Perhaps no toy line better encapsulates the 1980's than He-Man. Produced by Mattel, the legendary Masters of the Universe series (aka, "MOTU" to serious fans like me) pumped out a ton of action figures, vehicles, and amazing playsets. I mean, seriously...Castle Grayskull alone is enough to instantly enshrine this series into the Toy Hall of Fame:
And the accessories that every action figure came with is what set them apart from other toy lines. He-Man didn't just have a sword. He had a shield...and an axe...and a removable chest piece. And his own personal vehicle:
And like the Hasbro GI Joe toy line, He-Man had his own animated cartoon series. Which was basically a 30-minute ad for all the toys and other spinoff products that Mattel was pumping out. Like trading cards:
And of course, other action figures:
Beast Man was my personal favorite. Especially since he was such a hapless dingbat in the cartoon series. Plus, his action figure version came with a whip. And as many of us know, whips were a popular accessory in the 1980's:
There's so much more to talk about with this toy line. Like all the lunchboxes, backpacks, party favors, and other 1980's MOTU collectibles. Or the fact that a decent big screen version of He-Man has never been made! But for now, I leave you with a relevant quote from He-Man's nemesis, Skeletor: "I could write a book about what you don't know!"
