Artigo Revisado por pares

Myth Sells: Mattel’s Commission of The Masters of the Universe Bible

2010; University of Toronto Press; Volume: 22; Issue: 2 Linguagem: Inglês

10.3138/jrpc.22.2.004

ISSN

1703-289X

Autores

Joseph P. Laycock,

Tópico(s)

Religious Studies and Spiritual Practices

Resumo

Many adults of the millennial generation share childhood memories of “syndication cartoons”—cartoons created to promote an existing product. Mattel’s “He-Man” was one of the most successful syndication characters of all time. However, few people know that in 1982, Mattel commissioned a document called, “The Masters of the Universe Bible.” The “Bible” drew on comparative mythology in order to create a modern mythos for Mattel’s franchise. While most syndication cartoons were unsuccessful, He-Man became a global phenomenon and turned Mattel’s fortunes almost overnight. This article suggests that He-Man had such an influence precisely because of the mythic themes outlined in this document.

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