These
toys can kick Woody and Buzz Lightyear’s butts without working up a sweat. Yet,
they also have a much more sophisticated backstory. You could even call it a
progressive franchise, since both seasons of its animated series were directed
by women. Children of the 1980s can look forward to a heap of nostalgia while
everyone else will get a masterclass in toy marketing from Randall Lobb &
Robert McCallum’s Power of Grayskull: The Definitive History of He-Man and
the Masters of the Universe, which is now available on VOD platforms.
Mattel
passed on the chance to do licensed Star Wars action figures—and deeply
regretted it later. Hoping to develop a property that could rival the legendary
franchise, Mattel started designing Conan the Barbarian figures until it
became clear the movie would be R-rated (generally a no-no when it comes to
children’s toys). Instead, they built an original barbarian themed line around
the “just-for-fun” sketches of an in-house designer. That property became known
as Masters of the Universe. He-Man was the unambiguous hero and Skeletor
was unrepentant villain.
Of
course, it caught on in a big way. The toy line exploded and the Filmation
cartoon (one of the first produced for expressly for weekday afternoon syndication)
took it to a higher level. It is probably one of the few franchises that were
licensed by both Marvel and DC Comics. Eventually, He-Man’s sister She-Ra would
get her own spin-off, co-created by J. Michael Sttraczynski. And then there was
the 1987 movie starring Dolph Lundgren and Frank Langella, both of whom are
quite happy to talk about it on-camera. It wasn’t exactly a hit, but it remains
fondly remembered by a lot of people, including its principal stars.
Unfortunately,
Mattel basically killed the golden egg-laying goose through over distribution,
over-saturation, and veering too far off-brand. This might be frustrating for
fans to revisit, but it is fascinating stuff. Frankly, the Masters of the
Universe franchise would make an instructive MBA case-study. Lobb &
Marshall get the full story from at least half a dozen former Mattel
executives, numerous designers, and most of the creative team at Filmation.
Lobb
& Marshall deserve a great deal of credit for never dumbing down the film.
In all honesty, Power of Grayskull is more about business and media
studies than it is about fandom. Still, if you are a fan, you will want to know
this stuff. Conversely, those who never watched MOTA in any format, will
also likely become curious enough to dip into it a little bit, probably
starting with the Gary Goddard’s live action film, because who doesn’t dig Dolph
Lundgren? Highly recommended for anyone intrigued by the rich history of 1980s
pop culture, Power of Grayskull is now available on VOD platforms.
