'How He-Man Mastered the Universe' reveals Surprising cultural power of action figure
“How He-Man Mastered the Universe: Toy to Television to the Big Screen” provides a fascinating look at how Reagan era deregulations changed children’s television and how Mattel stepped into the opening that those changes made.
He-Man was the first toy to become a cartoon series with Filmation providing the animation. The studio, which in spite of its cost cutting animation short cuts showed surprising sophistication, especially in its animated ‘Star Trek’ series, couldn’t get the large networks to buy into the He-Man concept because the networks feared the wrath of activist groups. So He-Man became a pioneer again, as Filmation sent the series straight into syndication.
Of course, the animated series wasn’t the only place that He-Man would go first. Brian C. Baer explores in detail how the film starring Dolph Lundgren was made and the turmoil that may have sabotaged the film’s potential. Baer’s vivid retelling of the film creates a new admiration for the property that begs the reader to watch it again (or for the first time) with new eyes.
Regardless of how you feel about He-Man, Baer’s book breathes new life into a character that you only think you know. He-Man was able to tap into the power of Grayskull. With this book, Baer has also shown that the toy, cartoon and film character was also able to tap into the desires of children and grown-ups for several generations. Now, you have the power to find out the real story of He-Man’s cultural value. Enjoy “How He-Man Mastered the Universe”!
He-Man was the first toy to become a cartoon series with Filmation providing the animation. The studio, which in spite of its cost cutting animation short cuts showed surprising sophistication, especially in its animated ‘Star Trek’ series, couldn’t get the large networks to buy into the He-Man concept because the networks feared the wrath of activist groups. So He-Man became a pioneer again, as Filmation sent the series straight into syndication.
Of course, the animated series wasn’t the only place that He-Man would go first. Brian C. Baer explores in detail how the film starring Dolph Lundgren was made and the turmoil that may have sabotaged the film’s potential. Baer’s vivid retelling of the film creates a new admiration for the property that begs the reader to watch it again (or for the first time) with new eyes.
Regardless of how you feel about He-Man, Baer’s book breathes new life into a character that you only think you know. He-Man was able to tap into the power of Grayskull. With this book, Baer has also shown that the toy, cartoon and film character was also able to tap into the desires of children and grown-ups for several generations. Now, you have the power to find out the real story of He-Man’s cultural value. Enjoy “How He-Man Mastered the Universe”!