Below is a close-up of the t-shirt image.  We featured it here on FIRESTORM FAN back in 2009.  It’s an unusual collection of characters: Red Tornado, Doctor Fate, Green Arrow, Martian Manhunter, and everybody’s favorite Nuclear Man.  Near as I can figure, the artwork on this shirt must have been produced in conjunction with the second wave of Super Powers action figures.  These happen to be the exact five superheroes that were released in that wave.  Otherwise, I can’t think of a time these particular heroes were together for an image like this.  You can order yourself one of these great-looking shirts from Graphitti Designs by clicking here.

My thanks to match-head Ken Deemer for the heads-up about this Firestorm sighting!

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Mark L. Taylor, the voice of Firestorm on Super Friends: The Legendary Super Powers Show and The Super Powers Team: Galactic Guardians, was recently interviewed about his time on the show!   Marc Tyler Nobleman landed the interview for his Noblemania blog.  During the interview Taylor discussed how he landed the role, his fellow cast members, and much more.  Be sure to visit Noblemania and check out the interview!

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SPECIAL ADVANCE NOTICE

Be sure to come back this Wednesday for a very special treat!  We’re featuring an exclusive interview with FIRESTORM vol III writer Stuart Moore! See you on Wednesday!

No kidding, this product was produced in Argentina and distributed as part of the Super Amigos line.  Our good buddy Jon from the Fizzit blog sent us pictures of his own cube.  He included the teeny-tiny Action League characters to provide a sense of scale.  This is a small cube!

Below is a photo of the exterior package.  The cube is identified as a “Skill Game” and “Rubik’s Cube with Your Favorite Characters”.

Below are the contents of the package.  You have to assemble the cube yourself and put on the stickers.

Below is another photo of the packaging.

Finally, below are the stickers you attach to each face of the cube.  Click the image to enlarge!

After getting a good look at this insanity… I desperately want one!  Someone on eBay is selling several different character cubes from the Super Amigos line.  If you’re interested in seeing the others, please click here.

My thanks to Jon from the Fizzit Blog for sending us information on this crazy cube.  Thanks, Jon!

Support Firestorm El Hombre Nuclear! Fan the flame!

No Support Bizarro Firestorm! Put out flame!

It’s worth noting there were a few minor differences between “our” Firestorm and the Super Friends Firestorm.  Here is the Super Friends Firestorm origin explained on the SuperFriends Wiki:

High-School student Ronald Raymond, met Professor Martin Stein on the campus of Fairmont University. He would help Professor Stein on many occasions. One night, during an accidental explosion (from a molecular-fusion experiment), Ronald and Professor Stein fuse into one being; Firestorm, the nuclear man! Ronald Raymond had control of Firestorm’s body, while Martin was just a voice in Firestorm’s head.

A fairly close origin, but slightly different.  “Fairmont University”?  Ronnie helped the Professor prior to their becoming Firestorm?  Minor differences, but interesting.

Okay, so the real reason for today’s post is to show off the cool fusion of Professor Stein and Ronnie Raymond into Firestorm!

Check out the 10 minute 45 second mark of the video below to see more!

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Dude, I remember staring at the action figures on the back, wishing and hoping to own them all someday.  The Collector’s Card featuring the details on Firestorm was such a font of information for kids!

This card is a wonderful piece of Firestorm memorabilia that I’ve never featured before!  For my coverage of the Firestorm Super Powers action figure, please click here.  For my coverage of the Firestorm Super Powers mini-comic, please click here.

A couple weeks ago I asked you match-heads to send in scans of this action figure card.  My thanks to JLAsuperdude and Jon from the Fizzit blog for sending images of their cards!  Much appreciated guys!

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Until a few weeks ago, I didn’t even know there were Firestorm patches!  I won the Firestorm patch below on eBay recently.  It was produced by Willabee & Ward as part of their Official DC Comics Patches collection.

The border and classic Firestorm logo were embroidered.  The image of Firestorm himself has been printed on the fabric.  This drawing of Firestorm looks REALLY familiar, but I’m having a hard time placing it. I think it may have been used with the Super Power action figure, but further research would be needed. Does anyone have the cut-out Firestorm data card from the Super Powers action figure card?  If so, any chance you could send me a scan of both sides?  It would be greatly appreciated.

The patch came attached to a nice oversized, heavy paper-stock information sheet (called a “Collector Panel”).  The sheet provides a Who’s Who-like history of the classic Firestorm.  It’s well-written, entertaining, and accurate.  The sheet measures 9 by 12 inches, while the patch measures just about 4 1/2 by 5 1/2 inches.  Click the two images below to read the information sheet.

As I mentioned, this patch is part of the Official DC Comics Patches collection by Willabee & Ward.  According to their website each patch is framed by embroidered patterns of up to 15,000 separate stitches.  The collection includes other DC heroes such as Superman, Wonder Woman, and Aquaman.

If you’re interested, the collection is available on a subscription basis.  You receive your first DC Comics Patch for just $4.95, shipping and service included.  Subsequent patches shipped two per month, at $19.95 each, plus $1.95 each shipping and service.  Ouch, seems a little pricey to me, but if you’re into patches and superheroes then it sounds like this is for you.

While surfing for information on these patches, I came across another set of Firestorm patches.  I tell ya, apparently there is a whole world of patch collecting out there I knew nothing about!  This next set of patches is advertised as “Set of Firestorm Super Powers Embroidered Patches”.  It comes from an Argentinean website called Amos Del Retro.  The patch of Firestorm’s head looks pretty cool; exactly like Firestorm from the Super Powers cartoon.  I’m guessing these Argentinean patches are not officially endorsed by DC, but they still look pretty neat.  If you are interested in picking up these patches, you can check out the Amos Del Retro website or their offerings on eBay.

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]]> http://firestormfan.com/2011/05/04/firestorm-patches/feed/ 4 http://firestormfan.com/2011/02/07/never-produced-kenner/ http://firestormfan.com/2011/02/07/never-produced-kenner/#comments Mon, 07 Feb 2011 11:30:24 +0000 Shag http://firestormfan.com/?p=2963 A very unusual series of drawings surfaced last week.  These drawings supposedly represent a proposal from 1985 for a line of Kenner action figures called “DC Anti-Heroes”. Each drawing is actually a style guide featuring an image of a major DC hero in three distinct thematic looks — “Hi-Tech”, “Road Warrior” and “Robotic”.  There are style guides for: Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman, Robin, Firestorm, and Cyborg.  Each guide also includes an overlay with notes and color codes. Check out the Firestorm designs below.

WTF, right?  These proposed figures are straight-up bizarre.  They look so outlandish, I can’t help but wonder about the authenticity of the whole proposal.  It’s probably legit, but c’mon, “Road Warrior” Firestorm and “Robotic” Cyborg?  It just seems too weird to be true.  At the same time, I’m morbidly fascinated by these proposed figures!  Crazy, but kind of super-fun in an ’80s sort of way.

Given these are dated 1985, you gotta assume the “DC Anti-Heroes” figures were a proposed off-shoot of the “Super Powers” line.  The inclusion of Firestorm and Cyborg makes that a pretty sure bet.  I wonder if these characters were supposed to be evil doppelgangers of our favorite heroes, or just alternate hardcore versions.

Below you’ll find a closer look at the “Hi-Tech” Firestorm Anti-Hero action figure.  I kinda dig the mouthpiece and the black bodysuit is pretty sleek.  I’ve seen worse redesigns, that’s for sure.

Below is a closer look at the “Road Warrior” Firestorm Anti-Hero action figure.  Chris Sims from Comics Alliance had this to say about the “Road Warrior” Firestorm action figure:

Finally, we have a set of designs for perennial third-stringer Firestorm, which somehow manages to be even better than Road Warrior Batman. I mean, the fact that someone, anyone, at any time thought that a toy of Firestorm in a post-apocalyptic Road Warrior universe was something that should exist is amazing on its own.

As to the figure itself, I barely even know where to begin. First off, there’s the fact that Firestorm’s flaming hair has been expanded to now include eyebrows made of fire. Then there’s the Firestorm logo leather jacket, which, if it actually existed, I know two dudes who would be getting out their wallets before they even knew the price. Admittedly, they might be the only two guys who bought it, but still.

Finally, and most importantly, is the figure’s weapon, which is A GLOWING RADIOACTIVE PIPE WRENCH. This is without question the greatest design for a toy that I have ever seen in my life.

I LOVE Chris’ description of the figure.  He’s totally correct about the pipe wrench.  It looks so Kirby!

Finally, below is a closer look at the “Robotic” Firestorm Anti-Hero action figure.  I can’t stop staring at the hair — fire in a glass dome!  Does he have an endless supply of combustible gas in that dome to keep the fire burning?  The dome itself makes me think of Brainiac or Psimon.  Very 1980s.  That and the Boba Fett-like antenna.

Y’know, as a rule I always welcome Firestorm action figures with open arms, but I’m kinda glad these were never produced.  I envision these figures would have hung around as peg warmers in local T.G.&Y. stores for years.

You can find all the “DC Anti-Heroes” drawings over at Comic Link by clicking here.  For some witty commentary on the proposal, check out Comics Alliance by clicking here.

My thanks to Florian Schwalenberg and Matt Selby for directing me to this amazing find.

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It appears that each of the “See & Read” adventures featured heroes from the first and second wave of Super Powers action figures.  Today we’re going to look at the second in the series entitled, Darkseid… of the Moon . The story was written by Andy Helfer and drawn by Alex Saviuk and Mike Manley.  In this tale, they reuse some of the story ideas from the Super Powers mini-comics.  For example, there is a bit in the “See & Read” story where Firestorm defeats Mantis by creating Kryptonite just as he did in his Super Powers mini-comic.

Here is the cover to the Super Powers: Darkseid… of the Moon “See & Read” record.

Here is the cover to the Super Powers: Darkseid… of the Moon “See & Read” VHS cassette.

Here are scans from several of the pages of Super Powers: Darkseid… of the Moon “See & Read” book.

Artwork from the “See & Read” book found on Comic Art Community.

Thanks to the wonders of YouTube, you can watch the entire VHS of Super Powers: Darkseid… of the Moon.  Check them out!

If you can’t view the embedded videos above, please click here, here, and here.

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Our good friend Jon over at the Fizzit Firestorm-themed blog sent scans of these unique Firestorm collectibles. He received the following cards from Argentina.  The majority of these come from the Spanish-language version of Kenner’s Super Powers line, Super Amigos.

This first one is a trading card from the Super Amigos game.  To see all the cards in the Super Amigos card set, please visit the Aquaman Shrine by clicking here.

The next five are stickers associated with the Super Amigos line.  It appears these were produced from 1985 through 1987.

This last sticker uses specialized ink that really is intended to be viewed under blacklight.

These next ones come from some Superman-related set.  This set was released in 1994.  Nice to see the Elemental Firestorm getting some merchandise action!

Here are some Firestorm stickers from that same 1994 Superman series.

These next two come from a set entitled “Cartas de Poder – DC Super Heroes”.  I really don’t know anything about these sets, but I love that they called Firestorm “el hombre nuclear”.  Also, he’s got an attack of 2,700 and a defense of 2,300!  I have no idea what the scale is, but that sounds impressive!

Once again, our thanks to Jon from the Fizzit Firestorm-themed blog for supplying these images.

Apoyo Firestorm! Avivar la llama!