Why did 2002 He-man fail?

[jackstatic]

basically as everyone stated already, the horrible airing times constantly changing and so many variants of he-man/skeletor with all other characters being next to impossible to find.

tho according to mattel, it was due to the lack of fan support, if i remember correctly

[slgcmg]

1.)Bad/inconsistent time slot on Cartoon Network
2.)Not enough advertising
3.)TERRIBLE toy distribution

I agree with this one. I was a huge He-Man fan in the 80's and never knew about the new cartoon until the 2nd season..

Sometimes it would be on at 6:30, sometimes it wouldn't.

Smash Blade and Spin Blade Skeletor killed the line. They stayed on store pegs for months, so much that they stopped ordering them..Not even TRU was getting new figs. They would get all the other lines in every Friday, but not MOTU.. Their pegs were full of variants.

[Jedi_Master_Jeremy]

Mattel mis-managed the line. Nobody wanted that many re-paints and different versions of the figures. I never bought a second Ram Man because they changed the paint job. I think the whole snake take over of every figure was way over the top and un-interesting as well. Additionally, the case ratios were terribly mis-handled. People wanted the original He-man, not Rambo He-man. I think the greed of the re-paint resell plus the inability to serve primary interests helped the line fail. When WalMart tried to return MOTU figures that weren't selling like Spin Blade Skeletor, Mattel wouldn't take them back. WalMart wasn't going to keep eating these figures so they dropped the line. I had to buy many of the last figures I got like Zodak in the ALDI's grocery stores because WalMart had given up. If WalMart gives up, then something is absolutely wrong. And I don't think it has to do with kids not liking action figures anymore. I can't keep my two boys away from the MOTU, GI Joe, Star Wars and Transformers action figures. They love these just as much as I did back in the day. It was simply my perception that Mattel didn't fully have its finger on the pulse of the toy buyer as well as it should have had at that point. Obviously, they are doing one hell of a job with the new line! I also think and agree that the variation of time slots in which the cartoon was run screwed things as well. Anyone who understands child development knows that kids need consistency. When you're all over the board, who the hell can plan to sit down, watch the cartoon and make it part of their growing up experience if they don't know when its going to run next? And think about it for a moment, many of us in our 30's now can remember when there were only a certain number of channels to watch and we knew what cartoon was on and when whether it was on Saturday morning or that line up that started every day at 3:00pm or so. Consistency, advertizement and availability of product helped make the original a winner. I think those things suffered with the 200X line up.

[Spectror]

Jedi_Master_Jeremy wrote :

Mattel mis-managed the line. Nobody wanted that many re-paints and different versions of the figures.

mattnotis wrote :

1.)Bad/inconsistent time slot on Cartoon Network
2.)Not enough advertising
3.)TERRIBLE toy distribution

I couldn't have said it better myself ! I totally agree with that !

It's good to see that some people can still be critical...

[Spacedust]

This has been covered in a number of other threads, but for me... It just didn't have the "heart". Sure, it was nice to have individual sculpts, but it just didn't have the feel of the vintage line. It felt like it had an Anime influence awkwardly welded on to appeal to "the kids", and it just didn't fit.

And many of the classic designs were lost - I'm all for (gently) updating things, but some of the new designs were just plain ugly IMO.

Not to mention, that I really didn't like the exaggerated-scale, pea-sized heads, gangly body designs that appeared in much of the line.

And - a key thing - REPAINTS. Far too many pointless repaints and variants. There seemed to be about two hundred different versions of He-Man and Skeletor.

Oh, and the box designs really didn't sell the figures either - very bland.

I think there were some good ideas in there, but very poorly executed. And Mattel weren't sure who their target audience was.

[Blue]

Lack of heart. The show was more into flashy effects than good storytelling--look at the horrendous/generic origin story we got. Bleck!

Also, He-Man wasn't super enough. His powers didn't stand out because they were too busy trying to make every character a master martial artist who could leap tall buildings in a single bound.

[Jedi_Master_Jeremy]

This has been covered in a number of other threads, but for me... It just didn't have the "heart". Sure, it was nice to have individual sculpts, but it just didn't have the feel of the vintage line. It felt like it had an Anime influence awkwardly welded on to appeal to "the kids", and it just didn't fit.

And many of the classic designs were lost - I'm all for (gently) updating things, but some of the new designs were just plain ugly IMO.

Not to mention, that I really didn't like the exaggerated-scale, pea-sized heads, gangly body designs that appeared in much of the line.

And - a key thing - REPAINTS. Far too many pointless repaints and variants. There seemed to be about two hundred different versions of He-Man and Skeletor.

Oh, and the box designs really didn't sell the figures either - very bland.

I think there were some good ideas in there, but very poorly executed. And Mattel weren't sure who their target audience was.

I felt that way. As well. I wasn't sure if Mattel knew who their target audience was either. That was just a gut feeling so I'm glad to know I wasn't the only one.

[Lay Ze-Man]

IMO the main thing was inconsistency with the direction coupled with lack of cohesion across the board with the merchandise and entertainment.

Aside from that, one point a lot of MotU fans might not want to recognize is that outside of the core, basic, non-variant 4H figures, pretty much nothing about the relaunch appealed to non-MotU fans.

I've rambled at length in the past, but this is the gist of it.

[dwanyewest]

I will always state as I have before I think 2002 is better animated and has better stories than the original. Although I used to like the original now it looks dated and corny. Everyone I might add is entitled to their own opinion but one thing that the has always bugged me when fans of the 80s show complain that the new version isn't like the old one. My argument has been if it had been camp like the 80s version it would have been a bigger flop. I use Batman when the 1997 movie tried to like 60s version it was a flop. All major characters have to move with the times.

I reckon if you showed both 80s and 2002 version I bet the majority kids would perfer the new version after all wasn't that the main purpose trying to appeal to a new generation.

[Keldor's Cousin]

I've only recently discovered the 2002 series due to having walked away from the world of MOTU due to well, some misguided need to act "adult". I've since apologized to all those toy lines from my youth that I scorned with the exception of He-Man. The story is long and most likely boring but needless to say (and thanks to MOTU Classics) I have returned to the fold and have just now started re-discovering Eternia and all the imaginings of it.

That being said, I think the 2002 MOTU show was probably the most dynamic and enjoyable of the different versions. That doesn't take anything away from the original but realistically they come from two different times and reflect that. Also, I just started collecting the 2002 toy line and I think they stand up pretty damn well to the originals, if not better. (Though MOTU Classics is kicking all kinds of ass and as of right now, is my favorite overall line) Anyway, just two-cents from the he-man.org message boards' latest rookie.

[Eamon]

The lack of patience killed the 2002 MOTU.
Mattel wanted payback too fast and had the show contunied with reruns of the previous seasons, I truly feel MOTU would've grown and grown into a formidable licence.
The show was gaining some ground by the time season 2 came along. That wasn't enough for Mattel though sadly. But then Mattel don't think long term do they?!

Look at Ben 10.
It's only a been a big brand for the last 2 years yet the cartoon is already on it 4th or 5th season. It is now officially the world best selling brand.

The endless crappy variant figures on MOTU 2002 deserves the title of 'the final nail on the coffen' I think.

[MegaGearMax]

He-Man and Skeletor variants: Spin Blade Skeletor and Smash Blade He-Man especially choked the line and killed it off. You couldn't find any other characters because they were rare, being packed 1 to a case. It's basically like how Mattel runs DCUC currently.

Cartoon Network: Bobo-Bo-Bo and Naruto constantly got advertising with EACH and EVERY single episode. Not MOTU, JLU, Megas XLR, Transformers and many others.

Lack of Advertising: Many were unaware that MOTU was back. Although 200X had a huge launch in Times Square, there were no commercials shown during cartoons.
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Criticisms
It wasn't Vintage enough
Kids don't like barbarians
The highly detailed toys were too graphic and gave people nightmares

[Tallstar]

I'm not sure if lack of advertising was the problem. I mean, in addition to the launch in Times Square, they did things like the McDonalds Happy Meal toy promotion. That's huge exposure. Also, I remember there was a discount coupon for Castle Grayskull on Honey-Comb cereal boxes.

[TheShadow]

Cartoon Network: Bobo-Bo-Bo and Naruto constantly got advertising with EACH and EVERY single episode. Not MOTU, JLU, Megas XLR, Transformers and many others.

Cartoon Network ran a lot of He-Man promos. Less than their in-house shows, but still an adequate amount. They also gave He-Man excellent time slots (coupled with Transformers and then post-Teen Titans - which was the highest rated show on CN at the time).

Lack of Advertising: Many were unaware that MOTU was back. Although 200X had a huge launch in Times Square, there were no commercials shown during cartoons.

There were toy commercials shown (I was able to catch them all and I do not watch much programming geared towards kids that has commercial time). Also, as Tallstar mentioned, they had Happy Meal toys as well at McDonalds.

I think it boils down to lack of interest with kids. I really do. I also agree with Eamon on the lack of patience to a degree. What we have to remember though is that Mattel is an outside entity. Ben 10 is a Cartoon Network in-house production. Most of the popular kids shows reside on networks that own them and Mattel does not have that cushion.

[Eamon]

I think it boils down to lack of interest with kids. I really do. I also agree with Eamon on the lack of patience to a degree. What we have to remember though is that Mattel is an outside entity. Ben 10 is a Cartoon Network in-house production. Most of the popular kids shows reside on networks that own them and Mattel does not have that cushion.

Aye, this is true! This the same reasons Power Rangers has lasted as long.

[Greyskull09]

My feeling was they never got Man at Arms Right for they dropped the ball on the orko man at arms bond in the new series. The 83 series Man At Arms didn't act grumpy he was the dad figure and the new version was cool but the old one had more grace.

I think they lost fans when they had the snake men take over the show instead of skeletor. Plus no Gratamyr. I think The Horde would have been a better finale then doing a full season with King Hiss and the snake men.

[TheShadow]

I think The Horde would have been a better finale then doing a full season with King Hiss and the snake men.

The Snake Men presence was upped in the series by the request of Cartoon Network. The "Snake Pit" episode from season one scored high in the ratings.

I was actually glad they showcased the snakemen. We already had Skeletor and Hordak showcased in the Filmation series -- it was nice to see King Hiss animated.

[Greyskull09]

Sure but a finale episode should have Skeletor in it not King Hiss though he was a great villain.

[TheShadow]

Mattel/Mike Young Productions did not originally intend to end the show when it did. After the Snakemen season they were going to proceed to the Horde, etc.

[tjherman]

When it originally aired, I remember seeing an advertisement for it and didn't recognize Skeletor. Hey, I never watched He-Man as a kid, only She-Ra. I thought it was for some new gimmicky boy show. Only when I came across MOTU this year did I realize what I'd seen.

When I worked with kids last year, the most popular cartoons were Bakugan and Ben 10. The Bakugan toys are popular (I even took several away), but not many kids actually collect the toys. They seem to enjoy the cartoon and online games or videos more. The ones that do have the toys are very into the mythology and characters created by the cartoons though.

[skeletom]

I love the MYP MOTU! As others have stated, I think it was handled poorly all around. I really don't know (or much care) what kids were into/ are into these days as far as toys, but when I saw Disco Skeletor... I was perplexed! Who on Earth came up with that abomination?? I mean, COME ON!

[Heidi]

I think 200X MOTU would've had a chance in success if Mattel had re-vamped MOTU more boldly. If the series would've had the following it might have been a success:

- The style would be even more anime
- The main characters live on earth.
- Adam is app. in 4th grade and is a kinda geeky guy. His best friend is Teela, though they fight alot. Adam is bullied by a kid named Keldor and his thugs. The school councelor whom Adam often visits is called Duncan.
- Teela is a strong independent girl who kicks butt and often defends Adam.
- Adam's Dad Randor works at Burger King. He's the manager there.
- Adam's mom Marlena is at home. She's a kind lady.
- Adam has a pet cat
- A sexy anime-lady comes and gives Adam this gadget and tells him that his bully Keldor has accidentaly found a similiar gadget and is about to use it on evil. Adam must save the day!
- When Adam uses the gadget he turns into something. A little like in Ben 10 there could be different forms, like a barbarian, a cyborg, a ninja and all that cool stuff. Also, when Adam uses the gadget, reality around him changes. The surroundings turn into Eternia and all the people he knows are still there but they are different (Teela is the Teela from Eternia, Randor is the King etc.). When he changes back, no one remembers anything of what happened, expect him and Keldor.

Also:
- The toys should be styled in anime style and be cute and funny
- There should be a trading card game and it should somehow be integrated in the show's concept too.

I seriously think that with a concept like this MOTU 200X might have been a success.

Heidi

[Sgt. Slaughter]

Honestly the show was pretty terrible.

There, I said it.

It was LEAGUES above the original He-Man which is one of the worst cartoons even for it's era. Kids had become conditioned to good cartoons by the time 200X got started.

They lost a lot of the older audience after their debut episodes. I remember Cartoon Network hyping it as a big deal and then when I watched it, it was barely better than the original toon. It was so very childish and that just doesn't play after BTAS changed everything.

As the seasons went on the toon got better, but it was still way behind most toons of the time. Too kiddie for adults, not adult enough for the kiddies. A bad mix.

Terrible toys didn't do it any favors, but the shows designs don't look as bad as the toy designs based off the show. Lots of shows survive with crappy toylines.

[DynastyMasters]

I think 200X MOTU would've had a chance in success if Mattel had re-vamped MOTU more boldly. If the series would've had the following it might have been a success:

- The style would be even more anime
- The main characters live on earth.

Heidi

If by anime you mean Japanese animation, then HELL NO! That's some awful looking animation, with character dialogue that doesn't match with the moving mouths. I can't stand the whole Astro Boy, Speed Racer, Voltron, Maya The Bee, New Adventures of He-Man, Pokemon and Sailer Moon look! YUCK! This is just my opinion. No offense!

The idea that a cartoon series has to take place on Earth, and more specifically, America, in order for it to last, is just sad! I hate G.I. Joe and the Transformers!

If I was a billionaire I would have paid Mattel, Mike Young Productions and the Cartoon Network to keep the 2002 MOTU going on until the whole story was told!! Actually, to hell with the toys! I'd pay Mattel to let the cartoons and comic books go on without the toys! I would want Mike Young Productions to continue the cartoon series from where it left off, starting with the cartoon version of CAPTURED!

Any billionaire MASTERS OF THE UNIVERSE fans anywhere in the world? Is Haim Saban interested?

I loved the 2002 Masters of the Universe cartoon series. There was absolutely nothing wrong with it! The stories and the animation were perfect! Maybe Disney would be interested.

The things that I have always liked the most about MASTERS OF THE UNIVERSE were the clothes they wore and the whole family aspect to the shows (1983 and 2002 versions only). The history and drama surrounding King Randor, Queen Marlena, Adam, Adora, The Sorceress, Man-At-Arms, Teela, Evil-Lyn, Skeletor (Keldor), Hordak, Zodak and the Snake Men. I'm not a cartoon fan!--I'm a MASTERS OF THE UNIVERSE fan!

[Eamon]

We should all thank Zodak!