Roger Sweet, the beloved creator of the groundbreaking He-Man and the Masters of the Universe toy line, has passed away.
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Sweet, whose creation was adapted into several popular cartoons, a 1987 film (with another on its way this summer), died on April 28, per TMZ. As we previously reported, Sweet had been battling dementia. He was 91.
In the 1970s and ’80s, Sweet was a lead designer for Mattel (the home of Barbie). According to Variety, back in 1976, the company made a colossal mistake: they passed on a deal to make Star Wars toys. After Kenner Products raked in the cash from the film’s 1977 release, Mattel scrambled to launch its own hit action figure line.
Sweet glued a Big Jim action figure into a fighting stance, bulked it up with some clay. He then successfully pitched the prototype to Mattel’s CEO.
In his book, Mastering the Universe: He-Man and the Rise and Fall of a Billion-Dollar Idea, Sweet shed some light on the character’s less-than-subtle name. “This was a powerful figure that could be taken anywhere and dropped into any context because he had a generic name: He-Man!”
He-Man hit the shelves in 1982.
In 1983, Mattel and Filmation debuted the He-Man and the Masters of the Universe cartoon. The show followed Prince Adam on the planet Eternia. By raising his Sword of Power and yelling, “By the Power of Grayskull! I have the power,” Adam transformed into He-Man, the galaxy’s mightiest warrior. The show ran for 130 episodes from 1983 to 1985.
Meanwhile, Amazon, MGM, and Mattel are rebooting the He-Man franchise. The live-action film, Masters of the Universe, is set to release on June 5. Nicholas Galitzine will star as He-Man.
Sweet’s Wife Shared He Was Battling Dementia Earlier This Year
In a GoFundMe post from February, Sweet’s wife, Marlene, shared that he had been living in a care facility as his dementia had progressed over the past few years.
“The doctors consider him a high risk for falls and say he must use a walker, considering the dementia and brain bleeds. He says he does not need it and continues to walk around in his confused state,” she explained then. “They decided he must live in a memory care facility, where he can be monitored and safe.”
Marlene, who had been married to Sweet for over 40 years, created the GoFundMe to help cover the facility’s $10,200 monthly cost, which their insurance didn’t cover.
As of this writing, the GoFundMe has raised over $93,000. Mattel, the company where Sweet worked when he created He-Man, contributed $5,000.
He-Man Fans Mourn the Loss of Roger Sweet
Of course, generations of He-Man fans are mourning the loss of Roger Sweet.
“RIP, Roger. And thank you for all you did for us 80’s kids and beyond,” one fan wrote on a Reddit post announcing Sweet’s passing.
“Much has been said about the man and his contributions to the MOTU toy line, but his concept of making a figure very muscular and tall compared to your typical 3.75″ figure really did change the action figure industry, IMO. So many awesome lines would have looked very, very different,” another Reddit user wrote.
“The man created an integral part of my childhood. That’s something to be known for. Thank you for all you did, Mr. Sweet. Your memory and icons will be preserved for generations. Godspeed, sir,” a third thoughtful fan added.
“This man is responsible for bringing me so much joy throughout my entire life. Rest in the Power of Grayskull, Mr. Sweet,” another fan echoed.
Sweet is survived by his wife, Marlene.