Mego Superhero Prototypes discovered (and for sale!)

[WannabeMego]

what are we looking at here? Alfred E Newman? This would have been amazing if so.

http://dyn2.heritagestatic.com/lf?set=path%5B1%2F4%2F1%2F6%2F6%2F14166571%5D%2Csizedata%5B612x500%5D&call=url%5Bfile%3Aproduct.chain%5D

[ATTACH=CONFIG]18571[/ATTACH]

He was definitely the first that came to mind

This could have easily been re-used as a possible Beast Boy/Changling eventually if they explored using Doom Patrol and/or if they still existed by the time Teen Titans was revamped.

Kewl Piece.

[imp]

The easy answer for whether it's Captain Marvel Jr. or not starts with asking what year it's from. DC didn't get the Shazam/CM rights until what, '72? and the show wasn't on until '74. I admit, it looks like a great Jr. head, but I'd think Mego would have gone after rights to characters that had exposure at the time, and those Filmation cartoons were on daily in syndication around the country, and if you figure they wanted that as advertising they didn't have to pay for, Superboy and Aqualad are the lead contenders.

Yes, DC got the rights in 1972. Other heads featured in these auctions are actual 1st Wave Heroes Superman, Robin and Aquaman. Those figures debuted Christmas 1972, at EJ Korvette stores. In other words, whatever was happening at DC in 1972 is exactly what Mego had in front of them. Further, another head included — in the exact same auction — is, unassailably, a Shazam likeness. So I guess I'm a little confused why the willful resistance against that particular sculpt being Captain Marvel, Jr. Am I missing something?

- Benjamin

[Earth 2 Chris]

^Another nod to it possibly being Captain Marvel, Jr., is that Mego gave Batman a Robin right out of the gate. Captain Marvel Jr. was EXTREMELY popular in the Golden Age, and the folks at Mego may have remembered him. Heck, Elvis supposedly based much of his look on him.

I don't doubt it's Captain Marvel, Jr., I just don't think anyone ever even thought of Mego even considering him for inclusion before.

DC didn't outright own the Marvel family until the late 80s, though. In fact they used other Fawcett characters in the mid 70s without really having the rights! It's why none of those characters show up in Who's Who or any DC series until the 90s Power of Shazam series.

On the flip side, there's a decent case for Superboy due to Mego following the lead of the heavily syndicated DC Filmation cartoons. Super Friends hadn't debuted yet.

Chris

[hedrap]

Yes, DC got the rights in 1972. Other heads featured in these auctions are actual 1st Wave Heroes Superman, Robin and Aquaman. Those figures debuted Christmas 1972, at EJ Korvette stores. In other words, whatever was happening at DC in 1972 is exactly what Mego had in front of them.

Gold Key was publishing Korak until DC took over in June '72. Korak headlined the book. It makes more sense fur DC and Burrough's estate to want Korak to be pushed alongside Trazan.

[LonnieFisher]

Anybody have a Heritage Auctions account? Wanna bid for me? I got cash and will produce the heads that Mego didn't.

[monitor_ep]

You also have to remember that this time from was when Captain Marvel was outselling Superman. So it makes since that it could be CM3.

[PNGwynne]

Shazam #1 appeared Feb. 1973, so would have been on the stands a little earlier?

That could have ben the impetus for these sculpts, and later abandoned for a new sculpt tied to the TV exposure of the character (which coincidently, didn't feature the Marvel Family)?

[imp]

Gold Key was publishing Korak until DC took over in June '72. Korak headlined the book. It makes more sense fur DC and Burrough's estate to want Korak to be pushed alongside Trazan.

I'm not sure if you own a copy of my book, but I did extensive interviews with ERB's grandson, Danton Burroughs, and I was granted complete access to all of ERB's documents, including all the records related to the license they granted to Mego. I promise you: The head is absolutely NOT Korak.

I'm going to assume it is, as the auction states, Captain Marvel, Jr.

- Benjamin

[hedrap]

I was granted complete access to all of ERB's documents, including all the records related to the license they granted to Mego. I promise you: The head is absolutely NOT Korak.

OK, but I'm going by what you said earlier.

In other words, whatever was happening at DC in 1972 is exactly what Mego had in front of them. Further, another head included — in the exact same auction — is, unassailably, a Shazam likeness.

Basically, Korak was in publication - God Key/DC - while Shazam had not been since the 50's. DC had Korak headlining a book while Shazam was relaunched. NPP held a lot of clout, so I don't see why they would push a secondary character they didn't own and hadn't been around in twenty years.

I'm not saying it can't be Capt Marvel Jr. If it is, I think Chris would be closer to accurate - someone at Mego grew up reading Shazam and liked the characters. Heck, DC may have originally licensed Shazam because someone at Mego wanted to roll him into WGSH, which IIRC from your book, is how Tarzan ended up being included. Also, we reflexively look at Shazam as a DC property, but at this point - '71-'73 - he really wasn't. Shazam in '72 would have fit the expanded yet tangential connection Tarzan and Conan had with WGSH.

[imp]

I think we can all safely jump off the "what year did…?" scrutiny, because it's irrelevant here. As we all now know, Gene Salamacha sculpted Mego Super-Hero heads from 1972 all the way until 1979. We know this because the previous Heritage Auction featuring Gene's work included his 1979 head sculpt for the 12" Magnetic Batman. The point is, Gene probably sculpted the Shazam! and Captain Marvel, Jr. heads in late 1973, while Mego was developing the 2nd Wave Heroes. (Shazam! was first available Summer 1974.)

I know it's fun to speculate about this stuff, but… Occam's Razor.

- Benjamin

[hedrap]

Yeah, that's Junior. Once I smoothed out the skin it became more apparent.

[PNGwynne]

If irrelevant, why was Shazam! revised? I love the production sculpt, but this new reveal, while rough, is interesting.

I'm interested in lead times, too--was Shazam!'s later release due to revision or an intended cross-sell with the TV show?

[imp]

Yeah, that's Junior. Once I smoothed out the skin it became more apparent.

That looks AWESOME! What a great idea, and nice Photoshop work, sir.

- Benjamin

[imp]

If irrelevant, why was Shazam! revised? I love the production sculpt, but this new reveal, while rough, is interesting.

Great question. This is speculative (I have no corroborative facts), but the revision was probably just a stylistic decision, as was the case with Mr. Mxyzptlk. Mego and/or DC (who could certainly request changes) may not have liked something about the one being auctioned currently.

I'm interested in lead times, too--was Shazam!'s later release due to revision or an intended cross-sell with the TV show?

Another great question. Both of those reasons could have factored into his late release. Also, does the Montgomery Ward exclusive PETER PARKER factor into this? The SIs were being developed at precisely the same point in time as Shazam! Granted, the Peter Parker prototype that appears in the Christmas 1974 catalog is NOT the Shazam/Peter Parker head that Mego ultimately produced. But perhaps someone realized a more 'generic' face — incorporating a slightly different paint-mask — would work for the two concurrently produced characters.

- Benjamin

[LonnieFisher]

Great question. This is speculative (I have no corroborative facts), but the revision was probably just a stylistic decision, as was the case with Mr. Mxyzptlk. Mego and/or DC (who could certainly request changes) may not have liked something about the one being auctioned currently.



Another great question. Both of those reasons could have factored into his late release. Also, does the Montgomery Ward exclusive PETER PARKER factor into this? The SIs were being developed at precisely the same point in time as Shazam! Granted, the Peter Parker prototype that appears in the Christmas 1974 catalog is NOT the Shazam/Peter Parker head that Mego ultimately produced. But perhaps someone realized a more 'generic' face — incorporating a slightly different paint-mask — would work for the two concurrently produced characters.

- Benjamin

I think the Shazam was sculpted to look like the actor that was going to be playing Shazam on tv. And I think it was Shazam's secret identity that was planned, not Peter Parker. The Parker outfit looked exactly like Billy Batson from the series, minus the yellow cuffs and collar. But since Billy and Captain Marvel didn't look the same, they switched him to be Peter.