Mykan Speaks All

She-Ra Princess of Power Action Figure Subscription

2016-02-26T19:20:00.000-05:00

Shadow Weaver package mock up by Stuart Cameron.

This doesn't exist yet, but the Club Grayskull action figure subscription currently focuses on He-Man and the Masters of the Universe characters. This was a cartoon series that aired from 1982 to 1985, and was produced by US animation house Filmation for Mattel's toy line. Club Grayskull evolved from the highly successful (and ongoing) adult collector line Masters of the Universe Classics. The designs of the new line are simplified to reflect the cartoon style.

Club Grayskull 2016 is composed of He-Man, Skeletor, Evil-Lyn, Beast-Man, Clawful, Trap-Jaw and Evil Seed - all He-Man characters. So what about She-Ra? Could she be Club Grayskull (or Club Brightmoon) 2017? Perhaps the lineup is She-Ra (sub exclusive), Hordak, Shadow Weaver, Leech, Mantenna, Grizzlor and Tung Lashor.

Hordak mock up by Stuart Cameron.

G1 Cartoon Continuity Clean Up #2

2015-07-25T15:45:00.002-04:00

The Story of the Constructicons:

A faction of Cybertronians that had no allegiance to Autobot or Decepticon, construct bots focused on invention, building and repair planet wide. At the time, there was no true faction designation, they were mostly Consumer Goods descendants that did construction, repair and invention.

Megtron was born!

One group of like minded "construct bots" had taken a liking to the legendary gladiatorial games. One of the star players was difficult to beat in the arena, and had actually employed the bots to perform many of his upgrades. In a calculated move to undermine and destroy the charismatic fighter, a number of his enemies rigged a competition that led to critical failure of most of his systems. The construct bots spirited him away. Knowing he was close to oblivion, they performed experimental procedures that resulted in a total reformatting of the being. Upon his reactivation, the former gladiator designated himself as "Megatron", and vowed revenge.

The Robo Smasher and a hapless victim

Megatron was successful in methodically wiping out those who sought to destroy him. Having galvanized numerous allies in carrying out his goal, and realizing the power and influence that leadership brought him, Megatron turned his energy towards other campaigns. The construct bots that had repaired him had splintered in number - some remained close, the others distancing themselves. Having lost a number of his construction allies in territorial skirmishes, Megatron sought out the "defectors". He used a mind/spark bending device that was nicknamed the "robo smasher", a device that was actually invented by one of the more sinister construct bots, and augmented by Shockwave - a staunch supporter of Megatron's evolving cause. The robo smasher changed the defectors forever, making them resemble the military hardware genetic make-up, and thus more inclined to follow Megatron's rising Decepticon cause.

Working with Shockwave to improve a new experimental process, the Constructicons hunted down similar construct bots. Many died during the experiments, but the aggressive combiner process was perfected enough for Scrapper to finally apply it to his team. Devastator was born, and eventually destroyed the famed Crystal City - ultimately disgracing Omega Supreme and severely undermining the giant's participation in Autobot resistance.

Devastator...

The Constructicons performed the combiner process on thousands of bots - with mostly dismal results. The ability to combine would remain unique to Devastator for ages. The process was not perfect within the Constructicons themselves, and so Devastator was not a regular on the battlefield.

When Megatron elected to follow Optimus Prime on an energy searching mission in deep space, the Constructicons remained on Cybertron with Shockwave. Numerous weapons were worked on, along with bot-augmenting technologies like triple changing, smaller combining techniques, faster transforming configurations and more.

The Great Shutdown left the population of Cybertron in stasis for a greater part of 4 million years. Upon its reawakening, Shockwave sought out enemies to assassinate before they could awaken to resist him. Quickly moving drones into place, Shockwave immediately took control of the planet. Autobot pockets of resistance struck back viciously - the Constructicons were amongst the first of the casualties. Shockwave, detetmined to spare one of the greatest Decepticon assets, placed the Constructicons in stasis until a solution could be found.

From left to right: Scavenger, Mixmaster, Long Haul,
Bonecrusher, Hook and Scrapper

When Megatron reestablished contact with Cybertron with the space bridge, he silently sent large shipments of energon to his facilities on the home world, and brought warriors, equipment and weapons to Earth to stave off Optimus Prime and his army. In a secluded subterranean facility - far away from the prying optics of the Autobots, Megatron brought the disembodied laser cores of the Constructicons to Earth, and rebuilt them all in new bodies. They experienced a period of "shell shock", but the resurrection process was successful. Devastator was improved, and became a true and consistent threat to the Autobots from that point forward. 

G1 Cartoon Continuity Clean Up #1

2015-07-25T15:45:00.001-04:00

In an effort to hide himself from Unicron (both are psychically linked in their pure forms), Primus separates himself into 5 forms.

The Allspark - a typically cubical to trapezoidal construct that exists on an inter-dimensional plane. The Allspark is the purest fragment of Primus, able to create new life, and "collect" all fragments of Primus no matter where they are in space, time or dimension. 

Vector Sigma - the sentient core of a metallic planetoid. It carries out the will of Primus, allowing life and civilization to flourish on the evolving planet. It has direct access to the Allspark. 

The Matrix - a device that records the events as experienced by its bearer. The Matrix has the ability to enhance and protect its bearer, and acts as a conduit to the Allspark. It thus has the ability to create life, and influences the bearer and his followers to inadvertently carry out the Will of Primus. There are multiple Matrices across space and dimensions - they often take different forms and names.

Primon - the corporeal mechanoid sent into the world to experience life in the corporeal plane. Primon was the first Matrix bearer, and acted as a distant, cryptic advisor to the Thirteen Children of Primus - Prima in particular. He is unaware of his true nature and identity. Upon Unicron's defeat and exile, Primon ventured into the black hole to find Unicron. He was accompanied by Primacron. Together they found the remains of Unicron. But the Fallen, who had been banished with Unicron, corrupted Primacron, who then betrayed Primon. Primon was sequentially reformatted. The reformatting process split Primon's spark in two - one portion would join the Matrix; the other portion was fashioned into Primacron's Assistant, which eventually evolved into...

The Oracle - an inter-dimensional being of energy that observes the unfoldings of past, present and future in the interest of staving Unicron's progress. It influences Primus's progeny to work against the Unicronian Agenda.

New Adventures of He-Man: Season 1 Episode 10

2015-01-25T14:19:00.000-05:00

The Festival of Lights
Written by Jack Olesker

Adam, Mara, Drissi and Caz set up the Festival of Lights, an event that celebrates the eclipse of the suns. Mara hints more suspicion of Adam's relation to He-Man. Skeletor plans to attack He-Man at Weststar - a known Western-style attraction in the Tri-Solar System.

Drissi and He-Man visit the owner - Buck Weststar, only to find that Skeletor has already arrived to win his favor with a bull-like beast. The beast is controlled by Skeletor in an attempt to destroy He-Man. He-Man struggles with the creature in the show ring, showing off his strength and skill. He-Man defeats the mechanical bull in front of a cheering audience. Weststar's owner compliments He-Man, and introduces his daughter Ferl - who Caz takes a liking to.

Skeletor takes control of the Weststar show, which is scheduled to be an attraction at the Festival of Lights on Primus - he has taken Ferl hostage. Sagitar and Drissi tour Westar. Drissi's powers alert her that something is terribly wrong, and Staghorn loses his cool - blowing his cover. Skeletor is forced to launch his attack, taking the Galactic Guardians prisoner. He-Man rides Sagitar into battle against the Mutants, and Mr. Westar retaliates as well. With Primus soldiers joining the battle, Skeletor is forced to retreat.

Review:
This was a good episode. Staghorn steps out of the background, and Sagitar gets some character development. We learn of the rivalry between Staghorn and Sagitar. Drissi's ability to communicate with animals is put to good use. One of the coolest things about this episode is seeing He-Man ride Sagitar into battle - reflecting the package art on Sagitar's vintage toy box!

Appearing Characters:

Galactic Guardians
Adam/He-Man
Mara
Drissi
Caz
Sagitar
Master Sebrian
Meldoc
Gepple
Alcon
Krex
Spinwit
Artilla
Hydron
Flipshot
Tuskador
Clawber

Evil Mutants
Skeletor
Flogg
Slush Head
Staghorn

New Adventures of He-Man: Episode 9

2014-11-04T16:33:00.000-05:00

The Youngest Hero
Written by Michael Stokey

On Nordor, Flogg plans to take a small team of Mutants to Primus, expecting to find an opening in the defenses after the Mutants' recent attack. Skeletor feigns being impressed by Flogg's plan - he's only interested in using the Mutants' attack as cover to get access to He-Man.

Grott and Drissi tend to their flock on Primus. Caz is bored, and speaks of wanting to join the Primus Space Force. Caz goes to Hydron to ask about the space force. Skeletor manipulates Quakke into accompanying him on his venture to Primus.

At sector 1-5, He-Man and the Galactic Guardians engage Flogg and his Mutants. After a brief skirmish, Flogg calls a retreat. It's enough to allow Skeletor to penetrate the planetary shield. Caz takes an Astrosub to intercept Skeletor's ship. Skeletor takes Caz prisoner. He delivers Caz to Primus, but with a virus. He-Man is forced to negotiate for an antidote - Skeletor demands He-Man's sword. He-Man gives over his sword, and the Lord of Destruction creates a duplicate of himself and tries to take down his helpless foe. Caz, now cured, distracts Skeletor and a skirmish breaks out. Grott retrieves He-Man's sword, and Skeletor and Quakke retreat.

Review:
This was another filler episode. It does bring focus on Drissi and Caz - Caz in particular. It was more a lesson about Caz slowing his pace, and not getting into trouble.

Appearing Characters:

Galactic Guardians
Adam/He-Man
Drissi
Caz
Hydron
Flipshot
Master Sebrian
Gepple
Alcon
Meldoc
Grott

Evil Mutants
Skeletor
Flogg
Butthead
Slush Head
Staghorn
Quakke

New Adventures of He-Man: Season 1 Episode 8

2014-10-25T09:00:00.002-04:00

Glasnost Schmasnost
Written by Kevin O'Donnell

The stars over primus are in a strange formation - the Galactic Council sends a message to Master Sebrian. The leader of the Council hopes to end the conflict between Primus and Denebria. Skeletor plots to ask the council to protect Denebria from Primus - only to impede and distract the Galactic Guardians long enough to allow the Mutants to disable Primus's shields.

Skeletor and "Ambassador" Slush Head woo the council and the onlookers in attempt to convince them that the Mutants want peace. BH (Butthead) is introduced, and Skeletor commands him to take an attempt on Mara's life (in disguise), so that Skeletor can risk his life in front of all.

The council decrees that Primus and Denebria must exchange delegations in an effort to usher peace. He-Man, Hydron and Flipshot land in the Quagmi Swamp and learn of Skeletor's plan to take out Primus. Though Slush Head, Karatti and Lizorr fail at stopping He-Man, one of Slush Head's Quagmi pets disables SS Eternia's navigation and communication device. He-Man, however uses the Power to access an opening in Primus's planetary shields. Skeletor retreats but leaves a bomb that threatens the planet. He-Man uses the Power Sword as a grappling device to retrieve the bomb and fling it into the Mutant Mothership. The bomb detonates, flinging the mothership away from Primus, causing Flogg to halt his invading armada.

Review:
This was a good episode. It doesn't directly advance the overall series plot, but it does show the vulnerability of the political system that keeps the Tri-Solar system in check. Skeletor maintains his characteristic sneaky and duplicitous nature.

Appearing Characters:

Galactic Guardians
He-Man/Adam
Kao
Hydron
Flip Shot
Mara
Master Sebrian
Vizarr
Spinwit
Artilla
Tuskador

Evil Mutants
Skeletor
Flogg
Slush Head
Butt Head
Karratti
Lizorr
Quakke
Staghorn

New Adventures of He-Man: Season 1 Episode 7 Review

2014-10-05T17:02:00.003-04:00

The Pen is Mightier than the Sword...or is it?
Written by Jack Olesker and Dorissa Curry

In Gorn City, Skeletor and Flogg search for Mutant recruits. Skeletor finds a piece of art on display, and senses something special about its creation. He discovers that the artist is Helm of Darus 7. Helm is on a trade mission, and has made a stop on Primus. He bequeaths Mara and Sebrian with some of his paintings. In a conversation with Gleep, Adam discovers that his interest in Mara has not gone unnoticed by the droid.

Skeletor finds passage to Primus via Captain Dipper's transport ship. He escapes being discovered by Galactic Guardians during their inspection. He uses a spell to unleash a dragon from one of Helm's paintings. The dragon attacks Leviton. Hydron and Flipshot attempt to stop the dragon with lasers that could damage a Mutant mother ship. The dragon turns its interests to the Oasis, where Master Sebrian resides. Adam becomes He-Man and defeats the dragon, which disintegrates. The Scientists discover that the particles from the dragon are made of temperic oil paint, as used in Helm's paintings. Adam becomes suspicious of Helm; Helm accuses Adam of being jealous of Mara's attention on Helm.

Skeletor activates another of Helm's paintings in the Scientist's lab - He-Man is able to defeat the butterfly creature. He realizes that Mara and Sebrian are endangered by the paintings they were given. Discovering the foul play of Skeletor, He-Man races to rescue them from the painting creatures. Helm reluctantly destroys his magic paint brushes, which stops the creatures. As Skeletor attempts to attack the party directly, Helm's hunter painting retaliates and chases Skeletor and Slush Head. Mara becomes suspicious of Adam's disappearance. He-Man quickly comes up with an excuse for his absence, and apologizes to Helm for Adam's unfounded accusatory demeanor.

Review:
This is an interesting episode - it does not advance the overall plot of the series however. This episode is noteworthy of revealing the romantic element in the relationship between Adam and Mara - particularly Adam's jealous feelings. Adam doesn't seem to have his feelings sorted out, since just in the previous episode, some flirtatious dialogue was exchanged between himself and Drissi. Skeletor again hints at his continued strategy of working subversively against enemies and allies alike.

Appearing Characters
Galactic Guardians:
Adam/He-Man
Gleep
Master Sebrian
Mara
Meldoc
Hydron
Flipshot
Tuskador
Spinwitt
Artilla
Gepple

Space Mutants:
Skeletor
Flogg
Slush Head

2014-07-09T07:44:00.000-04:00

MikeJenkinsDesign.com at St. Pete Artwalk at Brew D Licious

2014-07-09T07:41:00.001-04:00

Post by Mike Jenkins Art & Design.

MikeJenkinsDesign.com at Crafty Fest!

2014-07-06T12:10:00.000-04:00

Post by Mike Jenkins Art & Design.

The Kowl-O-Meter

2014-07-06T10:50:00.003-04:00

Post by Celebrating POP: She-Ra Princess of Power.

Sea Hawk is Here

2013-12-29T23:35:00.001-05:00

My Castle Grayskull gets a custom shelf unit!

2013-12-29T23:31:00.001-05:00

Monstroid?

2013-11-24T13:05:00.000-05:00

Monstroid released in 1986

Monstroid was a mechanical "beast" that was released late in the Masters of the Universe toy line for the Evil Horde - 1986. A fellow fan and collector pointed out that there COULD be a connection between the toy and the transformer like characters that appeared in the December 1985 Christmas Special. Is there a connection between toy and toon, or is this just a coincidence?

Monstroids featured in the He-Man and She-Ra 1985 Christmas Special

New Adventures of He-Man: Season 1 Episode 6 Review

2013-09-02T09:00:00.000-04:00

Sword & Staff -
Written by Jack Olesker

Skeletor makes Grrr obedient

Skeletor's eyes are inexplicably black with red pupils. He is deterred by the string of failures since coming to the future. But the Mutants throw him a mock celebration party, offering him a pet named Grrr. Intended to be a joke at his expense, Skeletor deflates the joke, enforcing Grrr's obedience through a show of his power. The Lord of Destruction thankfully takes to his new pet, leaving the Mutants to disperse now that their joke has fallen flat.

Adam and the Galactic Guardians venture to Gorn City on Denebria to seek out Zamtron oil for the vasionic resonator. Meliak returns to aid the Guardians from a mutant mob, Adam recognizes the mutant cyclops immediately, and the allies go to have a meal together.

On Nordor, Grrr chases a rodent and gets trapped in a cavern. Quakke is ordered by Skeletor to open up a pathway to the cavern. The cavern leads to an ancient subterranean chamber that houses a giant power crystal. Keen to discover the nature of the crystal, Skeletor convinces Quakke to approach the crystal. In doing so, Quakke absorbs the crystal, becoming more powerful than he ever was. Skeletor unleashes Quakke on Gorn City, who is then undone by Sagitar.

Skeletor tries to convince Flogg to power his troops with the crystal, but Flogg vehemently refuses. Skeletor plots another way to put the crystal to use.

Upon returning to Primus, Adam tells Sebrian of the incident in Gorn City. Sebrian postulates that the Mutants have discovered the crystal. It is then revealed that Nordor was once a part of Primus. More than 1000 tilks ago, the crystal was discovered, but its evil nature proved to be deadly and the Primusians jettisoned the land mass that contained the crystal into space. The land mass soon fell into orbit around Denebria, where it became known as Moon Nordor.

Master Sebrian and Sorceress advise Adam to destroy the crystal. The Scientists provide a component of
the Nordor Crystal in order for He-Man to track it down.

Skeletor goes to absorb the power of the crystal himself. He sheds his existing attire and dons his Disk of Doom armor. The old enemies fight. As Skeletor weakens from dying affects of the crystal, He-Man attempts to destroy the crystal. Skeletor tries to stop him, but in the attempt causes a cave in. He-Man flees, but Skeletor remains in the chamber - in doing so, the Lord of Destruction absorbs all of the crystal's power before the chamber is completely buried, and the crystal pulverized. Skeletor rises, changed forever.

Review:
This is one of the better episodes of the series. It breaks the Mutants-attacking-Primus mold, and furthers Skeletor's character arc. Without explanation, Skeletor's eyes are now black sockets with red pupils. Through the course of this episode, Skeletor's skull color becomes the iconic yellow, and his sockets are black with glowing red pupils. We get a little tidbit of history, discovering the origin of the crystal that changes Skeletor, and of the Moon Nordor itself. New characters based on toys are introduced - Quakke and Sagitar, and of course Disk of Doom Skeletor. This is how Skeletor will appear for the rest of the series.

Appearing Characters:
Galactic Guardians
Adam/He-Man
Flipshot
Hydron
Sagitar
Meliak
Master Sebrian

Evil Mutants
Skeletor
Flogg
Quakke
Slush Head
Grrr
Crita
Lizor
Karatti

2013-09-02T08:54:00.001-04:00

Celebrating POP on Facebook continues to push for a strong 30th Anniversary for She-Ra Princess of Power in 2015. What will Masters of the Universe Classics and Mattel do to recognize this milestone for the brand?

A composite sketch of the Crystal Castle by Michael Jenkins.

Post by Celebrating POP.

New Adventures of He-Man: Season 1, Episode 5 Review

2013-08-10T12:32:00.001-04:00

The Ultimate Challenge -
Written by Jack Olesker

Flogg begins to doubt his alliance to Skeletor. Skeletor hatches yet another plan - The Ultimate Challenge - baiting He-Man into a duel that will end the war forever.

Primus's new Hole Sensor helps them detect holes in the shield and thus strengthen defenses in those territories. Prince Adam spends time with Drissi, a budding romance evolves between them. As they trade romantic words, Skeletor appears in a massive sky hologram calling He-Man to the challenge. He-Man goes in an Astro Sub to meet the challenge.

In the meantime, the Galactic Guardians go on patrol upon the discovery that the Hole Sensor has begun malfunctioning. The Mutants prepare for their all-out attack on Primus. Skeletor takes a Shuttle Pod to rendezvous with He-Man. He reveals (to himself) how he intends to take control of EVERYTHING - Primus, Flogg, the Mutants, the Tri-Solar galaxy.

He-Man and Skeletor duel on an asteroid, but Caz and Mara soon show up to warn He-an of Skeletor's treachery. Skeletor causes asteroids to rain down on He-Man, preventing him from returning to Primus with Caz and Mara. Sorceress guides He-Man to use the Power to protect himself from the asteroid shower.

The Mutants succeed in conquering Primus. Flogg attempts to force Sebrian to sign Primus over to the Mutants, but He-Man uses the Power to reappear on Primus and drive a befuddled Skeletor and the Mutants back to the Mothership.

Review:
Another run-of-the mill episode. It is not a bad episode, but Mutants attacking Primus is beginning to get stale. Of interest is the budding romance between Drissi and Adam. Skeletor possibly justifies his change in character here - being a fish totally out of water may have forced him to "tread lightly" in this alien galaxy. He's still bent on controlling everything, but with many odds stacked against him in the Tri-Solar Galaxy, his decision to "play it safe" in his alliance with Flogg strategically makes sense. He-Man uses his shield in one of two occasions in this series. His teleportation from the asteroid back to Primus is unfortunately left unexplained, though it can be assumed that the Sorceress either provided assistance, or He-Man has been tapping into new powers...the NA series has shown him utilizing techniques with the Power Sword that were either not employed at all in the previous show, or only performed once or seldom.

Characters to appear:
Galactic Guardians
Drissi
Prince Adam/He-Man
Caz
Mara
Master Sebrian
The Scientists
Flipshot
Hydron
Kayo
Vizar
Nocturna
Gleep

Evil Mutants
Skeletor
Flogg
Slush Head
Crita
Lizor
Hoove
Karatti

Here's what we can expect in the Master of the Universe toy line in 2014-2015! SUBSCRIBE TO MAKE IT HAPPEN!

2013-08-10T11:56:00.003-04:00

Go to Mattycollector.com to save MOTU Classics for 2014!

2013-08-08T22:03:00.004-04:00

Make 2014 HAPPEN for Masters of the Universe Classics toys!

2013-08-04T10:00:00.003-04:00

New Adventure of He-Man: Season 1, Episode 4

2012-11-18T08:09:00.000-05:00

He-Man meets Grot

Attack on Onnor -
Written by Jack Olesker

The Mutants send Terrorclaws in order to find a route to the subterranean city of Onnor. Skeletor hatches a plan to use Werbin, an Inner Council representative, to totally disable the shield that protects the planet.

He-Man tours Primus with Caz, discovering the gardens of Primus. He meets Grot, head farmer of the gardens. The Mutants Karatti and Hoove attack in their Terrorclaw, but He-Man and Grot stand up to them.

Skeletor and Werbin

Skeletor meets with Werbin, and uses a magic amulet to control his mind. Werbin, in an attempt to convince the Inner Council to meet with the Mutants, decides to steal the key from the Vasionic Resonator. With the planetary shield down, Skeletor launches a two-pronged attack on Leviton (to destroy the key) and Onnor (to destroy the Inner Council).

The Scientists create an adhesive goo to help with defenses and block entry to Onnor via the surface access tubes. Werbin flees from Leviton as the Mutants attack. He draws the Mutants away from Leviton in the process. Skeletor tracks Werbin to a desert and moves to take the key from him. He-Man intervenes, but the Lord of Destruction unleashes a giant armored beast to distract his enemy. The Eternian warrior defeats the giant armadillo and uses the Bolo Jet to incapacitate Skeletor. He-Man rescues Werbin and the key, and Skeletor retreats to fight another day.

Skeletor taken out by the Bolo Jet

Review:
A pretty straightforward episode here, fairly run of the mill, and continues the ongoing narrative. We meet Grot for the first time, and view Nocturna, Kayo and Vizar in battle for the first time. Mara begins to question Adam's connection to He-Man, a trait that will continue throughout the course of the series. The Bolo Jet is featured in action. Werbin, who had appeared in an unnamed role in the first episode remains consistent in his characterization as a He-Man/Master Sebrian skeptic - which Skeletor uses to unfold the main plot of this episode.

Appearing Characters:
Galactic Guardians
Prince Adam/He-Man
Mara
Master Sebrian
Werbin
Hydron
Flipshot
Nocturna
Kayo
Vizar
Grot
Caz
The Scientists

Evil Mutants:
Skeletor
Flog
Crita
Karatti
Hoove
Slush Head
Optikk
Lizorr

New Adventures of He-Man: Season 1, Episode 3 Review

2012-10-12T19:03:00.000-04:00

He-Man and the Galactic Guardians bring
Tri-Fusium crystals to the Scientists

The Heat -
Written by Jack Olesker

The Scientists attempt to repair the Tri-Fusium generator at Titan. With it being in disrepair, the temperatures on Primus are already beginning to climb. He-Man and company arrive aboard S.S. Eternia with the crystals, but are soon called to the floating city of Leviton because of a Mutant attack. The attack was a diversion that allowed the Mutants to capture the Scientists - who are the only ones capable of repairing the generator. Slush Head brings the Scientists to Flogg and Skeletor.

Skeletor has set a trap for He-Man in the Quagmi Swamp on Denebria. He demands the Scientists to explain the nature of Primus's shield. U-R helps the Galactic Guardians track the Scientists to Slush Head's home region, the Quagmi Swamp. Finding the Mothership, they seal it off with a laser web. The Sorceress contacts He-Man telepathically to help him find a way through a debilitating dust storm - the Power Sword lights the way. Upon finding the Scientists, Skeletor sends the Mutants into battle, hoping to capture He-Man.

Skeletor & the Mutants prepare to attack

The Mutants agree to return the Scientists if He-Man deactivates the laser web. Keeping his promise, He-Man deactivates the laser web and returns to Primus with his allies and the freed Scientists.

Review:
Despite their habit of being rather annoying, and thus getting too much screen time at moments, the Scientists are shown to be a valuable resource in this episode. Skeletor flexes his roll as leader as he commands the Mutants into battle. Although he loses his edge when Flogg calls his troops off in the interest of saving his ship. Interesting character dynamics continue with the Mutants. And He-Man's beginning adventures continue with strong cohesion. We discover the city of Leviton on Primus, and the Quagmi Swamp on Denebria.

Galactic Guardians:
The Scientists
Drissi
Caz
Mara
Master Sebrian
He-Man
Flipshot
Hydron
Gleep
U-R
Sorceress

Evil Mutants:
Skeletor
Flogg
Slush Head
Crita
Optikk
Hoove
Karatti
Lizor

New Adventures of He-Man: Season 1, Episode 2 Review

2012-10-07T11:21:00.000-04:00

Slush Head questions who is in charge: Skeletor or Flogg

Quest for the Crystals -
Written by Jack Olesker

Flogg wishes to continue his attacks on Primus now that the planetary shield is noticeably weakened. Skeletor continues to manipulate the Mutants, catering to Flogg's ego whilst slowly and quietly exercising his dominance. Slush Head asks at one point "Are we taking orders from him or you?"

Adam changes into He-Man by calling "By the Power of Eternia" for the first time - without any explanation for the change from "By the Power of Grayskull" to "By the Power of Eternia". He meets the Inner Council, whose representative places doubts in both Sebrian and He-Man himself.

An ancient star ship gets pulled out of moth balls

Slush Head performs recon on Primus. His last stop is the Oasis, where Drissi and Caz fall into his path of attack. He-Man arrives to save them, sending Slush Head and his damaged Shuttle Pod back to the Mutant Mothership. The mission isn't a total failure. Thanks to Slush Head's recon, Skeletor and the Mutants discover that Titus, is the sight of Primus's Tri-Fusium generator. Without it, the temperature of Primus would become unbearable. It is powered by crystals only found in Gorn City, located on the Mutant homeworld of Denebria. The Mutants thus disable Titus, forcing He-Man and the Guardians to find a way to Denebria.

An ancient starship, once an outlawed Primus weapon, is recommissioned, and set to blast off to Denebria. Caz stows away on the ship, and follows He-Man and Gleep into the city. Tricked by a miner named Meliak who claims to have a supply of crystals, He-Man falls into Skeletor's trap. Betrayed by Skeletor, Meliak aids He-man in gaining equal footing against his old nemesis. Ultimately, He-Man escapes with plenty of crystals to restore Titus.

He-Man and Skeletor fight in the mines of Gorn City

Flipshot and Hydron christen the ship "Starship Eternia" in honor of He-Man's homeworld.

Review:
This is a strong episode that employs strategy and cunning on the part of Skeletor, and his manipulation of the mutants. It sets the standard for the rest of the series. This episode picks up right where the first episode ends, establishing this series' trait of strong continuity. The danger of the destruction of the Tri-Fusium generator sets everything in this episode in motion. The Galactic Guardians' toy play set - Star Ship Eternia - is introduced in-story, and we get our first depiction of the Mutant planet Denebria, which is dingy, shady and seedy - a stark contrast to Primus, which is paradisiacal. As with the rest of this series, very little explanation is provided for in-story changes from the previous MOTU toy line and cartoon - Adam simply uses the incantation "By the Power of Eternia" to change into He-Man with no explanation as to why he no longer uses his iconic "By the Power of Grayskull". It is never explained throughout the course of the entire series.

Characters that appeared:
Galactic Guardians:
Prince Adam/He-Man
Hydron
Flipshot
The Scientists
Gleep
U-R
Caz
Drissi
Mara
Master Sebrian
Inner Council Representative

Evil Mutants:
Skeletor
Flogg
Slush Head
Karatti
Hoove
Crita
Lizor
Optikk

New Adventures of He-Man: Season 1, Episode 1 Review

2012-10-06T20:07:00.001-04:00

A New Beginning - written by Jack Olesker

The story begins in the Tri-Solar System on the planet Primus. Caz and Drissi tend to their animals. Drissi demonstrates her ability to telepathically communicate with animals - an ability also performed by He-Man's twin sister She-Ra.

Nordor - a moon of the Mutant homeworld of Denebria - strangely appears in orbit around Primus, and it seems that the Mutant Fleet, led by the Mutant Mothership, is within the caverns of Nordor. From the main bridge of the Mothership, Flogg commands the fleet to attack Primus. His bridge crew is composed of Slush Head, Crita, Optikk, Hoove, Lizor and Karatti. Flogg is bent on destroying the remnants of the Human race, which populates planet Primus.

Although fighting has been banned for 1000 tilk on Primus, the Primusians have no choice but to find a solution against the Mutant threat. Master Sebrian, leader of the Inner Council, seeks approval from the council members - who are encased in special crystals so they can power the planetary shield that protects Primus. Their mysterious abilities have an interesting parallel to MOTU's original Council of Elders.

NA Skeletor at Snake Mountain

The time vessel that the Scientists (Alcon, Crax, Gabel and Melnock) use to send Flipshot and Hydron through the time vortex arrives on Eternia to be greeted by goat-men. The goat-men, led by Andros, take Flipshot and Hydron to a duplicitously apologetic Skeletor - who masquerades as a "good guy" who is more than happy to help the Primusians in their plight.

He-Man is notified telepathically by the Sorceress to go to the future and save humanity. At Eternos palace, Adam announces to King Randor and Queen Marlena that he must go away on a special mission. He transforms into He-Man in front of them by calling "By the Power of Grayskull...I Have the Power", finally revealing to them that he was the Champion of Eternia all along. Proud mother and father embrace their son, and wish him well on his mission to Primus.

New Adventure's version of Eternos Palace

He-Man tries to stop Skeletor, and the two quarrel. Not sure which one to take with them into the time vortex, Hydron and Flipshot take both to the future. Not too long after coming to Primus, the Mutants attack, and Skeletor reveals his true nature. He-Man shows his prowess and fends off the gang of vicious Mutants. Flogg commands a retreat, but not before Skeletor beats a retreat with them.

He-Man reveals himself as Prince Adam to Master Sebrian, leader of Primus. In order to protect his identity, Sebrian claims Adam as his merchant "nephew" from Lebitat.

On the Mothership, Skeletor shows his true power - revealing how he could easily defeat any of them, including Flogg. In a play to ensure the vast Mutant force caters to his whim, the Lord of Destruction feigns loyalty to Flogg, claiming he's only interested in destroying He-Man. Flogg and Skeletor agree to help each other destroy the human race of Primus and He-Man respectively.

Review:
This episode acts as a "bridge" or "passing of the torch" from the original Filmation series to the "New Adventures" (NA). Not only is the animation style different due to a totally different animation studio (Jetlag), designs of original returning characters are a departure as well. Despite having veteran MOTU toy line developers like Mark Taylor involved, there is very little connection stylistically to the original series. This was intentional, as Mattel wanted to make a fresh start with NA. There is no explanation as to why He-Man's, Skeletor's or the Sorceress' attire are different - it can be assumed that they always appeared this way in this continuity. There's also no explanation for why Queen Marlena's hair is blue.

NA's version of Snake Mountain

One of the major crimes of this episode, and the series itself is that Castle Grayskull never appears, despite Adam calling its name (or at least its original ruler's name) during his transformation into He-Man. Also, Eternos Palace looks nothing like its Filmation counterpart - looking more like a military compound, rather than a majestic royal palace. Snake Mountain however does resemble itself.

Ultimately, NA fails in staying true to its roots, but that's more Mattel's fault than it is the creators of the show. It also fails in the way of "passing the torch". A better job should have been done to transition from MOTU to NA - the role of Andros the Goat-Man would have played better if the original Beast-Man was used instead, but Mattel didn't want the "old" characters to take away from the new ones. Also, having Teela and Man-At-Arms send off He-Man would have helped, but the issue of time and "stealing the show" played here as well. Explaining the costume changes would have been interesting, but again time and animation limitations likely played a role. Mattel played a gamble. They wanted to appeal to a new audience, not expecting old fans to be that interested anymore. Ironically, in trying to cater to new fans, the show did very little to provide a backstory to the lead characters, leaving them dependent on the concepts established in the previous show.

Storywise, this is a good start for the series - the episode sets up the protagonists, the antagonists and the main driving conflict. The story doesn't give satisfactory detail as to why and how the Primusians know of the legend that prompts them to seek out He-Man - it's left rather vague unfortunately. Skeletor's characterization has changed significantly - he is not as megalomanic. The NA Skeletor is more duplicitous and manipulative - he is constantly playing with strategy to achieve his goals, and never overtly takes control of the Mutants. He does however flex his authority, and over time, Flogg becomes more a figurehead than a true leader, leaving that true and silent role to the Lord of Destruction.

Characters to Appear:
Heroes:
Caz
Drissi
U-R
Gleep
The Scientists
Mara
Master Sebrian
Hydron
Flipshot
Prince Adam/He-Man
King Randor
Queen Marlena
Sorceress

Villains:
Andros
Skeletor
Flogg
Slush Head
Crita
Optikk
Hoove
Lizor
Karatti

Dreamworks working on a She-Ra Show?

2012-10-01T18:59:00.002-04:00

SDCC Exclusive 200X She-Ra has rooted hair, soft good
fabric cape and a comb. Could this be what's in store
for a future She-Ra line?

Apparently this claim has reared its head again, after being shot down by Mattel a year or so ago. Now, Dreamworks has purchased Classic Media - the entertainment arm that held the rights to the He-Man and She-Ra shows. With Dreamworks making such a move, it's inevitable that hopes and theories are going to come about - putting properties like She-Ra back into the limelight again.

At the recent Masters of the Universe and Thundercats convention Power-Con/Thunder-Con, Ian Richter, a producer on the 2002 Mike Young Production He-Man series, said that Dreamworks had "big plans" for She-Ra. This is a pretty general statement, but now that it is out there, fans are frothing at the mouth to see this form into some sort of reality.

Girls brands are doing better than boys toys. Brands like Barbie, Monster High, Bratz, Tinkerbell and others are running strong. I don't see a She-Ra show or DTV happening without a toy brand, or other merchandising effort - one always builds up the other. So Dreamworks, and possibly Mattel, are seeing that returning MOTU to retail is probably best done with the She-Ra brand at this juncture - and she will work best on DTV.

Principle figures from the Tinkerbell toy line

Think Tinkerbell - who has a strong series of beautifully-done DTV movies (4 released, 2 upcoming) and a supporting toy line to go with it. This is the perfect model for She-Ra. If she builds up a following, and does well in the DTV market and merchandising realms, then she could possibly expand to television OR test the burgeoning internet TV market, and release an ongoing series directly to Netflix or Hulu (who have both been expanding by producing original programming).

With Tinkerbell doing so well, She-Ra's tone has no need to go fluffy and funny like other brands. Tinkerbell is all about adventure, and Tinks herself is pretty tomboyish. She-Ra's tone DOES have to be balanced - it can't go too far, or be too edgy. Perhaps He-Man and Hordak's roles are scaled back - He-Man has a more Bow/Ken connection to the brand, and Hordak plays a sort of "Emperor Palpatine" role to Etherian Horde Leader Catra. The brand can still have its connection to MOTU, but it is IMPERATIVE to put the She-Ra brand front and center, and make it more independent than it ever was. More characters have to appeal to the girls market, but at the same time perhaps have an "IN" for boys (or at least older collectors who are less likely to be swayed by rigid gender lines).

Right now, there is no true news as to what is going on with Dreamworks and She-Ra - there is no official press release, or dependable news article stating this. The aforementioned is just a likely scenario of the direction the She-Ra brand can head. Hopefully, Mr. Richter has some weight at Dreamworks, and can bring his "off the record" statements to a reality that many fans have been waiting to see for more than 20 years.