"Riddle of the Comet"

As He-Man and the Masters of the Universe was developed into a series, the staff writers at Filmation came up with a wealth of proposed story premises. Numerous episodes were never developed beyond the early stages. Showcased below is one of those abandoned episodes, alongside a title card that I have created to show what might have been. Please note that in some of these synopses Orko is still referred to as Gorpo, Evil-Lyn as Desira, and the Evil Warriors as the Masters of the Universe. The Sorceress does not appear to have been fully developed at this point either; with many references instead to the Spirit of Grayskull. Also, Stratos is a villain; much like he was in the early Mattel material. All of the original spellings (Tee-La, Beastman, etc.) are also retained for authenticity.

The unofficial cartoon guide to He-Man and the Masters of the Universe features many more abandoned episodes!

"Riddle of the Comet"
When a comet crashes into the planet, He-Man loses his strength. Meanwhile, Beastman's legions storm into the kingdom, and without He-Man's defensive power, Castle Grayskull is sure to fall. Only by unraveling the riddle of the comet...and its strange properties...can He-Man recover his strength and save Grayskull.


* Legally I should say that Larry DiTillio did NOT write this episode. This is merely an example of how the episode title card might have looked.

Panini sticker album art #33

When I was a kid, one of my most prized possessions was the Masters of the Universe sticker album by Panini. I still remember the day my mother purchased the album for me. Aside from the fun of collecting the stickers themselves I thoroughly enjoyed looking at the Filmation-accurate illustrations that could be found on each and every page. I thought it would be a good idea to showcase those illustrations on this very Blog!

Here we see the opening panel for "The Time Corridor"...

(click on the image to see it at full-size)

She-Ra script: "Return of the Sea Hawk" #2

For your entertainment I present to you the script for the season one She-Ra episode "Return of the Sea Hawk" written by Michael Chase Walker and Larry DiTillio. This episode would mark the return of the Sea Hawk, whilst revealing if it was Adora or She-Ra as to whom he would rather spend quality time with. Here are pages six to eleven of the script.



(click on the images to see them at full-size)

Panini sticker album art #32

When I was a kid, one of my most prized possessions was the Masters of the Universe sticker album by Panini. I still remember the day my mother purchased the album for me. Aside from the fun of collecting the stickers themselves I thoroughly enjoyed looking at the Filmation-accurate illustrations that could be found on each and every page. I thought it would be a good idea to showcase those illustrations on this very Blog!

In this illustration Teela attemps to deter the Creeping Horak with fire...

(click on the image to see it at full-size)

She-Ra script: "Return of the Sea Hawk" #1

For your entertainment I present to you the script for the season one She-Ra episode "Return of the Sea Hawk" written by Michael Chase Walker and Larry DiTillio. This episode would mark the return of the Sea Hawk, whilst revealing if it was Adora or She-Ra as to whom he would rather spend quality time with. Here is the cover page, followed by the first five pages of the script.



(click on the images to see them at full-size)

The Goddess ejects Skeletor!

Today I feature one of the most memorable scenes from the Masters of the Universe minicomic "The Tale of Teela!", and quite possibly, one of the most memorable scenes from the entire run of minicomics! Here we see the Goddess, now merged with Teela, confront Skeletor inside of Castle Grayskull. In the first panel, artist Mark Texeira illustrates the Goddess in a way that shows how powerful she has become since merging with Teela, emphasized with her flowing hair and levitational stance. I like the fact that even Skeletor realizes that he is outmatched, and begins begging for mercy! The second panel is full of such energy, as Skeletor is ejected from Castle Grayskull with no hesitation!


(click on the image to see it at full-size)

A brief review #057 - "Castle of Heroes"

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 "Castle of Heroes"...

This episode is special not only because it tells a unique story, but because we have He-Man being challenged directly, instead of having him race to save the day. Mel Gilden uses the appearance of Monteeg as an opportunity to reveal Skeletor's near-admiration of He-Man's abilities; it is amusing to see the Lord of Destruction celebrating his enemy. Usually in this type of episode He-Man and Orko would take a back seat to the action or characters around them, but the pair are scripted so perfectly that they compliment the episode. This story features admirable writing, great action, interesting new characters, and a conclusion that is worthy of He-Man's greatest feats. 7/10

Now, may I ask; what is YOUR rating?

Panini sticker album art #31

When I was a kid, one of my most prized possessions was the Masters of the Universe sticker album by Panini. I still remember the day my mother purchased the album for me. Aside from the fun of collecting the stickers themselves I thoroughly enjoyed looking at the Filmation-accurate illustrations that could be found on each and every page. I thought it would be a good idea to showcase those illustrations on this very Blog!

These two panels show He-Man saving Helios, King of the Fire People...

(click on the image to see it at full-size)