Tested by the warriors!

I think this page from issue sixty of the UK Masters of the Universe comic detailing the process that a vehicle goes through is quite insightful. Often in the various canons vehicles would show up and we would not question their appearance. I like the idea that for the first time we are shown the lengthy and arduous process that many vehicles go through. The first panel showing Man-At-Arms working hard, followed by the finished product in the following panel is perfectly balanced. The last panel almost has a depressing feel to it; as if the warriors successfully tested the machine, but now Man-At-Arms must go back to the drawing board...


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She-Ra's throne.

"She-Ra and the Golden Goose" is one of few Ladybird books that Robin Davies did not illustrate, and it shows! Artist Glenn Steward is not a bad artist by any means, but the dramatic shift in style is noticeable. Whereas Robin Davies' artwork could be appreciated by boys as it was action-based, Glenn Steward's style appears to target girls only! Of course this may have been a conscious decision by the people at Ladybird books. This interesting illustration shows She-Ra in the Crystal Castle with all her friends around her. This illustration of course follows the toy line, but it does look like the characters have all gathered in honor of She-Ra. It is nice to see the later characters Peekablue, Fluttertina and Sweet Bee...


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Positioning the mirror.

The Ladybird book "Shadow Weaver's Magic Mirror" features an extremely rare appearance by Hordak's Horde Troopers. This illustration would be one of the few times that Robin Davies drew these characters. It is worth noting that his style seems to alter for the Horde Troopers, giving them black areas of shading, something he would rarely do in his illustrations on the She-Ra books. It is even more evident as Hordak and Shadow Weaver are drawn in his more traditional style...


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Fire!

In this spectacular image from the Ladybird book "He-Man and the Asteroid of Doom" Skeletor orders his slaves to fire the large magnetic beam projector at an asteroid in an effort to control it! If you look carefully, aside from seeing Skeletor pointing to the skies above, you can also see two of his Skelcons operating the machine.


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Foot chase again!

Yesterday's Blog entry may have had you scratching your head, but here an accompanying illustration, or quite possible a homage, from another Masters of the Universe coloring book. As this was a few years later the illustration is based on the Filmation designs of He-Man and Skeletor, but that does not stop the image from looking overly comical! I love the way Skeletor's feet are both off the ground, as if he is sprinting for his life. And I have to ask, is that even a sword He-Man is holding?


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Foot chase!

Here is a slightly comical illustration from one of the earliest Masters of the Universe coloring books showing He-Man chasing after Skeletor with the Sword of Power raised high above his head! The images throughout these coloring books were often quite serious, and based on the earliest canons of He-Man and the Masters of the Universe. However I find this illustration to look completely out of place as it looks too comical. Now be prepared for tomorrow...


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The original Twiggets!

Here is an illustration from the She-Ra Series Bible showing one of the first artistic representations of the Twiggets that dwell within the Whispering Woods. These characters look a lot more like the Trobbits from the Filmation Blackstar cartoon than their final Princess of Power character designs. Also it is worth noting that even at this early stage the method for naming the Twiggets is already in place; Sprockett, Sprig and Sprinkle. And is it me or do they look slightly evil?


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Obviously Cringer...

"The Planet of Plants" from issue nine of the UK Masters of the Universe comic features an interesting last couple of panels featuring Battle Cat without his armor, looking an awful lot like Cringer. I always find this scene amusing because there are not that many green and yellow-striped tigers on Eternia and yet Buzz-Off, Moss Man, and King Randor appear to be oblivious! Having said that, if you go all the way back to the Blog entry Witnesses! from over three years ago you will see that Cringer's dual identity was not that much of a secret...


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Psychic energies...

I always thought that this opening splash page by Mark Texeira for the minicomic "The Power Of... Point Dread!" was easily one of the best from the entire run of comics. Skeletor looks incredibly menacing as he taps the power of the Mystic Crystal of the Caverns in an effort to steal Point Dread and the Talon Fighter. Reading these early minicomics always takes me back to my early days of collecting the Masters of the Universe figures; when the minicomics were the only stories we had. Of course I will always prefer the cartoon, but there is no doubt that the minicomics, especially the early ones were one of the greatest parts of He-Man's legacy!


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Taking to the skies...

Here I present another great example of why Robin Davies was such a great artist on the Princess of Power Ladybird books. While I was never a great fan that his style shifted to a more Filmation-accurate one, it was no doubt well suited for the She-Ra books, and you can observe this just by the colors used in this particular image.


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