The first thing I did when I got to the convention was hit the show floor. The showroom floor was a dream come true for any MOTU fan. Everything from the newest toys to original vintage figures and playsets were available. There were also unique and rare items like original artwork from the classic Filmation cartoon as well as concept artwork by William Stout were available. If you were looking for old MOTU lunch boxes or Skeletor erasers, or any rare collectible, you'd find them here. Want to purchase some vintage bootleg figures from south of the border, you've come to the right place. I'm telling you, any MOTU fan would do wise to bring a wad of cash ready to spend at this show.

I'm sure many of you have seen the 1987 film, Masters of the Universe. It has become an enduring cult classic beloved by millions. Fans of this great movie got the chance to watch the film along with a live commentary from director Gary Goddard, actress Meg Foster (Evil-Lyn), actress Chelsea Field (Teela) and actor Anthony De Longis (Blade) as well as production designer William Stout. It truly was amazing to hear all their great stories. Everything from casting to designs and weapons training. Working with each other and the rushed conditions. Despite the fact that there was a lot of difficulty in making this film, it still felt like the experience was something that is cherished by everyone involved the production. It was a truly labor of love, especially for director Gary Goddard.

I'll share just a few highlights from this amazing presentation. Anthony De Longis (Blade) said that many of the fight sequences were done in one or two takes because the weaponry was real. Talk about having a commitment to realism. When asked why Orko and Battle Cat weren't in the movie, director Goddard joked that they stayed on Eternia. However, the real truth was that there was no convincing way to portray them, particularly Orko. He would have needed a little person in costume in a wire rig to simulate Orko's constant floating. Thus, we get Gwildor instead of Orko. Finally, everyone in the cast mentioned how much they enjoyed working with Dolph Lundgren and Frank Langella. They remained consummate professionals despite the tough working conditions.

Another highlight of the show was the Super7 panel. The Bay Area toy company continues to knock it out of the park, after finally having delivered the first wave in their new MOTU Ultimate Editions line. The sculpts that have been created are gorgeous. Not to be outdone though, they are continuing with their ReAction and MUSCLE lines of MOTU figures. The panel started as a look back at the history of the company. The big news coming out of the panel was the debut of a line of MOTU figures in the original 5 1/2” line. Some early prototypes were on display in their booth as well. The other news was that they are working on a replica of the Snake Mountain playset, however it is a slow going process as they are trying to tool it so that it's functional without costing a small fortune. 

dThe folks at Zolo World outdid themselves once again by bringing several new toys from their Galaxxor and Realm of the Underworld toy lines. The figure you see above is their incredible Galaxxor Cyborg Space Barbarian. This deluxe 5 1/2 inch figure is presented in stunning translucent red plastic and it features a giant glow in the dark sword. The company also had exclusive figures from their extremely popular Realm of the Underworld series. This included a couple of figures that would be shared exclusives with the New York Comic Con. Zolo World is doing great things with their many products and I can't wait to see what they have in store for the future.

Checking out original artwork is always one of my favorite parts of any convention. A few pieces really stood for me. The first was Lamont Hunt's kid Merman. It was just adorable. Be sure to check out his website for more fantastic stuff. http://www.dakotakidcreations.com/

Finally the folks that brought us the Warlords of Wor toy line created these amazing resin cast figures just for the show. Dubbed "Galaxy Masters" the figures are a mash up of Star Wars and Masters of the Universe. They were certainly one of the more unusual and creative items I saw at the show. Also one of the most popular. They really drew a crowd.