Interview with Mackenzi Lee, Author of MOTU: Teela Daughter of Eternos
As a child of the '80s, I have to say, this project is seriously cool. I grew up with the cartoon, the action figures, all of it. Did Masters of the Universe already have a place in your heart before this came along? How did this project come to you.
By very lucky chance, this project just happened to land in my inbox! The book’s editor had previously worked at Marvel when I was writing for them, and when she came to Mattel and needed someone to write about Teela, she thought of me. I was a child of the 90s, so I missed growing up with MOTU, but I was definitely an action figure kid. My sister and I had a huge collection of whatever Star Wars action figures were in the bargain bin at Walmart, and we staged epic battles that spanned the entire basement. My mom insists there was a Castle Grayskull belonging to our neighbor that we used as a backdrop, but I’ll be honest, I have no memory of that.
Even if you were already familiar with Masters, writing in an already-established world has to come with some serious pressure to get it right. What was the experience like? Eternia is practically a character in its own right in this book. Can you paint us a picture of it? Give us some indication (without spoilers, of course) where it is when the story begins, and what happens to it as a result of Teela’s choices?
I didn’t feel the pressure because I wasn’t part of the fanbase, so for a long time, I didn’t have a sense of how vast and passionate it is. Which was probably for the better! When I wrote for Marvel, I was very in that fandom before I got the job, and ended up psyching myself out really hard by internalizing so much fan chatter. Mattel was so great in bringing me into this world–I got to spend a day at the offices going to “He-Man school,” and the team was always on call for my questions. Having that support and lines for communications open was essential, and helped me feel confident and supported going in. They also helped guide the story, but let me bring a lot of my own voice and instincts to it. In the film, there’s a time jump about ten minutes into the movie–we see Adam and Teela as kids, then we skip ahead to when they’re grown up. The book takes place in that time jump, so we get to see Teela as a teenager, figuring out who she is in Eternia after Skeletor has taken over. She’s lost her friends, her future, her home, so she’s not only doing the usual coming of age every teenager goes through, she’s also figuring out the new world she’s been forced into.
Teela’s a rich character: daughter, warrior, etc. How did you find her voice?
I channeled a lot of the characters I loved growing up–I always was drawn to a girl with a sword! In crafting Teela, I was inspired by the badass girls that I was obsessed with growing up–Siri from the Jedi Apprentice series (deep cut! She’s no longer Star Wars canon!), Princess Leia, Mulan, Jacky Faber, Wonder Woman, Katniss–even Jo from Little Women helped me craft Teela’s voice and character.
It's refreshing to see Teela at the center of this story rather than He-Man. What does putting her in the spotlight allow you to explore that a He-Man-centric story couldn't?
Teela isn’t the “chosen one” like He-Man/Adam is. She’s not a princess or royalty, she’s just tough, a hard worker, and someone who loves very deeply and intensely. But ultimately, she’s one of many–there are lots of survivors like her after Skeletor takes over Eternia. Focusing on more of an every man story–or, to be literal about it, every woman–can be more relatable to the audience. There’s fun wish fulfilment in being the chosen one, but I think Teela is a character more of us can relate to. I also think it’s important to center female characters in these very masculine universes–initially I was turned off from the project because it’s literally about a character named He-Man which just felt like such an antiquated idea of a hero. Once I dug down in to the franchise and realized Adam as a character challenges a lot of hyper masculine stereotypes, I was much more excited. Similarly, Teela has such a rich inner life and so much more going on than just being Adam’s sidekick, but it hasn’t been explored. Kevin Smith dug into her character a lot in his MOTU netflix series, but this Teela in particular–the teenage Teela who is still figuring out what kind of adult she wants to be–was so exciting to me to explore. We get to see her making the choices that make her who she needs to be come to help Adam, to help Eternia, and to find herself.
The alliance between Teela and Evil-Lyn is one of the most interesting aspects of the book: two women on opposite sides finding common ground. How would you describe their relationship? Do you think fans of the franchise will be surprised by it?
Writing their relationship was my favorite part of the book. They’re interesting foils for each other–Evil-Lyn challenges Teela’s black-and-white thinking about the absolutes of good and evil, while, to Evil-Lyn, Teela is a reminder of her own loss of innocence, and what she’s given up in her pursuit of power. Two enemies having to work together toward a common goal is one of my favorite tropes in fiction because it challenges them to remember the other side is also made up of real people with real wants and needs who are just as sure they’re on the right side. It humanizes the conflict, and in particular, for Masters of the Universe, which, by the virtue of being a Saturday morning cartoon for kids, is very black and white in its thinking, I think it adds an essential complexity that ages the material up for young adults and beyond.
What was the most joyful part of writing this book? And what genuinely surprised you along the way? Something you didn't expect when you sat down to write it?
I truly didn’t expect to fall in love with this franchise and the world of Eternia the way I did! When I was first approached about the project, I saw it as a job. Imagine my surprise when, a year and a half later, I was sitting in the theater, waiting for the film to start and absolutely buzzing with excitement over seeing characters like Trap Jaw and Ram Man and Adam’s transformation scene and Teela’s fighting skills brought to life. I lurk on the fan reddits! I have now independently purchased MOTU swag for myself! With my own money! I sometimes recreationally pop on the cartoons in the background of my day! I didn’t expect to become a fan, and the whole MOTU universe is so joyful and campy and silly. It has brought, and continues to bring, so much joy into my life, as both a creator and fan.
Any chance we'll see you return to Eternia? Is there more story left to tell in this world?
If there’s an opportunity, I hope I’m first on the call sheet!
Where can readers find you online, and is there anything coming up? Events, signings, etc.?
Depending on when this runs, the launch party for the book will be June 2 (release day!) at Good Girl Books in Los Angeles, California. I’m hoping to have more events in the future too–stay tuned. For now, I can be found at www.mackenzilee.com and on Instagram at themackenzilee.
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Mackenzi Lee holds a BA in history and an MFA in writing for children and young adults from Simmons College. She is the New York Times best-selling author of the historical fantasy novels Loki: Where Mischief Lies; The Gentleman's Guide to Vice and Virtue, which won a 2018 Stonewall Honor Award and the New England Book Award; and its sequel, The Lady's Guide to Petticoats and Piracy. She is also the author of the nonfiction book Bygone Badass Broads, a collection of short biographies of forgotten women from history. In 2020, she was named one of Forbes's 30 Under 30 for her work in bringing minority narratives to historical fiction. When not writing, she works as an independent bookseller, drinks too much Diet Coke, and naps with her Saint Bernard, Queenie.
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