By the Power of Grayskull, He-Man Storms Universal History (Ep. 111)
Jim Hill and Eric Hersey cover the latest Universal Orlando Resort news before digging into a surprisingly rich piece of Universal Studios Hollywood history: He-Man and the Masters of the Universe briefly taking over the upper lot during the 1985 holiday season. They start with Fourth of July offerings at Epic Universe, Universal Studios Florida, CityWalk, and Bar 17 Bistro, then look at Illumination’s box-office track record, Epic Universe guest surveys, and how Universal is comparing itself against Disney. The featured story traces He-Man’s Conan-inspired roots, Mattel’s toy-driven rise, the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade connection, and why Masters of the Universe has never quite found a permanent theme park home.
NEWS
• Universal Orlando’s Fourth of July plans included patriotic stilt walkers, fireworks at Epic Universe, lagoon entertainment at Universal Studios Florida, and family-friendly festivities at CityWalk.
• Jim highlights Bar 17 Bistro at Aventura Hotel as one of the best rooftop spots for seeing fireworks across Central Florida.
• Minions and Monsters opens the discussion of Illumination’s reliable box-office machine and the studio’s next wave of films, including Sing 3, The Secret Life of Pets 3, and Not Alone.
• Eric shares new Epic Universe survey questions about park hours, nighttime entertainment, guest satisfaction, and whether visitors leave for other Orlando-area options.
• Jim and Eric discuss why How to Train Your Dragon - Isle of Berk has become a new themed entertainment benchmark, and how Disney’s upcoming Villains Land may be compared against it.
FEATURE
• The feature begins with old photos of He-Man, Skeletor, Orko, She-Ra, and other Masters of the Universe characters appearing at Universal Studios Hollywood.
• Jim and Eric trace the sword-and-sorcery path from Robert E. Howard’s Conan stories to Universal’s Conan the Barbarian films and the long-running Adventures of Conan stage show.
• Eric explains how Mattel’s abandoned Conan toy plans helped lead to He-Man, Castle Grayskull, and the Masters of the Universe toy line.
• The episode revisits the Filmation cartoon, the toy-and-TV boom of the 1980s, and the way He-Man became a playground staple for a generation.
• Jim and Eric connect the 1985 Universal Studios Hollywood He-Man meet-and-greet to the Masters of the Universe Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade float.
• The conversation looks back at Gary Goddard’s 1987 Masters of the Universe movie, starring Dolph Lundgren and Frank Langella, and why it struggled despite the franchise’s popularity.
• Eric explains why He-Man is unlikely to become a major Universal attraction, even as Masters of the Universe merchandise appears in Universal parks.
• The discussion closes with Mattel Adventure Park’s proposed He-Man vs. Skeletor laser tag experience and what a future Castle Grayskull attraction might look like.
HOSTS
• Jim Hill - X/Twitter: @JimHillMedia, Instagram: @JimHillMedia, Website: jimhillmedia.com
• Eric Hersey - X/Twitter: @erichersey, Instagram: @erichersey, Website: strongmindedagency.com
FOLLOW
• Facebook: @JimHillMediaNews
• YouTube: @jimhillmedia
• TikTok: @jimhillmedia
• Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/jimhillmedia/
SUPPORT
Support the show and access bonus episodes and additional content at https://www.patreon.com/jimhillmedia.
PRODUCTION CREDITS
Edited by Dave Grey
Produced by Eric Hersey - https://strongmindedagency.com
SPONSOR
Thanks to UnlockedMagic.com, where Epic Universal Podcast listeners can save on theme park tickets for Universal Orlando Resort and Walt Disney World.
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