When, Where, Why, What?

[Sleeper]

When did you first become aware of "The New Adventures of He-Man"? Was it the show? Did you see the figures in a store? Did someone buy you a figure? Did a friend have a figure? Were you aware that NA He-Man was on his way before the show or the figures were introduced to the world? What was your first impression? Have your feelings changed at all over the years?

Having been out of the MOTU loop for a few years, I recall seeing the figures in an "Ames" department store circa 1990 and stopping dead in my tracks thinking, "pffffffttt......what kinda crap is this? How dare they try to pass this off as He-Man. Kids today just don't have a clue." LOL!

It wasn't until discovering this site about five years ago that I learned to appreciate this era in He-Man history and accept it for what it is. I own the DVDs for this series (and all the others as well) but still have yet to add a single figure to my collection. This WILL change eventually and if you had told me in 1990 that 20 years from now, I'd wish I had purchased those figures I saw in Ames, I would have accused you of having a brain the size of those figures.

[Merman's Head]

I actually didn't know about the NA line at all until I stumbled onto this site in 1999. At first, like a lot of people, I didn't like it at all. I actually liked it even less when I got a couple of the figures in ebay lots as I was re-acquiring my vintage figures. But, it has kind of grown on me. I enjoy the cartoon for what it is, and, although it is not the He-Man I grew up with, I think there is a great story there. I'm excited to see elements and characters included in the MOTUC line and have gotten a few NA figures on purpose in the last couple years.

I don't think it compares to the 80s line, but in it's own way, I think it has charm.

My two cents.

[Heeeere's Olesker!]

I was sitting in a whirlpool at an apartment complex in Woodland Hills when Mark Taylor, from Jetlag, called and asked me to create a series bible and five episode mini-series for NA. He told me if it went well that we'd get a pick-up for sixty-five episodes and I could write as many as I wanted. When he told me what he was offering for the bible and first five episodes, I said, "Done." It was the first -- and last -- time in my life that I didn't try to negotiate a fee higher. Then he told me the only catch was that he needed the series bible and five episodes in three weeks. The series bible turned out to be my longest at around ninety pages and I delivered all five episodes on time. Mattel premiered the mini-series at the MGM Theater in Culver City, CA to 1,500 screaming kids. We had a live action Skeletor and He-man on stage battlnig it out before the mini-series ran. The next week Mattel picked up the series and gave us a sixty-five episode buy. I wrote thirty-seven episodes...in seventeen weeks.

[markatisu]

I remember it airing but did not watch a lot of it, never owned the toys.

Then when I joined the org in 2003 I helped in the fan created DVD set project (I took care of She-Ra, BigDaddy took care of NA, and SirBushnell took care of Filmation MOTU). That was my first real exposure to the entire series. Had to buy the toys shortly after (they were still SUPER cheap then).

After that few of us asked for Val to give NA its own forum around that time to discuss the newly released fan made set. Then a few years later BCI announced they were releasing it on DVD and I have been a diehard fan ever since

[Ealo]

mine is more of when i became re-aware of it. after classics came out and i came across the org i heard about NA. i was curious and found both dvd sets on ebay still in plastic for literally a couple of dollars each - postage to the EU was way more than the price of the discs. so i sat down determined to watch with an open mind... (i should say i'm a huge filmation fan from when i was a kid)

then the 4 scientists turned up on the screen and i had this really weird moment where it all felt like i had seen it before. after watching the scientists in a few more episodes it slowly dawned on me that i had watched it when it aired; and i remember having the feeling of liking the show but not really understanding how this was he-man and why he was here etc, i think i must have missed the first show that sets up the story (this was of course the days before the net so you couldnt get the 101 on tv shows).

anyway, this is why i have a soft spot for the 4scientists and they were great (though they were a lot more funny when the series was further along and it was just the 2scientists).

[Spikewolfe]

I first heard of NA via the television commercials as they began to air in '89. I never knew there was a cartoon until I got back into MOTU in late 2007. I looked at the toys in the local k-Mart around the time wave two was released. I remember thinking most of the figures were lame but that one with the eyeball for a head was cool. Changed my mind since then. Started collecting NA just before MOTUC Optikk came out. It really grew on me! I own the cartoon, but haven't watched it yet.

[Mistico]

I remember watching the cartoon as a kid. How or when I actually started I don't recall, but I do know I saw it from beginning to end. I was into it as much as I was the original cartoon simply because it was He-Man, and anything with him in it was good enough for me (I'm a He-Man fan, doesn't matter if it's minicomic, Filmation MOTU/POP, NAHM, 200x, books, or anything else; if it's He-Man, it's He-Man!). The only thing I didn't care for (ok 2 things) was the lack of the original characters (ie. Man-At-Arms, Zodac, Battle Cat/Cringer, Merman, TrapJaw...) and Skeletor having eyeballs. To this day, that still doesn't sit well with me (the same goes for the live-action movie; Skeletor has EYESOCKETS not EYEBALLS!). Eventually, I did get used to the new characters and realized that there were some equivalents from the Filmation to the Jetlag: the scientists replaced Man-At-Arms, Gleep was Orko, Master Sebrian was his parents, Clobber (the few eps he was in) was Battle Cat, Flipshot was Stratos (only in flying, not personality), Mara was Teela, Slushhead was Merman, Optikk was Tri-Klops, Flogg was Beastman, Creta was Evil-Lyn, and so on. I've never not liked the cartoon. I thought the armor/clothing change was odd for He-Man (being used to the corodite bandolier and red loincloth and boots), but still accepted it.

I had (and still have!) a He-Man, but he was the only figure I ever owned as a kid (now I also own Slushhead, Optikk, Flipshot, and Skeletor, as well as some vehicles). I also had (and also still have!) the light-up Power Sword. My parents rued the day they got that for me! I own it on DVD and love watching it whenever I can.

The one plus I can say overall that this series has that neither Filmation nor 200x have is an ending. It got to complete its storyline before it was finished, and that will always give the NAHM series extra points/perks in my mind!

[baronterror]

I came across the toys in a toys r us. I looked through them, not understanding what I was seeing. I immediately loved Optikk, but had no money to buy him. I thought the rest was rubbish.

Wondering and trying to figure out what these toys story was, and why they were so wrong, I gave up, made note of Optikk, and went and found my mom.

I never saw them again. I always rememberd and longed for Optikk.

Never saw the cartoon, never even saw it advertised. Never knew it existed.

Never saw anything in print. Never knew anyone who owned any. Well, I knew a guy who owned that skull helicopter thing, but he didnt really play with it and I never asked, he never told what it was.

Years later I discoverd the NA. Watched the opening on Youtube. Was very unimpressed. Read about it here and there in old days of the '.org.

Got a disc one of the NA series on DVD from netflix. Couldnt even finish the first episode, was so bad and dissapointing.

Did eventually get that Optikk on ebay a number of years ago, about the same time as netflix order of first dvd of show.

MOTUC started to come out, and after a while, just before Optikk was revealed, realized that NA would (and should) be a part of this line. Decided to try to learn more. Discovered I liked Kalamar SLush Head and Sagitar, design wise.

Just this year decided to order the first collection of DVD NA a little while before Icarius was comming. Bit the bullet because I wanted to own this part of He-Man history and wanted to get ready to try to like the NA Characters, to even know them, before any more came out in MOTUC.

After watching most of the cartoon (I have taken a hiatus for a bit) I have decided A) it is still very terrible but B) it has some good to great plots, even if the execution is sometimes laking and C) It got me to like Quakke, and to some extent Flipshot. and D) I agree, Crita is a big want.

I still hate the Scientists. I am unimpressed with any of the Galactic Guardians. I have decided to get Icarius in MOTUC. I am open to any NA figures though not neccessarily holding my breath.

I'm up to wanting/owning/having Optikk, Slush Head, Icarius, Sagitar, Crita, Quakke, Flogg. Not bad.

I will finish the show. I will buy the second volume. I will watch all of it. who knows who I'll like by the end?

I will probably buy the figures listed above. I will be open to the rest. I did have to talk myself into wanting Icarius. It can be done.

MOTUC has gone most of the way making NA palatable, and I'm thankful for it. It is at least rich in new stories, characters, and adventures. And that is a good thing. The line is only enriched by being ever larger. MOTUC is making the story fit better and be more acceptible. Good on it.

[MattMan2]

I remember getting a pack of the figures, the two pack with slush head and heman, I think it had a mail away for a free video of the first episodes of the cartoon. My parents bought me all the toys and I was hooked on He-Man.

Although my mom mentions me always loving the first He-Man, I was born in 1986 and didnt really get into He-Man until 1990 or so, despite having some of the original figures passed down to me by cousins and uncles who played with them.

I still to this day want to buy Starship Eternia just because it was a playset I longed for as a kid. I had Terroclaw at the time and bought it again a few months ago and that was a treat.

[Sir Reilly]

I became aware through the German magazine, where the next issue was promoted as sending He-Man and Skeletor into space.



I was hooked up immediately and searched through the whole town for the next issue four weeks later! I loved the new direction, since the magazine not only used the same artist, but also promoted the new toys which looked awesome to me.



Soon, I got He-Man and Skeletor and quickly mixed them with my MotU figures. Sometimes, Man-At-Arms served as Darius, sometimes Eternians travelled to Primus.

[sailoruranus]

I first became aware of them when we received the christmas catalog (can't remember if it was JC penney or SEARS). I would study those things for days on end. Anyway, I remember they had a picture of the starship eternia set up in a space station mode, and a few of the figures, and I was shocked that they were called "He-Man." At first I thought they were rip-offs, but then I realized that they were made by Mattel. My mom was kind of iffy about them being a different size than all the other ones, but bought them all for me anyway. Those toys were so damn cool.

[pH6]

It must've been about 1989...there was a bunch of figures in department store Anttila in Oulu, shown together with the last of the clearance MotU figs. Had no idea about them...except that there was a competition in Finnish 1989 comics, in which you could won a NA Skeletor. But there was no mention about a completely new series.
I got myself an Optikk, the last vintage figure I got for years. Then there was the promotional magazine which I got from City-Sokos. My younger cousin had a whole bunch more of them figs,which kept me on the loop a bit longer. The cartoon I didn't come across until I discovered that one website, the name is escaping me right now...
I really liked Optikk, it is still my favourite in the line. And I'm a huge fan of most of the other toys of the line. Basic human Guardians are a bit dull, the Mutants on the other hand are quite impressive. Even though, mutants and era...ripping Turtles? Nah...
The cartoon I like a lot too. As with all cartoons, there're are few weak moments, but not nearly as many as with the other three shows. My favourite He-Man/Skeletor -moment can be found in the NA of He-Man. 'You never change'.

[Sleeper]

I love the stories. Thanks everyone for sharing. If I could just travel back in time knowing then what I know now.......but oh well. It just didn't appeal to me then and there was just no way it was ever going to. Even if I had given the show a fighting chance or bought a figure or two. I was 15 or 16 then and that era of He-Man just wasn't marketed towards me. My MOTU figures from the '80s were packed away never to see the light of day for many, many years to come. In a world of sex, drugs and rock and roll, there was no room for NA He-Man and company. But I fully appreciate now what I chose to dismiss back then and feel that it is every bit as important to the MOTU history as any other era. Ok, well, maybe that's going a little too far. But I love everything to do with MOTU, past, present and future.

[iron_pride]

I never saw or heard of the toon. I found NA He-Man on clearance for a buck at a local K-Mart around 1997 or so. That is the first I ever heard of NA. I too was introduced in more detail in 2002 when I hopped on the org. I still have never seen the toon, though I do have the new 30th anny dvd set with the 20 NA episodes on it. Just from the figures alone, Vizar, Nocturna and Lizorr are my favorite.

[He-Dad]

The first time I saw them was at K-mart as a kid. I was begging my mom to buy me a Scareglow and she told me no because I hadn't been playing with the ones I had anymore (Nintendo) so I didn't need Skeletor's ghost (she assumed Skeletor had died as did I from the front of the package!). Anyway, I was putting it back and I noticed the "New Adventures". I remember telling her look what happend to He-man. I remember thinking they looked junky compared to the other ones. Anyway, a couple weeks later I saw an episode of the show and that was the end of my love of He-man.....untill the Filmation DVD's came out. Then my son was born and as he got into He-man it rekindled my love....but as a child, NA caused me to abandon He-man for many years.

[Adam_Prince of Eternia]

I saw and purchased the Terrorclaw at Toys 'R' Us in 1988.

[Barezz]

I think that I saw the toys first... I remember thinking that Slush head was neat. I think my brother may have gotten a couple first, and then we got into it together. The cartoon used to play in the mornings before school and I watched it then. I think the cartoon helped get me interested quite a bit.

[Devil Master]

It was May 1989. I was a regular reader of the Italian comics magazine "Magic Boy", which featured comics about Mattel franchises. One of them was Masters Of The Universe, and the MOTU story of May 1989 was... different. Soldiers from the future absorbing the power of Grayskull into their spaceship, Skeletor misleading them into thinking that he is He-Man, Adam revealing his identity in front of Skeletor and transforming permanently into a new He-Man form, scarier enemies, new locations... to a long-time MOTU fan like me, it was the BEST thing that happened to the line. That very year I got the Power Sword and the new He-Man action figure for Christmas and I kept reading the comics until Magic Boy stopped publishing them (which happened in August 1990).
In 1991 or 1992 I caught a glimpse of the animated series, and I was like "OMG there's a cartoon?! This is the best thing EVER!" but I never actually saw the cartoon until the mid-2000s, and then I got disappointed that the cartoon was not as dark as the comics.