More from the set of unpublished advertising material for Superman: The Movie featuring the final tagline and the more sci-fi slant of ‘No Limits’ featuring a collage of a painting (Artist unknown) of a star field and a publicity still of Christopher Reeve.
The centre image is another variation (by another unknown source) of the Bob Peak ‘Flying Sequence/Read My Mind’ art. The bottom poster is an interesting (and exhaustive) build-up to the tagline indicative of the producers determination to get the message across to audiences that they were attempting to make nothing less than cinematic history…
More from the never-before-published set of advertising poster mockups for Superman: The Movie featuring the tagline used in some of the early trailers precluded (in voice over) by This Year… but ultimately losing out to one of the most famous taglines in Movie history.
From the top –
Title over Bob Peak art, alternate shot of Reeve in flight over Metropolis, The Crystal shield and finally the Crystal title. The selection of the final art must have been an agonising choice given the strength (and simplicity) of the concepts presented here. All credit to the producers for standing firm with a campaign as iconic as the Movie…
This newest addition to my collection (and another SUPERMANIA exclusive!) is from a set of what I believe to be unpublished studio 10×8’s taken of a series of poster mockups for Superman: The Movie featuring variations on the tagline, and featuring art (with the exception of the bottom image) by the legendary Bob Peak.
Though the familiar silver shield and rainbow streak would ultimately be the final image used in the global release, The Peak painting in the first poster was later utilised in full colour and the liner notes of the Varese Sarabande soundtrack release in 1998…
Today marks would have been Christopher Reeve’s 58th birthday.
I’m often asked how I feel about his passing and his influence on me, and rather than acknowledge the most bittersweet of tragedies I have an overwhelming sense of pride – If only the rest of us could forge such a lasting legacy twice over, first making us believe a man could fly and second making us believe a man could overcome.
Pictured above is an article written by me for UK Collectors magazine TV & Film Memorabilia published in 2005 detailing Reeve’s life and career with an emphasis on collectables produced during his tenure. The fact that an influx of new items bearing his likeness now and to come is a fitting testimony to Reeve’s place in our collective consciousness as the definitive Superman…
This newest acquisition of genuine set-used crew-wear is notable for the fact it once belonged to somebody working on the ‘Flying Unit’ and would have been present during most if not all stunt/ flying scenes of Superman IV.
One suspects this blue satin Bomber jacket would have been most useful during the chilly November nights at Elstree Studios in 1986/7 and as the pictures demonstrate, it survived in pristine condition to this day and is a treasured addition to the collection..!
