Tag: #MastersMonday

Recommended music: ZaharVips – Way of the Warrior

Happy Monday! Moving ahead this #MastersMonday, we’ve got another 1984 figure from the vintage Mattel Masters of the Universe toy line—it’s Jitsu!

Jitsu was also a figure in the regular rotation during MOTU adventures of my youth. This evil master of martial arts was basically Skeletor’s counterpart to Fisto with his spring-loaded right arm and oversized fist. Now you could have his palm down for a high-five or slapping action, but more than likely, you rotated the hand ninety degrees to demonstrate Jitsu’s signature karate chop.

Also, like Fisto, Jitsu came in a deluxe 2-pack with the evil version of Stridor, Night Stalker. Even if you acquired the two separately, it was always nice to know who is supposed to be riding in the big robotic horse. Jitsu’s inclusion in one lone episode of the Filmation He-Man and the Masters of the Universe animated series didn’t even bother to name-check the character, so his popularity in your arsenal of evil warriors was definitely based on his look and action feature and not a cartoon. ✋

#MastersOfTheUniverse

Recommended music: Rush – Hand Over Fist

Happy Monday! On this #MastersMonday, we’re still in 1984 mode with another figure from the vintage Mattel Masters of the Universe toy line—it’s Fisto!

Fisto was a figure in frequent use during my childhood MOTU adventures. This heroic hand-to-hand fighter and ally to He-Man featured a spring-loaded right arm (with an oversized fist) that really stepped up the game from previous figures in the line that only had spring-loaded waist action. He also came with a Tri-Klops sword cast in purple that matched his color scheme.

I’m not sure if it was box art, mini-comics, or other memorable Errol McCarthy artwork that made it stick, but everyone seemed to know that the robotic horse Stridor belonged to Fisto (they were offered together in a 2-pack even though Stridor was created by Man-At-Arms in Filmation cannon), and Fisto’s natural enemy was Jitsu (the big handed evil-warrior version of Fisto). ✊🏼

#MastersOfTheUniverse

Recommended music: T78 – Clawful

Happy Monday! For this #MastersMonday, we’re fully into 1984. Here’s another figure from the vintage Mattel Masters of the Universe toy line—it’s Clawful!

Clawful was another figure I didn’t have as a kid, and honestly, I wasn’t as interested in playing him with from my friend’s collections. I somewhat knew the character due to his inclusion in more than a handful of episodes of the Filmation He-Man animated series, but the animated version looked totally different and somehow didn’t make the connection to the action figure.

The cartoon Clawful head looked more like a dragon or lizard, while this figure’s head reminded me more of a crab. Besides his standard claw hand (something the cartoon version had a pair of), he has an oversized grabbing hand, which at worst could hold his green Grayskull mace, and at best could pinch your friend’s finger.😄

#MastersOfTheUniverse

Recommended music: Rimsky Korsakov – Flight of the Bumblebee

Happy Monday! On this #MastersMonday we’re buzzing to share another figure from the vintage Mattel Masters of the Universe toy line, it’s Buzz-Off!

Buzz-Off was a figure I didn’t have as a kid, but thankfully I still had access to him through my friend’s collections. I was familiar with the character due to his appearance in the Filmation He-Man animated series where he showed up for a handful of episodes in season two. His semi-transparent techno wings were appealing. However, the extra eyes on his helmet seemed strange to me. The new clawed hands being used for a bee man also appeared unusual at the time. 😄

The cardback art above was once again done by Errol McCarthy. There was another version of this art. It was also used for Buzz-Off but was mirrored and missing his axe for some reason. The axe was a repaint of the one available with Castle Grayskull. I’m not sure why it was initially not included in the art.

#MastersOfTheUniverse