This 1986 Masters of the Universe Toy-Store Event Makes Me Long for a Time Machine
Even though we now know 1986 was the last-ditch, death-throes year for Masters of the Universe as a toy line, it was also the year they went all out, with the Dolph Lundgren movie, the gigantic Eternia playset…and this elaborate in-store event that happened nationwide, featuring official cosplayers like Hordak above, an elaborate light-up display of all the newest toys, and finally, surprise holograms featuring live-action actors as He-Man and Skeletor.
The camera-work here isn’t great, but what do you expect from the bulky, over the shoulder consumer grade cameras of ’86? It was difficult enough to find any evidence of this happening, but thanks to the memories of regular reader James Wilson, here is hard video proof.
Companies will probably never go this all-in on action figures again. Watch and weep.
About The Author
Luke Y. Thompson has been writing professionally about movies and pop-culture since 1999, and has also been an actor in some extremely cheap culty and horror movies you will probably never hear much about (he is nonetheless mostly proud of them, as he met his wife on one). As editor of The Robot's Voice since 2012, he can take the blame for the majority of the site's content, all of which he creates because he loves you very, very much. (Although he loves nachos more. Sorry.) Prior to TRV, Luke wrote for publications that include the New Times LA, Los Angeles CityBeat, E! Online, OC Weekly, Geekweek, GeekChicDaily, The L.A. Times, The Village Voice, LA Weekly, and Nerdist