In
late 2001 Mattel announced that the Masters of the Universe
would be returning!
Unlike
the previous failed attempt with the sci-fi concept Mattel
decided to go back to the fantasy roots that had made the
company billions twenty years prior. Mattel had also remembered
what made the toy so popular all those years ago, and in
early 2002 the company announced that to tie-in with the
new action figure line a new animated series would premiere
later in the year. He-Man and the Masters of the Universe
was back on the air!
Mike
Young Productions were approached by Mattel to bring He-Man
back into the world of animation. He-Man had been away for
a long time and the animation industry had changed greatly
over the years mainly due to ex-Filmation artists like Bruce
Timm and Tom Tataranowicz! Fortunately Mike Young Productions
knew exactly what to do and produced a new animated series
that took He-Man's visual style to the next level.
Unlike
the original series this new series features very impressive
continuity. Mattel went to the trouble of contacting Michael
Halperin (who wrote the original Series Bible for the Filmation
series) asking him to write a new Series Bible. Mattel also
hired this site's very own James "Busta Toons"
Eatock and Zadoc Angell to write a huge Encyclopedia regarding
the original series.
As
of writing Mike Young Productions have animated one season's
worth of twenty-six episodes, with thirteen more due later
in the year...