He-man around the world

I hope that this is an ok place to post this but...

When I was a kid I remember He-man being absolutely huge in the United States, but from things I've heard, Masters seems to have been even bigger with our friends across the pond. Is this true? How popular was He-man in Europe and other places as compared to the US?

Originally Posted by Goldenbane

I hope that this is an ok place to post this but...

When I was a kid I remember He-man being absolutely huge in the United States, but from things I've heard, Masters seems to have been even bigger with our friends across the pond. Is this true? How popular was He-man in Europe and other places as compared to the US?

In Germany He-Man was absolutely top notch, too. #1 of 1980s toys.
I remember the first commercial with some first filmation elements... and one year later every boy knew he-man and many of us were collecting the figures, although they were pretty expensive (for example compared to Star Wars figures, witch had cost less than half of MOTU characters). MOTU was very famous. I can't remember any action toy line that was comparable to that.

He-Man was the number one toy almost everywhere in the world Asia and Aafrica excluded probably.
Among the countries where it was incredibly popular (as much if not more than in US) are Germany, Italy, France, Brazil...

Originally Posted by Emiliano

He-Man was the number one toy almost everywhere in the world Asia and Aafrica excluded probably.
Among the countries where it was incredibly popular (as much if not more than in US) are Germany, Italy, France, Brazil...

That always blows my mind how popular MOTU was all over the world. Is that rare for an American toyline to become that popular in other countries? I know it often happens with our movies, but I always figured that was because Hollywood spends(or wastes imo) more money on special effects than other countries. Are there other American toys that were very popular in Italy?

Originally Posted by Mr. Shokoti

That always blows my mind how popular MOTU was all over the world. Is that rare for an American toyline to become that popular in other countries? I know it often happens with our movies, but I always figured that was because Hollywood spends(or wastes imo) more money on special effects than other countries. Are there other American toys that were very popular in Italy?

It blows my mind how often people from US doesn't realize how much their culture have colonized the western countries as a whole
American music, movies, TV, toys are all very popular in half of the world, often more than local products.
US toys rules over everything else. Not just then, nowadays too. Sure, there are local toys (in Italy too) but top sellers are ususally the same of US (except SW in Italy, that never became a huge hit)
Italy and Frence were a bit different because we got a lot of Japanese toys and cartoons in the eighties. But THE toy for male kids before MOTU was Big Jim. He remained popular in Europe much longer that it was in US.
At the same time, we were getting Transformers toys before they were the Transformers that you know. We were getting the Diaclone line, some Microman items, etc. And they were already very populare before Hasbro changed them in the Transformers.

Thanks for the info. Since I've never been outside of the US, I guess I'm very naive when it comes to our culture abroad.

Originally Posted by Emiliano

It blows my mind how often people from US doesn't realize how much their culture have colonized the western countries as a whole
American music, movies, TV, toys are all very popular in half of the world, often more than local products.
US toys rules over everything else. Not just then, nowadays too. Sure, there are local toys (in Italy too) but top sellers are ususally the same of US (except SW in Italy, that never became a huge hit)
Italy and Frence were a bit different because we got a lot of Japanese toys and cartoons in the eighties. But THE toy for male kids before MOTU was Big Jim. He remained popular in Europe much longer that it was in US.
At the same time, we were getting Transformers toys before they were the Transformers that you know. We were getting the Diaclone line, some Microman items, etc. And they were already very populare before Hasbro changed them in the Transformers.

Hm... remembering the 80s...
SW was a big hit in Germany, and so was M.A.S.K., too... Well, the most popular toyline in Germany has been LEGO for generations... and it still is. There is not one single toy-shop without LEGO. Can't remember a time without LEGO. But Lego isn't american at all, it's a line from denmark.

Well, at least the action toylines were mostly american here.
And there are still a few in shops... a current Spiderman Cartoon Line, Transformers are still going on... Star Wars TCW... and from time to time Turtles.

Originally Posted by SiMo Sol

Hm... remembering the 80s...
SW was a big hit in Germany, and so was M.A.S.K., too... Well, the most popular toyline in Germany has been LEGO for generations... and it still is. There is not one single toy-shop without LEGO. Can't remember a time without LEGO. But Lego isn't american at all, it's a line from denmark.

Well, at least the action toylines were mostly american here.
And there are still a few in shops... a current Spiderman Cartoon Line, Transformers are still going on... Star Wars TCW... and from time to time Turtles.

What about Playmobil? That's a German company that, while maybe not as big as Lego, has always been popular with American kids.

Originally Posted by Mr. Shokoti

What about Playmobil? That's a German company that, while maybe not as big as Lego, has always been popular with American kids.

Oh, absolutely popular in Germany. You are right. I had a lot of so lovely called "playmo" myself. How could I forget that...