ACTION FIGURES & MERCH | 13th Dimension, Comics, Creators, Culture

Jan12

Dig This Groovy Custom BATMAN ’66 BATCAVE Playset — That You Can Own

Posted by Dan Greenfield on Jan 12, 2021

Dig This Groovy Custom BATMAN ’66 BATCAVE Playset — That You Can Own

A deluxe Mego-style Batcave with which you can celebrate the show’s 55th anniversary… My first Batcave was a shoebox that I designed for my Corgi 1966 Batmobile and Batboat. I was maybe 5 or 6. My first official Batcave was the Mego version, which I got a couple years later, in 1974. It’s my all-time favorite toy. Since then, a metric ton of Batman playsets — including the magnificent Mego Wayne Foundation — have been produced for various toylines and at various scales. (The high-end Factory Entertainment edition is the be-all, end-all. Click here.) Even Figures Toy Company, which re-released Mego’s Batcave, has adapted that playset into a Batman ’66 version. But there’s one more worthy of your attention on this, the 55th anniversary of the TV show’s premiere: the Toyroom’s deluxe, custom-made, Mego-style, 8-inch-scale 1966 Batcave, created by owner Anthony Durso. Unlike most of Anthony’s playsets, which are contained to one plastic case, the 1966 Batcave is a double-whammy, with a main case and an add-on case that you can purchase for even more detailed play or display. Check out these pix, along with Anthony’s quick explainer on how this version evolved from one he did years ago: “Years ago I did a blueprint poster of the Batcave and tried to include every piece of Bat-gadgetry I remembered from the show,” Anthony said. “At the time I only had The Official Batman Batbook by Joel Eisner as a source. When it came time to do the playsets, I had a bootleg DVD version of the TV series and used that to freeze-frame all of the various equipment, as well as scour the internet for what little I could find. I wanted to try and get every knob and button as close as possible. It’s become a little easier since then.” Here’s the main case: — And here’s the add-on case: — A few thoughts: — Anthony, who is also a 13th Dimension contributor, has five Batman ’66 playsets available, in addition to the Batcave: Batgirl’s apartment and changing room, the United Underworld HQ, and hideouts for Catwoman, the Penguin and the Riddler. He has a superb Joker Ha-Hacienda playset that combines various versions of the Clown Prince of Crime, including the show’s, but he’s also prepping a TV-only set. — The Toyroom’s 8-inch-scale sets currently include:...

Dec25

A CAPTAIN ACTION Childhood, by JERRY ORDWAY

Posted by Dan Greenfield on Dec 25, 2020

A CAPTAIN ACTION Childhood, by JERRY ORDWAY

TOYHEM 2020 FINALE! The fan-fave artist brings us full circle with a fond remembrance of the hero of many masks… — Welcome to TOYHEM! For the holiday season, we’re bringing you a series of features and columns celebrating the toys of our youth, which often made for the best memories this time of year. You’ll be hearing from comics creators, regular 13th Dimension contributors and more. Click here to check out the complete index of stories — and have a Merry Christmas, a Happy Chanukah and Happy Holidays! — Dan — It’s the TOYHEM 2020 finale — and we end where we began: with Captain Action! Joe Jusko kicked off this year’s festivities on Black Friday with his personal recollection of the beloved superhero toy of the 1960s. (Click here.) But everyone’s experience is different — and Jerry Ordway has his own warm memories to share, so it seemed perfect for TOYHEM’s Christmas Day finish, especially since both artists grew up to illustrate CA professionally. Here’s Jerry — and Merry Christmas, everyone! — Dan By JERRY ORDWAY My memories of my discovery of Captain Action, my favorite childhood action figure, are still strong. Events and time compress when you look back on them from so many years, so it feels like Captain Action filled my entire childhood. In reality, I played with my various figures for the years the toys were available, 1966 until maybe 1968. The Batman TV show was the smash sensation of January 1966, and in that same year, the Marvel Super Heroes came to syndicated television through animation. Both events rocked my world, and cemented my love of superheroes. In Milwaukee, where I grew up, there was a business near my aunt’s home called Smith Distributors that produced a catalog of items they sold, including toys, such as Captain Action. You would enter the building, look through their catalog for the items you wanted, write the catalog numbers on a form, give that and payment to the cashier, and then wait. I watched in anticipation at a conveyor belt snaking through the upper area of the building, to catch a glimpse of my purchases making their way to me! It was truly a weird and wonderful thing, to have to wait for those toy boxes to make their way from the hidden warehouse shelves, on...

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