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  1. #76
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    Quote Originally Posted by Güicho View Post
    little too heavily stylized for my taste (not as bad (in a good way) as the DCAU figures, which reflected the cartoon look) Compared to what they should be able to achieve; in detail, articulation and paint aps by today's standards, even at this scale, these just feel a bit boxy
    Quote Originally Posted by phantom1592 View Post
    Yep, I'm torn with them. I think they may actually be 'better' figures than the old Super Powers... but for some reason I just like them less. Probably the heavily stylized bit. Super Power aimed for that Jose luis Garcia Lopez art....


    These are exellent points to raise with SM toys. I too like to see a less boxy look yet a more Lopez inpired look. Isn't there a Lopez art book out there? SM Toys seems receptive to suggestions. Anyone going to SDCC/NYCC who can tell SM Toys what else we'd like to see?

  2. #77
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    Quote Originally Posted by Güicho View Post
    They seem to be adding vehicles is a bonus!
    As the line grows, I might get more.
    Love to see more vehicles, figures, and improvements. The more input we give at conventiions, the more we may see classic favorites grace the shelves again!

    Economically using the same fuselage, SM Toys can make this classic bat plane, and invisible jet. The latter can be released in the regular DC line during Wonder Woman's 3rd movie. Just repaint the fuselage and swap for new (bat) wings.



  3. #78
    Extraordinary Member MRP's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Kubert View Post


    These are exellent points to raise with SM toys. I too like to see a less boxy look yet a more Lopez inpired look. Isn't there a Lopez art book out there? SM Toys seems receptive to suggestions. Anyone going to SDCC/NYCC who can tell SM Toys what else we'd like to see?
    The main reason that Super Powers and DC toys/licensing of the 80s resembled Jose Garcia Lopez's art is that he did the licensing model sheets and style guide for DC licensing...




    so toy makers and other licensees used this to base their DC products on. This is no longer the case. Current style guides are more in line with the more modern interpretations of the characters and are what is used to produce books like this:



    and what is provided to most licensees who make toys and other DC products. Spin Masters used that style guide and and created a stylized version of those looks geared to fit their parameters to produce a toy line aimed at younger audience who will play with rather than collect/display the toys.

    Until and unless DC goes back to the JGL style guide (which they haven't used in over 20 years) for their licensing department, you won't see toys or products in that style in the current marketplace.

    -M
    Comic fans get the comics their buying habits deserve.

    "Opinion is the lowest form of human knowledge. It requires no accountability, no understanding." -Plato

  4. #79
    Astonishing Member phantom1592's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by MRP View Post
    The main reason that Super Powers and DC toys/licensing of the 80s resembled Jose Garcia Lopez's art is that he did the licensing model sheets and style guide for DC licensing...

    so toy makers and other licensees used this to base their DC products on. This is no longer the case. Current style guides are more in line with the more modern interpretations of the characters and are what is used to produce books like this:

    and what is provided to most licensees who make toys and other DC products. Spin Masters used that style guide and and created a stylized version of those looks geared to fit their parameters to produce a toy line aimed at younger audience who will play with rather than collect/display the toys.

    Until and unless DC goes back to the JGL style guide (which they haven't used in over 20 years) for their licensing department, you won't see toys or products in that style in the current marketplace.

    -M
    I think there's more to it than that. Back then DC took JGL style and said that THIS is the definitive look for DC. All toys, merchandising, etc was based on it. Now they're a lot more fluid. We have Frank Miller style, Jim Lee Style, Bruce Timm Style, Video game style.... We can get 20 versions of Batman and each one will look 'off model' from any definitive 'comic style guide'. It's a lot more open to artist and interpretations.

    Which I personally dislike. I was extremely ticked off that that the only 3 3/4 DC characters I could get to go with my Marvel 3 3/4 figures were the injustice and Arkham figures... Took forever to get something that look remotely comic accurate, and that was the Christopher Reeve figure...

  5. #80
    Extraordinary Member MRP's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by phantom1592 View Post
    I think there's more to it than that. Back then DC took JGL style and said that THIS is the definitive look for DC. All toys, merchandising, etc was based on it. Now they're a lot more fluid. We have Frank Miller style, Jim Lee Style, Bruce Timm Style, Video game style.... We can get 20 versions of Batman and each one will look 'off model' from any definitive 'comic style guide'. It's a lot more open to artist and interpretations.

    Which I personally dislike. I was extremely ticked off that that the only 3 3/4 DC characters I could get to go with my Marvel 3 3/4 figures were the injustice and Arkham figures... Took forever to get something that look remotely comic accurate, and that was the Christopher Reeve figure...
    DC still has to approve of any product put out. Companies have to produce prototypes that DC will review and approve or request changes to. The new revived Mego company has already done a 14 inch line for DC, and announced they had the license for an 8 inch line based on Justice League Unlimited and another DC license last year (June of 2019). The had partial prototypes to show at the Mego Meet convention they announced it at. This year at Toy Fair, they had full prototypes, but they were still awaiting approval from DC for the figures, so what we saw there may or may not be the final look. They were provided a style guide which was based on the license they had (JLU and one that allowed for a modern looking Harley & Black Canary) and could vary form it if they hose, but nothing could go into actual production until DC licensing approves it, so any variations you see on the shelves were approved by the people who produce the style guides, but there are many that never see the light of day in production because they were not approved by DC Licensing. Something like the current McFarlane line has a broader purview for what they can do based on the licenses they have than Spin Masters, whose license is a little more tightly focused and limiting to how off-model they can go with their interpretations of the style guide. But the style guides are always the starting point and the baseline for DC Licensing approvals.

    -M
    Comic fans get the comics their buying habits deserve.

    "Opinion is the lowest form of human knowledge. It requires no accountability, no understanding." -Plato

  6. #81
    Extraordinary Member Güicho's Avatar
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    I've never bought funkopop, or "Pop Town" sets? was hoping this was closer to Super Powers scale.
    The vintage superpowers playset in yellow never seemed right.
    Also does that thing open up?
    Does it have anything inside?


    Would love to have this as a display....

    Last edited by Güicho; 04-01-2020 at 12:36 PM.

  7. #82
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    ^^^We should recommend this Collector Case / Display to SM Toys. This new generation of kids forgot how to collect! Anyone going to NY/SDCC this year?

    Quote Originally Posted by Kubert View Post
    A huge "Hall of Justice" collectors case. Like Kenner's classic C3PO collector case. Fits a bunch of figures!!! Have a hand space for kids to carry it around. Can sell many times, in many repainted colors, or different front facades. Classic cartoon white, or yellow colored Kenner Super Powers playset homage, or a Young Justice tan cartoon color with a diffrent front sculpt facade, or Scott Snyder's 6th Dimension House of Justice different front sculpt facade. Start with classic Super Friends HoJ to get the nostalgic Gen Xers + Millenials by the many millions!


    .

    Last edited by Kubert; 04-01-2020 at 01:53 PM.

  8. #83
    Extraordinary Member Güicho's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Kubert View Post
    ^^^We should recommend this Collector Case ....
    Or use the Vader case, as a LOD Hall of Doom HQ! : p
    Last edited by Güicho; 04-03-2020 at 05:51 AM.

  9. #84
    Mighty Member C_Miller's Avatar
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    I was obsessed with Batman as a kid. I'm pretty sure I had every single Batman figure from the 90s. That includes the figures from all 4 movies and the animated series. The standouts were the Joker who had a spot where you could fill him with water and it would spit out of his boutonniere and the Batman and Robin figures who had the cloth capes that would snap onto the back of their necks.

    The non-figures that stuck out was a Batcave Playset. I can't physically remember if I had it or my friend had it, but it was the one with a zip line and a spot where you could put a Bruce Wayne figure on one side and a Batman figure on the other and it would flip to simulate Batman getting into costume. This one was either from Batman Returns or the Animated Series. From brief internet research, it looks like they created this one for Batman Returns and then repackaged it through TAS, Forever and Batman & Robin. I believe I had another one when I was much younger that was different (much lower quality) and it had a jail cell which would have been tied to Batman 89.

    The other toy that I specifically remember was the 3 in 1 Batmobile from Batman Forever. It had a main body, but then it came with several attachments. It came with a set of wheels for the back and front to make the Batmobile, two wings to create the Bat-Wing and then a boat nose to make the Bat-Boat. This was easily my favorite non-Star Trek related toy that I had as a kid.

  10. #85
    Extraordinary Member Güicho's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Güicho View Post
    The Wayne Manor / Batcave which got re-purposed several times, still stands as one of the best Batcave playsets (sorry Mego fans).



    Quote Originally Posted by C_Miller View Post

    The non-figures that stuck out was a Batcave Playset. I can't physically remember if I had it or my friend had it, but it was the one with a zip line and a spot where you could put a Bruce Wayne figure on one side and a Batman figure on the other and it would flip to simulate Batman getting into costume. This one was either from Batman Returns or the Animated Series. From brief internet research, it looks like they created this one for Batman Returns and then repackaged it through TAS, Forever and Batman & Robin.
    One of the best playsets of the era, yeah it was continually repainted, redressed and re-purposed with a different color scheme, (to coincide with a similarly different Batmobile (sold separately), figure(s), etc. for several Batman lines.



    I believe the actual first versions was the 1992 to coincide with the Batman Returns film.
    However most of the features and themes seem to specifically reflect the original 1989 Batman movie;
    The style and look of the Batcave computer and and monitoring station, the costume change "vault" feature,
    A gimmick allowing Bruce Wayne to hang upside down, a break-away skylights, and zipline (to presumably save Vicki Vale from the Joker),
    And most telling on the reverse side, elements that were obviously supposed to represent the Axis Chemical Factory. With a breakaway railing to fall into the vat.
    Maybe they didn't get in production on time, so it came out to coincide instead with Batman Returns instead, and got repainted.
    It was then rebranded for Batman the Animated series, Batman Forever, Batman & Robin, etc....

    (*not in order)
    Last edited by Güicho; 04-02-2020 at 04:23 PM.

  11. #86
    Astonishing Member phantom1592's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Güicho View Post
    One of the best playsets of the era, yeah it was continually repainted, redressed and re-purposed with a different color scheme, (to coincide with a similarly different Batmobile (sold separately), figure(s), etc. for several Batman lines.

    I believe the actual first versions was the 1992 to coincide with the Batman Returns film.
    However most of the features and themes seem to specifically reflect the original 1989 Batman movie;
    The style and look of the Batcave computer and and monitoring station, the costume change "vault" feature,
    A gimmick allowing Bruce Wayne to hang upside down, a break-away skylights, and zipline (to presumably save Vicki Vale from the Joker),
    And most telling on the reverse side, elements that were obviously supposed to represent the Axis Chemical Factory. With a breakaway railing to fall into the vat.
    Maybe they didn't get in production on time, so it came out to coincide instead with Batman Returns instead, and got repainted.
    It was then rebranded for Batman the Animated series, Batman Forever, Batman & Robin, etc....

    (*not in order)
    I'm not sure about that. The 1989 movie already HAD a Batcave. So whatever they working on for that movie went into this one.




    I think a better suggestion, is that somewhere between 89 and 92 the line was a huge success and they knew they wanted to make a new one... and all the information they had during the planning stages was the first movie. So they built it off that, but they never intended it to come out any earlier than the 92 movie year.

    Sadly, this is the version I had. I always wanted the Wayne Manor version one... but even with all the repaint/releases, I never got it.


    Honestly, i never really understood the need for a Batcave playset. It's extremely popular for as long as there have been batman toys... but the number of times that bad guys ACTUALLY get into the super secret hidden Batcave to fight is miniscule... I always would have rather had Wayne Manor or a Bank, or a Muesum playset for the villains to rob and Batman to stop... but the Batcave?!? I played with it, but it wasn't the most exciting play area I had.

  12. #87
    Extraordinary Member Güicho's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by phantom1592 View Post

    I think a better suggestion, is that somewhere between 89 and 92 the line was a huge success and they knew they wanted to make a new one... and all the information they had during the planning stages was the first movie. So they built it off that, but they never intended it to come out any earlier than the 92 movie year.
    .
    Yeah, ^ that makes sense. It looks like Kenner didn't even have the licence yet in 89, the one you posted is Toy Biz, the licence switched to Kenner by the 92 (Returns).
    Although the merch branch of the film, usually want to share and promote most all the reference material for the new upcoming film, with the the toy company, and that's what they want on the shelves.
    The 92 toy commercials definitely featured Penguin and Catwoman toys.



    Still for the playset however (see the pics and vid above) Kenner somewhat retroactively still went with referencing much of the 89 movie. As indicated the gimmick allowing Bruce Wayne to hang upside down, the break-away skylights, and zipline in the above commercial obviously references the 89 movie.
    And most telling the the Axis Chemical Factory side, where now Penguin falls into the vat, for what was obviously intended to play as the 89 Joker scene, now switched with Penguin for 92. Likely for the reasons you indicated.
    Last edited by Güicho; 04-02-2020 at 07:22 PM.

  13. #88
    Astonishing Member phantom1592's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Güicho View Post
    Yeah, ^ that makes sense. It looks like Kenner didn't even have the licence yet in 89, the one you posted is Toy Biz, the licence switched to Kenner by the 92 (Returns).
    Although the merch branch of the film, usually share most all the reference material for the upcoming film, with the the toy company.
    Still, looks like Kenner somewhat retroactively put one out referencing much of the 89 movie, maybe for the reasons you indicate, and that was still the go to model?
    Makes sense... i was too young at the time to care about 'company' names... but I do remember the first line of 'movie' toys and the DC Heroes line.... That just... SUCKED. They looked like Super Powers figures... but if you touched them the plastic and sculpt was just... BAD... Kryptonite Ring Superman was pretty awesome Running Flash was there when the tv show was on... so i loved that figure... and Robin was pretty good... but Aquaman, Green Lantern, Hawkman... they just looked and felt like KO figures. Then they stopped and the Dark Knight Collection took over and the sculpts were better.... but they had no knees.. . No knees really bugged me at the time but still got a few of them. SO on some level i recognized the license changing hands... but it didn't make big waves for me

  14. #89
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    Quote Originally Posted by phantom1592 View Post
    I think there's more to it than that. Back then DC took JGL style and said that THIS is the definitive look for DC. All toys, merchandising, etc was based on it. Now they're a lot more fluid. We have Frank Miller style, Jim Lee Style, Bruce Timm Style, Video game style.... We can get 20 versions of Batman and each one will look 'off model' from any definitive 'comic style guide'. It's a lot more open...
    SM Toys seems open to suggestions. The great Super Powers / JGL inspiration may have made this new figure possible,




  15. #90
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    Quote Originally Posted by Güicho View Post



    Or use the Vader case, as a LOD Hall of Doom HQ! : p
    If SM Toys ever makes a new LOD case, that'll hilariously make millions of Star Wars collectors, do a double take at the toy aisles! A very positive thing for potential sales.

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