Allegra's expressions.

"Wild Child" was one of the last episodes of She-Ra's first season. While it may have not been an outstanding episode its storyline, which featured not one single villain, was entertaining enough to hold the viewer's interest. The character Allegra was the star of this episode as the plot revolved around her. In the model pack for the episode there are a few pages of character expressions; these two illustrations being the most striking!


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Beast Man's talent.

Here is another fantastic illustration by Robin Davies from "Warlord of Eternia"; the story that features no He-Man from the one-off Masters of the Universe Ladybird annual. This illustration shows Skeletor in chains as Beast Man demonstrates his skill with a whip. I want to know why the contents of the crockery appear to look like custard!


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Extended fight scene! #1

"The Dragon Invasion" is one of the most memorable episodes of He-Man and the Masters of the Universe. One of the best scenes in the episode occurs when the Heroic Warriors storm Castle Grayskull to battle the Evil Warriors. In the actual episode the fight is almost over before it has begun; we see Jitsu battle Ram Man and lose, a very brief shot of Trap Jaw trying to blast Stratos, and Skeletor fleeing Teela. However, in these fantastic storyboards by Don Manuel we can see that the fight scene was supposed to go on a lot longer! Most notably in these first two pages we see Evil-Lyn attack Man-At-Arms...


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Freed by the power!

Here is a page of storyboard panels from the season one He-Man episode "The Dragon Invasion". Even as a kid I was always fascinated by this particular scene in which we see Prince Adam crushed by rock fall during the transformation sequence! Sadly the action happens so fast that none of the characters ever discuss it. It is interesting to see that the storyboards are pretty much the same, albeit with a few changes; He-Man emerges from the rock fall in front of the visage of Castle Grayskull, whereas in the actual episode they simply show the stock footage of Prince Adam transforming into He-Man in front of the castle.


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Razz dare not watch...

I am a big fan of the way in which Terry Gabbey illustrated Madame Razz throughout the She-Ra Ladybird book "She-Ra and the surprise party". His unique style appeared to suit Madame Razz the best, as he drew her with a certain joie de vivre, relying less on her comedic costume and more on the character's physicality. Dare I say, I prefer his interpretation of the character over the Filmation character model!


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One panel transformation.

For some strange reason I have always liked this panel from the Masters of the Universe minicomic "The Stench of Evil!" Even though the art is nothing special, something about the structure of the panel showing Prince Adam transform into He-Man with a simple KABOOM! down the middle works really well! I also like the fact that the power changes from orange to a dark red, creating a link to both images within the single panel.


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Leading the dragon...

Here is another illustration by Robin Davies from "Dragon from the Lost Valley", a story that appeared in the one-off Masters of the Universe Ladybird annual. I love the level of depth in this illustration, combined with the precariousness of the situation, and the dramatic beauty of the world of Eternia, in which we see both the sun and the moon in the sky at the same time. When Robin Davies re-illustrated this piece for "He-Man and the Lost Dragon" he drew it from a different angle.


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Mattel battle #4

Here is the fourth of four highly memorable illustrations from the 1981 Masters of the Universe Licensee Book. These illustrations were reproduced on many Masters of the Universe items at the height of its popularity! Next to the first illustration I revealed, this is my favorite. I love the power of this illustration and the odd way in which the Castle Grayskull weapons are flying through the air!


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The Princess of Power transforms!

Here are two contrasting panels from the Princess of Power minicomic "The Hidden Symbols Mystery". In the first panel we have see a fantastic use of blacks as Adora calls upon the power of Castle Grayskull. In the second panel we are treated to seeing She-Ra enveloped by the magic. However, in the second panel Swift Wind is drawn with an incredibly odd-looking face, and a weird bent horn!


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A brief review #010 - "A Friend in Need"

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 "A Friend in Need"...

The first episode of the series without Skeletor making a nuisance of himself proves that Eternia has a wealth of interesting characters. Much of the episode focuses on Ileena and Jarvan, and because of the strength of the writing, this proves to be a wise move. The music that accompanies the scenes between Ileena and Jarvan is, at times, haunting. Linda Gary acts out Ileena's character, and her addiction, to perfection; and while the episode does have a fair amount of atypical action, make no mistake, this is a character-driven episode, with a hard-hitting moral, if ever there was one. 8/10

Now, may I ask; what is YOUR rating?