Comics or Cartoon?

[The_Robin]

Hey gang.

Just wanted to get everyone's thoughts on this. When I was growing up, I got the figures back in 81, or 82 like most people, so I fell in love with the toys first, and then the cartoon. But one thing I did that still angers me to this day, is I would THROW AWAY my mini-comic everytime I got a new figure! To me, it was the same as the package, just...paper.

So when the cartoon started, I fell in love with it, and those stories where the ones that felt like the real deal to me, not knowing what the comics read. But now, over 20 years later, I've started reading the mini-comics, and I must say I enjoy them ALOT more then the cartoons.

I only have 10, but I swear I feel more excited reading them then I do watching the best episode of He-Man. I love the art, and I love the barbaric feel to the comics. I mean, He-Man hits for crying out loud. The DC comics are the best imo, but I love them all.

But I'll always have a place in my heart for the cartoon, and will continue to watch the dvd's my entire life. Even when I read the comics, I head John, Alan, and Lou's voices lol.

So, IYO, which do you prefer? The cartoon or the mini-comics?

[Mer-Man's Minion]

The cartoon.

I too remember the mini-comics, but don't remember if I really held onto them much or threw them away with the packaging so I could play with the figure.

Anyway, I just don't see the appeal of comic books anymore. I liked 'em when I was a kid, but now I prefer to experience characters in the "as close to real life" form as I can---with a cartoon you have movement, voices, and special effects, and and interplay to touch your emotions. With comics you have to jump yourself from frame to frame to see what happens next, and read the words in the balloons. It just seems several steps back to me.

I don't hate comics or think they're dumb (I know many people love 'em), but I just don't get the appeal if you have a version of the characters that's "brought to life" for you. Maybe if I read some good He-Man comics (especially ones that featured my favorites) I might really like those---but then I will have wished that they could have been made into cartoon episodes! lol

Ironically, when it comes to books vs movies, I usually much prefer the books, lol (I treasure the Narnian books, dislike the movie that came out, but I do like the BBC versions I first saw as a kid).

[The_Robin]

I agree with alot of what your saying. This is why I decided to start this thread, I love hearing how people enjoy MOTU. For me though, I DO get the movement, voices, special effects, and interplay to touch emotions from reading comics. It's kinda like I'm the director.

I mean, I can really hear the swords clashing together, and the rock of the explosions and so on. But if someone can't I can see why they would fail to see the appeal lol.

And I also agree with you on the new Narnia movie, and the BBC films

[Mer-Man's Minion]

Yeah, I get everything from reading the Narnian books, but barely any of that from the film. And while I do love the BBC versions for the nostalgia and the pretty much literal lifting of Lewis's script off the page, I'm also the first to admit it has its faults (some big)---but I still love it.

So yeah, I have to read Narnia to get the best effect, but have to watch MOTU for the best effect there. lol I think part of me also gets too distracted between reading the words and looking at all the details of every picture, whereas with a book like Narnia there are a very limited number of pictures to take in.

[thor]

I think it all depends. As far as the new series are concerned, in many ways I preferred the actual comics, especially the way how Evil Lyn was portrayed

But the classic series, the cartoons definitely.

[The_Robin]

I think it all depends. As far as the new series are concerned, in many ways I preferred the actual comics, especially the way how Evil Lyn was portrayed

But the classic series, the cartoons definitely.

I only read the first issue of the new comic. Seemed kinda lordoftheringish to me, with Orko finding a "Precious" that kind of took over him. Never really cared to read beyond it)not really for that reason), but maybe I should give it another try. I heard Icon's of evil was good.

But anyway, it's now tied 4 to 4, yet none of the pro comic fans replied with their reasons. Maybe tomarrow

[Mike Bock]

I love both of them, cause they all share great MOTU moments but I prefer the mini-comics when action and characters are concerned. The world of the mini-comics was very interesting and even at the end they started to show continuity which was great.

[Eamon]

Mini comics all the way! This is MOTU as far as I am concerned!

I was rather frustrated with the toon when I was a kid!

[Spacedust]

I like both in their own ways, but I'd definately choose the mini-comics. To use my often used phrase, "I love the whole ancient Greek / Medevil / barbarian concept" of the original mini-comics, with Eternia just coming out of a great war, that had wiped out advanced civilizations, but left behind amazing machinery and weapons.

I love the cartoon in it's own right, but even as a child, felt that there were some elements that were too childish, too cartoony. It also lacked some of the great origin stories from the mini-comics. I understand that they wanted to make it more young-child-friendly, but changed things and lots the edgyness just a bit too much IMO.

[Tallstar]

I'm torn. I got hooked into the whole universe because of the cartoon (got into the toy line somewhat late...'84-ish time frame), but then I also like and have an appreciation for the mini-comics since they're part of my childhood memories as well. (For some reason I remember the Snake Men minis the best...those were great!...Sadly I didn't get an of The Horde as a kid, except for Catra and Entrapta. ) I'll go with equal, since I'd go more the way of 'mini-comic', ambience-wise, with a live-action film.

Equal.

[Ivan]

I fist saw MOTU in a comic and I still prefer them. Somehow it all seems more real in a comic - not just the minicomics but any kind. There is more action, more violence, more drama in them.

[TheShadow]

Nothing beats the cartoon.

[Baena]

Comics or Cartoon?
I can't vote.
Because the comics were all over the board with story. First they weren't at all like the toon, then after the toon came out they followed pretty much what the toon did.

So if you were to ask me, first two series of minicomics? The Alcala comics and the Texiera comics? Then I'd go with that over the toon.

[Sir Reilly]

It's hard to tell for me. I love around two dozens of the old cartoon episodes. It's just the remaining 119 episodes I don't like why I'm not a big fan of the show. On the other side, I love the minicomics from waves 1-3, but afterwards, their quality mostly sank to a rather poor level.

[Baena]

You're right good Sir Reilly, I forgot about the third wave... how could I?! Of Alcala comics, Dragon's gift, Masks of Evil... some of my favs there for sure.

What was I thinking?!

Maybe it was because Adam was in the third wave of comics... Albeit a more masculinely clothed Adam.
Still, that wave took away from the Jungle bred warrior that I first believed He-Man to be.

[thor]

Something else as far as I know with the early comics, that I too have heard that when comparing the DC ones to the ones from Star/Marvel, the DC ones were better

[The_Robin]

WOW, I'm not alone, comics are ahead!


Sir Reilly-I'm the same way, I'll watch around 24-26 episodes now, but the others just don't feel like He-Man to me anymore. And the only late comic I have is 'Cosmic key', and..well...yeah..

Even though I'm sure I stand alone in liking the live action movie, the cosmic key comic is so bland compared to the early comics.

[Mike Bock]

Oh but there were excellent mini-comics at the end. The search for Keldor, Enter Buzz Saw Hordak, The Powers of Grayskull, King of the Snakemen, Snake attack, Revenge of the snakemen, The ultimate Battle ground,Escape form the Slime pit etc.

Sure some at the middle of the run sucked big time but at the end they were getting really good with Bruce Timm as the artist.

[Wacky Martin]

Oh but there were excellent mini-comics at the end. The search for Keldor, Enter Buzz Saw Hordak, The Powers of Grayskull, King of the Snakemen, Snake attack, Revenge of the snakemen, The ultimate Battle ground,Escape form the Slime pit etc.

Yeah I loved the last few Mini Comics they put out, and liked that they were similar in tone to the filmation series but a bit more serious telling a bigger story.

[Mike Bock]

Yeah I loved the last few Mini Comics they put out, and liked that they were similar in tone to the filmation series but a bit more serious telling a bigger story.

Exactly my friend !!

[Sllohcin]

Comics all the way. I may have liked the cartoon quite a bit but I always felt that there was a "magic" in the mini-comics... like it was the true stories of what MOTU was to be like.

[gbagok]

I like 'em both pretty equally at this point, though for the longest time I gave the cartoon higher marks. I think there's a lot to rediscover in both, and the refreshing thing about the mini comics is that there appears to have been more experimenting going on which is great food for the imagination (let's here it for Procrustus!). I'm really sorry they will never release a compilation TP book containing all the mini comics--or even a high-res DVD containing them all in PDF format. Even a couple of the She-Ra and NA mini comics were great. I liked that the 200X continuity was referencing the mini comics as well as the cartoon (at least I think that's what they were aiming for with the way Hordak was set up).

[Mer-Man's Minion]

I'm really sorry they will never release a compilation TP book containing all the mini comics

Who says they won't?

[gbagok]

Who says they won't?

Well there's no harm in wishing...

[He-Fan]

Chris here...

I honestly like them both equally - as a kid the mini-comics always used to help inspire me with my games (particularly for obscure characters like Snout Spout who I never saw in the cartoon) and I used to look after mine the same as if they were regular books or comics and read them all the time! But, the Filmation cartoon for me is the definitive take on the He-Man universe - so, I can't choose just one!

Take care...