A grassroots effort to bring a Masters of the Universe convention back to Southern California has reached its initial Kickstarter goal within hours of its launch. MOTUNIVERSE, a convention focused on He-Man and She-Ra launched an online crowdfunding campaign in hopes of securing a familiar venue to host the event and organizers were stunned by the overwhelming response from MOTU fans.
“Reaching our $5k initial goal in just 6 hours blew us away and proved how much fans want MOTU to return to Southern California. I felt extremely grateful and humbled by the community showing up for us,” said MOTUNIVERSE Event Director Mike Gordon (aka Eternian Royalty). “We can’t wait to see you all this May as we honor He-Man, She-Ra, and the power of the fans who keep Eternia alive.”
The initial goal was to secure the event’s venue, a familiar locale for longtime MOTU convention fans. The event will be held at the Torrance Marriott Hotel in Torrance, California. The venue has hosted many geek culture events, including the foremost MOTU convention, Power-Con, since 2012.
“MOTUNIVERSE is something I’ve wanted to do for years,” said Gordon. “I was a huge fan of Power-Con, attending every year and volunteering. When it moved to Ohio in 2022, it left a real void for me and for so many MOTU fans who loved those SoCal conventions. Fast forward to this past summer, I was talking with MOTUNIVERSE Event Director Mega Jay Retro about my story and how cool having a MOTU convention back in California could be. Jay shared his experience running conventions in Canada, and we both agreed it was time to make this dream a reality. With the help of the MOTU fan community, we’re set for May 23rd-24th, 2026 to celebrate MOTU!”
“You never really know how these things are going to go,” said Jay. “But I believe in this community of dedicated MOTU fans, and their collective love of the brand. Through that shared camaraderie, we’re able to do something truly special.”
Jay further shared how it felt in the moment when he realized just how close they were in reaching their initial crowdfund goal.
“Many people were still coming home from work, but luckily Shaun of PlayMotu on Instagram was able to jump on and join me [for a livestream]. It didn’t take long before we both were shocked and delighted that we had reached our first goal of $5,000. Mike joined us soon after and we all were nearly speechless, trying to contain our excitement, but it wasn’t possible… to say that we were elated would be an understatement. I keep thinking this is a dream and that I don’t want to wake up.”
For now, the event promises to feature talented MOTU artists and writers as featured guests including, Tim Sheridan (Writer, MOTU Revelation/Revolution), William Stout (Conceptual Artist and Designer, MOTU 1987 Live-Action Film), Tony Washington (Writer, MV Creations MOTU comics), and Joshua Sky (Writer, MOTU Origins). More guests, features, and exhibits will be added as future stretch goals are reached.