For many collectors, the thrill of owning something truly unique is hard to beat. This is a major reason why original animation cells and drawings are so popular – each one is completely one of a kind. Heritage Auctions’ “The Art of Everything Cool” series has given animation enthusiasts the chance to acquire everything from early sketches for Space Ghost to actual animation cels from Astroboy.
It’s rare to find auctions offering such memorable scenes or moments, but this particular cel from My Neighbor Totoro – showing a shoe in a pond – recently sold for over $32,000. However, Heritage Auctions is now giving one fortunate bidder the opportunity to own a piece of internet culture as part of their “The Art of Everything Cool” series.
What is the “Laughing He-Man” Meme?
This animation cel is from a 1982 episode of He-Man and the Masters of the Universe called “Dawn of Dragoon.” It shows Prince Adam laughing with his head thrown back against a rainbow backdrop. However, many people likely know this scene from a popular internet video. In 2005, animators Ryan Rothenberger and Jay Allen at Slackcircus Studios remixed the clip with the song “What’s Up” by Four Non Blondes. The resulting video, titled “Fabulous Secret Powers,” became one of the first viral hits on YouTube.
The meme has become so popular that it even inspired a special edition action figure – a “Laughing Prince Adam” – made by Mattel for the San Diego Comic-Con as part of their Masters of the Universe Classics collection. More recently, the new Masters of the Universe movie directly referenced the meme.
Heritage Auctions acknowledges the humorous value of this item, dedicating most of its description to its fame as an internet meme. Only towards the end does it highlight the cell’s importance to collectors of animation and He-Man memorabilia. The auction details that this particular cell was used repeatedly in different scenes and episodes, making well-preserved examples incredibly rare and hard to find.
This auction offers a unique opportunity to see how much an internet sensation is actually worth. With eleven days left, bids for this particular item have already reached $750. Other He-Man animation cels – even those featuring famous characters and moments from the show – are only getting bids of around $200 or less. Considering how rare and well-known it is, it’s not surprising that bidding on ‘He-Man and his fabulous secret powers’ has far exceeded other Masters of the Universe items up for sale.
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2026-06-12 21:16