The story of the creation, rise and fall, and controversy of one of the biggest toy lines ever—He-Man And The Masters Of the Universe. Rife with colorful characters, fascinating behind-the-scenes stories, and moments of high drama and hilarious comedy, it’s a tale that will appeal to nerds and students of human behavior everywhere.
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Toy Masters - Bonus Episode (filmmaker Q&A)
31:55
31:55
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31:55This is a Q&A from a screening of our documentary at The Egyptian Theater in Los Angeles. *The audio is BAD*. If this is your first episode, please know this is not par for the course for the rest of the podcast—start at episode 1. This is just a little fun bonus material for those who are interested. Featuring me, Roger Lay Jr., Mike Nichols, Larr…
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Toy Masters Episode 5 : Cartoon Network (and Roger Sweet’s 2nd act)
23:52
23:52
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23:52Roger Sweet moves on from Mattel but faces personal and professional challenges, as He-Man is revitalized—temporarily—at Cartoon Network. The series concludes with current Masters Of The Universe updates, including news about a film and Netflix series. Featuring interviews with: Mattel preliminary designer Roger Sweet, Mattel artist and product des…
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Toy Masters Episode 4 : The Hail Mary Film (that didn’t work)
30:05
30:05
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30:05The Masters line goes from the biggest thing in the universe to getting dusty on toy store shelves. In an effort to try to save it, Mattel makes a live action movie. But once again, cutting corners leads to an underwhelming result. So they pick up the pieces and revamp the toy line as the ‘90s begin... Featuring interviews with director Gary Goddar…
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Toy Masters Episode 3 : The Cartoon (and parent protests)
28:41
28:41
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28:41The animated show begins, making the toy line even more successful and earning Mattel more money. But it also brings them problems in the form of protest groups complaining the show is satanic and/or just a blatant commercial for the toys. Featuring interviews with Lou and Erika Scheimer of Filmation Animation; voice actor Alan Oppenheimer, Filmati…
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Toy Masters Episode 2 : Mark Taylor Strikes Back! (with evidence)
26:47
26:47
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26:47We get Mark Taylor’s version of the origins of He-Man, and it differs starkly from Roger Sweet’s. So we go back to Roger Sweet to get his reaction. We also talk about the genesis of the mini-comics included with the action figures, and the first TV commercial campaign.
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Toy Masters Episode 1 : The True Beginning of He-Man (or is it?)
26:44
26:44
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26:44We trace the controversial origins of the He-Man toy line with interviews of the people who were there.... Roger Sweet, preliminary designer; Mark Taylor, artist and product designer; (Tall) Paul Cleveland, VP of marketing; Derek Gable, director of preliminary design; Ted Mayer, product engineer; Joe Morrison, director of marketing.…
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