So I haven’t really been keeping up with Super Powers in many years (and I’m posting my my blog because I think this also gets reposted to the Super Powers blog). I know a few things have popped up here and there, like the unproduced Power Plus Darkseid, but for the most part we have been assuming that most of was was in production either has already been seen or has been lost to the ages at this point.

Except… a few years back there was an auction for this piece. I was alerted to it by a reader after it had already been taken down; I guess someone made a big offer as it was cancelled almost immediately. I’m also assuming this now sits in the collection of one of the “big collectors” of Super powers, as some of those guys don’t like to talk about their acquisitions.

In any case, this pic is all that I’ve ever seen. I was originally planning on putting it online when I relaunched the Super Powers Archive, but considering that I started the redesign in 2007 and am still far from finished with it…well, when the subject came up on the Facebook group today I figured I might as well put this up now while I have some (very rare) free time. At some point I’d like to get back to the archive…

So: does anyone know what this was? Is it an actual proof sheet for an unproduced playset?  And of so, just how far along in the process did this thing get?!?

UPDATE: So yes, of course this was an April Fool’s gag!

I fooled more people than I thought I would, but a few folks caught on right away. I thought the proof color bars would be the dead giveaway, but only one person actually called those out…
In any case, it wasn’t actually meant to be an April Fool’s joke. I made this last Summer as a wedding present for our very own Julius Marx, to match his Tower of Darkness proof sheet. Had I made this for only the joke, I would have been much more careful with details, but also would probably have spent much less time on it.

Once you see the bigger version of the artwork below, you’ll be able to pick out a bunch of details that would have given it all away really quickly. But again, it was meant more to be a neat matching companion piece of art than it was a “forgery”. We only thought about the April Fools aspect after the fact. Hope everyone enjoyed it! And if you pin this image or put it up somewhere else, please credit me and link back to this article! Thanks!

Share:

Posted by Jason Geyer • No Comments

…Or something like that.

So, with the big breaking news of Disney buying Lucasfilm, I’ve been in a Star Wars mood these past few days. I may just break down and write the next chapter of the “Unproduced Star Wars Concepts” saga. To be honest, it’s taken me so long to revisit it because this has been a very busy year at my day job. In fact, today is the first day I’ve had off in over two months! And of course, the concept of “not working” is alien to me now, so when a goofy mash-up idea popped into my head I immediately sat back down at the computer to flesh it out, instead of grabbing some much needed rest time.

Still, this was an enjoyable few hours creating what are more or less virtual customs. And no paint & sculpey mess that comes with the regular kind of customs! Anyway, it’s an odd idea, but a fairly self explanatory one. Hope everyone enjoys it.

*a few caveats: Yes, I know the second series should be The Legendary Super Powers Show,  with Galactic Guardians being third. But I took a little artistic license based on what fit the respective logos better. Apologies to the anonymous cosplayers whose pics I snagged. If this is you, send me your name and I’ll credit you! (Plus keep an eye out for a cameo by our very own Danny Neumann as Plastic Man, plus Allen Hansard as Firestorm and Brian Parsley as Green Arrow!). And finally, I really hate to watermark these, but we all know they are going to go around the web without attribution immediately. Even worse, I don’t want folk selling these on ebay as custom cardbacks. If you want to put these on your website, feel free, but please link back to  this blog post so people can see where they came from.

Share:

Posted by Jason Geyer • No Comments

Welcome back to our series of in-depth looks at the Toy Biz DC Superheroes action figure line. This week we’ll be looking at Batman’s archenemy, the villain of the Tim Burton Batman movie, the one, the only…The Joker!

Mr. J had had a few figures prior to this one – a couple of entries from Mego, and of course the Kenner Super Powers figure – so he was no stranger to toy aisle shelves. How did the Toy Biz entry stack up to his predecessors? Read on…

(more…)

Share:

Posted by Joe Grunenwald • 1 Comment

Welcome to the first in a series of in-depth looks at the figures of the Toy Biz DC Superheroes action figure line. In this installment we’ll be looking at what is arguably the flagship figure of the line, Batman.

(more…)

Share:

Posted by Joe Grunenwald • [4] Comments

We just stumbled across this classic Burger King commercial that features their 1985 Super Powers cup promotion.

Thanks to the Super Powers Collection Facebook page for pointing us to this.

Share:

Posted by JuliusMarx • No Comments

I’m just going to come right out and say it: I think the Toy Biz DC Superheroes figures are great. 

I know this may not be a popular opinion.  I’ve seen fights break out over it.  Internet fights, so as far as I know no fisticuffs were involved, but fights nonetheless.  I hesitate to call it a hot-button issue, but it’s at least a topic for discussion in certain circles.

I’m certainly not saying that the Toy Biz DC figures are better than Kenner’s Super Powers figures.  I’m not interested in comparing the two, to be honest.  Well, some mild comparisons, similarities and differences, might be made, but that’s not my goal.  I’m saying that – looking at the Toy Biz DC Superheroes figures strictly on their own – they’re great.

(more…)

Share:

Posted by Joe Grunenwald • [5] Comments

I’m a bit late on getting these posted, but better late than never!  

Back in August we showed you collector Brad Rader’s cool custom Super Powers display where he built a custom shelf, and blew up the figure line up for the Super Powers line up from one of the 33-back SP cards for his display.  The then put all of the coresponding Mattel DC Universe Classics figures next to the Super Powers figures. 

Brad sent us even more updated pictures as he wanted to include his newly acquired SDCC DCUC Swamp Thing (even though Swampy is only an ‘honorary’ member of his Super Powers collection and was never planed to be included in the vintage line) and his display of Super Powers mini-comics.   We give you part II of Brad’s impressive collection display:

Thanks again to Brad for letting us showcase his display and collection.

Share:

Posted by JuliusMarx • 1 Comment

Last week Super Powers collector Brad Rader posted some pictures of his custom Super Powers display on the AFi Facebook page.  It was so cool that I asked if I could post them on our Super Powers blog.   He shot some new pictures and sent them over.

The cool thing about his display is Brad found the highest resolution image of the figure line up from the original 33-back Super Powers cards, blew it up and used it as the basis for his custom display cabinet.   Then he took the original Super Powers figures, matched them up with their corresponding DC Universe Classics figures and posed them together in the same poses as the card back image.

Check out this impressive display below:

(more…)

Share:

Posted by JuliusMarx • [6] Comments

We’ve got a lot of great stuff related to the Kenner Super powers collection coming up in the months ahead, and this new blog will be the place to read about all of it!

To launch this we’re running an interview with famed Super Powers fans, the Four Horsemen (Eric “Cornboy” Mayse, Eric Treadaway, Chris Dahlberg, and Jim Preziosi). These amazingly talented guys have injected their love of SP into the ongoing Mattel DC Universe Classics line with all-new versions of such SP classic characters such as Golden Pharaoh and Cyclotron, with more on the way. The interview was originally conducted in May 2008 for the SP article done by Jason Geyer for Back Issue magazine #30. All answers are by Eric Treadaway.
Why do you think Super Powers has stood as an iconic toy line? What does the line mean to you, personally?

I think that Super Powers is so iconic for a number of reasons. The main reason I think, though is that it contained such a broad variety of characters in a completely consistent size and scale. The line also had great vehicles, cool mini comics, and really nice packaging with classic artwork. For me personally it set one of the great benchmarks in super hero toys, and it remains one of the more inspirational toy lines that I collected as a kid.

When did you first hear about the unproduced Super Powers toys?

It seems like this was something that I had heard rumors of for years, but it was the article on your site where I got to see the real deal. I love seeing what could have been! When looking at some of the concept art and future plans, it impressed me to see how relevant the line-ups would still be today.

Have Super Powers had any influence in your work, especially the DC toy lines you are working on now?

Absolutely! The entire time we have been doing D.C. characters one of our main goals has been to create a modern incarnation of Super Powers, and to even go beyond it if we are lucky. The Superman wave that we did with Lex Luthor, Brainiac, and Darkseid was a dream wave for us, and in retrospect was the first hint of what was to come.

And finally, do you think there would be any interest in reviving a Super Powers-like toyline today?

I definitely do. I know that I personally have been waiting for a revival for years. In a way I think that we are already attempting to do it. Certain things in the DCUC are different -such as the scale and lack of action features, but I think that at it’s heart DCUC is a lot like Super Powers. We are really trying our hardest to maintain the quality and spirit of the originals. Super Powers had such an impact on fans that in some peoples eyes it can never be topped, but that won’t stop us from trying. I think the fact that Super Powers still creates that type of inspiration is the sign of a what a classic line that it really is.

Thanks to the Horsemen for the interview and all the great toys!

Share:

Posted by Jason Geyer • No Comments

Hello, and welcome to another week of me sprouting off about Super Powers awesomeness to no one in particular!  Today the Super Powers Highlight focuses on all the figures released at retail on the offer-less, comic-less 33-back card design. 

To many SP collectors, the 3rd series card back redesign is known as both a step back for the overall line and a huge step forward as far as visual presentation.  No included mini-comics, no artwork behind the figure and no special offers meant that cost-cutting was taking place behind the scenes, and as a result the line would not be long of this Earth.  However, it also meant a wonderfully crisp and clean card design that showcased the amazing sculpts of the figures and the industry-leading artistry of The Masters…Jose Luis Garcia-Lopez, George Perez and Jack "The King" Kirby.

For the bulk of those brave enough to take on a carded Super Powers collection, the 10-character populated 3rd series is the final hurdle…usually more of a financial strain than even a full set of 12-backs.   It’s also something not instantaneously achieved, since carded examples of all 10 pieces aren’t usually available at the same time even when haunting eBay.  Factor in a somewhat nice condition desired and you have a true challenge before you.

(…)
Read the rest of Super Powers Highlight – The 33-Back Production Set

17 comments

Share:

Posted by Chip Cataldo • No Comments