Masters of the Universe - Attak Trak Battle Machine

The Attak Trak, a vehicle from the vintage Masters of the Universe toy line, is a rugged land vehicle with a red chassis, built by Man-At-Arms and used by the Heroic Warriors. Its mighty treads are able to negotiate difficult terrain and overcome even the most challenging obstructions. Although designed for a single driver, it is large enough for passengers to ride holding on to its sides. The vehicle is also armed with two laser guns capable of firing powerful blasts.

Many of the components of the Attak Trak were salvaged by Man-at-Arms from the ancient ruins of the elders. Unknown to Man-at-Arms, the computer control system that he found included a powerful artificial intelligence (AI), making the vehicle capable of acting on its own and it will actually refuse to allow the Evil Warriors to operate it!

Masters of the Universe Origins - Castle Grayskull: Unboxing & Review

When I began collecting the Origins line I never thought I would collect more than Origins figures of the Original 8 of the vintage line. Ok... yeah right.

I never thought I would ever get the new Origins Castle Grayskull... Heck I have a vintage Grayskull that has been repainted and customized! But when we were at a local Wal-Mart to get a box of coffee and I saw this thing sitting on the shelf in the wild, well... Just like always, into the cart it went!

Review: Masters of the Universe Origins Mer-Man

Enter Mer-Man, the ocean warlord who lurks in the darkest depths of the sea awaiting Skeletor's orders. The Mer-Man figure in this Origins collection stands 5 1/2-inches tall and has 16 moveable joints, so he's highly poseable for imaginative and action-oriented fun.

Mer-Man was part of the first series of Masters of the Universe action figures released by Mattel in 1981-1982. The character was conceived as Skeletor's most prominent henchman after Beast Man.

Hailing from the Crystal Sea, Mer-Man is the ruler of all beneigth the seas of Eternia and the king of the Mer-Folk of Eternia! While a king in his own right, Mer-Man has allied himself with Skeletor in his own selfish hopes of gaining more power.

Mer-Man's service to Skeletor means he is constantly at odds with He-Man and the heroic champions of Eternia. When engaging the Heroic Warriors, Mer-Man is most frequently teamed up with Beast Man.

Masters of the Universe Origins: He-Man and Skeletor get better looking heads...

I'm not a big fan of the gimmick figures, but I went ahead and got my hands on a Battle Armor He-Man just to get the vintage head that comes with it. I am not a big fan of the new head sculpt so having the vintage head make the figure look so much better!

I might do a more complete review of Battle Armor He-Man one of these days but like I said I got it only for the extra head, so lets just say that you get a figure with a new head sculpt with heman with his mouth open wearing the battle armor that shows damage on the chest plate when you strike it... standard rolling barrel just like the vintage figure except for some odd reason the battle damage area is much smaller.

Hey!! Kids Comics: Power of Point Dread/Danger at Castle Grayskull

The Power of Point Dread!/Danger at Castle Grayskull! is a 1983 Masters of the Universe comic and audiobook. No author is credited; it was illustrated by Alfredo Alcala. In the first story, Skeletor tricks He-Man into leaving Castle Grayskull unprotected; in the second, Skeletor captures Teela and tricks his way into the castle.

The audio presentation, which includes voice acting, music, and sound effects, is pretty solid. Be advised, though, that in this pre-Filmation production, none of the characters sound like their cartoon counterparts.

Alcala's art is good, as always. He's using a distinctly different style from his runs on the mini-comics; it's perhaps more reminiscent of the first run, but it isn't quite as impressive as either of them.

Review: Castle Grayskull - Fortress of mystery and power (1982)

I recently repainted and restored my old Castle Grayskull Playset, but today I wanted to review the actual vintage playset...

Castle Grayskull was made as a playset for Mattel's Masters of the Universe toy line. It would become one of the most popular Christmas presents for pre-adolescent boys in the 1980s.

The price point was generally within reach of the parents of a child in the target age range for the toy line. The castle was also user-friendly, possessing many settings and functions suitable for the 5" action figures it was built to complement, as well as being small enough to be put away at the end of a play session.

Castle Grayskull was conceived as the central location for the battle between the forces of good and evil. The original playset was released in 1982, and all other depictions of the castle originate from it.

Review: Master of the Universe Coloring Book - The Bridal Path

Masters of the Universe: A Coloring Book

Year: 1982

Cover artist: Unknown

Writer: Unknown
Illustrator: Unknown
Colorist: Øyvind Johannes Meisfjord

Publisher: Golden Books

Production Code: #1144-11

Series: Golden Coloring & Activity Books

Øyvind Johannes Meisfjord joins us again today with a story which originally appeared in a Golden Books coloring book which featured three stories -- Raptures Of The Deep, Cloudy Climbs, along with this one, Bridal Path. All of the plot points of the original pre-filmation storyline are present, as well as the recurring theme of Skeletor wanting to make Teela his bride.

Review: Masters of the Universe Sticker Fun Coloring Book

Masters of the Universe Sticker Fun

Year: 1982

Cover artist: RL Allen

Writer: Unknown
Illustrator: Alfredo Alcala
Colorist: Øyvind Johannes Meisfjord

Publisher: Golden Books

Series: Golden Coloring & Activity Books

Today's adventure is a special treat originally presented in the Facebook group Ancient Library of Grayskull by Øyvind Johannes Meisfjord. The pages of the book were also hand colored by Mr. Meisfjord himself using coloring pencils! Mr. Meisfjord has kindly given permission for his post to be shared here.

Review: Masters of the Universe Origins Evil-Lyn

The only female member of the Evil Warriors, Evil-Lyn is a witch who aids Skeletor as his second-in-command with her powers of evil magic. While more intelligent than Skeletor's other minions, she is not quite as powerful as Skeletor. Evil-Lyn can be quite treacherous and if given half a chance, she would seize power for herself. She readily admits to being on no side other then her own, occasionally working independently towards her own ends. Evil-Lyn has many magical powers at her disposal and carries a magical wand topped by a mystical blue crystal orb.

Evil-Lyn was originally introduced into the Masters of the Universe collection in 1983 in order to add a female character to the Evil Warriors. Billed as the 'Evil Warrior-Goddess,' Evil-Lyn's action figure is identical to Teela's except in color scheme, head mold, and accessories.

Although initially envisioned as an evil counterpart to Teela, she is actually more like an evil counterpart of the Sorceress. Evil-Lyn has little in the way of warrior skills, however she more than compensates for this with her expertise in magic and witchcraft.

Hey!! Kids Comics: Masters of the Universe Mini-Comics 4

Masters of the Universe Mini-Comics 4

Year: 1981

Cover artist: Alfredo Alcala

"The Vengence of Skeletor"

Writer: Donald F. Glut
Illustrator: Alfredo Alcala

Publisher: Mattel

Issue: Series 1 --- 4 of 4

Plot: The conclusion of the story featuring an all-out slugfest between He-Man, Stratos, and Teela against Skeletor, Beast Man, and Mer-Man!

Review: Masters of the Universe Origins Teela

Teela, heroic "warrior goddess," is a capable female fighter imbued with the spirits of great warriors long deceased. She roams the deserted landscapes of Eternia atop her unicorn charger.

Teela first met He-Man after she had been captured by Skeletor and Beast Man in order to become Skeletor's bride. She was taken to Castle Grayskull where she was later freed by He-Man and Man-At-Arms. The Spirit of Grayskull tasked her to be the guardian of the castle in a later adventure.

Teela was originally released in the later half of 1982 as part of the first wave of eight action figures of Mattel's Masters of the Universe collection and was the first female figure in the line.

The action figure was originally supposed to be two seperate characters, the Sorceress/Goddess and a female warrior, Teela. The two characters would later be combined into one figure as Mattel believed there would not be enough demand for two female action figures in the initial wave.

Review: Masters of the Universe Origins Beast Man

Beast Man is an anthropoid ape-like being who hails from the Vine Jungles of Eternia where he is the leader of a tribe of other beast men. Only known as Beast Man, his true name if he even has one, remains a mystery.

In addition to his savage strength, Beast Man is the able to summon various wild creatures and command them to do his bidding. Beast Man is of relatively low intellegence and unlike Skeletor's other minions, such as Mer-Man, is completely sub-serviant to Skeletor, remaining his closest and most loyal henchman.

Beast Man was one of the first eight characters to be created for the Masters of the Universe toy line by Mattel in the early 1980s, and one of the first four figures to be completed and released (the other three being He-Man, Man-At-Arms and Skeletor).

Beast Man's first appearance is in the mini-comic He-Man and the Power Sword where he is depicted with red skin covered enitirely in red fur. In his next outing in Vengenge of Skeletor, he has become orange with only his armor colored red, matching the action figure.

Hey!! Kids Comics: Masters of the Universe Mini-Comics 3

Masters of the Universe Mini-Comics 3

Year: 1981

Cover artist: Alfredo Alcala

"Battle in the Clouds"

Writer: Donald F. Glut
Illustrator: Alfredo Alcala

Publisher: Mattel

Issue: Series 1 --- 3 of 4

Plot: Mer-Man finds out that that He-Man's super-suit and weapons are the sources of his great strength and powers. Desiring them for his own, he teams up with Skeletor to defeat He-Man and steal his powers and weapons.

Review: Masters of the Universe Origins Man-At-Arms

At the very center of the Universe, at a dimensonal crossroads, lies the planet Eternia. Centuries ago Eternia was a paradise of high technology and wondrous magic. Its people flourished in splendor and peace reigned supreme.

That is until greedy forces from a dimension of evil found this spectacular land and craved it for themselves. This demonic invasion brought about the Great Wars. The aftermath of this centuries long battle of attrition left the planet in wastes and the inhabitants sank back to a barbaric age. The advanced technology and powerful sorcery of the ancients was lost, with what few artifacts there were remaining from that time viewed with suspicion and fear by the remanat population.

However, the ancient secrets of invention have not been entirely forgotten. There are those who have kept the knowlege of technology and weaponry, handing down this knowlege from generation to generation, guarding it judiciously, and only bringing it into play for the defense of Eternia.

The greatest warrior of each generation is entrusted with the secrets of forging machines, both technologial and mystical, and given the abilty to create both devices of war as well as those of peace. This highly skilled creator and master of all weapons is known only as the Man-At-Arms!

Hey!! Kids Comics: Masters of the Universe Mini-Comics 2

Masters of the Universe Mini-Comics 2

Year: 1981

Cover artist: Alfredo Alcala

"King of Castle Grayskull"

Writer: Donald F. Glut
Illustrator: Alfredo Alcala

Publisher: Mattel

Issue: Series 1 --- 2 of 4

Plot: Once again Skeletor finds his way into Castle Grayskull (this time by using the two halves of the magical Power Sword as a key) and a battle with He-Man inside the castle follows.

Review: Masters of the Universe Origins Skeletor

It's a thrilling time to be a Masters of the Universe® fan! For longtime fans and for a new generation of kids who love action and adventure, it's time to discover the thrilling action and adventures of He-Man, Skeletor, the secrets of Castle Grayskull and so much more!

The figures in this collection stand 5.5 inches tall and have 16 moveable joints so they're highly poseable for imaginative and action-oriented fun, Masters of the Universe® style! Longtime fans will appreciate both the vintage design details that honor the heritage of this beloved adventure franchise and the design updates that add an exciting look to the future. Each figure comes with a mini comic book that explores new story lines and introduces heroes, villains and allies in the timeless battle between good and evil! Aficionados will love the classically stylized retro-Packaging.

Keep an eye out for new characters to come, and curate a collection to play with and trade. Each figure sold separately, subject to availability. Colors and decorations may vary.

Hey!! Kids Comics: Masters of the Universe Mini-Comics 1

Masters of the Universe Mini-Comics 1

Year: 1981

Cover artist: Alfredo Alcala

"He-Man and the Power Sword"

Writer: Donald F. Glut
Illustrator: Alfredo Alcala

Publisher: Mattel

Issue: Series 1 --- 1 of 4

Plot: He-Man leaves his tribe in the Eternian jungles on a quest to protect the fabled Castle Grayskull and has his first encounter with the evil Skeletor.

Review: Masters of the Universe Origins He-Man

It's a thrilling time to be a Masters of the Universe® fan! For longtime fans and for a new generation of kids who love action and adventure, it's time to discover the thrilling action and adventures of He-Man, Skeletor, the secrets of Castle Grayskull and so much more!

The figures in this collection stand 5.5 inches tall and have 16 moveable joints so they're highly poseable for imaginative and action-oriented fun, Masters of the Universe® style! Longtime fans will appreciate both the vintage design details that honor the heritage of this beloved adventure franchise and the design updates that add an exciting look to the future. Each figure comes with a mini comic book that explores new story lines and introduces heroes, villains and allies in the timeless battle between good and evil! Aficionados will love the classically stylized retro-Packaging.

Keep an eye out for new characters to come, and curate a collection to play with and trade. Each figure sold separately, subject to availability. Colors and decorations may vary.

Monogram Car-in-a-Bottle

Here's the old “ship-in-a-bottle” trick

with a new twist...

Now you can build a “Car-in-a-Bottle” in just minutes with “Pop” art from Monogram.

Hey!! Kids Comics: Batman 311 (1979)

Batman, Vol. 40, No. 311

Cover date: May 1979

Cover artists: José Luis García-López & Tatjana Wood

"Dr. Phosphorus Is Back!"

Writer: Steve Englehart
Penciller: Irv Novick
Inker: Frank McLaughlin
Colorist: Glynis Oliver
Letterer: Ben Oda
Editor: Paul Levitz
Executive Editor: Joe Orlando

Plot: Batman teams with Batgirl to take on Dr. Phosphorus, who threatens to "reign over all" in Gotham City.