Master of the Universe, Princess
Zadoc P. Angell ‘03 never wore He-Man underwear. That was one merchandise tie-in item that this avid fan’s mother never tucked under the Christmas tree. Despite this deprivation, Angell’s childhood fascination with the Master of the Universe blossomed into a passion that has outlasted his little-boy-brief days. Angell, a film concentrator within the Department of Visual and Environmental Studies, is the biggest He-Man and She-Ra fan at Harvard (or at least the most public supporter of the series) and, according to him, one of the foremost experts in the world.
Along with his London-based partner, James Eatock (a.k.a. Bustatoons), Angell has created a website (www.heman-shera.com) that reviews the episodes of both the “He-Man and the Masters of the Universe” and “She-Ra: Princess of Power” cartoon series. There are 223 episodes in the two series and the reviews have already reached episode 139. There are no video clips, but co-authors Angell and Eatock offer in-depth analysis, often up to 3,000 words on one 30-minute episode, exploring various themes and morals in copious detail.
Angell was first exposed to “He-Man” as a young child growing up on a dairy farm in upstate New York. “We only got three TV stations and one of them happened to be NBC, which syndicated the ‘He-Man series,’” he says. Angell was immediately hooked. “I never got into any of the other cartoons like ‘Thundercats’ or ‘G.I. Joe,’” he says. “‘He-Man’ was it for me.”
Once his family got Internet access on the farm, Angell immediately sought out He-Man and She-Ra fans on the Web. “I was actually shocked by the number of other fans out there,” he says. He and Eatock connected in He-Man-related chat rooms and, agreeing about the unfortunate void of episode review sites, decided to launch their own on Aug. 1, 1998.
“Since we were the first website of our kind, our opinions have become the canon for much of the commentary on the series. It’s kind of funny,” Angell says. “People will actually post as to whether they agree or disagree with what I’ve said. It makes you realize the fan base that is out there.”
Now the Angell-Bustatoons fan base has something to celebrate other than extensive critical commentary. Mattel has decided to relaunch the He-Man toy line in July 2002. The new toys will be very similar to the play line that was so popular in the ’80s. In conjunction with the toys, Mattel is also working on an accompanying cartoon series. There will be a one-hour special depicting the origins of He-Man and subsequent episodes will run regularly on Cartoon Network. “The new show will be geared towards a more adult audience than the original,” says Angell. “It’s going to explore the more mystical and dark side of the He-Man legend.” Angell is not just an eager fan in this case. He has played a direct role in the He-Man revival. Mattel has contracted him and Eatock to create an encyclopedia of all the He-Man and She-Ra cartoons so the writers can stay true to the original cartoon.
While He-Man is a huge part of his life, Angell does not define himself by the musclebound hero with furry underwear. “As a child, you watch these shows and think that they’re the best thing in the world,” Angell says. “But when you go back and watch them as an adult, you begin to notice the small flaws.” These small flaws, however, have not dampened Angell’s devotion. “It’s a way for me to relive a wonderful part of my childhood,” he says.
Zadoc’s Guide to the Top Five Essential “He-Man” Episode:
1) “The Problem With Power”
He-Man believes he accidentally killed a man, so he goes to Grayskull and decides to relinquish his power. The greatest episode of all.
2) “Teela’s Quest”
The Sorceress reveals she is Teela’s birth mother in an episode everyone who grew up in the ’80s remembers.
3) “Into the Abyss”
Fascinating character study episode in which Teela falls into the bottomless abyss beneath Castle Grayskull and we discover that the abyss supplies the power of He-Man.
4) “The Rainbow Warrior”
Queen Marlena, once an astronaut from Earth, revs up her spaceship again to rescue the royal family from Skeletor—and she hints that she may know more about Adam’s secret identity than we first thought.
5) “Origin of the Sorceress”
Beautiful story of how a young girl named Teelana sought help for her beleaguered village and ended up becoming the Sorceress, the guardian of Castle Grayskull.