In 2002 at He-Man.org, the fans could post questions on the discussion forums and have Story Editor and Writer for the animated He-Man series; Dean Stefan answer the questions.
There were three rounds of questions. Here is Round #1.
Since the show was in midst of production at the time, Dean unfortunately couldn't always give definitive answers to the questions. But you will notice he had a good sense of humor with some of the answers, that comes naturally for him.
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Hey everyone!
Here's Mr. Stefan's answers to the first batch of questions.
He's working on the next batch as well.
As you can see, he's put in quite a bit of work.
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Hello He-Fans! Thanks for all the great questions. I'm gonna attempt to answer of all of them, even though my answers will often be "I can't answer that." I'm sure you understand. Since there were so many questions (150 posts, most of them with multiples -- something like 600 questions total!) I'll have to do this in waves -- probably 3 waves. So here's the first batch of answers.
Thanks again for all your questions and your continued support!
Dean
Posted by the parasite eve on December 24, 2002 04:40am:
Hey Mr. Stefan, I was wondering... Will any secondary characters that appear in the first season, be in the second one, like Hawk and Count Marzo for example?
Yes indeed, Parasite Eve. In fact, you will even see characters reappear (though I won't say if it's either of those you mentioned) before the first season is over.
Posted by sonofskeletor on December 24, 2002 04:46am:
Is there any good news for us fisto fans?
Yes, be grateful that you're not Clamp Champ fans.
Seriously, though, I can't comment on any possible upcoming appearances of characters -- why ruin the fun?
Posted by TheShadow on December 24, 2002 04:48am:
Out of all the episodes you have written for season one, which is your favorite, and why (if you can say without getting in trouble if it is an episode that hasn't aired).
Well, I kinda feel like all the episodes are my "babies" -- regardless of whether I was the writer or the story editor. And as you know, some births are more difficult than others -- some kids don't wind up quite as attractive as you'd have liked, but you love 'em anyhow. I've lived with all these stories and worked hard to make them as good as I could. Since some required a lot more work, I may appreciate them on a whole other level -- the level of how far they came.
Having said all that, I'd have to pick "Ties That Bind" as my sentimental favorite. Reason being, I was going thru a lot emotionally -- one of my parents got really ill during the time I was working on it. So there was a lot of emotion tied up there, since the story dealt with the issue of parents and children. And as a father myself, I was approaching the story from the viewpoint of what it might be like for a parent (in this case, the Sorceress) to have to give up a child. What would that do to her? In her case, I thought that it had tore her up so much emotionally that she'd had to build "walls", grow aloof. Just to shield herself from the pain.
Which episodes have you felt were the strongest story-wise?
I kinda like stories where the plot, and/or the driving force of the story -- comes directly out of character. So something like Courage of Adam (Adam wants to prove himself) or Lessons (Orko feels unimportant) Mekanek's Lament (Mek thinks his powers don't measure up) I feel are strong, because the plot is motivated by a strong character drive or need.
Hopefully, all the stories have this element to it, in some part. In fact, that's something we actively strive for. Even it isn't the main part of the story, you'll always find an emotional need or drive -- we call this a character arc. By the end of the story, the character (and we the audience) will have realized something about themself. Of course, I've only mentioned episodes that have aired already. Some of our strongest are yet to come.
Can you reveal any scenes from episodes that have already aired that you had to end up cutting out of a script?
Well, there's always trimming going on -- whole scenes at times, little character moments here and there. A snip snip here, a snip snip there. It's hard to remember specifics (there've been so many!)
But one that sticks in my mind was from Mekanek's Lament. Originally, Mekanek was to be granted the powers he wanted by the old man (Marzo.) Then he would return to the Masters, feeling all proud of himself, until all the powers went haywire -- they were defective, he couldn't control 'em. Which was Marzo's plan all along -- to grant Mek these defective powers, so that when Mek came back to "return" them, as payment for that service, Marzo would make his demand that Mek retrieve his amulet for him. So a strong component of the story was: be careful what you wish for. That, coupled with: be happy with who you are. Well, we found we were running way long, so that whole "be careful what you wish for" element was removed -- and Mekanek simply was tricked by the old man into getting the amulet for him. At first I was worried that this might ruin the story, but as it turned out, the story seemed to work pretty well, regardless.
Another story that went thru major cuttage was in Deep End. There were alot more battle scenes in the Village, when the fish monster first climbed out of the ocean. We had falling towers, kids in jeopardy, general mayhem. We had to cut out most of that.
Regardless of whether she is appearing, what is your opinion on She-Ra?
I dig her. She was one of Smurfs, right?
Posted by PanMan on December 24, 2002 04:53am:
Will there be more 2-part episodes during the upcoming seasons?
Yes, there will. As you may know, the first season ends on a two parter. More are planned for Season Two.
It seems that some of the episodes are rushed at the end and need another 20 minutes to finish up.
Well, PanMan, that's just 'cause you're having such a good time you don't want it to end. I tend to write in that fashion. I see the 3rd act as a runaway train -- everything's been set in motion, there's nothing left that needs to be revealed, let's wrap it up. In "Aristotle's Poetics" (which was the greatest mind in Western civilization giving theories on drama and playwriting) old Ari says: the end of a story is the thing that necessarily nothing comes after. In other words, it's over -- there is nothing more to learn, don't drag it out.
Posted by He-Man_of_Greyskull on December 24, 2002 04:54am:
Are you aware of a Character from the Old series named Graynamyr, an ancient and powerful dragon?
Yes. And even if I wasn't, I would be well-acquainted after reading some of these boards.
This character has a large following among MOTU fandom, and was just wondering what you thought of him?
I think Gramamyr (not sure of my spelling here. Or yours, come to think of it) is a cool character. If you're asking me, will he be in the series, I will say that although nothing has been ruled out, at this point and time, I think we've made the decision that dragons in the He-Man universe should be more primordial, frightening creatures. Looking at it that way, a talking dragon is just not something we want to include. Not because he wasn't a great character, but because we're trying to establish a tone.
Posted by Tallstar on December 24, 2002 04:59am:
When deciding to use ideas from the original He-Man cartoon, does Mattel give you guys any set guidelines as to what you can and can't use? If so, can you give us a basic idea of some things that wouldn't be acceptable by today's standards?
Not sure what you mean. If you're talking about levels of violence, for instance, I think being on Cartoon Network we have the license to push the envelope pretty far. The tone of the show is more a reflection of the sensibility of the production team than anything that's been foisted upon us.
As far as ideas, characters, etc, I believe that we are free to pick and choose from anything that was in the 80s version of the show -- and that we have rights to it all. (I could be wrong, I'm no lawyer.)
Posted by ryanj84 on December 24, 2002 05:12am:
First of all, I would like to thank you and everyone else at MYP, Mattel, and anyone else that was a part of bringing back the greatest cartoon of all time, especially the fans (the most powerful fans in the universe).
Well, before I get to your question, I think a big "shout out" to the fans is certainly in order. There's no question that a huge part of the reason that He-Man has returned to the airwaves is due to you fans wanting it.
Here is my question: Who was your favorite character in the original cartoon and why? P.S.: Thanks for bringing back Roboto two days after my birthday. He will be my favorite present.
Well, Ryan, there were extensive meetings last year. And it was discussed that Ryan's birthday would be occurring in the 2nd week of January, and what could we do to have a Roboto episode coincide with it.
Okay, just kidding. But I'm really pleased that Roboto's appearance will come as a nice birthday present for ya. (Then again, you might wanna double check with the Cartoon Network schedule, as dates for airing episodes have been known to change.)
Posted by Korvac on December 24, 2002 05:13am:
Will we see He-man and Tela's relationship start moving forward, or will Adam start becoming torn between who he is, and who has to be?
I'm not sure those two things -- the two parts of your question -- are mutually exclusive. One thing is certain -- Teela and Adam grew up together. Now, all of a sudden, Adam's got this monumental secret that he can't share with her. That's alot of pressure on the guy. By the same token, Teela knows Adam well -- so there's certainly a good chance that she might notice that something is up with him.
Posted by thatguy on December 24, 2002 05:37am:
How do you feel about the way the characters are developing?
I'm very pleased. Hope the fans are as well. As you know, we have a whole lot of characters on our roster. We made a decision early on to use several of the earlier episodes to try and really figure out who they are -- to explore some of their foibles, quirks etc. This is a good way for the writers and animators -- and the audience -- to get a sense of what makes characters tick. There were some characters we didn't have a real handle on. So we made a conscious decision: let's base an episode around them -- and in that way force ourselves to figure out who they are. Going back to Aristotle, he said you throw a character into a crucible, in order to reveal character, test them, find out what they're made of.
Are there any characters that are favorites and/or are easier to write for then others?
Well, I like Teela, I like Evil-Lyn. I guess I favor the female characters, for some reason. Maybe it's just that these two have sharp tongues and strong points of view.
Cringer's dialog is the easiest.
(sorry, couldn't resist.
Why the lack of Mer-man?
Merman was seen in Monster Within, and yes, we'll assuredly be seeing more of him this season. (Hey, the fish guy can only come up for air every so often.)
As new characters are introduced will some of the older characters be phased out to make room?
Not unless there's a story reason for that to occur. Our heros and villains aren't going away. We just need to build a few new wings to Snake Mountain and the Royal Palace to give them all room to bunk in!
Of course, with a such a large roster, there will be lots of episodes where we don't include everyone. This is both for design reasons and for story reasons.
Poll Posted by SQUIDdisco on December 24, 2002 10:15am:
i second that question...why is there a lack of Mer-Man?
I second the above answer.
Posted by Dagar on December 24, 2002 11:39am:
From the old episodes he's watched, does Dean have any favourites or any he'd like to do a new version of ("Teela's Quest" has kinda been re-imagined in "The Ties That Bind" and "The Courage of Adam" is reminiscent of "Prince Adam No More")?
Well, there are certainly themes explored in episodes of the old show that we may revisit. Specific episodes? Probably not, but who knows. Hopefully, we're taking the show in its own direction. To my mind, the only thing that "Ties that Bind" has in common with that earlier episode, is the obvious one -- the reveal that Teela is the Sorceress' daughter. (I did "borrow" that one visual of Sorceress giving baby Teela to Man At Arms.) It wasn't meant as a new version, a remake or an update, but rather a complete new story incorporating that one nugget.
Likewise, "Courage of Adam" was not meant as a remake of "Prince Adam No More," an episode I'm not even sure I've seen, BTW. It was meant to logically follow the "Beginning." Adam is trying to deal with his new role as He-Man and what others think of his "cowardice". It grew out of a character need, and the logical emotions a kid like Adam might have in reaction to how others perceived his "cowardly" actions. So, in the spirit of the great disclaimers, let me unequivocally state: Any similarities to stories living or dead is purely coincidental.
Posted by HordeGirl on December 24, 2002 12:35pm:
In the Cartoon Network archives we can read that Evil Lyn should have a certain crush on He-man. So far, nothing of that was to see. Will that come in the future or has the idea been rejected?
Well, we haven't really played up that element. But he is kinda dreamy, doncha think? I mean, what gal wouldn't have a crush on him -- those eyes, those ripply muscles...
And, the question more generally: Are there plans for romances between the characters or won't that happen anyway?
The general feeling is that in a kid's cartoon, romances aren't all that interesting to the audience. I know most of you aren't kids, but alot of our audience is...and, you know, kissing is yucky!
Having said that -- if the story takes us there, then we'll include that element.
Thanks to you and to the whole team for giving us many unforgettable moments of joy and delight!
Thanks, Horde Girl!
Posted by sunwukong on December 24, 2002 01:07pm:
Here's a couple of questions I have in mind for you: One of my biggest concerns is the treatment of Teela. From my impressions, she appears nothing more than to taunt Adam, ogle He-Man, fighting someone, and being saved constantly. Will there be any consideration to give the character more growth and strengths?
Hmm really? I kinda feel that Teela's pretty well-rounded, and pretty "realistic" in the depiction of how a teenager in her position might behave. As far as her taunting our boy prince... I dunno, I think Adam often gives as good as he gets.
I like to think of them more as siblings. She's the teasing sister. Hopefully, it comes across that there's affection behind the teasing and that it's not mean-spirited. I don't really see Teela as needing saving all that often. The girl can kick butt. As she herself stated in the 'Beginning" -- "damsel in distress, I am not" .
Can she get an actual spotlight episode (and I don't count "Ties that Bind" because I consider her role nothing more than a plot device for the Sorceress).
Really? I'm not sure I agree. Anyhow, fear not, Sunwukong, we have big plans for Teela.
I am not a fan of Queen Marlana being just an Eternian. It takes away much of what her character was that I enjoyed from the previous series. I do understand your reasons though. What I don't really approve of is how she is demoted to a worrying and doting mother and wife. Will you address these concerns in later episodes?
We have big plans for Marlena.
I didn't like how He-Man carelessly destroyed the stones of Anwat Gar regardless of his motivations. Will there be any repercussions for his actions?
We have big plans for the stones. Oh, wait, whoops.
Again, I gotta take issue with you. I'm not sure that He-Man was being careless. The point of the story was that Syclone saw himself as duty-bound to protect these stones -- whose usefulness had probably long-since passed. He-Man's point of view was that there was a bigger duty at stake -- a moral imperative -- to remove something dangerous that Skeletor could gain access to.
Similarly, He-Man destroyed the Diamond Ray of Disappearance in "Turnabout." And the Corodite Crystal in "Deep End". We hear alot in the news, about the worry of rogue nations having access to "weapons of mass destruction" and wanting to have them removed. I think He-Man is doing just that -- removing weapons of mass destruction in order to protect Eternia from madmen getting hold of these nasty objects.
How much rewriting you need to do for each script that is turned into you?
The short answer is: As much as is necessary. Every script needs different things, and varying amounts of attention. But I'm a very hands-on story editor, anyhow. Virtually everything goes thru my computer -- and often several times -- every premise, every outline, every script. It's ultimately my job, not the writer's, to deliver a quality script. If you don't like a particular story, or you feel the script was weak, blame me.
Will there be more villains, other than Skeletor, making their way into the series?
Absolutely!
Does Castle Greyskull hold any other secrets other than the power of the Elders?
Well, there's a gym in the basement that has state-of-the-art Nautilus Machines that few people know about. And the Sorceress has this awesome disco room where she and Man at Arms often bust a move. Okay, I'm being silly. But we are gonna get into some very interesting aspects of Castle Grayskull in upcoming episodes.
Do you check out this forum regularly?
Much as I'm able. I like to peruse the opinions of the fans after an episodes airs. I find the feedback very interesting. I'm often taken by surprise by what fans like and dislike. And the nuances and details you guys pick up on are/is amazing.
Posted by Jukka on December 24, 2002 03:14pm:
I´d like to ask, that might there be a chance for any specials, like Halloween or perhaps Christmas like in the original cartoon?
Well, the way I see it, Halloween and Christmas are earth holidays. We're very conscious of making things "Eternian" -- and not earthlike in the series. This is a completely different universe, different world and culture, nothing to do with earth. (Now, I know what your reply to this would be -- and I know there are Marlena-related questions to come, so I'll get into that a bit more later on.)
Posted by He-Fan on December 24, 2002 03:26pm: Chris here...
Whose idea was it that Cringer/BattleCat shouldn't talk, and could you explain the reasoning behind this idea?
The decision was made by the production team before I came on board. But I agree with it whole heartedly, in the context of the type of show we're trying to do.
Coupla reasons for that:
One, I feel that the quality of animation on this show allows us to show Cringer's feelings without him having to "say" anything verbally. His expressions hopefully say it all. Nothing against the old Filmation show, but I think we'd all agree that the art was rather...limited.
In fact, you'll probably find that there isn't as much dialog in this show -- even from the speaking characters -- as you might find in most others of the genre. Same reason -- the artists are given the screentime, and have the talent, to express lots of emotions and attitudes without having to use words.
Second, a lot of it is a "tone thing." We're trying to set a tone for the show, and personally -- and this is just me -- I feel that Cringer talking comes across as a bit young. Okay, I know I said that romance might come across as too mature, and now I'm saying that Cringer talking might come across as too young. Am I contradicting myself? Probably.
Are there any elements where you feel your take on the MOTU mythos is an improvement on what's gone before?
Well, I think that's more a question for you fans to answer. I do think the artwork, boarding, character design, and animation and music are all fantastic on this version.
As far as the scripting and stories -- we've been handed this rich mythology and group of characters -- from which we have the luxury of "cherry picking" whatever elements work for us. We also have the luxury of hindsight. For instance, figuring out the chronology of the Eternian world. As opposed to the old series, where they hit the ground running, we were able to start, literally at the "Beginning", wherein we could lay out how Randor become king, how Skeletor became Skeletor, how Adam became He-Man.
Likewise, drawing upon and adding to the old mythology, we have mapped out all sorts of ancient chronology of Eternia. Lots of it will be popping up in episodes. In the original series (and I'm just guessing, because I'm not all that well-versed in the history of the old show) lots of things were, by necessity, made up "on the fly" and they occasionally had to backtrack. As I said, we have the luxury of figuring out lotsa this stuff beforehand. Because we're thinking in terms of broad arcs, I think you'll find the new series has more interlocking elements than the old series had. Things will happen in one episode and have repercussions somewhere down the line.
I know that Michael Halperin, the author of the original He-Man and the Masters of the Universe Series Bible, has been involved with the new show. Did you just refer back to his original notes, or did he write a whole new Series Bible for you?
I believe, and I could be wrong, that we drew on lots of stuff from the original bible. And here's something fans may be pleased to know -- Michael is currently writing an episode for us!
Lastly but perhaps most importantly - it's been revealed by Mattel that there is going to be a season 2 of the new He-Man cartoon. In the 1980s, MOTU was around for about 6 or 7 years in some shape or form - however, this relaunch seems to be appealing to some older fans as well as kids. Do you believe that MOTU has the potential to carry on beyond season 2 of the cartoon, and if so, how long do you see it lasting?
Hopefully, until my 7 year old gets into college.
Posted by scerevisiaety1 on December 24, 2002 04:59pm:
Is there a chance of two-parters now and again, thereby also allowing more time to a story to develop other characters and continuity?
Yup, as stated above, two parters will be happening.
Many episodes so far have seemed to be rather formulaic, i.e. Skeletor wants x artifact to use in y fashion to get into Grayskull or wreck general havoc. The episodes have stil been good, and the formulas are good for children I guess, but too much of that will get tiresome.
Will the plots be broadening out in the future to new things as well?
Well, I'm not sure I agree that the plots are formulaic Certainly Skeletor is rather...er, focused in his goal. But I think you'll find there's method to his madness.
Initially, he thought that He-Man's appearance coincided with the Elders disappearing - and that He-Man therefore must possess their power.
Then, he realized that the Masters were defending the old relic Grayskull, and suspected there must be something in there worth defending -- the power of the elders perhaps?
Then, he learned unequivocally that's that what it was. Then he set out to try and breach Grayskull in different ways.
Hey, if a madman who thirsts for ultimate power finds out that ultimate power resides somewhere, that's what he's gonna go after, no? I mean, he's not gonna knock over 7/11 stores. The guy is power hungry and obsessed, and as I said, very focused. What's a bony megalomanic to do?
I think it's important to have a clearly defined goal for a villain -- rather than him just doing evil for its own sake. Skeletor knows what he wants, and will take all sorts of steps -- some clever, some foolish, some brutish -- to get it. If you think about the stories we've seen so far-- even those that are in the category of "Skeletor wants to breach Grayskull" -- I don't think they're all that formulaic. And remember, there's only been, what -- a dozen episodes that have aired so far? There's all kindsa new wrinkles to come.
It is my understanding that for the first season freelance writers submitted scripts. Will this process be changing for future seasons? Will you be developing a more permanent writing staff?
Well, you'll see certain names reappearing. But there are no "staff writers" in the sense you mean. Very few animated series are done that way. It's usually the story editor who's attached to the show and freelance writers are hired to write episodes.
One thing done a little differently on He-Man, as opposed to most other shows, is that we generate all the premises ourselves. The writers are then handed a premise. We don't have writers "pitch" story ideas.
Being a board of mostly adults and teens we sometimes forget the show is also and probably primarily for the youth.
When working on the show, what kind of thought goes into tailoring certain aspects for kids and certain aspects for old fans?
Well, I'm certainly aware that there are kids watching the show, as well as "old school" fans. But I'm also of the school of thought that a good story is a good story. I don't think you need to "write young" for kids. I think that kids will get out of it what they get out of it.
Look at Star Wars -- it's for kids, it's for adults, it's for anyone who likes it. Certainly more sophisticated elements may go over kids' heads, just as certain silly things might not be all that interesting to grown-ups. But all in all, I feel that a good story has universal appeal -- if it says something something true and honest about the human condition.
Posted by Kevenn on December 24, 2002 05:13pm:
Are there any plans to further explore the histories of the secondary characters that we have already seen (i.e. how Mekaneck got his neck, how Sorceress got cooped up in Grayskull, more of Randor and Keldor in the past)?
Absolutely. We will be delving into lots of those sorts of stories. (Though not necessarily the ones you mentioned.)
Posted by Rapid Fire on December 24, 2002 05:30pm:
Is there any type of plans or thoughts of bringing back Force Captain Adora, She-Ra, or the Great Rebelion?
You'll just have to wait and see.
This questions is just hypothetical (sp?).... IF there was a POP She-Ra series, will Spirit/SwiftWind talk? or will he be mute like Cringer/BattleCat?
Hmm, I can't really answer a hypothetical, Rapid Fire.
Will we see Adam grow up during the series?
Yes, season 8 will feature Adam, the middle aged years! Just kidding. No, I think we'll see Adam remain the same age. I mean if its good enough for Bart Simpson...
Now if you mean "growing up" in the sense of learning things, acquiring knowledge, etc...that's a different matter. All the characters, hopefully, will "grow".
How about a Secret Of The Sword 2003 movie?
Hmmm, my Magic 8 Ball says, "Probably not."
Posted by zodak74 on December 24, 2002 05:32pm:
are there many scenes that get left on the cutting room floor?
You wouldn't believe the stuff on the cutting room floor. Those editing guys and girls are real messy -- donut crumbs, moldy pizza, Ho-Hos, globs of coffee... But no, not many scenes.
Uh-oh, I better not joke with a guy named Zodak.
Thing about animation is, it's not like live action, where you say, shoot a 3 hour movie, edit it down to 2 hours. It's done very close to the bone (no pun intended, Skeletor). Ideally, nothing is animated that won't be used. Now that's not to say that a film (episode) doesn't come back a minute or so longer than actual airing length. But you need that little bit of cushion -- to do trims, tightening up, etc. Any real cutting that gets done is usually at the script stage, or at the storyboarding stage, where it's realized by the expert folks who know about this sort of thing, that the episode is running long.
The show ends rather abruptly and it seems that some episodes have quite a few holes in them storywise. If so, will these scenes pop up on the eventual dvds?
As to the second part of your question: No. For the same reason cited above -- there's no extra scenes lying around.
As to the first part: whadyamean there's story holes???!!! Think of them as, uh, poignant mysteries.
Would you consider doing commentary if a proposed dvd release is in the works?
Gladly. In fact, even if there is no DVD, I will come to your house, watch the episodes along with you and comment on them. (But you'll have to buy me a plane ticket and a sandwich.)
How do you feel the overall story arc is doing now that we are mid-way through season 1?
Well, hopefully we're just where we want to be. I leave it to the fans to decide how it's doing. I can tell you, there are some ver-y interesting developments on the horizon. Not just for season 1, but season 2 as well. In fact, we've got arcs mapped out for several seasons. (I mentioned I have a 7 year old I wanna get into a good college, right?) Guess it'll be up to the powers-that-control-these-things to decide if we get to implement these wonderful amazing arcs.
Anything you'd like to do differently?
Nothing specific comes to mind. I have to say, I am very very pleased with how things are going. The care, enthusiasm, passion and just plain hard work that the entire production team bring to this project is just plain amazing. Did I mention that working on this show is an absolute ball?
Posted by Count Marzo on December 24, 2002 05:57pm:
Why is Count Marzo so bomb? How come he is the only one that can CRUSH He-Man inMERE SECONDS?
I detect some serious self-interest and shameless self-promotion residing in your question, Count Marzo.
Oh yeah....he's coming back soon right?
My Magic 8 ball says: ...Oops, dropped it. Darn.
Posted by Dr. Omega on December 24, 2002 06:39pm:
My questions are more with race and origins: Are there other Ancient Ones still living, like the Faceless one?
Well, if they weren't still living they wouldn't be Ancient Ones, they'd be Dead Ones. (rimshot!) Joking. Let's just say there are all sorts of beings inhabiting this wondrous place called Eternia.
Is Marlena from Earth or Eternia?
Oh boy, here's where I duck and dodge the tomatoes. But here goes...
In the He-Man series we're doing, Marlena is not from earth. (Another decision that was made by the production team, but one I wholeheartedly agree with.)
I know lotsa fans love and miss this aspect -- since it was in the old cartoon, but I personally never liked it. My reasoning is thus: Eternia exists in a time and place of its own. Is it the future, is it the past? Having someone from earth would necessarily ground it in a specific time frame. More to the point though, I feel like Eternia is mythological -- existing in a fantasy universe. To reference Earth just makes it all seem so unfantastic, so unfantasy-like, so...well, down to earth.
Now this is just my opinion, and you may feel otherwise. And that's totally cool. Hope you can find it in your open mind to enjoy the show anyhow!
Is Sy-Klone a robot, human, cyborg or something else entirely?
Definitely one of those you mentioned.
Can the Dragons we have seen communicate with Eternians (through voice or telepathic contact)?
Not as we've presented them thus far. That's not to say that some dragons (such as the mother in Dragon's Brood) aren't intelligent or cognizant.
Are the original inhabitants of Anwat Gar Asian, Blue, or Blue Asians?
Not to dodge your question, but you'll notice that Syclone wasn't necessarily FROM Anwat Gar -- he was described as the last defender OF Anwat Gar.
Are Keldor and Kronis the same race?
Well, their names both begin with K. Koincidence?
Is there a race of Beastmen, or is Beasty a one-of-a-kind?
You'll have to stay tuned and see if we address that.
Do Trollans have humanoid features, and hide them because of ritual, or are they non-human and hide because of necessesity (perhaps no cilia in the nasal cavity)?
Okay, Dr. Omega, you win -- this is my favorite question, hands down. You're asking me about nose hairs right? I will have to refer you to the artists at Mike Young Productions for all hair, nail and dandruff-related questions.
Why does it appear that there are many Cat races or species (Carnivus, Cringer, Panthor) on Eternia and no dogs/Canines?
Milkbone shortage.
Posted by Bear on December 24, 2002
I would like to know why other then Skeletor why all the villians seem to be "dumbed down".
Not sure I agree. Evil-Lyn can certainly hold her own against Skeletor.
Tri-klops may be treated poorly but he's no slouch in the brains department -- just check out all those great inventions.
Beastman has certain "animal smarts".
Whiplash has been shown to be conniving and opportunistic, if a bit of a suck up.
Two Badd -- well, one side of him at least, is pretty shrewd.
Trapjaw has a certain thug mentality, but I don't think he's a dummy.
As for Clawful... Well, okay, you got me there.
Will we ever see any of Skeletor's henchmen be more of a match for He-man?
Yup.
Posted by JIrish780 on December 24, 2002 08:59pm:
Will we be seeing Lord Carnivous in any capacity other than what we've seen so far?
Carnivus will be back, though not necessarily with that spelling.
Or any of the other new characters we've seen?
Yes. Part of the fun of the show -- and having overall arcs-- is that we have the opportunity to bring characters back in a coherent way.
Well, that's all for now, gang. I'm gonna go soak my hand. I'll have more answers to what inquiring minds wanna know in the coming days!
Dean
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