In 1976, before Star Wars was even released, George Lucas asked Mattel for $750,000 in exchange for the rights to make a Star Wars toy line. They said no. In 1977, Star Wars action figures were so popular, kids got vouchers for Christmas because they couldn't make enough.
Mattel struggled to find a boy line to match Star Wars' popularity. They struck gold when they decided to create a He-Man cartoon alongside the toys. Most cartoons had a toy line after they became a hit, but nobody had created a toy line and cartoon in tandem.
In 1986, sales of He-Man toys reached almost $400 million. However, due to bad marketing decisions, including a terrible feature-length movie and overestimating demand, sales dropped to only $7 million the following year!
