This video brings back a lot of memories. One of the fondest I have of my dad when I was younger is of us taking 6hrs to set up the Eternia playset, connecting it with Grayskull and Snake Mountain. Dad died in '94... Thank you for this trip down memory lane.
Your father sounds like a great guy. Do you remember how Eternia actually connected to Castle Greyskull and Snake Mountain? Were they just set side by side or did they interlock in some way?
@@tawdryhepburn4686 Thank you...Dad was an awesome father. If I remember correctly, Eternia connected to Grayskull and SM with 2 separate ramps; one from Grayskull Tower to the castle, another ramp from Snake Tower to Snake Mountain.
Amazing video Scott! I love He-Ro, his story about how he was Preternia's heroic wizard champion is amazing, I wish we had seen more of him in that 87' line. Also, you guys nailed him and the giants in Classics!
He-Ro is my favourite character and the Pre-Eternia era is awesome!!! Thank you for doing these videos. I'm learning so much. You are doing a fantastic job :)
I had a Tyrantisaurus and it was one of my favorites even after I moved on from He-Man. The jaws were on a spring so he could chomp and swing around action figures, the back opened to sit figures, but could close so it didn't have a gap if you just wanted the t-rex and he had a button that would launch a wind up robot from his belly.
Wasn't a parent in the 90s, hell, I wasn't even born until 1998, but from my perspective, I was more than happy he was just annoying in the 90s and 2000s. The 80s version of that thing was T E R R I F Y I N G.
Instantly remembered seeing and drooling over that ad with the dinos on the back of a danish Donald Duck comic when I was like 4.. then seeing the danish text made me chuckle! ;)
It's to bad the original line didn't finish properly. Bringing giants and dinosaurs into the line was genius. I really appreciate you bringing the giants into the classics line. Maybe one day Gigantosaurus will be made.
@@spectorcreative1872 @Peter Rohloff I believe here that part of the reason why the original Masters of the Universe toy product line performed poorly in 1987/1988 was because of the Dino-Riders toy product line, which was much more successful back then. (This is also probably part of the reason why the Dinosaucers toy product line was figuratively canned right before production in despite a 65-episode animated T.V. series of the same name was made there.)
I would love to hear your commentary on the early 2000s commemorative line. Im sure you have a fascinating insight on the processes that went down to make that possible!
The Stratos from that line was better than any other figures from that line or the other Stratos figures I think. I never could get into the show much tho.
In my opinion what needs to happen in order to see this lost continuation of the vintage MOTU line come to life would be to create a cartoon that would bridge the two worlds of Masters of the Universe and The Powers of Grayskull for kids in this era. What I don't want to happen is a reimagining of the lore or look. However, I realize kids today aren't necessarily attracted to the vintage look of MOTU, so that might have to be the compromise us old fans need to make. Perhaps Kevin Smith's Netflix cartoon could be the beginning of that since it's a continuation of the original cartoon? Maybe kids will watch it and actually want the toys? How cool would it be to see The Powers of Grayskull toyline in retail stores? Thanks for the upload.
Thanks for the history lesson. The fun creativity of the 80s is in a class by itself. It's tragic that it's gone, but I love that I got to live through it.
Thanks for finding information on what the ongoing storyline for Masters of the Universe would have been. Dinosaurs would really be a cool addition to the mythos. Hopefully, if Mattel's new Masterverse line is a success maybe they'll make these "DinoRiders" style of figures for 7-inch figures. I would think with the success of their Jurassic World line, Mattel would be open to incorporating dinosaurs with other toylines.
I actually think the Laser Power He-Man and Skeletor figures actually kind of look more like prototype versions of how they looked in the New Adventures of He-Man line.
Great video! Thank you! I managed to get the three dinosaurs back in the day, but never managed the Giants, Laser Leaders, or Eternia. Would've been great to see this line continued, back in the day. Would've loved too have seen the dinosaurs in MOTUC, too, but . . . oh, well. C'est la guerre! One thing I've been wondering, since the discussion of Eldor reminded me: why no holograms, any more? Back in the 1980s, they were everywhere for a while, it seemed. "National Geographic" had several holographic covers. You had entire toy lines built around holograms (Supernaturals, Visionaries), and you even had Tonka giving away hologram stickers for free with every little $3 GoBot, for a while. And now we're well past the Future Space Year 2000 . . . nothing! Seems such a shame.
I am so anticipating watching this at work tomorrow morning, I start at 6am, this is on at 7, hell yeah, this is going to be great I already know, Thanks Guru!
I’m from England and I have both the laser light figures ! I have had them since my childhood and I would have got them Christmas of that year !!! My grandmother usually bought me stuff like that and for some reason she was quite insistent on me looking after my toys ! So after I played with them they went back in there box and stored in my bedroom cupboard!!! And that insistence stayed with me in to my adult years and I’m glad she taught me to look after my stuff ! Because I have about 80% of the original line with the back cards etc ! My main collection is he man and Star Wars but when I got into my late teens and adulthood I have got into the neca horror collectables !!!! Great video and really love your contend and keeps me informed on my collection and childhood!!! Shame I don’t live in USA or I would have loved a chance to get that art of he man masters of the universe book !!!!!
With Origins, Masterverse, the two upcoming Netflix shows, and the recent DC Comics, it looks like MOTU is making a comeback. Guess I'm lucky that this is the time I chose to get back into it.
If this doesn’t work, Mattel is TOAST. Nee’s were a huge mistake. Guessing they blew their advance up their noses. And that little kid As He-Man? We’re they on crack? Oh... probably!
I also had the trex. I remember the green thing that flew out of the stomach and would scare my dog. I would also take the top of the head off and remove the teeth and wear them like dentures
I currently have the trex. My late husband was a MOTU collector. He had almost all of the American run. He passed away 2 years ago but I kept his collection. Not sure if he knew about the other 2 dinos. We have Eternia and I'm pretty sure we have the laser He-Man and Skeletor. I know we dont have the 2 giants. He said they were just too far out of his price range and gave up trying to get them
Thanks for this excellent video sir! I had 2 of the 3 dinos (not the pterodactyl) growing up & some friends later thought I was nuts for remembering them (they didn't have them). I forgot until I found Bionatops accessories a year or so ago. I've heard pieces of this puzzle elsewhere but I like how you bring the story together!
I didn't have ANY of the dinos, and I am such a huge dino fan. Congrats on having them. Hope they brought a lot of fun play. And thanks for the comment, always grateful.
I managed to get an old Bionitops back when they were released, as a kid. I really loved that "Powers of Grayskull" comic, but was so frustrated that I only ever got the 1 of 3. It wasn't until almost 30 years later and the hardcover anthology of all those old comics from He-Man and She-Ra was released that I finally got some closer. Great video!
I've been a fan of He Man and the Masters of the Universe since the toys first came out.I was a big Star Wars fan at first.Then one day me and my family were in k mart,and the first place I hit when I'd go in a store I knew had toys was the toy aisle.I seen He Man and from then on I really wasn't into Star Wars that much anymore,I still love it though.Anyways,thank you so much for being one of the people that kept Masters of the Universe alive through Masters of the Universe classics.To me,He Man was the ultimate hero and it really pisses me off to see anyone try to bastardise it.Have a great night,and again thank you so much for helping keep Masters of the Universe alive😉❤
@@ryadinstormblessed8308 they reminded me of the crash ups the hot wheels that dented either door, top or back, and other areas that were allowed to get dented, remembered the different ones hot wheels had.
I've been watching Phelous' videos on Galaxy Warriors and the bit about the dinosaurs made me realize something. In one of the variets from GW, there was a series that came packed with random dinosaur figures with no explanation. IF the line had been a Europe only release, this wave may have been the reason WHY those toys came with them; they were trying to copy the Grayskull Dinosaur line. You should really hit up Phelous on this because I think you'd both be able to answer a lot of questions between He-Man and Galaxy Warriors in terms of what the latter was trying to copy.
I have a Bionatops, but was always disappointed that only its jaw was articulated. I saw all of the released toys in stores. I definitely remember seeing Eternia in a store, but it was $100 and another like Fortress Maximus of Transformers that there was no way I was going to have. Heck, the only MOTU playset I have is the Fright Zone, and only because I found it at Big Lots for $5. I still have the box, but I colored the back in Filmation-style (Hordak's limbs blue, Mantenna's eyes yellow, Modulok with pants and armor, etc.. I'd show it, but it's in a storage unit far from where I live.
I remember going to Toys 'R Us in the UK not long after the brand opened there and seeing Eternia high up on a shelf. I was over He-Man by that point as were most kids who had grown up with him but damn did my jaw drop at the concept! In a way I'm glad I never got it or it would have been even more painful to have it donated to some charity shop and later see it become a huge ebay rarity!
Man... this is the absolute best stuff ever. Like could you please do a video on how you got into working in the toy biz? Like what is your educational background and such. If you already made a video then I apologize.
I think its fun to peek behind the curtain at what might have been, but it also reminds me how thankful I am that all things should end. Mattel was really starting to dilute the line to where it was almost unrecognizable, so it was likely a very good thing none of this came to pass (at least in the states).
I always keep hearing this...and I'm not one to argue in the face of facts... but i truly and honestly SWEAR my cousin did some mail away thing for laser light he man and skeletor... i played with them even. He def never went to Europe either.
WOW the nostalgia from this...I remember the He-Man figures had a particular smell to them when opening them, I can still smell it when I think about it. I had grayskull and snake mountain and a ton of the figures but lost both in transit when we moved away from california, I was so heartbroken as they were my favorite next to my ghostbuster stuff
Regarding that specific era, I had hoped the Beast man early prototype would show up within the course of the Classics line. By the way, which mold do you think would have been used back then had this figure been planified? Gygor's or Kulatak's? OnlyOneSkeletor
@Evan John It's nice to know here that Canada didn't get shafted back then with toy action figures (at least when it came to the Masters of the Universe product line). Canadian consumers were treated just as well as U.S. consumers (for the most part) when it came to toy action figures back then - and this was *_BEFORE_* the Internet age and e-commerce!
Around this same time, the Captain Power TV show had a character named Mentor, he was a hologram with the appearance and memories of Captain Power's dad. There was never a toy of him, but since Mattel was handling that toyline too, maybe they wanted to keep the option open? That's all I got.
@@spectorcreative1872 Nope! I was about to go into Junior High and was into Nintendo games at that time. I would still check to see what was in the action figure isle once in awhile.
Just now seeing video. Nicely done. This is good for people not familiar to the line or the history. Consider me subscribed and keep the videos coming.
I never knew about the Giants or Eldor until around 20 years after the fact. When I bought the bionic Dinosaurs I thought the three issue mini-comics would have been included with each one. That was a bummer how the line ended with a cliffhanger like that.
At 5:24, what is that helicopter/insect toy in the upper left?? Memory is hazy but I think I had that or something like it! 🤔 (Also I love that the awesome art on the Eternia box looks like it belongs on the side of someone's van in the seventies!)
@@spectorcreative1872 Thanks! But I don't think that's what I had. Looking around online, I think it was this thing: www.megomuseum.com/micronauts/images/Hornetroid-HMS-Mod.jpg They seem kinda similar! Wonder which came first?
Could you do an episode about the decision to axe the He-Man line? Like, what went into it? Why would you end a brand when all the R&D work was already finished? Who fought to keep it? Who had final say in ending things? What contributed to the massive ‘86 sales downturn you mentioned? Also, just an episode about the Eternia Playset. That thing is bizarre and fascinating and delightfully I’ll-advised. I can’t help but think of the movie Wallstreet and “How many yatchts can you jet ski behind?” When I look at it.
Really wished The Powers Of Grayskull continued! Shame it didn’t happen, but it’s also a shame no one turned up for the premiere?! I’ll definitely be on the next one. 1:40: ‘Brand’ new. Huh. Maybe that’s a pun! Also is there any total for the amount of Eternia that shipped?
I remember in Bakersfield CA my cousin and I got all three of the dinos at some place for super discount. I also remember when I was a kid they had a place called pic and save that i think got all warehouse leftover stock of original motu when the line ended.. and had a giant section of he man figures for super cheap. I wish I would have understood it better and went nuts.
@@spectorcreative1872 appreciate it I have been in instructional design for years and just don't want to work on military contracts any more.lol good looking out , love your stuff keep it up.
Let's hope the upcoming Netflix cartoon has a Powers of Grayskull story arc that sends He-Man back in time to Preternia and introduces He-Ro and Eldor. Then Mattel can make the toys!
Hi Spector, question: you mentioned about prototypes no longer needed getting thrown away. Are employees allowed to bring them home instead? Or at least buy them?
In the 80's yes. When I was at Mattel you had to get permission from Sr management and have things signed out to you. Which I did for all of the Mighty Spector prototypes.
Reminds me of how the D&D line by LJN had figures of different sizes, not just to be differently scaled toys, but to represent races of greatly differing size, which I think is unusual in toy lines.
Saw this preview yesterday and have been very eagerly awaiting it, and it did not disappoint! I did have a question about the Powers of Grayskull line: Did you ever find any info on those 6 new characters from "the Lost Wave"? They featured Snake Men as the bad guys so it seemed to me that they'd have gone with this new PoG line had it came out. I've only ever seen them as the black and white line art that would have gone on their cardbacks has they been released. I know Super7 made some of them as Classics figures, but I am curious if Mattel had actually chosen names for them before the line ended.
@@spectorcreative1872 Wow, that's crazy. So many other lines I grew up with (Inhumanoids, Visionaries, Centurions, etc) had un-released products for waves they never got to, but with MotU it always seemed they had almost zero unreleased products. So when I heard about He-Ro and the Powers of Grayskull it blew my mind. Hearing about and seeing the line art for the Lost Wave was fascinating to me as I never thought anything else was planned outside of what the Toy Fair catalog showed. I got into MotU in 1985 when I was 5 yrs old so these very much would have been in my line of sight at that time had they come out.
I noticed that the color guides had the abbreviation PMS. I had to look that up-- I can't believe Pantone thought that would be a good abbreviation for their color system.
Here's an interesting question I think you would know something about: You mentioned that the dinosaurs in MOTU would be expensive to make. Do you know whether it was equally expensive for Tyco to produce their Dinosaurs for the Dino Riders toy series? I remember Tyco produced some nice detailed dinosaurs for their toyline.
Big difference with Dino Riders dinos is that the beings that ride them are small. They're 2.5" IIRC, similar to MASK. So they're basically 1:24. The MOTU dinos would accommodate 5.5" which is closer to 1:12. Perhaps it would have been expensive at that time both on the manufacturer end and the retainer end.
@@dedelebon Well, the Dino-Riders stuff had a LOT of parts and accessories, and they had a fair few motorised creatures, as well. The Preternia dinosaurs just had a couple spring-loaded grabbing features (Turbodactyl's claws, and Tyrantisaurus Rex's jaws) and one wind-up mechanical feature (Tyrantisaurus Rex's drone). It would be nifty to see someone compare the some of the Dino-Riders toys to the Preternian dinosaurs, because I've never seen the two lines side-by-side, before.
He-Ro for the win! I swear he had black hair originally though :P I also loved my purple T-rex with a weird green wind up attack ball that launched from his belly. That was awesome! It sounds like you're talking about He-Ro like he was never released, but I swear I had him in my collection.
@@spectorcreative1872 LOL! I think I had him from around 85 to 92 and then my mom went on a cleaning rampage and tossed him into a give away bag. Hopefully someone else got to enjoy him as much as I did :)
A while ago, Brian Flynn talked about concept art for Skeletor movie trooper figures, an update to Castle Grayskull, and more giants. Do you know anything about that?
Once I left Mattel and they transferred the brand to Super 7 I had very little insight. But now that Mattel has taken back the brand, I imagine most of what Super 7 had in the hopper is DOA.
I remember being constantly confused about action figure toys vs comics vs tv shows, nothing seemed to make sense, but nowadays it's cool to see all that "Conan meets LSD" artwork and wonder about the abstract story concepts
9:48: Maybe that is a reason why it didn’t get produced. Imagine how often figures would lose their legs when falling or being pulled out of the Gigantosaurus.
I think the name was changed from Mentor to Eldor because Mentor was the name of the friendly AI in Captain Power and the Soldiers of the Future. Probably, Mattel didn't want to share names between different lines.
I`m very grateful, that Super 7 released He-Ro and Eldor on this original card design and vintage look. I purchased them and will never open the package, because I absolutley love the figures on this iconic cards.
I had drifted out of MOTU a little at that time but was intrigued by the prehistoric theme. I have all three dinosaurs released and would have been on-board with it all if they had been released.
Here's how to differentiate *"dolls"* from other figures. 1. The ability to, and emphasis on changing outfits (dolls are essentially clothes horses or mannequins). This goes beyond simple 'soft goods' like a cape on Skeletor or Dusty Tadur's hat, but means an outfit that can be completely removed, and usually features fasteners up the back. This is the primary play feature of a doll and is the only aspect that is totally unique to them (with some possible exceptions). The easiest rule of thumb is that dolls are naked, and action figures have sculpted-on clothes. Shared features: 2. Limited articulation. This isn't unique to dolls (as exemplified by MOTU), but is usually present in dolls to a greater extent than with action figures. 3. Non interchangeable body parts. Dolls usually never have swappable hands or other parts, whereas action figures often do (especially these days). Again, there are exceptions to this rule on both sides. 4. Rooted hair is a ubiquitous feature in dolls, but it's inclusion doesnt make a figure a doll. Example: A Hot Toys figure with rooted hair is not a doll, because the clothes, while made of fabric, are in most cases not intended to be removed and are often glued on. Also the interchangable hands and extreme posability are un-doll-like. They arent strictly 'toys' or 'action figures' either, as they are intended for display, not play. Obviously, statues, maquettes and figurines are neither dolls nor action figures as they have no posability. Of course, Laymen will often just call any toy a doll, but you just have to ignore their ignorance. 😤
So then basically old school GIJoe is a doll, despite Hasbro creating the phrase " action figure" specifically for GIJoe as " boys don't play with dolls"....
The last of the action figures I remember getting in the line were the battle armor He-man and Skeletor, where the could hit each other in the chest and it would show battle damage in the armor.
I remember having both Bionatops and Turbodactle. I remember them being lower quality compared to a lot of the other MotU toys I had. The head of Turbodactle I remember being really cheap flimsy plastic and breaking at the hinge where it’s mouth opened (I may have been trying to have him bite Hordak or someone. Perhaps it was cause they were lower price point models compared to something like the AttackTrak or that SpiderWalker; but I don’t recall being hard on my toys and they didn’t last nearly as long as my older ones.
This video brings back a lot of memories. One of the fondest I have of my dad when I was younger is of us taking 6hrs to set up the Eternia playset, connecting it with Grayskull and Snake Mountain.
Dad died in '94...
Thank you for this trip down memory lane.
You are so welcome. I am thrilled the video could bring back such wonderful memories. Thanks for taking the time to comment as well!
Condolences
Your father sounds like a great guy. Do you remember how Eternia actually connected to Castle Greyskull and Snake Mountain? Were they just set side by side or did they interlock in some way?
@@tawdryhepburn4686 Thank you...Dad was an awesome father.
If I remember correctly, Eternia connected to Grayskull and SM with 2 separate ramps; one from Grayskull Tower to the castle, another ramp from Snake Tower to Snake Mountain.
@@IMRJT3 thanks! Did they actually lock together, or was it just placed on top loose?
Amazing video Scott! I love He-Ro, his story about how he was Preternia's heroic wizard champion is amazing, I wish we had seen more of him in that 87' line. Also, you guys nailed him and the giants in Classics!
Cool piece of history. Makes me feel lucky to have had the Eternia playset and the 3 dinos from their limited release in North America.
You were a very blessed kid!
I can't believe i had that same mega toy catalog laying around in my home during my childhood (i'm 41 today). It's lost to history by now.
well at least the internet preserves some of it!
@@spectorcreative1872 That was an extensive and thick catalog. If i'm correct, it detailed tons of more toys from additional companies.
He-Ro is my favourite character and the Pre-Eternia era is awesome!!! Thank you for doing these videos. I'm learning so much. You are doing a fantastic job :)
Thank you so much! Suggestions for future videos are always welcome too.
@@spectorcreative1872 Do a Video over the other GIant, the Green one if you haven't already.
I have that knitting pattern with He-ro and He-man together. My mum knitted me the jumper with He-man on one side and Skeletor on the back.
Really! That is beyond cool.
Did you switch the jumper from back to front depending on your mood that day?
@@TeatroGrotesco Yes if I were in an evil mood I'd wear Skeletor front and center.
That's amazing !
I had a Tyrantisaurus and it was one of my favorites even after I moved on from He-Man. The jaws were on a spring so he could chomp and swing around action figures, the back opened to sit figures, but could close so it didn't have a gap if you just wanted the t-rex and he had a button that would launch a wind up robot from his belly.
It was an awesome toy! I soooooo wish I had it when I was a kid.
Once again thank you for this...love learning new stuff from this channel
Thrilled you continue to enjoy. Please pass to others on social media, it helps the channel a ton!
"Who doesn't like a giant purple tyrannosaurus rex?" Anyone who had small children in the 90's.
Wasn't a parent in the 90s, hell, I wasn't even born until 1998, but from my perspective, I was more than happy he was just annoying in the 90s and 2000s. The 80s version of that thing was T E R R I F Y I N G.
All dinosaurs are great dinosaurs.
@@spectorcreative1872 My childhood trauma would like to have a word with you
Beat me to it! At least Tyrantisaurus (really? Its basically the same name...) doesn't sing syrupy songs at you!
Got T-Rex , Biona & Turbodactyl , all mib , as well as Tytus mib & the Laser figs moc.....sadly no Tytus mib
Really great stuff. The obscure stuff was always my favorite part of Classics. Loved getting the "never-before-seen-in-plastic" characters to display.
If only these could have been released
Instantly remembered seeing and drooling over that ad with the dinos on the back of a danish Donald Duck comic when I was like 4.. then seeing the danish text made me chuckle! ;)
Great video. I always wondered what that Powers of Grayskull line was. Thanks for filling in the gaps!
It's to bad the original line didn't finish properly. Bringing giants and dinosaurs into the line was genius. I really appreciate you bringing the giants into the classics line. Maybe one day Gigantosaurus will be made.
Oh man, that would be amazing. I'd settle for even a small model.
I hope whoever is running Origins dips into The Powers of Grayskull stuff.
@@Convoy00X That would be awesome, I would certainly look forward towards the Snake Men collection, I would get every last one of them.
I think they must copy hasbro's strategy with haslab and the kitana and the razor crest, some fan funding stuff,
@@spectorcreative1872 @Peter Rohloff
I believe here that part of the reason why the original Masters of the Universe toy product line performed poorly in 1987/1988 was because of the Dino-Riders toy product line, which was much more successful back then. (This is also probably part of the reason why the Dinosaucers toy product line was figuratively canned right before production in despite a 65-episode animated T.V. series of the same name was made there.)
I would love to hear your commentary on the early 2000s commemorative line. Im sure you have a fascinating insight on the processes that went down to make that possible!
I can add that to the list! Thanks for the suggestion
The Stratos from that line was better than any other figures from that line or the other Stratos figures I think. I never could get into the show much tho.
I love these videos and I'm a big fan. So amazing that you were a brand manager!
Thank you for the kind words! I am so grateful. Reposting of the videos to your friends is also most appreciated!!!
In my opinion what needs to happen in order to see this lost continuation of the vintage MOTU line come to life would be to create a cartoon that would bridge the two worlds of Masters of the Universe and The Powers of Grayskull for kids in this era. What I don't want to happen is a reimagining of the lore or look. However, I realize kids today aren't necessarily attracted to the vintage look of MOTU, so that might have to be the compromise us old fans need to make. Perhaps Kevin Smith's Netflix cartoon could be the beginning of that since it's a continuation of the original cartoon? Maybe kids will watch it and actually want the toys? How cool would it be to see The Powers of Grayskull toyline in retail stores? Thanks for the upload.
Oh man that would be amazing. Maybe Origins will embrace this concept. Great idea.
Thanks for the history lesson. The fun creativity of the 80s is in a class by itself. It's tragic that it's gone, but I love that I got to live through it.
Me too!
Thanks for finding information on what the ongoing storyline for Masters of the Universe would have been. Dinosaurs would really be a cool addition to the mythos. Hopefully, if Mattel's new Masterverse line is a success maybe they'll make these "DinoRiders" style of figures for 7-inch figures. I would think with the success of their Jurassic World line, Mattel would be open to incorporating dinosaurs with other toylines.
Dinosaurs ALWAYS make a toy line better
I actually think the Laser Power He-Man and Skeletor figures actually kind of look more like prototype versions of how they looked in the New Adventures of He-Man line.
That is not far off actually.
Gigantosaurus sounds like it would have been the "Unicron" of the MOTU line! Lol
Or the giant dinosaur. One of the two. ;-P
A giant unicorn babyface! Cool
I don't know, I loved that Bone skeleton dinosaur that you could clip all of the characters onto his rib bones. Pretty hard to top that :P
Great video! Thank you! I managed to get the three dinosaurs back in the day, but never managed the Giants, Laser Leaders, or Eternia. Would've been great to see this line continued, back in the day. Would've loved too have seen the dinosaurs in MOTUC, too, but . . . oh, well. C'est la guerre!
One thing I've been wondering, since the discussion of Eldor reminded me: why no holograms, any more? Back in the 1980s, they were everywhere for a while, it seemed. "National Geographic" had several holographic covers. You had entire toy lines built around holograms (Supernaturals, Visionaries), and you even had Tonka giving away hologram stickers for free with every little $3 GoBot, for a while. And now we're well past the Future Space Year 2000 . . . nothing! Seems such a shame.
Maybe the "neat" feature of holograms just wore off after awhile. Like Disco.
@@spectorcreative1872 Wait . . . Disco isn't outtasight any more?!!
Hey big guy this is sledgemaster and u do a wonderful and professional job on ur videos. Have a happy Sunday and god bless u and ur family.
And a very happy new year to you as well!
I am so anticipating watching this at work tomorrow morning, I start at 6am, this is on at 7, hell yeah, this is going to be great I already know, Thanks Guru!
30 minutes to go!
I’m from England and I have both the laser light figures ! I have had them since my childhood and I would have got them Christmas of that year !!! My grandmother usually bought me stuff like that and for some reason she was quite insistent on me looking after my toys ! So after I played with them they went back in there box and stored in my bedroom cupboard!!! And that insistence stayed with me in to my adult years and I’m glad she taught me to look after my stuff ! Because I have about 80% of the original line with the back cards etc ! My main collection is he man and Star Wars but when I got into my late teens and adulthood I have got into the neca horror collectables !!!! Great video and really love your contend and keeps me informed on my collection and childhood!!! Shame I don’t live in USA or I would have loved a chance to get that art of he man masters of the universe book !!!!!
With Origins, Masterverse, the two upcoming Netflix shows, and the recent DC Comics, it looks like MOTU is making a comeback. Guess I'm lucky that this is the time I chose to get back into it.
We can hope so! It has been done before (as a come back that is)
If this doesn’t work, Mattel is TOAST. Nee’s were a huge mistake. Guessing they blew their advance up their noses. And that little kid As He-Man? We’re they on crack? Oh... probably!
What Netflix shows ? Is there a new He-Man show coming up ???
@@changmark Netflix was supposed to have two new MOTU shows. Things got delayed.
@@dylanlewis5113 oh. Thanks man.
Great video. Damn shame that instead of getting the P.O.G. line, we got music executive He-Man in pretend Star Wars.
Meaning New Adventures? Some odd choices did happen...
I def had that trex and triceratops as a kid, lived in the us
and I am so jealous.
I also had the trex. I remember the green thing that flew out of the stomach and would scare my dog. I would also take the top of the head off and remove the teeth and wear them like dentures
I had the triceratops for sure, and I seem took recall having some other dinos with my He-Man line, but don't remember for sure which ones.
I currently have the trex. My late husband was a MOTU collector. He had almost all of the American run. He passed away 2 years ago but I kept his collection. Not sure if he knew about the other 2 dinos. We have Eternia and I'm pretty sure we have the laser He-Man and Skeletor. I know we dont have the 2 giants. He said they were just too far out of his price range and gave up trying to get them
Thanks for this excellent video sir! I had 2 of the 3 dinos (not the pterodactyl) growing up & some friends later thought I was nuts for remembering them (they didn't have them). I forgot until I found Bionatops accessories a year or so ago. I've heard pieces of this puzzle elsewhere but I like how you bring the story together!
I didn't have ANY of the dinos, and I am such a huge dino fan. Congrats on having them. Hope they brought a lot of fun play. And thanks for the comment, always grateful.
Man, just got the recommendation today! I love this channel! Greats posts!
Well thank you! And most appreciate taking the time to post. Let me know any suggestions for further topics!
I managed to get an old Bionitops back when they were released, as a kid. I really loved that "Powers of Grayskull" comic, but was so frustrated that I only ever got the 1 of 3. It wasn't until almost 30 years later and the hardcover anthology of all those old comics from He-Man and She-Ra was released that I finally got some closer. Great video!
I am jealous! I never had any of the MOTU dinos, and I love dino toys!
I've been a fan of He Man and the Masters of the Universe since the toys first came out.I was a big Star Wars fan at first.Then one day me and my family were in k mart,and the first place I hit when I'd go in a store I knew had toys was the toy aisle.I seen He Man and from then on I really wasn't into Star Wars that much anymore,I still love it though.Anyways,thank you so much for being one of the people that kept Masters of the Universe alive through Masters of the Universe classics.To me,He Man was the ultimate hero and it really pisses me off to see anyone try to bastardise it.Have a great night,and again thank you so much for helping keep Masters of the Universe alive😉❤
So glad you are enjoying. Topic suggestions always welcome
@@spectorcreative1872 Cool if I think of anything I'll let you know
Gigantosaurus, oh my goodness. If I were back in the 80s, I'd be drooling over that toy. You just have to admire the MOTU team's creativity.
Quite insane I know!
I'm reminded of the He-man and skeletor with the chest armor that dented with each hit to the chest piece.
The Battle Armor He-Man and Skeletor!
@@spectorcreative1872 I miss those it's like the hot wheels that had parts of it whether the door or trunk, newer ones had the top dent.
Oh yeah! I forgot about those! Nice one!
@@ryadinstormblessed8308 they reminded me of the crash ups the hot wheels that dented either door, top or back, and other areas that were allowed to get dented, remembered the different ones hot wheels had.
@@LongShen1985 the tiny cars right? I forgot! At 1st i thot u meant the hot wheels we kids rode on in 80s.
I wasn't big on MOTU but that "Turbo dactyl" got a lot of play from me.
Jelly you had one!
Hore old Are you?
@@stevenguevara2184 Old enough to not let people call me hore on the internet :P
I love the "why Gamora" pun you threw in there.
Glad it was appreciated. ;-)
I've been watching Phelous' videos on Galaxy Warriors and the bit about the dinosaurs made me realize something. In one of the variets from GW, there was a series that came packed with random dinosaur figures with no explanation. IF the line had been a Europe only release, this wave may have been the reason WHY those toys came with them; they were trying to copy the Grayskull Dinosaur line. You should really hit up Phelous on this because I think you'd both be able to answer a lot of questions between He-Man and Galaxy Warriors in terms of what the latter was trying to copy.
Well so many toy lines have a lot of similarities
I have a Bionatops, but was always disappointed that only its jaw was articulated. I saw all of the released toys in stores. I definitely remember seeing Eternia in a store, but it was $100 and another like Fortress Maximus of Transformers that there was no way I was going to have. Heck, the only MOTU playset I have is the Fright Zone, and only because I found it at Big Lots for $5. I still have the box, but I colored the back in Filmation-style (Hordak's limbs blue, Mantenna's eyes yellow, Modulok with pants and armor, etc.. I'd show it, but it's in a storage unit far from where I live.
I so wish we could have gotten to the dinos in Classics and made them fully articulated. They would have been so great!
I remember going to Toys 'R Us in the UK not long after the brand opened there and seeing Eternia high up on a shelf. I was over He-Man by that point as were most kids who had grown up with him but damn did my jaw drop at the concept! In a way I'm glad I never got it or it would have been even more painful to have it donated to some charity shop and later see it become a huge ebay rarity!
Amazing what these go for on Ebay now!
I remember seeing them at Childrens Palace for 89.99 in 1989. If only we knew....
Man... this is the absolute best stuff ever. Like could you please do a video on how you got into working in the toy biz? Like what is your educational background and such. If you already made a video then I apologize.
Already done! th-cam.com/video/vBuGb9ZS_JY/w-d-xo.html
I loved the laser two pack you guys did.
Me too!
I think its fun to peek behind the curtain at what might have been, but it also reminds me how thankful I am that all things should end. Mattel was really starting to dilute the line to where it was almost unrecognizable, so it was likely a very good thing none of this came to pass (at least in the states).
I always keep hearing this...and I'm not one to argue in the face of facts... but i truly and honestly SWEAR my cousin did some mail away thing for laser light he man and skeletor... i played with them even. He def never went to Europe either.
It is always possible. There was a lot of stock back then and the US toy stores didn't want it
Flippen awesome. Thanx for this video.
Glad you liked! Please feel free to share with others, it helps the channel a ton
I would like to see more on Eldor. I think that character looked awesome
There isn't that much more to say, but he does appear in the mini comics a bit!
The hologram book sounds cool.
WOW the nostalgia from this...I remember the He-Man figures had a particular smell to them when opening them, I can still smell it when I think about it. I had grayskull and snake mountain and a ton of the figures but lost both in transit when we moved away from california, I was so heartbroken as they were my favorite next to my ghostbuster stuff
Their is nothing like "new toy smell"!
Regarding that specific era, I had hoped the Beast man early prototype would show up within
the course of the Classics line. By the way, which mold do you think
would have been used back then had this figure been planified?
Gygor's or Kulatak's? OnlyOneSkeletor
The plan was for that character to be Red Beast, the leader of the Vine Jungle Beast Men. He makes an appearance in mini comic # 3.
I got all 3 Dinos and still have them they are pretty cool toys.
Great content love it
I am so jealous!
I can confirm the T. rex did ship to Canada as I had it.
Nice. And I am so jealous!
Powers of Grayskull appeared in Michigan (all 3 dinosaurs) but only saw them once at a Whitmark store, long defunct.
@Evan John
It's nice to know here that Canada didn't get shafted back then with toy action figures (at least when it came to the Masters of the Universe product line). Canadian consumers were treated just as well as U.S. consumers (for the most part) when it came to toy action figures back then - and this was *_BEFORE_* the Internet age and e-commerce!
Fantastic video , well done 👍
Glad you liked! Pleas feel free to share with others online, it helps the channel a ton
The staff of He-ro reminds me a bit of the Cosmic Key from the live action MOTU movie
It does have a similar vibe but i do think the creation was not tied.
Around this same time, the Captain Power TV show had a character named Mentor, he was a hologram with the appearance and memories of Captain Power's dad. There was never a toy of him, but since Mattel was handling that toyline too, maybe they wanted to keep the option open? That's all I got.
Possible, although I think they may have been going for a more masculine name.
I do remember seeing the 3 released dinosaurs and the Eternia playset at Childrens Palace for a short time in the late 80s.
Did you snag em?
@@spectorcreative1872 Nope! I was
about to go into Junior High and was into Nintendo games at that time. I would still check to see what was in the action figure isle once in awhile.
Just now seeing video. Nicely done. This is good for people not familiar to the line or the history. Consider me subscribed and keep the videos coming.
Thank you so much! Any suggestions for future videos are always appreciated.
I never knew about the Giants or Eldor until around 20 years after the fact. When I bought the bionic Dinosaurs I thought the three issue mini-comics would have been included with each one. That was a bummer how the line ended with a cliffhanger like that.
At 5:24, what is that helicopter/insect toy in the upper left?? Memory is hazy but I think I had that or something like it! 🤔 (Also I love that the awesome art on the Eternia box looks like it belongs on the side of someone's van in the seventies!)
That is the Fright Fighter.
@@spectorcreative1872 Thanks! But I don't think that's what I had. Looking around online, I think it was this thing: www.megomuseum.com/micronauts/images/Hornetroid-HMS-Mod.jpg
They seem kinda similar! Wonder which came first?
Could you do an episode about the decision to axe the He-Man line? Like, what went into it? Why would you end a brand when all the R&D work was already finished? Who fought to keep it? Who had final say in ending things? What contributed to the massive ‘86 sales downturn you mentioned?
Also, just an episode about the Eternia Playset. That thing is bizarre and fascinating and delightfully I’ll-advised. I can’t help but think of the movie Wallstreet and “How many yatchts can you jet ski behind?” When I look at it.
Check this out. Let me know if a follow up or more is wanted!
th-cam.com/video/G3WlwU9i-bA/w-d-xo.html
Really wished The Powers Of Grayskull continued! Shame it didn’t happen, but it’s also a shame no one turned up for the premiere?! I’ll definitely be on the next one. 1:40: ‘Brand’ new. Huh. Maybe that’s a pun! Also is there any total for the amount of Eternia that shipped?
Shame indeed!
TY for talking about this.
TY?
@@spectorcreative1872 Thank you.
I remember in Bakersfield CA my cousin and I got all three of the dinos at some place for super discount. I also remember when I was a kid they had a place called pic and save that i think got all warehouse leftover stock of original motu when the line ended.. and had a giant section of he man figures for super cheap. I wish I would have understood it better and went nuts.
So jealous of anyone who had the dinos.
Awww, those toys would’ve been AWESOME!!!
If only MOTU could have kept going back in the 80's!
I love these videos! I want to work for your company.
If we are ever hiring I'll let you know!
@@spectorcreative1872 appreciate it I have been in instructional design for years and just don't want to work on military contracts any more.lol good looking out , love your stuff keep it up.
I bought the light up Skeletor last month. I paid $50 for him and he came with his havoc staff which lights up as well.
Let's hope the upcoming Netflix cartoon has a Powers of Grayskull story arc that sends He-Man back in time to Preternia and introduces He-Ro and Eldor. Then Mattel can make the toys!
We can all hope! And with the figures now being 40.00 each, their may be more picking and choosing vs. being all in.
The Revelations cartoon does have He-Ro with a voice actor, so he might show up somehow
@@spectorcreative1872 wait, the Revelations figures are $40?
Hi Spector, question: you mentioned about prototypes no longer needed getting thrown away. Are employees allowed to bring them home instead? Or at least buy them?
In the 80's yes. When I was at Mattel you had to get permission from Sr management and have things signed out to you. Which I did for all of the Mighty Spector prototypes.
@@spectorcreative1872 God, you had the best job in the world!
I had castle eternity. That was my big Xmas gift that year. Never could get the monorail to work lol
No one could!
@@spectorcreative1872 I felt my parents were being cheap cause it wasn't castle greyskull. Little did I kno that it was a nifty price tag
Glad to see I wasn't the only one to instantly think of Barney when purple T-rex was mentioned!
Ha!
Reminds me of how the D&D line by LJN had figures of different sizes, not just to be differently scaled toys, but to represent races of greatly differing size, which I think is unusual in toy lines.
Those were great toys, I agree!
I did have that mini comic for the Powers of Grayskull.
It was rare!
Saw this preview yesterday and have been very eagerly awaiting it, and it did not disappoint! I did have a question about the Powers of Grayskull line: Did you ever find any info on those 6 new characters from "the Lost Wave"? They featured Snake Men as the bad guys so it seemed to me that they'd have gone with this new PoG line had it came out. I've only ever seen them as the black and white line art that would have gone on their cardbacks has they been released. I know Super7 made some of them as Classics figures, but I am curious if Mattel had actually chosen names for them before the line ended.
No, Mattel definitely did not have names for them. The names Super 7 used were created by the Power Con staff.
@@spectorcreative1872 Wow, that's crazy. So many other lines I grew up with (Inhumanoids, Visionaries, Centurions, etc) had un-released products for waves they never got to, but with MotU it always seemed they had almost zero unreleased products. So when I heard about He-Ro and the Powers of Grayskull it blew my mind. Hearing about and seeing the line art for the Lost Wave was fascinating to me as I never thought anything else was planned outside of what the Toy Fair catalog showed. I got into MotU in 1985 when I was 5 yrs old so these very much would have been in my line of sight at that time had they come out.
I noticed that the color guides had the abbreviation PMS. I had to look that up-- I can't believe Pantone thought that would be a good abbreviation for their color system.
No idea why they started using it, but yes PMS is pretty standard.
I actually *had* the Tyrantisaurus Rex - something that amazes me even more now after hearing how rare it was. God I loved those 'spring-loaded' jaws.
Man, you were lucky!
@@spectorcreative1872 No kidding. And living in Eastern Washington no less!
I'm so glad He-Ro & Eldor made it into the Classics line and Super 7 made figures based on the prototypes. Love the poster by Emiliano Santalucia!
Those two figures are so awesome!
I'm so glad you made the giants in the Classics line. Much better than the vintage versions.
Thanks! A lot of love went into these
How and where was the POG cardback art discovered?
I don't recall entirely. I know He-Man.org has the info.
Best Christmas memory I had involved eternia, fam even set up my Grayskull and Snake mountain in respective positions. It's totally my patronus memory
So does that make He-Ro's dinosaur your patronus?
Here's an interesting question I think you would know something about: You mentioned that the dinosaurs in MOTU would be expensive to make. Do you know whether it was equally expensive for Tyco to produce their Dinosaurs for the Dino Riders toy series? I remember Tyco produced some nice detailed dinosaurs for their toyline.
Big difference with Dino Riders dinos is that the beings that ride them are small. They're 2.5" IIRC, similar to MASK. So they're basically 1:24. The MOTU dinos would accommodate 5.5" which is closer to 1:12. Perhaps it would have been expensive at that time both on the manufacturer end and the retainer end.
However Dino Riders was an expensive toyline .
@@dedelebon Well, the Dino-Riders stuff had a LOT of parts and accessories, and they had a fair few motorised creatures, as well. The Preternia dinosaurs just had a couple spring-loaded grabbing features (Turbodactyl's claws, and Tyrantisaurus Rex's jaws) and one wind-up mechanical feature (Tyrantisaurus Rex's drone).
It would be nifty to see someone compare the some of the Dino-Riders toys to the Preternian dinosaurs, because I've never seen the two lines side-by-side, before.
The Dino Riders were scaled to much smaller figures.
Omg! I had the Bilnatops! I haven't given that a moments thought in decades!
I wish I did! You were so lucky
He-Ro for the win! I swear he had black hair originally though :P I also loved my purple T-rex with a weird green wind up attack ball that launched from his belly. That was awesome! It sounds like you're talking about He-Ro like he was never released, but I swear I had him in my collection.
I so wish I had that purple dinosaur. I only had Barney
@@spectorcreative1872 LOL! I think I had him from around 85 to 92 and then my mom went on a cleaning rampage and tossed him into a give away bag. Hopefully someone else got to enjoy him as much as I did :)
A while ago, Brian Flynn talked about concept art for Skeletor movie trooper figures, an update to Castle Grayskull, and more giants. Do you know anything about that?
Once I left Mattel and they transferred the brand to Super 7 I had very little insight. But now that Mattel has taken back the brand, I imagine most of what Super 7 had in the hopper is DOA.
@@spectorcreative1872 I meant that like, he said they found that art in like the Mattel archive
I'm not that much of a MOTU fan but this was very interesting, thanks.
Glad you enjoyed. Feel free to share with anyone else you think might enjoy
I remember being constantly confused about action figure toys vs comics vs tv shows, nothing seemed to make sense, but nowadays it's cool to see all that "Conan meets LSD" artwork and wonder about the abstract story concepts
Wait until you see the He-Man is not Conan video coming up!
9:48: Maybe that is a reason why it didn’t get produced. Imagine how often figures would lose their legs when falling or being pulled out of the Gigantosaurus.
Ha!
Another nice video keep up the good work broski
Glad you enjoyed! Reposts of the videos are always appreciated to help spread the word. ;-)
Awesome video!!! Love your channel a lot! One of the best! My wish for a video would be about the never produced She-Ra toys 😊
Oh I'll get to that soon! Thanks for the suggestion!
I think the name was changed from Mentor to Eldor because Mentor was the name of the friendly AI in Captain Power and the Soldiers of the Future. Probably, Mattel didn't want to share names between different lines.
I`m very grateful, that Super 7 released He-Ro and Eldor on this original card design and vintage look. I purchased them and will never open the package, because I absolutley love the figures on this iconic cards.
I am too! One of my favorite toys from the last few years
I had drifted out of MOTU a little at that time but was intrigued by the prehistoric theme. I have all three dinosaurs released and would have been on-board with it all if they had been released.
Every toy line needs more dinosaurs
Are the actual prototype He-Ro, & Eldor figures that were made for the pictures in the Catalog still around, or do they no longer exist?
Nope. I tried to find them. Long gone.
@@spectorcreative1872 That really sucks, same with the prototype Brontosaurus.
@@spectorcreative1872 doesn't the whole dinosaur vibe remind you of what Dino riders became?
Interesting! About the time I left Masters as a kid was when the dinos came out. Shortly after, I got into Dino Riders for a while!
I hear Dino Riders are back, in slug figure form!
@@spectorcreative1872 Awesome!! Thanks for letting me know about that! Great videos my friend!
The "Hero" character was actually officially produced and released by a company call "Ramen Toys"
Did I miss any mention of Dare? He was on the back of the card, but I don’t think you really went into any background...
Dare is a different character. See here:
th-cam.com/video/jf4OUjoBX6I/w-d-xo.html
Here's how to differentiate *"dolls"* from other figures.
1. The ability to, and emphasis on changing outfits (dolls are essentially clothes horses or mannequins).
This goes beyond simple 'soft goods' like a cape on Skeletor or Dusty Tadur's hat, but means an outfit that can be completely removed, and usually features fasteners up the back. This is the primary play feature of a doll and is the only aspect that is totally unique to them (with some possible exceptions).
The easiest rule of thumb is that dolls are naked, and action figures have sculpted-on clothes.
Shared features:
2. Limited articulation. This isn't unique to dolls (as exemplified by MOTU), but is usually present in dolls to a greater extent than with action figures.
3. Non interchangeable body parts. Dolls usually never have swappable hands or other parts, whereas action figures often do (especially these days). Again, there are exceptions to this rule on both sides.
4. Rooted hair is a ubiquitous feature in dolls, but it's inclusion doesnt make a figure a doll.
Example: A Hot Toys figure with rooted hair is not a doll, because the clothes, while made of fabric, are in most cases not intended to be removed and are often glued on. Also the interchangable hands and extreme posability are un-doll-like. They arent strictly 'toys' or 'action figures' either, as they are intended for display, not play.
Obviously, statues, maquettes and figurines are neither dolls nor action figures as they have no posability.
Of course, Laymen will often just call any toy a doll, but you just have to ignore their ignorance. 😤
I like it. Great details and thank you for posting this.
So then basically old school GIJoe is a doll, despite Hasbro creating the phrase " action figure" specifically for GIJoe as " boys don't play with dolls"....
Do you think origins and will continue along with the 2 animated lines? Same with moth mega construx?
I think we will see some cannibalism
The last of the action figures I remember getting in the line were the battle armor He-man and Skeletor, where the could hit each other in the chest and it would show battle damage in the armor.
Those figures were about mid way through the vintage line. But two of the best
I agree
You’re videos are addicting. 🐸👍
Like sugar
I remember having both Bionatops and Turbodactle. I remember them being lower quality compared to a lot of the other MotU toys I had. The head of Turbodactle I remember being really cheap flimsy plastic and breaking at the hinge where it’s mouth opened (I may have been trying to have him bite Hordak or someone.
Perhaps it was cause they were lower price point models compared to something like the AttackTrak or that SpiderWalker; but I don’t recall being hard on my toys and they didn’t last nearly as long as my older ones.
So lucky! I had none
I had the Bionatops as a kid, got it from my godfather/cousin for Christmas, so it must have been released in Canada, at least.
Oh man, I am jealous!
I'm from the UK and had a boxed Megator I've had since childhood (Turtles were the big thing so he never got opened). Sold him a few weeks ago.
Hope you made a pretty penny (err, pound)
17:28 Looks exactly like The Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe.
Totally right!
The MOTU movie came out in 1987 with some figures based on characters from the movie. So would all of this been released in 1988?
It would have been the 87-88 line.