Art of He-Man and the Masters of the Universe

I'll just start first by saying that this book is......AWESOME!!! Just to cut to the chase for those wondering.When this book was announced at SDCC last summer it couldn't seem to get here quick enough and IMO......it delivered. I wanted to write my review sooner since I had the book in hand just about 2 weeks ago already since specialty stores received it a full 2 weeks ahead of the mass retailers as it was also announced with the unveiling of this book at SDCC 2014. When I picked it up at my local comic shop I was amazed when it was handed to me at what a monster this book really is. It's a very beefy book that basically covers the 35 years of MOTU history from it's early conception all the way up to 'possible' artwork being considered for a possible new MOTU movie that's been in production limbo for probably the last decade or so.I was a MOTU fan since the Filmation cartoon debuted back in 1983, so I was a year or so late after the first figures hit store shelves so I wasn't a fan since day 1. I did, however, stay with the line until the very end in 1987 and still have all my vintage figures intact but sadly not the vehicles and playsets. This book showcases so much great artwork that brings back tons of childhood memories from that great decade known as the 1980s and this book would have been a holy grail of collectibles back then to collect so much into one book. It's great to see art that you remember along with stuff that you may possibly never have seen.Back at SDCC 2009, Mattel released a MOTU art book that wasn't bad but wasn't all that great either. Then came the "Power and Honor Foundation" hardcover that really gave fans a taste of what an MOTU art book can be. And now we have this book and it's probably one the best MOTU compilations to ever come out. Like the 'Power & Honor' book, you can tell that these books are a labor of love by people who clearly get and love the MOTU franchise. Dark Horse and the Seeley's have done a great job getting this together along with others who are well known in the MOTU community. It's great to see that the 'Power & Honor Foundation' was also credited as well as MOTU experts and diehard fans like Emiliano Santalucia & James Eatock (among others) contributing to this book only adds to it's credibility IMO, even moreso.IF (and I stress IF) I have any complaint about this book is that it doesn't contain ALL of the MOTU artwork like the cardback artwork or all the vehicle art, etc. But to include all of that, this book would easily be several volumes instead of just one. Plus to obtain all of that artwork would be incredibily daunting and we would probably have to wait much, much longer. Plus, there's the fact if some of the artwork is even obtainable. Either way, this book is true testament to the MOTU franchise and how it still is popular today, granted maybe not as popular as it was 30 years ago but it is still is in the public eye & part of our pop culture.My knowledge isn't as in-depth as some since I took almost a 15 year break from MOTU from the vintage line to the 2002 reboot so I hope my review here is close to 100% accurate. Short & sweet, if you are an MOTU fan then this book is a must have. Not to overlook it but it does cover 'She-Ra: Princess of Power' and 'New Adventures of He-man' as well so it covers all the bases. It was an added bonus to see that shortly before the release of this book that Dark Horse had announced its follow-up, 'MOTU: Mini Comic Collection'. After seeing the care that went into this book, I cannot wait for that book to come out. Hopefully it won't stop there.

There are few more iconic enterprises in 80's American Pop-Culture than He-Man and the Masters of the Universe. Toy-giant Mattel captured the lightning in a bottle they were hoping for, having designed the toy-line as a sort of retaliation for skipping out on the Star Wars license. Hindsight is always 20/20, but rather than attempt to ape (now defunct) Kenner's cash-cow, Mattel set to work on building a new franchise from the ground up, in part taking Joseph Campbell's "Hero With a Thousand Faces" mythological archetypes as seriously and strictly as Lucas took them with his own initial film vision. One could argue that once an idea is born, the need for definition separates it from being part of general mythology and forces it to be something more narrow, but unlike that other far, far away galaxy, the universe of the Masters somehow managed to flourish as a catch-all for fantastic heroism, embracing almost all types of heroic fiction as a viable component of its whole. That willingness to embrace and expand conventions, all the while breaking down walls about what can be done in a fantasy franchise, ensured the Masters of the Universe line would exhibit the kind of timeless and immortal attributes that keep it popular even today.This huge tome seeks to capture as broad and comprehensive a look at the design, mythos, and creativity of Masters of the Universe as possible, without destroying your end table under its weight. From concept to completion; From cartoons to comics; From prototype to polish; This book covers it all. Interspersed with the amazing art are interviews with key players in the history of the line, all the way through to the current toy line being sold online.For a collector like myself who opens his toys for display, the inclusion of the amazing package art in this collection is immensely welcome. In particular, the recent release of Castle Grayskull had amazing art by Rudy Obrero, and I couldn't part to dispose of the box. Now with this book on my shelf, I might reclaim some garage space, if only to donate the huge cardboard cube to another, less space-constrained fan. Maybe...There is even a section covering the live-action film, with some amazing pre-vis work from the inimitable Ralph McQuarrie. Unfortunately, there is a glaring omission to this section: While there is a wonderful interview with production designer William Stout, none of his production artwork made it into the book. As a fan of Mr. Stout's work, I lament the exclusion. Still, the rest of the book feels so comprehensive, it's difficult to hold that as a point against the book as a whole.Now, a confession - I never collected Masters of the Universe as a kid. While I loved the ideas, and enjoyed the Filmation cartoon, I was much more drawn to the smaller, more highly articulated fighting man. It was the new "Classics" line that brought me to the table as a collector, even though I was a fan since He-Man first raised aloft his magic sword and said...well, you know what he said. And yes, I said "he-Man", not "Adam". I'm one of those guys.That is to say, one of the most appealing things about Masters of the Universe is the ability for each fan to own it in a different way, and this book does a great job of showing how hard so many great artists worked to make that possible, for kids of all ages. Long time fans will appreciate the tribute to their favorite line. New fans will appreciate the accessible compilation of history in one place. And fans of art and design will enjoy the book for how it shows the full arc of an idea, from beginning to no-end-in-sight. An easy recommendation, at a reasonable price.

This is a terrific book! It's 320 pages of information and art work on 'He-Man and the Masters of the Universe'. For fans of the toys and / or the animated shows, this is real treat.It's a hardback book, full of glossy prints. It explains the conception of the main characters - which were originally designed to be nothing more than toy figures for boys - and how, as ideas progressed, the franchise evolved first into a comic book series and then a cartoon show. This show, which aired for the first time in the mid-1980's, was a phenomenal success - and the toy-line was a $billion industry. Unfortunately, the MOTU died away in the late 1980's ... only really being resurrected with some degree of success in 2002 - with a re-made animated show and a new toy-line. Later, the 'Classics' line of figures was released, as well as a new comic book series by DC Comics.This book explores the 'art' of MOTU. And much of it is fantastic ... some of the drawings - e.g. of He-Man defending Castle Grayskull from Skeletor - are awesome, providing iconic fantasy imagery.For fans of the show, this is a great item. I was especially fascinated by the early concept art (it's amazing to see how both He-Man and Skeletor were first envisaged). This is a high-quality book, providing detailed information. Thoroughly recommended.

This book starts off with an introduction from Alan Oppenheimer, the actor behind the voices of Skeletor, Cringer, Battle Cat, Man-at-Arms, Mer-Man, and other characters from the 1980s cartoon. And it just gets better from there.THE TEXT: Besides the mandatory explanation about the history and development of the property, you also get interviews with the people who realised it in terms of conceptual character designs, cartoons, comic books, story books, magazines, the 1987 live-action film, the new tablet game, and, of course, the toys at every stage of the development from rough sketches to final products from the 1980s, the 1990s, and the New Millennium.THE ART: Character development, marketing images, lush packaging artwork, posters, blueprints, documentation, cartoon model sheets, a couple of larger fold-out sections, and your very own "animation cell." The book features all kinds of artwork from all the eras and incarnations listed above. While they couldn’t possibly include everything in this book, they’ve included more than any other book I’ve ever seen on the subject before, and enough to give you plenty of insight on the 35-year history of the brand (early work and designs can be traced back to 1980), with a look at possible future diversions. I’ve got to admit, though, I’m not entirely keen on many of those newest re-imaginings, which would look pretty cool on their own, but are too wild a departure from what has gone before to look truly “MOTU,” in my eyes.OVERALL: This is an excellent book, and a must-have for any fan of Masters of the Universe. It’s absolutely packed with the kind of art that thrilled many of us as kids, and can elicit some strong nostalgia now we’re (ostensibly) adults. Considering how large and full of neat-o stuff this book is, the price is lower than I expected. I noticed a couple of minor mistakes (for example, an excerpt from the mini-comic “The Search for Keldor” is mislabelled as coming from “The Ultimate Battleground”), but for the most part, the information in the book is not only accurate but also interesting, with a lot of rare and never-before-seen details to flesh out the background of the property. Such as you can find out what links the original Filmation cartoon to Matt Groening, creator of “The Simpsons” and “Futurama” – and it won’t be what you expect!

Such a fantastic book, researched and written with care and enthusiasm. Even the most hardened MOTU fan will find something here that he or she has never seen before, as the writers had access to archival material and also the personal collections of various fans. The first section about the initial idea and designs for the toy range was particularly fascinating, seeing He-Man and the other characters develop and change.As an illustration nerd, I loved the artwork chosen in the book, from packaging designs to promotional posters. The book also covers the later attempts to reboot the series, as well as some eye-opening material on the live-action feature film and how the initial concepts - which were closer in look to the toys and cartoon - were darkened down and reimagined for the grittier look of the film. It was also an unexpected joy to receive a mini animation cell hidden inside the book! This, along with the fold-out pages and the high quality of the reproductions and the paper stock, make this a lovely gift for any big kid.I would have preferred fewer, longer interviews with the creators; the interviews that are in the book are short so you only get an overview of the work an individual writer or artist did, rather than anything in depth; perhaps that is something for a follow-up volume! She-Ra features a few times in the book too, of course, and it would be lovely to see that range of toys get a similar art book... although perhaps there isn't the interest, or the variety of material available, to make that a reality. The publishers Dark Horse are planning to reprint all the mini-comics that appeared with He-Man and She-Ra toys in a book scheduled for release in autumn 2015 at over 1000 pages(!) so there is certainly a market for He-Man nostalgia!

Not the exhaustive and nigh-on political archive beautifully printed and bound by The Power and Honor Foundation some years ago, 'The Art of He-Man' is nonetheless a well researched and comprehensive archive of the pioneering and phenomenally successful 1980s toy franchise. Masters of The Universe remained much loved even through its dubious movie adaptation and morphing into other, arguably lesser incarnations but this was all to the good as it constituted the same creative pedigree as the ponderously better respected Sci-Fi, fantasy and comic book characters the toy line once eclipsed in children's obsessions. Here He-Man and MOTU's unfair - maybe even bigoted - status of untermensch in the pantheon of modern pop culture fantasy characters is redressed. Just because plastic figures, playsets and vehicles drove comics and animation based on them doesn't mean a rich legacy of commercial art, packaging design and design concepts couldn't stand shoulder to shoulder with original comic-book artwork or storyboards. What Superman meant to the kids of the 1940s-1950s, cementing that character as a classic, so too He-Man held sway in 1980s kids' minds. Whether in red or furry pants, a generation's iconic superhero should always be given a chance to shine again. He-Man and his world does so here.

This has to be the most awesome book release this year!! 320 pages of quality masters of the universe knowledge and art! The book goes right from the origins of the characters in 1982 to 2015, there is much detail about the drawings and the animation involved with the TV series and the comic, books magazines and many large prints of the amazing posters and prints made over the years, all information and pictures of the classic toys up to the current Classics line, there are a couple of cool extras too hidden inside like an animation cell that you can put to backgrounds and a fold out poster showing figures from the classics line, there is detail into characters that were not used at the time in the 80's, merchandise, the movie starring Dolph Lundgren, and much more, practically everything you need, there are a few B&W images showing original sketches and drawings the rest of the book is beautiful full colour images, this is truly a MUST own book for any fan. The definitive Masters of the universe collectable book.320-pages in a beautiful hardback cover!!