"Inside Castle Grayskull" #1

Here are the first four pages of "Inside Castle Grayskull", a story that appeared in issue thirteen of the UK Masters of the Universe Adventure magazine. In this very simplistic story we see what happens when He-Man is away, prompting the forces of evil to attack Castle Grayskull! Yes, once again Skeletor, Hordak, and King Hiss team-up. I am beginning to lose track of how many times they have joined forces...


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

Futuristic workman?

Tom Sito's storyboards for the season two He-Man episode "The Greatest Show on Eternia" are fantastic. Each and every page is filled with wonderful visual treats and gags. Here are two amusing panels in which Orko watches a workman put up a poster with a long glue brush. Tom calls the workman a "futuristic workman" in the first panel, but jokingly illustrates a normal everyday Earth-based workman; even going so far as to have the character smoking!


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

Short She-Ra!

The Princess of Power minicomics that came with the action figures were often a mixed affair. Some were great additions to the She-Ra mythos; others looked like they had been rushed. This beautifully illustrated panel from "The Hidden Symbols Mystery" is amusing as it depicts She-Ra shorter than Bow, when in truth the warrior woman was actually taller than Bow!


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

Dree Elle concept artwork.

Here is a fantastic page of Dree Elle development artwork by storyboard artist Steve Hickner. This page accompanied the storyboards for the season one He-Man episode "Dawn of Dragoon". As the character model had yet to be designed, Steve illustrated his idea of what Dree Elle should look like. While I prefer the final model, I do like the direction that Steve was going with the character.


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

Creepy Kowl...

There are some illustrations in the worlds of He-Man and She-Ra that actually turn my stomach. This is one of them! Kowl is supposed to be cute, with a somewhat gruff side. Here, in the Princess of Power minicomic "Disappearing Treasures", Kowl looks wrong on so many levels. Firstly, his entire face appears to have caved in; secondly, his limbs are almost too long; and thirdly, what is going on with his crazy eyes? The art throughout this minicomic is far from bad, but the depiction of Kowl is often questionable...


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

She-Ra script: "Reunions" #8

For your entertainment I present to you the rarely seen final script for "Reunions"; the fourth of the opening five part story introducing the She-Ra series. As with the "Into Etheria" script I showcased a month or two ago, reading this you will see a show that is still very much in development. Certain pieces of dialogue were either rewritten or removed during the actual production of the episode. You will also see some interesting notes about characters and locations during some of the scene directions. I will try to point out the more notable things during each post. Here are the last five pages of the script. Skeletor mocks Hordak's training...


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

Tri-Klops and Snout Spout?

Here is an interesting panel from issue fifty-two of the UK Masters of the Universe comic in which we see Skeletor and his band of Evil Warriors preparing to attack Castle Grayskull. The one thing that always makes me chuckle is why Tri-Klops specifically calls out Snout Spout! Why does Tri-Klops desire to fight Snout Spout above all others? How has Snout Spout wronged him in the past?


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

She-Ra script: "Reunions" #7

For your entertainment I present to you the rarely seen final script for "Reunions"; the fourth of the opening five part story introducing the She-Ra series. As with the "Into Etheria" script I showcased a month or two ago, reading this you will see a show that is still very much in development. Certain pieces of dialogue were either rewritten or removed during the actual production of the episode. You will also see some interesting notes about characters and locations during some of the scene directions. I will try to point out the more notable things during each post. Here are pages thirty-three to thirty-seven of the script. Beast Man, Trap Jaw, Tri-Klops, Webstor, and Whiplash attack Hordak...


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

A brief review #012 - "Evil-Lyn's Plot"

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 "Evil-Lyn's Plot"...

Although we are introduced to the Widgets, the first quarter of this episode is nothing special in terms of storytelling. However, when Evil-Lyn reveals her plan to Skeletor at Snake Mountain the episode really begins to shine. In their scenes together Squinch's innocence is played perfectly against the wicked beauty of Evil-Lyn. The story manages to run two plots side by side at this point with He-Man racing to stop Skeletor, and Squinch making the effort to redeem himself. Paul Dini knows how to write classic episodes and this time does it by introducing the Widgets, using Evil-Lyn to her full potential and providing an even match between He-Man and Skeletor. 8/10

Now, may I ask; what is YOUR rating?

She-Ra script: "Reunions" #6

For your entertainment I present to you the rarely seen final script for "Reunions"; the fourth of the opening five part story introducing the She-Ra series. As with the "Into Etheria" script I showcased a month or two ago, reading this you will see a show that is still very much in development. Certain pieces of dialogue were either rewritten or removed during the actual production of the episode. You will also see some interesting notes about characters and locations during some of the scene directions. I will try to point out the more notable things during each post. Here are pages twenty-eight to thirty-two of the script. Beast Man and Trap Jaw see Hordak approaching Snake Mountain...


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