Masters of the Universe

It's a pretty good time for Masters of the Universe comics, what with DC's line of MOTU books being shockingly terrific. Those new comics aren't what has toymaker Mattel and its attorneys' attention, however. They're looking back to a handful of minicomics from 30-plus years ago, the writer of which is claiming he has a stake in the MOTU franchise.

When the original He-Man and the Masters of the Universe animated series found its way to Netflix Instant not too long ago, I thought it would make perfect background noise for my work day; some nostalgic entertainment to help pass the time while working on the site. But as an adult, what I discovered in that early 1980s cartoon based on an action figure line was far more distracting and indeed more sophisticated than I ever realized as a little boy. While the animation itself is crude (and famously recyclable), the show expresses a palpable sense of otherworldly adventure and intrigue through its writing but even more so through it's surprisingly awesome art direction. I thought, this medieval-techno world of Eternia and its heroes, villains, magics and prophecies could really be great if someone wanted to really dig into it.

Take a look at some of the coolest links of the day after the jump.

Despite bearing the Masters of the Universe banner, He-Man, Skeletor, and their legion of barely-dressed companions have rarely been associated with capital "Q" quality. Mattel's 1981 toyline and Filmation's ensuing 1983 cartoon are beloved generational touchstones, but are often remembered for their respective recycled sculpts and animation...

Animation: The next animated feature from DC Entertainment and Warner Bros. Animation will be Justice League: The Flashpoint Paradox, an adaptation of the 2011 Flashpoint DC Comics event. It's slated for a July 30 release on all of the usual formats...

Art: Bart Sandel crafts Nutcracker versions of Optimus Prime, Skeletor and other fun characters. Customs: Gregos Thomas imagines a Masters of the Universe line from LEGO with a CG rendered minifig poster. Threads: Japan's Magical Mosh Misfits make Evangelion all melty on new t-shirts and skateboard decks...

Lasers: Laser-Gadgets maestro Patrick Priebe builds his own working "Iron Man" laser gauntlet. Toys: PlasticPlayhouse's Rick Dries retools M.U.S.C.L.E. figures into Masters of the Universe heroes and villains. Auctions: You'd probably lose it if you'd just purchased the original Batman '66 Batmobile, too (or had the $4...

After testing the waters with digital releases, one-shots and a mini-series, DC Entertainment has announced that it's ready to move to Eternia full-time starting in Spring, as Keith Giffen and Pop Mhan use the Power of Grayskull to launch an all-new Masters of The Universe monthly series...

Customs: The Dudes Factory become Masters of the customizing Universe with this Trap Jaw nutcracker. Toys: Mezco has announced an upcoming line of Breaking Bad merchandise, including action figures. Movies: If you weren't into "Fred J...

Baked Goods: Clutzygeek transforms the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles into delicious (and turtle-free) pancakes. Digital: Select Marvel graphic novels are now available in the Amazon Kindle store. Upcoming: She-Ra is getting a Masters of the Universe digital one-shot from DC by Mike Costa and Drew Edward Johnson...