieces pay perfect homage to the 80s cartoon, whilst coupled with the incredibly detailed body and paint application of the rest of the statue.

Every single angle of this piece is amazing to behold. The blue of the skin texture brings that perfect burst of colour to offset the dark purples, silvers and greys, and the muted green and browns in other parts of the statue.

The dark purple of the base is almost grey or dark gun metal in hue, but it does fit in nicely with the older statues from Sideshow that have a slightly more purple tinge. The body of the statue itself is incredible, with sculpted details across the board.

I love the silver and grey metallic paint application for the boots and armour pieces. The browns for the leather sections looks great too, and matches well with the muted jade green in the thighs and belt areas. The swap out pieces are fairly easy to attach, and it all comes together beautifully.

The alternative cannon arm is very intricately detailed, and is monstrous in size. It's almost too big, but does give him a great menacing option for that more modern style. The alternate head sculpt has a nice little open mouthed growl to it, but it reminds me too much of orcs from Warcraft, so I chose the classic portrait instead.

Either of the options will still look incredible on display. The sheer size is impressive, despite some complaints that this series is only 1/5th scale, not 1/4 scale. I'm actually glad they're slightly smaller, and can fit more easily in my display cabinets.

The bad guys together from both the Sideshow and Tweeterhead simpy look amazing. As a MOTU fan from way back in the 80s, these interpretations are how I imagined them in my childhood brain to be. Tweeterhead have produced the perfect mix of adult mature aesthetics with that awesome nostalgic feel to the characters we love.

I've preordered the Beast Man exclusive from Tweeterhead, and cannot wait for that to arrive later in 2024. With teasers of Sorceress and Man-At-Arms, I hope this series continues to release characters from that awesome universe.

Tweeterhead Masters of the Universe Mer-Man Exclusive

The Masters of the Universe 1/5th scale statue series from Sideshow and now Tweeterhead has been a fantastic series for fans. They have released some mature, detailed, and beautiful interpretations of the classic characters from the old 80s cartoon show.

This new Mer-Man from Tweeterhead is no exception, and is a gorgeous addition to the series. Click through below to watch my full review on the Kool Kollectibles YouTube channel! It would be great if you could give the video a like, and also subscribe to stay tuned for more video content!

The packaging follows similar styled art to previous releases, with a couple of nice shots on the front and back. The contents are fairly well protected within the foam and plastic wrap packaging. With this Exclusive version via Sideshow, the statue comes with the extra trident, which looks fantastic. Both the regular version and the Exclusive come with both head sculpts.

It seems this Mer-Man will be the last Exclusive in the series from Tweeterhead. Their upcoming Trap Jaw and Skeletor only have one version that includes all swap out parts. This is OK for me, as it's definitely cheaper to buy locally in Australia without needing to order an Exclusive version from overseas.

Once setup, this Mer-Man simply looks fantastic from every angle. The sculpted detail on this one is particularly great with all the horns and spikes across the yellow/orangey armour. The shading differences in the yellow, orange, and browns really bring out the sculpted detail, and makes the armour really pop.

From early photos, I was a little concerned that the base and the snake-like scales were too greyish, as opposed to the slight purple hue from the previous Skeletor and Evil-Lyn bases. But in person, the purplish hue does come through and is noticeable. I love the shiny hue of the acid-like fluid from which he's standing from, and the join that hides part of his left foot is nicely done.

It would've been even better if they had included some more gloss on the tentacle that also comes from the fluid. The finish is a bit too matte, and some extra gloss would give it a nice slimey appearance similar to what they did with the Teela statue. But overall I think the base is fantastic.

The body itself has a great shade of green that not too cartoonish, but quite an attractive, realistic shade. There's enough black shading in all the right places to really bring out the scales and other detail in the skin sculpting too.

It all comes together really nicely with the yellowish armour, and makes for a mature interpretation of the character that suits the aesthetic of the previous releases perfectly. I like the stance too, that conveys just enough action in a static piece to be visually appealing.

It's great that the paint application and sculpting of the swap out head sculpts matches that of the body itself. One sculpt seems to be more an homage to the original 80s toy, with the ears more flared up vertically above the eyes. The other seems to be more an homage to the original 80s cartoon version, with the ears more flared horizontally out to the sides.

I prefer the latter, since the horizontally flared sculpt has the illusion of being larger and seems to be more in proportion with the body, at least to my eyes. But both sculpts have some incredible detail in the eyes, ears, mouth and teeth, so either option looks pretty awesome.

The swap out sword or trident also gives different options for display. Neither seem to be made of metal, which is fine since the sculpted detail and paint application are top notch. Both have quite sharp tips to their horns or spikes, so be careful in not chipping any of those. For me, I love the large style of the trident.

A feature that would've been incredible would have been if they had designed the sword to sit within the armour sheath on his back. But unfortunately it's sculpted into the swap out hand, and is not removable. That would've been an amazing detail that allowed both the Exclusive trident and the sword to be displayed together. That's essentially the design that Sideshow did with the original He-Man, where the Exclusive Battle Axe could be held whilst the Power Sword was placed on He-Man's back.

Setup and displayed with the other bad guys, the series of statues really does come alive. It's fantastic that Tweeterhead have taken over the series from Sideshow, yet maintained the mature aesthetic whilst adding their own beautiful touches.

Mer-Man adds a great bit of colour to the gang, and the upcoming Trap Jaw is going to add even more awesomeness to the series. I simply cannot wait for Tweeterhead to show us a coloured or painted prototype of Beastman. The digital sculpted image of that looks incredible!

Tweeterhead are also releasing a new Skeletor and He-Man it seems, which is fine for collectors who missed the original releases. I'm just glad that they're also doing some other characters too. Sorceress seems to be on their list too, and if they announce a Man-At-Arms and Tri Klops, I may well die happy that I have my favourite core cast members in this incredible series! Here's to hoping Tweeterhead all the best to keep this series going for many years to come.

Tweeterhead Hordak's minion

Tweeterhead took over the reins from Sideshow for their Legends series of Masters of the Universe statues. And they have done a fantastic job. Their Hordak statue was beautiful, and this Minion companion piece is just as nice.

Click through below to watch my full review over on the Kool Kollectibles YouTube channel. Make sure to give the video a like, and subscribe to the channel too for upcoming statue reviews!

The set comes with a separate base that needs some simple assembly to attach the Minion on its perch. The only part of the statue that I think requires care is the end of the tail. I think mine has a tiny break where the end of the tail does not finish in a sharp end. The very tip may have snapped off in the packaging, but luckily it's not too noticeable.

Other than that, everything else about the Minion is perfect. The sculpting from all angles is beautifully done, with great details in the skin texture. I like the pose too, where it appears to be reaching down with one arm to give it a bit of dynamism. The paint application overall is very nicely done too. The base has a nice metallic sheen to the silver, and complements the Hordak base perfectly. 

The paint on the Minion itself really brings out the details in the sculpt. It has great shades of red, browns, and blacks. The texture on the wings looks nice, with a leathery sheen to the paint, and gradations in the shading that make it look almost transluscent. The finger tips at the ends of the wings look great too with the shiny black claws. 

The ridges on the back look great to give that dragon-esque style, and the darker paint brings out the details against the mostly red back. The head sculpt is fantastic, with gorgeous yellow eyes that have a nice sheen to them. The mouth and tongue also have a good sheen, and the teeth are appropriately dirty. The open mouthed snarl is perfect in this pose.

As you can see below, this Minion really is the perfect companion piece to the Hordak. When it was first announced, I actually thought it was going to be some blue variant of Imp. But I'm glad they went with this interpretation of the Minion, which is more similar to the piece that came with the Hordak from the MOTU Classics line of 6" figures. I think it suits this more mature, modern aesthetic of this series of statues.

I hope Tweeterhead continue their great work in this series. I already have the incredible Mer-Man and Trap Jaw statues preordered. I think Sorceress and Beastman have also been teased with some 3D renders. I am hoping to also see Man-At-Arms and TriKlops. Then I think I'd be content to have all the core cast of MOTU characters I loved as a kid.

Tweeterhead Teela Exclusive Masters of the Universe

Ever since Sideshow started their modern interpretation of the iconic Masters of the Universe statue series, I was hoping that they would go deep into the character list. There are just so many characters for which I have lots of nostalgia due to the 80s cartoon series. That's what happens when you watch that stuff every weekend and after school!

Sideshow stopped their series and handed over to the folks that they were collaborating with over at Tweeterhead. And thank god they did, because Tweeterhead continue to do some awesome work! The statue releases are still few and far between, but each one is just too good for me to pass up!

This recent Teela statue is no exception. Click the link below to see my full video review over on the Kool Kollectibles YouTube channel! Make sure to like and subscribe to stay tuned for more reviews coming up on the channel.

Box art and contents are as you'd expect for this 1/5th scale. Everything is well protected and secured in the foam packaging. I love that they included two swap out head sculpts, and they actually make more of a difference that I thought they would (more on that later).

The set also comes with two swap out weapons. The standard version includes only the sword, which is made of metal and is beautifully detailed. Be careful of the base of the blade where it connects to the hilt. There were reports that this can separate from the hilt, and it's difficult to glue back in a stable manner.

The hilt has a peg that insets into the blade, and mine did have a bit of movement but not enough to separate. Either way, just be careful, because the weight of the metal blade does make it more fragile at that connection point.

Once all the separate pieces are connected, she looks absolutely gorgeous. As I mentioned before, she comes with two swap out head sculpts. The core part of the beautiful face is the same, with the key difference being her hair. One shown below has her hair up in the style similar to the classic cartoon. This actually gives her a more mature, almost regal appearance. I prefer this head sculpt over the second which is shown further below, because I like the mix of original cartoon styles with this more modern interpretation of the characters.

The base is a gorgeous stair case in the style that Sideshow used for the original He-Man statue. The hue of the green of the Castle Grayskull stone is a pretty good match. I also love the purple slimy tentacles emerging from the depths of the castle too, with that glassy orangish eye peering out. It all comes together for a great sturdy base to the statue that doesn't overpower the main point of interest.

The shield she wields in her left hand is also nicely molded and painted, with nice details. The gold highlights bring out the pattern, and it has just a scattering of weathering. Her overall outfit doesn't have too much weathering either, but the boots have a touch.

The outfit itself I think fits this style beautifully. It has that iconic style from the cartoon, with just enough tweaks for that modern, more mature, style too. It's different to Sideshow's original Evil-Lyn, which is great. I'm glad that they didn't go too far in trying to cover her up, since that classic Teela look is her in her white and gold leotard. The gold highlights across the left shoulder and chest are nicely sculpted and painted, and complement the sculpted fur on her right shoulder and back.

The second head sculpt has her hair in a pony-tail, which gives her a more youthful appearance. Both are gorgeous sculpe, and both have that subtle makeup on her face that isn't too over-bearing. Really, either sculpt looks great, but I'll be displaying her with the updo.

The exclusive version swap out piece is the Staff of Ka. It's not made of metal, but has a great curling design with the cobra twirled all the up. The gold paint application is also nicely done. It's a complete swap out arm at the shoulder, so not just a swap out hand. Some people reported having issues where the gap at the shoulder was more noticeable, but the seam on mine was fine.

The styling of the pose is both sexy and purposeful, and looks great from any angle. It's reminiscent of the She-Ra pose, but I'm glad she's looking in the opposite direction. The skin tone is nice, and has enough subtle shading to bring out the musculature detail.

No matter where or how you display this statue, it's going to draw lots of attention and raise conversation. It's what every great statue piece should do!

I think Tweeterhead have done a fantastic job in keep this series of statues going. I loved Masters of the Universe as a kid, and this modern interpretation by Sideshow and Tweeterhead have kept that love going.

I have their Mer-Man preordered, with that exclusive coming later this year from Sideshow. Luckily they announced Trap Jaw with no exclusive, so all the swap out parts are standard. This definitely saved a lot of money by preordering from Popultcha, which is the Australian partner of Sideshow. That Trap Jaw looks absolutely incredible, so I cannot wait to add more henchmen to the collection!

All I hope for is an announcement for Man-At-Arms, Sorceress, Beast Man, and Tri-Klops to be released, and then I can die happy! 😀