Inspired by He-Man.org’s Roast Gooble Dinner podcast, welcome to PGPoA’s latest MOTUC Bio Discussion: Beast Man!
Before we begin, one item of note: I’ve added links to all the bios in my list of MOTUC reviews, so you can check any bio whenever you want.
One of the last and most mysterious of the original He-Man minicomics was “The Search for Keldor.” In the comic, King Randor enlists the Sorceress’s aid in seeking out his long-lost brother Keldor. Curiously, Skeletor panics upon hearing about this and summons Scareglow and Ninjor to stop Randor and company. While soundly beaten by He-Man and Clamp Champ, the villains do prevent Randor from learning any more about his brother’s disappearance.
The story strongly hinted that Keldor was none other than Skeletor himself, and while this was never confirmed in any other 1980s media, it became a much-discussed topic with the rise of online He-fandom in the 1990s. By the advent of the 2003 Mike Young Productions (MYP) cartoon, it was practically common knowledge that Skeletor was in fact Keldor. The MYP series cemented this by depicting Keldor himself and showing his assault upon the Elders; however, no mention of a filial relationship with Randor was ever mentioned.
Keldor was made into an action figure as an SDCC exclusive in 2003. This was the only SDCC I’ve ever attended, and yes, I got myself a Keldor. The 2003 exclusive was a mixed bag; while the interchangeable “melting skull” head was of course incredibly awesome, the black was was way overdone.
Obtaining a 2003 Keldor was a nightmare at the convention, a tradition Mattel has carried on ever since. While the latest version of Keldor wasn’t a convention exclusive, it was still pretty damned tough to get. (more…)
Toy Aisle Trolls is a feature highlighting acts of vandalism to in-store toy items. If you find a ruined package, a stolen figure, a swapped-out figure, or any other such acts, take a photo (cell phone photos are fine if they’re not blurry) and email them to poe AT poeghostal.com. Also, please note: I’m deliberately being over-the-top with my condemnation of these people–I don’t actually wish bodily harm upon them. Just severe mental anguish.
Reader MrG sends in this sad pic from a TRU in Torrance, CA.
Making his first appearance in Infinite Crisis #3 in February, 2006, Jaime Reyes has the distinction of being one of the new kids on the block in the DC Universe. Of course he carries with him a long heritage spanning eight decades of Blue Beetle. Jaime Reyes is the third individual to take up the mantle of the Blue Beetle. First being Dan Garret, starting out in the late 1930s, which was then replaced by the best known Beetle, Ted Kord. Kord’s Beetle became vastly popular and for many fans is the definitive Blue Beetle.
Jaime Reyes’ Blue Beetle, or Blue Beetle III to some, has come to make a name for himself staring in his own titles, as well as teaming up with Kord’s old friend, Booster Gold, and also becoming a member of the Teen Titans. Most notably he’s appeared several times on the animated series, Batman: the Brave and the Bold, where the character has gained popularity and managed to come into his own. (more…)
Inspired by He-Man.org’s “Roast Gooble” podcast (which I highly recommend to MOTU fans), as well as Masters of the Universe Chronicles, I’ve decided to add a new feature wherein I discuss my thoughts on the MOTUC bios, and invite you to do the same.
A few things to discuss before we get to the first one. First off, I’m skipping King Grayskull for now because he didn’t have a proper “parchment” bio card, and aesthetically that bugs me. I like having the graphic to post. He’ll get one for the re-release later this year, and I’ll do his discussion then.
Second, I want to state for the record that while I find the bios interesting, I’m not considering my imagination any more beholden to them than any other incarnation of MOTU–that is to say, I’ve got my own story of MOTU in my head, and it’s constructed of the various bits of the previous incarnations that I’ve liked, along with a healthy dose of my own ideas. For example, I just can’t think of Gygor as a bad guy; it’s just not in line with the way I’ve thought of him since I first read about him. Also, in my vision, the two “halves” of the Power Sword are in fact complete swords, one purple and one gray, that magically combine together to form a glowing combined Power Sword (i.e., He-Ro’s sword).
But I digress. Let’s get started. (more…)
Due to the notoriety the much-maligned 1987 live-action Masters of the Universe movie, it’s easy to forget it was actually the second Masters of the Universe film to be released to theaters. The first was The Secret of the Sword, an animated film that came out in March 1985 and introduced He-Man fans to his twin sister, She-Ra. The movie comprised the first five episodes of her series, She-Ra: Princess of Power.
Mattel was and always will be the House that Barbie Built. While they’ve had successful boy brands–Major Matt Mason, MOTU and, most importantly, Hot Wheels–Barbie has always been the company’s most successful and iconic brand. With so much experience with the girls’ toys market, it’s not surprising they decided to take their (at the time) incredibly successful Masters of the Universe franchise and see if they could market it to girls, too. Thus was She-Ra born. (Legend has it she was originally going to be called the more mythologically resonant He-Ra, but the name was already being used by another toy company–just as well, because in retrospect She-Ra was a much more marketable name, and less subject to transvestite jokes and feminist criticism.)
On a more personal note, while I had several of the Horde figures as a child, I’m afraid I have no nostalgia for She-Ra. I don’t remember watching the show; by 1985 I was all about Transformers. But I can certainly recognize the significance of the character and the show, which continued the story of the MOTU universe (and supposedly with much better writing).
Looking back, Mattel and Filmation did something that no other toy company has even come close to trying to do with a boys’ brand: offered a girls’ version of the brand that was more than just a hollow marketing gimmick (actually, I can’t even think of any attempts to do this at all, hollow or not). While I didn’t continue to follow She-Ra myself, and I’m sure there were many boys who ignored it under the “girls are icky” principle, I’ve met enough male fans to be sure She-Ra was able to appeal to both genders (even if those boys could never bring themselves to get the toys, which were far more girlish than the show).
Also, now that I’m not six years old anymore I can point out that, in retrospect, She-Ra was pretty hot. (more…)
…and let me tell you, MOTU commercials know from goofy. But this one…well, you’ll just have to watch it for yourself.
I don’t know whether to feel sorry for the announcer (who I believe is Victor Caroli, who did a lot of these ’80s boys’ toys commercials–and the narration to Transformers: the Movie), or to respect him for being willing to rap a disclaimer. Still, I have to believe there was a lot of laughing in the recording booth for this one.
P-p-p-p-p-power, Master Power. Some guys got it, some guys don’t.
