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In 1989 when Tim Burton’s Batman film was hitting the US, as well as the “Gold Card” Toy Biz Batman action figure line, in Brazil Estrela released a similar style action figure to the US Toy Biz line but simply recycled (and repainted) the Estrela Batman from Super Powers. This resulted in an action figure with the Super Powers Batman sculpt, but Toy Biz color scheme and packaging style. While it’s not technically “Super Powers” in the way it was packaged and sold, since the figure itself is technically a repainted Super Powers Batman, it seems worth including in this list."
^Wow, I had no idea this existed! This is what Toy Biz was trying to sell us on the cards and all the promotional material (like the mini-WB catalog given away in theaters). The card back even has a Frank Miller Dark Knight Returns swipe!
I remember buying that Batrope/belt figure in the UK.
That was probably one of the only Burton movie related items I ever bought, along with a die-cast Batmobile.
I first found the Toy Biz Batman figures at Family Dollar of all places! I knew they were coming from an American Entertainment catalog I had, and I think a clip on CNN about the hype surrounding the movie. But to find them at a "dollar" store first was odd. But then when I saw them, the very unrefined plastic look of them made them fit right in with the "cheapie" toys usually found at such places. It didn't matter, I really dug them for what they were, and since I had decided to start collecting super hero action figures in 1988, this was my first chance to score new figures at retail.
I think the Kenner Dark Knight Collection toys started appearing in 1990, so Toy Biz really only had the license for a year and some change. But for a brief time, both Kenner and Toy Biz were still shipping product simultaneously. I passed on Toy Biz's Batcycle and Joker Cycle because I liked the Kenner ones better, even though they were just a quickie redos of Robocop motorcycles. All the initial vehicles in the Dark Knight collection were reworked from some other line, including Robocop, Silverhawks, and of course Super Powers with the black Batcopter. Kenner also reused the SP Joker body for the initial Sky Escape Joker, and you can tell their Keaton Batman also owes a bit to his SP predecessor, despite being an all-new sculpt.
My one regret for the Toy Biz line was that I never did get that Joker Van. I passed it up at a Big Lots and never saw it again at retail.
I never realized the Joker Van has some value. I was thinking of selling the Toybiz/Dark Knight/Suoer Powers stuff on eBay just because for me, as a child, it was always just placeholder stuff since no '66 toys existed. But a Mattel Cesar might be pretty cool displayed with that van...
I just noticed in my post above, Kenner was still using the Super Powers mold in promo shots. Look at the Dark Knight Collection catalog page, and take a gander at Iron Winch Batman.
This figure did come out in traditional blue and gray Batman colors, but used the standard DKC Michael Keaton body.
I remember these Dark Knight figures, now, because a couple of much younger cousins had them when they must have been very young. Until now, I had completely forgotten about them. I can see why they were popular as Kenner had a great foundation to work from.
They are really nice looking figures. Unfortunately Kenner went with movie characters only, and so began the never-ending cycle of nutty Batman variants.
If Mego had been able to survive just one more year, it's likely they would've pulled through.
Star Wars devastated them, but Transformers quite possibly could have saved them. And it would've been Mego that did it. The only reason it was Hasbro was because Mego had gone under.
It would've been an interesting landscape. Literally all of entertainment might have been rewritten.
Looking for Green Arrow accessories, Doctor Who Sonic Screwdriver, and Japanese Popy Megos (Battle Cossack and France, Battle of the Planets, Kamen Rider, Ultraman) and World Heroes figures
Star Wars devastated them, but Transformers quite possibly could have saved them.
But without Hasbro there's no Optimus Prime, Megatron, Bumblebee, Starscream or Transformers animated series. They might have imported some of the toys but without Hasbro's characters and animated series there's no Transformers pop culture phenomenon. Other companies had imported some of the toys before Hasbro but they never took off.
You are a bold and courageous person, afraid of nothing. High on a hill top near your home, there stands a dilapidated old mansion. Some say the place is haunted, but you don't believe in such myths. One dark and stormy night, a light appears in the topmost window in the tower of the old house. You decide to investigate... and you never return...
But without Hasbro there's no Optimus Prime, Megatron, Bumblebee, Starscream or Transformers animated series. They might have imported some of the toys but without Hasbro's characters and animated series there's no Transformers pop culture phenomenon. Other companies had imported some of the toys before Hasbro but they never took off.
Or technically, Marvel, as they mostly created the names, characters and background story for the Transformers. But yes I agree, if Mego ended up doing these but didn't go to Marvel like Hasbro did (which was a great decision on Hasbro's part) then Mego would have just had some odd transforming robots that most likely wouldn't have been anywhere near as popular as Transformers ended up being, probably nothing more than a minor success.
Or technically, Marvel, as they mostly created the names, characters and background story for the Transformers.
I totally agree. But we also can't overlook Hasbro's contribution in the formation of Transformers as they had already picked out all the toys to be used for the characters like the Diaclone Battle Convoy for the main hero and Microman Gun Robo as the main villain. Mego even with help from Marvel would have just had a few imported transforming Microman toys and maybe a comic book tie in. You take away Hasbro and the Transformers phenomenon doesn't happen.
You are a bold and courageous person, afraid of nothing. High on a hill top near your home, there stands a dilapidated old mansion. Some say the place is haunted, but you don't believe in such myths. One dark and stormy night, a light appears in the topmost window in the tower of the old house. You decide to investigate... and you never return...
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