Roger Sweet, the toy designer who created He-Man for Mattel, died on Tuesday after a battle with dementia, according to TMZ. He was 91.
Sweet served as lead designer in Mattel’s Preliminary Design Department through the 1970s and 1980s. Working with a team that included designer Mark Taylor, Sweet developed and pitched the He-Man concept in the early 1980s after Mattel had passed on the chance to produce Star Wars toys in 1976, a decision that allowed Kenner Products to reap massive profits.
Sweet built the original prototype by gluing a Big Jim action figure into a fighting stance and adding clay to bulk up the body, using it alongside concept art from colleague Mark Taylor. He pitched the result to then-CEO Ray Wagner, and the toy reached store shelves in 1982.
Mattel and Filmation launched the He-Man and the Masters of the Universe animated series the following year as a tie-in to the toyline. The show was set on the planet Eternia and followed Prince Adam, who transformed into He-Man by holding up the Sword of Power and saying, “By the Power of Grayskull! I have the power.” The series ran for 130 episodes from 1983 to 1985.
Amazon MGM Studios, and Mattel are rebooting the franchise with the upcoming film Masters of the Universe, which arrives in theaters on June 5. Nicholas Galitzine stars as He-Man. The cast also includes Camila Mendes as Teela, Jared Leto as Skeletor, Alison Brie as Evil-Lyn, and Idris Elba as Man-At-Arms.
Sweet is survived by his wife, Marlene.
Sources: Battle Ram, Variety, TMZ, Rotten Tomatoes