HE-MAN AND THE MASTERS OF THE UNIVERSE MAGAZINE #9

He-Man and the Masters of the Universe Magazine #9 is the Winter 1987 issue.

There’s a peculiar Tang contest ad, which states that the first prize is ten VCRs, the second prize is 500 chairs, and the third prize is 5,000 t-shirts. After a bit of puzzling, one is forced to conclude that this is just poor writing and that they are, for example, giving a VCR to each of ten kids, rather than ten VCRs to one kid. While we’re on the subject, there’s another super-dated Kool-Aid Koolers ad here with a garishly-dressed kid who’s wearing at least three shirts (this ad at least makes it explicit that they’re awarding just one VCR and one chair to contest winners).

There’s a plug for the 1987 Rumplestiltskin film; there’s no mention of the fact that Cannon Films, which produced it, was also doing the He-Man movie, or that Billy Barty, who played the title character, had been cast in it (this latter tidbit, however, does appear on another page with information on the film’s casting and plugs for the re-run of the Christmas Special and the Power Tour).

We have a full-page feature on martial artist/actor Ernie Reyes, Jr., who will be better known to many of you as either “that little kid from The Last Dragon” or “the guy from Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Secret of the Ooze,” depending on how old you are and where your interests lie.  

This issue’s comic story, “Raid on Snake Mountain,” features a remarkably coherent plot and a relative lack of silliness (emphasis on relative; it’s inexplicable that Skeletor’s left his brand new ray gun unattended while He-Man and company stroll in through the front door). The story does a good job, though, of showing that Ninjor can actually be a pretty awesome henchman.

The activities here are the usual fare. The only Earl Norem poster included is the cover (although there’s another piece of his work inside); also included is He-Man-themed gift wrap “to make your holiday presents look super powerful,” although good luck wrapping more than one thing with it.

Read it HERE