Question about POP-ularity among MOTUC collectors.

[Veebs]

She-Ra was the better written show imho. Everyone loves He-Man but story wise and continuity wise I think She-Ra was better.

Plus there is something about fighting an uphill battle that makes it more interesting, She-Ra and the Rebellion were never on top. They may have defeated the Horde in Battles but even up til the end the Horde still controlled Etheria.

As far as the toys go I think a lot of people found the POP designs neat or interesting but completely unacceptable in "doll" form (me included for the most part). It makes it even more complicated to understand since the Horde was all action figure but their adversaries were dolls.

MOTUC is a way to finally get kickass characters and strong females into a boys brand where they rightfully should be.

Very well stated, and this captures my feelings nearly to a tee.

[bcrduke]

Or you know, something about New Adventures and killing off some other character.

Each ladies' bio ends with her killing another lady, or explaining her death LOL

That example bio is okay. I just thought you wanted Mattel to make all the characters "dark and edgy" to appease the MOTU fanboys so it made it okay for them to like PoP

NO.

I would like them to update the characters and make them a bit more complex. For example, I actually like the Catra bio... her being a deposed monarch from somewhere other than Etheria is cool to me, and just makes her more complex. Now, I am hoping that we get vintage toy Catra and she is more like the mini-comics verison (the dark-arts sorceress / warrior woman)... if that's a different person, or an earlier version of Catra, I don't care... I just want to see it made in plastic!

I'd like to see things like Netossa and Spinnerella developed as a couple. Obviously that wasn't where they were going in the cartoon, but fans of the cartoon have always winked about that relationship, and heck, why not???

Throw the mo's a bone!

In any case, it would be interesting to see how each of these women are developed. All it takes is some thoughtful writing. I hope TG and whoever else helps write these will be thoughtful and careful when writing these bios.

But in any case, I want this kind of thing for those who have always loved POP... we deserve for the property to evolve

[Darkspecter]

Each ladies' bio ends with her killing another lady, or explaining her death LOL

Now, I am hoping that we get vintage toy Catra and she is more like the mini-comics verison (the dark-arts sorceress / warrior woman)... if that's a different person, or an earlier version of Catra, I don't care... I just want to see it made in plastic!

Hells YEAH we do!

I'd like to see things like Netossa and Spinnerella developed as a couple. Obviously that wasn't where they were going in the cartoon, but fans of the cartoon have always winked about that relationship, and heck, why not???

I'd like it hinted at...but never really solved...like Xena and Gabrielle. I like that.

Throw the mo's a bone!

OMG Brian, that expression is wrong on SO many levels!

In any case, it would be interesting to see how each of these women are developed. All it takes is some thoughtful writing. I hope TG and whoever else helps write these will be thoughtful and careful when writing these bios.

But in any case, I want this kind of thing for those who have always loved POP... we deserve for the property to evolve

I agree with all this. I get very nervous and scared with the way the MOTU characters are moving forward/evolving...but I like that the story is progressing and it's nice to see PoP move forward too (like chasing Hordak out of Etheria and following him to Eternia...I can't wait until the next chapter when everything's coming up She-Ra! ).

[bcrduke]

OMG Brian, that expression is wrong on SO many levels!

Why whatEVER do you mean??

[kylun flac]

I'm glad you posted a thread about the topic of pop popularity.
I just don't quite fully understand it. why do so many motu fans want pop so badly or just the huge want for more female characters?
i like that it has just a few female characters. seems more provable to have just a hand full of woman warriors.
marvels x-men or something like that yes lots of women yeah.
but a feudal world not so much.
is it fantasy of seeing warrior women in skin tight bikini cloths & armor that dosnt function as protective gear?

well i've got lots of questions & i'd like to know were most of motu fans are coming from.

[Vahn]

I might be able to offer an interesting perspective on this, as I never watched She-Ra as a kid, and in fact hated the idea, but now am a big fan of the story.

First off, I was into He-Man stuff. I loved the toys and thought the show was pretty good. Then when I first saw Hordak in the store with his "Ruthless Leader of the Evil Horde" tagline, I thought that was stupid. It was like they were sitting around thinking, "We need another Skeletor, but let's make him even more Skeletory! A regular skull is scary, but some crazy monster skull will be even scarier! Then we can give him a Beast Man, but even Beastier!..." etc. I had no use for a new, more extreme Skeletor and Co., and I never saw the She-Ra toys as a kid, but having seen them now, that only would've made things worse.

Then I saw a commercial for the She-Ra cartoon. He-Man's twin sister? That everyone magically forgot about? Stupid. Just a desperate attempt to make a He-Man for girls. So I never watched the show. I figured it would just be a bunch of girls having pillow fights, trying on clothes, and giggling about boys (which is a show I probably would've loved later in life).

So it wasn't until I started coming here that I was exposed to much PoP culture. I read a little about the premise, and heard many fans hailing the show as better written than, and every bit as action-packed as He-Man. And I found that, as long as the Horde wasn't just Mattel trying to overshadow Skeletor and his crew, I actually like the old-school monster designs, and appreciate them as villains. So when the DVD sets came out, I bought them.

Holy crap! Underneath all the bubblegum and glitter, She-Ra actually has some pretty dark elements! First off, the planet is ruled by the bad guy, who actually kidnapped a baby and raised her to be evil, and now she has to fight what is always an uphill, and sometimes even a losing battle against what was for most of her life, her own father! That's pretty dark, no matter how many unicorns and rainbows you try to cover it with! Add to that the fact that the heroes are a bunch of hot chicks, and you've got a show that's really fun to watch.

So, now I want to share how cool the series is. I try to get my friends that like He-Man to give She-Ra a chance. I tend to be kind of evangelical with my favorite things. I will always prefer the characters and settings from Masters of the Universe, but the story told in Princess of Power is the better of the two lines.

[Staff Of Ka]

This is an AWESOME Thread (I admit I was sceptical of its intent when I saw that big Counrty was the author!...I was very wrong!)

I will add my own 'Perspective' on it all later -when Im not busy cooking- but from what Ive skimmed thrugh,Im amazed that a Lot of people saw She ra and her story the same way I saw 'Filmation' as a kid, That being a terrible way to continue my beloved toyline!

Very inpressed on the insights and understanding this thread is engendering!

Well Done BC!

ka

[Charlie Brown]

I'm glad you posted a thread about the topic of pop popularity.
I just don't quite fully understand it. why do so many motu fans want pop so badly or just the huge want for more female characters?
i like that it has just a few female characters. seems more provable to have just a hand full of woman warriors.
marvels x-men or something like that yes lots of women yeah.
but a feudal world not so much.

...well, we are talking about worlds were sword wielding warriors face technology advanced galactic empires: so, having a high number of fighting ladies doesn't sound so out of place to me.
btw, consider that eternia and etheria have very different situations.
eternia is more similar to what you describe: a “medieval” (give or take) society with a few ladies in prominent roles (and one, teela, actually fighting);
on etheria the good ones are rebels, not an organized army or a bunch of wandering heroes: just persons who offer their powers or abilities to a greater cause. not to mention that not every pop character has combat skills (peak-a-blue, flutterina) and often their powers are more magical than physical.

is it fantasy of seeing warrior women in skin tight bikini cloths & armor that dosnt function as protective gear?

ok, red sonja is a myth, and one of the hottest gal in comics, but…pop girls are definitely more clothed: actually, in the show more than in the toy line!
the less clothed lady ‘till this moment is battleground teela, and the figure received several criticisms from fans.

well i've got lots of questions & i'd like to know were most of motu fans are coming from.

…well, just ask your questions!

[Romer]

So it wasn't until I started coming here that I was exposed to much PoP culture. I read a little about the premise, and heard many fans hailing the show as better written than, and every bit as action-packed as He-Man. And I found that, as long as the Horde wasn't just Mattel trying to overshadow Skeletor and his crew, I actually like the old-school monster designs, and appreciate them as villains. So when the DVD sets came out, I bought them.

Underneath all the bubblegum and glitter, She-Ra actually has some pretty dark elements! First off, the planet is ruled by the bad guy, who actually kidnapped a baby and raised her to be evil, and now she has to fight what is always an uphill, and sometimes even a losing battle against what was for most of her life, her own father! That's pretty dark, no matter how many unicorns and rainbows you try to cover it with! Add to that the fact that the heroes are a bunch of hot chicks, and you've got a show that's really fun to watch.

So, now I want to share how cool the series is. I try to get my friends that like He-Man to give She-Ra a chance. I tend to be kind of evangelical with my favorite things. I will always prefer the characters and settings from Masters of the Universe, but the story told in Princess of Power is the better of the two lines.

I love this parts of your post, the She-ra cartoon is awesome!, yeah!.

I wish it had gotten a better toy line during it's prime, one I could consider good or at least decent.

[Underling]

Have to agree, this is a great thread. As a child, the only access I had to the She-Ra toys was through my best friends sister. I honestly didn't really care for the figures because of the scale difference between them and MOTU. I did however like the show, but was always disapointed in the toys. I guess that's why I'm digging all the PoP Classics figures because they're finally in scale!

[PrinceAdam101]

I discovered MOTU via Filmation, and quickly fell in love with the story. We were poor and I rarely got toys. Somehow, I still managed to get Battle Armor He-Man and later on Skeletor, and for most of the first year, that was it.

During my 2.5 years of MOTU obsession, I managed to collect 13 figures, Castle Grayskull, Snake Mtn, Zoar, Panthor, and some vehicles. Of the 13 characters I had, few were "good" guys and none of them were girls.

One of the aspects of the Filmation show I loved was that there were four women characters prominently featured that were interesting and important to the story.
I don't wish to insult my family, but our mother had "issues" and home life was difficult. I remember thinking that the Sorceress and Queen Marlena were such wonderful, loving mothers. I saw "Teela's Quest" a dozen times and loved how the Sorceress cared so much for her daughter, but couldn't be there for her. I've wondered if Linda Gary (voice actress) ever knew how she touched some kids' lives.
A few friends I knew liked He-Man, and I remember comments on how (sexually) interesting Teela was. As an adult, I completely see how boys saw that.
The same thing went for She-Ra. Yes, a number of boys watched She-Ra and I was one of them.

Honestly, I didn't care for She-Ra's show as much as He-Man but I really loved the characters and how beautiful and strong she was. I tended to gravitate to girls in my boyhood, and I thought She-Ra was really cool.

And so did my friends. That skirt got lots of attention.

I did NOT collect the dolls. I would have been murdered first. My friend in my neighborhood was given Bow but the packaging had to be hidden in case his dad saw it.

I really wanted Teela and Evil Lyn, but I never even saw them (except for the artwork representing the figure). So, I spent much of my youth OBSESSING over my desire for characters I would never get. To me, my action figures were my "friends" and the "real" people as my playing with them made them come to life.

As a young adult, I visited a thrift store in town and found a few figures. I found both Teela and Evil Lyn (they had seen better days) and bought them. I still have all my vintage stuff, and everything I've purchased since the invention of ebay.

As an adult, I still have never been interested in vintage POP toys. They are simply too "little girl" for me, but I have LOVED the character designs and always thought it would be nice if they were included in such a toyline as we have now.

My connection to POP?

Ultimately, it was the cartoon and the christmas special. I really appreciated the equality of men and women on the show. He-Man had me drawn to Eternia's women characters, and on She-Ra I loved Adora and She-Ra. I don't remember thinking too much of the other characters, but I know I liked all the Horde girls. I remember thinking Glimmer was an idiot.

Why do I care so much about the POP characters for the MOTUC?

I've found myself being a huge POP supporter on the org, but honestly MOTU is my first love. POP, until recent months, has been under-represented and I get annoyed by the narrow-mindedness of some macho guys on here. When I look at my collection, I frown to see so few women included. It's a throwback to my childhood, I guess.

And, I just like women characters. They spice things up and make storylines more interesting to me!

[scott metzger]

Help a POP-non-lover understand!
As I said, I am NOT being sarcastic or caustic...just curious.

A sincere request for understanding should garner an equally sincere attempt to explain...

For me, it is tied a lot to the cartoon. "Secret of the Sword" basically made She-Ra and company an integral part of the MOTUniverse. I know the toys were a different style (though the scale was thankfully compatible), but from the moment these characters were introduced through the cartoon, they became half the mythos for me. And it followed an established tradition in my mind, growing up on the Six Million Dollar Man and the Bionic Woman. My favorite episodes of those shows were where both characters were in action together, and I felt the same about He-Man and She-Ra.

That's the perspective for me: I don't think of myself as a POP fan, because I don't feel POP is a separate entity. It's as much a part of MOTU as Grayskull and Snake Mountain, and He-Man is incomplete without it.

[slackrguy]

Hello all.

I'm curious as to what causes your individual like for characters from POP.

I had a She-Ra and Bow when I was a kid, the other figures I only remember as impressions/images. Most of what I know is from the toy section of he-man.org.

I will list some things I like and some I don't currently like - to give a more balanced view

Aesthetics- Peekablue 'cause I'm down with the peacock/stage magician assistant(imo) motif, Entrapta 'cause I like chrome, Angella's semi-translucent wings(here's hoping), Crystal Swiftwind/Moondancer/Sundancer 'cause they're see-thru

Concept- Double Trouble being a spy/counter-intelligence/espionage agent, Peekablue's clarivoyant powers

Avatar of the imagination- Netossa = gladiator, Jewelstar = female crystal/rock warrior(ala Stonedar and Rokkon)

Possible implementations/Curiosity/Anticipation- Glimmer's possible glow-in-the-dark accessories, Peekablue's feathers -will they be like Sy-Klone's ring and detach as a warfan weapon, will Mermista have a trident, how will her fishtail & legs be done, will the tail be bendy, can she stand with it on? How "Horde" will Double Trouble look(lady crossbow, logo/emblem?), Will Sweet-Bee's wings look like a bee's wings this time? Will Castaspella and Frosta have anything that spins?

Eye Candy/Side-kick/Counterpart factor- Sweet Bee's fights with Buzz-Off, Perfuma operates alongside Mossman (Wonder Woman/Wonder Girl, Superman/Supergirl, Batman/Nightwing/Batgirl(Babs), Hawkman/Hawkgirl)

Grandfathered in- Glimmer, Frosta, and Castaspella have a general likeability factor, I have no strong love for them, but will likely get them

On the chopping block Just saying...
Flutterina -yeah, because I want something as fast as a butterfly to be my scout/spy/messenger. unless she has some strong native american under/overtones I will probably pass
Starla - may fit in with NA as HQ eye candy, I have to see the figure
Tallstar - maybe counterpart to Extendar, I'll need to see both figures
Spinnerella - with kimono sleeves and blades, maybe. otherwise, i don't need/want a dancer
Kowl and Lookee - ...
Glory Bird - the birds I have are nothing more than accents as is, if I get one great, if not - no tears

So, those are some things that cause my individual like/dislike for characters from PoP.