Its been way too long since I posted in general, but what with the continued success of the YouTube Channel, Instagram account and Restore Superman IV campaign, its fair to say Capedwonder Europe has never been busier –
That said, SUPERMANIA is where it all started and its high time I got back to what made the site so unique in the first place, the showcasing of rare and unique artefacts exclusively from the Superman Motion Picture Series. And what a great little addition to the collection the above has proved to be –
While not the original prop, this UK made & sold TIMEX Gold Ladies dress watch is the exact make & model worn by Margot Kidder in her role as Lois Lane (see portrait above courtesy Jim Bowers) Notable for its few seconds of screentime in closeup, this prop opens the pivotal ‘Balcony scene’ where the intrepid journalist is poised to get the story of the century.
Presumably obtained by the Wardrobe Dept. in 1977, this tiny, elegant timepiece was a very popular style at the time, with its pearlescent face, windup feature and metal strap. While specific details are scarce about the watch itself, it seems plenty were manufactured back in the day and can still be obtained in good condition for a reasonable price.
I couldn’t resist the temptation to pair it with the awesome replica Library card replica w/envelope (beautifully rendered by Daniel Sanchez) for the perfect ‘I spent the night with Superman’ display (sans wine & Marlboro’s!). If you can get hold of one, it makes a superb addition to your Superman replica prop collection…
Although SUPERMANIA’s long-standing relationship with Propstore has been going on for some years now, after last years bumper offering of incredible artefacts from all four Superman Movies It seemed there was no chance such a feat could be repeated. Indeed, after 40+ years, how many loft finds and shed discoveries from various former crew and/or family could there possibly be? No, the 2021 auction was surely the pinnacle of what remains of available Superman ephemera. The exquisite miniatures. The hairpieces, the crystals. Even Valerie Perrine’s iconic dress. After the last visit, we all shook hands and drove home with a sense of finality – how lucky were we to see these wonderful pieces before they were scattered across the world to their new custodians?
Well. Turn’s out joke’s on me.
Not content with having just as enviable a selection as last year, Propstore have gone one better by presenting a catalogue of fresh items in this years Entertainment Memorabilia Live Auction with a complete costume from the Salkind Superman trilogy as their premiere lot. While Propstore has seen many a Super-garment pass through their hands, rarely does a complete costume (below, on a finished display, no less) become available. And quite the example it is too, with the description revealing it to be a composition of screenworn items from all 3 films, presenting a unique opportunity to own a piece from each in the franchise.
Also for Reeve fans there is the 1:1 in flight model from Superman II, an autographed still and my personal favourite lot, the two Leather-bound scripts personally signed by Reeve and donated as a prize to UK TV show Multicoloured Swapshop, where the provenance on offer is about as comprehensive as can be.
Enjoy the preview video (top) courtesy of the Capedwonder Podcast where Jay Towers and I interview Propstore CEO Stephen Lane and look out for the upcoming video on the SUPERMANIA YouTube channel as we prepare to visit the Propstore office once again at the end of this month. Until then, I will keep any predictions about next years auction firmly in check…
Now that the site has been rebranded and revamped (thank you all so much for your support..!) its time to get back to what SUPERMANIA does best, showcasing rare and obscure collectables –
And they don’t come much better than this amazing curio from the Netherlands – a Superman – The Movie Promotional poster in four parts and over two metres long – making the figure of Christopher Reeve life-sized. This package was only available as a mail-away for collectors of the Monty Gum Superman Trading Cards – where ten empty packets plus 50p in postage would also enlist you in the Monty Superman Club.
In absence of the Topps trading card sets in some European Territories, local confectionary companies like Monty Fabrieken (of Leiden, Holland) picked up the licence and produced packets containing 3 cards and the obligatory stick of bubble-gum.
Whereas the cards and wrappers (produced in two sizes) occasionally pop up on auction sites, this particular piece of ephemera (complete with card cover and four postcards) is notable for its rarity and few complete examples are known to exist –
The copy above came to be in the SUPERMANIA collection from a folder of Dutch/German clippings, its previous owner obviously passionate Superman devotee from childhood. This set was pieced back together from the scrapbook with the posters in pristine condition tucked between the (mostly water damaged) pages. Until recently I had no idea what its origin was until another collector proudly posted his copy on Instagram…
“Scholastic Action® features celebrity profiles, and read-aloud plays and high-interest content to help low-level readers build the skills they need to succeed….”
Still publishing to this day with a focus on introducing young people to reading by way of popular culture, Scholastic Inc. were one of the first childrens periodicals to feature the fresh-faced star of the upcoming Superman movie and also provide a handy double-page timeline of his origins.
For middle-schoolers, Christopher Reeve would also appear on the cover of Scholastic Scope In January 1979 and their definitive volume – The Great Superman Movie Book – would first be published in 1981, and again in 1983 to incorporate the newly-released Superman III
While there may have been no reprint to incorporate Superman IV in 1987, Scholastic nonetheless released both a tie-in Novel and a childrens storybook (by Nancy E. Krulik and B.B Hilller respectively) to commmerate the character’s 50th anniversary.
As quick Google search provides no result for the issue above, one must presume its a rarity so SUPERMANIA is proud to archive the feature here – meantime the GSMB continues to be a staple of ANY Superman Movie collection – just make sure the poster is present before adding it to yours…!
Figurine Panini!
The name alone prompts a wave of nostalgia and immediately recalls frenzied sessions of ‘swapping’ stickers with school-friends in the playground. The excitement of finding that special ‘need’ nestled among all the ‘gots’ is something later generations would sadly never be part of, or indeed, understand.
And such variety! There was a collection for everybody. For the girls, Barbie, Sarah Kay and Fame, for the boys there were the annual Football albums but for those with alternative tastes there were Buck Rogers, Flash Gordon, E.T. and Superman the Movie…
Don’t remember it? Well, unlike the comic adaptation and photo novel which never actually made print – this album was published in 1978, exclusively for the Italian market. There were also albums published in France, Portugal and the Netherlands by different companies – one can’t help but feel deprived of an essential piece of childhood collecting were it not for the iconic Topps Trading cards.
To make matters worse, flicking through the pages of this complete example, the album is every bit as nicely presented as any one of Panini’s best, utilizing many of the familiar publicity shots while telling the story of the film over a total of 204 stickers.
While this item does occasionally appear on auction sites its rarely complete and individual stickers, after 40 years, are as hard to come by as it sounds – a true jewel in the SUPERMANIA collection…
