In 1985, 8,000 Kids Showed Up To meet He-Man. Then It All Fell Apart.

On a windy Day in Texas in 1985, a hot air balloon never flew, and a He-Man barely made his appearance.

Created in 1981, the Masters of the Universe toy line was developed by Mattel. They developed the toy line after turning down a license for Star Wars figures. Hoping to create their own original property, they blended sword-and-sorcery elements with science fiction, leading to the unique mix that defined the franchise. The first 5½-inch action figures hit stores in 1982. He-Man, Skeletor, Man-At-Arms, Beast Man, and Battle Cat gave kids everything they needed for action-packed play. The toy line quickly expanded. Supported by a strong marketing push that included live appearances, comic books, an animated series, and more, Masters of the Universe became a major hit.

I watched the cartoon regularly and collected some of the toys. A little before this, I had gone all-in on G.I. Joe figures, so splitting my attention between the two was difficult. Still, the fantasy elements appealed to the Dungeons & Dragons player in me. So I picked up the first wave of figures.

In early 1983, just after the Christmas that brought more figures to that first release, I started to see mentions of live appearances by He-Man and the rest of the group at toy stores and malls in my area. These live appearances were becoming more common as toy companies realized the value of face-to-face marketing. Similar events for Transformers and G.I. Joe would also draw large crowds in the mid-80s.

Always an easy mark for sold marketing, these were something I was very interested in, especially for Star Wars, and I had missed out. Not wanting that to happened again, I made more of an effort this time to get my mom to take me. Sadly, it never worked out.

I checked the paper often, hoping to find any mention of them in my area. Over the next year or so, a few events came and went. The ads usually looked the same. I remember them well. I would not only tell my mom about the event and ask her to take me, I would cut out the ad and stick it on the fridge. Then I would count down to the day. Each morning brought a new chance to ask again.

Each time, she said no. When I pressed her with the usual kid questions, she said the events were too crowded and it would be hard to get close to the characters. At the time, I thought she just did not want to go. But later, I realized she was probably right.

In 1985, in Abilene, Texas, local TV station KTXS was airing the He-Man and the Masters of the Universe cartoon. They thought the show was underperforming and decided to take it off the schedule. That decision turned out to be a mistake. They underestimated how many kids were watching. After they made the their decision, phone calls, a signed petition and letters started pouring in, asking them to bring the show back. This effort was led by two irate moms, Rixie Hults and Tammy Shipley.

Amazing, because of their efforts, the station not only decided to resume airing it, they saw an opportunity to use the response to promote both the show, and honor the actions of those who saved it. They would receive a plaque and the station would donate VHS copies of all 130 existing episodes of the show to the city library. That way, the city would never be without their beloved He-Man again. It looked like the forces of good had triumphed, but Skeletor still had some tricks up his sleeve.

That November, on a windy Saturday, they held an event at the local fairgrounds where Hults and Shipley would receive their recognition, but also kids could meet He-Man in person. Originally, he was supposed to arrive in a hot air balloon. I had never seen He-Man use a balloon in the cartoon, but maybe Battle Cat was booked somewhere else. Sadly, they had to cancel the balloon because of the wind. Gusts were hitting 40 miles per hour.

Something more powerful than the wind was gathering that day, and that was the crowd. The fans were not unruly when the even started, beyond the usual energy of a large group of children. There were just far more of them than expected and it seemed something had to give. The station thought maybe 1,500 people would show up. Instead, around 8,000 did. They could not wait to see the muscle-bound hero in person.

There are times at events when something shifts. You can sense it. It becomes clear that not everyone will get what they came for. That happened here. The mood changed. According to an Associated Press article from the time, station owner S.M. Moore Jr. said, "Children were getting lost from their parents. People were pushing and shoving. Kids started tearing down decorations."

The event was canceled shortly after it began. He-Man was rushed away and the station was left trying to smooth things over. They bought 10,000 posters from Mattel and tried to distribute them to disappointed fans. But that was little comfort to many of the families who had waited in the wind.

Barbara Blythe, whose six-year-old son had hoped to see He-Man for his birthday, said, "Seeing He-Man was all Rowdy wanted for his birthday." I am sure that a poster was not much of a substitute for the real thing.

Not everyone saw it as a failure. Mattel was impressed by the turnout. Their marketing director said, "Abilene’s the most enthusiastic reception we have ever seen."

Looking back, it is easy to see that this was about more than just a toy line or a cartoon. Kids were deeply connected to these characters. They were heroes in plastic form that captured our imagination. The crowd that gathered in Abilene may not have met He-Man that day, but they showed the power (and possible rage) of childhood fandom. Its an interesting footnote in the history of the franchise with the the excitement of the show, the disappointment in its cancellation, the saving of it, and the effort to make it right all becoming part of the story. While I never got to see He-Man in person, I still remember those fridge-clipped ads. They were small promises of something magical. Maybe that’s what made the toy line so powerful. It gave you something to hope for. Its also why I probably would have been a bit angry had on been on the fairground in Texas that day.