Who is SUN MAN? Not at all the "Black He-Man", his origins, success and impact on the toy industry

[@JurassicFunatic]

She gets mother of the year. I applaud she did not just point out an issue, rather came up with a solution of her own.

[@shawnwilson7355]

yes so did sears and niether do blacks buy at go figure

[@BrotherApexx]

@@shawnwilson7355 Huh?

[@spectorcreative1872]

Indeed

[@craigalston2208]

@@spectorcreative1872 did Olmec toys have a NATIVE AMERICAN CHARACTER ? Has MOTU ever made a NATIVE AMERICAN CHARACTER ?

[@shawnwilson7355]

@@BrotherApexx no one of color brought it

[@lilformersmatt]

Honest question: Kids have no problem associating with the Ninja Turtles, or imagining themselves as the turtles. Why?

[@WanabeSpiderMan]

I would assume that since they aren't human they are like an avatar any kid can pretend to be and no kid on the playground can dispute it on racial grounds. Though I remember any time a girl wanted to play TMNT with us on the playground they were always type-cast as April O'Neil because the boys wanted to be the turtles.

[@daximil]

Yeah. Sounds like the "uncanny valley" issue that animation artists deal with. The closer something gets to looking human, the more finicky the human brain gets about whether or not something is accepted as "real." You make a character that looks like a cartoon turtle, and the human brain accepts it. You make something that looks almost identical to a young Jeff Bridges and critics tear it apart.

[@spectorcreative1872]

See here:kzbin.info/www/bejne/fJuaaqGHqpiDl5I

[@nealh6212]

I'm half reptilian :) "joke" so I always gravitated to the Snake Men!. Tung Lashor and King Hsss are still my top list MOTU favs.

[@demgutts]

I'm jamaican and I never needed a character to represent me, only wanted cool toys. i had damn near every he-man figure. It's Funny how bruce lee was Chinese and damn near everyone tried to imitate him with no issues. Sun-man was a cool alternative to he-man but I only had 2 figures from the line.

[@johnmorey720]

As a young kid, having toys that were white and black helped combat the influences of media stereotypes (Stalker was decidedly not a stereotype!) as well as the monochrome hometown I grew up in. The stereotypes I had known as a kid were all very southern and esque , or disco-era criminals. The contrast provided by good, quality toys still have positive effects to this day.

[@elextrano7597]

Even todays the media is disgusting

[@spectorcreative1872]

A very good way of putting it!

[@violagreene4643]

Stalker's backstory showed him breaking free of a stereotype to become much more.

[@corneilusmcgillicuddy]

Stalker was a stereotype and a very bad one at that.

[@tonlito22]

@@corneilusmcgillicuddy A former criminal turned deeply heroic, loving, and intelligent leader?

[@odizm5196]

and now and sun-man has become officially part of the MOTU Toyline

[@caseysmith3329]

I did have Sun-Man growing up (I also had He-Man). Sun-Man was advertised in Jet magazine(a black publication) and my dad ordered him for me as a surprise. Glad he is being licensed into Origins and Masterverse!

[@jasonking3182]

Gi joe had a lot of diversity in it for a toy line from the early 80s I think you could thank Larry Hama for that.

[@spectorcreative1872]

That be true

[@nealh6212]

Was is and always will be one of the most diverse toy lines. And they way they did it was good. Didn't matter who or what you were. If you were good at kicking Cobra butt! You're in! Yo JOE!

[@joeesperanto678]

@@nealh6212 They even had a Jewish G.I Joe named Clutch who's grandmother had been tortured by Nazis during WWII.

[@nealh6212]

@@joeesperanto678 I got 2 Clutch figs. see totally diverse line. . Jew Joes. black joes. n american, asian, polish, russian, Mexican, spanish, etc etc .. international toy line for us all........ as long as you ain't Cobra!

[@joeesperanto678]

@@nealh6212 They were also the first to be "Inclusive" way back before it was even a thing, and yet you never saw anyone angry then. There were even gypsie Joes, Lady Jaye was supposed to have Gypsie Irish ancestry, she first came in Action Force, there was also Tunnel Rat, a rare mix race Trinidadian Chinese from Trinidad & Tobago, then there was Shipwreck who was actually of Latino ancestry, Torpedo was a Hawaiian, we have Muskrat who is a Cajun, and then we have good old Spirit, who is a Native American Joe, whom I believe is either a Pueblo Indian or an Apache. Also, There was Big Ben the Brit, Recondo who was supposed to be Australian or of Australian family, and even Red Star the Russki. 😀👍

[@JAbell1966]

The first batch of Bronze Bombers were made using 3 3/4" Mego bodies with new heads. The figures were easily broken and there was little QC on the paint apps. The second batch were sold in a box set of 12, 8 heroes and 4 villains. All used GI Joe bodies licensed from Hasbro (old news articles have pointed out that Hasbro and Mattel both worked with Olmec). I believe only 3 or 4 different bodies were used, the heroes all got new heads while the villains used existing helmeted heads. I believe all of the bodies were kept "as-is", no swapping of parts from the original Joes other than the heads. This second batch was very well made and were almost Hasbro-like in quality though lacking most of the deco hits. The blonde female you mentioned was "Pilot" from Mattel's Captain Power line.

[@spectorcreative1872]

I did not know that!

[@TerrickTerran]

@@spectorcreative1872 It was 8 bodies total. I can't recall the Joe ones (everyone of the characters was a driver/pilot) but the villains had Darklon, Secto Viper, Motor Viper and Wild Weasel for the bodies.

[@andrewgrant2990]

There was a bunch of them @ a local comic shop MSOC reasonably priced. I took pictures to get more info, as I wasn't sure I wanted to go down that collector road. When I came back a week or so later they were all gone. They look really cool in person!

[@tonlito22]

This lead to the loss of the Strato Viper, Motor Viper, Track Viper, and Darklon molds when Olmec died and the government repossessed the molds and sold them off for scrap.

[@joeesperanto678]

@@spectorcreative1872 Well now you know, and remember that knowing is half the battle ! 👍

[@NerdRahtio]

I understand wanting to see your own skin color on some awesome characters, also, as a white kid Stalker, Storm and Winston were among my favorites so I think it’s helpful to be inspired by a diverse set of individuals.

[@BrotherApexx]

Some people just don't understand how important it is to see heroes with skin and facial features the same as yours.

[@spectorcreative1872]

And nice we have much more diverse figures today

[@NerdRahtio]

@@BrotherApexx I do understand it, but my point was it’s also good to see diversity. I grew up with a somewhat racist parent , but I knew not to be because some of my favorite heroes looked different than me.

[@dark5cythe545]

Agreed. If the character was cool, it didnt matter what skin color they were.

[@BrotherApexx]

@@NerdRahtio I wasn't saying you specifically didn't understand; I was just stating it in a general way :-)

[@4thecollectors]

Never in the history of characters have one franchise adopted another franchise character She deserves mother of the Century award

[@spectorcreative1872]

Well let her know!

[@keikoyayoi9454]

I would love to see a sun man cartoon

[@spectorcreative1872]

Make it happen Mattel

[@sparklesparkle3370]

Sun man is one of those stories that remind me that representation really does matter in media

[@spectorcreative1872]

Very much so!

[@user-dk9vt2eq3u]

See, this is how it should be done. Give a platform to new, creative heroes without simply race swapping old ones. You don't need to make Superman black if you have Icon.

[@spectorcreative1872]

No you don’t!

[@dark5cythe545]

You can make superman black. Just dont make Clark Kent Black.

[@mattmetawolf8634]

@@dark5cythe545 Also don’t call him superman

[@lloydchristmas4547]

👍

[@Brett33]

But apparently Captain America is a different story .

[@rolandkatsuragi]

3:55 That's a pretty weak argument that's still used today to justify making legacy characters into tokens instead of creating new characters to appeal to a diverse demographic.

[@butchersblade7068]

Exactly.

[@spectorcreative1872]

My thoughts too

[@itheuserfirst3186]

Nah, you guys would still bitch about that, too.

[@MungkaeX]

@@itheuserfirst3186 there absolutely are a vocal minority who raise the pitchforks the moment any women or minority characters are added to just about anything. Doesn’t matter if it’s a new character, reimagined version of an old character, or whatever. The sad part is when other fans who are not racist, sexist, or whatever hear these arguments enough that they start to let them color their own opinions as well. Racist and Sexist beliefs are not something that happens at the flick of a switch. It’s a slow and gradual corruption of thought as they become indoctrinated into such belief structures. They work best when they are expressed in a place with little to no push back because they are inherently flawed. They are built upon the foundation that “You” are special because “You” were born special, those who are not like “You” are different, and different is inferior to “You”. The internet is especially good for such things because an individual can claim to be anything they want to support their ideology. There is little room for fact checking online. When a lie is stated as fact if it goes unchallenged it is treated as truth. If it is challenged, that thread goes unanswered while a hundred more take it’s place elsewhere.

[@wizardofahhhs759]

Why is it the white man's responsibility to create black characters? If blacks want black characters they should create them themselves.

[@keithunlimited]

FOR THE RECORD.... as a young black boy.... and I know others did this as well, we pretended He-Man was black, because he was really dark skinned. That or we used Blackstar. That and I didn't always really need a black character to see myself in him. I see myself more in Luke Skywalker (not the Disney version) more than I ever see myself in Black Panther. Just wanted to say. But yeah, it would be nice if there were more good black characters. That said.. I hope a Sun Man homage figure will ever happen again. It'd be cool to own one. :)

[@singletona082]

Dude I'd have loved getting a sun man to go with the he-man figures I had. (white guy that grew up in the 80's.) He just kinda fits right in.

[@domls1317]

Sun Man is coming out in Origins

[@Halbared]

In the UK there's a popular meme on how long one should brew their tea based on how dark He-Man's skin tone is.

[@Getloose360]

👏🏿👏🏿👏🏿👏🏿👍🏿

[@PelinalDidNothingWrong]

Sun Man coming to Origins is gonna be great

[@johnmorey720]

I still remember that great theme song… “There’s something strange in the neighborhood/Who ya gonna call? HE-MAN!”

[@spectorcreative1872]

It was catchy

[@willku9000]

Since we’re getting Sun Man in Origins, wouldn’t it be neat if they licensed and threw in characters from other Motu Derivatives and knockoffs from that era like Galaxy Warriors, Fuerza T, Or Warrior Beasts?

[@spectorcreative1872]

It would indeed!

[@butchersblade7068]

Not every character can be tailor made for everyone. He-Man wasn't the 'Whitest man in the universe' in the 80's, people didn't think about that garbage. Characters are just like real people, you either like them as they are or you don't. Growing up one of my favorite characters was/is Spawn. Not once did I ever think about how I can't completely see myself as this fictional character because he's black and I'm white. I just enjoyed the stories and artwork. I also grew up really poor, but that didn't stop me from liking a billionaire hero like Batman. I'm a guy, but that didn't stop me from liking She-Ra, Wonder Woman, and Spider Woman. I think it puts limitations on kids to make them think they have to see themselves in every fictional character.

[@spectorcreative1872]

Very much so.

[@majorlazor5058]

I grew up in the 80’s as a black kid in a mostly white town. Race was very much a thing. I was constantly told I couldn’t be the “leader”, because in every bit of fiction aimed at children (if black people even existed), the black characters followed orders from a white guy.

[@erickjohnson6438]

Just got Sun Man 6 inch version...very good figure and I put him in the MOTU world also cause he's a good ally to He-Man

[@SylentEcho]

That's how it's done! I really respect the fact that she created something instead of latching onto a brand and race/gender swapping characters.

[@spectorcreative1872]

Bam what

[@user-kh2dg7it2nn]

The word "man" in Sun man will probably itself be changed because it's not inclusive of women and transgender. Next it will be a remake called "Sun person" to be more inclusive. It also should come with a removable penis for one of the accessories

[@pscoolguy]

She most certainly does race swap characters who are already established. Sun-Man is clearly a race swap of He-Man, the same as she race swapped GI Joe to sell the Brown Bombers. It’s kind of hilarious that she added the one White woman in the Brown Bombers to perpetuate the stereo stereotype of a successful Black man having the ability to be with a White woman. I would have respected her if instead of carbon copying He-Man, she approached Mattel with the idea of adding Sun-Man to the Herman line, even though He-Man has a few characters of racial diversity already, including Black, Asian, Orange , and Blue characters. Big eye roll at Mateo though for race swapping Zodak! He didn’t have a race to begin with.

[@SylentEcho]

But, it's fine, if they create new ones and not just putting a different colour on the same guy. That;' like saying Icon is a race-swap of Superman. I don't think so.@@pscoolguy

[@luciousthomas6141]

I remember way back then at my grandmas house down in NC and going to take a #2. As I sat on the toilet I saw some magazines as you would see in most people’s homes. I picked up a jet magazine and as I flipped up through the pages I came across this Sun Man character being advertised in the magazine. Yo I never saw the toys in any toy store I went to back home in VA though. I had a bunch of He Man toys too. I would’ve loved to have added him to my collection.

[@spectorcreative1872]

NC grandmas are awesome

[@JasonTodd971]

Can’t wait for him to join MOTU Origins Kinda wish he was called Sun-Ra though especially as his last name is Rann

[@JAbell1966]

Sun-Ra probably wouldn't fly with the musician of the same name.

[@spectorcreative1872]

It will be very interesting if this happens

[@nathanilsaenz8178]

So now origins and masterverse now have a sun man, so did mattel buy him? Or is it some calibration?

[@adrianlutes2465]

I hear about that a lot. That icons in comics, advertising, and toys are white. People- anyone. If you are not into the whiteness of the character- you can create your own characters, comics, cartoons, etc. I would love to see so much more of it. Complaining and hating is counter productive. Use your imagination and create your own icons- the rest of us will follow.

[@wizardofahhhs759]

Exactly right

[@spectorcreative1872]

Very well put

[@johnmorey720]

I was in a writer chat the other day where people argued that unless a character looked like then, they couldn’t relate. And this came from white people, too - it’s a reason why diversity, done thoughtfully to make good characters instead of just swapping colors, is important.

[@sweetchristmas101]

Let's hope none of those people ever get published - their books would have such a limited appeal they'd never sell. And where does the idea of "look like me" begin and end? Race? Gender? Nationality? What about socioeconomic status or sexual preference or religion? Those can make for fundamental differences too. It sounds to me your chatroom is simply full of bigots, the unimaginative, or autists who don't understand human emotions on a basic level.

[@cetialphav3214]

Narcissists.

[@johnmorey720]

@@sweetchristmas101 I mean, personally I want more protagonists who are just straight-up monsters.

[@sweetchristmas101]

@@johnmorey720 If you are there to have your own work critiqued, you might want to consider going somewhere else. Outside of the technical aspects, you might not get much usable feedback from people with such a limited worldview.

[@johnmorey720]

@@sweetchristmas101 don’t read too much negativity into it, we were discussing the general issues, which is true for audiences more than you think.

[@swanofnutella4734]

Sun-man probably should have been designed by a black artist who was both of a fan of African anthropology/history/art AND a fan of the sword and sorcery genre. Instead, Sun-man looks like he was designed by somebody's mom.

[@spectorcreative1872]

Well he was

[@JamesChessman]

Sun Man is cool, his cape or wings are just a bit unique but it looks like it can come off. You have to keep in mind how He-Man had weird unique stuff for each character, so Sun Man fits with that imo.

[@talented1617]

💯😂😂😂😂😂😂💯

[@cre8original]

@@JamesChessman The wings were detachable.

[@SylentEcho]

Doesn't HAVE to be a black artist. Could be anyone with a good knowledge of, and respect for those things.

[@kratoscraken5614]

I remember him! My mum got me this action figure ill cherish it always thanks mum 💪👍💪

[@spectorcreative1872]

That is awesome

[@ragemalachi]

just a note: the girl figure shown in the bronze bombers wasn't their token female. Thats Jennifer "Pilot" Chase from Captain Power and the Soldiers of the Future.

[@LewisChristisonVids]

Be rather odd to have only a lone white woman in a line of black men. Also be rather disappointing, since you can just get Scarlet, Lady Jaye, or Baroness, while there aren't any black women in the Joe line as far as I know.

[@ragemalachi]

@@LewisChristisonVids there was at least one. I can't for the life of me remember her name, but I think she was doc's niece or something

[@avantgarbage6341]

@@ragemalachi Her name was Agent Telepathy

[@jdevowe]

It is the Captain Power action figure of Pilot. It is also portraying a meme format known as"blacked" (NSFW, Google at your own discretion). It should be removed from this video. Agent Telepathy was an African-American female action figure with a black jacket and pink pants.

[@NerdRahtio]

@@LewisChristisonVids there are a few now , Doc II and shooter are black , Freestyle is Latina and there are more in the comics

[@JAbell1966]

Will you be doing a video on Butterfly Woman to go with this?

[@spectorcreative1872]

No plans on the table but I certainly can

[@jerrybeckettdd]

This is awesome! I never knew of the Sun Man toy. I wasn't really into He-Man style figures growing up. I stuck with Transformers, Star Wars and G.I. Joe through those years. But this is pretty cool.

[@spectorcreative1872]

I only learned of him as an adult

[@MatticusPrime1]

Very cool and I’m pumped about the Sun Man Origins figures.

[@spectorcreative1872]

Looks like we are getting quite a lot

[@Canoby]

Just imagine all the figs that would fit right in to Origins (or would have been sweet in Classics) if licensing and copyright wasn't an issue

[@spectorcreative1872]

If only!

[@kaylemathewcomendador6964]

*Random News 🚨:* Power-Con has announced some new Sun-man stuff.

[@Canoby]

@@kaylemathewcomendador6964 I love it when a cross over comes together /lights cigar and A-Team theme plays

[@go-toolzreviews]

Sunman has now become part of master of the universe and will be sold on Mattel Creations on Monday.

[@spectorcreative1872]

Who would have thunk it!

[@go-toolzreviews]

@@spectorcreative1872 you did

[@bryanabbott6169]

It's probably a licensing deal that was made for the use of Sun Man for MotU Origins. One things for sure, it'd be relatively easy for Mattel to produce them, all things considered. Would be great way to reintroduce him to the world.

[@spectorcreative1872]

If Mattel wanted to pay for it!

[@joe123452]

@1:34 Hi can anyone tell me what that picture of a blacked out He-Man&BattleCat with some Asian text below is from please?

[@spectorcreative1872]

It is just fan art

[@joe123452]

@@spectorcreative1872 hey thanks so much for quick reply! i don't suppose you might have a link to it somewhere maybe? no worries if you just can't remember now

[@KingRandor82]

Correction: Olmec did TWO historical figures- Malcolm X and MLK Jr; also, my money is on Sun Man joining Origins, since Revelations essentially ripped the character off for their new "He-Man"...

[@spectorcreative1872]

Good to know! Thanks for pointing that out

[@twilightz0ne]

As always, thank you very much for the background and history, we are afortunates to have somebody so passionate like you with such industry insight !! Good Work and video!

[@spectorcreative1872]

Well thank you! Any help sharing these videos is most appreciated

[@jeffreystein9871]

It looks like later packaging versions of Sun Man copy the "New Adventures Of He-Man" logo/packaging. The color/layout is basically the same.

[@spectorcreative1872]

OH very much so

[@dark5cythe545]

Thats a pretty blatant rip off lol

[@Numskull6900]

and now Sun Man is officially entering Masters Origins.

[@spectorcreative1872]

How cool!

[@nickangelo116]

I like that he's not an unnecessary race swap of an existing MOTU character, he's an original creation with history. NINJA TURTLES!!!! Now those are characters I can physically identify with

[@spectorcreative1872]

Very much so

[@manfredflyingcircus1232]

Lmao

[@zitronoslen]

Haha I like how you think Nick. I believe there is a alot of indigenous history told thru the cartoon MOTU.

[@stevencorrea8032]

​@@manfredflyingcircus1232 why?

[@kingwiku9735]

Yay! Thanks for doing one on Sun Man! I had done research on my own in the past, but hadn't found as much. I hope this comes back in some way, for kids, and collectors.

[@spectorcreative1872]

That would be awesome!

[@justafanofnerdculture7602]

One of my best friends had the Sun Man figure when were kids. We used him as a part of our always expanding Remco AWA wrestling roster. He definitely goes for a lot of 💵 these days.

[@spectorcreative1872]

That he does!

[@ogunsheyerohlsen4410]

I paid over a thousand for my sun man first edition complete in package

[@hanselbeckfordjr7530]

Yla Eason is an amazing, fearless, and INNOVATIVE woman. I’m 42 yrs old and from Jamaica, now living in the US the last 25 yrs. I WISH I had Sun-Man back in the day and I’m going to buy it when it comes out in June 2022. LOVE THIS!

[@spectorcreative1872]

So glad you enjoyed! Any help sharing and reposting is most appreciated

[@esa5952]

Never knew about the Bronze Bombers. Couldn’t Mattel just licence Sun Man from Olmec?

[@spectorcreative1872]

Yes they could but that costs money

[@nealh6212]

@@spectorcreative1872 Olmec went bankrupt years ago. How much would it be to buy an IP from a dead company? weird small budget toy companies do it all the time. heck Bossfight studios has BUcky O Hare license.

[@HAGZ0483]

Well, they just did. Origins Sun Man already got confirmed.

[@nealh6212]

People look up Sun-Man up now. this pops up. Kudos putting this vid up before the Power Con reveal! Hope it snags you more subs. !

[@spectorcreative1872]

Me too! So unintentional

[@b.lloydreese2030]

Sun Man the movie starring carl weathers. As a kid, i LOVED mr. T and yeah, as a white dude i couldn't grow up to be mr t lol. But it is good they came up with something new and to bring black characters too Would love a sun man/he man crossover or to have some with my motu figs

[@domls1317]

He will come out in Origins soon

[@spectorcreative1872]

Make it happen Sony

[@dark5cythe545]

See, then someone should have made a white Mr. T so you could see yourself in him lol

[@willku9000]

This story is sweet and inspiring

[@spectorcreative1872]

Isn’t it!

[@sanspie029]

I wouldn’t really call he-man aggressive, I mean he has shown mercy to skeletor and even hordak in some cases. He’s not an oily barbarian as some people would think, he has heart, brains, and yes muscle.

[@spectorcreative1872]

Well he did kill that Wampa. Oh wait, that was a hallucination I had…

[@sanspie029]

@@spectorcreative1872 I don’t get it? So you think he-man is aggressive? Cause from the filmation shows he is very much the opposite.

[@GODCONVOYPRIME]

@@spectorcreative1872 you saw it too?!

[@donaldjohnson1148]

@1:33 Scott, please kind Sir where did you find that freakin' awesome He-Man & Battle Cat silhouette artwork with the asian script? That is so ridiculously cool looking, I gotta get one. And in the group shot of the Bronze Bombers figures @8:51 I believe the blonde female figure is from the Capt. Power line, think I still have mine in storage. Do you know if the figure tooling was bought for the Bombers or the tooling bought for Capt. Power?

[@spectorcreative1872]

I found it on Google.

[@donaldjohnson1148]

@@spectorcreative1872 thank you Sir. And again, just love your channel. Thanks for making it.

[@Mikemurdock431]

"Space Sumo, the telekinetic ninja."

[@LewisChristisonVids]

Named Space Sumo, but isn't fat and is actually a Ninja. I guess this is like naming your Pokemon the names of different Pokemon so your opponent switches out to one you'll actually be strong against.

[@spectorcreative1872]

Why not

[@Mikemurdock431]

@@spectorcreative1872 Cliche overload 😅. Also, not very pc.

[@dark5cythe545]

@@Mikemurdock431 well why would a black lady know what upsets the asian SJW of the future lol?

[@doesitmatter9085]

Thank you for the recreation of a very popular meme with your posing of the Bronze Bombers 🤣 You made my day. Very subtle!

[@spectorcreative1872]

Glad it wasn’t missed

[@MaestroUJ]

Whoah!!! I used to see Sun-Man advertised in comics and I always wanted one. When I got old enough to buy toys (I mean, old enough to become a collector) I couldn't remember what his name was or what toy line he belonged to.

[@spectorcreative1872]

And now it all comes together!

[@rayshonmeeks5444]

Thank you!

[@spectorcreative1872]

Glad to! Any help passing this video along is most appreciated

[@wonderwaffle93]

Sun-Man and his origins are just some great stuff. I just love stories like this when it comes to the toy industry. It would be cool to see Sun-Man come back into Origins but I can’t imagine all the paperwork and cost Mattel would have to go through in order to make it happens.

[@spectorcreative1872]

I wonder if indeed Mattel has purchased the IP

[@stranger59]

Turns out, someone at Mattel can imagine all that paperwork, cause they did it! He's on his way!

[@BrandtvonWest]

Thanks to this video I decided yesterday to order Sun Man from the MOTU Origins collection.

[@irishmile]

I sculpted him in dreams on PS4 recently.. as well as a bunch of MOTU and GI Joe.

[@spectorcreative1872]

That is awesome!

[@jediknightjairinaiki560]

I apologize if I've missed it, but what do you think of the Eternia Mini line?

[@spectorcreative1872]

Considering I created it, I love it

[@derheadbanger9039]

Sun-Man Champion of the Sun (ah-ah-ah) You're a Master of Karate and friendship For Everyone ♪

[@spectorcreative1872]

I was totally thinking of doing a night man joke int his video

[@speedmastermarkiii]

@@spectorcreative1872 If you'd made a night man joke you would have had to pay the troll toll.

[@DanielS2001]

I have to ask... If I happen to say I have two copies of the same Sun-Man figure that I picked up from a flea market a few years ago for 50 cents, would that tick people off because it sounds like I'm flexing or would that be impressive? Because I'm worried about people thinking I was flexing.

[@spectorcreative1872]

Well anything would tick someone somewhere off. Just look at social media

[@zdravkogenov9539]

Aaaand Mattel just announced Sun Man to be joining MOTU :)

[@spectorcreative1872]

Crazy!

[@ligeiaztomb2755]

This was a GREAT video. I wish I had this figure....what a cool story!

[@spectorcreative1872]

Indeed it is!

[@JamesChessman]

Awesome video and awesome line of toys that I never knew about. In case people don’t realize it: Sun Man’a costume is colors of black heritage. :)

[@spectorcreative1872]

Glad you liked!

[@JamesChessman]

@@spectorcreative1872 Yep, I love everything about the vintage 80’s toys & series. :)

[@bartley3742]

This was a great video. I never knew this story at all. Good for her!!!

[@spectorcreative1872]

Glad to inform! Feel free to pass this along to others, it helps the channel a ton

[@holyhayn]

I'm in the camp of finding it weird that her kid needed someone to look like him to relate to him. I'm also in the camp of not liking He-Man because he was blonde, even as a kid I just didn't believe in a blonde barbarian. Still though, I applaud that mother. Instead of demanding Mattel race swap a character or demand more representation from them, she went out there and created her own unique character. That's awesome. I wish more people would learn from her example. Great video, Spectre!

[@spectorcreative1872]

I never had muscles so seeing myself as he man would have required a muscle-less version

[@SylentEcho]

I think it's adults that think of it as kids seeing themselves in their toys. We took He-Man, GiJoes, WWF wrestlers etc for what they were. If the former were true, then toys of dinosaurs, cars, robots etc would never be famous because no kid look like that, lol.

[@perfectallycromulent]

the ancient Greeks were certainly of the opinion that all those blond Germanic tribesmen to the north of them were barbarians. and continental Europeans thought blond Scandinavians on their viking missions were barbarians over 1000 years later. then there was your WW1 and WW2 Allied depictions of blond Germans as barbarians. there's a very long history of thinking blonds are barbarians.

[@godofzombi]

10:29. Are we just gonna ignore how much Sun-Man's logo looks like the New adventures of He-man logo? I guess this is where Mattel got the inspiration from.

[@spectorcreative1872]

Yes, we are going to ignore that collectively.

[@ZombieSailorPhil]

I would love to own the line in its entirety!! I may treat myself to them after i retire in a few years, lol. Those ebay prices are insane, and i simply dont have time to look for them being active duty lol smh. Definitely grail worthy, them and the uss flag. I cant wait to tune in to this video, thank you for taking the time to do it.

[@spectorcreative1872]

Hope it is up to expectations!

[@ZombieSailorPhil]

@@spectorcreative1872 very much so!!! Great video as always!!

[@stranger59]

Sun Man was just shown off coming to Origins! You can see him in a video Pixel Dan took at Power Con, looks pretty awesome!

[@Supremmo]

Sun Man needs a cartoon or a comic book to get the word out about him! As to why he wasn’t licensed for an animated series or live action is beyond me!

[@shtdaprdtr]

How do kids relate to mutant turtles and transforming alien robots?

[@spectorcreative1872]

Through osmosis

[@godofzombi]

Rule of cool.

[@godofzombi]

Kids just relate. It's the adults that make a big deal of race and sexuality.

[@shtdaprdtr]

@@godofzombi exactly!!!

[@shtdaprdtr]

I longed for air jordans even though I was never a 6'5 black man in junior high! People suck!

[@axiomsofspacecadetsoniceax9347]

Brooklyn had sun man in the '80s I had one those were the classic times Shaw Brother movies classic karate flicks son man honey Bean dolls that was the other side to the cabbage patch doll and just being black in the neighborhood was great in the 80s Michael Jackson Mike Tyson Michael Jordan Prince real rap public enemy classic rock and roll AC/DC guns and roses real rap Eric B and rakim the '80s was lit

[@machineman6498]

Thanks for the history! That figure’s head sculpt actually looks better than some HeMan. Bronze bombers not so much. Major respect to the Afro HeMan.

[@spectorcreative1872]

Glad you liked!

[@spikeground]

@@spectorcreative1872 It’s time for Mattel and the creator to be held accountable for not including indigenous community when creating these toys and profiting from using the Olmec name!

[@brandonandcharlene9527]

So now that Sunman is official, any chance we can get new toys of characters from Blackstar and Bravestarr in a shared MOTU universe?

[@spectorcreative1872]

Totally up to Mattel, but I think this opens the door to this strategy

[@elextrano7597]

2:40 as an hispanisc i begg you... Never says that ever again... My body cringes every time i hear some say Whiteness

[@spectorcreative1872]

Noted

[@interghost]

Always cringe when Americans refer to ALL black people as "African-Americans"... guess what... there are black people living in all countries of the world! Not just Africa and America!?!

[@Phantasia_Workshop]

Ha! At 4:30 you said "Black Panthor". Force of habit, I guess 😂

[@spectorcreative1872]

Clearly.

[@godofzombi]

Eternia forever!

[@XArctracerX]

I must say I had no idea who Sun Man was when I first saw him so this really helped with that thank you

[@The_Cosmic_Yog-Sothoth]

So,....by this logic....I shouldn't have played with Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles toys...or Transformers... Am I a giant green turtle? Am I a robot? *OMG I CAN'T SEE MYSELF IN THESE TOYS!* Crazy identarian nonsense.

[@spectorcreative1872]

Clearly

[@scottchambers7087]

I saw a G. I've seen it all. I am a Sun Man. Dope describes my rhymes, making all you emcees cold drop like dimes. You know MCSC is back again, and battling me on the microphone is like committing a sin. King Scott/King MCSC

[@DisgruntledPigumon]

Sun-Man is a billion times better than the race-swapped MOTU characters.

[@spectorcreative1872]

Race swapping is tight

[@JurassicRod]

It's always better when new, unique and original characters are made that are female or ethnic rather than just taking white male characters and gender bending or black facing them to piggyback on white male characters popularity and success. Makes it look like female and ethnic characters can't be popular on their own merit.

[@mrjeffreymister]

Man I wish I had a Sun Man growing up! Salute to the Mrs. Eason for pushing this idea through. Great video too!

[@spectorcreative1872]

Well you can now from Mattel!

[@talented1617]

🤷🏾‍♂️ As a kid race was the last thing on my mind when getting and playing with He-man figures!🤷🏾‍♂️🤦🏾‍♂️

[@spectorcreative1872]

Me too

[@KomradeKrusher]

@@spectorcreative1872 Yes, Scott. It wasn't on my mind back then, either. Probably because we're white and never had to wonder why none of the action figures we played with even remotely looked like us or most people we knew.

[@Gkeese]

Toy Guru right again!! Sun Man announced at Power Con. Why do we doubt him. Lol

[@spectorcreative1872]

Even I doubt me

[@tawdryhepburn4686]

This video comes with, “The highest possible recommendation?” For Sun Man toys? For Scott himself? Or were the lofty superlatives a feature of the toy itself?

[@spectorcreative1872]

The recommendation is from the Monsanto Corporation, our parent company

[@josteinhenrique2779]

That story about Sun-man's origins is so great, so beautiful! I like how Yla made this for her son. It wasn't to raise a flag, to create a hashtag or to become famous for being "stunning and brave". No, she just wanted to give her son an aspirational heroic figure. I mean, heroes are meant to be inspirations for us, right? And, as a bonus, she used the trope of the "pacifist hero" way before this turned commonplace. A very, very misused commonplace. If I get an opportunity, I'll buy a Sun-Man Origins toy along with Castle Grayskull and Shark Tank.

[@spectorcreative1872]

I’m looking forward to seeing what Mattel does with this line

[@alejandromolinac]

Go to a poor ass country and see children yearn for any toy..... This whole "see themselves" argument is such a First world problem..... That's just adults projecting.....

[@agathisrobusta]

Just because someone has worse problems than you doesn't make your own problems, thoughts or wishes invalid.

[@spectorcreative1872]

First World problems have 4th world answers.

[@robertbruster4250]

Thank you I know there's only a like button on the screen but "if there is a love button I push it" thank you!

[@spectorcreative1872]

Well thank you so much!

[@raymoreno4479]

The absurd lie that a fictional character needs to be your shade of color/ethnicity for you to be able to "see yourself in them" is very racist and disrespectful. I'm a Hispanic male and growing up I loved characters because they had a specific power or personality that I gravitated towards. Color had nothing to do with it. Awful attempt at a virtue signal here, Scotty..

[@BlackBoyToyJoy]

Uhhhh as some who is Black and has plenty of Black friends of different hues and works in the early childhood field for two decades, it's absolutely important for CHILDREN to see themselves positively in the toys, books, and cartoons as well as their cultures respected in all of things. There have been numerous studies that have shown that young Black girls often associate goodness, positivity and beauty traits in dolls and pictures of white and fair skinned girls. While the negative traits are associated with darker skinned dolls. It's also dually important for children of different races to see other children portrayed positively.

[@raymoreno4479]

@@BlackBoyToyJoy This black man is who opened my eyes to the BS idea of "seeing yourself" in characters based on color. Hail YoungRippa59!! kzbin.info/www/bejne/gIrLamhsppd3gZo

[@lukebaldock4672]

As a white dude my hero as a kid was mr t

[@BlackBoyToyJoy]

@@raymoreno4479 I'm an early childhood professional with 2 decades of experience in the field. I'm assured that I know more about child development than you. The research and evidence-based practice supports this notion. The longest standing children's program is Sesame Street, and it has always had a diverse cast of human cast members, children and guests.

[@BlackBoyToyJoy]

@@raymoreno4479 ahhh and in your video I believe you're taking what some of what he's saying out of context. He doesn't purport that children don't need to see themselves in media. The character has to be more than being simply a physical representation of the grown up version of the child. And no one said that children can't identify with people who don't look like them. The best opportunity for all children to relate is to create enough diversity of representation so that no person or thing becomes a token. The original MOTU cartoon gave nothing.

[@turkish2515]

Fantastic story. Great to hear about people who see a problem and do something about it. Every child should feel included and feel represented

[@spectorcreative1872]

So glad you enjoyed!

[@theflyingninja1]

It really gets tiresome how Americans never stop banging on about skin colour. I'm not sure what the big fascination is.

[@doctorjohnsmith3653]

Countries that have only been around for a few years have a harder time hiding where the money of old families comes from slavery.

[@spectorcreative1872]

We are obsessed with racism.

[@Bernhard2024]

I purchased Sun Man Origins today. He looks amazing and I had to buy him on ebay.

[@spectorcreative1872]

Sorry you couldn’t get him direct

[@toarisebell]

Can you please stop doing premiers? I’m sick of the blue balling

[@ZeroAnalogy]

Maybe you need to take matters into your own hands. Look for older Spector Creative videos and knock 'em out. Can you honestly say that you've watched every single video The ToyGuru has release? Let's see how long you can last before you are done or until premiere pops off.

[@spectorcreative1872]

I did not realize this was causing frustration! Happy to cut back

[@markheadley125]

Totally awesome

[@johnmorey720]

It is indeed true that two or three token side characters dies not make diversity…

[@spectorcreative1872]

And what about the aliens?

[@johnmorey720]

@@spectorcreative1872 I always vote for nonhuman viewpoint characters.

[@ZeroAnalogy]

Dang blast it! I'll be at work at video launch. I can watch during break, but I won't be able to post a comment based on content until 2 hours later when I clock off work. I wonder how many videos will release on Saturday.

[@spectorcreative1872]

Usually 2, one in the AM and a "saturday night special"

[@The_Cosmic_Yog-Sothoth]

"Cultural appropriation" is absolute BS. My fave A-Team character growing up was B.A Baracus, and I'm white. Also "representation" is also BS. What about white kids who don't have blond hair like He-Man does? People need to get over themselves. You don't want to see yourself on screen or as a toy. Most people are ugly and/or out of shape. Superheroes exist to be super. They're different to us. Am I allowed to like the Hulk? He's GREEN for Hell's sake.

[@justicierodelaliga]

To add to that let´s take the DC Comics take on superheroes. Most of them are basically gods in terms of powers. The idea behind that is that they´re meant to inspire not to relate.

[@The_Cosmic_Yog-Sothoth]

@@justicierodelaliga Exactly. As a kid I was struck with awe and wonderment and excitement when seeing things like He-Man, Transformers, Thundercats and TMNT. It's not a case of "I want to grow up to be He-Man." I never thought that once. It's more of a sense of child-like worship of demi-gods, not aspirational role models.

[@spectorcreative1872]

Well they count too I think

[@mothmanmedia8511]

This is an incredible story that I never knew about. Love it and Sun Man is awesome. Love to see this toy line revisited.

[@spectorcreative1872]

Well Mattel just licensed the rights!

[@solomonallen3524]

I had this toy as a kid his secret identity was prince Sunni who battled the evil pig head..just a blatant he-man RIP off

[@spectorcreative1872]

Not as much as you may think

[@solomonallen3524]

@@spectorcreative1872 sun man came with a mini comic book and when I read it it was terrible and the art work was awful...another piece of info sun man toys was first advertised in the jet magazine For order the package came in about 8 weeks

[@djfunkgut]

I’d say inspired by more than rip off the way Batman is inspired by the shadow ..

[@solomonallen3524]

@@djfunkgut That's a valid point 👍

[@JasonTodd971]

He was made to be played with the He-Man figures. There were no black characters until the end of the line with Clamp-Champ

[@garybradley912]

Thanks so much for this video, Scott! I remember our Dad showing me and my brother that very same ad for Sun-Man when we were kids. It was in Jet Magazine, I believe. If I can find the toys, I'm going to start collecting them. Also, thanks for the history lesson on Yla Eason. I think I remember reading about her and her creating Sun-Man some time ago.

[@spectorcreative1872]

Glad you liked! Share it if you can, it helps the channel a ton!

[@jeremygregorio7472]

Those Sculpes are really amazing. Way better than what I was used to seeing for something that didn't come from one of the big toy companies

[@spectorcreative1872]

Indeed

[@jdboov6739]

As a Joe fan, I was aware of Bronze Bombers, but didnt know this history of Olmec toys. Thanks for brining it to us Scott

[@spectorcreative1872]

Glad to help bring the know!

[@Blondie472]

"Day Man..AhAhAaa Fighter of the Night Man! AhAhAaa Champion of The 🌞 You're a master of Karate, and Friendship for Everyone!"

[@spectorcreative1872]

What about Green Man?

[@spot138]

I'd LOVE an Origins Sun Man!!! I'm white, but grew up in a black neighborhood and my friends had him and we played together, so he was definetly part of my motu world back in the day

[@spectorcreative1872]

Nice.