Border Town #1 Review

Written for and published by Forces of Geek September 2018

BORDER TOWN #1 | Writer: Eric M. Esquivel Illustrations: Ramon Villalobos | Publisher: Vertigo

What if your town has a problem with otherworldly monsters, only to bring upon its victims a most gruesome death?

Think about it long and hard.

Now, imagine the cause of that problem being blamed on those “dang illegals” because isn’t everything their fault?

Racial tensions with a supernatural twist ushers in the ongoing weirdness that ensues in Border Town’s setting of Devil’s Fork, AZ.

Part social commentary and part horror story leaves the subtlety at home as writer Eric Esquivel delivers a hyperbolic memoir of his teenage years in Arizona.

The story is told primarily through the lens of a bi-racial Mexican/Irish teen, Francisco Dominguez, who goes by Frank.

Frank is the new kid in school and finds himself in trouble rather quickly due to the complicated relationship he has with his ethnicity.

Being biracial is not as simple as some may believe. Speaking as a biracial African/Irish person, some might feel consumed by the world at large. Society will look at someone in one light while the individual will see themselves in another. Along with his straight hair, Frank’s completion is light enough where he passes as Caucasian until the other half of his ethnicity is revealed.

From there on, his confrontation with a skinhead automatically makes him one hundred percent Mexican. Socially speaking, it’s hard not to have a say in your own ethnicity. In this maiden voyage, however, Frank seems to take it in stride. We meet Frank’s new friends including…well, imagine if Sloth from The Goonies was a masked luchador.

Political themes woven with the narrative’s eerie setting is unapologetic with its staunch conveyance. “Make America Great Again” is vigorously uttered by some Alt-right types while the tear in space and time that allows the monsters to invade our world is literally on the Mexican/American border.

That is the kind of irony that slaps you right in the face.

“What kind of Mexican is that?” asks a border patrol agent, in reaction to a sombrero-wearing, green hulking monster, which encapsulates Ramon Villalobos’ esthetic throughout the book. The style of illustration perfectly matches the story. The color palette of warm orange skies and peaceful desert landscapes highlights the beauty atop the abhorrent nature of things. Some would say this is the perfect way to describe Arizona today considering the state’s political climate.

Vertigo titles tend to make readers think more than your average cape and cowl book. Eric M. Esquivel’s script is as thought-provoking as it is ludicrous.

Observations, winks, nods, bloody imagery along with fun and insightful character development serves as a reminder that everyone has their fight in these politically charged times. Despite the very real message, it’s the ridiculous chronicle of events in this first issue that takes center stage. A skeleton monster demonically screaming, “…you fucked up!” made me wonder what the hell I had gotten myself into…and I can’t wait to see what happens next!

Rating B+

Calling Fenway, Again!

Once again, your boy was booked to work the wrestling show at Fenway Park as part of the El Mundo Latin Family Festival. The plan was to split ring announcing duties and do commentary on one match in particular since I knew all of the wrestlers involved. Well, I never got the chance to ring announce due to one slight problem. Someone forgot to book the timekeeper. You know, the guy that rings the bell.

In fact, no one realized that the actual physical bell was missing until the referee signaled for it. No ding, ding, and the referee Redd Roche’s calm wave turned feverishly angry as a quiet panic ensued at ringside. Even the DJ looked for a bell file in his music catalog to simulate over the speakers. The wrestlers said the heck with all this and locked up to begin the match.

Moments later, event promoter, Dante Luna found the bell, hustled through the audience and held it over the barricade for someone to grab. Slight problem, however. No one went to grab the bell. At that point, I knew what I had to do. I grabbed the bell, placed it on the table and banged it with a hammer to signal the commencement of combative theater…three minutes late.

Appointing myself as timekeeper sealed the fate of Loren Petisce as the sole ring announcer for seventeen matches over four hours. That is a lot of work and I couldn’t get the message to her until the after the third match…The joys of independent wrestling folks!

Overall, it was a fun show. The crowd really didn’t get into it until the second half. All of the wrestlers worked hard, it’s just one of those things that can happen when one act of a large festival full of events.

Wrestling All-Stars of New England Results 8/26/18

El Mundo Latin Family Festival @ Fenway Park – Boston, Massachusetts

“The International Male” Aaron Amadeus defeated Derrick Conway, Crispin Coles and “Insane” Dick Lane in a Fatal Four Way Match
Vanity Vixen pinned Delilah Hayden
Green Monster Innovational Tournament: Sami Diaz defeated King Leon the 6^th, Dan Terry, and CPA.
Night Breed defeated Ike & Brandino Davis
Bugsy Stone and Big Bear Matouch wrestled to a double disqualification
Green Monster Innovational Tournament: “The Selfie Made Man” Vern Vicallo defeated Sully Banger, Connor Davies and Bobby Ocean.
“The Punisher” Don Vega defeated “S.O.G.” Ronnie Ribs w/ Doc Ozone
Green Monster Innovational Tournament: “Riot” Kellan Thomas defeated Garrett Holiday, “Slamdance” Tim Lenox and Showtime.
Rosie pinned Isana
“The Dynasty” Beau Douglas pinned “Alpha Dog” Jason Rumble
Green Monster Innovational Tournament: Channing Thomas defeated Derek Simonetti, Lumber Jake and Dan De Man
Bullet Joe defeated Rob “The Giant” Araujo
Triple Threat Match: Slyck Wagner Brown defeated Ryan Frost w/ Aubrey and “Smart” Mark Sterling
“The Masshole” Mike McCarthy pinned Todo Loco to become the new El Mumdo Heavyweight Champion due to interference from Survivor’s Richard Hatch
Tag Team Gauntlet Match: “The Prize” Alec Price & Eddie White defeated The Five Star Spectacle to become the new El Mundo Tag Team Champions
Green Monster Innovational Tournament Finals: Channing Thomas defeated Vern Vicallo, “Riot” Kellan Thomas and Sami Diaz to win the tournament.
Isana won a 30 person Battle Royal by eliminating Jake in the finals moments of the contest.

Favorite Matches #3: Undertaker vs. Shawn Michaels

On the evening of April 5, 2009, Michael Hickenbottom and Mark Calaway didn’t put on just another excellent performance. They produced a classic match that a generation of wrestling enthusiasts look to as the capstone of their fandom. I knew Undertaker vs. Shawn Michaels at WrestleMania 25 was going to be something special considering the landscape of WWE at the time. Continue reading “Favorite Matches #3: Undertaker vs. Shawn Michaels” →

Summer Slam Prediction

Summer Slam invades Brooklyn this evening, and all eyes are on the Universal Championship encounter between Brock Lesnar and Roman Reigns. The match itself is a non-starter but the implications of its result are what’s driving interest in the main event. While this is pure speculation on my part, I have a sneaking suspicion Paul Heyman is leaving the Barclays Center with the champion.

Notice I didn’t say Brock Lesnar. I said champion. I believe Lesnar’s time is up. It makes no sense for him to hold the title while preparing for a UFC fight. The fans have spoken, and they want to see a champion defending the title on a regular basis. Summer Slam closing with a babyface Roman Reigns celebrating his title win would leave things on a flat note. There is no drama or true happy ending in that scenario.

Roman Reigns could turn heel. However, I don’t see that happening. More people, albeit slowly are starting to get behind Roman Reigns. For all the static he gets from the audience, he’s not a bad wrestler. The fact that WWE didn’t let Reigns’ ascension happen organically and decided to shove him down everyone’s throat is the reason coronation after coronation has been virtually crownless. The audience is not booing Reigns but rather WWE’s insistence that we get behind him whether we like it or not.

If they turn Reigns heel now, who takes his place as the number one babyface? Possibly Seth Rollins, but I believe the company doesn’t see him in that light despite arguably being the best in-ring performer in WWE. Reigns is our resident squared circle Superman for the time being, however, once Summer Slam is over and Lesnar is gone, who takes the Lex Luthor role?

Maybe you don’t go with a Luthor type evildoer but perhaps a Doomsday esque briefcase wielding Monster Among Men, Bruan Strowman. Strowman is a popular babyface, but he was more compelling as a heel. While he still wrecks things, it’s done in a more comedic tone as opposed to the sheer devastation of his heel persona. Being a heel is what got Strowman over with the audience, and it’s time for him to return to those roots with an upgrade.

Prediction: It’s WrestleMania 31 all over again. Roman Reigns and Brock Lesnar are engaged in a heated battle. Just when the end is near, Strowman comes out and cashes in the Money in the Bank contract. Strowman pins Lesnar, with help from Paul Heyman. That’s right, Heyman trades in his beast for a monster.

Bruan Stowman with Paul Heyman as his manager become the new two-man power trip of Monday Night Raw. Heyman and Strowman not only cost Reigns the glory of being champion, they took away something he can never get back due to Lesnar’s departure from WWE. From there, Regins hunts down Strowman in pursuit of the belt because after all, the money is in the chase.

Christopher Robin: Review

When I was seven years old, I had a heartfelt conversation with my Mom at the dinner table. I told her I didn’t want to grow up with tears in my eyes and that I always wanted to be a kid. The idea of not being able to play anymore made me sad.

Disney’s newest entry into their live-action adaptations, Christopher Robin is a 104-minute reminder that growing up is hard; however, taking time to smell the roses is necessary. Continue reading “Christopher Robin: Review” →

WWE Announces All Women’s Evolution

What was rumored for weeks became official last night when WWE revealed plans for their first ever all women’s pay-per-view show. At the beginning of Raw, Stephanie McMahon announced over 50 women would participate in the event called Evolution.

Evolution will emanate from Nassau Coliseum in Long Island, New York on Sunday, October 28^th. Hall of Famers Trish Stratus and Lita will appear along with more legends from the past. Every member of the main roster will be on the show.

Some of the matches featured will be championship matches from Raw, SmackDown, NXT and NXT UK, along with the finals of the upcoming second Mae Young Classic. WWE’s developmental system getting such a platform will only help in making this inaugural undertaking a tremendous show.

There are also persisting rumors of WWE introducing the women’s tag team titles. The division will appear on both Raw and SmackDown and would be the only championships to hold that distinction. Evolution would be the perfect time to kick off such an initiative.

Of course, with WWE announcements comes its share of controversy. Some have challenged the authenticity of the company’s progressive image due to holding an April show, in Saudi Arabia, where it is illegal for women to perform. While there has been no official word from WWE, the country’s General Sports Authority announced another event slated for November.

An October 28th all women’s show scheduled weeks before another event, where women are precluded is a significant contradiction of WWE’s projected all-inclusive mantra.

Furthermore, it suggests a motive of softening the backlash they will receive for continuing to do business with Saudi Arabia. Such a narrative makes it easy to come to this conclusion. However, I don’t think this is what’s happening here, not entirely.

WWE was always going to hold an all women’s pay-per-view event. Women’s increased presence in movies, television, and sports along with the stellar women’s matches in NXT influenced WWE to follow suit.

This led to more screen time, which ultimately lead to the signing of UFC superstar Ronda Rousey. Also, WWE Network diluting the importance of traditional pay-per-view made this endeavor less of a risk. In the end, does it matter when the event is being held just as long as we’re getting it? WWE is a business and strategically planning events comes with the territoty.

Women’s wrestling has never been more featured in the genre. More woman are getting into wrestling than ever before. Those who have thrived on the independent scene and abroad are getting noticed.

While this isn’t the first all-women’s pay-per-view event, (LPWA 1992) or even the second, (WOW 2001) it’s WWE’s first time at this particular dance. Putting all of the optics aside, Evolution is better late than never for the industry leader.

ROH & NJPW Announce ‘G1 Supercard’ at MSG

The days of WWE having exclusive rights to Madison Square Garden are over. Four weeks after ROH was denied entry into MSG, it was announced last Thursday ROH and New Japan Pro Wrestling would hold a joint show at “The World’s Most Famous Arena” on Friday, April 6, 2019. The show is titled G-1 Supercard, which is a combination of each promotion’s marquee events.

G-1 Supercard will be the first non-WWE pro wrestling event ever to be held at MSG. The timing of this show is even more intriguing because it takes place the day before WrestleMania 35 at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey. The ROH/New Japan show will also run directly against the NXT TakeOver show at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn.

ROH CEO Joe Koff claimed MSG had canceled their original date after they received “communication from WWE.” Koff stated the lawyers were handling it from there and the show announcement came unexpectedly with a surprise addition of New Japan added to the mix.

Vince McMahon cannot be happy, as 58 years of exclusivity is now a thing of the past. McMahon was able to block WCW from holding a show in the Garden during the height of the nWo era. The closest WCW came was holding two shows at the Paramount Theater (now known as the Hulu Theater) in April 1993 and June 1996.

MSG has become a costly place to hold events. James Dolan (owner of the New York Knicks and MSG) has consistently raised the fee. WWE hasn’t held a televised show at the Garden since 2011. Former WWE announcer Jim Ross addressed the expensive cost of running the Garden on his podcast stating

“the cost of the TV would far exceed the cost of the gate. We (WWE) did million dollar shows there several times there – that are Raws – but you lose money more likely than not. If you’re lucky, you might break even.”

Reportedly, the combined influence of ROH’s parent company Sinclair Broadcasting and the new president of New Japan, Harold Meij is what opened the doors for the two promotions on April 6.

Tickets for the event will go on sale on Wednesday, August 8^th at 10:00 AM ET for members of ROH’s HonorClub streaming service and Friday, August 10^th to the general public.

New Japan’s Kazuchika Okada, Hiroshi Tanahashi, and Tetsuya Naito along with “all of the top ROH stars” are confirmed for the show. You know who is not confirmed for the show. Kenny Omega and The Young Bucks as their contracts are reportedly set to expire in January 2019.

ROH/New Japan running a show in the Garden during WrestleMania weekend in the same city is the most significant promotional blow WWE has taken since the demise of WCW. If McMahon wants to play hardball, he can offer Omega and the Bucks an exorbitant amount of money, as their absence would hurt the MSG show. WWE was probably going to make them an offer anyways, but now they have more incentive to do so.

Tickets for this show are not going to be cheap. Every show held at MSG is considerably more expensive than events held in other venues. No matter which way the cookie crumbles, April 6 will be a historic evening. The most important event in the history of ROH and New Japan Pro Wrestling could signal the start of another wrestling war.

-ROH & NJPW press release

Baltimore, MD [07/12/18] – For 16 years, Ring of Honor Wrestling has created some of the top stars in professional wrestling, and for nearly 50 years, New Japan Pro-Wrestling has brought Japanese Strong Style to the world. Together, these two companies have delivered world class shows such as “War of the Worlds,” “Strong Style Evolved,” “Global Wars,” “Honor Rising,” and the “G1 Special,” which NJPW has launched as a special kickoff in the United States to their annual “G1 Climax,” known as one of the most elite tournaments in professional wrestling.

ROH and NJPW are proud to announce that on April 6th, 2019, the companies will join forces to present the ultimate wrestling event, “G1 Supercard,” to fans from around the world, LIVE from Madison Square Garden in New York City!

“Three years ago, one of our best fans told me in confidence that Supercard of Honor just didn’t feel “super” anymore, said Greg Gilleland, ROH General Manager. “He was right and we took that to heart with the huge events we delivered in Lakeland, FL in 2017, and New Orleans, LA just a few months ago. With consecutive record breaking attendances, the question became, how can we top that in 2019? More importantly, how can we give the fans more of what they want and what they deserve? The G1 Supercard is an event that can only represent the absolute best possible matches with both NJPW and ROH stars, and Madison Square Garden is the perfect venue for them.”

“This is a historic initiative for ROH and New Japan Pro-Wrestling,” Harold Meij, President of NJPW proudly commented. “This gives us a great chance to expose fans to NJPW in the building which housed so many memorable and compelling matches.”

Already confirmed for this show from NJPW are Kazuchika Okada, Hiroshi Tanahashi, and Tetsuya Naito, in addition to all of the top ROH Stars. This show is set to be massive in magnitude including many matches to be announced with championships from both companies defended. Fans will not want to miss this marquee event at a venue with such an amazing storied history of wrestling.

“We are thrilled to welcome Ring of Honor Wrestling and New Japan Pro-Wrestling to Madison Square Garden for the much anticipated G1 Supercard,” said Joel Fisher, Executive Vice President, MSG Marquee Events. “We expect April 6th to be another memorable night of wrestling at The World’s Most Famous Arena.”

ROH Chief Operating Officer Joe Koff is equally proud. “This is destined to join a long list of historical wrestling moments and where better to hold it than at Madison Square Garden. I am extremely proud of what we have been able to achieve as a company and am very appreciative of how great our relationship with New Japan Pro-Wrestling has become. However, none of this would be possible without our fans, who are truly the best in the world. Madison Square Garden would not be possible without them and for that I am most grateful.”

G1 Supercard is sure to be a historical event in New York City that promises to exceed all expectations.

Tickets will go on-sale on Wednesday, August 8th at 10:00 AM ET for HonorClub members and Friday, August 10th for the General Public.

Stay tuned to ROHWrestling.com for more information on G1 Supercard and other important Ring of Honor Wrestling news. Visit NJPW1972.com to follow your favorite NJPW wrestlers and for any other NJPW news or event information.

Hulk Hogan is back in WWE…

Hulk Hogan is back in the WWE, and honestly, I don’t know how I feel about it. His return was inevitable from the moment he was released from the company three years ago due to his racist rant being caught on tape. The history of Hogan and WWE, under the leadership of Vince McMahon Jr., are woven together. You cannot tell the story of one without the other.

News of Hulk Hogan’s return broke yesterday afternoon when WWE announced he had been reinstated into the Hall of Fame. Hogan’s return was framed by his numerous public apologies, volunteer work, and his recent induction into the Boys & Girls Club of America’s Alumni Hall of Fame.

The Hulkster is the most iconic name the industry has ever produced. He was a hero to millions of children who are now grown up and still have fond memories of red and yellow leg drops atop giants and savages. Not bringing Hogan back at all would leave too much money on the table. If WWE didn’t do it, someone else would have. Heck, New Japan already tried.

All of this paves the way for Hogan’s return to WWE programming. The company is already working on a special to air on the WWE Network and filmed Hogan’s apology to the locker room, at last night’s Extreme Rules pay-per-view.

Speaking as a 37-year old person of color who idolized Hulk Hogan as a kid, part of me is disappointed to see him return. Surprised? Not at all. Another part of me is happy for those who have found joy in his return. After all, Hogan is not the first celebrity to get caught saying stupid things.

I’ve spoken to several people of color on this issue. Some have told me Hogan could kiss their black behind while others have been able to compartmentalize the situation by separating Hulk Hogan from Terry Bollea. The character is the entity they paid to see or gather around the television to watch. The man is just some blonde haired racist dude from Florida.

After all, there are still die-hard wrestling fans who celebrate the in-ring brilliance of Chris Benoit even though he murdered his wife and youngest child. I’m not at all saying what Hogan did was anywhere near as bad as the atrocity Benoit committed. I’m pointing this out because it shows that human beings have a unique capacity to justify anything.

Will I coldcock the next white person who happens to sit next to me wearing a Hulkamania shirt? Of course not. Will I wonder if that person is somewhat racist? Yes, I will. That might seem unfair, but we’re all adults, and this is what comes with supporting Hulk Hogan in 2018: giving new meaning to the term “Hulk Rules”.

Brock Lesnar is the Belle of the Ball

Brock Lesnar is once again the life of the party when it comes to professional wrestling and mixed martial arts. Following Daniel Cormier’s heavyweight title victory at UFC 226 in Las Vegas this past Saturday, Lesnar entered the octagon, and the fireworks ensued.

Cormier called out Lesnar to enter the cage, Lesnar entered, shoved Cormier, cut a promo burying the UFC’s heavyweight division, and warned the new champion “I’m coming for you, motherfucker.” Cormier replied saying “Push me now; you’ll go to sleep later.”

The min-scuffle had everyone inside the T-Mobile Arena on their feet, and everyone else abuzz as the UFC’s next big money fight was virtually announced in grandiose fashion. MMA purists and pro wrestling aficionados hate the idea of Brock Lesnar being the center of attention for very different reasons.

In the realm of real fighting, Brock Lesnar tested positive for steroids in his last fight. He still has six months left on his suspension and hasn’t won a fight since 2010. This attacks the sport’s reputation because legit contenders are waiting in the wings.

In the realm of fake fighting, Brock Lesnar is the WWE Universal Champion. He’s the epitome of a part-time wrestler, which diehard fans loathe. The champ hasn’t appeared since April and has one match left on his contract, which expires in August.

This week on Raw, there was zero mention of Lesnar or the Universal Title. This was weird because the main event feud between Roman Reigns and Bobby Lashley is supposed to decide the next contender for the title.

WWE’s evasion of the subject could mean they were unaware of Lesnar’s UFC plans. Also, Lesnar officially entered the USADA drug testing pool, which means his suspension has resumed and is eligible to fight Cormier in early January 2019.

In the UFC, Cormier vs. Lesnar is a fight that is going to rain money. This means Lesnar will most likely not work a pro wrestling match until the bout takes place. Even if he makes another WWE appearance between now and the fight, it will probably be a lackluster affair.

Brock Lesnar vs. Dean Ambrose at WrestleMania 33 promised to be an epic encounter, but it was the complete opposite. Months later, it was revealed that Lesnar was in the midst of an MMA training camp at the time and didn’t want to risk injury by going all out in a worked match.

IThe last appearance on his WWE deal is worth six hundred thousand dollars. That number irks fans and insiders because current wrestlers are not even close to making that amount of money for one match. While WWE might be upset with Brock Lesnar in the short-term, the two parties will end up finding common ground like they always do. There is, however, a couple of options at WWE’s disposal.

They could always strip Lesnar of the title. However, that could kill any credibility needed to make a new champion since Lesnar was never beaten for the belt. Then again, the integrity of the championship might not be an issue. Many fans don’t consider Lesnar to be a “real” world champion because he barely defends the title.

Plus, the current storyline on television has Roman Reigns claiming to be the rightful champion due to referee error in his last match with Lesnar. If WWE decided to strip Lesnar of the title, it would perfectly fall in line with the ongoing story. The belt is taken off of Lesnar, and the company can push the narrative that Roman was right.

If Vince McMahon is going to allow Lesnar to hold the championship indefinitely, there is the unique option of making his UFC fight against Cormier for the WWE Universal Title. Daniel Cormier is a big pro wrestling fan and would relish the opportunity to be featured in a big-time role on Monday Night Raw if he beats Lesnar in the octagon.

Cormier is a major favorite to topple Lesnar, and his fandom of WWE would make it easy enough to do business with him. Cormier wins the title, has a brief stint inside the ropes and drops the belt, ensuring the legacy of the title is intact. There is always the chance Lesnar could beat Cormier. If that happens, doing business with him will be even more difficult than it is now because he will be worth more money.

Paying Brock Lesnar even more money than he is already getting for one single match in WWE seems outrageous on some levels. However, there is the possibility that Vince McMahon is secretly salivating at the idea of his champion winning the UFC title. It’s an unlikely scenario. Yet, stranger things have happened in the world of wrestling.

The angle inside the Octagon was designed to get people talking, and it worked. UFC has their next big money fight, and WWE has their next big money angle, if they choose to act on it. And it’s all thanks to Brock Lesnar, who from a business perspective, is the belle of the ball with multiple suitors to fit his Benjamin Franklin lined glass slipper.

Toy Masters: Review

Christmas of 1985 is one of my fondest childhood memories. Not only is it the first holiday that I can remember, but the cornucopia of presents under the tree was comprised of Masters of the Universe toys. Man-E-Faces, Hordak, Roboto, Mantenna, Leech, Mekaneck, Beast Man, Horde Trooper, Grizzlor, Spikor, and my Dad’s favorite, Stinkor. Even with the overwhelming roster of bad guys in the collection, Santa Claus had oriented me on all things, He-Man. So I naturally gravitated towards the first ever feature-length documentary on the most pivotal aspects of the He-Man franchise.

When watching Toy Masters, it’s apparent right from the start that the subject matter is a labor of love for filmmakers Roger Lay Jr. and Corey Landis. Their experience with the Power of Grayskull inspired the journey to document the origin of the phenomenon that inspired a generation. However, this fun-filled childhood adventure that generated billions of dollars comes with a 30-year battle for credit over He-Man’s creation.

Right off the bat, there is no simple answer to who deserves the credit for creating He-Man. That doesn’t stop Lay and Landis from digging to find one clear answer. Most documentaries eventually discover the mastermind behind the curtain. However, every comment, explanation, denial, and/or exhibit of proof to substantiate a particular claim of creation makes a strong case that the sum of its parts is greater than the whole.

This revelation forces the film to shift its exploratory tone from finding the creator to discovering who fashioned each facet of the operation that made the franchise a massive success. Of course, all while holding out hope that a sole proprietor will be revealed.

Preliminary designer Roger Sweet believes his creation of the initial prototype figures birthed all things Eternia, while production design artist Mark Taylor believes his He-Man style drawing four years before the toy line was launched spawned Masters of the Universe. Paul Cleveland, a former vice president of marketing at Mattel, believes that what he brought to the table makes him the inventor of the property.

Everyone who lays claim to the sword of power makes a good case for themselves. Then you have Roger Sweet, who presents solid facts woven with what sounds to be head-scratching fiction. The documentary doesn’t immediately jump on what was probably a tempting opportunity to cast Roger as the film’s villain/outcast.

Roger was given every opportunity to respond to any claims against him and clear up contradictions in his story. Unfortunately, he goes down the rabbit hole of negativity while making some crazy demands that make it impossible not to look at him as a quack that rules him out as the man responsible for the Thunder Punch He-Man I got for my 7^th birthday.

The original 80’s Filmation cartoon, the critically panned 1987 motion picture starring Dolph Lundgren, the loathed and short-lived The New Adventures of He-Man animated series, and the acclaimed 2002 reboot are all examined with everyone pointing to one principal antagonist…Mattel. Their final say over all forms of production being driven by toy sales revealed a permeating stench of greed, inevitably dooming the franchise at every turn.

The Filmation crew really had a passion for creating a quality show and believed MOTU was that show. However, being forced to put more emphasis on the Bashasaurus toy vehicle being released as opposed to the story ultimately produced a lack of quality control on all fronts. Mattel doesn’t comment on the matter, and wisely so on their part. Any carefully crafted statement could inadvertently open the door to a fleet of lawsuits and massive payouts.

Despite the enormous ground that the film covers, Toy Masters is aptly named because it was the toys that drove all things, He-Man. Lay and Landis do an efficient job of detailing the facts and accounts while never losing sight of the task of discovering a creator, even with some detours along the way. While we don’t get one definitive answer, we do get several admissions of contribution that takes the viewer on a journey within a journey, which is equally as satisfying. Truth tends to be stranger than the fictional adventures of He-Man and the Masters of the Universe.

***Reportedly, problems behind the scenes along with the release of the Netflix series The Toys That Made Us, has stalled out the release of Toy Masters. The movie was sporadically screened at various film festivals and pop culture conventions, beginning in 2012, with the intent of hyping a future full release.

I saw the movie a year ago, and my review was shelved since the release of the film was pushed back once again. After making some of my inquiries on the matter, all roads point to the Toy Masters being locked in the toy box, permanently.

Speaking as a lifelong Masters of the Universe fan, it’s a real shame that Toy Masters will apparently never get the audience and recognition it deserves. Publishing my review is my own small way of paying tribute to a lost labor of love.***