Mastering the Universe: He-Man and the Rise and Fall of a Billion-Dollar Idea - Softcover

Sweet, Roger; David, Wecker

3.1

31 ratings by Goodreads

9781578602230: Mastering the Universe: He-Man and the Rise and Fall of a Billion-Dollar Idea

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1578602238 ISBN 13: 9781578602230

Publisher: Clerisy Press, Emmis Books, 2005

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Mastering the Universe illuminates the creation, rise, and fall of one of the top-selling product lines in what is arguably the world’s most competitive industry, toys and it does so from the perspective of Roger Sweet, the man who originated He-Man for Mattel. He-Man and the product line that grew out of it, Masters of the Universe (MOTU), created a fantasy world for boys that, at its height in 1986, reached $400 million in U.S. sales, only to plummet to $7 million the following year. During its six-year run, the MOTU line sold $1.2 billion worldwide and spawned a syndicated cartoon series and a major motion picture a feat not even the venerable Barbie can claim. Mastering the Universe explores the phenomenon of He-Man’s popularity, as well as the shocking reasons behind the toy’s rapid decline.

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From the Publisher:

MASTERING THE UNIVERSE is a must-read for members of the "I-love-the-80's" generation as well as for toy collectors, pop culture enthusiasts, and anyone interested in the drama of business history—as bloody a battleground as anything He-Man ever faced.

About the Author:

Roger Sweet has a Master of Science degree in Product Design from the Institute of Design in Chicago. He worked twenty years doing general consumer product and graphic design and twenty-five more years doing toy product and graphic design. Companies for whom he has designed products include Boeing, Procter & Gamble, Rubbermaid, Hamilton Beach Scovill, Hoover and Mattel. He is currently researching and developing new product concepts. Roger resides in the Pacific Northwest.

David Wecker is a columnist for both the Cincinnati Post and the Kentucky Post. He is also co-host of Brain Brew, a weekly on-hour radio program distributed by PRI, Public Radio International and co-author of Jump Start Your Brain. He lives with his wife and children in a 200 year-old log cabin in Kentucky.

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