Fright Zone MOTU Origins Playset Packing Art Behind the Scenes

Roy Juarez takes us behind the scenes of the Fright Zone MOTU Origins Playset Packing Art Behind the Scenes with a sneak peek at the sketches by the great @axel.gimenez , artwork by @dc_alonso_colorist and graphic design and art direction by @manuel_eduardo_caritas himself! We also take a look at the concept images from the past that inspired the Fright Zone packaging art. Staying true to the spirit of the vintage packaging, the artwork not only pays homage to the classic 1980’s design while giving it a modern, dynamic twist, but there are cleverly placed easter egg teases tucked into the artwork. If you look closely, you’ll spot nods to not only Sketch Book Series Buzz-Off, Battle Armor He-Man, Battle Armor Skeletor, Mantenna, and Hordak, but there are also some very cool homages to classic MOTU illustrations and artwork to take note of as this box is full of them!

Behind the Scenes Sketches

Here we can begin to see of the the sketches that will become the stunning art work that features Mini Comic Trip Klops, Leech, Mantenna, Lords of Power Man At Arms, Orko, Sketchbook Buzz Off, and Sketchbook Battle Armor He Man. We also get to see of the sketches that features the Fright Zone Dragon Creature and Green Goddess, Dark Face Grizzlor, Red Lords of Power Beast Man and the Argentinian version of Modulock. Finally we get Hordak and Sketckbook Battle Armor Skeletor!

Initial sketches of Leech battling Man At Arms and mini comic Red Beast Man and concept Mantenna are shown below.

Finally we can see a sketch of early concepts of Orko, you will notice he doesn’t yet have his signature “O” on his chest. Buzz off is peeking in at the bottom of the sketches.

Battle Armor Skeletor

You’ll also notice a very different chest design for Battle Armor Skeletor as this too draws upon early sketches and concepts.

The MOTU Origins Sketch Book Series Battle Armor Skeletor by bombstaroutkast brings the original concept art to life with an imaginative and faithful execution. In the vintage illustration, Skeletor is depicted with a monstrous armored chest plate featuring a snarling, dragon-like creature mouth, along with clawed feet and a darker look.

The concept figure translates this into a three-dimensional sculpt with impressive detail, showcasing the fierce green dragon head on his armor with sharp teeth and red eyes. The custom it captures the core design beautifully, complete with Skeletor’s classic purple hood, boots. It’s a striking homage that blends vintage inspiration with the talent that bombstaroutkast pours into this work!

Battle Armor He-Man

The chest design is quite interesting as this illustration draws from the early concepts of Battle Armor He-Man.

This concept art for Battle Armor He-Man for possible MOTU Origins Sketch Book Series reimagines the heroic warrior with a bold, mechanical twist. Unlike the classic version with the rotating chest plate, this design features a highly stylized and tech-heavy chest armor adorned with detailed panel lines and exposed twin guns. The central plate showcases intricate mechanical detailing, suggesting a more advanced or futuristic interpretation of He-Man’s iconic armor. An alternate chest design appears above the figure, displaying his classic symbol that echoes vintage MOTU. He-Man himself maintains his signature blond hair, muscular build, and bracers, grounding the concept in familiarity while giving the armor a visually dynamic upgrade. The overall design feels like a blend of classic Eternian power and sci-fi influence.

This concept that was created by bombstaroutkast and commissioned for Mr. Home Arcade for a Battle Armor He-Man for possible MOTU Origins Sketch Book Series figure that reimagines the heroic warrior with a bold, mechanical twist.

Buzz-Off

Playfully referred to as cosplay Buzz-Off in modern days, we can see the early concept sketches of the he-man / bee mashup that was an early concept for the figure design.

Buzz-Off started life as the more humanoid character Bug-Off, who was also known as Wasp Man. Early Filmation model sheet designs suggest Mattel may have gone so far as to recycle He-Man’s head mold for this figure. Even though he only worked on MOTU a few times, Bailey’s designs made their way into both toy and animated form. He was also known for drawing comic strips featuring Mattel’s employees for fun.

A mock-up prototype was created around the He-Man figure.

Here is a back view of Buzz-Off showing show his wings work as you can flay them out or bring them down.

Hordak

At first glance, this might just look like another Hordak but inspiration was drawn from early sketches!

For years, it was assumed that the creators at Mattel were solely responsible for designing the Evil Horde, but recent evidence reveals that the concept was actually a collaborative effort between Mattel and Filmation. The two companies had a strong working relationship, with Filmation playing an equally important role in the development of Masters of the Universe. Lou Scheimer, head of Filmation, frequently met with Mattel representatives to discuss upcoming figures and explore opportunities to introduce new characters. Concept sketches, including early designs of Hordak and other Horde members, indicate that Filmation was deeply involved in shaping the visual direction of the Evil Horde. While the Horde figures were clearly intended for the MOTU toyline, Filmation’s production artwork confirms these characters were always meant to appear in the She-Ra: Princess of Power animated series. According to Roger Sweet, the name “Hordak” and the idea of the Evil Horde originated from Dave Capper in Mattel’s marketing department. Sweet also notes that Hordak’s appearance was inspired by a Hollywood interpretation of an African tribal witch doctor’s mask, with the final concept illustration completed by Ted Mayer on March 29, 1984. Other than some changes to the weapon, the final sculpt remained largely true to this original design.

Mantenna

This is not your usual Matenna as the they have drawn inspiration from the early sketches!

These two illustrations by Ted Mayer show the design evolution of Mantenna and a character known as Raydor. Evidence from both Mattel and Filmation confirms that Mantenna—originally given the name Sensor—remained largely unchanged from concept to final sculpt. His distinctive four-legged design was preserved throughout development, though the final toy achieved the look more cost-effectively by linking each pair of legs together. The weapon depicted in Mayer’s artwork closely resembles those carried by other members of the Evil Horde. Interestingly, in early Filmation production art, similar weapons were initially included but later erased—though faint outlines remain etched into the paper, offering a glimpse into the character’s evolving design.

Mini Comic Tri-Klops

Mini Comic Tri-Klops also makes an appearance on the side of the box as he and Mantenna try and blast each other!

Tri-Klops features some very obscure Blue Demons. Granted these are most likly never to be made they do feature similar armor that Tri-Klops is wearing. They lack the should armor but they share the a similar piece that that runs down the front of the figure and stops at the waist.

As seen in the vintage MOTU mini-comic, Tri-Klops is fighting the Blue Demons before Skeletor summons him in his first mini comic appearance, “The Terror of Tri-Klops.” Although the MOTU toy lines were always short on army builders, the Blue Demons be a nice addition to the line!

Top Toys Modulok Argentian Variant

You can also see a green and red version of Modulok on the side panel on the box.

The Argentina Modulok stands out as one of the most distinctive and iconic figures released by Top Toy. Unlike Moduloks from other countries, this version features strikingly brighter red tones paired with four green limbs, earning it the nickname “Christmas Modulok.” Its limbs are made from noticeably rigid plastic compared to the more flexible Malaysia release. The Argentina Modulok includes 20 pieces total, lacking the two bionic legs and weapon that come with the standard 22-piece version.

Orko

Orko also appear without his classic ‘O’ on his robe as this paid homage to William George’s illustrations.

Here is the original illustration of Orko as seen on the famous poster by William Goerge.

A view of the William George artwork poster that this concept of Orko came from is shown below.

Dark Face Grizzlor

The darker faced Grizzlor is also seen paying homage to  Ted Mayer’s depiction.

This image shows the rare Dark Face Grizzlor, one of the most sought-after variants from the vintage Masters of the Universe toy line released by Mattel in 1985 as part of the Evil Horde. The figure wields his signature green crossbow, covered in thick brown faux fur with black boots adorned with red Horde symbols and a bright red chest harness over yellow straps. What sets this version apart is its deep black face paint—hence the name Dark Face Grizzlor—which makes the red eyes and yellow fangs stand out dramatically compared to the more common light-brown-faced version. The original dark face Grizzlor concept closer to how we know him was first sketched by Ted Mayer.

Produced in much lower quantities, the dark face variant is believed to have been distributed mainly in European markets, making it significantly rarer and more valuable among collectors today. While both face versions were released under the same Grizzlor name, the dark face was likely an early production run or regional difference that wasn’t widely advertised, adding to its mystique and desirability, with prices on the secondary market often several times higher for well-preserved figures.

Mini Comic Beast Man

Mini Comic red Beast Man also makes an iconic appearance!

In Beast Man’s debut in He-Man and the Power Sword mini comic, his entire body is depicted in solid red. Mini Comic view of Alfredo Alcala shown below.

Another view of Red Beast Man.

Man-At-Arms

The concept Man-At-Arms is also featured!

The role of a Man-at-Arms in the government of Eternia was to advise the ruling planetary monarch and the Royal Guard on military and police affairs. Another figure that was delayed and produced in the MOTU Origins Power Con 2020 exclusive Lords of Power set. As seen in Mark Talor’s B-Sheet design, the name for the figure was dubbed “Arms Man, the concept for his armor added an element of fur or bristles and had hoses and wires coming from it. Interestingly, like Skeletor’s original concept for his Havoc Staff, his mace weapon was originally supposed to function as a ball and chain, detaching from the handle to be swung about on a string.

The amazing Mark Taylor sketches are shown above and below.

Green Goddess

The Green Goddess was an early concept that eventually lead to the Sorceress that we know today. Close up from the packaging art is shown below of the Green Goddess.

Original Mini comic page of when we first saw the Green Goddess by Alfredo Alcala is shown below.

Where to Buy

Official Product Description:

Enter if you dare. Terrifyingly updated with fearsome traps around every corner, this set takes collectors deep into the heart of Hordak’s stronghold, the Fright Zone. Spin the lair’s signature tree to reveal Hordak’s villainous throne. Discover a secret entrance, plus a hiding spot to stash your weapons. Perfect for play and display, this ultra-frightful set lets you enter the mind of the Horde leader, capturing heroes with your array of traps, Dreadful Dragon at your side. 

• Masters of the Universe® Origins Fright Zone Playset 
• Dimensions: 
• Scaled for play and display with 5.5-inch MOTU Origins figures 
• Includes one large dragon figure, three birds, and three weapon accessories 
• Available for the first time since the 1980s  
• New Dreadful Dragon creature is an updated version of the original puppet 
• Multiple movable parts, including hidden throne and detachable bird figures 
• Features several trap elements, including tube traps and a rock monster trap 
• Prison cell can flip and has multiple locations to hold figures 
• Panels can be flipped for more display options 
• Other figures sold separately; some assembly required 
• Closed-box packaging 

Pack out of the playset is shown below. It includes one large dragon figure, three birds, and three weapon accessories.

Here we can see what looks like a super classic and nostalgic Fright Zone playset but totally upgraded from it’s vintage counter part! Let’s start at the top and work our way down. The tree has very detailed crows nesting on the top and the tree has a cool scary face in it. It looks like the center of the tree might be articulated and maybe it opens to capture heroic warriors! The jail cell door looks like the original and there is some sort of gray claw hand in the pit. A rock carved scary face with a jaw full of teeth adorns the side of the playset. But the best part of this playset has to be the full monster! No longer do we have a hand puppet but a full on articulated creature with 6 legs and a body and opening jaw!

The back of the playset reveals some incredible details and play areas as well. There looks to be Hordak’s throne room at the top behind the tree. Then down below there is a weapons rack, the back of the jail cell, and that same clawed hand so perhaps you can turn the playset vertical walls around to play from the inside with the same base.

The added details to the interior are incredible and are reminiscent of the backdrop from the 2021 Power Con exclusive Horde 4 Pack packaging.

You can see a photo below thanks to BrianFisher on Facebook, and that is definitely the area around Hordak’s thrown with the scarry face carved into the stone and the orange red fiery glow.

Same thing goes with the Fright Zone Monster, as it was directly inspired by the art on the packaging of the 2021 Power Con exclusive Horde 4 Pack If you want to pick up one of these sets on the aftermarket, you can search HERE.