Stinkor's fear...

The Power of Fear by MVCreations was a great one-shot Masters of the Universe comic. The story focuses on Scare Glow working for Skeletor and attacking the heroes. The funniest gag in the entire comic occurs when Scare Glow demonstrates his ability to scare people. We learn that Stinkor's biggest fear is soap and water; in other words, anything that can remove his stench of evil! The illustration by Emiliano Santalucia is very amusing!


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Coloring book #5 - Defeating the Ocean Warlord!

During the eighties there were many Masters of the Universe coloring books, all of which featured a variety of artwork, with varying degrees of quality. Some artists put in a great level of detail, other artists simply copied model sheets, and some artists were just plain questionable. There were a batch of illustrations by one particular unnamed artist that I have a great affection for, mainly because the style is close to the cartoon, but bold enough to be identifiable as the artist's own! These images also showcased some pretty impressive scenes that I personally wish could have been seen in the Filmation series. In this illustration we see that Mer-Man's attack appears to only last a few seconds, as Teela somehow defeats him. Looking at this image my guess is that she has used some kind of explosive. For some reason I love the detail and crazy wide-eyed expression on Mer-Man's face!


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Omiros.

I have not featured a panning shot on this Blog in quite some time. So, here for your entertainment is one of the more creatively-illustrated pans of the planet Omiros from the season one He-Man episode "Orko's Missing Magic". What I love about this background is the sense of great depth achieved by the Filmation artists. My favorite part of the background is the left hand side in which we see a pathway, seemingly leading to nowhere, with two large planets visible through the clouds. In the episode Orko says that the terrain looks magical, and I for one have to agree with him!


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FILMATION ART: Whispering Woods at night.

For the last fifteen years I have collected He-Man and She-Ra animation artwork. As a result I have amassed a pretty large collection! Here I present a piece of original background artwork from the She-Ra episode "King Miro's Journey". I always thought the alongside the Fright Zone the Whispering Woods was always rendered with amazing detail. However, up until this point I had no backgrounds with the Whispering Woods at night, in which Filmation employed another color palette altogether! This background, whilst not as detailed as most, really showcases the beauty of the Whispering Woods and the wonderful style of artwork achieved on a regular basis by the Filmation background artists.


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And here is how the background was used in the episode...

That's Mer-Man?!

"Leech - The Master of Power Suction Unleashed!" is one of the worst Masters of the Universe minicomics ever produced. The artwork, while unique, seems to change style from panel to panel, as does the look of characters. The story is also incredibly questionable with events making little to no sense. Aside from Leech's ever-changing size and look, one of the other big questions about this minicomic is what happened to Mer-Man? In this story we see the Ocean Warlord given a completely different look, specifically with regards to his head! In this one minicomic we see the villain sporting a beard! The panels showcased below are not even the worst of it. Later in the book Mer-Man's beard is as long as Zagraz's!


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Coloring book #4 - Mer-Man attacks!

During the eighties there were many Masters of the Universe coloring books, all of which featured a variety of artwork, with varying degrees of quality. Some artists put in a great level of detail, other artists simply copied model sheets, and some artists were just plain questionable. There were a batch of illustrations by one particular unnamed artist that I have a great affection for, mainly because the style is close to the cartoon, but bold enough to be identifiable as the artist's own! These images also showcased some pretty impressive scenes that I personally wish could have been seen in the Filmation series. In this illustration we see that Teela's idea of practicing her archery skills on the beach was not the best idea she has ever had, as Mer-Man dramatically emerges from the depths! I like the way in which Mer-Man is illustrated. His design resembles the cartoon, but his armor is slightly different. I love the fact that Teela does not look too fussed by the appearance of the Ocean Warlord!


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Many a Glimmer.

I have always been a fan of Glimmer, so the more the merrier in my opinion! However, in this fun illustration from the She-Ra Ladybird book "Shadow Weaver's Magic Mirror" by Robin Davies, both Adora and Glimmer are less than pleased with an army of Glimmer clones. I love the low angle of this, favoring Adora's surprise at the situation...


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Gommoroth model.

Many years ago I revealed that this striking character briefly seen in the season one She-Ra episode "The Red Knight" was called Gommoroth in the script. Here I present a piece of finalized concept artwork for the character who, as the writing indicates, was designed by both Gerald Forton and Ed Haney. Gommoroth's costume is unique in that unlike most seen in the series it features straps and buckles holding parts of it together.


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Queen Marlena's alternative costume.

Here is an interesting panel as featured in The Secret Files of Scrollos from issue thirty-five of the UK Masters of the Universe comic. Over the years we have become accustomed to Queen Marlena's astronaut costume from the Filmation cartoon. The UK comic decided to take the costume in another direction. Aside from the departure in style from a traditional astronaut costume, I do like the color scheme throughout, as well as the strange tiara that sits upon her head.


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Coloring book #3 - Teela's accuracy.

During the eighties there were many Masters of the Universe coloring books, all of which featured a variety of artwork, with varying degrees of quality. Some artists put in a great level of detail, other artists simply copied model sheets, and some artists were just plain questionable. There were a batch of illustrations by one particular unnamed artist that I have a great affection for, mainly because the style is close to the cartoon, but bold enough to be identifiable as the artist's own! These images also showcased some pretty impressive scenes that I personally wish could have been seen in the Filmation series. In this illustration we see Teela practicing her archery skills on the beach; a somewhat strange location for such a skill to be honed. Notice with this piece that the artist has perfectly rendered the design of Teela's costume based upon her look in the animated series. Interestingly, the one notable difference is the way in which her hair has been rendered.


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Eternos City is destroyed!

One of the most memorable stories ever to have appeared in the UK Masters of the Universe comics appeared in issue eight of the Adventure magazine. This cover beautifully summarized the dramatic story and was in no way a trick to get people to buy the magazine. Why the writers decided to have the Evil Warriors destroy the Royal Palace was interesting, as it pertained to a situation outside of the stories. The UK comic, presumably in order to cut costs, decided to adapt the German Masters of the Universe comic. However, there was a slight problem. In the UK comics the Royal Palace had always been a medieval-looking castle, whereas the Royal Palace that appeared in the German comics was a beautifully constructed pink-hued city, with towering spires. While most comic companies would not have explained the change, the UK comic decided to destroy the existing medieval Royal Palace in order to explain why it looked vastly different, as the German stories were now adapted! Expect me to scan in the pages from this incredible story soon!


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Unused Zem design #2

As I mentioned yesterday the season one He-Man episode "The Return of Granamyr", which featured numerous examples of character model reuse, was originally going to feature new models! Here is the second of two images showing the original design of Zem...


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Unused Zem design #1

The season one He-Man episode "The Return of Granamyr" is notable for its character model reuse. We see Zikran and Jarvan from "A Friend in Need" appear as Brindle and Zem respectively. And the character model of Aroo from "Masks of Power" is reused for Braylok. Interestingly, in the development of this episode, the character models were going to be completely new! For example here is the first of two images showing the original design of Zem...


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Coloring book #2 - Destiny...

During the eighties there were many Masters of the Universe coloring books, all of which featured a variety of artwork, with varying degrees of quality. Some artists put in a great level of detail, other artists simply copied model sheets, and some artists were just plain questionable. There were a batch of illustrations by one particular unnamed artist that I have a great affection for, mainly because the style is close to the cartoon, but bold enough to be identifiable as the artist's own! These images also showcased some pretty impressive scenes that I personally wish could have been seen in the Filmation series. In this very dramatic illustration we see Prince Adam, or He-Man, at the feet of the Sorceress as he is presented with the Sword of Power, as well as the other pieces of paraphernalia that make him He-Man. This is an incredibly powerful image that could be interpreted in two different ways. It could reference the early minicomics in which the Goddess handed He-Man the items that enabled him to fight Skeletor and the Evil Warriors. The other interpretation is that this is the moment that Prince Adam received the power of Castle Grayskull. Regardless of your personal choice, either interpretation is dramatic!


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Anime villains!

I featured this scene as a video clip back in 2006, but I thought it would be worth showcasing this scene with six specific images! The New Adventures of He-Man episode "Adam's Adventure" is filled with many moments of beautiful-looking animation, and here I present six fantastic images from one such particular scene. As Flogg attempts to figure out Skeletor's latest plan we see him undergo a few comical expressions perfectly capturing his slowness. However, Skeletor is the star of this sequence. He steps into shot and his eyes wonderfully light up, matching the dialogue, as he convinces Flogg through passive aggression that his latest plan is worth obeying...



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The Catscope!

The rarely-seen four story She-Ra Ladybird compilation book was interesting in that aside from including two new stories, it included two previously published stories in "Catra's Ice Palace" and "She-Ra and the Golden Goose", renamed "The Golden Goose" for this publication. The most striking thing about "Catra's Ice Palace" is that due to the size of this compilation book being a different format, the illustrations that accompanied the story were completely redrawn. Previously the story had been illustrated by Geoff Senior, but this time Glenn Steward illustrated it, to tie into the fact that the other three stories in the compilation were illustrated by him! In this illustration we see that high atop the Fright Zone, in her own personal tower, Catra has the Catscope; a ridiculously large telescope that she uses to spy upon her enemies. I like the way in which Clawdeen is perched with her paws resting on the ledge.


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Man-E-Pain!

I remember reading the Masters of the Universe minicomic "The Ordeal of Man-E-Faces!" over and over again as a kid. Even though I was not a fan of the minicomics at the time, I was so impressed with Mark Texeira's artwork that I loved examining the pages in-depth. This panel of Man-E-Faces in a great deal of pain is by far one of my favorites from the story. I was also a fan of Man-E-Faces' design in this minicomic (which was based on his prototype) over his action figure design and cartoon design...


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Coloring book #1 - Guardian of Castle Grayskull.

During the eighties there were many Masters of the Universe coloring books, all of which featured a variety of artwork, with varying degrees of quality. Some artists put in a great level of detail, other artists simply copied model sheets, and some artists were just plain questionable. There were a batch of illustrations by one particular unnamed artist that I have a great affection for, mainly because the style is close to the cartoon, but bold enough to be identifiable as the artist's own! These images also showcased some pretty impressive scenes that I personally wish could have been seen in the Filmation series. In this illustration we see He-Man with the Sword of Power casually held in both hands standing in the foreground, with Castle Grayskull in the background. Many will criticize the simplicity of Castle Grayskull, but I love the composition of this piece.


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A possible crossover story.

Robert Lamb came up with numerous story ideas during his time working on She-Ra. One of many which unfortunately never saw the light of day was an untitled story that would've seen a young boy join the Evil Horde, only to get more than he bargained for. Read for yourself!


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Annoying little Twigget?!

Here I present four cute action-packed panels from the season one She-Ra episode "Duel at Devlan". Warren Greenwood shows a slight bit of possible frustration at working on the She-Ra series when he describers Sprocker as an "annoying little Twigget". The final shot in this sequence of four panels is actually rather amusing in the final episode, with Sprocker looking wide-eyed and slightly crazy!


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A brief review #025 - "Evilseed"

As many of you will know, in 2010 I published The unofficial cartoon guide to He-Man and the Masters of the Universe. At 300+ pages the book features 700+ pieces of trivia, 460+ deleted scenes, 360+ examples of animation reuse, 380+ quotes, 50+ abandoned episodes, and a LOT more! It is the book that NO fan of the Filmation series can live without! BUY IT NOW!

As an incentive, here is my brief review and rating (as they appear in the book) for "Evilseed"...

This episode is a triumph throughout. Not only is the dialogue first class, but the visuals in this episode by Bob Arkwright are at times creatively stunning. Barney Cohen writes a superb Skeletor, crafting a villain that is evil, without being over the top. We get to see how his mind works as the plants begin to take over Eternia, and he patiently waits for his opportunity to strike. As for Evilseed, there are not that many guest villains in this series that make as big an impact as he does. In truth, all that Evilseed does during the episode is stand around; but his dialogue, voice, and look are fantastic. A traditional story that unites good and evil, but that is executed beautifully. 8/10

Now, may I ask; what is YOUR rating?

FILMATION ART: Collector viewscreen.

For the last sixteen years I have collected He-Man and She-Ra animation artwork. As a result I have amassed a pretty large collection! Here I present a piece of original background artwork from the He-Man episode "Colossor Awakes". I was actually quite happy to purchase this background of the Collector minus the cel layers, because I think it showcases the fantastic detail given to the plowed fields that show up on the viewscreen. If you look carefully there are even highlights on the gathering mounds of dirt! It would appear that the field was actually painted first, as the interior of the Collector sits atop the painting as an overlay. The artist would have rendered it in this way, so that when they needed to alter the image on the viewscreen itself they could simply place a new image under the Collector's interior, and have it appear!


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And here is how the background was used in the episode...