The Pop-Culture E-Zine
“Skeletor is BACK and there is only one thing he wants for Christmas.”
Source: Brock’s Dubs via Laughing Squid
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Ms. ausretrogamer
Co-founder, editor and writer at ausretrogamer – The Australian Retro Gamer E-Zine. Lover of science fiction, fashion, books, movies and TV. Player of games, old and new.
Follow Ms. ausretrogamer on Twitter
As Prince Adam once proclaimed, “Fabulous, secret powers were revealed to me the day I held aloft my magic sword and said: “By the Power of Grayskull!”, indeed, there is a Power Of Grayskull, and it is on Kickstarter right now! Don’t be like a bumbling Cringer, get on this project, as it will be the most definitive He-Man and Masters Of The Universe documentary of all time!
The Power of Grayskull Kickstarter has already blown past its modest $25,000 goal, so we all hope it will keep going and reach those lucrative stretch goals. So who is behind this awesome film you may ask? Well, it is the teams who brought you “Turtle Power” and “Nintendo Quest” – they have joined forces to bring you this highly anticipated MOTU documentary. With this kind of pedigree, POWER OF GRAYSKULL: The Definitive History of He-Man and the Masters of the Universe is bound to be the best thing since sliced bread! So let’s embark on an epic adventure into the heart of 80’s nostalgia to find out once and for all #WhoHasThePower!
Just for the record, we have backed this on Kickstarter and are now looking forward to becoming an Eternian Prince (and Princess)!
image source: Power Of Grayskull on Kickstarter
It is no secret that I am a huge fan of Mattel’s original Masters Of The Universe (MOTU) toy series. I have been a fan since I first encountered the MOTU action figure line at my local Treasureway store (similar to Target / Kmart) in 1983. I remember being mesmerised by the He-Man figure in a big blister pack emblazoned with the MOTU logo. However, $15.99 was a lot of money in 1983 and it was going to require a big effort to convince mum I needed this toy. I got to work (in convincing my mum) and just a few weeks later I was the proud owner of my very own He-Man, but on the back of the packaging were the other figures in the series and I knew I had to have more – and just like that, I was hooked!
My ingenious (as I thought at the time) plan to expand my MOTU collection involved the argument that I needed an even split between ‘goodies’ and ‘baddies’ to be able to play out my (imaginary) battle on Eternia (a.k.a. the couch). I continued to collect more original MOTU action figures over the years, and although I never completed the set, I was very grateful for and thoroughly enjoyed playing with the figures I had.
Fast forward three decades, and my original MOTU collection is proudly displayed in the home office. I am so glad I kept the action figures all this time – they provide an important link to my childhood, a time where my imagination took me to wondrous places in the universe, thanks to Masters of The Universe.
The most powerful toy line in the universe!
Yo DJ, spin that MOTU wheel!
Cel shenanigans
In the most powerful club in the universe!
The MOTU story books (latter ones became comics) were damn awesome!
Very hot MOTU wheels
Show-bag full of MOTU weapons of mass fun!
Man-At-Arms vs Skeletor!
The most awesomest books in the universe!
Don’t get bored playing Monopoly. Play to save He-Man!
Laser blasting with the man with Man-E-Faces
Evil lurks in many corners. Watch out Hulk!
Great pants Brutus! Oh wait……
Trouble setting up Castle Grayskull? Don’t worry, this scary looking He-Man will help!
Oh, so that’s how the labels are applied!
The showcasing rig
Giddy-up Cringer! Oops, I mean Battle Cat!
When was the last time you walked into a toy store and got absolutely wowed? If you are like us, I bet it was way too long ago to remember.
On our recent trip to the US, we didn’t just get wowed, we got absolutely gobsmacked by Toy Shack, a superb toy store in Las Vegas. Nesteled within the Neonopolis shopping complex in downtown Vegas (Fremont Street Experience), Toy Shack is truly a magical place you must visit and experience when you come to the City of Sin! Toy Shack has it all, from every conceivable collectible toy, to old school video games and even some golden age arcade machines to slip a quarter or two to give you that much needed hit of nostalgia.
Both Ms. ausretrogamer and I were mesmerised in each aisle of the store, with vintage 80s toys, comics, games and other collectibles lining the walls, from floor to ceiling – the photos below will attest to that (to an extent)! We had a difficult time leaving Toy Shack with only a handful of bags of super cool items, but the luggage allowance kept us in check.
If you ever find yourself in Vegas and want to do something other than gamble, then head to the Toy Shack for the ultimate in vintage 80s toys – we highly recommend it!
Store: Toy Shack
Address: Neonopolis, 450 Fremont St #117, Las Vegas, NV 89101, USA
Hours: Mon – Sat 11am to 10pm; Closed on Sunday
If you find yourself in other cities within the US, then you may want to check out these places: Musée Mécanique (San Francisco), the Nintendo World Store and the 8-Bit & Up and Video Games NY stores (New York City)
We found it! I wonder what awaits inside…
I spy, Masters Of The Universe (MOTU) and Super Mario stuff!
Woo hoo! I love my MOTU gear – brings back great childhood memories
Oh man, so many MOTU temptations, especially that clock!
Aha, I thought I spied Super Mario action figures!
Oo’er, a nice but scary bust!
Golden oldies! Now when was the last time you found arcade machines in a toy store?
So much to look at! Wish I had compound eyes!
Already worked up a thirst, and we have barely scratched the surface in here!
G.I. Joe baby!
Holy smokes – more G.I. Joe goodness (among other cool collectibles)!
Visual sensory overload! Gotta take in all this Hot Wheels awesomeness!
Haha, this one is for you, Ms. ausretrogamer!
I wasn’t aware of all the diverse (and cool) Hot Wheels!
I’ll take that, thank you very much
Wish we had a limitless luggage (and financial) allowance!
Chocolate and Miami Vice Hot Wheels? Really? Wow!
Moving right along, we now hit the Twilight Zone
Where do I even focus here!
Found the cool action figures area! First thing we see, Mobile Suit Gundam wing!
What the – Lau as a Virtua Fighter 4 action figure? Want!
Found Lara!
One for the Final Fantasy fans!
Very apt seeing this MGS 2 tactical espionage action figure ;-)
Now this I did not know existed! The temptation to buy is unbearable!
First it was Virtua Fighter 4 action figures, now it’s Tekken 4! *mind blown*
Zelda fans rejoice!
We do need some new plates…….
Admit it, you wanna sing “Transformers, robots in disguise”
Found the old school video games section!
Oooo, GameCube and Tiger gear!
Whoa! Tele-Pong and Frogger tabletop! I wonder what is behind these….
Ah, there you are! Great to see a C64 and a Genesis among the stack of retrogaming gear
Man, this place is too much! I love Toy Shack!
If I guess what’s inside the box, can I keep it?
King of the stuntmen indeed
One for the KISS fans – yep, I am looking at you Mr. Matt Cawley
Now this is a WrestleFest!
Which item captures your eye? Could it be the Transformers or those Star Trek figures?
I knew I was gonna find Star Wars somewhere in here……
Old school Star Wars nirvana!
OMG, Heat Packin’ Jack!
Get in my belly!
I’ll take one of each, thank you (I wish!)
The original road warrior!
I look up and BAM, more MOTU goodness!
I do need a new alarm clock. This should help me get up on those cold mornings
Resistance (to buying temptation) is futile!
Must. Have. That. MOTU vinyl record!
Ladies and Gentlemen, introducing Mr. Ram Man himself
I need to unsee this, otherwise my bank manager will be calling me!
Spawning more goodness
Diecast to die for!
I’ll take one of, 154, 459 and 192 pieces, thanks
I kneel to the defender of the universe!
Fight of the Century?
Poke-a-board!
Yep, there are comics here too!
I guess E.T. didn’t phone home…….
The perfect action figure mix, Itchy and Sly
Your move, creep!
Be back to Toy Shack, we will!
Mixed bag! Hang on, that’s an Ecto-1!
These guys have ball-Z of dragons!
We see a heartening sight upon our exit – a young lad getting into some old school arcade action. Retrogaming is alive and well!
As a kid growing up in the early ’80s, I spent my time playing with action figures, in particular, Mattel’s awesome Masters Of The Universe range. The MOTU figures came with pack-in minicomics (mini-story books), which I loved reading as soon as I busted them out of the packet. I loved “The King Of Castle Grayskull” mini-story book that came with my original He-Man!
Fast forward thirty plus years, and guess what, I still get giddy with excitement when I see any reference to the classic Masters Of The Universe series. To my delight, there is going to be a hardcover MOTU collection book which will feature sixty-eight U.S. story releases, including all mini books/comics from the ’80s Masters of the Universe line, the ’80s Princess of Power line, and the ’80s and ’90s He-Man line, plus an introduction to the minicomics in the current Masters of the Universe classics toy line!
With over 1000 pages of minicomics and interviews with the original comics creators, do yourself a favour, pre-order the “He-Man and the Masters of the Universe Minicomic Collection” book now! It will definitely take you back so you can relive the illustrated adventures that fueled your imagination!