{"id":197,"date":"2024-06-25T22:37:22","date_gmt":"2024-06-25T22:37:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/robertartwriter.com\/?page_id=197"},"modified":"2024-06-26T18:36:00","modified_gmt":"2024-06-26T18:36:00","slug":"he-man-season-1","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/robertartwriter.com\/?page_id=197","title":{"rendered":"He-Man, Season 1"},"content":{"rendered":"

[et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”4.25.2″ _module_preset=”default” background_image=”https:\/\/robertartwriter.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/He-Man_Season1_header.jpg” height=”540px” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.25.2″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.25.2″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/robertartwriter.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/MOTU-logo_400x273.png” title_text=”MOTU-logo_400x273″ align=”center” _builder_version=”4.25.2″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_image][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section][et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”4.25.2″ _module_preset=”default” background_color=”#000000″ custom_padding=”22px||13px|||” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.25.2″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.25.2″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.25.2″ _module_preset=”default” header_text_color=”#adadad” header_2_text_color=”#E09900″ global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n

He-Man and the Masters of the Universe<\/h1>\n

1983 \u2013 Season One \u2013 When It All Changed<\/h2>\n

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He-Man and the Masters of the Universe<\/span><\/strong>\u00a0<\/span>turned American television animation upside-down. Before\u00a0<\/span><\/span>He-Man<\/span>, animation had been consigned to the Saturday morning ghetto where it had been since the last primetime series left the evening lineup in the 1960s. Reruns of older shows got a second life on weekday afternoons, usually on local independent stations.
<\/span><\/p>\n

All that changed with\u00a0<\/span><\/span>He-Man and the Masters of the Universe<\/span><\/strong>.<\/span><\/p>\n

First run syndication was considered foolhardy because five times the number of shows would be needed for a season of 13 weeks, or 65 episodes. But\u00a0<\/span>Lou Scheimer<\/span><\/strong>\u00a0and the\u00a0<\/span>Filmation<\/span><\/strong> bunch were just crazy enough to try it. After the famine of 1982, we needed to take the risk.<\/span><\/p>\n

Mattel<\/span><\/strong>\u00a0<\/strong>chose\u00a0<\/span>Filmation<\/span><\/strong>\u00a0<\/strong>to produce\u00a0<\/span>He-Man<\/span><\/strong>\u00a0because of the strength of\u00a0<\/span>Blackstar<\/span><\/strong>\u00a0<\/strong>in 1981.\u00a0<\/span>Lou Scheimer<\/span><\/strong>\u00a0negotiated a good deal for the studio stating that\u00a0<\/span>Filmation<\/span>\u00a0<\/strong>would not tell\u00a0<\/span>Mattel<\/span>\u00a0how to make toys and\u00a0<\/span>Mattel<\/span>\u00a0<\/strong>should not tell\u00a0<\/span>Filmation<\/span>\u00a0how to tell stories. We would accomodate\u00a0<\/span>Mattel’s<\/span> wishes to include characters, props, vehicles, etc., as reasonable within any given story.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section][et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ specialty=”on” _builder_version=”4.25.2″ _module_preset=”default” background_color=”#000000″ custom_padding=”0px||17px|||” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”1_2″ _builder_version=”4.16″ custom_padding=”|||” global_colors_info=”{}” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/robertartwriter.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/blog_teela_aura.jpg” title_text=”blog_teela_aura” align=”right” _builder_version=”4.25.2″ _module_preset=”default” animation_style=”slide” animation_direction=”left” animation_duration=”1500ms” animation_intensity_slide=”10%” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_image][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”1_2″ specialty_columns=”2″ _builder_version=”4.16″ custom_padding=”|||” global_colors_info=”{}” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][et_pb_row_inner _builder_version=”4.25.2″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}” custom_padding=”20px|||||”][et_pb_column_inner saved_specialty_column_type=”1_2″ _builder_version=”4.25.2″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.25.2″ _module_preset=”default” text_text_color=”#d3d3d3″ text_line_height=”1.6em” custom_margin=”2px||8px|||” animation_style=”slide” animation_direction=”right” animation_duration=”1500ms” animation_intensity_slide=”10%” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n

When I first heard about the He-Man series, I bought a couple of the DC comic books to practice drawing the characters. Though He-Man changed only slightly in Filmation’s models, Teela<\/strong> changed quite a bit. The toy and the comic version had a cobra headpiece. I may be in the minority among MOTU fans but I prefer Filmation’s version of Teela which, by the way, was based on Princess Aura<\/strong> from Filmation’s Flash Gordon<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Some of the storyboard guys, including me, didn’t like the name He-Man at first. I have to explain this to younger fans who grew up with the character and don’t understand why. Before Mattel introduced the toy line, the term he-man had taken on either a sexual meaning (\u201cHubba! Hubba! What a he-man!\u201d) or a negative sexist meaning (\u201cWhat a hyper-macho, knuckle-dragging, he-man jerk!\u201d) It was embarrassing for a while to tell friends the name of the show I worked on. After it became a big hit, He-Man became the name of kids\u2019 favorite hero and the issue never came up again.<\/p>\n

[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/robertartwriter.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/skeletor_dj.jpg” title_text=”skeletor_dj” _builder_version=”4.25.2″ _module_preset=”default” animation_style=”slide” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_image][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.25.2″ _module_preset=”default” text_text_color=”#d3d3d3″ text_font_size=”16px” custom_margin=”30px||8px|||” animation_style=”slide” animation_direction=”top” animation_duration=”1500ms” animation_intensity_slide=”10%” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n

Another thing we didn’t like at first was Alan Oppenheimer’s<\/strong> interpretation of Skeletor<\/strong>. Instead of a menacing Darth Vader-esque<\/strong> baritone but got a nasally tenor. Over time we adjusted and came to love Skeletor’s voice. I thought he sounded a little like Dishonest John<\/strong> from the old Bob Clampett Beany and Cecil<\/strong> show. Yeah, I’m that old.<\/p>\n

[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column_inner][\/et_pb_row_inner][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_section][et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”4.25.2″ _module_preset=”default” background_color=”#000000″ custom_padding=”19px|||||” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.25.2″ _module_preset=”default” custom_padding=”||21px|||” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.25.2″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.25.2″ _module_preset=”default” header_text_color=”#E09900″ global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n

Layouts and Backgrounds<\/h1>\n

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I loved to wander around the other departments on my breaks to see how the show was shaping up. In the Layout Department, Lorenzo Martinez<\/strong> led the background design team and created wonderful environments. I managed to hang onto two of his conceptual layouts, Castle Grayskull Interior<\/strong> and the Royal Palace of Eternia<\/strong>. I lost the Snake Mountain<\/strong> cutaway which annoys me no end.<\/p>\n

[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/robertartwriter.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/GrayskullCutaway.gif” title_text=”GrayskullCutaway” align=”center” _builder_version=”4.25.2″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_image][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.25.2″ _module_preset=”default” text_text_color=”#adadad” min_height=”40.8px” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n

Castle Grayskull concept sketch \u2013 Copyright \u00a91983 Filmation Associates.<\/p>\n

[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/robertartwriter.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/RoyalPalaceCutaway.gif” title_text=”RoyalPalaceCutaway” align=”center” _builder_version=”4.25.2″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_image][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.25.2″ _module_preset=”default” text_text_color=”#adadad” min_height=”40.8px” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n

Eternia Royal Palace concept sketch \u2013 Copyright \u00a91983 Filmation Associates.<\/p>\n

[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.25.2″ _module_preset=”default” text_text_color=”#d3d3d3″ text_font_size=”18px” custom_margin=”30px||8px|||” animation_direction=”right” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n

There was a lot of creative thought behind the designs and not just interesting shapes. Lorenzo and his artists really cared about the mythology and alien culture and it showed in their work. I haven’t kept up with Lorenzo but I find his name on some fine feature credits, Dreamworks’ “Prince of Egypt”<\/strong> comes to mind.<\/p>\n

[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row column_structure=”1_2,1_2″ _builder_version=”4.25.2″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”1_2″ _builder_version=”4.25.2″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/robertartwriter.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/WRGroup1.jpg” title_text=”WRGroup1″ align=”right” _builder_version=”4.25.2″ _module_preset=”default” animation_style=”slide” animation_direction=”left” animation_duration=”1500ms” animation_intensity_slide=”10%” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_image][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.25.2″ _module_preset=”default” text_text_color=”#d3d3d3″ text_font_size=”18px” min_height=”60.4px” custom_margin=”102px||8px|||” animation_style=”slide” animation_direction=”left” animation_duration=”1500ms” animation_intensity_slide=”10%” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n

This photo is from an appearance with\u00a0<\/span><\/span>Disney<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>animation legend\u00a0<\/span><\/span>Marc Davis<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>at the\u00a0<\/span><\/span>Disneyland<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>hotel in late 1999.<\/span><\/p>\n

Marc Davis, Annie Guenther – December 1999
<\/a><\/p>\n

[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/robertartwriter.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/forest.jpg” title_text=”forest” _builder_version=”4.25.2″ _module_preset=”default” custom_margin=”120px|||||” animation_style=”slide” animation_direction=”left” animation_duration=”1500ms” animation_intensity_slide=”10%” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_image][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.25.2″ _module_preset=”default” text_text_color=”#d3d3d3″ text_font_size=”18px” custom_margin=”67px||8px|||” animation_style=”slide” animation_direction=”left” animation_duration=”1500ms” animation_intensity_slide=”10%” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n

They got a reprieve when it came to rendering the Crystal Sea<\/strong> in “Teela’s Quest”<\/strong>. The black line looked wrong on the crystals so they got to take the top cel off for those backgrounds.<\/p>\n

I reused the the crystal backgrounds for “The Dragon’s Gift”<\/strong> since the formations looked very much like ice to me. The characters stood out from the paintings better than the inked backgrounds. Eventually, in later productions, the background artists and others prevailed and the lines were eliminated in favor of fully rendered paintings.<\/p>\n

[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”1_2″ _builder_version=”4.25.2″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.25.2″ _module_preset=”default” text_text_color=”#d3d3d3″ text_font_size=”18px” custom_margin=”-16px||8px|||” animation_style=”slide” animation_direction=”right” animation_duration=”1500ms” animation_intensity_slide=”10%” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n

I was not a painter then and background painting fascinated me. Every chance I could I would sneak downstairs to visit\u00a0<\/span><\/span>Annie Guenther<\/span><\/strong>, my favorite background artist.<\/span><\/p>\n

Annie Guenther at Disney in the early 1970s<\/a><\/p>\n

Annie started at\u00a0<\/span><\/span>Disney<\/span><\/strong>\u00a0<\/strong>painting backgrounds for\u00a0<\/span><\/span>Sleeping Beauty<\/span><\/strong>\u00a0<\/span>in the 1950s and continued to work there into the seventies. All the background painters did amazing work, but Annie’s work was always outstanding. It was thrilling to see what became of my storyboard thumbnails when the backgrounds were painted. I learned a lot by just watching her work. I wish I had a photo of Annie painting in the\u00a0<\/span><\/span>Filmation<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>background department.
<\/span><\/p>\n

[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/robertartwriter.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/MarcDavis_AnnieGuenther.jpg” title_text=”MarcDavis_AnnieGuenther” _builder_version=”4.25.2″ _module_preset=”default” custom_margin=”25px|||||” animation_style=”slide” animation_direction=”right” animation_duration=”1500ms” animation_intensity_slide=”10%” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_image][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.25.2″ _module_preset=”default” text_text_color=”#d3d3d3″ text_font_size=”18px” custom_margin=”109px||8px|||” animation_style=”slide” animation_direction=”right” animation_duration=”1500ms” animation_intensity_slide=”10%” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n

Filmation<\/strong> had a black line style to their backgrounds that facilitated production. A black pencil cleanup of the blue pencil layout would be xeroxed onto a cel that would lay over the painted bg. This eliminated the need for the painters to noodle a lot of detail into the paintings. Annie and other bg artists didn’t like the ink line but production costs won out.<\/p>\n

[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/robertartwriter.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/icebg.jpg” title_text=”icebg” _builder_version=”4.25.2″ _module_preset=”default” custom_margin=”118px|||||” animation_style=”slide” animation_direction=”right” animation_duration=”1500ms” animation_intensity_slide=”10%” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_image][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

He-Man and the Masters of the Universe 1983 \u2013 Season One \u2013 When It All ChangedHe-Man and the Masters of the Universe\u00a0turned American television animation upside-down. Before\u00a0He-Man, animation had been consigned to the Saturday morning ghetto where it had been since the last primetime series left the evening lineup in the 1960s. Reruns of older […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"on","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-197","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/robertartwriter.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/197","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/robertartwriter.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/robertartwriter.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/robertartwriter.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/robertartwriter.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=197"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/robertartwriter.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/197\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":229,"href":"https:\/\/robertartwriter.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/197\/revisions\/229"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/robertartwriter.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=197"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}