I'm wondering if there's ever been a discussion regarding the fabled Wonderbread He-Man on these forums? Specifically, I wonder if anyone here has any memories or anecdotes to add to (or help solve) the mystery.
I found one at a flea market recently in a box of MOTU stuff, and my interest was kicked into overdrive. Unfortunately there's still very limited info out there. I did a post on my blog if anyone's curious about mine:
Post by phillinley on Jun 10, 2008 10:47:24 GMT -6
There are more in depth discussions on it on he-man.org, but the short answer to your question is yes, he was a mail-away. I still have mine from when I was a kid. I didn't send away for mine though, my aunt, who worked in accounting for Wonder Bread for 30 years, snagged me one and gave it to me for my birthday. I don't have it bagged unfortunately Come to think of it, I'm glad it isn't bagged, cause the enjoyment I got playing with it as a kid, far outweighs the joy I have of it sitting on my shelf now
Post by phillinley on Jun 10, 2008 10:49:43 GMT -6
Did find a guy who had a big ass collection from his dad who used to work for mattel, who had a bagged version. But he wasn't parting with it for any reasonable price in person, but his auctions kept getting banned on ebay so I couldn't keep going to chicago to outbid the peeps who kept going to his mini live auctions.
Last Edit: Jun 10, 2008 10:50:01 GMT -6 by phillinley
Wonderbread He-man is a myth. Mattel nor Wonderbread know anything of this figure. There was a big write up about it in Toyfare magazine. Until someone can show me iron clad proof that it`s a promotional figure, I regard it as a myth and nothing more. before selling my vintage collection on here a few years ago I had 3 of them, and didn`t have a hard time getting my hands on any of them.
adam 03, the figure itself is no myth. As you stated yourself, you have had three. The origin is the question and point of contention/speculation and maybe "myth," - his ties to Wonder Bread are unconfirmed and based solely on hearsay and fuzzy memories.
Anywayss, what are your theories to his origin, adam 03? Every opinion counts and is helpful in the big picture.
Wonderbread He-man is a myth. Mattel nor Wonderbread know anything of this figure. There was a big write up about it in Toyfare magazine. Until someone can show me iron clad proof that it`s a promotional figure, I regard it as a myth and nothing more. before selling my vintage collection on here a few years ago I had 3 of them, and didn`t have a hard time getting my hands on any of them.
Well whoever interviewed Wonder Bread didn't do a good job. Toyfare magazine is a joke as far as writing about vint action lines anyway. If someone from accounting can remember and had access to these things 20+ years ago, than I'm sure it wouldn't be too hard to find someone else who worked on the project. A bagged version has already come about, and I've personally seen one bagged that came from a former mattel employee. The guy who inherited hardly had a clue as to what the heck he-man even was, so he sure as hell wasn't faking a piece he'd never even heard of, when he was sitting on case fresh Megators and Tytus', and prototypes.
I've been collecting he-man for decades now. I had a wonder bread he-man personally as a kid. In the 90's on usenet, everyone was finding they each had these in their collections and we realized they came in through the promotion. But somehow through the years, people with no evidence on the matter clouded doubt on the obvious.
The elitist fools over at he-man.org can keep speculating and naysaying all they want, but there aint no mystery. Take just a tiny bit of journalistic snooping and you'd figure out the whole story.
I just have a sweet fake i display in my collection because all the ones on ebay have to be fakes because all the wonder bread he-mans ive ever seen you can see he-man's blonde hair at the hair line???
Last Edit: Sept 7, 2008 22:46:48 GMT -6 by soundwave
Post by countzackula on Oct 20, 2011 15:06:47 GMT -6
Come to think of it...found one under my pillow last night! Hah, just kidding...I wish! You never can trust 'em...such an easy repaint...you almost hafta inspect 'em by hand to be sure. I never really wanted one that badly, thankfully.
Post by victoryleo19 on Oct 20, 2011 18:51:15 GMT -6
I am still amazed by this issue, especially seeing the ongoing thread over at the org. I've probably seen at least 100 auctions with one of these figures in it over the past 10-12 years. I never understood the hype/desire. I actually do believe he was part of the wonderbread release, but I still can't figure why sometimes he goes for 10 dollars, the then i see a lot with two go for over 200.
I came across one of these in my local shop yesterday with 2 weapons and the armor. 1st one I've ever seen in person and it definitely wasn't counterfeit. They are asking $500 for it. Is that a good price?
Post by funkyterrance on Apr 2, 2012 17:46:20 GMT -6
It would be pretty hard to tell if one was counterfeit depending on how skilled the painter was. The only difference seems to be the color of the hair, loincloth and boots right? How did you know for certain?
i scrutinized it heavily and all the paint apps are aged and faded. there was also no blonde hair color in the worn spots on the head. i've seen enough vintage pieces to know when something is doctored
no prob. i was half expecting it to be a fake based on what i'd heard about in the past but there is no doubt in my mind it's a vintage production piece.
Post by 80s Action Figures on Apr 3, 2012 15:49:33 GMT -6
So how many different ways could you get those red weapons? I thought they were only released with the Man-E-Faces mail away? I am not knowledgeable at all when it comes to Heman...but the Man-E-Faces i have came with a set of 4 or 5 weapons in red...so wonder bread heman or mail away heman at the vary least came with some weapons and the accessory pack chest plate??
I recently screwed myself on what i thought was a wonderbread. It turned out to be a heman head on a triklops body. Luckily the guy I bought it off of is a personaly friend and I found it in his garage. He dind't know what it was but being his friend I wanted to give him a decent amount. Since I now know it wasn't he just gives me what ever heman figures he finds in the depths of his hording. So far it has worked out well for me. I have tons of motu fodder and even more weapons to complete my own collection and use as trade bait.
WB He-Man has been a debate for man years. I have one in my collection and its a legit original. There are a couple of ways to tell an origianl from a fake/custom. 1. The fur on his shorts does not go all the way up to the black on his belt. There is a little gao or "blank space" before the black belt. 2. There is always some black paint from his boots in his calfs just about the furry top part of his boots. Hope this helps and is not beating a dead horse.
that chest armor is from the weapons pack. its a black version of zodak's armor. the weapons pack also had a black version of zodak's gun. i put 2 zodak's in my displayed collection because i couldn't decide which armor i wanted to have on him. so i picked up a naked one and BOOM! good and evil zodak! i'd speculate that if a wonderbread "savage" he-man exists, it came with no armor. i kind of like clinging to the theory that he-man was intended to look like conan in the early days...
What's amazing is no one has any record or definitive info on this guys true origin, just unbelievable to me, its not like the toy is over 100 years old or anything.