Queen Marlena from Storyboard Art looks familiar...

When Mike Young Productions were working on the Animated movie for He-Man and the Masters of the Universe, that later turned to into order for a cartoon show instead, there were some changes made (as is often the case in animation) from early production to what finally landed on our screens.

Checking the storyboards for season 1 episode "The Beginning - part 1", there is a scene with King Randor and Queen Marlena in the Royal Palace of Eternos during the birthday-party for Prince Adam, waiting for the Prince to actually show up.

On a more careful look at the art on the Storyboard frame, both King Randor and Queen Marlena look slightly different from the final versions they would end up with.

But Queen Marlena actually has in the storyboard art a striking resemblance to the classic Filmation Studios' version of Queen Marlena.

This could have been a case of the artist using the Filmation model as placeholder during the storyboarding, before receiving final approved model for the new 2002 model of Queen Marlena.

Whatever is the reason, it is a very interesting "homage".