Now, I think Mattel has been doing a fantastic job with their own JLU sculpts, but I was wondering about how they will treat the line in '08? With a supposed DCAU line on the horizon, wouldn't it be awesome, if Mattel had access to the old Kenner molds and sculpts for vehicles and playsets? Let's face it, Kenner created some of the greatest toys of ALL time back in the days of SUPER POWERS and their old Batman movie lines. I look back at some of the old DARK KNIGHT COLLECTION packaging, and get envious of what kids got to play with back then.

Since most of that stuff was 5" scaled, it obviously wouldn't work with the DCUC line, but it would be perfect for the JLU/DCAU figures.
I bring this up, because I was looking at my old Kenner 1989 Batmobile, and thought about how badass it would look in a new silvery/camo animated paintjob in JLU styled packaging. Sure it would be gimicky, but I love that design so much, I would rebuy it in any cool new paintjob.

Just imagine a retooled, accurately repainted HALL OF JUSTICE, a two-seated Super Friends Batmobile (maybe with a 1966-styled paintjob!) the Batskiboat, the 1989 Batplane, the Jokermobile, Bruce Wayne's Custom Coupe, the Batman Forever Triple Action Vehicle Set, all in cool new repaints, specifically done for the DCAU line.

Kids would love it, and it wouldn't be too expensive for Mattel since the molds are already done. Am I the only one who would like to see this so that the DCAU line could flourish?

Possible methinks. Didn't they do it for the Batcave and Batmobile?

I would love both the SP Batmobile and the Hall of Justice. The thing is IU think MAttel got the molds for the BTAS and TNBA lines, I'll bet Kenner either still has the molds or lost them when Toy Biz borrowed the for the DC Superheroes line.

Unlikely since Hasbro bought up Kenner. If there were any molds left, they would be the property of Hasbro - even though the license changed hands.

Well, Hasbro bought out Kenner in mid-91... Truth is that the older molds like Super Powers probably just don't exist anymore. Some of those were modified into Robin Hood figures and adapted into other toy lines (I think Toy Biz made new molds from the Kenner figures considering how badly those turned out). The steel tools are usually scrapped if there isn't going to be any future use of them, I've heard of them becoming everything from anchors to doorstops (the original 1960s GI Joe head mold was found serving that purpose in the Hasbro offices), the cost of storing them is too high versus the value of scrap metal if there doesn't seem to be any future use for them. Things like vehicle molds might be saved if there was a thought that they could be re-used in some way, but something recognizable like the Batmobile probably wouldn't fare so well...

Mattel (don't remember if it was Inside Traitor, Texas Ranger or Boy Wonder) has said that they did buy some of the DC molds from Hasbro when they got the license but we were told that they'd have look into which ones they had gotten. I know that the Wayne Manor/Batcave set, a Batmobile and the Batplane have been re-issued by Mattel in Batman packaging and the Batplane was also released in Justice League packaging.

I believe it was 1997, because my first wave of Total Justice figures from 1996 definitely still say Kenner on them, but the later mail-aways (Blue Beetle, etc.) were from Hasbro by then.

Actually from this article it says this:

http://www.hasbro.com/default.cfm?page=ci_history_hasbro


In 1991, Hasbro made another significant acquisition - the Tonka Corporation, including its Kenner Products and Parker Brothers divisions. The acquisition brought rich additions to Hasbro's portfolio including TONKA, PLAY-DOH, EASY-BAKE OVEN, NERF, MONOPOLY and a wide range of licensed properties such as Star Wars and Batman.

Here is some other info on ebay a Hasbro toy group portfolio from toy fair 1995 with Tonka and Kenner on the front

http://cgi.ebay.com/Kenner-Hasbro-employee-portfolio-Star-Wars-95-Toy-Fair_W0QQitemZ260148683651QQihZ016QQcategoryZ50271QQcmdZViewItem

Hasbro just used the company names for awhile after the purchase probably for company name recognition.

When Hasbro took over Kenner for some reason they put the Kenner people in charge of the boys division and they switched all of the Hasbro boys brands to the Kenner name including GI Joe and Transformers, I think it was around 98 that they switched everything back to the Hasbro name (I honestly believe it was because of the all the attention they were expecting The Phantom Menace to bring to the company) and pretty much stopped using the Kenner name/logo until the "Vintage" Star Wars sub-set in 2004.

Hey Jim: do you know if, when a license switches companies, do the materials go with them? Would those molds and designs be considered the property of the manufacturer that created them, or the original license holder, since they wouldn't exist without that intellectual property? Just curious.

The molds created by Hasbro-Kenner belong to Hasbro. Only if Mattel purchased them from Hasbro could they use them (which they did in the case of the Batcave and Batplane).

There you are! Was hoping you'd pop up and say something. How different are the releases between Hasbro and Mattel anyway bro?

Well, since you asked...Mattel's versions are very close to ones Hasbro made, with a few differences.

This is the Shadowcast/Gotham City Darkstorm Batcave from Hasbro.





I covered the Batplanes in further detail in this thread last year.

I meant if they belonged to Hasbro or DC/Warners, but I think that you knew that when you answered. Just wanted to clarify, in case the original question wasn't clear.

Looking at these pics, I really would love Mattel to make a TNBA/JL Batwing. Also they could re-release the TNBA Batmobile, especially now that the line will be getting rebranded as a DCAU line.





Afterall, no DC toy line out there is complete without Batmans 2 signature vehicles.(well, as far as I'm concerned that is!)



Pictures from worldsfinestonline.com

Yeah--I am thinking about bidding on a Batplane--but the design of the one we got isnt the best. I would definately buy the JLU Batplane and new Javelin if they ever decided to make one.