Robert McCallum (director)

Last updated

Robert McCallum is a Canadian documentary film director from London, Ontario. [1] He is most noted for his 2023 film Mr. Dressup: The Magic of Make-Believe , [2] which premiered at the 2023 Toronto International Film Festival and was the winner of the People's Choice Award for Documentaries. [3]

He has been known predominantly for cultural documentaries, focusing largely but not exclusively on fan culture scenes such as heavy metal music, video games and comic books.

His films have included Missing Mom, a personal documentary about his own search for his missing mother which won the award for Best Feature Documentary at the 2016 Forest City Film Festival, [4] and Power of Grayskull: The Definitive History of He-Man and the Masters of the Universe. [5]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">He-Man</span> Fictional superhero character

He-Man is a superhero and the protagonist of the sword and planet Masters of the Universe franchise, which includes a toy line, several animated television series, comic books, and a feature film. He-Man is characterized by his superhuman strength and in most variations, is the alter ego of Prince Adam. He-Man and his friends attempt to defend the secrets of Castle Grayskull, the planet Eternia, and the rest of the universe from the evil forces of his archenemy Skeletor. He-Man is also the twin brother of She-Ra.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ernie Coombs</span> Canadian childrens entertainer (1927–2001)

Ernest Arthur Coombs, CM was an American-Canadian children's entertainer who starred in the Canadian television series Mr. Dressup (1967–1996).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">She-Ra</span> Lead character of a 1985 and 2018 animated series

Adora, known by her alter ego She-Ra, is a fictional superheroine in the Masters of the Universe franchise. She is introduced as the protagonist of the 1985 Filmation series She-Ra: Princess of Power, which reveals her to be the long lost twin sister of He-Man. She-Ra again appears in the 2018 reboot She-Ra and the Princesses of Power. A series of toys under her name was produced by Mattel in 1984. She has also appeared in a number of Masters of the Universe comic books, most notably in DC Comics' 2012-2018 MOTU comic series, a roughly 1,000 page single story arc, collected in the 2019 He-Man and the Masters of the Universe Omnibus hardcover release. In these comics and in the Masters of the Universe Classics toyline, she also has an evil persona called Despara. As Despara, she makes an appearance at the end of Rob David and Kevin Smith's 2024 Netflix release Masters of the Universe: Revolution, the third installment of the 2021 Masters of the Universe: Revelation animated series. She also features in multiple story books, mainly Golden Books and Ladybird books, and in some MOTU games.

<i>Mr. Dressup</i> Canadian childrens television series

Mr. Dressup is a Canadian children's television series, starring Ernie Coombs, a former understudy of Fred Rogers, in the title role. It ran on CBC from 1967 to 1996, soon becoming an iconic presence in Canadian media.

<i>Masters of the Universe</i> American media franchise

Masters of the Universe is a sword and planet-themed media franchise created by Mattel. The main premise revolves around the conflict between He-Man and Skeletor on the planet Eternia, with a vast lineup of supporting characters in a hybrid setting of medieval sword and sorcery, and sci-fi technology. A follow-up series, She-Ra: Princess of Power revolves around He-Man's sister She-Ra and her rebellion against The Horde on the planet Etheria. Since its initial launch, the franchise has spawned a variety of products, including multiple lines of action figures, six animated television series, several comic series, video games, books and magazines, a daily newspaper comic strip, and two feature films.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Skeletor</span> Fictional supervillain character

Skeletor is a supervillain and the main antagonist of the Masters of the Universe franchise created by Mattel. He is usually depicted as an evil skull-faced, blue-skinned sorcerer who serves as the archenemy of He-Man. In the storyline of the franchise, Skeletor is determined to discover the secrets of Castle Grayskull, which he believes will allow him to conquer the planet Eternia and the entire universe, and become the titular Master of the Universe.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hordak</span> Fictional character from She-Ra princess of power franchise

Hordak is a fictional demonic character in the Masters of the Universe franchise who opposes She-Ra and He-Man, as well as the franchise's main villain, Skeletor, to whom he was once a mentor, and the cause of the latter's ambition and pursuits of evil. Hordak is the main antagonist of the She-Ra: Princess of Power animated series, in which he is the archenemy of She-Ra, He-Man's twin sister.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Castle Grayskull</span> Fictional Masters of the Universe castle

Castle Grayskull is a fictional castle that forms a central location in the Masters of the Universe toy/comic/animation universe and also appears in the 1987 live action adaptation. The concept is credited to Donald F. Glut. The toy set was invented by Roger Sweet. Castle Grayskull was a "major feature of Mattel's line", and was "one of the most famous playsets of all time".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Evil-Lyn</span> Fictional supervillainess in the Masters of the Universe

Evil-Lyn is a supervillainess in the Masters of the Universe toy line and the accompanying cartoon series He-Man and the Masters of the Universe.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sorceress of Castle Grayskull</span> Fictional superheroine from the Masters of the Universe franchise

The Sorceress of Castle Grayskull, also known as Teela Na, is a fictional superhero from the Masters of the Universe franchise. Her first appearance was in "He-Man and the Power Sword" (1981).

<i>Masters of the Universe</i> (film) 1987 American superhero film directed by Gary Goddard

Masters of the Universe is a 1987 American fantasy film based on the Masters of the Universe franchise by Mattel. The film was directed by Gary Goddard, produced by Yoram Globus and Menahem Golan, and written by David Odell. It stars Dolph Lundgren, Frank Langella, Jon Cypher, Chelsea Field, Billy Barty, Courteney Cox, Robert Duncan McNeill, and Meg Foster. The film follows two teenagers who meet He-Man, the most powerful man in the universe, who travels to Earth with his friends to stop the evil Skeletor from obtaining a cosmic key that will enable him to take over their homeworld of Eternia.

<i>He-Man and the Masters of the Universe</i> (2002 TV series) American-Canadian animated television series based on He-Man and the Masters of the Universe

He-Man and the Masters of the Universe is an animated television series. Developed for television by Michael Halperin, who created the original series, it was animated by Mike Young Productions. It served as an update of the 1980s Filmation series, produced to coincide with Mattel's revival of the Masters of the Universe franchise eleven years after its previous attempt. The series ran on Cartoon Network's Toonami programming block between August 16, 2002, and January 10, 2004.

Judith A. Lawrence CM is an Australian-born Canadian puppeteer associated with the long-running CBC children's television program Mr. Dressup. Her best known characters were Casey and Finnegan, although she also created other occasional characters, such as Aunt Bird and Alligator Al.

The Power Sword, also referred to as the Sword of Power or the Sword of Grayskull, is a fictional sword from Mattel's Masters of the Universe toy line. In the original mini-comics produced with the toyline in 1981, the Power Sword was a mystical object split into two parts, which Skeletor tries to obtain and put together in order to gain control over Castle Grayskull. In these early stories, He-Man uses an axe and a shield, rather than the magical sword.

Princess of Power is a toyline created by Mattel. Among others, it features the characters of She-Ra and Catra on planet Etheria. With its launch in 1984, the toyline spawned a variety of products, including three lines of fashion action figures. The Princess of Power logo and characters are currently used by Mattel as part of the Masters of the Universe Classics toyline.

The Masters of the Universe media franchise has appeared in several comic book series. Most were small publications, which were included as bonuses with action figures. Standalone comic-book series were also published by DC, Marvel Comics, London Edition Magazines and Image Comics.

<i>The Wizard of Stone Mountain</i> 2011 American film

The Wizard of Stone Mountain is a 2011 fantasy-adventure fan film based upon Mattel's Masters of the Universe franchise and Faust by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe. The film was directed by John F. Carroll and Russell Minton during the summer of 2010 around Austin, Texas and the Texas Hill Country.

<i>Masters of the Universe: Revelation</i> American animated superhero television series

Masters of the Universe is an American animated superhero fantasy television series produced by Kevin Smith and Powerhouse Animation Studios. A sequel to the 1983–1985 series He-Man and the Masters of the Universe by Filmation, while ignoring the events of The New Adventures of He-Man (1990), the plot of Revelation explores unresolved storylines from the original 1980s series. Netflix released the first series, Masters of the Universe: Revelation, in two parts, with five episodes debuting July 23, 2021, then five additional episodes on November 23, 2021. In June 2022, Netflix announced a second series, Masters of the Universe: Revolution, which premiered on January 25, 2024.

<i>Mr. Dressup: The Magic of Make-Believe</i> 2023 Canadian documentary film by Robert McCallum

Mr. Dressup: The Magic of Make-Believe is a 2023 Canadian documentary film, directed by Robert McCallum. The film profiles Ernie Coombs, the children's entertainer who created and starred in the long-running Canadian television series Mr. Dressup, documenting his career and its impact on Canadian culture and entertainment.

References