More updates from Super-Artist John May - After much deliberation of how to attach the bust, John wisely decided not to excise any of the excellent sculpt and will seamlessly mold it into the torso. Note the dremelled eye sockets and more accurate re-sculpting of the hairline (my meagre contributution) and a test spray of the hair. Much more progress to follow...!
With only a few more installments before the conclusion of this rare set the serialisation will continue with another BRAVO collectors treasure - an oversize painted poster of Reeve's Superman in 24 parts to assemble!! Look out for Part I in the coming weeks...
Some rare stills from various publications showcasing Director Richard Donner and star Christopher Reeve, and with Cinematographer Geoffrey Unsworth, Margot Kidder and her stunt double during the shooting of a scene from Superman II. This excised opening was only recently restored for the DVD release of Superman II: The Richard Donner Cut, a product of decades of fan campaigning that I never thought would see the light of day...
An ambitious (and expensive) project of a lifetime, this culmination of years of research and prototypes has yielded what, in my opinion will be the definitive Christopher Reeve lifesize display. I must pass my sincere thanks to friend and fan supremo Chris King for commissioning the incredible limited sculpt (by an anonymous artist) and importing the Six/Six muscular mannequin from the US. the final piece will hopefully be lifelike and dressed in the most accurate custom costume (a separate project!) available. These early shots are the first from renowned effects artist John May (famous for his incredible Predator work) and this blog will be the ONLY site to follow the figure's progress...
Despite being over thirty years old Richard Donner's Superman: The Movie offers something new on every watch. Eagle eyed fan Paul Hernandez has gone one better, however and found the ultimate in blink-and-you'll-miss-it revelations - the death of Jor-El. Quite how this has evaded detection until now is anybody's guess!
Early concepts of either the Krypton landscape or Fortress of Solitude under the rays of the Red Sun. Above, a detailed rendering of Earth's Moon. Form a large set of Production ephemera aquired from the Propstore of London, It is unknown what part (if any) these transparencies played in the finished picture...
From the Dovemead Ltd. Art Dept - These never-before-published contact sheets depict studies of Marlon Brando's Jor-El for his appearance in the Fortress Of Solitude. The reel of the Crystal mask is possibly the best study of the prop to date and the bottom sheet records Brando's first day on-set...
A collection of rare trivia from various publications - From the top - vintage Look-In (Junior TV Times magazine) Superman and Christopher Reeve fact files, European clipping (translation would be welcome for this!!) and clipping from The Sun newspaper circa 1980's. Learn anything new..?
This 15" tall vinyl statue with cloth cape was produced in 1988, not long after the release of Superman IV. While not a specific homage to Christopher Reeve it was arguably closer than the Mego release almost a decade earlier. The figure came with a white metal stand and had articulation at the shoulders. Interestingly, recasts of this sculpt (minus stand) were sold in Warner Bros. Stores for many years later until their closure. From my collection...
