By Adam McCombs
Over the years Mattel filed for patents on a number of Masters of the Universe-related ideas. The language employed is rather difficult to get through, but the illustrations are a lot of fun. I’ve collected some of them here. Special thanks to Manic Man for locating several of these patents, including Blast Attak, Rotar/Twistoid and Gyrattacker! Update: I’ve uploaded each set of patent illustrations as Imgur posts, and am now linking those images offsite.
Included illustrations:
- Attak Trak
- Castle Grayskull (trap door)
- Bashasaurus
- Battle Armor He-Man
- Battle Bones
- Blast Attak
- Dragon Walker
- Fright Zone
- Fright Zone (puppet)
- Gyrattacker (unreleased vehicle)
- Horde Trooper
- Hurricane Hordak
- King Hiss
- Land Shark
- Laser Bolt
- Mantenna
- Megalaser
- Mekaneck
- Roboto
- Rokkon & Stonedar
- Rotar & Twistoid
- Spydor
- Sy-Klone
- Thunder Punch He-Man
- Tower Tools/Cliff Climber/Scubattack
- Two Bad
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I find this very interesting. A lot of the features which seam quite tame and common (well.. they seam to lose most gimmick today in favour of bland ‘you can pose it and.. erm.. sit on your shelf’ features) were are one time quite new. They put in a lot of work to get some of the features to work right..
of course, ones like Rokkon & Stonedar, and Two bad just didn’t really have much. Two bad just had two heads.. and as for the Rocks.. well.. they folding up was more of a cash which I was never 100% impressed with, though they were okay figures.
Look at Mekaneck.. more then a simple pull it up, push it down neck which would have used purely friction and that would have become a lot looser in a short time, they went for a little system that gives some level of support..
Some of them do seem fairly pedestrian. I was surprised though not to find Attak Trak or Kobra Khan. I was really really hoping to find a patent regarding Stinkor’s smell, but no luck.
the patent for mixing Patchouli oil with the plastic? that would be interesting.. I think my Stinkor (and moss man to a lessor degree) still smell ^_^
oh, and can I take it as.. patft.uspto.gov for the patent database for the US?
opps, forgot to say, because if not that site, it’s a bit of work, but there are others. Patent number 4,695,262, for example (Toy Rotating gear accessory for use with Gyroscopic top) is Rotar and Twistoid, or more there bases. and there are others ^_^ (4,714,446 ‘Toy figure with expandable latch’ is blast-attak (lazy name ^_^ fun but lazy).
If you want and stuff, I can do a check through in a bit of spare time and get some more ones for ya.
Thank you! I missed those. I’ll add them to this post. If you do happen to find any others I’d be grateful. I’ve been searching using the Google/patents search feature.
http://patft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?Sect1=PTO2&Sect2=HITOFF&u=%2Fnetahtml%2FPTO%2Fsearch-adv.htm&r=1657&f=G&l=50&d=PTXT&s1=mattel&p=34&OS=mattel&RS=mattel
->Removable Toy Motor Module – 4732049 (Cliff Climber), (Scubattack), (Tower Tools). This motor module really got a lot of use. there might be one or two more I didn’t notice.
http://patft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?Sect1=PTO2&Sect2=HITOFF&u=%2Fnetahtml%2FPTO%2Fsearch-adv.htm&r=1690&f=G&l=50&d=PTXT&s1=mattel&p=34&OS=mattel&RS=mattel
->Animated Toy – 4629440 . The issue date seams a bit late but it really looks like Spydor to me. It’s possible its not though.
http://patft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?Sect1=PTO2&Sect2=HITOFF&u=%2Fnetahtml%2FPTO%2Fsearch-adv.htm&r=1688&f=G&l=50&d=PTXT&s1=mattel&p=34&OS=mattel&RS=mattel
->Latex Dip Tooling and method for Forming Same – 4637907 . The Method for making the Snake for the Fright Zone set.
http://patft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?Sect1=PTO2&Sect2=HITOFF&u=%2Fnetahtml%2FPTO%2Fsearch-adv.htm&r=1680&f=G&l=50&d=PTXT&s1=mattel&p=34&OS=mattel&RS=mattel
->Toy doll figure for displaying colors -4655726 (Kowl). Okay, there were a few Dolls which could be the workings for the She-ra line but nothing I could Id.. this was one pretty clear.. Not sure if She-ra counts though (if not, why not?)
http://patft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?Sect1=PTO2&Sect2=HITOFF&u=%2Fnetahtml%2FPTO%2Fsearch-adv.htm&r=1643&f=G&l=50&d=PTXT&s1=mattel&p=33&OS=mattel&RS=mattel
->Reconfigurable humanoid toy with simulated crater surface – D298150 (Stondar)
http://patft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?Sect1=PTO2&Sect2=HITOFF&u=%2Fnetahtml%2FPTO%2Fsearch-adv.htm&r=1642&f=G&l=50&d=PTXT&s1=mattel&p=33&OS=mattel&RS=mattel
->D298151 (Rokkon)
(both Ston-dar and Rokkon ones are different from the ones you got cause that was the patent for the ‘transforming’ side, this is for the designs themselves
http://patft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?Sect1=PTO2&Sect2=HITOFF&u=%2Fnetahtml%2FPTO%2Fsearch-adv.htm&r=1667&f=G&l=50&d=PTXT&s1=mattel&p=34&OS=mattel&RS=mattel
->Toy Vehicle with ejectable flywheel seat and opening gates – 4,685,894. I’m not sure if this one was used for Masters of the Universe line though, but something about it I recognise from something..
I think a number of the toys aren’t listed because there wasn’t anything new about them per say. but then there are ones missing which.. seam very odd to be missing.
Thank you so much for finding these. That last one is from the Gyrattacker, which was planned for 1987 but never released. What a great find!
Thanks again!
no problem ^_^ reading the information, it does sound like it.. but I don’t think I’ve even seen a prototype. I guess one was made them, most likely.
Very awesome. Fun to see illustration for Sy-Klone is based on the concept-art by Roger Sweet. 🙂
Good eye! Thanks Talon