He-Man and the Masters of the Universe

Mattel designed the He-Man and the Masters of the Universe toy line after refusing to buy up the Star Wars license. That meant that the heroes and villains of Eternia had to appear to the same kids who gawked in delight every time R2-D2 appeared onscreen...

Since its debut in 1982, Mattel's Masters of the Universe toy line and accompanying multimedia extensions have netted the toy company the kind of money guys like Steve Jobs can't even sneer at. As with any hugely successful property, however, there's a controversy: A bunch of dudes claim to have created the series famed protagonist He-Man...

The Los Angeles (and surrounding area) crowd officially has something awesome to do tonight: see 100 artists' reinterpretations of He-Man and/or his Masters of the Universe. The exhibit, "Under the Influence: He-Man and the Masters of the Universe" is presented by Gallery 1988 and toymaker Mattel...