News He-Man anime series from Kevin Smith coming to Netflix

[Redfern]

Of course, Spector Creative has a video on the origin of MotU, as well:

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Thanks, Kai! So, Mattel was considering a Conan line, but it had no connection at all with MOTU except barbarian type characters. Two totally separate projects. I figured what I heard years ago was just urban myth.

So, Skeletor was originally called De-Man in the earliest pitches. I kinda' like that idea. Too bad they didn't stick with that rhyming scheme, but yeah, Sea-Man is up there with the vibrating Harry Potter broom in terms of "What were they thinking?!"

 

[Christopher]

So, Mattel was considering a Conan line, but it had no connection at all with MOTU except barbarian type characters. Two totally separate projects.

Maybe more like parallel evolution -- they knew barbarian toys tested well with kids, so they developed their own barbarian character and got a license for an existing one.

Although it's weird for me to think of He-Man as a "barbarian." I mean, that's his visual design template, sure, but as portrayed on the show, he was anything but. The word implies a violent, uneducated savage, but He-Man was a wholesome, kind, civilized Superman type. Not to mention -- to be linguistically pedantic again -- that it's technically impossible for the prince of the realm to be a barbarian, since the original meaning of the word is an uncivilized foreigner. (It literally means someone speaking incomprehensibly -- "barbar" being the Proto-Indo-European equivalent of "blah-blah." The Ancient Greeks were real jerks toward outsiders.)

 

[Skipper]

Well, I have to say that the He-Man who was first depicted in the minicomics seemed quite the stereotypical "barbarian".

 

[Christopher]

Well, I have to say that the He-Man who was first depicted in the minicomics seemed quite the stereotypical "barbarian".

No doubt, but I was mainly familiar with the Filmation version of the character, which went in a very different direction from the original mini-comics.

For one thing, I'm so glad they ditched that ugly cobra-themed thing for the Sorceress -- and for Teela, who ended up wearing it in the action figure line. I've always loved Filmation's character design for the Sorceress -- it's very elegant. And Filmation's Teela design was actually Princess Aura from The New Adventures of Flash Gordon with her hair up and more clothes on. (Although the voice of Aura was Melendy Britt, who would later play She-Ra.)

 

[Tyr]

Well, I have to say that the He-Man who was first depicted in the minicomics seemed quite the stereotypical "barbarian".

That was always my prefered backstory of He-Man...

 

[Josh Kelton]

It's a wonder He-Man was wearing anything at all.

 

[Redfern]

It's a wonder He-Man was wearing anything at all.

Should I make reference to the "stupid, sexy Flanders" bit?

 

[Pauln6]

Well, I have to say that the He-Man who was first depicted in the minicomics seemed quite the stereotypical "barbarian".

Oh wow I'd forgotten all that! Given Smith's surreptitious references to the toys, I do wonder what else he might sneak in to nudge it in that direction. Finally having Teela realise her magical destiny? (healing Adam/He-Man?). Sacrifice Adam to preserve He-Man? Keep the sword in two halves but put some of the magic into He-Man's other traditional magic items (harness of strength, shield, axe)?

 

[Booji]

Well, that was really bad. The writing stunk. Nothing but wannabe edgy stuff that comes across corny as all hell. The animation wasn't anywhere near as good as Castelvania. Good ideas in there with Evil Lynn and Teela, but the execution sucked.

It's a shame, but Kevin Smith has been a train wreck for over 20 years now. The dude really needs to stick to podcasts and give up movies and tv.

 

[Skipper]

Well, I have to say that the He-Man who was first depicted in the minicomics seemed quite the stereotypical "barbarian".

"Evil forces exist on our planet Eternia," He-Man told his people. "They seek to control the legendary Castle Grayskull, a place of wonders. If we are to know a lasting peace, I must go out and battle those forces. Farewell."

I don't know why but I'm imagining the rest of the tribe thinking something like "What the hell is he babbling about? Has he finally completely lost his mind? Better to indulge him, we don't know how he might react if we contradict him ..."

 

[Guy Gardener]

It's a wonder He-Man was wearing anything at all.

I was wondering if the Sorceress is a perv?

If she designed his he-man costume?

Or lack of costume?

But then the shaggy underooes and barely any thing else seems like a popular option in the toyline.

Although how do they get seated at the good restaurants?

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[kirk55555]

Oh wow I'd forgotten all that! Given Smith's surreptitious references to the toys, I do wonder what else he might sneak in to nudge it in that direction. Finally having Teela realise her magical destiny? (healing Adam/He-Man?). Sacrifice Adam to preserve He-Man? Keep the sword in two halves but put some of the magic into He-Man's other traditional magic items (harness of strength, shield, axe)?

After looking into a bit of the He-Man lore after really enjoying MOTU Revelations, I really want Teela to get her backstory revealed (and to actually remember it, unlike in the 80s show). It would be pretty cool and it would be interesting to see how the MOTU Revelations version of Teela would react to it.

 

[Skipper]

By the way, if you want to read a comics with the various iterations of He-Man, I suggest this one.



You can find:

• Movie He-Man
• "Space" He-Man
• Filmation He-Man
• 2002 He-Man
• Original "Barbarian" He-Man

and so on. And it's a good story too!

 

[Mach5]

Always found it funny that so many people feel nostalgic about the Dolph Lundgren movie. Despite having a really good cast, that film is absolutely terrible! Even Frank Langella's kid, who loved He-Man and who was the main reason he took the role of Skeletor, fell asleep watching it.

I suppose one can apply the "so bad it's good" concept there.

 

[Timelord79 (he/him)]

But hey, Tom Paris was in it.

 

[Mach5]

But hey, Tom Paris was in it.

So was Monica, and the lady who ended up marrying captain Archer.

 

[Kai "the spy"]

Don't forget about Principal Strickland.

 

[Myko]

So was Monica, and the lady who ended up marrying captain Archer.

And Monica and Ross' mom! And Maje Culluh. And Evil-Lyn was the titular muse in DS9's The Muse.

 

[Christopher]

I always thought it was so ridiculous to name a muscleman character "He-Man." I guess I got used to it over the years of watching the show, but seeing the repetition of the name in Skipper's post above just reminded me of what a terrible character name it is. I mean, obviously this is not a franchise known for subtle or elegant character nomenclature, but "He-Man" was the most incredibly generic, lazy name possible for a macho muscleman, like they weren't even trying. When I first saw the early mini-comic-style magazine ads for the toy line before the show premiered (not sure where, since I didn't become a regular comics reader until 1986), I chose to assume the character's name was pronounced "Hemmun," because the idea of a character actually named "He-Man" was just too dumb to accept.

Although I wonder if people today assume that the character name came first and the general epithet for a macho tough guy is derived from it, rather than the other way around.

 

[Mach5]

Even as kids we used to laugh at the stupidity of the name He-Man. Especially because in my (Croatian) language "heeman" means hymen... And the literal translation ("He-Man" = "On-Čovjek") sound just... You can imagine.