In the 2020s, Netflix released two different series based on Mattel’s 40-year-old toyline about “space barbarians,” and a third based on the spinoff line featuring She-Ra and other “princesses of power.” Still, no matter how many iterations grace television or comics, the original He-Man and the Masters of the Universe series produced by Filmation remains wildly popular, even as its original fans are on the other side of middle age. How can a series based on toys made with outdated animation techniques still hold up in today’s sci-fi and fantasy age?The Masters of the Universe show is one of the first narrative series created to promote toys instead of the other way around. Before then, comic books, television shows and films would license their characters to a toy company as an additional revenue stream and for promotion. In fact, He-Man, Skeletor and pals only exist because George Lucas gave the license for Star Wars action figures to Kenner instead of Mattel. At the same time, Mattel marketing executives found out that children responded to what became He-Man’s signature line: “I have the power!” What made them a genuine sensation, however, is how the Filmation storytellers depicted the characters using that power.Filmation, the studio behind DC Comics superhero shows and Star Trek: The Animated Series, was approached by Mattel. Founder Lou Scheimer told Ellis that for the same budget as two specials, they could produce an entire series of half-hour episodes for syndication. This is because Filmation would simply Xerox animation cells for common actions like running, punching and so on. Filmation, however, had trouble with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and the Action for Children’s Television advocacy group in the past. It wasn’t until President Ronald Reagan appointed Mark Fowler to the FCC that the gains ACT made were done away with in deregulation. Thus, children’s shows could directly advertise to kids.
In the 2020s, Netflix released two different series based on Mattel’s 40-year-old toyline about “space barbarians,” and a third based on the spinoff line featuring She-Ra and other “princesses of power.” Still, no matter how many iterations grace television or comics, the original He-Man and the Masters of the Universe series produced by Filmation remains wildly popular, even as its original fans are on the other side of middle age. How can a series based on toys made with outdated animation techniques still hold up in today’s sci-fi and fantasy age?
The Masters of the Universe show is one of the first narrative series created to promote toys instead of the other way around. Before then, comic books, television shows and films would license their characters to a toy company as an additional revenue stream and for promotion. In fact, He-Man, Skeletor and pals only exist because George Lucas gave the license for Star Wars action figures to Kenner instead of Mattel. At the same time, Mattel marketing executives found out that children responded to what became He-Man’s signature line: “I have the power!” What made them a genuine sensation, however, is how the Filmation storytellers depicted the characters using that power.
Filmation, the studio behind DC Comics superhero shows and Star Trek: The Animated Series, was approached by Mattel. Founder Lou Scheimer told Ellis that for the same budget as two specials, they could produce an entire series of half-hour episodes for syndication. This is because Filmation would simply Xerox animation cells for common actions like running, punching and so on. Filmation, however, had trouble with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and the Action for Children’s Television advocacy group in the past. It wasn’t until President Ronald Reagan appointed Mark Fowler to the FCC that the gains ACT made were done away with in deregulation. Thus, children’s shows could directly advertise to kids.
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