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Power of Grayskull: The Definitive History of He-Man and the Masters of the Universe
Every He-Man fan now has the power to stream the comprehensive 2017 documentary Power of Grayskull: The Definitive History of He-Man and the Masters of the Universe.
Now streaming on Netflix, this interesting, informative film delves into the origins and unmistakable culture impact of He-Man, the burly animated character who transformed the pop culture landscape and became an unforgettable icon of the ’80s. Conventional wisdom suggests that a popular TV series will lead to an abundance of merchandising opportunities, but that wasn’t exactly the case with the phenomenon known as He-Man. A simple string of action figures ended up spawning an enduring cult favorite that’s earned millions of fans and billions of dollars through movies, TV shows, comic books, and so much more.
Charles Zembillas, who was a character designer for the He-Man spin-off series She-Ra: Princess of Power, shared a simple story of how one small moment can leave an indelible mark on the zeitgeist.
“I remember I was sitting there one day working on these different ideas… and I remember somebody came into the office,” Zembillas explains in Power of Grayskull. “He comes in with this box filled with these action figures and vehicles from Mattel and says, ‘Okay, guys, this is the next show we’re gonna do.”‘
This extensive He-Man doc chronicles the character’s unbelievable journey from Toys “R” Us to pop culture legend.
It seems almost impossible to imagine now, but He-Man fever was very real in the ’80s, and the show has maintained a strong cult following since its unique inception. As The Power of Grayskull details, the allure of He-Man is much more nuanced than simple nostalgia. The franchise has inspired a variety of artists, toy collectors, fans of animation, and superhero culture as a whole. Not content to just battle Skeletor on the small screen, He-Man graduated to the big screen in 1987’s Masters of the Universe, a film that has overcome horrific reviews to earn a cult following.
Even if you’ve never seen a single episode of He-Man — and oh by the way it’s streaming on Netflix — you’ll enjoy following the fascinating story of how this franchise evolved into an influential pop culture phenomenon.
Stream Power of Grayskull on Netflix. If you don’t, Skeletor wins.
