TV spot alternate takes #4

Prior to the debut of He-Man and the Masters of the Universe airing, two differing TV spots were created by Filmation in order to promote series. The cel sequences and backgrounds used in these TV spots primarily came from the episodes "Diamond Ray of Disappearance", and "The Dragon Invasion", as they were two of the first episodes to near completion! In this, the fourth of four posts, I shall highlight the notable differences between the footage used in the TV spots with the actual completed episodes themselves.

In this sequence from the TV spot we see Trap Jaw on the War Sled firing laser blasts and destroying buildings at the Royal Palace. The final piece of animation appears in "Diamond Ray of Disappearance", and was reshot to take place during the day.

On the left-hand side is the footage from the TV spot, while on the right-hand side is the footage as it was produced for the series.






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

In this piece from the TV spot we see the He-Man and the Masters of the Universe logo in front of an outerspace background. The final piece of animation used during the introduction sequence has the text appear on a black background.

On the left-hand side is the footage from the TV spot, while on the right-hand side is the footage as it was produced for the series.


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

Tuskador shoots water?

As many of you will know, I am a fan of The New Adventures of He-Man. However, Tuskador is one character I could care less about. I thought the original action figure was a joke, and his appearances in the cartoon were often forgettable. Imagine then my horror when in the public service announcement that accompanied the episode "The Nemesis Within" he demonstrated the ability to shoot water from his trunk! Just when I thought the character could not lose any more of my respect, he did.


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

TV spot alternate takes #3

Prior to the debut of He-Man and the Masters of the Universe airing, two differing TV spots were created by Filmation in order to promote series. The cel sequences and backgrounds used in these TV spots primarily came from the episodes "Diamond Ray of Disappearance", and "The Dragon Invasion", as they were two of the first episodes to near completion! In this, the third of four posts, I shall highlight the notable differences between the footage used in the TV spots with the actual completed episodes themselves.

In this piece from the TV spot we see He-Man throw a dragon out of shot. The final piece of animation appears in "The Dragon Invasion", in which the background is different. Oddly, in the TV spot it makes much more sense as the damaged wall should have appeared behind He-Man and the dragon in the episode produced!

On the left-hand side is the footage from the TV spot, while on the right-hand side is the footage as it was produced for the series.



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

In this piece from the TV spot we see Skeletor's laughing head over Castle Grayskull. The final piece of animation appears in "The Dragon Invasion", but was reshot so that the jaw-bridge was open.

On the left-hand side is the footage from the TV spot, while on the right-hand side is the footage as it was produced for the series.



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

A brief review #022 - "Song of Celice"

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 "Song of Celice"...

This episode has all the makings of a great one, but somehow it falls short. The basic premise itself is wonderful, but too many opportunities are passed by. Instead of seeing more of Celice and the danger Tahryn faces by her absence, we are treated to an out of place sub-plot involving Teela attempting to find and rescue her father. The scenes at Snake Mountain with Celice falling under the command of Skeletor are good, but by contrast the scenes of He-Man and his friends following Yog are not. The final confrontation at Castle Grayskull should feel like an event, but it feels like something is missing. Yog's all-too-brief brief battle with He-Man pretty much sums up the episode. 4/10

Now, may I ask; what is YOUR rating?

TV spot alternate takes #2

Prior to the debut of He-Man and the Masters of the Universe airing, two differing TV spots were created by Filmation in order to promote series. The cel sequences and backgrounds used in these TV spots primarily came from the episodes "Diamond Ray of Disappearance", and "The Dragon Invasion", as they were two of the first episodes to near completion! In this, the second of four posts, I shall highlight the notable differences between the footage used in the TV spots with the actual completed episodes themselves.

In this piece from the TV spot we see Teela leap onto a Sky Sled within the grounds of the Royal Palace and take to the skies. The final piece of animation appears in "Diamond Ray of Disappearance", but not within the grounds of the palace. Notice that in the TV spot the background of the Royal Palace is missing an entire layer behind the archway.

On the left-hand side is the footage from the TV spot, while on the right-hand side is the footage as it was produced for the series.




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

In this piece from the TV spot we see Stratos swoop through the shot. The final piece of animation appears in "The Dragon Invasion", but takes place inside Castle Grayskull with Trap Jaw's laser blasts just missing the winged warrior.

On the left-hand side is the footage from the TV spot, while on the right-hand side is the footage as it was produced for the series.



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

Bruce Timm designs Mally.

During the She-Ra series the now-legendary Bruce Timm was one of the many character design artists. He would often design a group of new supporting characters should the script so request it. The season one episode "Unexpected Ally" was one of the episodes he worked on to create the supporting cast for. Here we see two illustrations by Bruce as he designs the character of Mally. Once more the artist showcases his amazing ability to draw incredibly beautiful women! The note on the top right is interesting; is states that the final character model should use the body of the first design with the head of the second. If you examine the final character model of Mally in the episode you will see that this actually came to pass!


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

TV spot alternate takes #1

Prior to the debut of He-Man and the Masters of the Universe airing, two differing TV spots were created by Filmation in order to promote series. The cel sequences and backgrounds used in these TV spots primarily came from the episodes "Diamond Ray of Disappearance", and "The Dragon Invasion", as they were two of the first episodes to near completion! In this, the first of four posts, I shall highlight the notable differences between the footage used in the TV spots with the actual completed episodes themselves.

The first piece of footage we see in the two TV spots features what most would believe to be the same animation as seen in the introduction sequence. However, in the TV spot the background effects are different, and He-Man's mouth does not move, whereas in the sequence produced for the series it is synced to his dialogue.

On the left-hand side is the footage from the TV spot, while on the right-hand side is the footage as it was produced for the series.






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

FILMATION ART: Royal Palace interior.

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 He-Man episode "Diamond Ray of Disappearance" showing the interior of the Royal Palace, specifically a large room with an exiting corridor. I wanted this piece of artwork as it was part of the scene in which we see Prince Adam for the first time disappoint his father, King Randor, by making his excuses and leaving during an attack.


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

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

Six-armed statue.

Here is a panning shot from the She-Ra episode "The Laughing Dragon" that I have always wanted to assemble for this Blog, but never quite found the time to. Even though this pan features Adora, Castaspella and Sorrowful, the main attraction is the beautifully-illustrated six-armed statue. I have no clue as to what this statue represents in Castaspella's kingdom of Mystacor, but it is a fantastic piece of Etherian artistry!


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

He-Man's missing arm!

I have watched the season one He-Man episode "Quest for He-man" more times than I could possibly imagine since the mid-eighties. It was one of those episodes that I recorded when broadcast, hence it got a lot of playtime! However, when compiling images for this Blog I noticed for the first time that on this particular shot, as He-Man is falling through time and space, the lower half of his left arm is missing! It appears that the paint has been applied to the edge of the line art, suggesting that the camera position is incorrect. Whatever the reason, it is an interesting oddity!


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