Right up there with the figure enthusiasts question of why the Mego Corp. failed to produce a 12″ WIlma Deering from Buck Rogers In The 25th Century (in the likeness of Erin Gray) is where was the Lois Lane figure in the Superman line?
Its not as if Mego had any prejudice regarding female figures – see Ilia from Star Trek: The Motion Picture, Holly Goodhead from Moonraker and Kate McCrae from the Black Hole being fine examples from the Sci-Fi genre alone, arriving long after such Mego staples as Farah Fawcett & Cher.
Besides the ever-present rights/licensing issues (as documented here) inhibiting the Superman series, could the absence of the feisty Daily Planet reporter be a result of Mattel’s plans to add Lois Lane to their own ever-expanding Barbie doll collection? This newly-discovered concept art from the late 1970’s (top) would certainly suggest as much.
Presumably following the established Barbie tradition of offering a basic doll followed by a plethora of outfits, whether or not the dolls would bear the likeness of the divine Ms. Kidder (second pic) in her most famous role is unclear but the fact a Superman sweater worn by her for numerous publicity shoots represented in illustration here would hint at the possibility.
While this proposal sadly never came to fruition, ironically by 2006 Mattel did finally get to produce an official Lois Lane (in the likeness of Kate Bosworth) for Superman Returns – leaving fans deprived to this day of an official Lois Lane from the classic movies.
Thankfully, talented and creative Superfans frustration has evolved to fill the void with custom figures arguably tailored to a higher standard than the unmade figures may have been. I defy even the most fervent toy historian to look at the custom Mego Lois Lane (third pic) and deny it was anything other than a genuine factory prototype. In fact Ray Flores unmistakable Margot Kidder is a reworked Lynda Carter Wonder Woman housed in a reproduction box. And just to give a taste of how a Barbie Lane may have looked, check out ferdalump.com’s pitch-perfect Lois from Superman II (bottom pic)…
SUPERMANIA extends its thanks to Trev2005 for use of the Mattel art from his awesome flickr page…
SUPERMANIA welcomes one and all to 2015 with a Christmas show & tell. It may have taken over 30 years but at last a childhood dream of having a Superman figure you could jam into a toy X-Wing fighter has finally been fulfilled.
The announcement earlier last year that Mattel was planning to add a 4″ Superman and General Zod from the classic movies to their expanding DC Comics Multiverse line was met with curious indifference from fans, having been reared for years on what had now become standard 6″ and suitably outraged that such an beloved version of the character should be produced in an unfashionable scale.
The reveal of the prototypes (alongside characters from Tim Burton’s Batman movies) did little to silence the cynics, if anything fuelling fans scepticism that finer details would be lost in translation to the smaller scale. Where Zod came off best with his minimalist design, Superman, though nicely rendered, suffered from a highly questionable sculpted chest logo (which had the unfortunate effect of looking like stuck-on confectionery).
With the initial excitement somewhat dampened by the preview, fans hope for an improvement in the production samples would be subject to a considerable wait, with Michael Keaton’s Batman first to hit shelves followed closely by General Zod. The unveiling of the packaging did generate more enthusiasm, with early word that the final products were surprisingly good (see an excellent pictorial review of the ’89 Batman figure here)
Indeed, when the Superman figure was finally released it was universally acknowledged that seeing Christopher Reeve’s portrait on any action figure was worth the whole endeavour regardless of the quality of the finished product. With that in mind, come Christmas morning and with figure in-hand, it was SUPERMANIA’s turn for a slice of humble pie.
Having expectations firmly in-check based on Mattel’s first foray (1/6 Movie Masters) into figures from the Superman franchise (with the sculpt of The Man of Steel easily the most disappointing) it has to be said the likeness captured in this scale is genuinely impressive. Distracting cocked eyebrow aside, the face is clearly Reeve and captures his demeanour and Hawk-nose perfectly (even in profile, something the Hot Toys figure actually failed to do). The hair sculpting is also top-notch and the paint (traditionally a stumbling block for Mattel) is flawless.
Now, as the backing card (second pic) claims “These figures are meticulously designed to be truly authentic” and without subjecting it to the kind of scrutiny reserved for figures twenty times the price, (see Hot Toys again) its sad to see the godawful chest shield (third pic) made it past prototype stage and that somebody who obviously didn’t see the movie slapped on the massively oversized and inaccurate cape shield (bottom pic). These details, (I refer to the above quote) are not only overlooked but simply let the whole thing horribly down. Not even the excellent body proportions and extraordinary articulation (even in the wrists!) can save it from the shoddy finish. Overall the figure (and its copy – Time travel ability??) deserved a little more care.
SUPERMANIA hopes to address this by presenting a reworked custom version of this figure in a future post. This will feature corrected details and a replacement fabric cape..!
And coming soon – General Zod…
SUPERMANIA had reserved this post for the reveal of the long-awaited custom Hot Toys Superman figure featuring movie-accurate modifications. Alas, due to experimentation, time-wasters and inevitable delays the project is further delayed but will continue until the desired result is achieved (as first conceived here).
In the meantime, we celebrate the enduring legacy of the MMS152 with these amazing shots captured by figure photographer extraordinaire Ronnie Del Puerto (view his photostream here). Besides the dramatic shots highlighting the best aspects of the figure, Ronnie blurs fiction and reality in considerable style with the somewhat controversial portrait (second pic) of Reeve’s Superman apprehending Saddam Hussein and Bin Laden.
While reminiscent of the final scenes of Superman: The Movie where Superman drops Lex and Otis into the Prison grounds, this portrait may be done just for fun but does seem to hearken back to the days where the Superman character was used in comic books to motivate troops by taking on real-world oppressive regimes. If nothing else, it serves as a contemporary reminder of what is meant by ‘Truth, Justice and the American way’…
From the Sideshow Collectibles.com website;
“The Man of Steel explodes into action like never before, with the Christopher Reeve as Superman Premium Format™ Figure.
Having just celebrated his 75th anniversary last year, the all-American icon endures through the decades like, well, a Man of Steel. Superman’s famous red cape soars on, even while aspects and attributes of the world’s first comic book superhero change as a reflection of the times and culture…”
Unveiled for pre-order on this splendidly presented page, the highly anticipated reveal of this latest PF is not quite the embodiment of SUPERMANIA’s worst fears realised but still does little to advance them beyond the initial thoughts as offered here.
Besides the hideous wooden plinth to force the height of the piece over two feet the addition of the out-of-scale Green Crystal (as an exclusive) elicits yet more bafflement but little incentive. There are positives – the costume (less skinny belt and padless cape) is fabulously realised but the irony of such time and effort being spent on this and having the best view from behind is not lost here.
Even this excellent article documenting the talented Matthew Black’s artistic process and obsession with the Reeve lifecast can’t detract from how much better the Hot Toys figure manages to appear sat on his own desk. Sadly, the gaunt, unbalanced portrait simply fails to capture Reeve and the pose is every bit as out of character.
With less ambition and more faith in simplicity and the source material this may well have been the definitive licensed Reeve as Superman statue. To expand, a base comprising of a top-tier corner from a New York apartment terrace, a headsculpt by Trevor Grove resplendent with warm expression, a revised costume with correct details and a pose, well, see any publicity photo from ’78 and take your pick. Whichever way you slice it, the fusion of iconic vintage with 21st century aesthetic in this instance fails to soar…
Fleetingly teased during their Into The Halls Of Justice promo as far back as Jan 2012, Sideshow Collectibles have finally affirmed their commitment to the classic Superman movies by revealing their prototype PF (Premium Format) figure.
As the initial pics (taken from the latest Production Peek) above show, the figure is at prototype stage (featuring fabric costume and Christopher Reeve likeness) but awaiting a finished base (full reveal expected soon).
Typically, when it comes to translations of the original Caped Wonder to 3D, fan opinion is immediately polarised. Though highly anticipated (especially its official debut in ¼ scale!) it seems the initial excitement has been dampened by concerns regarding the statue’s unnatural pose. Further issues with the (otherwise admirable) likeness such as an overly tall forehead and odd drooping brows one would hope could be easily rectified before production, but this is by no means guaranteed.
Longtime followers of SUPERMANIA may know this a road well-travelled when it comes to campaigning for the best Reeve Superman figure possible for your hard-earned cash. Though most are failed endeavours (see: Hot Toys costume) occasionally the passion (or vitriol) of fans reaches the companies concerned in time to make vital adjustments (see: Hot Toys sculpt) initiated here purely for the benefit of collectors rather than any declaration of superiority.
That said, what is becoming inexplicably more apparent with each subsequent release of new Reeve Superman merchandise is an abandonment/ignorance of the source material. One could happily tap-dance on the entire shipment of Superman Cinemaquette’s for starting the godawful trend of sculpting figures in mid-descent. Indeed, this ridiculous emulation of ‘Riverdance’ with requisite flounce is made all the worse by the fact it was NEVER seen on screen and in all likelihood would not appear as such if it did.
So it is with considerable resignation that, bestowed with a character who strikes an iconic pose in most every scene he appears we have been gifted with yet another contorted non-canon interpretation. This is made all the more frustrating by the fact this disproportionate body is adorned by far and away the most lovingly-tailored (and screen-accurate, short of the belt being a ¼ too narrow) costume seen on a Superman Movie figure to date. Complete with a base (again, given a multitude of screen environments to choose from) apparently modelled after the bursting Hoover Dam?!? – and you are left with a puzzling concoction.
With Sideshow’s rich history of producing outstanding PF’s you could be forgiven for expecting the creative team to understand the impact of letting a character ‘speak’ for itself in an elegant, relaxed pose vs. overworked. One glance at the masterpiece that is their ‘Raiders’ Indiana Jones PF affirms this. If this prototype is indeed intended as the final version I fear a great opportunity to repeat that success and produce the definitive Superman statue will be lost. We shall see..!
