Hot from the PC of Alexei Lambley-Steel come these ‘Portrait’ test shots for our evolving mock vintage Superman IV trading Card set.
These prototypes represent the last of the try-outs before we begin the set proper. Alexei informs me the only amendment will be the typeface which will be even closer to the ‘real’ thing on the finished cards. My contribution (besides the images) is to produce the titles and copy for the cardbacks – there will be a title card, possibly a checklist and maybe even a sticker set to round it off in true retro style.
Enjoy and check back for updates and a preview of the finished set…!
In a Digital age where practical sets, props and even costumes (see Green Lantern) are inevitably becoming redundant, the demand for ephemera of the old school grows more intense. As repeatedly highlighted on this blog, surviving examples of production material (otherwise destined for the skip) from your favourite Movie have steadily emerged as unique and very expensive collectables in an increasingly competitive market.
One of the original vendors allowing you a chance to own a piece of Cinema history is Christies, where their ‘Film & Entertainment’ auctions give access to some unprecedented material long thought lost. Indeed, their glossy, full-colour catalogues became collectables in their own right with their lavish descriptions and accompanying photographs. In these pages you could find everything from Charlie Chaplin’s Bowler Hat & Cane from ‘The Great Dictator’ to a Stormtrooper Helmet from the original ‘Star Wars’. Unsurprisingly, the Superman film series has also been well-represented over the last fifteen years with lots including everything from original costumes to signed photographs, often exceeding their high estimates.
Conversely, the digital age has also ushered in worldwide availability with the emergence of websites accommodating bidding from where you sit or better still ordering your coveted prop online without the competition. The greatest and most successful example of this has to be The Propstore Of London, whose staggering inventory provides both your average collector and your high-end archivist with most anything they may covet. Indeed there has never been a better time to invest and preserve your most precious movie memories, but at a price.
From the top; two-page article from Collectables magazine (click on the images for readable versions) chronicling the emergence of Super-props as Super-investment, a Christies catalogue with Superman on the cover (one of the lots inside including an FX flying model of Superman from Superman IV with an estimate of £800-£1200) and an ad for an upcoming auction featuring a Superman plaster model in flying pose…
This most recent addition to the SUPERMANIA collection is this incredibly rare set of three complete jigsaws with accompanying full-colour prints in original box –
Released in 1978 by FX Schmid, these three iconic shots are a fantastic representation of scenes from Superman: The Movie and were found languishing at a local toyfair before being snapped up for a song and added to the archive…
Following up on this month’s Trading Card theme, SUPERMANIA presents the very first collectables that resonated at such a young age and became the basis of the collection –
The amazing colourful images adorning each pack of cards (In the UK they came without stickers!) instantly captured the imagination. The favourites were the solo publicity shots of Christopher Reeve with the New York backdrop, of which there were many (see the complete sets here) where you could really believe the Man of Steel was real and among us.
Besides the nostalgia there is much to enjoy with the Topps series 1&2 including a glimpse of what we now know as deleted scenes and even cards dedicated to the creative team including Director Richard Donner. For genuine fanatics its notable the Canadian set ran for 132 cards and included French subtitles while the US set ran for 77 and the shortchanged UK for 66!
The trend would continue for the sequels (with the exception of Superman IV, see post below) but nothing came close to capturing the magic of the original white-border set and the anticipation of completing the picture puzzle on the card backs..!
From the top – Original countertop boxes for US Series 1&2 with unopened UK packs, scans of Series 1&2 wrappers advertising the option of purchasing a ‘Press Sheet’ of uncut cards and the Topps Special Offer poster…
If you think the images above are genuine Topps style picture card samples from an abandoned Superman IV Series then thank you very much! This project is a success –
As collectors, completists and SuperFans the world over already know, Superman IV was the only Superman film to NEVER have a Trading Card set devoted to it, a fact I always found odd considering its such a merchandising staple so one day sought to fill the gap somehow.
Now, In collaboration with and using the considerable talents and creativity of SuperFan Alexei Lambley-Steel we have endeavoured to adapt my considerable archive of quality stills from Superman IV: The Quest For Peace into a complete set of unofficial vintage style cards in a ‘what if?’ project to make up for a thirty-year oversight. The four samples above are a result of a great many exchanged emails, research and submissions before we both were in complete agreement the designs were ‘simple’ enough to emulate the real thing. To that end, all the characteristics of the typical sets of the era will also be present, from the printing flaws to the text on the rear.
Stay tuned for updates but for now, enjoy the unashamed nostalgia from the age of the freeze-dried pink bubblegum stick…
