Batman '89 Toys

[Earth 2 Chris]

Hard to believe that that on June 23rd, it will be 30 years since Batman debuted in theaters. I take a look at all the Batmania in general, and the Toy Biz action figure line in general on the latest episode of Where Does He Get Those Wonderful Toys. It was fun to put myself back in 1989 and remember how I reacted to it all.

http://fireandwaterpodcast.com/podcast/fw-presents-those-wonderful-toys-ep-12/

Chris

[Werewolf]

I remember being disappointed they didn't use the Super Powers molds for the figures. The Batmobile is fantastic though. Unlike all the later Kenner versions, it's actually a two seater. BTW: Nice pictures.

[palitoy]

At one point in my life, I worked with the guy who orchestrated this deal. He was legit too because the people at Warner Brothers introduced me to him, he was a former rep for Kenner Canada. The way he told it, nobody really wanted the action figure license for the movie.

[Werewolf]

Anyone know why Toybiz ended up not using the Kenner molds? Seemed like a very late change.

[palitoy]

As I recall from my conversations, they never actually intended to use them. They mocked up concept figures from Kenner Super Powers but they had to sculpt their own. Like you, I was a bit crestfallen when I saw the final product.

Also I have a weird hangup about body proportion in art, most art teachers praised me for it, the Batman card artwork and his tiny noggin irritated me subconsciously, then i saw the Riddler card!

[Earth 2 Chris]

^That was Carmine Infantino. He did the first series DC Comics Super Heroes art, and I think he did the movie figures too, which were then airbrushed. Bob the Goon is definitely Infantino's.

Interesting tidbit about the deal with Toy Biz. They certainly made a meal out of using the Kenner Batman and Joker in all the packaging and promo pics. They did of course rip off the SP line for the first series of the DC Super Heroes figures. They didn't for wave 2, and a generation cried.

Chris

[Werewolf]

As I recall from my conversations, they never actually intended to use them.

Ah, okay. The whole line just seems so disjointed. Like Riddler and Penguin totally look like SP knockoffs and why totally re-sculpt Batman 6 different times. The whole thing was just so odd.

BTW: Anyone know how to fix the action feature of Toybiz Batman figure? The string on mine jammed years ago and will not go back into the figure.

[palitoy]

Wow, mind blown it was Infantino. I never knew him to struggle with proportion.

Weirdly enough, even though i was 18 and mixed on the toy line, it does fill me with a lot of nostalgia for that summer. Superhero merchandise and apparel is commonplace nowadays but back then, it was a pretty magical time.

[Earth 2 Chris]

I think Carmine was going for Kirby-like proportions, and very few artists can pull that off. Almost everyone has huge hands. Batman has HUGE shoulders!

Seeing "cool" adults wear Batman shirts legitimized a lot of what I was often chastised for.

Chris

[B-Lister]

Summer 1989 was a very painful summer for me, but I clung to this film like a raft in a typhoon. Despite its many flaws, the film is sacred to me.

[acrovader]

Action figures pretty much reached their nadir at this point in toy history.

[PNGwynne]

I'll be honest, I didn't and don't like these. I still have the playset, because to me it was an ersatz Super Powers Batcave, but the rest was horrible. And the ensuing line was more awful. I was relieved when Kenner got the license.

[cjefferys]

Also I have a weird hangup about body proportion in art, most art teachers praised me for it, the Batman card artwork and his tiny noggin irritated me subconsciously, then i saw the Riddler card!

Ugh, that Batman card art always bugged the hell out of me, the body proportions are terrible!

[Earth 2 Chris]

Yeah, the whole line was pretty disappointing, which I touch on in the episode. I was very happy to see Kenner come back. I wish they hadn't fallen down the rabbit hole of so many Batman variants, but the Shadow Wing Batman with pop-out cape and their Bruce Wayne figure are still some of my favorite Batman figures of all time.

Toy Biz's Batcave is pretty nice. And you're right Werewolf, the colors make it feel pretty Super-Powersy.

Chris

[B-Lister]

I had longed for a Kenner Bruce Wayne for years. I finally bought one at my first or second Mego Meet.