And way back in the day (1982 to be precise) my dad came home from a business trip to Puesto Rico with a gift for me. It was a Masters Of the Universe 'He-Man & Battle Cat' box set. By that time I thought that Star Wars figures were as good as action figures could get but this blond barbarian with MASSIVE muscles and brutal weapons and Frazetta-like artwork on the box blew my mind! The fact that his ride was a gigantic green tiger in armor only confirmed that this was a bad-ass hero.
I did not know the back story of any of those characters on the back of the box but they did spar my imagination so I did the only logical thing an awe-struck 9-year-old could do: I started creating my own fan comic based on them.
I later incorporated some elements I knew about them based on the earliest mini-comics some of my friends showed me when the toy line became less rare but my stories had nothing to do with the cartoons (which I hated with all my heart) and I will always remember He-Man as a savage hero. Not as a purple tights wearing prince.
