With a brilliant cast of characters boasting furry pants and spring-action waists, The Art of He-Man and the Masters of the Universe reveals fond memories with every page.
With a finger running over a double-page spread which displays packaging illustrations for those great, now vintage He-Man action figures, I could have been heard counting to myself, “Had that one, had that one…oh yeah, my brother had that one,” re-discovering the inventive characters such as Man-At-Arms, Ram Man and Man-E-Faces that made this universe so rich as a kid.
A colourful journey into the past and tribute to a long-running range of toys, comics, Saturday morning cartoons and even a movie, there’s much more here than simple nostalgia. Beneath its surface is a detailed look at a true pop-culture phenomenon, with detailed designs and concept drawings alongside interviews with the illustrators, writers, animators and actors that brought the series alive.
Its wealth of content (running at 320 pages) and high-quality, large format presentation will satisfy the most die-hard He-Man fans, and it’s reproductions of original comic art and concept drawings make it great all-rounder for those interested in product design, illustration and animation. A throughly impressive treatment of a fan favourite that I can highly recommend.