[oldmanwinters]

I appreciated this tribute by cereal:greek's James Eatock:

Absolutely devastated to learn that John Erwin, the voice of He-Man, the most powerful man in the universe, has passed away.

It’s actually hard to put into words how much his performance as He-Man influenced and entertained an entire generation! The warmth that many associate with Filmation’s He-Man and the Masters of the Universe can be attributed to John’s performance as the titular character.

Like many talents of 1980s animation, he did not simply read lines from a page; each and every piece of He-Man’s dialogue was infused with a wealth of strength, warmth, kindness, and humor. John Erwin understood who He-Man was, and whatever emotion was required by the scene, he absolutely delivered.

It is widely known that, post-career, John Erwin maintained a low profile, stating that he wanted He-Man to only ever be recognized by the muscle-bound character on-screen, and not by the voice actor. He was invited to numerous conventions over the years, but always politely declined…something we all begrudgingly respected. I did hear from time to time that he was more than aware, and thankful, of how much people loved his work, especially in his role as He-Man.

I never got to meet the man myself, but my dear friend Lee Clevenger did, back in 2002, at a Filmation reunion. Lee said that John kept to himself, speaking to only a few people here and there. Lee approached John who was almost startled to be recognized! Lee praised his work, and John entertained him by performing his Prince Adam voice, “Cringer, we just ate!” Lee said that the actor had not missed a beat, and the voice was perfect. John was happy to take a photo with Lee, and that photo continues to be the most recent photo of John Erwin to be seen.

As I said, I never met the man, but that voice that continues to bring so much joy into my life makes me feel like I knew him, if only a little.

Rest in peace, John Erwin X
https://www.instagram.com/p/DFgJa3csKkg/?hl=en