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explain to me the enduring popularity of masters of the universe
>>8779357middle aged mens' nostalgia
>>8779357Swords and sorcery plus lasers.
>>8779357whether you're a kid or a basedbeard, everybody wants to be a giant jacked dude who hits people over the head with a sword
>>8779366Literally this.Not every old IP succeeds based solely on nostalgia but shit like MOTU definitely does.
>>8779357skeletor's funny
Fun, unique toys. I’m 24 so I have no connection to the original show, but I absolutely love the vintage toys and classics. I’ve slowly shifted my focus to just them at this point because there’s so much history and SOUL.
One of the few instances in today's media where being muscular and jacked is considered a virtue.
>>8779357boomer
>>8779435What a weird thing to say, actors these days are more expected to be fit than back in the 90s or 2000s.
>>8779357Something for everyone, a real kitchen sink toyline.
God I hope origins stays alive for a while
>>8779435>t. Anon who looks like comic book guy from the Simpsons
>>8779456>NEW HEMAN>it's 80's shit again...
>>8779458Post body or you admit to being a comic book guy bod yourself.
>>8779466Cute logic but I'm not the dumb boomer acting like brainless machismo is some lost and forgotten treasure.
>>8779357It's just fun dumb shit that appeals to kids and manchildren. A jacked dude with a magic sword beating up guys named Stinkor and Triklops.
>>8779462anon, He-man itself is 80's shit. If you don't want 80's shit, then you don't want He-man.
>>8779357The original had something for everyone. It was Conan + science fiction + a girl's spinoff. The action features made the physical play pattern more fun.The 2002 revival was NOT enduring compared to Transformers or TMNT. Then in 2008, Mattel discovered that they could fund a line entirely on the nostalgia of men who were little boys in 1982.
I have no real nostalgia for the series but I do find the figures endearingly cheesy. I always assumed that maybe wasn't what the core fans thought of it though. The MOTUC toyline and a lot of the comics seem to to really present it as a very serious, face value thing. The recent figures and the WWE spinoffs are very appealing to me though. Unabashedly celebrating cheesy toyetic goodness.
>>8779488Fucking zoomer toolAttacking every one at the drop of a hat over nothing Your insecurities are showing But hey "cope" or "seethe" or some other zoomer buzz word response right?
>>8779357 I think Motu endures the decades because of the amazing designs and scifi/fantasy setting. The franchise is just still interesting.
>>8779530It is cheesy but the fact that it's played totally straight and earnest rather than wink and nod we know this is dumb that plagues fiction nowadays is a point in it's favor.
>>8779357It's fun.
>>8779497it's also 2000's shit. i want that back
>>877935780's fags are weirdly obsessed with the toys and horrible toy commercials of their youth in a way that other audiences just aren't and as such are a safe audience to pander to.The toys were pretty fun too even if the new ones are souless copies.
>>8779430Pretty much this. The villains were kind of funny and the women had nice legsHeman is actually pretty forgettable
>>8779799Most other things aren't worth obsession. Like what are most other cartoons? Going to school? Mall madness the shopping board game? People remember adventure stuff. Same reason people hung on to lotr, star trek, dr who, and other shit from the 60s and 70s.
>>8779488Worst reply EVER.
>>8779769Wait until Masterverse.
>>8779841Dr who has no fucking good toys though
>>8779841>Mall madness the shopping board game?That's one of the few board games I actually kind of want, entirely because of that '89 aesthetic.
>>8779357No.
>>8779939I cant wait for a flop.
>>8779841Didn't you get the memo? You're not allowed to like old things. Or anything that doesn't overflow with #CURRENT_YEAR pandering/shaming.
>>8780362Masterverse is the toyline not the cartoon dumbass.
>>8779366"men" aka closeted homos that masturbate to the homoerotic aesthetic of "he"-"man"
>>8779542>>8779904Cope and seethe.
>>8779357I always felt He-man was strongly sustained by the gay community
I am 22 and have only seen like 2 episodes of the 2002 show, when I was a kid, but I already collected Mega Bloks stuff and when MOTU Mega Bloks came out I really liked the theme. Bright colored monster men, ray guns, and Conan the Barbarian aesthetics are pretty cool imo. Even better that its all in scale with my classic TMNT Mega dudes.
>>8780381He isn't really wrong. The designs won't be from muh shitty Filmation cartoon or directly copying toys from several decades ago.That is in no way a sure thing with the kind of boomer who wants to buy the same thing over and over and that is the main audience for He-Man. I am pretty excited at least.
I didn't give a shit about MOTU until I was recommended the art book and loved it. I started collecting Origins as soon as it hit shelves just because of the aesthetic.
>>8780775Art book? :0
>>8780755Classics aren't Filmation accurate and are batshit valuable on the secondary market. I'm sure there's a market for any 1/12 He Man.
>>8779357Nostalgia, toys are also cheap and easy to produce.
>>8780775This series of books is pretty good. I love the mini comics collection.
>>8779357It doesn't have enduring popularity. It was completely dead for YEARS. It's back now because of nostalgia. Make no mistake, it will die again. I have no idea when, but it will. When sales begin to plummet, Mattel will drop it, like they did before
>>8779357it's funny
>>8781261It doesn’t help that Mattel like to sabotage their own success
>>8780775>I didn't give a shit about MOTU until I was recommended the art book and loved it. I started collecting Origins as soon as it hit shelves just because of the aesthetic.yeah those books are good, do you have the Mini-Comics collection?
>>8781261Im not sure sales will plummet so much as the focus will shift to what younger consumers have nostalgia for, which definitely isn’t MoTU. We are just moving towards the end of 80s nostalgia being the main focus of adult toy lines, I think. You can see it already that it’s starting to shift towards the transitional 80-90s properties.
>>8780384>imagine being so insecure with your sexuality that you can't look at a muscular barbarian without immediately thinking of it in a homoerotic way.
>>8780385>Cope and seethe.>t.Comic Book Guy
>>8781261I'm just curious what happens next. Will nostalgia pandering actually transition comfortably to the next generations? There was lots of popular media, but was there anything that had IP recognition like transformers, he man, or gi joe?Are we gonna start getting major toy lines of rugrats, ren and stimpy or beavis and butthead? It's all too ironic or intentionally not toyetic for it. All the big money makers for 90's kid stuff is just anime anyway, which has its own thing going on.
>>8779357good character design. fun figures.
>>8781500Such as????
>>8780384in 10-15ys you too can feel nostalgic about your androgynous hero figs
>>8781620 I think everyone here is overstating He-Man's current popularity.MegaBloks stuff didn't seem to make it big on store shelves. Neither did the current re-makes. The Super7 shit is niche as hell, hence the super high prices. There's a reason why Mattel stopped making He-Man Classics and let Super7 handle it.He Man already had its nostalgiafag come back in the 00s and that lasted like two seasons.She-Ra also got its come back too and where's all the merch for that?Mattel is hoping that their upcoming series does better than that, and that's why they're releasing all this shit to maintain a certain level of awareness. Keep the manchildren of the 70s and 80s happy so that they can get their kids into it.Also, Rugrats, Rocko, and Ren and Stimpy already got their nostalgiafag toys too.
>>8779769This. I love He-man, but hate the shitty 80's toys. Call me when they have industry standard articulation, sculpt, and deco and I'll buy them by the case load. Much like I did with the G.I. Joe Classified line.
>>8779366Same with Thundercats
>>8782030see you in the summer
imagine trying to gain the high ground on being an adult toy collector
He-Man was the granddaddy of all toy lines that had a TV show that basically existed solely to tell toys but managed to create a compelling world that still holds up to this day. Up until Reagan took office, there was law in effect saying you couldn't have cartoons based on toys. Because they were basically 20 minute commercials for the toy line. Reagna got rid of that law and opened up a golden age of 80s animation where cartoons had toy lines associated with them and the cartoon basically gave the toy lines lore, mythos, and basically a soul to them that allowed them to endure decades after the cartoon went off the air. He-Man started out as a soulless Conan the Barbarian rip-off until Mattel signed on with Filmation to make a cartoon series. Filmation basically discarded the lore from the first wave of mini-comics and created a superior lore that kids loved and became emotionally invested in. The He-Man cartoon was the first major toy line cartoon and it was everywhere in first run syndication and even had a female spin-off (She-Ra). The toys were also the first major modern five inch figures and were cheap and affordable and unlike GI Joe and Transformers, kept all of the core cast available for people to buy so that you never ended up with a situation where you couldn't have a Megatron or Optimus Prime or Soundwave because you didn't buy them when they initially came out. It was a cultural touchstone for an entire generation and hence why it endures.
>>8779357It's weird, I grew up in the 80s. I watched the cartoon and had a bunch of original MOTU toys, but I'm not particularly nostalgic about the series at all. That being said, Skeletor will always be awesome.
>>8779386Suck my loincloth you joyless self important ragefag.
>>8782131>He-Man started out as a soulless Conan the Barbarian rip-offBad take. The art in those first mini-comics were so full of soul.
>>8781881Tmnt, gi joe
> There will never be any Masters of the Multiverse toys.
>>8782843Came close to getting Prince Keldor, though.
Limitless fantasy. It's got basically everything with none of the rules of traditional fantasy . You like barbarians ? Got em. You like undead ? Got em. Vampires ? Yep. Ninjas ? Yep. Robots ? Yep. It's really easy to find a favorite character because they have such wide appealThe designs are incredibly diverse but they still have that same uniformity so they fit together. Theyre arguably the brightest most colorful toy line of all time especially for boys so they grab your eyes very easily when you're youngerThe box art is fucking badass and metal as fuck so that grabs your eyes when you're older
They're also one of the few toy lines with multiple warring factions which is rare and cool as shit
>>8779520the original show also holds up really well for most audiences. I still watch that shit in the background while I do paperwork.
>>8781479Nah, I was eyeing it but the thing went out of stock everywhere in Canada and I haven't bothered to see if DH have done a refresh since.
>>8782690Wow...you are ignorant.
>>8781523Yes that looks like a picture of every nerd obsessed with giant muscular fantasy men.
>>8783630?
>>8782843He looks like an amerimutt
>>8781970>only lasted two seasonsThe toy distribution was mishandled. They flooded the market with He-man and Skeletor variants and people couldn't find other characters easily (every other character was shortpacked).>NuSheRaThat show was created with the intention of not selling merch, then when it had a small but fanatic following, they over estimated it's popularity and released some toys which sold poorly. The show was kind of bad and only got 4 seasons because that was the contract. In comparison, the 2002 show was well recieved and would have been renewed for a 3rd season if the toyline hadn't been so poorly managed.
This is why!Fun fun fun!!!!
>>8784081Forgot picture lol
>>8784003You're half right. His mother was a NASA pilot from Earth.
>>8779357Ultimate male power fantasy but instead of waiting until they are adults like sword and sorcery novels, it's given directly to kids to enjoy. And really, what's not to enjoy about big muscled heroes taking down all sorts of monsters. Even the fucking girls I knew were into this shit as a kid. I remember trading a Skeletor to my neighbor because she somehow had a Bandai Mechagodzilla figure that was only released in Japan since it was the late 80s.
>>8779769I loved the 200X redesigns, but that lasted like 2 or 3 years at best. It never made the splash the original line did.
They literally studied child psychology to market it to children"I HAVE THE POWER" comes from how kids would rebel against their parent's authority
>>8780384So I take it you like twinks more?
>>8784114>Even the fucking girls I knew were into this shit as a kid.She-Ra, Teela, Evil-Lyn, The Sorceress. MOTU has enough cool female characters to stop it from being a total sausagefest.
>>8784384Why did the original marketing want to keep him away from his sword so much?
>>8784384>GI Joes and Star Wars in the background>"The power that seperates the men from the toys">He-Man prominently front and centerI forgot how awesome marketing shit-talk was decades ago.
>>8784484Because He-Man's sword as his main weapon was stablished by Filmation. Before the cartoon, the powersword was more like a "key" to open the gates of Castle Grayskull. Hence the sword's blade fits the slot from the playset's door. At that time, the battle axe was He-Man's weapon of choice.
>>8782674Actually it literally began as a rip-off. Mattel was angling to get the toy rights to Conan the Barbarian, back when Conan's first movie was in the works and being hyped out the ass as the next Star Wars. While doing market research however, Mattel found that kids preferred a variant colored barbarian toy (blonde hair) over Conan along with the OC characters they had created as enemies for Conan. This convinced Mattel to just create their own Conan rip-off that they owned outright rather than just buy a license and pay money for something they don't own and have to split the profits for. Filmation then got involved to create a more marketable lore for the franchise and the rest was history
>>8779357>White dude with all the powers of a black guy.
>>8784486Yep. Before SJW culture it was awesome
>>8780029Doctor Who does, but good luck finding them.I know one store in my XBOX HUEG state that gets them in, and then they're like 3 times the price of another toy.I love Doctor Who, I love my army of Daleks, but holy fuck are they hard to get.
>>8784573Change the green to more yellow and that's a really cool color scheme. Red fur and yellow really pop with that much bare black-person skin.
>>8780775they can't even be bothered with a 2002 cameo on the cover...
>>8785091take your pills schizo
>>8784573>"By the Power of Greenskull - I HAVE THE GANJA!"
>>8779357These promote toxic masculinity and the evil patriarchy!!! I'm going to demand they be destroyed on Instagram and Twitter!!I'm offended!
>>8785506nobody says that weirdo
>>8785506Are you just posting random women who wouldn’t fuck you irl? Lmao
>>8785639Retard
>>8779357buff dudes fighting over a mysterious skull faced castle.
>>8782910I started watching it just to refresh my nostalgia goggles. It's... not awful, actually.
>>8784550Not entirely true - Conan was Rated R and Mattel got cold feet and backed out. He-Man was mostly inspired by Frank Frazettas artwork.
>>8784484Axe He-Man is best He-Man
>>8785506Would coom inside her
>>8785874Some truth to this
>>8785874True. And it's been written that one of the artists (possibly William George) asked what style to go for and was told to 'just Frazetta it up" (hence the feel of the classic box arts, which Axel Gimenez and Francisco Etchart are doing a fantastic job of capturing in the present day).
I can't wait for the new he-man show to actually share a universe with netflix she ra, and trigger the he-fags.
>>8786285Cuz u is queer?
>>8786285Keep dreaming, faglord.
>>8779357This is literally the only reason:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bRpL98vuQU0
>>8786559This is also literally the only reason that the entire franchise is a permanent laughingstock of faggotry.
>>8786580
>>8786559>version that skips the introFor shame.
>>8786559>>8786580>bought Laughing Adam figure cause meme vid>bought rerelease Skeletor to go with him>never opened either, don't even want them anymore>Skeletor going for over $100>tfw literally made an investment on accident
>>8786663 Chuckle
>>8780029the Character Options Dr. Who figures aren't bad. The sculpts are usually really good it's just that they have shit-tier articulation so you're basically stuck displaying them in a boring standing pose.
>>8786663I’ll pay ya retail for laughing Adam if you wanna dump him anon
>>8787154the older ones had a lot crisper paint as well, i find the newer ones look a bit gloopy or soft. the daleks/monsters are still top tier if not better than their original releases, though.
>>8780775I bought this book today because of this post
>>8782100If he doesn't have his axe, Imma be pissed.
>>8785292the 2002 series was a total and complete flop though.
>>8788286why does he have an axe if his sword is the source of power?
>>87882955poa always flops :(
>>8788299Filmation aside, He-Man has always had his axe. The sword was the key to Grayskull, but his original weapon of choice was the axe. At least for me, it's just more iconic and fits with his whole barbaric schtick.
>>8788301Its too bad, the toys and artwork were amazing. However, they no longer used the stock footage that the 80s series did, so it was way more intensive to churn out episodes.
>>8786559Classic. I also like this one: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RLh62htgbW8
>>8785506Hey baby
>>8779357They were durably built, so it's easy to find ones that are still in good condition.A lot of them share the same basic build- buff torso, squatted legs, one "gripping hand" and one open, etc.- making them look like a real "collection" when lined up together, as well as interchangeable with each-other's accessories and vehicles.But what I think is one of the biggest contributors to everyone's fascination with these things is this: everything that came as a result of the popularity of this toyline is practically its own mythos.I don't know all the details, but I've heard enough to know that the MOTU molds were iconic to the point have been ripped-off, imitated, or just plain stolen so many times that there are not only bootleg lines, there are bootlegs OF bootleg lines.There were maybe-maybe-not-official variants you could get through mail-order, there were companies known for having lines that were openly aping off Mattel's line whilst always dancing out of legal trouble, and there are figures with limited release that nobody knew the origin of for literal decades.Behold, one of the most mysterious and rare figures of all time:Wonder Bread He-Man.
>>8788511Behold another one of the rarest and most infamous figures of all time: Dethlor, Skeletor's sparklefag bootleg cousin.
>>8788511Legend
>>8779357The toys were big, chunky, had fucktons of accessories, a castle and mountain playset, and robots fighting barbarians. What the fuck wasn't there to like?
>>8779357I want to fuck Prince Adam
>>8788870I don't know, they seemed a bit off to me when I was a kid. I prefered Thundercats.
>>8785610Feminists have been literally saying that for years.
>>8789120Glad you get it
>>8779366Exactly.And the factor that due to losing the DC license and the only other first-party owned IP they have for boys being Hot Wheels, Mattel is now desperately pushing the franchise to be their own first-party owned Star Wars given how they don't have the DC license to lean upon like with 2K2.
>>8790626MotU is cooler than DC anyways
>>8779357motu is based. zoomers of this thread gonna zoom
>>8790694And not constantly ruined with retcons.
>>8781881I bought my 20th Anniversary Edition digipet just the week before.
>>8790712Pretty freaking much lol
>>8788520How is this motherfucker so smug with just a skull for a face?
>>8789206Want her to make me coom
>>8786430Kevin smith is making one. They're stupid to ignore the successful she ra reboot. (Even if people don't like the gay cat warrior in space show)People are talking about the she ra dolls as more than "that he-man barbie line".Kevin smith will bring a new he-man out, and if it touches the she ra show, at all, you fags will be triggered.
>>8788511>making them look like a real "collection" when lined up togetherPeople don't collect identical rocks or trinkets when not sick in the head like you.
>>8791945>successful she ra reboot.But it was such a huge flop that mattel has gone back to OG She-Ra for all their marketing and all the toys were clearanced immediately
>>8788511Fucking wish I had sprung on this fucker when he was $500-$700.
>>8791981It got people talking about she ra, even if it's not the show she ra they talk about.Hate the show much as you want, it did impact the brand in a way that people aren't thinking of she ra as "hemans barbie girlfriend for girls" anymore.
>>8791981I have several students who have told me it's their favorite show. We're talking about 11 year olds. However, 2/3 are literally trannies so take that for what you will
>>8792092I don't hate it but it wasn't successful
>>8791945She-Ra isn't in it. No role, no voice credit, nothing. The voice cast was fully revealed months ago, and all the vocal work is done. The first few episodes are finished. No She-Ra. Mattel was smart in taking back the property from DreamWorks - I'm sure you're familiar with the phrase, "If you want something done right, you have to do it yourself"?
>>8786580>only reasonHe-Man is gay jokes and Robot Chicken
>>8792413Those were after that vid was originally posted, though.
>>8791947Be nice
>>8779357https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lxXZx-D9q40&feature=emb_titlesomeone had to post this
You know how Sonic became a lot more self deprecating over time?He-Man did it first
>>8793570So...this guy doesn't even wear a mask when in super hero mode but still people call him another name? Explain.
>>8793570
>>8793626Because it' a 1980's animated show starring a muscular babarian with the sickest sword in 80's cartoon memory fighting another muscular guy with a literal skull for a head and a funny voice, made for children to sell action figures.We don't need to explain, because we can't.
>>8780384Actually most of my gay friends are more Joe fans. - or Dragonball.
>>8781970Mega is still rolling out He Man stuff and I doubt that will stop next year...They fucked up on Game of Thrones though in releasing too little for too much, too late. They would have me if they rolled out an independent IP of Vikings. or "Beyonders" He Man will sell. they designs are not arch-typical but they are close until Tarzan or Conan has some sort of weird multimedia Renaissance and they release highly articulated figures (I doubt it) .
>>8782036I REALLY enjoyed the relaunch and it was disappointing they did not continue it. the new thing is crap.
>>8780384Only a jew or a fag would think of a muscular male body as homosexual.Any normal man admires a trained looking body and aspires to achieve the same form for himself, it's a power fantasy, not a sexual perversion you disgusting sodomite.
>>8794197Gays have no taste, they couldn't possibly like Dragon Ball.
>>8794246Dangerously based
I work at wal-mart in Canada and the origins figures fly off the shelf except for battlecat. kids buy them as well because theyre only 15 bucks.
>>8794633Eh?
>>8785091>>8784384i got those. in some box, somewhere in the storage. never threw them away. the original ones from the mid 80s, including hordak (shoots double circular saw from the chest), orco, battlecat,she-ra,skeletor, some rock covered dude that curls up into a meteor and probably few more i forgot about.is that worth good money these days?>>8779366it was a cool saturday and sunday morning cartoon. 1980s were pretty good, no wonder people miss that decade.
>>8796879>1980s were pretty goodWasn't there a constant threat of nuclear war?
>>8792101>11 year old tranniesdespair but also despair.jpg
>>8796882Not something most kids were concerned with, plus that was really only the early 80s.
>>8794633considering how expensive every other fucking toyline is in canada I'm not surprised. If you're a parent buying some thing for your kid are you gonna buy the skeleton wizard for $15 or the tiny transforming tank man for $34
>>8798046The only good thing we have is access to stuff via TRU. Most Walmarts are shit and we don't have Target. - They bought out all the Zellers stores and then crashed and burned.
>>8796882it sort of put you in the mindset to have fun as best as you can.
>>8796989Die mad about it.
>>8794246lol are you 14?
>>8798913Pretty sure a 14-year-old is more likely to think a muscular half-naked man is inherently gay than anything else>>8798159I hate what Target did to Zellers, actually preferred it over Walmart (not to mention what it did to our economy). My local mall suffered greatly after it lost Zellers, not to mention that Target actually closed down before they even finished renovating it so it ended up being an empty space of nothing for 5+ years.
>>8796882what he said >>8796991 is correct.also adults and govmint in my country did not care about it much or meme-war for that matter. still no answers on prices, i will look it up on consoomer internet one day if it comes back to my mind.
I liked the Abnett DC comics
>>8792269Doesn't have to make a cameo to share a universe, if it even TOUCHES the Netflix she ra, there will be outrage because you're all insecure about liking a homoerotic toyline that has anything to do with admitting the homoerotic nature.
>>8784573''Look at this cool ass shit i stole!!! it give me some damn cool ass power nigga!!"
>>8799571that's not how we talk, asshole.
>>8798921 My hometown (or at least the town 15 min away) had the main training store. My Gf's cousin was a long time Zellers employee and she was shitcanned and also hired by Target - which meant she was technically "employed" for about a year as they converted the store despite not being paid. She then moved on to Target and had to go through all their different attempts at the mid level employee range to come up with different methods of selling the floundering thing...then watched as her managers got "retirement packages" as the store sank. Most of the stores seem to be fitness centers now - and that's worked so well in the last year. I guess that's better than the Walmart in Barrie which I guess got a shitty geo-phys report and sank. They then rebuilt on top of the sunken foundations.
>>8799571Are you like 58 years old?
>>8800130No 59 fag
>>8788286Nigga, they're gonna sink this line with He-Man and Skeletor variants (just like they always do), but rest assured that He-Man with ax will make it out before then.
>>8800181rude
>>8798913Are you a fag?
>>8800288Origins has a good selection of characters so far.
>>8799413It will not. DreamWorks created the Nu-Ra series. Both of the 2021 shows are from Mattel Television. Even if they wanted to (which they don't), Mattel couldn't use that version of the IP without paying DreamWorks (which they won't). Besides, why even bother paying DreamWorks when they have their own version of the character, 100% owned by Mattel, that they can use?
>>8788511>They were durably built, so it's easy to find ones that are still in good condition.They really weren't, though.
>>8801099Stop being so heavy handed with them!
>>8801099Much like the O-rings from the classic G.I. Joe line you can buy replacement leg bands for classic MotU figures.
>>8779357Incels>>8779366Also this
>>8801624It's more of a storage issue than a hamhand issue
>>880027383 year old here, you whippersnappers dont know your pl so therebl i was with an onion on my belt, which was the style at the time
