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| BATMAN copyright DC COMICS |
You're looking at an extremely rare Marx Toys Poseable Batman figure from the '60s, which arrived at Castel Crivens yesterday. This is my third time around with this toy as I previously owned two of them - though not at the same time - when I was a kid. I last had this toy back around the late '60s when I swapped it (I must've been ill) for a Marx soldier figure with the same head as Batman. (I've now got two soldiers, acquired just over three years ago in 2021.)
Bats arrived with most of his accessories, but sans cape and cowl, though part of his mask was a black sticker (with eyeholes) over the top half of his face. It survives, but needs a little remedial work to restore it to its former glory, though truth to tell, when I make a new cape and cowl, I probably won't incorporate the sticker so as not to permanently obscure Bruce Wayne's upper face as was the case in the toy's original form. No, I'll do a better job, as the original one-piece cape and cowl (apart from the sticker) was made of an easily-fraying fabric, which is likely why it didn't survive to accompany wee Bats to my house.
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| The surviving accessories from the figure above |
I've told the following tale a couple of times before, but on the evening I swapped Batman for my pal's soldier, he was showing the toy to one of my brother's pals, who suddenly said "Let's see if he can fly" and launched it with some force across the playing field we were standing in. Sadly, poor Bats didn't survive his descent to terra firma. Over the decades, I started to lament his fate with a growing intensity - oddly lacking at the time (no doubt because he no longer belonged to me), and I'm really glad for the opportunity to roll back time and be reunited with a toy from my youth.
Below is the toy (not mine - image 'borrowed' from... somewhere) as it originally appeared in the shops back then. Anyone else ever own one? If so, permit your fellow Crivvies to dine on your memories before they fade beyond your ability to recall. And out of all the Batman merchandise you once owned (if any), which one was your favourite that you'd like to own again if you could?
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| Is it just me, or does the face look a bit like MICHAEL KEATON? |
6 comments:
I never had that Marx toy, Kid, although if I'd been aware of it, I would have pined for it until a kind relative stumped up for it. I'm looking forward to seeing a before/after set of photos once you've done your remedial work - I always enjoy seeing what a skilled repairer(?) can do.
My most cherished Batman toys were my Cherilea Batman & Robin - I still have those as I have strong memories of receiving them. I wish I'd kept my Corgi Batmobile and Batboats rather than selling them in 1984. They were kept in mint condition with the boxes. The one item I've not seen since 1966 is a felt Batman cowl based on the Adam West cowl. It was only really half a cowl - more a hat with a front mask, as the back only reached down above the neck, but it was really cool. Ever seen one? I imagine it came from Woolies.
I don't think I've seen a felt West cowl, B, but I've seen a few plastic ones in my time. I think I've now got replacements for most of the B&R merchandise I had as a kid, there can't be much left for me to acquire. Incidentally, the Corgi Model Club is reissuing the Batmobile in October, box, tray, and all.
Thanks for the tip on the Corgi Batmobile ; I had put my membership on hold, under the impression that they wouldn't be doing the Batmobile due to licensing costs. I'll definitively order one. Hope they get around to all the other TV tie-ins (Green Hornet's Black Beauty, Man from U.N.C.L.E. car, Avengers , etc).
Yup, I'll second that, B. At least they've done Bond's DB5 and the Saint's Volvo so far. I'd also like to see Inspector Morse's Jag. The 1968 silver birch version of the DB5 (with tyre slashers, etc.,) is also due out this year sometime.
I had the Batmobile, Batboat and Batcopter as a set in the 70s. Stupidly I didn't keep the box. I sold them on eBay around 10 years ago and the buyer complained that Robin wasn't in the set when they received it but I know he was damn well there when I sent it. I think he just wanted a discount and I couldn't prove otherwise. Do I miss the set? Yes. Would I want it again? No, I don't think so. I have so many things to sell and so many new things to buy. Never seen your Batman before, by the way.
The only Corgi Batman toy I don't have is the Batboat, which looked nothing like the one in the TV show or movie, M. In fact, neither did the Batcopter, come to that. Another Batman piece of merchandise I've just remembered I don't have (though I did as a kid) is the Batman polythene glove puppet, which came with disgusting 'confectionery' that I always threw or gave away. I'd like to own the puppet again, but at least there's a photo of it somewhere on the blog. Two of the hardest-to-get items are the Twistable Batman and the Poseable Batman of this post, and now I have both of them. Yippeeee!
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