RABBIT RONIN’S RACONTEUR RAPS:
A CONVERSATION WITH CRITTER CREATOR – STAN SAKAI
by KEN JONES (COMICS INTERVIEW #44, August 1987)
COMICS INTERVIEW: Have you ever done any other lettering in newspaper strips besides that?
STAN SAKAI: I've done lettering for the strip, MR. ABERNATHY. I did the lettering for the presentation for another strip called SHERMAN ON THE MOUNT. I think it was the first three weeks. I do the lettering for the MASTERS OF THE UNIVERSE giveaway books.
COMICS INTERVIEW: I love those. My kids always give me all of their doubles. (Laughter.) They're fascinating because of the range of talented cartoonists involved with them.
STAN SAKAI: Yeah, there are a lot of good cartoonists in there. When adults hear I do the MASTERS OF THE UNIVERSE books, I get two reactions, either, "Oh! You do those!? or "Oh, you do those." (Laughter.)
http://www.toonopedia.com/he-man.htm
Don Markstein's Toonopedia™
HE-MAN AND THE MASTERS OF THE UNIVERSE
Original medium: Toys/animation
Produced by: Mattel/Filmation
First Appeared: 1982
Mattel launched the toy line in 1982 with a dozen separately-sold items, including He-Man himself, his arch-enemy Skeletor, his main squeeze Teela, and the Castle Greyskull playset for them to cavort around in. The setting was the extra-dimensional world of Eternia, a sort of medieval/barbarian amalgam, with weird creatures and a few high-tech or magical weapons and vehicles. Mattel added another dozen toys in '83, and kept adding more until 1988, when the line ran out of steam. It was relaunched in '89 with a more streamlined look, but this time it failed to catch on.
Almost immediately, there was a comic book version — mini-comics Mattel used to promote the line. These served mainly to show the various characters and objects in action, suggesting how kids with the toys might play with them. The first 11 were produced by DC Comics. After that, dozens more were produced in-house by Mattel, under the supervision of writer/editor Lee Nordling
Between 1982 and 1987, 58 seperate figures were released, according to information at
http://www.bigbadtoystore.com/bbts/menu.aspx?menu=59
1982 - 7
1983 - 7
1984 - 11
1985 - 15
1986 - 13
1987 - 5
Another site lists the following info....
http://obscure.dcuguide.com/mastersofuniverse.htm
Mattel action figures and mini-comics:
• The Masters Of The Universe
A total of 49 mini-comics were produced as inserts for the Masters Of The Universe action figures. The first 11 issues were produced by DC Comics in 1982 and 1983. The subsequent 38 were produced by Mattel from 1984 to 1987.
The 11 DC mini-comics are (by Series, in alphabetical order):
"Battle In The Clouds", 1982, Series 1.
"He-Man And The Power Sword", 1982, Series 1.
"King Of Castle Grayskull", 1982, Series 1.
"The Tale Of Teela!", 1982, Series 1.
"The Vengeance Of Skeletor", 1982, Series 1.
"He-Man Meets Ram-Man!", 1983, Series 2.
"The Ordeal Of Man-E-Faces!", 1983, Series 2.
"The Magic Stealer!", 1983, Series 2.
"The Menace Of Trap Jaw!", 1983, Series 2.
"The Power Of ... Point Dread!", 1983, Series 2.
"The Terror Of Tri-Klops!", 1983, Series 2.
• She-Ra, Princess Of Power
11 mini-comics were produced by Mattel as inserts for the She-Ra, Princess Of Power action figures from 1985 to 1987. There are two different versions of the first mini-comic, "The Story of She-Ra". The original edition was included with the She-Ra action figure. The alternate edition appeared as a special insert in the Spring 1985 issue of Barbie Magazine.
• The New Adventures Of He-Man
4 mini-comics were produced by Mattel as inserts for the New Adventures Of He-Man action figures in 1989.
