Mattel pulled out all the stops with its WWE Ultimate Edition WCW Monday Nitro Entrance Stage, which is currently crowdfunding on Mattel Creations. The campaign ends in just a few days, but before we hit the final stretch, ComicBook.com’s Matt Aguilar had the chance to speak with some of the talented team behind the impressive WCW Entrance Stage. Patel Product Designer Mike Kadile and Mattel Global Brand Marketing Manager Steve Ozer talked about not just the stage but also fan feedback during the campaign, what the campaign’s Ultimate Edition figures will come with, and the wow factor of it all when seen in person.
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As you’ve likely seen in photos (more of which can be found below), it’s clear the amount of care and work that went into creating the WCW Monday Nitro stage, and upon first glance, it was difficult not to be instantly transported back in time to when I truly fell in love with wrestling. That authenticity was a priority for the team and can be seen in everything from the lights and cables to the sheer scale of it.
“When I was granted access to WWE’s Archives, I was able to see close-up photos of the stage and all of its fine details. I paid particular attention to things like the scaffolding, the light boxes, and their placement on the entrance tunnel,” Kadile said. “I did not just make something to accommodate the LEDs, I made them look exactly like the ones they used for WCW. Even the front lights are a very close representation of what was on the actual entrance stage.”
“Another detail that had to be considered is the use of the cables that connect the lights. I didn’t want to hide them, as stages back then were really raw. Those cables were laying everywhere,” Kadile said. “That is a detail I wanted to make sure was seen so when you build it, you feel the same way the stagehands did when managing the bundles of lighting cables.”
“One of the biggest hurdles I had to manage was the overall size of the Entrance Stage. The first model of the item was scaled down completely accurately and the stage base alone was just massive,” Kadile said. “I grabbed the rest of the team and said, “Are we sure we want to do this to scale?” After a good week of evaluating at the size, we agreed we needed to bring the scale down a bit to be manageable for collectors to use and display in their collections. In the end, it looks fantastic and fits incredibly well with our WWE Figures, without compromising the sense of scale.”
As the campaign has continued there have been some updates, including more figures being unlocked if the campaign funds with 5000 backers. Fan feedback plays a role in that, and while the early backer bonus didn’t end up being unlocked, an additional figure still made it into the mix.
“We wanted to make sure our backers felt they were getting maximum value with the item. We had hoped to provide that via the early backer bonus figure. Unfortunately, that bonus figure didn’t unlock by the deadline, but we were able to shuffle some tiers around to be able to provide an additional figure along with the baseline offering,” Ozer said.
The campaign includes several WCW favorites like DDP, Rey Mysterio, and Ultimate Warrior. The ring is clearly considered part of the Ultimate Edition family, and that applies to each of the figures as well, so expect that same level of detail and articulation, as well as accessories.
“The figures are complete Ultimate Edition action figures that include swappable heads, swappable hands, entrance gear, and accessories,” Ozer said. “They’ll also have special packaging themed to Monday Nitro.”
The WCW Monday Nitro entrance stage is visually impressive, but it’s also more adaptable than you might expect, as Ozer reveals it has several build variations and can be tweaked to fit a host of different displays.
“This WCW Monday Nitro Entrance Stage is really a once-in-a-lifetime item that would be the crown jewel of any action figure or Monday Night War fan’s collection. It’s not only massive and epic in scale but also incredibly modular which allows for numerous build variations,” Ozer said. “This modularity not only allows it to fit various display or shelf sizes, but also makes it customizable so you can make your own fantasy stage for WCW, WWE, or virtually anything you collect.”
You can check out the full campaign page on Mattel Creations right here, and if you are jumping in let us know in the comments! You can also talk all things wrestling and toys with me on Twitter @MattAguilarCB!
