Favourite "version / era" of MOTU

[Adekis]

I grew up with 200X, and only later became exposed to the Filmation shows and the minicomics, much less the New Adventures, which I still have next to no experience with. My experience of He-Man is non-linear, with different elements coming in at different times, and certain ideas and concepts constantly evolving. No one version of MOTU achieves my ideal of what I want the franchise to be, and unless I ever get around to writing a fanfiction epic (unlikely), I doubt any ever will.

Still, ultimately I came here for Barbarian Sword-and-Sorcery Action. The pulse-pounding theme music from the MYP show, the menacing Skeletor, the giant power sword, the sense of menace when Adam initially comes to Castle Grayskull, all predisposed me to fall in love with the early Minicomics, especially the Mark Texeira and Gary Cohn ones. I voted for "MinEternia" because it's got very pure ideas that I think got lost later, ideas that never show up elsewhere in the franchise, like a reason for He-Man to be a barbarian beyond looking cool, or the individual motivations for characters like Tri-Klops, Ram Man, and Trap Jaw, beyond just being one of the good guys or one of the bad guys.

All of which said, there's definitely elements that came in later which I am glad exist in the franchise. I really sincerely like Prince Adam, unlike a lot of early Minicomic fans; He-Man lite episodes of the Filmation series are often some of my favorites. Orko is a lot of fun. Man-At-Arms' mustache is worth keeping. The 200X warrior Randor and especially Filmation's Lieutenant Marlena Glenn of Earth are both triumphs. Even self-evidently stupid characters like Snout Spout have a certain charm to them that I'd be sorry to lose. Elements of Eternia's aesthetic in Filmation and in MYP are head-and-shoulders above the same elements everywhere, like MYP's Howardesque mountains or Filmation's stark twisted landscapes. Oh and while this has little to do with Eternia, the writing and characterization in Dreamworks' She-Ra and the Princesses of Power is easily the best overall media to come out of the MOTU franchise.

Even considering that, I think I'd have voted for the Early Minicomics. There's just something simple about them, something that fuels imagination instead of trying to dictate what can be imagined, as I tend to think of later, more solidified versions doing. I think that's valuable.

[Iluvart]

I remember flipping through that mini-comic titled Masks of Power before I could read English. I particularly thought Fisto was a cool character, but never had the toy until Classics came along.

So for me I guess it was some of those mini-comics, and 200x cartoon which were my favourite era of MOTU.

[Creature22]

The first Mini Comic for me, or whatever it was that came packaged with those Commemorative figures. My brother and I got into MOTU "after" the party was over, and took what we could find. At some point I found and bought him a Commemorative Merman, and it came with a reprinted book? And that was kind of our first glimpse at the origins. It was stripped down to the bone in many ways but looked really cool. He-Man was a Conan-esque barbarian who is gifted the armor, and Skeletor was some sort of dimension hopper who came to wreck havoc.

I wish those Commemorative figures had been more widely available/cheap because we loved that Merman. We had a few other vintage figures from flea markets/antique stores as well but we could never find He-Man himself.

[Rikki Roxx]

Oh, God, this is tough. My earliest exposure was through the early mini-comics and the Golden Books, and those book-and-cassette read-along things. But I also really like Filmation and the 200x show.

It's really tough because I like most of the elements of the Filmation Era, but I prefer the art style, tone, and general aesthetic of the early mini-comics and storybooks, when everything was a bit "darker" and more serious.

I can't really choose. The only thing I know 100% is that Earl Norem's artwork is how MOTU looks in my head when I close my eyes. But as for a specific era or canon, I really can't choose. Other than "New Adventures" is Last Place by default.

[FASAfan]

Firstly, I love MOTU and love this site. Thank you, all!

For me, it’s GREEN GODDESS, baby! Give me that early era!

But, I love it all. My vote for Early Comics was not a vote against the other selections!

Love me some Ladybird, Golden Books, and Star. Love the Classics bios and comics.

I’m just thankful for MOTU. I’m a big fan of other properties, but my heart has been and always will be with Masters of the Universe.

[PutYaGunsOn]

Even though I'm a kid of the 200X era, and that version was my definitive version for a long time (I still default to picturing He-Man as sounding like Cam Clarke unless it's specifically the Filmation version), I'm going with the original mini-comics.

I read them a few months ago, and I've grown to love that take on the mythos even more than the Transforming Prince Adam take. Ironic, since I'm a big fan of Japanese henshin heroes like Ultraman and Kamen Rider.

When I started collecting Origins, I display He-Man with his axe and shield as his default weapons as a tribute to this era. I also like to imagine my own takes on New Adventures or even He-Ro: Son of He-Man, but branching off of the old mini-comic lore instead of the Prince Adam stories.

[theAncients]

Filmation era by lightyears.

[uaxuctum]

I like different aspects of every different era. Each has its own charms and its own weaknesses.

That said, Filmation is what got me into MotU initially (in particular, my springboard was the Panini sticker album, that I got to collect months before I even had a chance to discover it was based on an actual animated series, which for some unfathomable reason was never broadcast on national Spanish TV back in the day but only available through regional Catalan/Basque/Galician TV channels or crazily expensive 2-episode-per-cassette VHS releases).

However, the early minicomics (which I discovered quickly afterwards when I asked for the action figures for Christmas soon after starting to collect the Panini stickers) will always hold a special place in my heart. That aura of thrillingly mysterious lasergun-&-sorcery world that Alcalá and Texeira so masterfully crafted into their awesome art.

[Heeeere's Olesker!]

Hmmmmm. Let me see....