Mego 50th Anniversary WGSH revealed

[Mego-Amigo]

Hope they go with the clear headbands for the ladies to keep everything just the way the originals were.

[pennywise]

I’ve got my preorders from ZLC. Hopefully we’ll start to see these hit soon. Gosh, what a time to be alive. This Mego relaunch has gone far beyond any expectations I ever had. Congratulations to Marty and crew, and thanks as well. They’re hitting home-run after home-run.

Liu,

Did your ZLC Mego 50th Anniversary figures come in the shell box with the Mego 50th label seal on front?

Thank you.

[enyawd72]

Got my set today! Aquaman is the standout for me...so much better than the FTC version!

[warlock664]

Edit: Never mind.

[scott metzger]

Braved the fog and light rain this morning to head down to the Port Orange Walmart just to see if the 50th anniversary Megp super-heroes were in, not really expecting anything given how often distribution lags in this area. Lo abd behold, I head toward the collectibles aisle, and ther, on an endcap, were four each of Superman, Batman and Robin. I was instantly back in the 70's at Zayres or Woolco or Toy King...

mego1.jpgmego2.jpgmego3.jpgmego4.jpgmego5.jpg

[palitoy]

It is crazy the nostalgia buttons this pushes. I'm normally not really into straight-up reproductions, I view them as gateway pieces for people but even I'm a bit excited about these.

[Mego-Amigo]

I finally found them last night at my local Wal-Mart. I could see those beautiful, colorful boxes from afar off as I approached the collector aisle in electronics. There was four of each. I got all three and an extra Superman and Batman to open. Truly did feel like a 5 year old kid again in Zayres and A&M Toy Store. Thanks Paul and Mego for an awesome beginning to the Holidays.

[monitor_ep]

I am disappointed in the Catwoman that is shown. First off it was barely in the comic books. The screen print was done more in the proper 'Pirate" outfit. the version 2 of Catwoman gives her bare legs.

[boss]

It is crazy the nostalgia buttons this pushes. I'm normally not really into straight-up reproductions, I view them as gateway pieces for people but even I'm a bit excited about these.

Ditto.

[scott metzger]

So I took a good, close look at 50th anniversary figures. They are in scale with the classic type 2, maybe just a tad taller, but they look just fine next to an original figure. Proportions of the body are good; nothing looks too big or too small except maybe the hands. They still seem a tad on the small side, but not glaringly so (and the flexibility means no more of the broken thumb syndrome that has always plagued the originals). The waist joint is much better fitting, the small gap feeling much more like the space we saw in the original. It looks and feels strong, no wobbling. The torso overall has been improved; the shoulders were very flat in the first bandless body but have a more natural curve to them now (which likely helps with the height). The hip joints are much more polished; the first bodies’ hips had a slightly rough, unfinished look to them. The fit is tighter with the gaps around the top of the legs minimized. The range for all the joints is good except for the knees. They barely get a 45-degree angle, while the elbows go a full 90. This is going to make running or flying poses difficult and is the one major fault here. All the other joints are solid and match the classic range of motion, with some exceeding the originals like the swivel elbow. And the flesh tone is dead on to a classic Mego; I popped Supes head off for a moment and held it in place on an old type 2, and the match is perfect. This body is a noticeable improvement over any of the previous versions. It feels solid, not delicate, like you could sit down and play with it with no fear.

As far as the individual figures go:

Superman: A really good representation of the figure I got as a kid. The blue is that perfect Chris Reeve blue Mego used years before Reeve wore it. Bright fire engine red, again, evoking the original. The material is a little thinner than the original but serves nicely and is a good quality. The boots are perfect Mego boots, a tad shinier than the originals, but not by much. The head is about perfect, and there’s a very subtle accuracy to the earlier versions of the figure. The head sculpt didn’t actually change perceptibly, but the earliest heads were a bit thinner with a thinner neck. In the heyday around ’76, with the type 2 body in full swing, the heads seemed a little wider with a slightly more substantial neck. Probably more to do with the molding process and the changes in the neck plug than a conscious alteration, but it is something an old timer can notice (and given how useful the Supes head has been over the years for customizing, I’m probably WAY too familiar with the subtleties of that particular noggin). The “S” is a bit big, but, again, not enough to majorly impact the look of the figure, and I think the earliest versions were a bit larger than what we got used to later (my perception here may be affected by all the material stickers I got from the French carded figures I picked up at Lionel Playworld back in the 80’s). The cape material is perfect; it feels just like the old ones and is sewn into the neckline exactly like the old days.

Batman: Same notes on material quality, cape and boots as Supes. Nice gray colored material, all the blues are just a bit off from each other, just as they were originally (and it’s not just that some Batcapes have faded over time and Mego mistakenly matched those as some have posited; the capes NEVER matched the other blues on any Batman I ever got from the very first one in the solid box on). The belt is spot on, even down to the connection in the back (which is somewhat larger in modern repros). The gloves are the only part that seems off, as they are too tight to go all the way onto the hands. With the originals, you could get them all the way on and, if you were patient and lucky, you could even get the thumb into the thumb on the glove. The material is perfect, though. The emblem seems perfectly sized. The head looks spot on, and the mask, though slightly thicker it seems than the original, fits perfectly, better in fact than the original. It does not easily slide out of place and is nice and snug; the eyes line up well and it stays that way. It looks really good simply from an aesthetic point; probably the best attempt at a removable mask I’ve seen. The cut of the cape, especially the neck hole, is very good, again I’d have to say a bit better than the original. It just seems to fit and lay better around the bottom of the mask. I’d say it is an improved version of the original, but none of the improvements take away from the accuracy of the reproduction.

Robin: Again, perfect materials. The vest is almost indistinguishable from an original as far as material goes. The classic elastic belt always worked better than the later plastic version, so I’m glad they went with this. The gloves have the same problem as Batman, but otherwise replicate the originals right down to the feel. The booties are again a near perfect match to the old ones. The head is another dead-on winner, and the mask is just like the original (still can barely see Mr. Grayson’s eyes, just like my first Robin). The trunks do a good job with the different hip configuration here, covering the joint well without looking off.

The big takeaway is that these don’t just look like the originals, they FEEL like the originals. Tactille-y, everything is spot on. The feel of all the materials as you handle and play with these brings memories flooding back. Mego really nailed it here, and the attention to detail has really paid off.

[Mego Newbie14]

Walmart run this morning yielded awesome results. Found Supes, Batman, and Robin. Two full pegs worth. Super happy with today

[TrekStar]

Technically if someone wanted to, you could buy one extra Batman, Robin and Superman, undress them and then dress them in repro Bruce Wayne, Dick Grayson and Clark Kent alter-ego clothes which both CTVT and Doc Mego carry, you would also have an extra pair of heroes outfits, it’s just a thought.

You could pick up a couple of nude Mego bodies and a nude Superman off ebay, CTVT sells Bruce and Dick Grayson heads, then dress them with the extra anniversary hero outfits.

[Z-man 307]

In stock in Brandon (just outside Tampa) Florida. Got my set with 3 sets left on the peg!

WGSH 1.jpg

WGSH 2.jpg

[nubee]

So I took a good, close look at 50th anniversary figures. They are in scale with the classic type 2, maybe just a tad taller, but they look just fine next to an original figure. Proportions of the body are good; nothing looks too big or too small except maybe the hands. They still seem a tad on the small side, but not glaringly so (and the flexibility means no more of the broken thumb syndrome that has always plagued the originals). The waist joint is much better fitting, the small gap feeling much more like the space we saw in the original. It looks and feels strong, no wobbling. The torso overall has been improved; the shoulders were very flat in the first bandless body but have a more natural curve to them now (which likely helps with the height). The hip joints are much more polished; the first bodies’ hips had a slightly rough, unfinished look to them. The fit is tighter with the gaps around the top of the legs minimized. The range for all the joints is good except for the knees. They barely get a 45-degree angle, while the elbows go a full 90. This is going to make running or flying poses difficult and is the one major fault here. All the other joints are solid and match the classic range of motion, with some exceeding the originals like the swivel elbow. And the flesh tone is dead on to a classic Mego; I popped Supes head off for a moment and held it in place on an old type 2, and the match is perfect. This body is a noticeable improvement over any of the previous versions. It feels solid, not delicate, like you could sit down and play with it with no fear.

As far as the individual figures go:

Superman: A really good representation of the figure I got as a kid. The blue is that perfect Chris Reeve blue Mego used years before Reeve wore it. Bright fire engine red, again, evoking the original. The material is a little thinner than the original but serves nicely and is a good quality. The boots are perfect Mego boots, a tad shinier than the originals, but not by much. The head is about perfect, and there’s a very subtle accuracy to the earlier versions of the figure. The head sculpt didn’t actually change perceptibly, but the earliest heads were a bit thinner with a thinner neck. In the heyday around ’76, with the type 2 body in full swing, the heads seemed a little wider with a slightly more substantial neck. Probably more to do with the molding process and the changes in the neck plug than a conscious alteration, but it is something an old timer can notice (and given how useful the Supes head has been over the years for customizing, I’m probably WAY too familiar with the subtleties of that particular noggin). The “S” is a bit big, but, again, not enough to majorly impact the look of the figure, and I think the earliest versions were a bit larger than what we got used to later (my perception here may be affected by all the material stickers I got from the French carded figures I picked up at Lionel Playworld back in the 80’s). The cape material is perfect; it feels just like the old ones and is sewn into the neckline exactly like the old days.

Batman: Same notes on material quality, cape and boots as Supes. Nice gray colored material, all the blues are just a bit off from each other, just as they were originally (and it’s not just that some Batcapes have faded over time and Mego mistakenly matched those as some have posited; the capes NEVER matched the other blues on any Batman I ever got from the very first one in the solid box on). The belt is spot on, even down to the connection in the back (which is somewhat larger in modern repros). The gloves are the only part that seems off, as they are too tight to go all the way onto the hands. With the originals, you could get them all the way on and, if you were patient and lucky, you could even get the thumb into the thumb on the glove. The material is perfect, though. The emblem seems perfectly sized. The head looks spot on, and the mask, though slightly thicker it seems than the original, fits perfectly, better in fact than the original. It does not easily slide out of place and is nice and snug; the eyes line up well and it stays that way. It looks really good simply from an aesthetic point; probably the best attempt at a removable mask I’ve seen. The cut of the cape, especially the neck hole, is very good, again I’d have to say a bit better than the original. It just seems to fit and lay better around the bottom of the mask. I’d say it is an improved version of the original, but none of the improvements take away from the accuracy of the reproduction.

Robin: Again, perfect materials. The vest is almost indistinguishable from an original as far as material goes. The classic elastic belt always worked better than the later plastic version, so I’m glad they went with this. The gloves have the same problem as Batman, but otherwise replicate the originals right down to the feel. The booties are again a near perfect match to the old ones. The head is another dead-on winner, and the mask is just like the original (still can barely see Mr. Grayson’s eyes, just like my first Robin). The trunks do a good job with the different hip configuration here, covering the joint well without looking off.

The big takeaway is that these don’t just look like the originals, they FEEL like the originals. Tactille-y, everything is spot on. The feel of all the materials as you handle and play with these brings memories flooding back. Mego really nailed it here, and the attention to detail has really paid off.

Many thanks for the review.

Gonna hafta buy 'em now.

[nubee]

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=4l4QBRhMJDs

Panel from the Rhode Island Comic Con