T. Mark Taylor, one of the driving forces behind the success of, among others He-Man in Masters of the Universe, passed away at the age of 80. From the immensely popular Masters of the Universedolls he designed for toy manufacturer Mattel sold tens of millions of copies in the 1980s.
He also stood at the cradle of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, which accompanied the franchise with a long-running animated series, action films and the tagline: ‘Cowabunga!’
Mattel brought the toy line Masters of The Universe from the early 1980s, with accompanying comic books. The action figure He-Man became best known for the cartoon series, which subsequently appeared on the tube and was viewed worldwide.
The story of the muscular superhero takes place on the planet Eternia. He-Man is the alter-ego of Prince Adam, son of the King and Queen. He has a magical sword that allows him to transform into He-Man, who protects the castle of Eternia from the evil Skeletor and his minions.
Credits
Taylor worked as a team to come up with Masters of The Universe and designed multiple characters, such as Battle Cat and Skeletor. While there isn’t an official creator, fans in particular are giving Taylor, along with Mattel designer Roger Sweet, the credit for his signature designs.
–
