(UNIVERSE

OF THE T
> ?
|

Su) A NETFLIX
ANIMATED SERIES
 THE ART OF
ERS :: UNIVERSE

REVELATION
 THE ART OF
MASTERS
:: UNIVERSE

МЕДАЛ
CAPTIONS BY
Adam Conarroe
Jessica McNeme
Stage McNulty
Shane Minshew
Patrick Stannard

COVER ART AND FACING PAGE BY

Nate Baertsch

a
DARK HORSE BOOKS
PUBLISHER MIKE RICHARDSON

EDITOR BRETT ISRAEL

ASSISTANT EDITOR SANJAY DHARAWAT

DESIGNER ETHAN KIMBERLING TABLE OF CONTENTS

CONCEPT DESIGNER SARAH TERRY

DIGITAL ART TECHNICIAN ADAM PRUETT

FOREWORD ............. 006
SPECIAL THANKS TO MELANIE SHANNON, RYAN FERGUSON
AND ROWENNA OTAZU
HEROES ;.. 1e s DOS
THE ART OF MASTERS OF THE UNIVERSE: REVELATION
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Title: The art of Masters of the Universe Revelation / Mattel.
Description: First edition. | Milwaukie, OR : Dark Horse Books, 2022. | LOCATIONS.
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Summary: “A one of a kind oversized hardcover exploring the newest
DarkHorse.com addition to the Masters of the Universe World! Diving deep into the

International Licensing: (503) 905-2377

process of the show, this tome features detailed explorations into your
favorite aspects of the show. Explore character art from the development STORYBOARDS AND ANIMATION . . 155
stages to the finished product, as well as extensive looks at the world
To find a comics shop in your area, visit and locations of Eternia!”- Provided by publisher.
ComicShopLocator.com. Identifiers: LCCN 2021048198 | ISBN 9781508728188 (hardcover) | ISBN
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First edition: April 2022 Subjects: LCSH: Masters of the universe: revelation (Television program) |
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 FOREWORD

IT WAS THE ULTIMATE PLAYDATE. Our eyes lit up. We clinked our coffee cups. We have to
make this show.
It began with a breakfast—Ted Biaselli and | geeking out at
an eatery near the San Diego Comic-Con convention hall in Our colleagues back at Netflix and Mattel wholeheartedly
2018. Ted and | had become friends over Masters of the agreed. In recent years, Netflix has championed adult-
Universe. The 1980s classic had terraformed our targeted animation with shows like Blood of Zeus, Arcane,
imaginations at a very young age, propelling us both into and so many more. Meanwhile, Mattel has transformed
creative careers in television. Ted, currently for Netflix; me, itself beyond just a toy company to a producer of character-
now at Mattel. driven stories across film and TV for Barbie, Hot Wheels,
and more. Mattel Television, led by Fred Soulie, was geared
Over waffles and coffee, we talked about savage henchmen, up and eager to create a new He-Man cartoon for the adult
warrior goddesses, cosmic enforcers, lords of destruction, fans. And so, our breakfast musings weren't so hypothetical
allies, and enemies—those titans of plastic and celluloid after all. lt could actually happen: a ten-episode event
that had battled for Eternia on our respective shag carpets series, produced by Mattel Television for Netflix.
and cathode-ray-tube TVs every day after school. We traded
our cherished story lines, marveled at the mash-up of sci-fi But who to carry the torch as showrunner? Filmmaker Kevin
and fantasy, and toasted our favorite barbarian at the Smith sprang to mind. After all, this gregarious, backward-
center of the mayhem: He-Man. baseball-capped storyteller had become the voice of my
generation—the same generation that had grown up with
Wouldn't it be amazing, asked Ted, if there could be a He- MOTU and had come of age with his films Clerks, Dogma,
Man TV show on now, but one made for adults—hard Chasing Amy, and Mallrats. But it wasn't his movies that
hitting, where the stakes feel real (just like we imagined sparked me to Kevin. It was his comics. Kevin had penned
them to be when we were kids)? | absolutely agreed, adding a Daredevil run for Marvel in 1999 called “Guardian Devil"
that this hypothetical show wouldn't have to be a reboot that | loved. He had taken some of the great stuff that Frank
but would ideally pick up where the eighties stories left Miller had done on the book back in the eighties and found
off—so fans like us could finally see all the potential of their a way to honor it but also build upon it. That's exactly what
favorite characters and story lines pay off. we wanted to do with Masters of the Universe.

10 / THE ART OF MASTERS OF THE UNIVERSE: REVELATION

To our great delight, Kevin said yes. Soon after, | found design to grow along with our characters, evolving in startling
myself in Kevin's living room for our very first story meeting. yet inevitable ways. We would embrace the motto "The past
| was there with Melanie Shannon, a creative exec at Mattel is never finished with us, and the future is full of surprises."
Television and a talented writer and artist herself. We were
all mulling over what this new series could be about. At that Which brings us to this book. In these pages you'll see not
point, | pitched a He-Man tale l'd written for Mattel a few just the final designs but the crazy left turns that our playdate
years back called The Fall of Eternia. Elements of it | had took. The whole team at Powerhouse killed it. They drew
respun into the DC Comics series He-Man: The Eternity inspiration from every iteration of the franchise and distilled
War, while other pieces made their way into the bios of the it into their own brew. Designers like Eddie Nufiez made our
Matty Collector MOTU Classics toy line. But the spine of my characters seem stronger than life but also so very human.
original story had never been told. It opened on a cataclysmic The passionate directors Adam Conarroe and Patrick
battle at Castle Grayskull between He-Man and Skeletor. To Stannard mined the pathos of every scene, drafting mood,
save the universe, He-Man shatters his sword, and in doing drama, and unstoppable action in their visuals. In our ongoing
so he loses his power. Then years later, when evil rises discussions throughout the production, | never ceased to be
again, Adam must go on a quest to reforge his sword and impressed with their thoughtfulness. It was a delight to
build himself back up to his former glory. Kevin loved that discuss the function of the visuals, narratively, historically,
idea but wanted to take it even further: what if we don't and epically; they were partners in trying to understand the
just break the Sword of Power? What if we break Adam, why behind every visual choice we made together.
too? What if he dies, and when we flash forward, we really
get to explore the idea of a world without He-Man, and the Their passions ran deep. Want proof? When designing the
need to get him back. Subternian gate to Preternia we wanted to add some
symbols to represent the language of ancient Eternians.
Now we were improvising, exploring . . . like all the best Patrick could have just designed some beautiful shapes and
memories of playing with those action figures as kids. And moved on, but he took it upon himself to create an entire
we kept at it for another eight hours, working (but really written language (called Kudu-kesh) with syntax and
playing together) in the landscape of MOTU. We took our grammar—samples of which you can see in the pages of
story arc back to Netflix and sat with Ted Biaselli. And again, this book. | was tempted to write this whole foreword in
Ted was in it with us, ideating, crafting, building upon our Kudu-kesh, but I’m not fluent enough!
ideas until we had our green light to go forth and start
making the show. We even had our title: Masters of the With the story and visuals in place, we then layered in a
Universe: Hevelation. sweeping, gut-wrenching score from renowned composer
Bear McCreary. Our characters were finally given voice by
Then we were off, bringing together the incredible a cast of heavy hitters including the likes of Mark Hamill,
production talents of Susan Corbin, producer of the series Lena Headey, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Chris Wood, and so
for Mattel Television, and her tireless team. Not to mention many more.
our heroic masters of scriptwriting: Marc Bernardin, Eric
Carrasco, Diya Mishra, and Tim Sheridan. Over multiple From the beginning, Kevin Smith would start every meeting
story sessions steered by Kevin Smith, we continued to by greeting everyone with “Hey, kids . . .” and it always felt
unleash the power within these characters and journey with like exactly the right salutation. Because while working on
them along fantastic plot twists and turns. By the end of this project, we were getting to be kids again. Our childhood
our tale, He-Man would be reborn, and the Masters of the action-figure story lines had grown up and evolved, taken
Universe would reach their destinies. off and been made into fully animated beings. Seeing it all
come together was magic.
But, friends, the fun was just getting started.
For me, and hopefully for you, this book is a testament to
To bring our words to life, Netflix proposed Powerhouse the joy, fun, and magic poured into the creation of Masters
Animation, a studio they loved and had worked with before of the Universe: Revelation. | hope you see it as an invitation
on Castlevania. (Stop reading this now and go watch that to join the playdate with us.
show, too!) Powerhouse drew up concept sketches of what
the show could look like that absolutely blew us away, and We all have the power!
that was just the beginning . . .
Rob David
We at Mattel Television flew to Austin, Texas, to meet with Masters of the Universe: Revelation
Brad Graeber and Shane Minshew, who run all creative and Executive Producer, Mattel Television
production at. Powerhouse Animation, to discuss our vision
for the show. As with the narrative, we would hold fast to the
classic aesthetic of Masters of the Universe but make it more
visceral and grounded than ever before. We wanted the
 CHAPTER 1
HEROES
IT WAS THE VISION OF Mattel, Netflix, and Powerhouse
that this show feel as though the classic tales we
enjoyed as kids had grown up with us: to capture
the romanticized memory of playing with the toys
but now idealized with everything modern animation
has to offer.

Going into production, we knew these heroes were

meant to be larger than life and that He-Man had
to be the largest. We wanted to give them more
depth and range, making sure they still felt the
same as we remember while also evolving the
characters as their stories progress.

To achieve this in design, we built on the deep lore

of MOTU, pulling most heavily from the vintage and
Classics toy lines. We also dove into the comic
book series from the vintage to the modern to help
build our version of Eternia and its masters.
 MAIN

Naturally He-Man was the very first character we began developing. We

preserved the asymmetrical arm brace on his left arm as it appeared in
the vintage toy line. We added segmentation to the metal straps of his
harness for a touch of realism.

The second we saw

that magnanimous
grin, we knew we had
found our He-Man.

14 ГГА THE ART OF MASTERS OF THE UNIVERSE: REVELATION

 Once we figure out what a character
looks like, we have to finalize the design.
Part of that process involves drawing,
what a character looks like from different
views so they can be animated properly,
as seen in these rough sketches.

This proof-of-concept style frame was the first time we were able 10 combine finished character designs and backgrounds
with some compositing love. Seeing it all come together for the first time is always a magical experience. |
 This is a mixture of early He-Man
and Savage He-Man concepts.

16 ГГА THE ART OF MASTERS OF THE UNIVERSE: REVELATION

 PRINCE ADAM
In the eighties era, Prince Adam and He-Man looked virtually
identical. Starting in 2002, Mattel gave Adam his own distinct
appearance, a direction Hevelation embraced to help justify
how he's managed to keep his alter ego a secret.

One subtle design

difference between
Adam and He-Man
is that He-Man's hair
curves inward, like a
bell, while Adam's
hair curls outward.

HEROES \\ 17
 Teela's mercenary outfit is
utilitarian and practical, with
elements of her original uniform
peeking from underneath. Subtle
cobra-hood shapes in her chest
plate and buckle allude to the
minicomic's Goddess.

U THE ART OF MASTERS OF THE UNIVERSE: REVELATION

 Zog
зла

с ©2952 tz]
Бон
 We explored a variety of
hairstyle and armor variants,
merging Andra's unique
palette and shape language
A young but brilliant engineer, Andra has a joyful obsession with technology. with Duncan's armor motifs.
Her costume is intended to solidify her as the new “Man-At-Arms.”

22 ГГА THE ART OF MASTERS OF THE UNIVERSE: REVELATION

 As the commander of the Eternian military, a master strategist, and
an engineer, Duncan is the most dangerous man in Eternia. He's also
the adoptive father of Teela and love interest of the Sorceress. Even
in exile, he still sports his distinctive green-and-orange color scheme.

US Wi Е e

24 // THE ART OF MASTERS OF THE UNIVERSE: REVELATION HEROES \\ 25

 aa
A
a)
КЕР,

KING RANDOR QUEEN MARLENA

We experimented with a few different armor styles for Randor before Queen Marlena was a fun design, since she provided a change
eventually deciding on a more regal outfit. We wanted to emphasize his from the huge, musclebound characters. We took special care
role as king of Eternia in a way that would also be easy to animate. with the queen to make sure she felt both elegant and strong.

26 // THE ART OF MASTERS OF THE UNIVERSE: REVELATION HEROES \\ 27

 We had a lot of fun exploring Orko's shape
language, weakening and breaking the lines
when he is at his weakest, and then refining
the curves when he is at his strongest.

Orko is one of our favorites, and we

were so excited to include him in our
show. With his design, we tried to
preserve his childlike innocence while
adding a bit more interest to the O on
his chest and more expressiveness in
his eyes.

Orko's reborn form retains

elements of his modern outfit,
but streamlines his silhouette to
show that Orko has evolved,
rather than merely reverted to
his previous, healthier self.

28 // THE ART OF MASTERS OF THE UNIVERSE: REVELATION HEROES \\ 29

 QA

One of the challenges of Cringer's design was finding the exact shades of
orange and green that wouldn't make him feel too busy. We also ended up
not putting solid outlines around his stripes, unlike previous depictions.
 THE SORCERESS
The Sor is the Guardian of Grayskull. Her design motif
isa Pu “abet an no. and-blue one, so we made sure to
keep her classic feather

e Sor shes velation. From left to digit ENG:

Me A NNEHE anda witheredS.

32 // THE ART OF MASTERS OF THE UNIVERSE: REVELATION HEROES \\ 33

 For the Sorceress, we initially
wanted to find something that
was more grounded and
practical for her costume. We
also played around with leaning
even more into the bird motif
* that she is known for before
landing on our final design.

34 ГГА THE ART OF MASTERS OF THE UNIV

For characters like Buzz-Off we adhered very closely
to the vintage toy designs while bringing his unique
elements in as texture and window dressing. Division
lines and spiky bumps imply a carapace-like exterior
but don't significantly change his appearance.
 Like Buzz-Off, Stratos was modeled very closely on the vintage toy designs.
There are a few different versions of Stratos, and we tried to pull a little
bit from each.

Ram Man is a fan favorite and was one of the designs that Eddie
: ¿Nuñez was:most excited about working оп. Опе aspect we reälly
^ focused on was Ram Man's spring legs and.how those work and
.operate. We ultimately landed опа hydraulic spring.
 CLAMP CHAMP
To help further differentiate Clamp Champ from Fisto, we modified the
shape language of his cuirass to be slightly more tech focused. We also
decided to insert Clamp Champ's hand into his weapon, as opposed to
giving it a handle, for easier animating.
 Dne of the first aspects we figured
out was just how big Fisto's fist was
going to be. We played around with
* some really big fists, as you see here,
but ultimately landed on something
that felt more grounded.

ir forms hark back to

orld, as seen in the
and more dangerous than

< US m EA
38 ГГА THE АВТ OF MASTERS OF THE UNIVERSE: REVELATION
 Voiced by the famous Alan Oppenheimer, this classic
character required a wizened and distinguished
appeal. He deviates from the original Moss Man toy
with its green flocked appearance, and elements of
nature were woven into his physique, emphasizing his
control over all things flora.

ROBOTO
Roboto's see-through chest presented a unique animation
challenge. We opted to replace his moving gears with an energy
core and power tubes. Now he's slightly modernized . . . and much
less tedious to animate.

HEROES ХХ 39
 T, MEN

Vikor is another previous champion of

Eternia, taking the title shortly after
King Grayskull’s death. Our design is
modeled after the Classics figure,
which was based on some of the
original concept art for He-Man.

Because He-Ro is one of King Grayskull's two sons and a fan favorite,
we wanted to make sure he was represented in an awesome way for
his animated debut in Revelation. We tried to keep him as close to
the Classics toy line as we possibly could.

Introducing King Grayskull in a direct sequel to the classic eighties

era allowed us to reimagine the character in a way that would broaden
the lore. Voiced by the great Dennis Haysbert, the character
embodies the strength and wisdom that epitomizes He-Man's power.

MASTERS
 KUDUK UNGOL
Kuduk Ungol was designed as a proto-Sorceress. Her outfit
clearly establishes that she once held the title of Sorceress
of Grayskull, but we wanted to utilize older textiles that may
have been more prominent during her era.

Preternia is the Elysian-Fields of the MOTU universe, where heroes live on forever in glory. Upon arrival, everyone adopts
the most idealized version of themselves—which, for these heroes, means being decked out with bulging muscles.

Another character making their animation

debut in Masters of the Universe: Revelation.
Originally, this character was a promotional
figure in the early eighties and gained the name
“Wun-Dar” in Mattel's Classics toy line.

Es ‘always:‘fun to hasa incidental characters.on real people. From left to right: director Patrick Stannard, storyboardsupervis
OH Danny Araya executive росте Rob David and Ted Biaselli, and showrunner, Kevin Sm
 \

These incidental characters are all based on members of

~ the Powerhouse crew, from directors, character designers,
and prodüction assistants to producers Brad Graeber and
Shane Minshew (bottom right), who show up to razz
young Evil-Lyn in episode 8.

// THE ART OF MASTERS OF THE UNIVERSE: REVELATION HEROES \\ 45

 CHAPTER 2
VILLAINS
EVERYBODY LOVES A HERO, but sometimes what
makes the hero is a great villain! Skeletor and his
band of evil acolytes are some of the most iconic
faces in villainy. As with our heroes, they're larger
than life. We had plenty of lore to draw from, as
well as ample room to play with how these
characters evolve.

The introduction of the new antagonistic force of

Motherboard's technocult changes both the
allegiances and appearances of so many of our
villains. Not only that, but we got to imagine what
might happen to the warriors of Snake Mountain
when they are left to carve their own path without
their leader. With the transformations these
characters go through, both physical and
emotional, these classic malevolent icons got huge
design overhauls meant to showcase one of the
important themes of the series: that actions have
consequences.
The evil lord of destruction! Along with He-Man, Skeletor was one of
the first designs we conceptualized. We wanted to make sure he was
instantly recognizable but with subtle tweaks to make him our own.

We went through a lot of different

iterations of Skeletor before landing on
our final design (below). Above is a
nearly final design with options for how
we could handle the hood and cape.

With no eyes or lips, Skeletor's skull had to be a bit malleable, with brows and In a flashback that occurs in episode 8, we see a younger Skeletor sporting
eye sockets that shift and bend in order to convey a wide range of emotions. red and black colors, referencing his earlier allegiance to the Evil Horde.
 = De

Retaining the barbarian feel for

Skelegod was crucial. Our chief
influences were the Skeletor
Battle Armor (1984) and Skeletor
Terror Claws (1986) toys, and the
godlike Skeletor in the He-Man:
The Eternity War comic book

We wanted Skeletor's new form to feel like a walking

fortress, merging both his vanity and his lust for power.
The H on his chest is almost like a brand, to symbolize
his violent application of the power.

50 U THE ART OF MASTERS OF THE UNIVERSE: REVELATION мигдимв \\ 51

 In designing Evil-Lyn, we took many inspirations from the original toys,
including the colors and her iconic helmet. We did add a few
embellishments and changes to the shape language to separate her
a little from Teela, who shared the same original model.

А
SS (E
LH.
ue EE
SS
<

52 U THE ART OF MASTERS OF THE UNIVERSE: REVELATION VILLAINS \\ 53

 As the new Sorceress
of Grayskull, Lyn's bat-
themed outfit is a nod
to her Sorceress of
Horokoth attire in He-
Man: The Eternity War
(2016). Here, it is
deliberately made more
scandalous, representing
how Lyn is seen through
Skeletor's eyes: as a
person whose value is
determined by how
useful they are to him.

Our top priority was to give God-Lyn big, bulging muscles.

If Adam and Skeletor get beefed up when they call down
the power, Evil-Lyn should be no exception. Her star cape
at you could se e in atall
was added to represent her newfound connection to the times. We also knew we wanted her to
feel as strong as the others who have
cosmos as both Sorceress and Champion. called down the power, but we wanted
to keep her grace and elegance.

U THE ART OF MASTERS OF THE UNIVERSE: REVELATION VILLAINS NN 55

 For her final outfit, we wanted
Lyn to feel as if she's been
Evil-Lyn disguises herself as an old crone when adopting the persona of Magestra. liberated while still staying true
But since she nonchalantly hands out bags of gems in our show, we decided her \ = y to her identity. Who is Evil-Lyn
getup should lean more aristocrat than beggar. В y without the wicked influence of
Да Skeletor? Only time will tell.
 A
BEAST MAN
There are not many villains as beloved as Beast Man. We wanted
to make sure our version felt super ferocious and beastly. We also
wanted to juxtapose that with a grounded human element in his
affection for Evil-Lyn. (

58 // THE ART OF MASTERS OF THE UNIVERSE: REVELATION

 BATTLE DOG
Battle Dog, as Evil-Lyn's equivalent to He-Man's Battle
Cat, initially had a throne-like saddle for her to ride upon.
After we settled on his bulkier body type, the saddle
became a cumbersome addition and was removed.

У
ISS
PANTHOR
 It was a conscious decision to reference
the Classics line for Spikor, as opposed
to his vintage counterpart. Spikes are
difficult to animate, and the original
design had our animators in a panic!

We wanted Mer-Man to appear to have been

through a lot since-the events in the first
episode. We wanted it to feel as if he was
surviving but. show that it hasn't. been easy :
since magic left Eternia.

62 U THE ART OF MASTERS OF THE UNIVERSE: REVELATION

 While we only see Stinkor for a short time, we really wanted
to make sure we did this character right. We originally
played around with some heavy alterations but ultimately
decided on a more classic and recognizable look.

We initially conceived of a
more badger-like Stinkor with
large claws for digging and
slashing, dirty wrappings, and
armor that felt cobbled
together from scraps.

VILLAINS NN 63
 MOTHERBOARD
Motherboard was designed to be the antithesis to the Sorceress's
quiet humility. We envisioned her exuding extravagance and
power—a fifteen-foot-tall demon goddess of technology.

Wi

64 // THE ART OF MASTERS OF THE UNIVERSE: REVELATION VILLAINS NN 65

66 // THE ART OF MASTERS OF THE UNIVERSE: a ш> ш 2 < E E 2
 ]

522 2
This creature was inspired by the tentacles я (8 x»
on the stickers that came with the vintage 343 N / À
Castle Grayskull play set. Named “the Orlax” d 6 A
for its screen debut and designed by the » 1
talented Jung-Ha Kim, it also plays a big role í * < g^
in the Hevelation prequel comic series. jo

VILLAINS NN 87
 Some early concepts for
techno Trap Jaw. We were
We heavily based our Trap Jaw on the vintage toy, with the exception around with more). .
of his robotic arm. We decided to beef up and streamline its design to
make it friendlier to the animation process while still maintaining its
threatening appeal.

Q
PS

If you look closely in episode 3, you'll

see that Trap Jaw sports a scar апа) 2s
. helmet damage which is inflicted
during the fal a in Shake Я ey P ) pu } We gave Faker's metallic underskin a bluish hue as an homage to the
. Monti gg en х à . original Faker design. Before being revealed and burned by the
Sorceress, he served as a near-perfect replica for He-Man.

[Abs г +

// THE ART OF MASTERS OF THE UNIVERSE: REVELATION i VILLAINS \\ 69

 Whiplash received quite a few upgrades upon joining Tri-Klops's
technocult. He now has a mechanically enhanced eye, advanced
armor, and an extendable tail complete with an electrical
meteor hammer.

70 U THE ART OF MASTERS OF THE UNIVERSE: REVELATION

As with Trap-Jaw, we played around with a more distinctive
and complex look for the evil Acolytes but eventually had to
streamline them for animation purposes.
 Pigboy is a deep cut from the 1987 Masters
of the Universe feature film. We all fell in
love with his quirky design and wanted to
maintain his elaborate movie costume as
,much as possible.

ELEDROID
When exploring the designs for these familiar robots, we
pulled from a variety of sci-fi influences. The Skeledroids were
originally planned to appear more in the flashback segments
but were cut for time.

72 U THE ART OF MASTERS OF THE UNIVERSE: REVELATION

‚А
Y
Y
，
P
1
f
SHADOW BEAST
We were able to take a few liberties with the Shadow Beasts,
as they were used a bit differently than they had been
previously. Our beasts come in all shapes and sizes and are
made purely out of shadows.
|

ba 4
Sr

a $ | A SKELECONS
It's always a thrill to toss in some nostalgic deep cuts.
The Skelecons are an obscure minion of Skeletor,
originally from the Ladybird books, who made
appearances in the Classics line and in a minicomic.
In Revelation, they're found piloting Rotons.
 CHAPTER 3
VEMICLES AND
ARTIFACTS
ONE OF OUR GOALS WAS TO capture the same
feelings of excitement and awe that we felt as kids,
playing with toys like the Bashasaurus, Roton, and
Sky Sled. Consequently, in designing these vehicles
for the adult-focused audience of Hevelation, we
steered away from overmodernizing. Much of what
made the original vehicles iconic was fully
embracing questions like “What happens if you
combine a dinosaur, a wrecking ball, and a tank?”
So naturally, when we created any new vehicle, we
were careful to continue the tradition of
incorporating animal motifs.

Artifacts like the Power Sword and Teela’s staff

were given lots of time and attention during our
concept phase. It was important that the weapons
felt powerful, distinguished, and deadly. After all,
the tone of Revelation meant that these
armaments would see some real action on the
battlefield! We also included several Easter eggs
in the various artifacts found around Eternia; we
leapt at the opportunity to design items inspired
by other pieces of Masters media.
 QUARTZ CANN
Designed in the likeness of Screeech and mounted with a large The Sky Sled is a super-iconic MOTU vehicle, and our
energy cannon, this was one of the few vehicles we were able to design took all its cues from the classic toy.
design from scratch. We had to find the balance to ensure
it fit the new technocult design motif while still
feeling like a classic MOTU vehicle.

Onething not seen in the first season was

the Battle Ram the Sky Sled attaches to.

As seen in episode 3, this cannon packs

a punch. Anything and everything that
falls in the path of its blast is incinerated
instantly.

In Hevelation, we gave Snake Mountain's War

Sleds unique color schemes and snake motifs—
Rough concepts for what ultimately became finally distinguishing them from the Sky Sleds.
the Quartz Cannon seen in the show.

39 DeII
227

72 ГГА THE ART OF MASTERS OF THE UNIVERSE: REVELATION VEHICLES AND ARTIFACTS ХХ 73
 ATTAK TRAK A
Bolstering Randor’s army, the Attak Traks are tank-like
versions of the original toys. The biggest change was placing
the seats side by side instead of front and back. <a y

LAND SHARK
Perhaps the most iconic vehicle from MOTU is the Land
Shark. Our version is almost identical to the toy.

ГГА THE ART OF MASTERS OF THE UNIVERSE: REVELATION

 If there's one rule for classic Eternian vehicles, it's that they
must have an animal motif. The Hover Skiff's is a swordfish.
This is another vehicle we were able to design from scratch
for the show.

BASHASAURUS
One of our goals was to make fans feel the same way they felt when they
were kids and played with these toys. This is another vehicle that is very
close to the toy design. Everything from the texture of the vehicle's surface
to the button you push to activate the battering ram arm is present.

VEHICLES AND ARTIFACTS \\ 75

 ROYAL SCHOONER
The Eternian royal family's pleasure yacht is another vehicle we
were able to design from scratch.

The 3D model allows the

animators and artists to
see what these vehicles
look like from all angles.

76 // THE ART OF MASTERS OF THE UNIVERSE: REVELATION

 The Roton was a must-have vehicle for this series. Originally,
we were only going to have the blades spin when the Roton
was in motion, to mimic the action of the vintage toy. But we
opted to keep the blades perpetually spinning because it just
looked so imposing.

HOVER BIKE
In episode 3, Duncan uses the Hover Bike to cross the
Crystal Sea, where he catches up to our heroes and
helps free them from Mer-Man.

While it didn't make it into the show, we originally had

Magestra, Andra, and Teela arrive at the husk of Grayskull
in this vehicle.

VEHICLES AND ARTIFACTS \\ 77

 We tried to model the design of the Talon Fighter, a classic vehicle
- that sits atop Point Dread, as closely to the toy as possible. This didn't .
stop us from experimenting a little at the beginning of this design.

“An earlier design iteration gavethe Talon Fighter amuch `:

‚larger scale, but we decided to shrink the plane to give Teela
| and Adam's exchangeinepisode8a more intimate setting.

4 A : x

THE ART OF MAST

Because he needed to be animated, Stridor's joints were modified
from the design of the original toy to better resemble actual
horse anatomy.

VEHICLES AND ARTIFACTS \\ 79

 POWER SW
The Power Sword has been through numerous iterations throughout MOTU's
history. To give the fantasy of classic MOTU a more grounded realism for
Hevelation, we sought to retain the original form of the sword while emphasizing
its natural regal elegance.

80 ГГА THE ART OF MASTERS ОЕ THE UNIVERSE: REVELATION

 aes. aes

As the most iconic symbol of He-Man

and his power, the Power Sword
went through the largest number of
~ explorations of any prop in this show.
Its silhouette in particular needed to
be perfect.

VEHICLES AND ARTIFACTS \\ 81

 The two halves of the
sword were initially 4
conceived as shards, Anm
but over time they. "X
took on a character Ze
of their own. |D

82 // THE ART OF MASTERS OF THE UNIVERSE: REVELATION

The original sword halves
from the toy line were
colored silver and purple.
It was decided to bring
gold into the light sword to
better align it with He-Man.

VEHICLES AND ARTIFACTS NN 83

Teela's sword as captain of the guard is based on a gladius and features geometric swirls similar
to those on her classic costume. As the new Sorceress, Teela gains the magical ability to conjure . „.
and transform her staff to adapt to any situation. A
 As a mercenary, Teela wields a weapon created by Andra. This mechanical
wonder can transform into just about anything that Teela might need: sword,
staff, grappling hook—even a shovel. Tragically, this weapon is destroyed in
a skirmish with Blade.

The staff's interior features

luminescent lights, allowing
Teela to use it as a glow stick.
1 In its compact form, the staff
/ J| is fastened at the small of
Teela's back for easy access.

f. LA

(ос
)
ро

| Though it's not covered onscreen, Duncan is impressed with Andra's technology and uses
x 5
the staff that she designs for Teela as inspiration to make his own transformable weapon:
> an expanding great sword. Though an impressive feat, it is regrettably short lived.

VEHICLES AND ARTIFACTS \\ 85

 HAVOC STAFF
This is one of the most iconic weapons of MOTU; we didn't want to stray too
far from the original in terms of design. Sharpening the shape motifs and adding
fangs to the Havoc Skull were all we needed to do.

EVIL-LYN'S STAFF
Evil-Lyn’s staff is iconic, and we needed her to carry it for multiple
story reasons. But it can be difficult to have someone with a full-length
staff, as they have to hold it most of the time. We used the fight in
episode 1 to conveniently cut Evil-Lyn's in half so that it could be a bit
more portable.

mn,
Row

86 // THE ART OF MASTERS OF THE UNIVERSE: REVELATION

 KING RANDOR'S SWORD
Randor's sword has a very distinct look, one that the directors wanted to make sure fans
would recognize. Like a lot of other elements, this is pulled from the Classics toy line.

WEBSTOR'S GRAPPLING GUN

No Webstor would be complete without his trusty grappling gun.

VEHICLES AND ARTIFACTS \\ 87

 © For Revelation, we needed He-Man to be restrained, but how
do you restrain the most powerful man in the universe? With.
‚Coridite, of course! This powerful crystal helps keep the cuffs
on He-Man.

OBOTO'S ARM CANN

Our team was incredibly excited to design Roboto's arm cannon and figure out
how it would transform and activate. His arm is also shown to be able to shift
into a hammer while at the Preternian Forge.

BEAST MAN'S WHIP

, We wanted to give Beast Man's whip a bit more character and tie it
closer into his design motif. So we took the base toy design, expanded
оп.Е, and really "whipped" up something special. (You can't get through
a Hevelation art book without a pun, right?) А
4

AN x
ГГА THE ART OF MASTERS OF THE UNIVERSE: REVELATION
 ANDRA'S THROWING STAR AND GRENADE
A couple of unique weapons we were able to create specifically for the show. Andra, being the tech whiz she is, has some
familiar weapons with an enhanced and techy twist.

SCARE GLOW'S GLAIVE

+

e Glo

VEHICLES AND ARTIFACTS NN 89

 ASER BAZOO

wy
A giant laser bazooka felt like the perfect addition to a famed warrior-engineer such as Duncan

Y GLOVE
VE OF
OF GLOBOLAH
GLOBOLAH „4
The Glove of Globolah is an obscure reference to the vintage minicomics. We strove to emphasize
its magical power through the use of slender lines and reflective surfaces and left it fingerless,
hoping to avoid making it look too similar to other famous gloves of power.

90 ГГА THE ART OF MASTERS OF THE UNIVERSE: REVELATION

 This is an Easter egg reference to the Hover Disks used
in the live-action movie from 1987. We had to take some
time to figure out how these would function in our show.

Compressed
disk

Expanded
disk

TEELA'S TRACKER
This is another Easter egg from the live-action movie.

VEHICLES AND ARTIFACTS ХХ 91

 MEARTOF CASTLE GRAYSKULL
The castle's heart is a major catalyst in our story, and we took our time to develop it. Originally, we
were going to make it a cone, but it later evolved into a pyramid. We wanted a layered unfurling, similar
to the shape of a lotus flower.

Alternate design

ГГА THE ART OF MASTERS OF THE UNIVERSE: REVELATION

 TEELA'S BABY BASKET
Even the smallest of items have to be thought about and
designed, including this baby basket.

M
HAVOC GOBLET Su
We wanted to subtly foreshadow that this was secretly the Havoc Staff, which
is why the motif features a purple gem and swords that look vaguely like horns.

VEHICLES AND ARTIFACTS \\ 93

 CHAPTER H
LOCATIONS
AS WITH THE CHARACTERS, the inspiration for each
location can be traced back to the vintage toy line.
In a lot of ways, working on this show was like
being a kid again: playing with toys, using your
imagination, and making up stories in your head.

With each location, we wanted to retain all the

fantastical elements that make the franchise so
endearing while also incorporating a grounded
element to better suit the more mature story line.
We thought a lot about each area's inhabitants
and tried to find ways to squeeze in small details
that tell you a little bit about those who live there.
Whether it’s the conspicuous absence of ladders
and stairs in the Academy of Magic or the austere
trappings of Duncan’s home as he lives in exile,
we wanted to make each location feel like a real
place filled with real people.
CASTLE GRAYSKULL
Castle Grayskull is the single most iconic location in all of MOTU lore. The goal in designing it for Revelation
was to capture not just nostalgia but the full sublime majesty of this ancient fortress of mystery.
 Castle Grayskull is surrounded by a barren, uninhabitable wasteland, with a dark, churning, ever-dusky sky. The only time the sky isn't covered with red clouds is when
magic leaves Grayskull, leaving the setting a mundane husk of its former glory.

98 ГГА THE ART OF MASTERS OF THE UNIVERSE: REVELATION

Some isometric and top-
down views of the castle. We
needed to ensure our artists
knew what it looked like from
all angles, and we also had to
design it for the various story
beats required.
 Braziers

Entry hall Banners from toy Floor pattern

CASTLE GRAYSKULL THRONE ROOM

There have been many different iterations of the castle's throne room, and we tried to pull the best aspects from each to make something that felt familiar but new.
To remind viewers of the castle's skull and skeletal exterior, we also incorporated bone motifs.

LOCATIONS NN 101
 SORCERESS'S CHAMBERS
For the Sorceress's chambers, we really leaned into the original Castle Grayskull play set. Many fans will recognize the rug seen in the middle of the room. Additionally,
you see our take on the magic mirror used by the Sorceress in previous iterations.

102 ГГА THE ART OF MASTERS OF THE UNIVERSE: REVELATION

 EN

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CASTLE GRAYSKULL DUNGEONS AND SEWERS

Castle Grayskull's underground is full of cramped spaces, but it was important for us to allow enough space in the dungeon for Skelegod to pace back and forth:
Similarly, the underground.sewers were expanded into large aqueducts to allow for fight acrobatics and the eventual arrival of the massive Orlax through the water.
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HEART OF CASTLE GRAYSKULL = >

The heart of Grayskull was covered in flora to show how the
Orb of Power created the energy that brought life to Eternia,
Crystal interior Support
pillars
Gold trim like
the exterior

Crystal
sconces

MTS

Heart of >= j qh = Stone walkway

Grayskull 4 Se LT

Locations \\
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HALL OF WISDOM
This crystal palace, known as the Hall of Wisdom, is the original form of Castle Grayskull.
It is only revealed when the magic fails after the Orb of Power is destroyed.

106 // THE ART OF MASTERS OF THE UNIVERSE: REVELATION

LOCATIONS XV 107
U THE ART OF MASTERS OF THE UNIVERSE: REVELATION
 Ancient weapons

Banners

Door to the
throne room

[2]a o = Е Е 8 Р 2

LOCATIONS \\ 109
SWAMP TOWN :- u "A
Sy
Even the swamps in Eternia mustn't resemble Earth's too closely. Adding purple з
to the trees helped maintain this humble village's alien Eternian appearance!

Here we used more muted tones to really push the image of an utterly filthy area. The added touch of vibrant purple gave the feeling that people could actually enjoy
life here ... as long as they have something to cover their nose.
 са
пари
de
Да
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ра

In a deleted scene, Andra and Teela

walk through the Swamp Town market,
which gave us a chance to learn about
its denizens and how they live. The
entire village was conceived with
thought given to what daily life might
be like in an area like this.

112 ГГА THE ART OF MASTERS OF THE UNIVERSE: REVELATION

u

SWAMP TOWN TRASH CAVE

The directors were enamored with the idea of Stinkor, this
repugnant character, carving out a little home for himself.
Even though this grotto is filled with smelly garbage, the
volumetric lighting peeking through the roots above gives
ita beautiful feeling.
 TEMPLE OF GLOBOLAH
This temple is a monument to the ways of magic, even though magic has left Eternia at this point in the story. As such, it's covered in dust and cobwebs and i
conspicuously empty, save for the lone priestess charged with its upkeep. LIEU N A

114 YA THE ART OF MASTERS OF THE UNIVERSE: REVELATION

LOCATIONS \\ 115
SNAKE MOUNTAIN
The design of the set was pulled straight from the Classics Snake Mountain play set but scaled up to the size of
an actual mountain. The wolf gate on its top received a redesign: on the toy, the trademark trapdoor appears
behind the gate, but here itwas moved in front so Teela and Andra could exploit it as a point of entry.

116 U THE ART OF MASTERS OF THE UNIVERSE: REVELATION LOCATIONS \\ 117

118 ГГА THE ART OF MASTERS OF THE UNIVERSE: REVELATION
m
SI am Mi | E

Nmx s|

Skull-like shape language for

door to emphasize iiimpo: sii
creepy hallway area
iui AN
EU
ÓN

Inspiration from the play set can be

seen in every aspect of the design
of Snake Mountain. Look closely
and you'll see monstrous faces
hidden in the walls of the cave.

LOCATIONS
SNAKE MOUNTAIN DEMON'S Н
Where once was Skeletor's throne now sits the massive figureo
Screeech—an effigy of the technocult's goddess, Motherboard.
= =

Mouth Screeech tech Fluid veins

opening harness details

Magenta and More rustic/

cyan fluids mix
in this room Statues perched
on top of pillars
Mesoamerican

Screeech statue Various cables

perched and cords
above the altar

Computer
card texture

Fluid veins
Cables attach to details
RÍ the neck of the
statue

Dais with stairs

on the sides

Grate over Blue

Power Juice

* Pillars connect to
Subtle computer card Main door bottom jaw.
textures run under the
grated floor
= [=] [2] < m о 2 [2] 一< 7 id a о
 aw 4

y м

EX

===

DUNCAN'S HOME ==
Though banned by royal decree from forging even two pieces of metal together,
Duncan finds other avenues to put his vast engineering knowledge to workas |а
seen in his construction of this cozy abode for life in exile.

Garden Duncan's house is very isolated,

situated far from the Font of Fillegro
or any other town. (He clearly takes
his banishment very seriously.)

124 YA THE ART OF MASTERS OF THE UNIVERSE: REVELATION LOCATIONS

Duncan's hut was designed with the idea that he built it himself, created for him and his self-made family. Everything Duncan has is something he has put together—
from his furniture to his tools to his ever-dutiful “son.”
FONT OF FILLEGRO
The village surrounding the Font of Fillegro is in ruins without the magic that the Power of Grayskull used to bring to Eternia and its people.
CRYSTAL SEA
As the characters push closerto the gates to Subternia, the pure, clear, and
reflective colors of the Crystal Sea are polluted by a corrupting purple—the
mark of an evil magic seeping out of the awaiting hell.

The massive black obsidian crystal marking the gateway to Subternia acts as something of a cork, sealing in the evils and death of Subternia below. This gateway is
guarded only by the bones of an ancient mage.

128 ГГА THE АВТ OF MASTERS OF THE UNIVERSE: REVELATION LOCATIONS \\ 129
 Large crystals scattered Obelisk is lowered, hidden Corruption from
around the sea away from view Subternia turns the
crystals into sharp,
curved crystals,
stained with dark
“pollution” inside

Winding switch path

leads up the hill

Obsidian оБейзк

Staircase is carved on
the sides of the hole

Seams seal |
the staircase

Statue receives the

Havoc Staff's head >

Staircase to "Hell"

130 // THE ART OF MASTERS OF THE UNIVERSE: REVELATION

 A
EI (е) [4] q 2Ее Е "d о Ba
ше
SUBTERNIA
In Revelation, Subternia functions as a dark parallel to the heaven of Preternia. It
is guarded by the ruler of shadows, Scare Glow, and the souls of those who die y
without glory awake to find themselves here.

Subternia is meant to represent the Eternian version of hell, emphasis on Eternian. We wanted to avoid fire and brimstone clichés, instead drawing our inspiration from
the design and character of Subternia's leader, Scare Glow.
 AN

ACADEMY OF MAGIC = : "E

The Trollan Academy of Magic needed to be an ominous
space of magical wisdom while also communicating the а
unique personality of Orko's people. To achieve this, we -
referenced Antoni Gaudí's architectural style.

Glass dome

Chandelier

Second floor

4 Spiral bookshelves
X on pillars
Bookshelves line 2
the walls of the
academy
Floating magic
braziers

Main
entrance

Circular
bookshelves,
freestanding

“S” bookshelves

Spell spring

Garden area

Double
doors
 е
XS

May

i
7M ~

When designing the Academy of Magic, one major consideration was that Trollans can float. This is the reasoning behind the inclusion of such high bookshelves with
no stairs to the second floor. We also added smaller spinning bookshelves and soaring pillars to help show the utilization of the space.

ao o < e o 2 o0 Y= = o "n
 PRETERNIA
Here we see the establishing shot of Preternia, the Eternian
version of heaven, based on the original toy set.

136 U THE ART OF MASTERS OF THE UNIVERSE: REVELATION

The designs for Preternia clearly pulled heavily from the toy, including all three of the play set's towers and the monorail. However, we also drew from other
fantasy environments in designing the interiors of these iconic buildings, including the forge. Beyond that, it was important to decide what existed around the
buildings: what would the flora and fauna of an Eternian heaven's natural environment look like? Since Preternia is a place where dinosaurs still roam, we went
with a jungle-like, tropical atmosphere to hint toward prehistoric biomes.

Locations \\
 The brook in Preternia where Prince Adam and Teela have their talk is definitely one of the most beautiful environments in Revelation. It is designed to be romantic, even
as a backdrop to one of the more heartbreaking scenes in the series.

WA THE ART OF MASTERS OF THE UNIVERSE: REVELATION

 Monorail track
support beam

Broken, unkempt
staircase

Sand is taking over entry

road. Broken pillars suggest
a grander entrance.

LOCATIONS \\ 139
ZALESIA
Zalesia as an environment was intended to be visually distinct from any other we had seen so far in the series. We looked to Persian architecture in order to showcase
that Eternia pulls from a vast array of cultures and influences.
1 LOCATIONS EN лал. -
 h,
ET
75

POINT DREAD IN THE MYSTIC MOUNTAINS

Drawing inspiration from its depiction in the modern DC comics, we reimagined Point Dread for Revelation to serve as a satellite base while still granted the same
magical protection afforded to Castle Grayskull.

42 // THE ART OF MASTERS OF THE UNIVERSE: REVELATION

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CELESTIAL APEX ^ f 4 : 4
We played fast and loose with the laws of science when developing the Celestial 3 KA g EET ES * PI OPNS
Apex. The phenomenon it depicts is beyond what humans have yet perceived, a, г : TE»... а E EX ‘
so we had to fabricate much of the design by drawing on our imaginations. > TA А 4 га

144 U THE ART OF MASTERS OF THE UNIVERSE: REVELATION LOCATIONS \\ 145

CASTLE GRAYSKULL CEREMONIAL CHAMBER -
The Ceremonial Chamber is only used when someone ascends to the position of Sorceress of Grayskull.
Here the sacred candidate purifies herself before descending into the sacred waters below.
 KUDU-KESH CONSONANTS *English Equivalent

This ancient language was created by Kuduk Ungol to unite 1 г dn | "J

the fractured peoples of Eternia! Patrick Stannard, one of
our directors, designed the words to replicate the symbol
on He-Man's chest. More than just a script, the language
has a full working lexicon, affixes, and a verb-subject-object
word order that emphasizes balance above all things.
4 1 [gh] H
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[kx] 1 1 [st] [sk] [G4] fulcrum *bar*

Die, the-goat, must

VOWELS
ee

Kill, the snake, will make/do

ГГА THE ART OF MASTERS OF THE UNIVERSE: REVELATION

These crystalline waters are more than an underground lake. The water's surface is actually a portal, transporting the newly christened Sorceress Teela into a space
between dimensions where she can commune directly with the Power of Grayskull.

Locations \\
CELESTIAL LAKE
The Celestial Lake—its waters blessed by the blood of Zoar—
marks the location that will someday house Castle Grayskull.

150 U THE ART OF MASTERS OF THE UNIVERSE: REVELATION

LOCATIONS АХ 151
 EMBLEMS
While many of the emblems were interpreted almost directly from the
toys, the sigil of Eternos was something we designed out of whole cloth
for the series. Upon a field of blue are represented the two hemispheres
(one dark, one light) of Eternia and three stars: one for each tower in
Preternia. This symbol also adorns King Randor's tent at Point Dread.

152 1/ THE ART OF MASTERS OF THE UNIVERSE: REVELATION

 Seu,
Ken, pie

Wary be all who enter here

He Hath Thy Power! Scare Glow lives below

LOCATIONS \\ 153
 CHAPTER 5
STORYBOARDS
AND ANIMATION
THE STORYTELLING OF Masters of the Universe must
convey both the power of its heroes and the
weight of their choices. lt was a difficult task to
balance paying homage to the visual sensibilities
of a starkly eighties property and updating the
cinematography to meet the expectations of
modern audiences. Striking imagery, vibrant
colors, and strong compositions were the primary
tools we implemented not only to deliver on the
climactic action set pieces but also to communicate
the dramatic moments and high stakes of the
story. Characters die in Revelation, and depicting
the depths of those consequences on these
classic characters was paramount in our direction.

That sense of weight and power was vital not just

for visual development and storyboarding but also
in our process of animation. Every punch, kick, or
strike needed to feel as though it had the strength
of an Olympian behind it. With this edict in place,
the end result is a nonstop action adventure of
monumental proportions—one we couldn't have
reached without the power of our amazing
animators and storyboard artists.
Each character's entrance is
intended to show their iconic
personality and position in the
world of Eternia, reestablishing
them as the same characters
we all already know and love.

EPISODE 1, SEQUENCE 02
During the vibrant, lively party in celebration of Teela's promotion to Man-At-Arms, the audience is introduced to Randor, Marlena, Duncan, his adopted
daughter Teela, and—last but not least—the bumbling magician Orko.

EPISODE 1, SEQUENCE 03
In this sequence, we witness the Sorceress
transforming into her human form just in time to
thwart another of Skeletor's maniacal schemes—
a classic MOTU moment.
 EPISODE 1, SEQUENCE OH
Prince Adam's entrance into the party was key to mirroring the humorous and joyful tone of the classic
Masters of the Universe stories.

EPISODE 1, SEQUENCE 10B

The death of Moss Man was a pivotal tonal shift in the show. We went from watching the happy episodic show from our childhoods to one with the
* highest of stakes and events with lasting repercussions. f y $
 EPISODE 1, SEQUENCES 07 AND 08
The transformation of He-Man was obviously one of the most important sequences in the show. We 二
wanted to capture the uplifting feeling from the old series while crossing into a new era of animation.

158 U THE ART OF MASTERS OF THE UNIVERSE: REVELATION

 EPISODE 2, SEQUENCE ОЦС
The sequence showing how Acolytes are made was one of our first dips into horror, using a normal family's gruesome transformation as a cue to how grave
the situation on Eternia has become.

EPISODE 2, SEQUENCE 13
Knowing that longtime fans might immediately suspect that Magestra is actually Evil-Lyn inn disguise, we decided to lean in to her suspicious behavior in orderi
^. to draw the audience's attention away from what she is truly after: an alliance with Teela.
 EPISODE 2, SEQUENCE 05
Teela and Andra's passage through the “updated” Snake Mountain presages the future reveal that
technology has replaced magic as Eternia's chief source of power.

ARE ha
¡SS NN
у
A B Cu Cy
a A er

160 // THE ART OF MASTERS OF THE UNIVERSE: REVELATION

 EPISODE 2, SEQUENCE овв
“As Evil--Lyn and the Sorceress explain what _
is happening to Eternia, and what's at stake
should.the Sword of Power not be reforged,
‚we get a glimpse at the origin of the universe
and the key role that Eternia and its magic
play i
init.

his" hortis when in action. To combat this, Де Duncan's 人 scenes we focused on strong poses with outstretched limbs.
challenged our artists, testing their command of perspective and hard ;
Sn Ese i
 EPISODE 3, SEQUENCE 01
In this flashback depicting one of the main face-offs between He-Man and Skeletor, our task was to show exactly what Duncan had always brought to the
team and why he is such a central part of their success.

EPISODE 3, SEQUENCE 02
As Evil-Lyn, Andra, and Teela make their way to the Font of Fillegro, we get to see how Teela and Lyn function as each other's foils as they challenge
each other on their respective relationships.

162 // THE ART OF MASTERS OF THE UNIVERSE: REVELATION

 EPISODE 3, SEQUENCE 03A
One of the most successful aspects of this sequence is the stark contrast between the high-tech, futuristic aesthetic of the Acolytes and the ancient,
crumbling ruins of the font.

EPISODE 3, SEQUENCE ОЦВ

с The sequences that take place in Duncan's hut were meant to play up the isolated lifestyle he adopted after being banished.

STORYBOARDS AND ANIMATION NN 163

 EPISODE 3, SEQUENCE 05A l :
The aesthetic of the Crystal Sea—cold, remote, bereft—speaks not just to Mer-Man's anger over being forgotten but alsoto the isolation the other characters
are feeling at this time in the series.
Miri

The fight with the Aquaticans is certainly one of Revelation's more dynamic fights. In it, we get to see the many fun toys Duncan has at his disposal as "the most
dangerous man in all Eternia.” We also had great fun utilizing the boat and ocean as equally valuable assets in the fight.

164 U THE ART OF MASTERS OF THE UNIVERSE: REVELATION

y / 7 EPISODE Ч, SEQUENCE 02A
The statue upon which Evil-Lyn places the Havoc Skull, unlocking the gates of Subternia, is a reference
to the "Faceless One" from the 2002 animated series He-Man and the Masters of the Universe.

STORYBOARDS AND ANIMATION AN 165

 EPISODE H, SEQUENCE 02D
Scare Glow's entrance was definitely one of
the most iconic in the series. The character
designer, board artists, and background team
-all contributed to a truly imposing figure.

The choice to have Scare Glow's glowing effect light and dim at will was a conscious one and is used to great effect in his performance. In times of heightened
excitement or stress his bones will glow, and in times of calm they revert to his normal skin tone. The end result turns this novel toy into a truly chilling specter.

STORYBOARDS AND ANIMATION NN 167

 EPISODE 4, SEQUENCE 03C
Teela embracing her powers here is her first step to becoming the new Sorceress. Although hints about her future have been dropped since the 1980s, this
is the first time in animation where she finally begins to claim that power for herself.

168 ИД THE ART OF MASTERS OF THE UNIVERSE: REVELATION

 EPISODE 4, SEQUENCE 05A =
_ Getting to see Orko and Evil-Lyn work together to save the team is bittersweet, knowing what's to come. But it is beautiful to watch the connection between
these two disparate characters culminate in these final scenes.

Even a ghostly copy of He-Man

is frighteningly strong! We made
sure to keep Teela agile and
elusive during this fight.

STORYBOARDS AND ANIMATION \\ 169

 EPISODE 5, SEQUENCE 02
It was important to us that Evil-Lyn left
something of herself behind at Orko's grave,
emphasizing her character growth from an evil
minion to an empathetic character.

EPISODE 5, SEQUENCE 04
For the close-ups of Roboto's quark collider, artists added additional details that weren't originally
present in the model sheets, since it was such an important plot element.

170 ГГА THE ART OF MASTERS OF THE UNIVERSE: REVELATION

 EPISODE 5, SEQUENCE 05
This racing sequence was a really fun and unique opportunity to get a look at the relationship Teela and Adam had that fans are most familiar with—before
the rift formed between them. Bittersweet.

There is certainly something to be said for the variety of fighting styles depicted throughout
the series, from the raw power of Skelegod to the trained strategic mind of Teela.

STORYBOARDS AND ANIMATION NN 171

 Manylany of
o our animations showcased the abilities of ulour characters
El and how those changed. Teela went from the more formal
ormal strategic
sti с mind of а fthe е guard
to a resourceful mercenary very early on. Skeletor, of course, went from precise, slow buildups of magic to quick, powerful hits that matched his change in physique.

172 ГГА THE ART OF MASTERS OF THE UNIVERSE: REVELATION

STORYBOARDS AND ANIMATION NN 173
 Duncan goes all out in this fight! Finally, all of his iconic gear is shown at work: from missiles to lasers to grenades and even a compact mecha sword. However, it's all
for naught against the empowered Skelegod.

// THE ART OF MASTERS OF THE UNIVERSE: REVELATION

The fight scenes at the end of episode 6 and beginning of episode 7 were some of our most ambitious, outside of the final battle in episode 10. As far as Eternia is
concerned, this one definitely leads to the most property damage and the greatest loss of lives.

STORYBOARDS AND ANIMATION NN 175

EPISODE 8, SEQUENCE оц
The design of the Celestial Apex is based
on a theory that one of our directors, Adam
Connaroe, had been researching, which says
that the makeup of the universe could resemble .
the veins and neurons within the human body.
EPISODE 8, SEQUENCE 05A
In this sequence we get a peek at the early life of Evil-Lyn. Also, look close and you'll see quite a few members of the Powerhouse team hanging around!

EPISODE 8, SEQUENCE 08
The incredible power that Evil-Lyn has gained
is matched only by her fury. She strikes fear into
the heart of every soul in Eternia as she destroys
heaven before their very eyes.

STORYBOARDS AND ANIMATION NN 177

 EPISODE 9, SEQUENCE 09
In these scenes it was important that the colors
of the Sorceress be present to help convey the
ultimate transfer of power.

There is a lot to be said for the challenge in boarding an action sequence, but we felt that some of the most incredible shots in this show were the emotional character
moments. We worked tirelessly to convey those moments of connection.

178 // THE ART OF MASTERS OF THE UNIVERSE: REVELATION

E

Lyn, alot ofthe animatio

equences. -

STORYBOARDS AND ANIMATION

This particular animation sequence, where we see He-Man utilizing the Hover Disk to escape the gigantic Shadow Dragon, was especially difficult to accomplish, as
the dragon, He-Man, and the fire all needed to be layered and handled separately.
 EPISODE 10, SEQUENCE O8C
The directors were adamant about delivering
on our showstopping heroic moment for He-
Man. This gigantic sequence utilized the talents
of almost every animation department in one
glorious climax!

The board artists and animators worked exceptionally hard to convey the concept of He-Man as "the most powerful man in the universe” in all the major action
sequences, from motion to posing to making sure you're able to see all those darn muscles.

ИД THE ART OF MASTERS OF THE UNIVERSE: REVELATION

. EPISODE 10, SEQUENCE ОВЕ
This sequence was a real collaboration of love, from boardi to effectscesan to animation and compositi
Dscome the beautiful revelation itis. $

It was critical that

Motherboard's entrance
have major impact. She's
not just a plot twist; she's
an idol. Her sequence
was the very last one
that was boarded, her
reveal scrutinized to
ensure her animation
and movements were
not only functional but
also absolutely beautiful
and terrifying.
-POWERHOUSE -
ANIMATION STUDIOS
WRITERS. Jennifer Fields
Jess Lackey
Adam Conarroe Jessie Fields
Jessica McNeme : Jin Fang: -
Patrick Stannard Jordan Jardine
Shane Minshew Joy Hua
Stage McNulty Julia Shi
Julie Olson
ARTISTS Jung-Ha Kim
Leeahd Goldberg
-
Abigail “Toasty” Bullock Lou O'Neil
Adam Nield А Louis Norris
Amanda Sitareh B. Mariel Hester
Ashley Lange Mark Adams `
Audrey Takada Mary Hauder
Bear Winter-Perreau Megan Redlich
BoLi Michael Leavenworth
Brett Carville MinJi Yoon
Britt "Dooz" Leslie Naseer Pasha
Cassie Urban Olivia Sweet
Chris Wilson Patrick Stannard
. Christian Maize Pedro Ferreira
Cullen Cole Pedro H. Cardoso
_Danny Araya Ryan Brothers
Derek D. Edgell Sandra Loke
Dominic Ferro Sarah Anderson
Eddie Nuñez ' Saren Stone
Gabriel Shiguemoto Savannah Ruddy
Giselle "Faragon" Rosser Suree Yowell
Godstime Ojinmah Tory Patterson
lfesinachi Orijekwe Weston T. Jones
James O. Nguyen William Martinez
Jazz Valkyrie- Willis Bulliner
 r PM nur
M A два

Eo ara
ART / FILM 8. VIDEO
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