Incredibly enough,
this month, the He-Fans celebrate their first birthday! I guess this issue
is your birthday present. :> It's kind of hard to follow an issue like last
month's, but I think this still turned out alright. :>
If you're getting this
letter and are wondering, "Why am I getting mail about He-Man?!?!?", chances
are someone else signed you up. If this has happened, e-mail me and I'll get everything taken care of for you.
Keep on sending those pictures, sounds, drawings, vid caps, suggestions, and whatnot to me at ctyner@awod.com!
I'm really interested in fan art, and I'd like to send some of that off soon.
Thanks for all your support, and please keep on telling me what you think
of the newsletter! It's the only way it can get better. :>
[He-Man Graphics]
As many of you know, Jason Short (jcs@sdih.org) has been nice enough to lend me some of his web space for He-Man pictures. The problem is that so many other pages are linking directly to the pictures that the server is starting to get strained.
From now on, if you want to use some of the pictures on my web page, please put them on your own web space instead of linking directly to frontier.net. It'll make your pages run a lot faster, and it'll save me and Jason a lot of trouble.Thanks from both of us!
[He-Man Role-Playing Site]
The_Ultimate_Bob@HoTMail.com is planning to work on the first web-based He-Man role-playing site. He wanted me to post this letter to gauge reaction on it, so please e-mail him if you're at all interested in something like this.
"I have several minor websites
floating around, and I got a crazy idea. I am planning to begin the first web-based
He-Man Roleplaying Site. Players will use the site's character creation rules
to form heroes to protect Eternia and Greyskull against Skeletor's forces of
darkness. I wanted to test the waters first, though, to make sure people would
be excited about it (It'd be a pain for me to start this, only to scrap it in
a month because nobody knows about it)."
[The Comics]
Here's some commentary
of the various He-Man comics by Matthew "Faker" Martin (MLMARTIN@coe.edu)
[Well, it's all his commentary except for the DC Comics Presents #47, which
I changed...I don't remember why. Oh well. :>]:
] DC COMICS:
*DC Comics Presents #47
"From Eternia With Death"
This is the famed Superman/MOTU crossover!
*Preview
"Fate Is The Killer"
*Masters of the Universe #1-3:
"To Tempt The
Gods"
" The Key To Castle Greyskull"
" Within These Walls ...Armageddon!"
This was a three-part mini-series.
Skeletor had defeated and bound the 'Goddess' (the proto-Sorceress who was originally
the same as the Teela figure). In exchange for her release, He-Man had to recover
three talismans. The first issue involves the setup, with Stratos fleeing from
the Beast-Men and bringing the Talisman of the Sky. The second involves a quest
for the Talisman of the Cosmos, with He-Man and Battle-Cat in the jungle, and
Man-At-Arms, Teela, and Stratos fighting Mer-Man and his servants for the Talisman
of the Sea. Eventually, after some dimensional travel, exposition by Zodac, and
the involvement of one of Skeletor's old rivals Dagon, Skeletor gets the two
halves of the Power Sword---but loses them due to the actions of Zoar and He-Man.
These comics were closer to MOTU's D&D roots. They were pretty well illustrated,
and not badly written. An interesting alternative view of our heroes and villains.
Many of the elements thought to be introduced in the cartoon (Adam/He-Man, Marlena
and Randor) actually got their start here. Others are recognizable in altered
form (Zodac) and a few elements are completely different (Greyskull will only
open for the 'true king of Eternia', and Adam becomes He-Man by entering the
Cave of Power).
] STAR COMICS
*Masters of the Universe #1-13:
These were released in '86-'88. The art is rather poor, and the first eight issues are nothing more than toy commercials, and badly written ones at that. Orko had far too much of a role for my tastes; the only issues that didn't feature him as a starring character were #10-13. #9 and 10 got away from the toy elements a bit more, since the toy line had just died, but were instead rather preachy moral stories. #11-13 actually started to get some interesting storytelling, with a glimpse into Hordak's 'light side' when he and He-Man wind up losing their memory on a distant planet, and the wonderful Dark Future two-parter.
] THE MINI-COMICS
The first year that I recall was done by DC, and was close in art and tone
to the DC comics. These included 'The Magic-Stealer', 'The Tale of Teela',
and the origins of Trap-Jaw, Man-E-Faces, Ram-Man, and Tri-Klops. Kevin Hebert
has made references to one named "King of Castle Greyskull" and others that sound like they might be a year older than this group. Starting in '84, Mattel seemed to take over, and the quality was middling. Some of them, such as "Sword of Power" and "Dragon's Gift" (later adapted as the first Granamyr episode) were pretty good. Others, such as "He-Man and the Insect People" were
disappointing. I can't recall any really good mini-comics after '85, I'm sorry
to say.
[Web Pages]
I've tried changing
around the format of this section of the newsletter to make it a little easier
to navigate. Also, I removed the Yahoo! directories...since they only list
the same links I have up now, listing them is kind of pointless. :>
Here are the sections I've broken them up into:
* ACTION FIGURE PAGES
* CARTOON RELATED PAGES
* A LITTLE OF EVERYTHING
* SHE-RA PAGES
* FAN FICTION
* MISCELLANEOUS PAGES
* CURRENTLY DOWN
* COMING SOON
] NEW PAGES:
O. Sharp's Page: http://www.speakeasy.org/~ohh/heman.htm
This is an utterly fantastic page that includes some fun He-Man fan fic and the fate of Filmation after its demise. This page has been around for a while, but the link to it slipped away from me for a while...
Mark DiCamillo's Page: http://www.qds.com/people/mdicamillo/deek3.html
It's not really a He-Man action figures page, but Mark worked at Mattel and was involved in quite a bit of He-Man stuff. This page is more of a resume, but it's still pretty interesting.
Another Interesting Cartoon Page: http://www.angelfire.com./pg2/HeMan/
Find out what this person has to say about the He-Man cartoon...it's pretty interesting.
The Sorceress' Page: http://sorceress.dorms.tamu.edu
If you think the Sorceress is a great character, then you'll love this page! There are pictures, sounds, and quite a bit more! This is the only page I know of that's devoted to one specific He-Man character.
In a word, it's *big*. :> There are tons of pictures, sounds, games,
and much more on Steve's page, and coming soon (probably Dec. 14)...video
files!!!
Swift Wind's Page: http://www.iup.edu/~mrmf/shepage.html
Swift Wind's page is still under construction, but there's still a lot of great stuff here, including some fan fic! Some pictures, sounds, and much more will be up soon.
The He-Fans Archives: http://www.west.ga.net/~eternia/He-man/archive/archive.html You can get back issues of the newsletters and the various file attachments all on this page! There's also a He-Man MIDI file by Erik Christianson there, too.
Erik Christianson's Page: http://www.ns.net/~kaceac/heman.htm
Erik's page will be back up soon when he moves his stuff to a different server. He composed the great He-Man MIDI file on the He-Fans Archives and also has a nice collection of sounds.
] COMING SOON...
Busta Toon's Page: jamric@globalnet.co.uk
This is going to be fantastic when it's finished! Look for a massive episode guide, stories, tons of pictures, and loads of other information. Busta would also appreciate it if you'd mail him some reviews of episodes for his page.
Eduardo Filardo Abaid: efilardo@mail.giga.com Eduardo's page is going to have sounds, pictures, and videos on it!
Bony Fiend: bmchenry@eb.com Look for an episode guide, pictures, sounds, and more when this page is launched!
David Karig: eternia@geocities.com
David's been working on a Skeletor page for a while, and the final version
of it should be up eventually... :> David's the one who drew the Skeletor
picture that's on the He-Fans archives index, too.
Chase "Cluny" Beyer: cbeyer@hamilton.net
Cluny, an active poster to the newsgroup, is working on a page with tons of great stuff, including info on the minicomics. Look for sounds, a page with descriptions of the characters, action figure info, and much more!
"What are some
of the funkiest or lesser known He-Man emblazoned products you can remember
from back in the mid-80's when it was so popular?"
I'll put all responses to this question in the next newsletter. To send a response, just use the RESPOND feature in your e-mail client and tell me what you think.
LAST MONTH'S QUESTION ASKED:
"What do all of you think of the original comics that came with the toys? They were more illustrations for text, with painted pictures. The storyline was a little different from the later "comic book style" comics,
and of course different from the things done with the cartoon. Any comments?"
"Yes, we should definitely take the mini-comics into account. Though
they weren't really 'high quality', they changed their own stories over the
years and provided vital plot material. Without them, some of the characters
wouldn't have story backgrounds at all."
"The continuity of MOTU/POP is quite skewered, but since it was the
toy line that inspired the cartoon, I think the mini-comics have precedence...especially
the opening series of mini-comics. Soon after the toys came out, the cartoon
did, and the toy line started to take after the cartoon characters. Maybe we
should transfer the continuity over to the cartoon after the first series of
action figures. Does that make any sense?"
"We basically have to take the comics into account because a lot of the characters never made it into the TV show. Plus, the comics are really cool. The only exception might be for the first few comics, like "King Of Castle Greyskull",
which contains continuity errors (such as suggesting that He-Man gets his powers
from his suit instead of the Power Sword).
"In some cases, I agree that what occurred in the cartoon series should
be considered canon...but only where the comic corroborates the TV show's
information (like when the later comics show Prince Adam, Orko, etc.)...
But since the comics came with the toys (and in some cases were done in-house
by Mattel), I think they should be 'canon'.
"There are so many sources of information, though, that it's hard to decide
what to believe. For example, I have a book about Stinkor, Roboto, and a
strange race of robots. I also have several of the Golden Books, including
one about the Slime Pit. I think we are going to have to go over specific
conflicts. There aren't too many, and most are trivial. I guess we'll have
to do it case by case."
[The Laser Figures]
I listed the wrong URLs last month for the Laser figures. The correct URLs are:
This is the section of the newsletter where fans can buy, sell, and trade figures and collectibles. A little disclaimer though: I'm not responsible for any claims anyone here makes.
] WTB:
James Wallen (Wallenj@coral.indstate.edu): He-Man and Prince Adam MOTC. Also interested in the Eternia playset.
Brad Simmons (CoastComic@aol.com): Looking for the Comet Cat Meteorb MOTC to finish off an entire collection. Name your price!
Sorceress@tamu.edu: Figures wanted
- The Sorceress, Zoar, Teela, and Man-at-Arms. Must be complete and in good
condition. Also WTB a copy of the episode "Teela's Triumph".
] FS:
Original He-Man production cel and the original drawing framed. Comes with certificate of authenticity. $200 - but negotiable. Call (702) 436-4197 for more info.
Todd "Scare Glow" Adams
(adamst@mmsmtp2.ColumbiaSC.NCR.COM) sent a message to the mailing list regarding the last figures made in the Masters of the Universe/Princess of Power lines.
The last He-Man figure to
be made was supposed to be (I believe) some wizard guy that was supposed to be
released with the Bionotops, Turbodactyl, & the Tyrannosaurus Rex toys. I heard that a Queen Marlena figures was also in the works to be released with this line, but again, none of these figures made it. The last figures to be made for Princess of Power were the line which included Netossa, Spinnerella, Loo-Kee, & the Star Sisters (along with some more 'accessorized' She-Ra & Catra figures). I never saw what the Star Sisters looked like, and I'm am still hunting for someone to sell me a Spinnerella & Loo-Kee
(which I saw one time, but my parents wouldn't buy it for me at the time). I
also heard this Shadow Weaver rumor as well as a possible Madame Razz being made
also. I ended up taking an old She-Ra (I had 3 of them, one I played with, one
acting as Adora, and one displayed) and made my own customized Shadow Weaver.
[Quake Skins]
For you Quake fanatics out there, here are some He-Man related skins that you can use whenever you play.
The Skeletor one is particularly impressive. Enjoy!
The file attachment, for those of you that receive it, will come with the next part of the newsletter.
[Ladybird Books]
There has been a lot of discussion recently on the mailing list about the Ladybird books featuring He-Man and She-Ra. Busta Toons (jamric@globalnet.co.uk) recently posted this letter to the list with a listing of the books and some info on them.
Here is a list of the Ladybird books released...
"A Trap For He-Man"
" The Iron Master"
" Castle Greyskull Under Attack!"
" Wings of Doom"
" Skeletor's Ice Attack"
" He-Man meets the Beast"
" He-Man and the Asteroid of Doom"
" He-Man and the Lost Dragon"
" He-Man and the Memory Stone" (This was an adventure book)
" He-Man and the Masters of the Universe" annual (Had 6 stories in it)
The only She-Ra book I have is...
"She-Ra and the Dark Pool" (Which co-stars He-Man...)
That is the full list of He-Man books from Ladybird books...theartwork in every story was fantastic...it had a definite style to it...
Anyway...I will scan some pictures...eventually...
[Will The Real Skeletor Please Stand Up?]
One of the biggest pains in the He-Man universe is the discontinuities between the cartoon, the comics, and the books. One example is the many different origins of Skeletor. Matthew Martin (MLMARTIN@coe.edu) recently sent a list of Skeletor's various origins to the mailing list, and I'm reprinting them here.
1) A dimension-wandering sorcerer and conqueror (DC Comics)
2) A warlord from Eternia's sister planet Infinita, a dark and warlike realm (Skeletor's Revenge)
3) Apprentice to Hordak who betrayed the Horde and struck out on his own (The cartoon series and Star Comics)
4) Randor's brother Kelbor, who dabbled in sorcery and disappeared years ago.
(Hinted at in the 1987 mini-comic "The Search For Kelbor")
[The Top Ten COOLEST Things About He-Man and MotU]
Speaking of lists posted to the mailing list...here's a list of the top ten coolest things about He-Man and the Masters of the Universe by Kevin Gunther (gunthk@rpi.edu). BTW, Kevin encourages you to make your own top ten lists. If you make one that you think is great, e-mail it to me and I'll include it in the next issue.
10. Using Bashasaurus to knock over Greyskull.
9. Spending hours trying to get the two swords to stay together.
8. Calling Man-At-Arms "Duncan".
7. Buzz Off & Stratos-they fly, if you have a good arm.
6. Whipping GI Joe's ass.
5. Two words: "removable heads"
4. Battle Cat had no joints.
3. Swearing with the Snake Mountain microphone.
2. Secretly watching She-Ra even though it was a chick show.
And the number one coolest thing about He-Man and MOTU is:
Having all of the characters beat up the pansy Prince Adam figure.
[The Sorceress And The Crying Game?]
I had never really
put much thought into this before, but if you look at thebox for Zoar, it
says "He fights for He-Man!" Does this mean the Sorceress undergoes some
kind of gender change whenever she becomes Zoar? :>
[Revamp]
Here is the next installment of Revamp, the fan fiction by RunJT@aol.com that has been running in the newsletter for quite a while. For previous installments, check out the newsletter archives at http://www.geocities.com/Hollywood/3624/archive.html. A quick note: The paragraphs in italics represent Adam's thoughts.
The cool morning fog rolled through the open air garage. Old sheets draped over many shapeless lumps that hid what were probably Eternia's most ingenious inventions. The Man-At-Arms was diligently at work on a strange machine forged of scrap material and ancient devices he had uncovered in the foothills of the highlands. Adam sat on a bench with his sword hidden safely in its sheath resting on his lap. Man-At-Arms looked up at Adam in between his work and appeared to be pleading with him.
Why can't he understand? The Sorceress gave me the sword and the power to turn into He-Man so I can bring this world into a new age. Why does he insist I use the power to fix the problems of my father's kingdom? My duties as prince and as He-Man are to separate things.
A girl roughly Adam's age rushed into the workshop. The hair hanging down on her face was not enough to conceal the strip of war paint on her cheek. Her name is Teela, and she is the daughter of Man-At-Arms. She hardly acknowledged Adam when he leapt from the bench to greet her. Her concern was laced with a certain excitement as she gathered a sword and shield and talked with her father. He abandoned his work to begin preparing the weapons as Teela left and followed a group of young solders gathering outside. Among the group was an acquaintance Adam had attended school with, Man-E. Adam watched as his kith scattered, all working for the good of his homeland. Selfish thoughts of using his power to benefit only him began to roll away with the fog.The Sorceress said my destiny sleeps with in this sword. To her, my destiny is to unlock Greyskull's secrets. Perhaps there is more to my destiny than that. Teela said that sketchy details arrived from an injured man that the caravan was under attack. The troops were being deployed to the eastern road to investigate. They immediately assumed it was the large caravan under attack. I'll go as He-Man to the North to investigate the small caravans returning fromthe countryside. Let this be a test of my destiny.
A lone traveler journeyed down the dusty, country road. The naked eye could see the distress in the way he moved through the wreckage of carriages, wagons, and other vehicles. Over the crest of a near distant hill arose a commotion that caught the attention of the warrior. He raced to the hill to look down on a attack. Various parts of the caravan were overturned and people scattered everywhere. At the eye of this tempest of destruction was a beastly figure. Without hesitation, the warrior raced to battle with the attacker.
At first, I believed him to be a man. The closer I drew to him, this was put into question. He was hunched over with inhumanly long arms. Fur covered his muscular form. The mane of a great beast and other furs hung from him like medals of honor along with the armor of slain warriors. Do animals seek such glory? As I fought him, I noticed his battle was not like my father's. He folowed no rules or formalities. His was a fight of survival, andat first it frightened me at first. As I thought more on it, my father's sense of war seemed twisted and less natural. He was quick, but as the battle turnedfrom his favor, he grabbed a crate of medical supplies from a wagon and ran towards the distant foliage. Seeing as how he was not injured in any way, I wondered where he was taking these supplies... or to who.
The crowds gathered around the warrior and questioned him. He began to dash away, but stopped and turned. He made a loud pronouncement that sent the crowd roaring. The warrior now belonged to Randor's kingdom as well as Greyskull.
This newsletter was written by Adam Tyner (ctyner@awod.com) except for sections where hats are tipped.
If you have any questions, comments, suggestions, or anything else, feel more than free to e-mail me.
"The Scrolls Of Greyskull" newsletter is mailed out monthly to over 465 rabid
He-Man fans. For more info, go to http://www.he-man.org/ctyner/scrolls.html or e-mail me.
This newsletter is not intended to infringe on any copyrights and is written
purely out of love. :>
