The Pre-Filmation Era in MOTUC Thread

[MegaGearMax]

Of all the threads I have had the pleasure of reading on this board, this is by far my favorite. The minicomics were my first introduction to the He-Man universe (well, along with the toys they came with, of course!). In my mind, THIS was what Masters of the Universe was all about. Barbarian He-Man (w/ no Prince Adam alter-ego), the Goddess, Man-at-Arms w/ NO mustache, two halves of the Power Sword...I can go on and on. This era was filled with so much mysticism and mystery and wonder. And it was all neutered by the Filmation cartoon. While I loved the cartoon as a child, I cringe when I watch it today (except for the music--that was the best part of the cartoon). But I can still, at age 35, pick up an original minicomic and find myself transported back to that world.

I truly hope that the Green Goddess is just the beginning of Mattel recognizing the greatness of this early era.

Yeah, Green Goddess, He-Man using super suits and Teela being cloned from the Sorceress are wonderful nods to this great era!

[wallbie]

http://www.dyerworks.com/he-man/mini/TaleofTeela11-12.jpg
MAA vs Skeletor...and Skeletor is WINNING! And Teela is a BEAST in combat!

It would be interesting to see Green Goddess come with an energy shield like she constructs in this picture. That would be awesome to see it in all light green plastic and possibly even look like Stinkor's shield or something to that effect. On that same note, it would've been interesting to see Skeletor with his various red energy constructs that he's shown with in most of these pictures as well.

[MegaGearMax]

MOTUC would have to do pretty well for energy constructs to happen. DCUC is just starting to do this with the Green and Yellow Lantern figures.

Maybe if the accessory packs do well, we might get those things...like the power swords with a nimbus of translucent energy around the blade.

[Hoffrod]

I know there have been some question about the time frame. I know for fact that I saw the first commercials in the summer of 1981 and drove my parents nuts from then on. The first commercial I saw was during a Saturday cartoon fest (which used to be ever Sat. morning across the board from 7 - 11 am) and was the one where Beastman busts through the open jawbridge at the beginning. I was so shocked and hooked by that one commercial that my Mom didn't have to ask what I wanted that Christmas. That Christmas in 1981 I had two small and one big present; which was two figure packs where the figures were wrapped by my Mom back-to-back, and Castle Grayskull. She had tried to get me two good and two bad guys but fumbled it a bit. I got He-man and Teela together, and Skeletor and Stratos together. I didn't care about the slight mix-up. My parents didn't see me the rest of that holiday without some plastic muscle man in my hands. That memory is embedded as my favorite Christmas of all time and the year is also without question. Mom still has photos!

[Atomicdios]

I strogngly believe that He-Man and the Power Sword should be the base of every Master's mythos but since Filmation ruined it (IMO) I'm waiting for the day when Skeletor finds out Prince Adam is He-Man and He-Man is forced to give up being Adam forever and Skeletor goes on a rampage killing Orko, Randor and Marlena!!!!

[artodron]

My brother & I got He-man, Teela, Skeletor, Beastman, & Castle Grayskull for Christmas. I have now idea what year it was it was before I'd seen or heard of the toon. I remember reading the mini-comics over & over. Even after the toon I kept refering to the mini-comics.

I liked when He-man was He-man! He was a warrior who fought Skeletor. He-man who would one day prove to be the true King of Castle Grayskull! He didn't need a magic sword to be He-man he was He-man!

He roamed around Eternia on a giant green tiger with Teela a beautiful red-head that fought like a demon. Who Skeletor had created as a clone for evil but became a force for good.

Skeletor was this Evil alien lord of destruction! Beastman & Mer-man were wild creatures that Skeletor had some how gotten power over. He lusted after Grayskull and all its power & secrets.

Castle Grayskull was a fortress of mystery. Niether good nor evil but with the power that a warrior king could rule over not just Eternia but the whole universe!

I liked that Skeletor found & stole warriors from other worlds to destroy He-man. Trap-jaw & Tri-klops were both aquired by force!

I liked how they(heroic & evil) would travel and discover new warrior & vehicles.

So Yea I love the Pre-filmation Era.
In MOTU Classics this is the cannon I follow
King of Castle Grayskull, He-man & the Power Sword, Tale of Teela, The Terror of Tri-klops, The Menace of Trap-Jaw , etc

[Ulisses31]

I really like this thread... about my preferred era... thanks megagearmax.

[Eamon]

I get very annoyed with folks claiming to be MOTU fans based purely on the Filmation toon. You are not a MOTU fan, you are a He-man fan.

While it had some lovely animation, some great stories and the best voice acting of the time, Filmation will always way too that studio that insulted my intelligence when I was a child.
I was 8 and even I was embarrased about watching He-man with grown-ups around.

What gets me is that everything that came from Mattel was dark, gritty and had the element of the savage. This was the brand.
The toys were for kids and therefore the comics.

So why then were we then given an utterly neutered version of the property in animation??
Answer, Filmation's and more specifically Arthur Nadel's self appointed duty to preach to kids. That seemed to me to be Filmation's mission as all their programs patronised you something fierce.
Kinda like what Disney does now with the Jonas Bros.

Anyways, to summerise, I am a fan of Mattel's MOTU above anything else.
This also a good reason as to why the MYP show was far superior. Mattel had more direct involvement in that show than they did with Filmation.

[Ulisses31]

This also a good reason as to why the MYP show was far superior. Mattel had more direct involvement in that show than they did with Filmation.

And it ended in the episode 39...

Filmation (and I´m not a fan of it, I prefer the minicomics and the interprat take of MOTU) ended in the episode 130 + movies, plus POP... other times... when Mattel let who know to make cartoons to work... it was so generic and easily made, that it kept alive... and selling toys... I´m not a fan of it but if we have to compare...

The only thing that MYP brought to MOTU (in my opinion) was: complicated stories and back stories to mess with everything... and some good ideas to, but almost all taken and improved from the minicomics...

The attention to so much details in 200X version was to much, so if it is complicated...
I stop here I don´t what to start it all over again...

[Eamon]

It's about quality not quantity.
Fawlty Towers and Firefly are good examples of this.

I don't want to be told how to not to use matches when all I want is a good adventure story.
I want to be entertained, not patronised to. A kid gets enough of that as it is.

[Ulisses31]

It's about quality not quantity.
Fawlty Towers and Firefly are good examples of this.

I don't want to be told how to not to use matches when all I want is a good adventure story.
I want to be entertained, not patronised to. A kid gets enough of that as it is.

I stop here I don´t want to start it all over again...

Quality... that is something that make things last... not end, and is not only the cartoon quality, is all around it... the end of MYP was no only cartoon fault... but again...

I stop here I don´t want to start it all over again...

[synthalus]

And it ended in the episode 39...
Filmation ended in the episode 130 + movies, plus POP... other times...

Filmation and MYP lasted equally long.
Both only lasted for 2 Seasons.
Back in the 80's it was some type of law (Robotech story) to have 65 episodes in 1 season.
in the late 80's, all of that changed.
The movie is just a compilation of the first She-Ra episodes.

[Faceless Glow]

Thanks megagear for this awesome thread! I would love to see a motuc graphic novel in alcala style art, with an adult theme, not trash but good art with a good story!

[musclor]

It's about quality not quantity.
Fawlty Towers and Firefly are good examples of this.

I don't want to be told how to not to use matches when all I want is a good adventure story.
I want to be entertained, not patronised to. A kid gets enough of that as it is.

I haven't watched a lot of Fawlty Towers, but Firefly is an excellent example.

Quality in story doesn't mean continued success.

I think this argument has played out many times on this board and we all have our own opinions on the various eras, (and I even disagree with pre-filmation folks on the importance of the *green* goddess), but I just wanted to say a hearty "amen" imo to Eamon's statements in this thread.

[Ulisses31]

My replies to all of you are in this thread: Filmation and MYP Cartoons... trash?

I have started this one to go speak about Filmation vs MYP outside this thread about pre-filmation.

I don´t want to see this one going in other direction... or be responsible for that.

[Eamon]

Ulisses31, while I appreciate that English is not your first language but these are english speaking boards.
If you are going to get into debates and expect to be heard, you need to improve your understanding of english as I am finding it difficult to understand where you are coming from or what you are saying.

Please try and use fewer words and words that you are confident in using.

If you read and understood my posts properly you would see that I am not trashing anything.
If I was trashing something I would be saying nothing but bad things.
I said that Filmation had great animation and great voice acting.
I never said Filmation was crap or bad either.

[MegaGearMax]

This thread needs more pictures! At least on every page...until we run out of material.

[Ulisses31]

If you read and understood my posts properly you would see that I am not trashing anything.
If I was trashing something I would be saying nothing but bad things.

I´ve changed the trash reference.

[Eamon]

I think some of the art in the the first few mini comics is very crude when compared to Alcala's later art like Siege of Avion or Masks of Power.

Poor Alfredo never could get Merman right.
Always ended up looking a bit like Homer Simpson.

[MegaGearMax]

I think some of the art in the the first few mini comics is very crude when compared to Alcala's later art like Siege of Avion or Masks of Power.

Poor Alfredo never could get Merman right.
Always ended up looking a bit like Homer Simpson.

I think it was because he was first starting to draw them. Looks weren't finalized...which leads to future MOTUC variants!

[He-Man54]

I think some of the art in the the first few mini comics is very crude when compared to Alcala's later art like Siege of Avion or Masks of Power.

Poor Alfredo never could get Merman right.
Always ended up looking a bit like Homer Simpson.

I always thought it was funny that Skeletor never had furry shorts in the first few minis, just the belt

[MegaGearMax]

I always thought it was funny that Skeletor never had furry shorts in the first few minis, just the belt

I KNOW!!!! Skeletor was going commando!

[Spacedust]

I get very annoyed with folks claiming to be MOTU fans based purely on the Filmation toon. You are not a MOTU fan, you are a He-man fan.

While it had some lovely animation, some great stories and the best voice acting of the time, Filmation will always way too that studio that insulted my intelligence when I was a child.
I was 8 and even I was embarrased about watching He-man with grown-ups around.

What gets me is that everything that came from Mattel was dark, gritty and had the element of the savage. This was the brand.
The toys were for kids and therefore the comics.

So why then were we then given an utterly neutered version of the property in animation??
Answer, Filmation's and more specifically Arthur Nadel's self appointed duty to preach to kids. That seemed to me to be Filmation's mission as all their programs patronised you something fierce.
Kinda like what Disney does now with the Jonas Bros.

Anyways, to summerise, I am a fan of Mattel's MOTU above anything else.
This also a good reason as to why the MYP show was far superior. Mattel had more direct involvement in that show than they did with Filmation.

I totally agree with you. For some years, until 200x came along, people's "love" of He-Man came from the Filmation series. Which always annoyed me, as it was like they only knew half of the story.

I'm kind of going against myself here, because I do love the Filmation series (in fact, more than the MYP series), but at the same time it let itself down when it became so squeaky clean and aimed at the very young, incorporating some ... I have to say ... babyish qualities at times, particularly later on.

While I'll always have a place for Filmation, it's such a shame that so much of the early 'savage' / 'barbarian' elements were lost. It is only now, after many years, that they are finally beginning to be recognised once again. Which is wonderful for me, because this is where my true love of MOTU lies.

[He-Man54]

I KNOW!!!! Skeletor was going commando!

Guess we know why Teela refused to be his bride

[Shawners]

As a kid all I really knew was the Filmation version of He-Man. I got the mini-comics but didnt really do that much with them because I was in love with the cartoon. Now as an adult I have started to go back and look at the pre-filmation era. While I find it interesting and still need to read more of it, my love for He-Man still lies with the Filmation storylines followed up by the MYP.