He-Man Mark Taylor MOTU Origins Sketch Book Series In-Box Images

A new video posted by Die Welt der Meister Magazin on Facebook gives us our very first look at the Mark Taylor He-Man MOTU Origins Sketch Book Series figure in-box, and I’ve got to say, it’s an absolute treat for fans of this concept-driven sub-line! Just a day after Smythes DE revealed the official images, seeing the actual packaging and production figure brings the artwork and sculpt details to life in a whole new way. The box showcases some incredible Mark Taylor-inspired illustrations, with that signature sketchbook aesthetic framing the figure perfectly inside the window display. What’s even more exciting is that the video offers a few quick but juicy teases of potential upcoming figures of concept Evil-Lyn (or an homage to Axel Gimenez’s MOTU Classics concept Crimson Countess) and Dragon Blaster Skeletor make cameo appearances in the artwork, hinting that they might be on deck for the next release in this growing series. Between the vintage-style presentation and the deep-cut homage to Taylor’s original designs, this line just keeps getting better and better, and if these teases pan out, we’re in for a phenomenal continuation of the Sketch Book Series!

Check out the video here:

The front of the Mark Taylor MOTU Origins Sketch Book Series He-Man package shows the figure packed with his alternate helmeted head, axe, and red shield against a gray illustrated background that features pencil-style sketches from Mark Taylor’s original concept art. The back of the box teases some cool future releases within the artwork, adding even more intrigue to this new sub-line.

The side panels feature artwork that pays homage to Mark Taylor’s original He-Man illustrations, showcasing his concept design with a more primitive look, fur garments, and his classic double-bladed axe. The pencil-style sketches that wrap around the packaging tie it all together, celebrating the early creative vision that defined the character’s origins.

The artwork bursts with energy, depicting He-Man charging forward with his axe and shield beside Man-E-Faces, while Evil-Lyn and Dragon Blaster Skeletor charge for the attack. Behind them rises the concept version of Castle Grayskull, glowing under a vivid purple sky and fiery orange clouds, setting the stage for an epic clash that feels straight out of Mark Taylor’s original imagination.

Crimson Countess

Alongside the Mark Taylor concept Man-E-Faces shown in the illustration, we can also spot the Crimson Countess, a character created by Danielle Gelehrter for the 2012 Create-A-Character contest, with poster artwork by Errol McCarthy. The scene further includes the Dungeon Master Skeletor concept by Colin Bailey, which may have ties to the “Smoke and Chains” Skeletor concept that ultimately evolved into Dragon Blaster Skeletor. In the background, Mark Taylor’s original 1970s Castle Grayskull design is also seen.

Taking this concept, the Crimson Countess, an illustration held over from the Masters of the Universe Classics line by the talented Axel Gimenez, is an ancient Eternian vampire who once terrorized the heroic Vikor in Preternian times, only to be defeated when he drove a wooden stake—carved from Skytree’s branch using the Sword of Gaz—through her heart. Ages later, Skeletor and Clawful unearthed her tomb, and upon Skeletor’s command, Clawful removed the stake, reviving the Countess. Though she never officially joined the Evil Warriors, she occasionally allied with them. During the era of He-Man and She-Ra on Primus, she resurfaced as part of a dark cabal led by Scare Glow that sought to summon an undead army, but their plan was foiled by Strobo and Melaktha, whose mastery of ancient lore turned the tide.

Dragon Blaster Skeletor Artwork

Although no notable action feature is revealed, a precursor to Dragon Blaster Skeletor was illustrated by Colin Bailey. The chains and the lock are identical to those used on the 1985 dragon-centric variant. It’s really cool to see some elements of the concept figures making their way into the vintage lines designs.

Dragon Blaster Skeletor Concept

bombstaroutkast did a fantastic job tranlating the art found in the Power and the Honor Foundation book and turning it into an outstanding figure! As the original art design lacked a Dragon, bombstaroutkast felt he needed to add this element to the design, which we thought was a great choice!

This version of Skeletor also features some notable differences with his original release and vintage figure. For example, bombstaroutkast sculpted huge tusks that protrude from his chest. He also have him a set of black chains, which contrats nicely with the set of silver chains on the Dragon.

The helmet is really the centerpiece of the figure as, in the original concept, it looked like they wanted Skeletor to wear a skull of an animal, which is pretty darn cool! A villain with a skull for a face wearing the skull of an animal is just brilliant!

Official Images

Smyths Toys DE posted official images of Sketch Book Series Mark Taylor He-Man! You can see he includes both a blonde and brunette alternate heads!

Here we get a better look at the new blonde head sculpt on the figure itself. You can see that he has a younger look and is wearing a Viking horned helmet.

Here you can see what he looks like with his brunette head sculpt!