Art of He-Man and the Masters of the Universe

[[VIDEOID:c7a8ecb87b58bfca71c22c68039e2c1]] As a kid, I watched and followed He-Man with enthusiam. That was many years ago and the only characters I could remember today are He-Man and Skeletor. Going through this book is therefore a nostalgic experience. Not just that, it also introduces me to a world of MOTU that I never knew.

The Art of He-Man and the Masters of the Universe is an artbook that looks at the art and design for the animation, comics and toys. Instead of photos of toys and their packaging boxes, you'll be looking at the character designs and packaging art.

There are interviews with many of the creators, such as with Emiliano Santalucia, Joshua Van Pelt and James Eatock, founders of the Power and the Honor Foundation, writer of many MOTU minicomics Steven Grant, illustrator and animator Larry Houston, writer Paul Dini, illustrator Earl Norem, concept artist William Stout, designer David Wolfram and many more. It's interesting to find out how the toys, comics and animation are made, the conceptualisation that went behind, and the creative process used to maintain the series.

The first chapter starts with the business side of making toys to appeal to young boys. It's enlightening to read about the methodology and thinking that goes into toy design, or creating a character that boys can look up to, and eventually buy. There are several notes and internal memos from the Mattel Male Action Team that outlines how they should develop this particular toy market. The book covers not just the creative side but also the business side.

As for the artworks, you'll get to see storyboards, animation cels, including a piece of plastic with He-man and Skeletor that you can overlay onto the background art, toy posters from Mattel, comic covers, designs for the character, background, toys, maps and unused concepts such as toys and characters that never got made.

Personally, I've only watched the animation and don't read the comics or collect the toys, so the bulk of the content in this book are new to me. The artworks are fantastic. There are sketches as well as those fully painted pieces. There's even an illustration by movie poster master artist Drew Struzan.

The latter part of the book covers the relaunch of the toy line and animation from 2000 onwards. Again, it's quite interesting to see the modern take on the classic characters with the current visual styles of comics and animation.

This 320-page hardcover is a wonderful collection of pop culture. Highly recommended to all fans of He-Man and MOTU.

(See more pictures of the book on my blog. Just visit my Amazon profile for the link.)

The Art of He-Man and the Masters of the Universe (2015) was published by Dark Horse Comics in collaboration with The Power and Honor Foundation. It features copy by Tim Seeley, Steve Seeley, and James Eatock. With over 300 color pages, this is quite a book: it covers nearly 35 years, from the seminal 1980 toy concepts all the way up through DC’s current run of comics and beyond.

Arranged topically rather than strictly chronologically, this book provides the broad strokes of the art. If you’re looking for a history of the franchise, you won’t find it here. And while The Art of He-Man and the Masters of the Universe isn’t comprehensive on any of its subjects, it does provide a representative sampling of everything.

The first two chapters cover the classic toy line, and the Mattel design memos and proto-versions of the characters are some of the most interesting parts of the entire book (How about that unproduced “Ball Buster” vehicle? Man, I miss the ’80s). There’s plenty of art here that was featured on the toy packaging, but no pictures of the toys in the packages or in the stores, so if you were hoping for that, caveat emptor.

Chapter 3 covers the minicomics. If, like me, you still have all yours, this section might not do a whole lot for you (and remember the minicomic collection is coming out in November). I don’t mean to nitpick, but there’s a pretty glaring error on p. 73, where a page from “The Search for Keldor” has a caption about “The Ultimate Battleground.”

From there, the book moves to Filmation, where the highlights are the storyboards and some interesting developmental designs for She-Ra (who has token representation throughout the book) and Hordak. It also comes with a little He-Man/Skeletor cel you can take out, which is cool.

Chapter 5 encompasses the ’80s comics, books, and magazines. There’s a fantastic collection of Earl Norem’s amazing paintings here, plus some pages from the unreleased Star #14, where He-Man’s wearing the Dolph costume and “Grayskull” is misspelled.

The most notable part of Chapter 6, which covers the live-action movie, is the design concepts by Ralph McQuarrie (of Star Wars fame). I’ve complained about William Stout’s designs for the movie, but holy smokes, this McQuarrie stuff is horrendous. Remember kids, no matter how bad things get, it could always be worse!

Chapter 7 covers New Adventures. Boo. The amazing, horrific highlight here is that before NA was produced, there was a “military pitch called H.E.M.A.N.” where He-Man “joined the US Army.” Remember, kids, it could always be worse!

The book moves on to cover the 200X series, featuring a lot of art you’re probably familiar with plus designs for new characters that weren’t used (none of them were missed), and then to MOTU Classics. This latter chapter feels less about the art and more about shilling the figures, although it redeems itself somewhat with the maps and diagrams.

The last chapter briefly covers the He-Man app game, He-Man’s Facebook page (the two most wasted pages in the book), and the current run of DC comics. It concludes with some techy and off-putting designs of indeterminate purpose (New New Adventures, anybody?), including a Battle Cat who can change into a person. Remember, kids, it can always get worse!

The book also includes a number of interviews interspersed throughout. Some are interesting, but others are just not good (minicomic writer Steven Grant: “I didn’t pay attention, I didn’t think about it, I don’t know, I can’t remember”).

In all, I could have done with more ’80s stuff and less new stuff (it’s about a 2:1 ratio as it stands), but you can’t please everybody, and I really can’t complain too much. And while there’s a little too much marketing and pandering at times in the last 100 pages, this is a very impressive collection.

Unless you’re the most hardcore of collectors, there’s likely a decent amount of stuff here that you haven’t seen before, and both the familiar and the unfamiliar make The Art of He-Man and the Masters of the Universe well worthwhile for anyone who still holds a passion for He-Man.

As I said in my mini comic collection review, I'm a life long fan of Masters Of The Universe. Also as I said with the mini comic collection, it's s dream come true to have this in my collection.

First of all, the book is massive! I included a picture comparing the size to a trade paperback. The hardcover, well cover, is very thick and feels durable, as does the spine and binding. The page stock has a nice thickness, and is nice and glossy. The content is where this thing really shines though. It covers everything you could want, from concept art and toys, to prototypes, to box art, to magazines, Filmation, and so much more. It will take you HOURS to go though everything included.

If you're a fan of He-Man, this is simply a MUST have, there's really not any doubt!

I was an '80s kid, but the MOTU wasn't really my thing back then. I had four figures and Battlecat - that's it. I remember seeing a few cartoon episodes, but it was banned from the house because my dad thought it was nothing more than a marketing ploy. And he might have been right. :/

But at nearly 40 years old, I'm a marketing communications professional who has a strong sense of design and an appreciation for nostalgia.

So while I have no real interest in collecting the MOTU toys or other items, I was curious about both the design of the book and the historical development of the brand.

After cracking the book open I was immediately drawn in - vivid colors, heavy weighted paper, a clean layout, and a few design emblelishments (such as the almost obligatory animation cell) but nothing too excessive or gimmicky.

Strictly speaking, we're talking about an art book about He-Man. This is neither good nor bad, but you shouldn't expect many photos of action figures or product displays at bygone toy stores.

In contrast, what you will find is a well written historical perspective of the toy line backed with many images of virgin box art, preproduction and other marketing illustrations and a lengthy discussion of both the mini comics and the newsstand series. There's also a chapter devoted to the film's preproduction work and an adequate look at the later iterations of the brand.

Would a die hard fan want more? Probably, but the book more than met my expectations. It was well done and provided an opportunity to appreciate one of the '80s most popular toy lines a little more.

Where do I start? I admit it. I'm a nerd.
I was born in the 80's and as such, my favorite thing in the world was watching Saturday morning cartoons. He-Man and the Masters of the Universe, Orko, Skeletor. Teela, Evilyn and Prince Adam's twin Sister She-Ra were among the cartoons I'd sneak and what with my brothers because my mom would often say I had to watch girl cartoons. Yet, I wanted action! I wanted to watch Prince Adam bring up his sword and transform in to He-Man and kick b*tt. It was and still is till this day one of the greatest cartoons released in the 80's alongside others that derived from He-Man such as She-Ra his twin sister whom he had the ability to communicate with her telepathically at gray distances. He would wield his sword as Adam and become He-Man, the strongest man in the universe and that's where this book comes in.
If you're an 80's kid like me that grew up watching this, She-Ra, Thundercats, Silverhawks, and others, this is a must have. This book is great. It contains great information about Matel and how the series came to be. The art is out of this world and what else can I say? To watch this guy wield his sword to make Cringer his furry best friend in to Battle-Cat was AWESOME.
Like I said, I this book is a must have for every fan of the Masters of the Universe series whether it's the trilogy movies or the cartoon.
I have to say I'm kind of nostalgic that nowadays we no longer have the same Saturday morning cartoons we used to have if at all. Reason why I try as a mother of boys to encourage them to watch these instead and watch the classics. Get this book. It's a tremendous Piece for a collector and a lover of the series overall. You won't regret it!

And when it comes to Princess Adorable, sorry you guys but I must say it.

"I AM SHE-RA THE PRINCESS OF POWER" "For the honor of Grayskull" :D

I'll just start first by saying that this book is......AWESOME!!! Just to cut to the chase for those wondering.

When this book was announced at SDCC last summer it couldn't seem to get here quick enough and IMO......it delivered. I wanted to write my review sooner since I had the book in hand just about 2 weeks ago already since specialty stores received it a full 2 weeks ahead of the mass retailers as it was also announced with the unveiling of this book at SDCC 2014. When I picked it up at my local comic shop I was amazed when it was handed to me at what a monster this book really is. It's a very beefy book that basically covers the 35 years of MOTU history from it's early conception all the way up to 'possible' artwork being considered for a possible new MOTU movie that's been in production limbo for probably the last decade or so.

I was a MOTU fan since the Filmation cartoon debuted back in 1983, so I was a year or so late after the first figures hit store shelves so I wasn't a fan since day 1. I did, however, stay with the line until the very end in 1987 and still have all my vintage figures intact but sadly not the vehicles and playsets. This book showcases so much great artwork that brings back tons of childhood memories from that great decade known as the 1980s and this book would have been a holy grail of collectibles back then to collect so much into one book. It's great to see art that you remember along with stuff that you may possibly never have seen.

Back at SDCC 2009, Mattel released a MOTU art book that wasn't bad but wasn't all that great either. Then came the "Power and Honor Foundation" hardcover that really gave fans a taste of what an MOTU art book can be. And now we have this book and it's probably one the best MOTU compilations to ever come out. Like the 'Power & Honor' book, you can tell that these books are a labor of love by people who clearly get and love the MOTU franchise. Dark Horse and the Seeley's have done a great job getting this together along with others who are well known in the MOTU community. It's great to see that the 'Power & Honor Foundation' was also credited as well as MOTU experts and diehard fans like Emiliano Santalucia & James Eatock (among others) contributing to this book only adds to it's credibility IMO, even moreso.

IF (and I stress IF) I have any complaint about this book is that it doesn't contain ALL of the MOTU artwork like the cardback artwork or all the vehicle art, etc. But to include all of that, this book would easily be several volumes instead of just one. Plus to obtain all of that artwork would be incredibily daunting and we would probably have to wait much, much longer. Plus, there's the fact if some of the artwork is even obtainable. Either way, this book is true testament to the MOTU franchise and how it still is popular today, granted maybe not as popular as it was 30 years ago but it is still is in the public eye & part of our pop culture.

My knowledge isn't as in-depth as some since I took almost a 15 year break from MOTU from the vintage line to the 2002 reboot so I hope my review here is close to 100% accurate. Short & sweet, if you are an MOTU fan then this book is a must have. Not to overlook it but it does cover 'She-Ra: Princess of Power' and 'New Adventures of He-man' as well so it covers all the bases. It was an added bonus to see that shortly before the release of this book that Dark Horse had announced its follow-up, 'MOTU: Mini Comic Collection'. After seeing the care that went into this book, I cannot wait for that book to come out. Hopefully it won't stop there.

This book starts off with an introduction from Alan Oppenheimer, the actor behind the voices of Skeletor, Cringer, Battle Cat, Man-at-Arms, Mer-Man, and other characters from the 1980s cartoon. And it just gets better from there.

THE TEXT: Besides the mandatory explanation about the history and development of the property, you also get interviews with the people who realised it in terms of conceptual character designs, cartoons, comic books, story books, magazines, the 1987 live-action film, the new tablet game, and, of course, the toys at every stage of the development from rough sketches to final products from the 1980s, the 1990s, and the New Millennium.

THE ART: Character development, marketing images, lush packaging artwork, posters, blueprints, documentation, cartoon model sheets, a couple of larger fold-out sections, and your very own "animation cell." The book features all kinds of artwork from all the eras and incarnations listed above. While they couldn’t possibly include everything in this book, they’ve included more than any other book I’ve ever seen on the subject before, and enough to give you plenty of insight on the 35-year history of the brand (early work and designs can be traced back to 1980), with a look at possible future diversions. I’ve got to admit, though, I’m not entirely keen on many of those newest re-imaginings, which would look pretty cool on their own, but are too wild a departure from what has gone before to look truly “MOTU,” in my eyes.

OVERALL: This is an excellent book, and a must-have for any fan of Masters of the Universe. It’s absolutely packed with the kind of art that thrilled many of us as kids, and can elicit some strong nostalgia now we’re (ostensibly) adults. Considering how large and full of neat-o stuff this book is, the price is lower than I expected. I noticed a couple of minor mistakes (for example, an excerpt from the mini-comic “The Search for Keldor” is mislabelled as coming from “The Ultimate Battleground”), but for the most part, the information in the book is not only accurate but also interesting, with a lot of rare and never-before-seen details to flesh out the background of the property. Such as you can find out what links the original Filmation cartoon to Matt Groening, creator of “The Simpsons” and “Futurama” – and it won’t be what you expect!

The line above is what children told the toymakers of Mattel how they'd improve existing toy concepts. You've got to love it!

Being a child of the 80s, He-Man was one of the icons of my childhood and I've long wanted a book that featured the stunning paintings and artwork created for the toyline and accompanying media. This book is like an incredible time-capsule of the He-Man franchise, providing not only a blast from the past in the material we remember, but an insight into the creative process from the behind-the-scenes work in the toy design, animation, comics, etc.

Some of this is absolutely hilarious, particularly the notes the corporate guys at Mattel write to each other, such as, "A large part of the time boys spend in fantasy play revolves around aggression while they project their own personality into the role of the "good guy" or hero. Mothers believe that this is an acceptable way for boys to act out their hostilities as long as it is accomplished within the realm of an unreal situation/theme."

But yeah -- if you're like me and have been wanting to see all this content collected in a high quality volume, this is definitely the book for you. It's an art book for those nostalgic for He-Man and those who simply love fantasy art and concepts.

If I have one minor criticism, it's that I wish we could have seen more from the 80s time-period. The Power and the Honor gang, whose mission is to preserve He-Man / She-Ra art, said on TheFwoosh that the art in this book barely scratches the surface. While I appreciate wanting to give a historical look at He-Man art up to this point, I would have gladly sacrificed many (if not all) of the art we see from the 90s and 2000s incarnations of He-Man for more toy production and Filmation stuff.

Still, much of that post-80s art is lovely and of interest to He-Man fans. This book is a wonderful package and I can't recommend it highly enough. As the great Jack Kirby would say, "Don't ask! Just buy!"

From the moment You open the book, til the end of it, it's just pure enjoyment! I've never felt so satisfied with My kid urges, up until this book came out. As a fan, growing up in the 80's, He-Man was a staple, everyday, along with the regular block of other wonderful cartoons. I've spent My afternoon glued to My TV from 3 to 5, right after I came from School. I watched it religiously, and now reliving it again with this magnificent book, brings back a lot of good memories, and rediscover new ones that I wasn't aware or didn't remember well. With over 300 color pages, this is quite a book: it covers nearly 35 years, from the seminal 1980 toy concepts all the way up through DC’s current run of comics and beyond. Simply the best He-Man Bible to date. Pick it up if you're a fan or want to know more about one of the great shows and its world of characters ever created. Highest possible recommendations.

Amazing "Art Of" book covering all aspects of the franchise - from the original toy pitches to later designs, packaging and concept art as well as the television series -- complete with a mini facsimile animation cel so you too can experiment with the power of stock sequences and different backgrounds. The care and complexity of the book mirrors the surprising depth and fantastic imagination of the entirety of the Masters of the Universe universe!