Tag Archives: Orko

#3059: Savage He-Man (w/ Orko)

Posted by Ethan Wilson in Reviews and tagged with , , , , , ,

SAVAGE HE-MAN (w/ ORKO)

MASTERS OF THE UNIVERSE: MASTERVERSE (MATTEL)

The early days of Masters of the Universe are a little loose on the exact origins and roles of the characters, with He-Man in particular being a little bit back and forth on who exactly he was.  One of the origins presented early in the minicomics has him as a jungle-dwelling barbarian granted his powers by the Goddess (an early amalgam of Teela and the Sorceress).  During the Classics incarnation of the line, this design was repurposed as Oo-Larr, an earlier carrier of the He-Man mantle.  For Revelation, it’s been repurposed once again, this time as Savage He-Man, Prince Adam’s alter-ego when the power of Greyskull isn’t channelled through the sword.  It’s a different approach to the character, and a fun nod to the history of the franchise, and its also the subject of the most recent deluxe Masterverse figure, alongside a post time-skip version of everyone’s favorite bumbling sorcerer sidekick, Orko, who needs less of a lead-in, because I kind of talk about him a lot on this site.

THE FIGURES THEMSELVES

Savage He-Man (who is billed as the main figure here, with Orko technically just being a pack-in accessory) is a standalone deluxe-sized release for Mattel’s Masterverse line.  He started showing up at Targets first, hinting at a quiet exclusivity (kinda like what happened with Faker), but the wide release followed within about a month.

SAVAGE HE-MAN

How about that, we’re getting our first proper He-Man variant (seeing as Faker is *technically* a different character and all) for Masterverse.  It’s on one hand sort of surprising it took quite this long, and on another, not terribly, since He-Man proper only actually gets the two looks in Revelation.  They did the first one, and now here’s the second.  The figure stands 7 inches tall and he has 31 points of articulation.  He’s built on the standard male body, and, well, that’s honestly a bit surprising.  Savage He-Man in the show is very clearly a lot larger than the standard He-Man, so the assumption was that he was going to be using the larger Skelegod body, rather than the standard He-Man body.  I guess for the Oo-Larr equivalent set-up, this works out better, but it’s certainly a deviation from the source.  He’s got a new head, lower legs, feet, and loin cloth piece, and ditches the armored parts from the standard He-Man.  The new head is quite similar to the standard He-Man, just with a slightly angrier expression, and much longer hair.  I didn’t mind the normal He-Man head, so I don’t mind this one, but I know my opinion on that was far from a unanimous one.  The new legs swap out the usual boots for bare legs and feet.  The look is slightly interrupted by the cut joint mid-shin, but I’ll take that over reduced mobility.  The new loin cloth is less ornate and defined than the belted one, fitting better with the savage appearance.  Otherwise, he’s the standard parts we’ve seen before.  It’s certainly a good sculpt on its own, issues of scaling aside.  Savage He-Man’s paint isn’t something that would initially seem very involved, given how little there is to the design, but Mattel went the extra mile on this one, and actually gave him a brown was over most of the body, to really emphasize the musculature of the sculpt.  It’s a touch heavy in some spots, and also varies a bit from figure to figure, but it does a good job of changing up the appearance a bit, and differentiates him from regular He-Man nicely.  Savage He-Man is packed with two sets of hands (gripping and open gesture), a spear, an axe, and the Power Sword.  The spear’s a good callback to zoo-Larr, and I’m glad to finally have the classic He-Man axe in this style.  Why he comes with the sword is anyone’s guess, since this explicitly He-Man without the sword to channel the power, but I won’t complain about extra stuff.

ORKO

I don’t know how it worked out for everyone else, but despite this guy being listed as an accessory, Orko was my main reason for picking up this set.  That being the case, I’m reviewing him as his own figure.  Orko has a few looks over the course of the show, but this figure goes for his post time skip, magic-deprived appearance.  Amusingly, this look doesn’t ever interact with Savage He-Man, so  the pack-in here is kinda weird. But, hey, if it gets me Orko, I won’t complain.  The core Orko figure is about 3 inches tall and he has 5 points of articulation, but he’s got a hovering stand, which adds another two inches of height, as well as 3 more points of articulation.  Orko’s not terribly mobile.  It’s not like he usually is, of course, but more recent figures have at least given him extra motion at the arms.  This one only gets mobility at the shoulders and the neck.  It’s partially a design thing, since the arms are bare and rather scrawny, making them slightly impractical for articulation.  The neck joint’s not great, either, at least on mine, where it wobbles pretty freely, and doesn’t really hold a pose.  The sculpt is at least all new, and does a respectable job of looking the part, even if the movement isn’t really there.  The paint work on Orko is pretty basic.  There’s not a ton going on, but it does what it needs to, and it works pretty well.

THE ME HALF OF THE EQUATION

My main goal in this line is to assemble Teela’s post time jump team, and I need an Orko for that.  Him being bundled with Savage He-Man wasn’t my first choice, but I went along with it.  Savage He-Man’s okay, if not thrilling.  Orko is an accessory, and it shows.  He’s not awful, but he’s not great either.  Still, I’m happy to have him in some form, rather than nothing.

Thanks to my sponsors over at All Time Toys for setting me up with this set to review.  If you’re looking for cool toys both old and new, please check out their website.

#3049: Orko

Posted by Ethan Wilson in Reviews and tagged with , , ,

ORKO

HE-MAN AND THE MASTERS OF THE UNIVERSE (MATTEL)

Last summer, Netflix dropped the first of its two Masters of the Universe cartoons, the more veteran fan-aimed Revelation.  Two months later, they dropped the second, the more younger audience-friendly He-Man and the Masters of the Universe.  This one is a more true reboot of the franchise, building things more or less from the ground up.  Roles and basic set-ups are the same, but the specifics of the characters are, in a number of cases, heavily re-worked.  I gave the show a try, and it wasn’t quite my speed.  I’m admittedly about two decades outside of the target audience, so I don’t really think it’s a mark of the show’s overall quality.  It’s clearly designed with toys in mind, and there are some pretty fun designs there-in.  One that particularly caught my eye was the show’s mechanical take on Orko, or “Ork-0,” whose figure I’m taking a look at today.

THE FIGURE ITSELF

Orko (as the packaging refers to him) is part of the basic He-Man and the Masters of the Universe toyline from Mattel, which bears the sub-branding “Power Attack”, though I’m not sure if that’s an actual line-branding or not.  The figure stands roughly 5 inches tall and he has 5 points of articulation, as well as a spring-loaded waist joint.  His movement is a little bit on the restricted side.  I found he had an alright range of motion on the neck, but the shoulders and wrists are just simple cut joints, and he lacks any motion on the elbows, which is kind of a bummer.  At the very least, if the elbows had a couple of ball joints (which they totally look like they do), his mobility would be a lot better.  As it stands right now, he’s good for the basic hovering pose, with a little tweaking on the head, and that’s it.  He’s effectively on par with the vintage figure, I guess, so it’s not the worst thing.  Orko’s sculpt is a rather good recreation of the animation model for the character as seen in the show.  The proportions are pretty well matched, aside from the arms being a little bulked up, for the sake of durability.  The detailing’s really not bad for this style of figure, with a really nice bit of texture work on his outfit.  Orko’s color work is largely handled via molded colors, but he gets some paint for his face, and the detailing on his outfit, and it’s cleanly and sharply applied, and again matches well with the show design.  Orko is packed with a single blast effect piece, which can be used on either of his hands, albeit somewhat loosely.

THE ME HALF OF THE EQUATION

Though the show didn’t really grab me, I did really dig the new Orko design, and I enjoy the new concept behind him.  That being the case, I was definitely on board for the new figure.  He’s kind of basic, and there are some slight drawbacks to how the articulation works, but he’s overall a pretty fun figure of a pretty fun design.

Thanks to my sponsors over at All Time Toys for setting me up with this figure to review.  If you’re looking for cool toys both old and new, please check out their website.

#2927: Orko

Posted by Ethan Wilson in Reviews and tagged with , , , ,

ORKO

MASTERS OF THE UNIVERSE ORIGINS (MATTEL)

I’m slowing down on Masters of the Universe Origins, as my focus shifts just a little bit more over to the new Revelation-related stuff in Masterverse, but that doesn’t mean I’m not gonna still pick up the occasional release here and there, mostly when they do one of those characters that I like to have in every style.  Still waiting on that Mechanek love, but until then, I guess I’ll just make due with one of the *other* characters I have across numerous styles, one despised by fun-haters everywhere, Orko!

THE FIGURE ITSELF

Orko was released in Wave 2 of Mattel’s main Masters of the Universe Origins line.  It technically shipped to Walmarts at the tail-end of last year, but that’s a very technical thing.  It actually started showing up later in 2021, and has finally started showing up at general retail a bit more in the last few months, along with the rest of the oddly delayed Wave 2 figures.  The figure is about 4 inches tall and he has 13 points of articulation.  Obviously, he’s got no legs, so by extension there’s no leg movement, but he does get all of the standard movement in his arms, as well as a quite useful ball-joint on the neck.  While the line is largely built on re-use, Orko continues the usual Orko trend of being an entirely unique mold.  He’s clearly based on his vintage figure, especially when it comes to scaling (he’s rather one the large side), but certainly takes some inspiration from his Filmation animation design in terms of the sculpt’s specific styling.  It’s a fun, streamlined sculpt, and certainly fits the character well.  Orko’s paint work is generally pretty basic, with most of the colors being molded plastic.  What paint he does have is a little bit on the sloppy side.  There’s some errant paint on the back of the hat, as well as a couple of spots of yellow where they shouldn’t be around the eyes.  It’s also pretty messy around the edges of the ears.  From afar, it’s not terrible, but it doesn’t seem up to the same standard as the other figures I’ve gotten from the line.  Orko is packed with a display stand designed to emulate his floating from the show.  It’s a pretty impressive piece, complete with an articulated arm and everything, a great improvement over prior hover stands for the character.

THE ME HALF OF THE EQUATION

I didn’t intend to get this guy at first.  I’ve got the Classics release, and, as far as I’m concerned, that’s pretty much the best version of a classic Orko we’re ever going to get.  So, this guy didn’t really feel needed.  That being said, I got to finally see him in person, and my resolve on not getting him wore down.  Ultimately, he’s a pretty good little figure.  He’s very different than the rest of the line, but he works well, even as sort of his own contained piece.

Thanks to my sponsors over at All Time Toys for setting me up with this figure to review.  If you’re looking for cool toys both old and new, please check out their website.

#2901: Orko

Posted by Ethan Wilson in Reviews and tagged with , , ,

ORKO

MASTERS OF THE UNIVERSE ETERNIA MINIS (MATTEL)

I closed out last month with my first look at Eternia Minis, the line that began as Mattel’s ill-fated attempt to cash in on the Galactic Heroes craze in the early ’00s, but has now found new life as part of their new push to get the Masters of the Universe brand as far as they can.  The line is still sans Mechanek and Roboto, my two go-tos for trying out new lines, so I’ve had to settle for my back-ups, first with Zodac, and now with He-Man’s goofy sorcerer sidekick, Orko!

THE FIGURE ITSELF

Orko is another 2021 release in the Eternia Minis line, technically part of the same assortment that brought us Zodac.  That means he’s *technically* a spring release, but that’s all very theoretical.  The figure is about 2 inches tall (thanks to the stand granting him some extra height), and he has 4 points of articulation.  Without legs, he doesn’t really have a waist, but there’s the spot where the stand connects, and it’s on a balljoint, which does allow for some slight adjustment of posing.  It also makes the stand removable, if you so choose.  Orko sports a totally unique sculpt, based on his classic design.  He generally doesn’t get quite as far removed from his usual look as the rest of the line, seeing as he’s already pretty cartoony to start with.  His head’s a little larger, and his hands are a little blockier.  That’s pretty much the extent of it.  He fits in nicely all the same, and it looks pretty good.  Definitely a design that fits in with the set-up.  Orko’s paint work is generally pretty bright and colorful, as well as being in line with his usual depictions.  The application is a little messy, with some slop on a few of the areas where colors shift.  There’s a notable splotch of blue on the right sleeve, and his “o” is also off-center on mine.  Orko get’s the removable stand, but that’s all on the accessories front.  His scepter might have been cool, especially given the gripping pose on the hands, but it’s not something I really feel is a glaring omission.

THE ME HALF OF THE EQUATION

It’s Max’s fault again.  Okay, maybe a little bit less so this time.  He just bought me Zodac as a surprise.  I actually did ask him to keep an eye out for an Orko for me.  I’ve always had a soft spot for the little guy, and this style does really seem to work well for him.  He’s again a very fun little figure, and I like how this line has turned out.  I’m still hoping for a Mechanek or Roboto.  That’d be swell.

#1004: Orko

Posted by Ethan Wilson in Reviews and tagged with , , ,

ORKO

MASTERS OF THE UNIVERSE (2002)

Orko200x1

Goofy sidekicks are something of a divisive bunch. You tend to either love them or hate them, with no in-between. Me? I’m generally a fan. I like goofy. I like funny. I like silly. Sometimes, what a serious story needs is someone to inject a little levity into it. Lex Luthor needs his Otis, Wonder Woman needs her Eta Candy, Squirrel Girl needs Monkey Joe, Brienne of Tarth needs Podric, and Batman’s always more fun when Bat-Mite’s around. Heck, I even like Wendy, Marvin, and Wonder Dog! When it comes to Masters of the Universe, yes, that means that I like Orko, He-Man’s less-than-effective wizard friend. I like him enough that I actually own every single Orko figure in existence (it’s not that hard; there’re only three). Today, I’ll be looking at Orko’s middle figure, courtesy of the 2002 relaunch.

THE FIGURE ITSELF

Orko200z2Orko was released in the third Heroic Warriors assortment of the 2003 series of Masters of the Universe, alongside a rather silly He-Man variant. The figure stands about 5 ½ inches, counting the (non-removable) stand that gives him a hovering effect, and about 4 ½ inches not counting it. That’s rather on the large side for Orko, since it only makes him an inch and a half shorter than the average figure from the line, despite the show depicting him as less than half the size of most of the characters. This wasn’t a first for Orko, though; his vintage figure suffered from a similar issue. Granted, he’s still smaller than the rest of the figures, so the effect is kinda there. The figure has 8 points of articulation, which isn’t bad for a figure without legs. Orko has a pretty awesome sculpt. It takes a few liberties with the design seen in the show, but the changes make the design a little more ornate, which results in a pretty cool look. The sculpt is also incredibly dynamic, which makes him a pretty exciting looking figure to have on the shelf. What’s really cool is that he can still pull off a number of different poses, despite the more specific nature of the sculpt. The paintwork on Orko is solid, but perhaps not quite as impressive as the sculpt. The basic work is all there and it’s pretty clean, but there’s not much beyond that. With a sculpt like this, a few accents would have gone a long way. Orko included a staff, as well as a large…mystic…ball…thing. I’m not sure what it is, but it looks kind of cool.

THE ME HALF OF THE EQUATION

Orko wasn’t super easy to get when he was new, so I didn’t have one (I actually ended up getting the vintage figure instead). This guy came from the lot of Masters figures that I picked up from a Goodwill a few weeks ago. Amusingly, he and his accessory were packed separately from each other, so I ended up having to pay for both of them (he was still less than $4, so I’m hardly going to complain). He was definitely one of my favorite finds in the set, and I’m glad to finally have one. Even with the scale issues, he’s a pretty awesome figure.

Orko200x3