The MEGO JOKERMOBILE is Now Officially in the DC Universe
How cool is this? Seriously, how cool?
The Endless Joy of Superhero VIEW-MASTERS
An EXCLUSIVE EXCERPT from TwoMorrows’ RetroFan #2…
AN ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION: The Amazing Amazon debuted 85 years ago in All-Star Comics #8 — released Oct. 21, 1941… By CHRIS AND CINDY FRANKLIN “All the world is waiting for you, and the power you possess…” So wrote Charles Fox and Norman Gimbel when they penned the theme song to the 1970s Wonder Woman television series. 85 years ago, the world WAS waiting for a female superhero to fight for peace and inspire a generation… or generations as it would turn out. There had been a few forgettable female long-underwear types before Princess Diana donned her golden tiara, but creator and noted psychologist Willam Moulton Marston (under the pen name of Charles Moulton) and artist H.G. Peter broke the (clay) mold with the Amazing Amazon, who entered Man’s World and changed it forever, both in the comics and reality beyond. To celebrate her anniversary, like always, I (Chris) set out to assemble a collection of 13 pieces of merchandise that represent the character’s history and her impact on pop culture. But when it comes to Wonder Woman, I will forever bow to my lovely wife Cindy, who has collected merchandise based on her favorite superheroine for over 30 years. Cindy’s enthusiasm for the character and her collection altered the course of this article. You’ll find way more than 13 examples of Wonder Woman collectibles in what follows… but we did stick to 13 entries, anyhow! So, let’s spin around in circles and see what wonders magically appear! — 1. The Golden Age (Hallmark, Chronicle Books, DC Direct, McFarlane Toys). Since little merchandise and no figural offerings of Wonder Woman were made in the 1940s, we thought we’d switch up my usual format and begin with a retroactive collection of Golden Age Diana items. Hallmark released both a statue and an ornament based on Wonder Woman’s early adventures in 1996, seen here in the center of the photograph. In addition to dozens of other Wonder Woman items in the last 30 years, they returned to her roots with the Wonder Woman #1 cover ornament in 2021. In 2001, Chronicle Books packaged Les Daniels’ Wonder Woman Masterpiece Edition: The Golden Age of the Amazon Princess with the 8.5-inch figure on the left, which was designed by Alex Ross. In 2004, DC Direct released their own take in their First Appearance line...
Michael Karberg knows! You know what I want, what I really, really want? A Batmobile kiddie ride. Of course, I wouldn’t fit in it, I wouldn’t want to shell out for one, and I have no place to put it. But the heart wants what the heart wants. Well, Indiana Batman supercollector (and dealer) Michael Karberg has… hold on (checks notes)… SEVEN of them — with one that sold for $1,722 (including buyer’s premium) at auction Saturday. Waaaaoow. I just had to ask him all about it, so I could live vicariously through his Batmobile adventure. — Dan Greenfield: How many Batmobile rides do you own? Did you get them all at once or did you assemble the collection over time? Michael Karberg: We currently own seven of these; they were found in a warehouse in central California. We will be restoring five of them and returning them to their Bat-glory! — Dan: What’s your best childhood memory of these rides? Mike: I was born in 1965 and was six months old when the Batman TV show debuted. Some of my earliest 1960s Batman memories involve the Model grocery store in Harvey, Illinois. It was there that I remember purchasing Batman comics out of a comic book vending machine, which were super rare even then, and then getting to ride in a vending machine Batmobile ride just like ours! — Dan: This is a very specific type of collectible. What got you into these — and are they the only rides you own? Mike: They are the only rides that we own. I’ve collected and sold 1966 Batman items for over 40 years; I also sell and restore antique advertising items so I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to restore a group of 1966 Batmobiles! — Dan: How much work have you done to preserve these? Who designed the paint schemes? Mike: We just received them so nothing yet, the paint schemes appear to be six-decade-old evolutions, as up close you can see many layers of paint on each ride. — Dan: Do you rent them out or just collect them? For example, tell me about the pictures with the five on a trailer. Mike: The five were on the trailer because we were transporting them from California to Indiana where I live and where they will be restored....
How cool is this? Seriously, how cool?
An EXCLUSIVE EXCERPT from TwoMorrows’ RetroFan #2…
