Written by Adam, Jukka, and our readers!
To celebrate the 10th anniversary of Battle Ram: A He-Man Blog, we thought we would reflect on the history of the site and what we’ve learned along the way. We are also including comments shared by some of our readers. Thank you so much for supporting what we do for so long. Here’s to another 10 years!
Adam’s Thoughts
Battle Ram Blog was kind of a weird thing for me to try to start. I didn’t get back into MOTU until the tail end of 2012. I was sucked in that Christmas when looking for toys for my son, and I started remembering all the fun I had with He-Man figures as a kid. I did some searching online and bumped into He-Man.org. There was this new line called Masters of the Universe Classics. A couple of figures caught my eye immediately – a fan created figure called Castle Grayskullman, designed by Daniel Benedict. He would of course go on to direct the Fall of Grayskull fan film, but that was all in the future. Then there was this other figure called Demo-Man, which was touted as a figure based on an early Skeletor concept drawing (that turned out not to be true – the concept drawing it was based on was an unrelated character by Mark Taylor). For some reason these two figures that never even existed in the vintage line drew me in. I started collecting a few figures from the Classics line and also figures from the vintage line. My son, who was just a few years old at the time, loved both lines and we played with them all the time.
I also got into listening to the official He-Man.org podcast, called Roast Gooble Dinner. It featured fan luminaries like Val Staples, Emiliano Santalucia, Pixel Dan and Eamon O’Donoghue. Later on there were additional great hosts like Danielle Gelehrter (aka horror hostess Penny Dreadful), Nate Baertsch, Rob Base and Daniel Benedict. Between the podcast and the forums I was learning a lot about the history of Masters of the Universe. Then I learned about other resources like the Power and the Honor Foundation Catalog, and sites like Grayskull Museum and Masters Unbound, which got me even deeper into the history of these toys.
I was learning a lot, but I was having a hard time figuring out how to catalog it all. No one asked me to do that of course – it was something I felt compelled to do, because the history was so fascinating and I didn’t want to lose any of it. At the time you couldn’t find all the historical information about, say, the vintage Mer-Man action figure from one source; instead it was spread out among many sources. I would email myself information that I collected, or try to save it in Word files, but it wasn’t very organized. A blog seemed like the natural way to keep track of everything. As I recall I didn’t share my articles very widely at first, probably because I had a little bit of imposter syndrome due to my relative inexperience. The first article was about my favorite figure, Mer-Man, published August 11, 2015.
After I started posting links to articles online, it took on a life of its own. Val Staples from He-Man.org reached out to me, wanting to cross promote it on He-Man.org. Jukka Issakainen reached out to me with images, additional historical information, and corrections. At the time I was a newbie and still had a lot to learn, so Jukka’s help was really important. In fact a lot of people reached out to me with information, images, suggestions and other assistance. I am so grateful for their help!
One of the things that Jukka helped me out with at the beginning was to get me out of the habit of too much speculation. Often in discussion boards speculation can be elevated far beyond its value and treated as if it’s true because it sounds good or confirms a bias. But it’s important to stick to verifiable facts wherever possible, and to reign in speculation so that it’s at least historically grounded, following Occam’s razor. Whatever theories we come up with to explain the historical evidence should best account for all evidence, with the fewest extra assumptions required. Even when you follow good historical methodology, it’s still possible to come to wrong conclusions, but more often than not you’ll be on solid ground.
One thing I’ve learned after doing this for ten years is that no one knows the whole history of Masters of the Universe, and it would be impossible for one person to retain all that information, even if all of it could be recovered. The fact is we do better as fans when we pool our expertise and resources together. Unfortunately some of the history is lost forever, but it’s important to uncover and preserve as much of it as possible. Over the years MANY fans have contributed information, corrections and images that have enriched the articles on this blog.
Here’s a screenshot of the site as it looked on March 14, 2016, which was the earliest capture I could find on the Way Back Machine:
Jukka’s Thoughts
I’ve said it before, but it’s worth repeating: the He-Man and She-Ra fan community is one of the most resourceful and supportive groups when it comes to uncovering the history of the brand. I’m just a fan from Finland who first went online as a curious 13-year-old back in 1997, typing search terms like “He-Man” and “Masters of the Universe” into the early search sites (Ask Jeeves, anyone?). Slowly, I began discovering other fans who had similar experiences and connecting with them (and a few professional creators), and it all felt very surreal.
I’m not entirely sure whether I first came across the Battle Ram Blog through the He-Man.org forums or via a Facebook post, but I clearly remember being drawn to Adam’s thoughtful, well-researched approach. He didn’t just write about the action figures, he explored the characters across multiple mediums. That really resonated with me, especially since I had done similar deep dives in my MOTU Character Origins comparison videos, which I always enjoy researching and sharing.
In the earlier days of the blog, the animation sections in some articles were a bit brief, so I often suggested additions to help present a more well-rounded view. I also hope that in some of the articles we’ve managed to bring more light to the importance of early DC Comics’ stories, how they evolved the mythos away from Glut-stories, in a time before there was no cartoon, nor any scripts had been written.
Over the years, my habit of “hoarding” MOTU-related images came in handy, especially as some older websites began disappearing or losing content due to broken links. I was happy to share images with Adam to help illustrate articles more fully. He was always open to collaboration, and when I eventually started co-writing for the blog, he kindly helped polish my writing and clean up typos.
I feel that the Battle Ram Blog is one of the best sources of information about Masters of the Universe, and we try to include sources, original concept images and dates when ever possible. Nowadays its too easy to stumble upon a video by some youtuber, who will say many inaccurate things, or insist claiming how there is a vintage concept art of Trap Jaw depicted with a green skin (yet they don’t show any image in the video as proof, because they can’t).
With the live-action Masters of the Universe movie currently slated for 2026, there’s hope that more fans will rediscover the franchise. Maybe some will return out of nostalgia for the toys or the cartoon they cherished, and possibly discovering this blog because they are curious to know why Mer-Man the toy didn’t look like his cross-sell artwork.
Comments from our readers
Liam Webb: The blog is both interesting factually and appealing visually. I love all the art that he finds; it is one of those things that I love to see but don’t have the time to search out for myself. I am an art collector and have some MOTU portfolios and originals, and hope, one day, to commission Mr. Gimenez. The blog is also something of a comfort; as a man in midlife with many daily concerns and the odd disaster every few years (job loss, divorce, apartment building fire, familial deaths, victim of minor crime) seeing the images and hearing the behind-the-scenes stories of a simpler, happier time in my life has at times reminded me that life isn’t all bad, good times will come again, and there are some things about the 20th century that the 21st century can’t touch (provided I avoid Netflix). Coincidentally, earlier today I finished an academic chapter on transformation and the toyetic in MOTU which is to be published by Peter Lang Publishing in the next year. It is my last academic work for a while, and I only took it because MOTU was a possible subject.
Recently discovered you blog in my feed and followed straight away. He-Man is my comfort banket from being a kid. Having articles every day from your blog gives a little buz of endorphins and make me feel 6 years old again.
Happy 10th Anniversary. Sorry I am late to the party.
Craig
Nigel AKA Beedo Sookcool:
I can’t remember when I discovered your blog, but it has been an amazing resource, tying things all together using rare images that are a treat to see, and painstakingly in-depth research. Very much appreciated!
Hi Adam,
Congrats to 10 years of BattleRamBlog. I’ve been following your amazing blog from day one. I even started a thread on the biggest German MotU-website www.planeteternia.de (see pics) and recommended your blog in October 2015. 😊
Already looking forward to the next 10 years of BattleRamBlog. 🙂
Best regards,
Michael Planet Eternia.de
James Hanson:
Your blog is easily the best history of MOTU I’ve ever encountered in any medium. Most histories of the brand focus on the fad aspect, how it was developed to compete with Star Wars, why is fizzled out, etc. However, as someone who grew up on it, my question was always — how did they create these characters? What inspired them? Who came up with the rich mythology behind the world of Eternia? And so on — this is what your blog answers so well. Articles like “Mattel’s Jungle Man” and “Masters of the Taylorverse” have been so insightful and enjoyable for fans like me.
I’ve long wished the contents of this blog could be turned into a coffee table book a la Dark Horse’s Art of MOTU. Thanks for providing this invaluable service to MOTU fans, it is very much appreciated!
Øyvind Johannes Meisfjord:
Happy Anniversary, my friend! Your blog is the ULTIMATE source of all things MOTU, and I continue to be amazed over the sheer wealth of information you have researched over the years! I’m EAGERLY looking forward to the next ten years of Battle Ram: A He-Man Blog!
Happy anniversary Adam! Thank you so much for all your exclusive and extensive content on vintage masters of the universe. I cannot believe how much information I have learned from you and your site. I have been a vintage MOTU collector for 25+years, and having your content accessible, is a collectors dream. Keep up the great work, and cheers to another 10 years moving forward!
Respectfully, Brian (brian1580 on eBay)
Patrick Fogarty:
Happy Happy Happy Anniversary – your site is one I check regularly and always enjoy going back to over and over again. Such a resource and so incredibly well done. Truly appreciate everything and you! BRAVO and THANK YOU and HAPPY ANNIVERSARY again!!! Keep up the great work!
Lanace from Fulguropop:
For me, the Battle Ram Blog is THE source of information on MOTU-related topics. What a lot of work you’ve done over the years – well done, gentlemen! I can’t thank you enough for answering the many questions I’ve had about this license. I wish you a happy anniversary and look forward to reading about the next discoveries or future protagonists you’ll be interviewing.
Joseph K:
Congratulations on the upcoming 10th anniversary Adam, this blog/archive-site has surely been my online MOTU goldmine. And aside from the valuable info it packs, it’s also one the coziest virtual places from Eternia we have access to if the not the coziest ever when it comes to the MOTU realm, and I’m also glad it holds the name of the coolest fantastical single seater war vehicle ever conceptualized in a toy form I’ve seen to this day.
I have nothing to add at this moment, but please never stop publishing the awesome work.
P.S. Bravo on showing He-Man holding his “axe and shield” as his main weapons of choice. 🙂
Adam Alexander:
When He-Man.org disappeared, I went looking for a new resource for vintage MOTU information online. The Battle Ram Blog was not only the most active and thorough site I found, it had a charm and enthusiasm that was immediately appealing. Thanks for all the great articles, content and personal observations!
Walter De Marco:
A few days ago I saw that the blog’s anniversary was approaching and you had asked that we followers write about the experience. I couldn’t do it before because I’m away for vacation. I want to tell you from the depths of my heart and from this Latin American corner called Argentina that the blog represents much more to me than simple reading or hobby. It is something that connects me with my childhood and helps me spiritually on sad days. Furthermore, it does not remain only in nostalgia, but also investigates the research and production processes of one of the most important toy lines in history. I send you a big greeting and thank you for making the blog (today I think it is the best active site about MOTU)!!!
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