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News Update & He-Man Commercials
Rijst:
--- Quote from: Adam Dravian on November 27, 2014, 03:22:36 PM ---US cartoons in the early to-mid eighties tended to have some pretty terrible animation, and He-Man was one of the worst offenders. It's like they had maybe a dozen different animations of He-Man and just keep reusing them over and over.
It's weird. I loved those cartoons when I was really little. Then I re-watched some episodes as a teenager, and I hated them because of how much they sucked. Now, I watch them as an adult, and I love them specifically because of how much they suck.
--- End quote ---
I watched the old GI Joe cartoons a few years back (the ones I could find on youtube) and was hugely entertained by the randomness of events, the ridiculous machines and weapons and terrible plot lines. The suckiness is probably the best part about these cartoons but I guess you need a certain perspective to enjoy it..
Adam Dravian:
--- Quote from: Michigander1911 on November 27, 2014, 11:44:44 PM ---While I rarely had a chance to watch He-Man I did have the Greyskull Castle. I got that and a bunch of X-Men action figures as hand me down toys from my cousin.
--- End quote ---
That reminds me that I never had a full set of action figures for a single brand. For instance, I had a few He-Man villains, but none of the main good guys, so I couldn't exactly act out a He-Man adventure. And I had maybe two of the ninja turtles, plus a couple of their villains. Which meant any Ninja Turtle plot I played out had to center around my two turtles on an unending quest to find their brothers. The really shitty thing is that it became impossible to find a "default" ninja turtle at any of the local stores. Instead, all I could find where those stupid gimmicky versions of the turtles like, Punk Rock Donatello, Cross Dresser Leonardo, or whatever. So If I wanted to finally get Rapeheal, I'd have to settle for some bullshit like, "Slam Dunk Raphael", and my plotlines would then be forced to revolve around Rapheal's unyielding desire to constantly play basketball. Fuck whatever marketing dude came up with those gimmicks.
So I was basically forced to utilize all my motley crew of toys into one crazy shared universe, where Optimist Prime and Hulk Hogan would team up to save my medieval Lego castle from the terror of Skeletor, Destro, and their army of Battle Beasts and MUSCLE figures. But I suppose that was as precursor to the kind of '80s hodgepodge I ended up doing with the comic.
--- Quote from: Rijst on November 28, 2014, 02:20:03 AM ---I watched the old GI Joe cartoons a few years back (the ones I could find on youtube) and was hugely entertained by the randomness of events, the ridiculous machines and weapons and terrible plot lines. The suckiness is probably the best part about these cartoons but I guess you need a certain perspective to enjoy it..
--- End quote ---
I watched some G.I. Joe as a kid, but never got into it as much as I did with He-Man or Transformers. Earlier in the year when Jessica and I started watching classic '80s cartoons for comic inspiration, we were a little hesitant to watch G.I. Joe, since neither of us are into military-themed things. However, that cartoon was so fucking crazy, nonsensical, and delightfully stupid that it's now one of our favorite '80s cartoons.
Rijst:
--- Quote from: Adam Dravian on November 28, 2014, 07:57:18 AM ---That reminds me that I never had a full set of action figures for a single brand. For instance, I had a few He-Man villains, but none of the main good guys, so I couldn't exactly act out a He-Man adventure. And I had maybe two of the ninja turtles, plus a couple of their villains. Which meant any Ninja Turtle plot I played out had to center around my two turtles on an unending quest to find their brothers. The really shitty thing is that it became impossible to find a "default" ninja turtle at any of the local stores. Instead, all I could find where those stupid gimmicky versions of the turtles like, Punk Rock Donatello, Cross Dresser Leonardo, or whatever. So If I wanted to finally get Rapeheal, I'd have to settle for some bullshit like, "Slam Dunk Raphael", and my plotlines would then be forced to revolve around Rapheal's unyielding desire to constantly play basketball. Fuck whatever marketing dude came up with those gimmicks.
So I was basically forced to utilize all my motley crew of toys into one crazy shared universe, where Optimist Prime and Hulk Hogan would team up to save my medieval Lego castle from the terror of Skeletor, Destro, and their army of Battle Beasts and MUSCLE figures. But I suppose that was as precursor to the kind of '80s hodgepodge I ended up doing with the comic.
--- End quote ---
At first I thought you'd made a spelling mistake, but Optimist Prime made me stop doubting your language skills.
My childhood revolved around Lego, full stop. I had boxes full of the stuff and was always building one thing or another. Medieval castles, pirate hideouts, space ships, you name it.
--- Quote from: Adam Dravian on November 28, 2014, 07:57:18 AM ---I watched some G.I. Joe as a kid, but never got into it as much as I did with He-Man or Transformers. Earlier in the year when Jessica and I started watching classic '80s cartoons for comic inspiration, we were a little hesitant to watch G.I. Joe, since neither of us are into military-themed things. However, that cartoon was so fucking crazy, nonsensical, and delightfully stupid that it's now one of our favorite '80s cartoons.
--- End quote ---
I only got into it when the movie came out. Your appraisal is spot on if you ask me, it's way out there. Was He-Man similar to GI Joe in that it was also just a long commercial for the action figures?
Adam Dravian:
--- Quote from: Rijst on November 28, 2014, 11:20:48 AM ---At first I thought you'd made a spelling mistake, but Optimist Prime made me stop doubting your language skills.
--- End quote ---
Hah, uh, yeah. And "Rapeheal" was totally intentional as well...
--- Quote ---My childhood revolved around Lego, full stop. I had boxes full of the stuff and was always building one thing or another. Medieval castles, pirate hideouts, space ships, you name it.
--- End quote ---
Oh yeah, I loved Lego. But the sets were really expensive, so it was rare that I'd get one. I actually ended up using the "minifigs" more than I fucked around with the blocks. I was always more into acting out stories than building things.
--- Quote ---I only got into it when the movie came out. Your appraisal is spot on if you ask me, it's way out there.
--- End quote ---
Are you talking about the recent live action movies? I havent' seen those as they look terrible. For some reason, I love a lot of terrible things from the 80s and even the 90s, but terrible post-2000 media just doesn't tickle me in the same way.
--- Quote ---Was He-Man similar to GI Joe in that it was also just a long commercial for the action figures?
--- End quote ---
Oh yeah. In fact, I think He-Man might have been the first cartoon series made specifically to market and sell the related action figures. They didn't even attempt to draw the characters to not look like action figures. And since they only had one main body mold for male characters, everyone is just as buff as He-Man. It kind of renders He-Man less impressive when everyone from Man-At-Arms to King Randor and even He-Man's "wimpy" Prince Adam alter-ego is just as buff as the titular beefcake.
Rijst:
--- Quote from: Adam Dravian on November 28, 2014, 08:11:29 PM ---
--- Quote from: Rijst on November 28, 2014, 11:20:48 AM ---At first I thought you'd made a spelling mistake, but Optimist Prime made me stop doubting your language skills.
--- End quote ---
Hah, uh, yeah. And "Rapeheal" was totally intentional as well...
--- End quote ---
Very smooth..
--- Quote ---
--- Quote ---My childhood revolved around Lego, full stop. I had boxes full of the stuff and was always building one thing or another. Medieval castles, pirate hideouts, space ships, you name it.
--- End quote ---
Oh yeah, I loved Lego. But the sets were really expensive, so it was rare that I'd get one. I actually ended up using the "minifigs" more than I fucked around with the blocks. I was always more into acting out stories than building things.
--- End quote ---
I got one every now and then. Whenever I got money for my birthday I'd usually spend it on Lego too.
--- Quote ---
--- Quote ---I only got into it when the movie came out. Your appraisal is spot on if you ask me, it's way out there.
--- End quote ---
Are you talking about the recent live action movies? I havent' seen those as they look terrible. For some reason, I love a lot of terrible things from the 80s and even the 90s, but terrible post-2000 media just doesn't tickle me in the same way.
--- End quote ---
Yeah those ones, well I've only seen the first one anyway. I file them under 'entertaining', nice action scenes, good effects but not much more than that. It did make me think back to the cartoons though, which make for better viewing somehow..
--- Quote ---
--- Quote ---Was He-Man similar to GI Joe in that it was also just a long commercial for the action figures?
--- End quote ---
Oh yeah. In fact, I think He-Man might have been the first cartoon series made specifically to market and sell the related action figures. They didn't even attempt to draw the characters to not look like action figures. And since they only had one main body mold for male characters, everyone is just as buff as He-Man. It kind of renders He-Man less impressive when everyone from Man-At-Arms to King Randor and even He-Man's "wimpy" Prince Adam alter-ego is just as buff as the titular beefcake.
--- End quote ---
He-man was the inspiration for this? I guess it helps shape a youth cult around the toys, I'm sure it was successful as we're still talking about it today. Using the same body molds is just a cost-saving thing I think. Some of the later commercials in the series you posted seem to use slightly other shapes as well which was probably made possible by the success of the first lot.
I have to admit I spent my lunch break watching those commercials and I was impressed by the child acting. Kids are usually more shy when you visibly point a camera at their faces..
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