Dear Hot Toys –
May I first congratulate you on an incredible prototype Superman figure – As I’m sure you are aware anticipation for this was incredibly high and consequently the subject matter has a very dedicated and devoted fanbase- many have waited over thirty years for this figure –
In recognition of the fact you are noted for listening to your fans when most toy companies do not I implore you to acknowledge the efforts shown here produced by two very talented artists & SuperFans with a wealth of experience in consulting and producing costumes, art and sculpture based on Christopher Reeve’s unparalleled portrayal.
You’ll find the amendments detailed in the images above to be slight and easily achievable but in doing so making the transition from acceptable to impeccable. These collages were created as a proposed guide and not intended as instructions – please disregard the notes about using provided art.
Look no further than the contents of this blog to see further examples of the work of Chris King in Costume and Sebastian Columbo in Photoshop to further compliment what are already great works.
And make no mistake, these offerings are not intended to highlight any shortcomings or indeed as an attempt at critique, they are merely the goodwill of artists that are seeking the best result for the perfect figure. This is what you are famous for as a company and have demonstrated time and again with your licenses, and on that basis we submit these humble adjustments in the hope you will agree they will only enhance what is already a fitting tribute to the original Man Of Steel.
With best Regards –
SUPERMANIA & Friends…
Yet another hot-off-the-press SUPERMANIA exclusive – while the images above at first glance would arguably pass as an authentic, full size Christopher Reeve costume, what you are seeing in fact is the development and fitting stages of an outfit for a premiere ONE THIRD scale statue. (click on pics for larger images).
Standing at an incredible 25 inches when finished, (note the the fingers in the 3rd pic down for scale) this latest of sculptures by US SuperArtist Bob Causey is a variation of his 1:1 project and will be produced in a very limited run.
Among the lucky recipients of these will be SuperFan Chris King, who has served as consultant for many Superman model projects (including mine) and has commissioned this costume to be constructed in miniature using exactly the same techniques as the full-size counterpart. (including the S/shield painstakingly drafted by Sebastian Columbo and sewn into, not onto the tunic!) Stay tuned for more updates as this impressive project develops…
Another SUPERMANIA exclusive – This gargantuan rendering of Honest Abe is a piece of the long-thought lost or destroyed prop of Mount Rushmore from Richard Lester’s Superman II.
Miraculously salvaged from Pinewood Studios upon completion of filming, the face still exhibits the pre-cut chunks for the shattering to occur when The Phantom Zone Villains give it the heat-vision treatment for replacement with their own portraits.
Now preserved in a private collection, these rare photographs are proof the miniature survived not only its onscreen demise but the wrath of the studio skip and maintain its rightful place in film history. My sincere thanks to Author and SuperFan Steve Cambden for granting permission to scan these pics from his archive…
In conclusion to the posts detailing the Superman Soundtrack library I present this fascinating pair of double disc releases from 1998 and 2000, respectively. These infinitely contrasting CD’s are notable for being the first full rehashes of John Williams original score since the 1978 soundtrack album, supplemented by previously unreleased material.
Curiously, Varese Sarabande were there first, with a 20-track adaptation ably performed by the Royal Scottish National Orchestra under Emmy Award winning composer (SeaQuest DSV) John Debney. Simply but gracefully presented, the set makes up for any lack of WB involvement by utilising hitherto unseen paintings for Superman: The Movie by Bob Peak for the cover and liner notes (2nd and 4th pics). This, plus the never-before-published music from The Helicopter Rescue (Disc 2, Track 1) quickly made the album a must-have and somewhat of a rarity today.
Not be outdone, two years later Warner Brothers Archive label Rhino would offer a humdinger of a package as a sparkling update/re-issue of the original John Williams material that re-addressed the balance by offering 35 tracks of remastered music mostly peppered with previously unreleased material. Exquisitely packaged, with an holographic slipcase and colour liner-notes, this Michael Matessino-produced spectacular was considered definitive until the discovery of even better source material during research conducted for the upcoming Superman: The Movie Special Edition on DVD. It would be the best part of a decade before the reels discovered in Pinewood Studios vaults would yield the ultimate box-set…
