The "undeveloped concept designs" discussion tread.

[danbrenus]

Nowadays my biggest interest in MOTU is its history, the P&H catalog it's been a real mine for me and I'd like to read your opinion about the rather unused concept characters, or those who ended up entirely differetly compared to the original sketches.
I'd start with the, at least for me, biggest surprise of the catalog, the concept sketch of Prince Adam by Marc Taylor himself!
As you can learn reading the catalog, our little prince wasn't a DC/Filmation creation, but an original character created by Taylor, he wasn't He-man "secret identity" but a guy of his own, who alligned himself sometimes with the good and sometimes with the evil, as it was profitable for himself. Plus, he sported a real swashbuckling look with a foppish plumeted hat!
How do you feel about him?

[Dark Horse]

He was a cool design, a much better idea than the Filmation garbage. That book is full of ideas designs that make me sad because we will never get them. Fear-O, Brain, Glob, Steel kill, Kobra Kahn man, Blow hard, Hand-some, Mandible man, Bigfoot, would be incredible additions to the line.
Other prototypes I would love are Might Bite (my favourite ever MotU design) and Goretusk.

[D.M.]

He was a cool design, a much better idea than the Filmation garbage.

[danbrenus]

What bothers me is that at the 2013 Grayskull-con, I learned that Mark Taylos had a background story for MOTU, entirelly differend from Filmation, DC and even from the original minicomics by Alcala and Glut.
Maybe, knowing about this original canon would shed some light on most of this rather undersuded concepts...
Here I share a sketch of this early Prince Adam, I don't post P&H scanning as I don'tthink it would be fair for Emiliano's work.

[Shawn]

I don't know that it is unfair to his work since the catalog is out of print. Does any member of the foundation frown upon scans?

One way or the other, that is a really great and completely accurate drawing. I hate the design and want to kill it with fire, but your line work is like the 4Hm sculpting ability; an unknowable supernatural ability to polish turds and makes them amazing.

[Brian Ozone]

Oh man that Adam is horrible

[Black Zodac]

I can't say that I really like that outfit. The Filmation and DC versions of Prince Adam looks much better than this crazy concept.

[danbrenus]

Ok, I know, you are right but, whay I intended to discuss here is rather the scenario in which the characters era than the actual graphic.

[Mosquitor]

I'd love to know more about Mark Taylor's original story for MOTU. Heck, I'd love to see a comic series based on it...

[Shawn]

Someone named Matt seven or eight years ago posted audio interviews with him. it was pretty in depth and unedited and uncensored. Was a bit insulting to Val and the community at times...The art that was first posted to Grayskull museum was posted by him IIRC. I don't have the audio files anymore.


As to "undeveloped concept designs" Powers of Grayskull is my absolute favorite topic of discussion for what could have been. It's the great unknown. it could have been the best thing ever or a complete train wreck. I love every little thing we do know about it so I vote best thing ever.

As for the P&H catalog, honestly that book if so full of Awesome. Sometimes the prototype or sketch is better then what we ended up getting. I liked like the Dragon Lord and Dragon wizard the best.. I imagine they would have been realized through color changing plastic and holograms. I could see them going along with Granamyr and Dreago-Man in a really fun new play pattern/storyline expansion. DRAGON WARRIOS. or something like that, with the right direction that could be a fan favorite faction/era...

The NA could have been a lot more interesting. I'd love to know the story behind the green crystals the vehicles and play sets revolve around. The concept sketch for that one vehicle got so far as a "works like" prototype. IIRC a picture appeared in a non-USA catalog. I forget the name of it and cant find a pic. Hopefully someone recalls what I'm talking about and can help. Negattack could have been a fun light up figure. Robo-Battle Cat would have been the best replacement pet ever!

G.i. Joe cyborg grizzle bear and Mr. Miyagi!?!?! How could ANYONE not want that?!?!? He-Man stuck on earth fighting aliens, ninjas and terrorist could have been a fun spin off for a year or two. It could fit nicely between New Adventures (1989-1992) and Son of He-Man (1997-????) especially if they added neon green & yellow "EXTREME" paint to everything.

[JimPansen]

Mark wasn´t insulting at all, especially not towards the community. He just said that Val got upset over Marks opinion, that if you want to sell MotU to children of today, you have to make it totally different ;-) Everybody who ever met Mark, knows what a sincere gentleman he is. By the way i still have the audio files.
Marks original idea was that the Castle were the remnants of a giant that had sunken into the ground( thats why Grayskull has still the helmet on top of the skull) and that some people came upon it sometime and they built the castle around it, cause they realized it was a powerfull thing.

[TechTrek]

amazing. That has always been my thought about the castle, and I love it! very cool. The power and honor book was so freaking cool. I got to see a copy of it at power con. also, there was a thread on another site, where fans all passed around a MOTU collection book. honestly, that one was horrible, just a collection of the great toy art work, again, It is fine, and i love all of the work, but what the power and honor foundation had in it was MIND BLOWINGLY insightful. such great stuff! I would love to hear those audios sometime.

[Shawn]

Thanks for clarifying some points buddy! I haven't listened to it in a couple years. I HOPE I have them on an old HD with the rest of my he-man files. I was transferring stuff, and cleaning up redundant files and mid transfer My lap top blew out out on me. SO I may have lots all my he-man files...

I remember that thing about Castle Grayskull once being alive because it has ALWAYS been my belief. It was backed up by Robert Lamb's prelim art for the Filmation series. Two sources means it must be true In MY Canon ;-)

http://www.robertartwriter.com/He-Man.html

[danbrenus]

Jim, don't stop now! Go further! Tell us what you know!

[JimPansen]

Pleaso no its too much. If you´re intersted we can use "wetransfer" so you can download the audio files after i uploaded them there. Just let me know;-)

[Greenskull]

I would also love to hear more... This is cool stuff!

[_RZ_]

I'd love to hear more and that interview too!

[danbrenus]

Ok Jim, I don't have a [email protected]@in' clue of what wetransrer is but ok...
The big problem is my really poor english comprehension, if you remember me at the Grayskull-con last year, of course you know I'm a dumb english speaker.

[JimPansen]

Are you serious? Of course do i remember you,lol! If you need the audios contact me on facebook ;-)

[danbrenus]

Ok, I'll do my best with the audios...
Now, how about the unproduced beasts? Personally I'd kill to see on my shelves what transpired in the catalog, the red version of Gy-gor is awesome and the other one with saddle and laser cannons is a blast too!
Emiliano said others of Big Jim's beasts have been considered for a MOTU redeco, the pic of Red-beast (or Sumo-bear as the fandom christened him) is cleary a repaint/remold of the unproduced Big Jim grizzly bear (see pic), and the B.J. horse is named to eventually become Teela's charger.
I would have really liked to see more beasts in the line, maybe the B.J. rhino or the crocodile...what do you think?

[bwjenkins]

Is it possible for the rest of us to get those audio files as well? I would love to hear them.

[JimPansen]

Yeah just post your emails here or send them to me. When i have some more i can upload it to "wetransfer" where you could download it. I can´t upload it all the time for every single user, therefore let us collect first a bunch of emails please.

[GREP-A-TOR]

This thread rules! Except for the minor Flimation hate and He-man as a effeminate gardner/pirate.

[danbrenus]

Time to get right on one thing, I never hated Filmation He-man, I simply think the previous barbarian concept is much better and that many characters were poorly developed in the Filmation show.
Apart from this, the animation style is ok, I already loved Flash Gordon, so no complains, and then the handpainted background were astounding and the soundtrack is something incredible...
Said that I'd like to know what was the real purpose of the early Prince Adam concept.

[Andy]