by Adam McCombs
He-Man.org poster R.M. Hart has graciously shared some high resolution scans of JCPenney catalogs from 1982 to 1986. Where there is a high resolution scan available, I’ve offered a link so that readers call see these images up close.
1982 JCPenney Christmas Catalog
This page has few rarer images, including the striped tail version of Battle Cat (an early version produced in very low numbers), a hand painted version of Teela with white boot tops and bracers, and an early Castle Grayskull with much finer paint work, also produced in very limited numbers. More discussion on this topic is available here.
There are also some interesting toy descriptions included as well. For instance, Castle Grayskull is described as a “sinister stronghold.” Teela is the “patroness of warriors”. Stratos is a “winged sky baron” and Beast Man is his henchman! Skeletor is the “master death-dealer” and Mer-Man is a “cunning sea lord.” The Wind Raider is described for “air or sea”, which is as it was intended originally, although it was almost always described as an air vehicle after it was released. (Thanks to Jukka Issakainen for pointing some of this out.)
1983 JCPenney Catalog
The tent and sleeping back in this collection feature artwork by Errol McCarthy.
1983 JCPenney Catalog
1983 JCPenney Catalog
1983 JCPenney Catalog
Point Dread and Attak Trak appear to be hand painted. Trap Jaw is missing his chest armor and his attachments.
1983 JCPenney Catalog
This page contains some text describing the images on the previous page. Items 7-9 are describing two-pack giftsets. Interestingly I have never seen an example of a Ram Man/Skeletor giftset or a He-Man/Trap Jaw giftset. Either these existed and just haven’t turned up yet, or the sets were planned but not released, or the catalog copy writers were simply mistaken.
1983 JCPenney Catalog
This page features the Genadier lead model set. The models come unpainted, but in the picture Ram Man features his concept colors, as does Panthor. The Monogram Attak Trak and Talon Fighter kits are also shown.
1984 JCPenney Catalog
He-Man is pictured here along with the Trundaxx Battle Transporter, which looks like a cousin to the Attak Trak, but was not a part of the Masters of the Universe line.
1984 JCPenney Catalog
This page features the JCPenney two-packs, which came packaged in brown boxes with simple line art representing the included characters. Webstor in this image features his blue rifle, a rare accessory included in only the first run of the figure.
1984 JCPenney Catalog
This page contains a selection of new for 1984 toys (Snake Mountain, Whiplash, Battle Armor He-Man and Skeletor, Roton, Stridor, Prince Adam, Buzz-Off, and Dragon Walker) as well as some older favorites.
1985 JCPenney Catalog
Masters of the Universe rain slicker and long-sleeve shirt, perfect for fall weather.
1985 JCPenney Catalog
1985 JCPenney Catalog
1985 JCPenney Catalog
Two different Masters of the Universe toy chests are presented, along with the Battle Cat Spring Ride. A MOTU table and chairs set is also included, something I’ve never seen posted anywhere online before.
1985 JCPenney Catalog
This page again features a number of MOTU JCPenney exclusive two-packs. Webstor again includes his rare blue blaster. Some interesting product descriptions are here as well. Dragon Blaster Skeletor is “wrapped in treacherous magical metal chains.” Snake Mountain apparently includes a “scalping ladder” (a typo – it’s supposed to be scaling ladder).
1985 JCPenney Catalog
Featuring some of the new for 1985 vehicles, including Night Stalker, Land Shark, Spydor and Bashasaurus.
1985 JCPenney Catalog
This page features the rare, first release “black belt” version of Leech. This page also features the Infaceables, a rather bizarre, short lived action figure line with characters that could change their faces in an unusual way.
1985 JCPenney Catalog
This pages features the Road Ripper Mighty Cycle, which has a handlebar section sculpted and decorated to resemble the Road Ripper vehicle.
1985 JCPenney Catalog
This page features a Kidstuff MOTU story book with cassette or record, as well as a couple of Golden stories with cassette or record.
1986 JCPenney Catalog
1986 JCPenney Catalog
This page features a large selection of new for 1986 toys, most notably Eternia, Monstroid, Mantisaur, Blasterhawk, Fright Fighter, Laserbolt, the Snake Men, the Slime pit, and others.
1986 JCPenney Catalog
Descriptions for the toys shown on the previous page, as well as a closer look at some of the new 1986 figures. Thunder Punch He-Man, Dragon Blasters Skeletor, Flying Fists He-Man, Terror Claws Skeletor and Hurricane Hordak are considered “deluxe” figures and cost a dollar more than other MOTU figures.
1986 JCPenney Catalog
Featuring the amazing Masters of the Universe Pop-Up Alarm Clock, as well as He-Man and She-Ra watches.
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interesting how they make a point that of the lead figure sets (1983 page 545), that one set is all the good guys and one set is all the bad guys (and make a point that there was a mistake and Man-E-Faces should be in Good guys and not bad buys, but clearly shows that Merman was a good guy.. I haven’t seen those sets else where (not a big expert in the range and most sites have little to no information of any use ¬_¬) but that’s interesting.. I would have expected they put Merman in the wrong set, yet while they state that is the case with Man-e-faces, they don’t say that for Merman. though it would make the sets even more uneven if they did that…
Thank you very much! Any chance of getting p. 415 of the 1985 catalog? That one, like several of these, has been stuck in my memory for years.
I’m glad you mentioned it. I have that one but forgot to upload it. Updated!
Thank you! My mind’s been conflating 1984 and 1985 for years, it seems.
I’m a few days late to the party with this one, but a few misc. things I noticed (And Jukka has already beaten me to commenting on the Wind Raider’s early notion as as both an air and land vehicle):
* Both the 1982 and the 1983 catalogue feature Skeletor with his early “half boots”, but I expect this has been noticed already (also, some interesting text descriptions in the 1982 one, but I’d put this down to someone being creative/guessing on the JC Penny side of things)
* Additionally, on the Man-E-Faces shot in the ’83 catalogue, it might just be my eyes or down to lighting/print, but some of his colours seem much darker in purple than on the final figure, particularly on his head dial. Also (down to the photographer guessing or not having the right gun), he is holding Trap Jaw’s rifle. (Also, Trap Jaw seems to have a very wonky leg, which both my original childhood Man-E and Trap Jaw suffered from too!)
* Regarding Manic Man’s observation about Mer Man being included with the Heroic Warriors in the lead figures set, very early on in the concept of the line, Mer Man was considered as a Heroic Warrior (just as Stratos was originally pencilled in as an Evil Warrior), but this soon changed. This set features both first and second wave characters by which time this early idea was long gone; but interesting to note that the text on the page states that Man-E-Faces is shown with the wrong set! So maybe they mixed Mer Man up too?
* 1984 – ahh, Trundaxx. I received one of those one birthday. It wasn’t quite a direct knock-off, more of a “can be used with” (my memory recalls the box stating it could be used with MOTU, Star Wars and several other lines). It was a nice toy actually that I had fun playing with. Frustratingly, about 10-15 years ago, although I kept all my original MOTU figures, I sold my Trundaxx on e-bay (I think my mindset was “It’s not really MOTU”) but I’d actually love to have it back now!!
* (1985 – Fisto riding Panthor. Okay, we have some strange combination match-ups sometimes in these print adds, but that one’s kinda unique)
* …On the next page, at first I thought Hordak was carrying a black bow, but it looks like the photographer mixed them up and actually gave him Grizzlor’s
Good eye! I didn’t notice that Man-E-Faces had Trap Jaw’s gun. Looks like their samples were short on accessories maybe.
I forgot to mention, I’ve heard a couple of people say now that Mer-Man was supposed to be a heroic warrior, but I haven’t seen a source for that. Do you know where that came from?
Actually I just saw an early document that described Mer-Man as a heroic character. So that answers that question!
I think the peak of irony is in 1986 with Hordak getting slimed in his own Slime Pit!