On the very last day of 2019, inspired by the release of the last Star Wars reboot movie, and some successful forays into local street markets, I decided to relaunch this blog with a post dedicated to Princess Leia. Within a few short months the world was grappling with the COVID-19 pandemic, Italy (where I live) was in lockdown, and my plans for this blog (not to mention everything else!) got pushed to the back burner. Toyissimi, Rome’s huge action figure collector’s fair, was postponed, and then postponed again, so it’s been a lean time for the collection. All this to emphasize my surprise and joy to unexpectedly happen upon a small Sunday market last weekend – the very first one I’ve seen since the easing of Covid-19 restrictions here – and spot this terrific Mego Superman figure, displayed in the unlikeliest of poses, sitting on a toy horse!
Superman
Pre-Order Christopher Reeve as Superman by Hot Toys!
As regular readers of this blog will know, I take a very occasional look at a brand new action figure release if it’s likely to be of interest to vintage collectors…or if I’m so excited about a figure that I can’t wait to spread the word about it! I mean, seriously folks, who could resist mentioning this Superman 12-inch Figure from the 1978 classic superhero film Superman that Sideshow Collectibles and Hot Toys have just revealed to the world?
With a stunning movie-accurate hand-painted likeness of Christopher Reeve it’s certainly sending some major ripples through the toy blogging universe right now and would seem to be the Superman we’ve all been waiting for! He even comes packaged with a detailed light-up figure stage imitating the Fortress of Solitude.
Mego Superman: Putting the Super into the World’s Greatest Super Heroes!
We can rebuild him, we have the technology is a phrase we know and love from old The Six Million Dollar Man episodes, but if you’re a collector of vintage Mego 8-inch action figures the expression could easily apply to any toy you are hoping to restore – it is by no means uncommon to come across loose uncarded vintage figures that have been cobbled together with spare limbs from various different figures or restored with repro parts and accessories. Late in the run of their World’s Greatest Super Heroes series even Mego started producing a few oddities of its own, putting random heads on bodies which might explain this Superman gem I picked up the other day in an online auction.
Kenner Super Powers: Superman!
Whilst the star of the last post Captain America may have been top dog over at Marvel with the Mattel Secret Wars action figures, DC Comics had their very own leader of the Kenner Super Powers line – none other than The Man of Steel himself, Superman!
It’s a testament to the sheer quality of these Kenner figures, that nearly thirty years later you’ll most likely find that the “super power” action feature of any vintage figure you happen to come across is still working just fine. This Superman may have lost his cape, but he still has his “super action punch” if you squeeze his legs together – Ka-pow!