Tuesday, February 10, 2015

He-Man MYP / 200X Custom Action Figure Art - Masters of the Universe Classics

What makes a Masters of the Universe Classics figure? It's an aesthetic created by The Four Horsemen that takes all of the elements of the original MOTU figure and magnifies and realizes details that were only hinted at in the original sculpt while at the same time taking cues from other classic elements such as card art, mini-comics, and the MOTU animated series. When it comes together, it's magnificent, especially with the exceptional articulation and accessories which allow for hundreds of poses for each figure.

If you've read my other MOTU entries (See MYP / 200X Skeletor here.), you know that I'm not a big fan of MYP / 200X influences in MOTUC. However, I know there are many who relish each piece we get from Snake Man-At-Arms to Lord Dactus.

So when Snake Armor He-Man was revealed for the 2015 line-up, I knew many were thrilled that they would soon be able to make a MYP / 200X He-Man by putting his head on a King Grayskull body and giving him the extra sword that came with the original Man-At-Arms. (You can check out this combination on the theFwoosh.com.)


But after seeing what it looked like, I was very disappointed with the results. First, the overly "cartoony" sculpt of the hair (chunky and simplified) and face (my High School PE teacher would have called it a "booty face") wasn't a nod to either the animated look or the toy. Second, Grayskull's harness, trunks, and bracers were all missing essential details that are hallmarks of the MYP / 200X look.Therefore in this custom piece, I tried to combine elements from both of these sources while applying them in a very MOTUC style.

I prefer the MYP hairstyle over the 200X toy so I tried to emulate the shape of that style but adding more realistic detail and of course, ears.
 photo 00_zpsnmjgliw4.jpg I always loved the damaged cross design of the 200X toy's harness so I wanted to emulate that here as well. I also added the shoulder details that are missing from the MOTUC King Grayskull harness. Other key details are the belt and bag. These are essential to the look and had to be included but instead of completely replacing them, I blended them into the MOTUC elements.
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The bracers were the final touch that bring home the slightly more ornate and stylized aesthetic of the MYP / 200X design. I personally prefer matching bracers on He-Man and took the liberty of doing that here.
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He looks pretty great next to MAA.
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He looks especially great astride Battle Cat with Battle Lion's armor.
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I hope he lives up to your 200X / MYP expectations. He's a one-of-a-kind so if you want a true representation of a 200X / MYP He-Man for your display, you can bid on him now on ebay. Click here to see even more photos. http://www.ebay.com/itm/Masters-of-the-Universe-Classics-He-Man-MYP-200X-Style-Custom-Action-Figure-MOTU/291378938056

Until next time, I remain The Insidious One.