Masters of the Universe
Coming in November
•After months of speculation, Image Comics has announced that MV Creations has obtained the exclusive license to develop comics based on the Masters of the Universe property from Mattel, Inc. Image will begin publishing the new adventures of He-Man and his counterparts beginning in November 2002.

"We couldn't be more pleased to add Masters of the Universe to the Image roster," commented Image Publisher/Vice-President Jim Valentino. "We hit one out of the park and sparked the '80s nostalgia boom last year with the return of GI Joe, followed that up with Micronauts and Battle of the Planets, and this makes it a grand slam!"

"It's a dream come true for all of us here," said Val Staples, President of MV Creations. "We've been working closely with Mattel via our Website www.he-man.org for almost two years to relay important brand news to the fans. Then, early this spring we completed a special promotional comic and other exciting promotional items to be released later this year with the toy line. Producing the new comic series was more than we ever could have hoped for."

Masters of the Universe will make its debut at Image Comics as a four-issue limited series that is centered around the animated cartoon feature by Mike Young Productions airing in August during the Toonami block on Cartoon Network. The new comic book series will approach the stories from a more mature angle, with intense action and emotional depth.

After the conclusion of the initial Cartoon Network special depicting the never-before-told story of how Prince Adam become He-Man, a regular series will launch, focusing on the saga of the Masters of the Universe.

"The direction of the story and the quality of the art is very important to Mattel," Staples noted. "They are mindful of the fans, and they do not want to limit the creative possibilities of the comic. This makes producing the series even more enjoyable for the entire creative team.

"While the comic must revolve around the saga of the new toy line and cartoon, the story within won't be treated as just a rehash of the past. We will explore areas fans have wondered about for years, and the comic will lead up to things no one ever expected."

Masters of the Universe will be written by Staples with some surprise guest writers also contributing over the course of the series. Penciling the series is Italian artist Emiliano Santalucia, whose talent and passion is certain to take the American market by storm. Santalucia will be joined by inker Marco Failla, also from Italy, and the perfect complement to Emiliano's pencils. Colors are by Jason Keith, of CrossGen fame, one of the youngest and brightest superstar colorists in the industry today, and lettering will be handled by the inimitable Dreamer Design.

Masters of the Universe #1 will feature three covers: one by Santalucia, one by J. Scott Campbell, and a special wrap around cover by renowned painter Earl Norem. Many longtime Masters of the Universe fans should recall that Norem painted the posters/covers for the old Masters of the Universe magazine, and he's coming out of retirement specifically to be part of the series' relaunch.

"We are very excited to have Image Comics and MV Creations on board for the relaunch of Masters of the Universe," said Mattel's Marketing Director, Geoff Walker. "This is one of the largest action figure launches in Mattel's history. The role of comic books in extending the storyline to our fans is very important. Image and MV Creations have shown the passion for He-man that we believed necessary to create an incredible comic. Additionally, fans of J. Scott Campbell and Earl Norem are in for a special treat with their interpretations of He-man."

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