2008 Merchandise & Miscellaneous News Archives
October 21, 2008: Screaming Tiki Con Report
By Tom-ELThe Screaming Tiki Comic and Pop Culture Convention took place at the Niles Eastwood Expo Center, a convention/exposition hall adjacent to the Eastwood Mall in Niles, Ohio. The center is often the site of events such as home and garden shows, gun and military shows, train and toy shows, etc, as well as occasional live performances. Tiki Con was held from October 17th through the 19th. The main room was devoted to dealers, and was about as full as I have ever seen the place, with dealers both local and long distance. There were comic book and graphic novel dealers, toy and collectible dealers, specialty DVD's, and a HUGE amount of Star Wars, G.I. Joe, and Transformer items. There was even a seller that specializes in Kilts from Scotland. I could have spent A LOT of money in there, but my retirement income doesn't allow for that. I did pick up a couple of loose but nice 8-inch Superman action figures at 2 for $5. One was the Golden-Age Superman, the other was the Kingdom Come Superman. I do have a small collection of Superman action figures. My collection isn't nearly as large as Steve's, as sometimes seen in the background of his "Speeding Bulletin" reports every Friday, but I like it.
One of the attractions to this event was an appearance at the main hall of the 1966 Batmobile from the Adam West show. I saw one of the five originals at a show held at the Expo Center probably 12-13 years ago. I could tell that this Batmobile was not one of the original five, but it was a very close version, and I enjoyed seeing it up close, since this car has always been, by far, my favorite screen Batmobile. This one looked nearly identical to a Batmobile made from a '74 Lincoln, and sold at the Barrett-Jackson auction for $185,000.
Tiki Con also had the Batcycle from the show. This model may or may not have been one of the originals, but it was very close, and since this was my first time to see it up close, it was fun to look at.
Adjacent to this was the guest room with all the artists and celebrities that were there. There was a large number of artists attending, although I was unfamiliar with the work of most of them. They were there with samples of their work, which you could get signed copies of. Most of them wanted $15-20 and up for signed prints of their work, however, many of them were offering trading card sized versions of the same pieces with signature for $2. I bought two of these, both Superman pictures. One was by Terry Huddleston, who lists himself as a freelance artist. His work can be seen online. The other was by artist Kevin R. Leen, who lists himself as an illustrator. His Superman art is comprised primarily of illustrations of Dean Cain and Christopher Reeve as Superman. His work can also be seen online. I wish I could have gotten full size versions of their work, but I was working from a budget, with the lion's share of the remaining funds going to my next two stops.
After the artist tables, you then come to the celebrity signing tables. There was a large number of people there seen on the 1966 Batman TV show, including Adam West, Julie Newmar, Yvonne Craig (showing nearly everyone her broken ankle), Lee Merriweather (the '66 movie Catwoman), and Malachi Throne, the actor who portrayed the villain "Falseface", as well as being seen in episodes of the original Star Trek and Star Trek: The Next Generation. He even had Falseface masks you could buy, and I assume, he could autograph. However, there were two other people I was there to see. One was Noel Neill, who signed a nice color 8" x 10" of her as Lois Lane standing next to George Reeves as Superman. A picture with her autograph was $20, which seemed reasonable, given that Adam West was getting $50, even if the item he signed was something you brought with you.
This was my first opportunity to meet Miss Neill, and I thought she was very nice. I had been wanting an opportunity to tell her how when I was a kid, I always watched the show right after I got home from school. I was wearing a three-inch pin that had a picture of George Reeves as Superman, and she told me she liked my pin. I also had on my 1961 "Supermen of America" pin and she liked that one too. She told me they had a lot of fun making the show, and she always appreciated how much people came to her and commented on what the show meant to them. It was really nice to meet her and get the picture.
The other person there I wanted to see was Sarah Douglas, and I got her autograph on a color 8" x 10" of her as Ursa, also for $20. Like Noel, she told me how much she liked meeting people who saw the two Superman movies years ago and enjoyed her part in it. I mentioned that I thought it was cool that she voiced a character on Superman: The Animated Series, that was basically the same character she played in the movies. She told me that everybody she dealt with connected to the show seemed very pleased she could do it, since she was playing a similar character. I asked the same question of both Noel and Sarah. I asked each if there was any chance they might be seen on Smallville. Sarah said she'd love to do it, but neither she nor her people had ever been contacted by them, but she'd love to do it if they ever call her. Noel just said there were no plans for her to be on it. Pity. It would be nice to see her on there.
There was one other person appearing there I would like to have seen. Margot Kidder was scheduled as a guest on Saturday and Sunday, but due to longstanding previous commitments on both those days, I was unable to attend. Friday was the only day I could be there. I would like to have had her autograph as part of my collection, but alas, that will have to wait for hopefully another time. After that I went out and took another round at looking at all the neat stuff in the dealer room, and wishing I had started saving up for this event earlier than I did.
Eastwood Expo is part of a larger shopping area called Great East Plaza. Part of the plaza is USA Cinemas, a movie complex that shared in the week-end festivities by having special late showings during the three days of the following movies: Superman: The Movie and Superman II (both for one price), Batman - 1966, Dark Knight, Hellboy 2, and both 2007 and 1987 Transformers movies (both for one price). This part of Ohio is about an hour's drive from Cleveland, and about an hour and a half drive from Pittsburgh, PA. For the last several years, the nearest cons I could go to have been either in Cleveland, Pittsburgh, or Columbus, so I don't get to very many. It's not very often that one shows up almost right at my front door, but I hope this wasn't the last. I realize that this con is only a drop in the bucket compared to shows like the one held in San Diego every year, but it was the biggest one I've ever been to, and it was a lot of fun. If they do anything like this again, the Superman Homepage will get my report.
Tom Arnold ((not the TV T.A.) aka "Tom-EL")
2008 Merchandise & Miscellaneous News
Listed below are all the Merchandise & Miscellaneous News items archived for 2008.- January 2, 2008: Heroes Alliance update... SUCCESS!
- January 8, 2008: Superman in the Mass Media and Marketing
- January 9, 2008: Indianapolis Super Heroes Museum Closes
- January 12, 2008: Artist Scott Stewart Soars with Superman
- January 31, 2008: Cleveland to Celebrate Superman
- February 1, 2008: Boys of Steel Book Illustrates Superman's Creation
- February 9, 2008: Second Annual Metropolis Comic Show
- February 9, 2008: Cleveland Gearing Up for Superman Celebration
- February 10, 2008: Mattel to Release More JLU Action Figures
- February 13, 2008: Writers Vote to End Strike
- February 13, 2008: Who Wants To Create A Super-Heroine Contest
- February 14, 2008: Superman vs. The Abomination Fan Animation
- February 17, 2008: DC Direct on Display at Toyfair 2008
- February 17, 2008: Howard Soars as Superman in Dunk Contest
- February 19, 2008: Exclusive Superman vs Hollywood Interview with Jake Rossen
- February 21, 2008: Superman vs Hollywood Exclusive Excerpt
- February 22, 2008: Mattel Reveal DC Figures at Toyfair 2008
- February 22, 2008: Modern-Day Athletes Emulate Superman
- February 22, 2008: Superman Featured in New Movie Museum
- February 22, 2008: Podcast on Superman in the Golden Age
- February 25, 2008: Book Preview: Guess Who's Adopted?
- February 25, 2008: Metropolitan Museum Salutes Superhero Fashion
- February 27, 2008: Otis, Chloe & Lois at Metropolis Superman Celebration
- March 2, 2008: Alex Ross Age of TV Heroes Book Cover
- March 5, 2008: Superman Exhibits in New Movie Museum
- March 5, 2008: Press Release for 2008 Superman Celebration
- March 11, 2008: Superman Rollercoaster Takes Top Spot Again!
- March 13, 2008: The Search For Superman in Metropolis, IL Begins
- March 13, 2008: Superman Celebration Fan Film Contest
- March 13, 2008: 15th Annual Superman Auction & Dinner
- March 28, 2008: Superman Homepage on Tonight Show with Jay Leno
- April 1, 2008: Superman Items Sold in Hollywood Auction
- April 1, 2008: Superman Homepage Pranks for April Fools Day 2008
- April 2, 2008: New Speeding Bulletin Logo
- April 2, 2008: Superman Related Names in America
- April 4, 2008: Superman Homepage Merchandise Now Available
- April 7, 2008: Superman Theme to Up-Coming Funky Winkerbean Comic Strip
- April 17, 2008: Radio's Lois Lane Accuses Money Adviser of Fraud
- April 19, 2008: Batman & Superman Invade Mortal Kombat's Outworld
- April 23, 2008: Mattel and DC Direct at New York Comic Con
- April 24, 2008: Superman vs. Attax Fan Animation
- April 28, 2008: Bob Holiday Recovering From Heart Surgery
- May 1, 2008: Calgary Comic Con 2008 Report
- May 2, 2008: A Review of Michael Daugherty's Metropolis Symphony
- May 3, 2008: Giorgio Armani Joins Forces With Superman
- May 3, 2008: House That Superman Was Created In To Be Restored
- May 5, 2008: Superman Exhibit at Summer of Superman Event in Cleveland
- May 5, 2008: Kevin J. Anderson Working on Second Superman Novel
- May 6, 2008: Stylish Superheroes at NY's Metropolitan Museum of Art
- May 7, 2008: Superheroes: Fashion and Fantasy Exhibition Opens Today
- May 7, 2008: Superhero: The Secret Origin of a Genre
- May 9, 2008: City of Metropolis, Illinois Attempts Superman-Themed World Record
- May 12, 2008: Five Finalists Revealed in Metropolis' Search for Superman
- May 13, 2008: Brad Meltzer Writes Book on Jerry Siegel's Father's Murder
- May 13, 2008: Superman Exhibit at Summer of Superman Event in Cleveland
- May 14, 2008: Schedule of Events for Superman Celebration in Metropolis, Illinois
- May 15, 2008: New Superman Checks and Accessories
- May 18, 2008: Josh Boultinghouse Wins Metropolis' Search for Superman
- May 20, 2008: Superman Image from Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe
- May 21, 2008: More DC Character Checks Available
- May 22, 2008: Bizarro on Cover of Sports Illustrated Magazine
- May 26, 2008: Joe Shuster Heritage Minutes Video
- May 30, 2008: Superman Celebrations in Spain and Costa Rica
- June 2, 2008: U.K. DC Comics Super Hero Collection Magazine
- June 2, 2008: Monthly Update for Superman Bob Holiday Website
- June 4, 2008: MSN Rates Superhero Costumes
- June 4, 2008: Redesign Superman's Costume and Win Prizes
- June 6, 2008: Licensing Expo to Expand Supergirl Products for Girls
- June 10, 2008: TONNER Expands Superman Figure Line
- June 10, 2008: Mattel Coy on Superman Movie Action Figures
- June 11, 2008: Spokane Comic Con 2008 Report (from June 7)
- June 12, 2008: DC Comics Postal Stamps in Singapore
- June 13, 2008: Comic Book Rabbi Making Florida Personal Appearance
- June 14, 2008: Video News Report from Metropolis Superman Celebration
- June 14, 2008: Florida Recruits Superman to Combat Smoking
- June 14, 2008: AFP Looks at Superman's 70 Year Legacy
- June 15, 2008: Site Owner Steve Younis Honored in Metropolis
- June 17, 2008: JLU Action Figure Line Continues with New Look
- June 20, 2008: Mattel Could Release Superboy Action Figure
- June 25, 2008: Director Peter Segal Talks Captain Marvel and Superman
- June 26, 2008: Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe at San Diego Comic Con
- June 28, 2008: Exclusive DC Cartoon Tumbler available at Wizard World Chicago
- June 28, 2008: Details on DC Universe Online Emerge
- June 28, 2008: Seinfeld and Superman Interview
- June 28, 2008: Bob Holiday Updates Broadway Memories
- June 28, 2008: The Heroic Life Story of Scott Cranford
- July 1, 2008: Update on the Superboy Legal Debate
- July 2, 2008: The Other Building Where Superman Was Created
- July 2, 2008: Honda Accord Euro Commercial Shows How It's Done
- July 7, 2008: Redesign Superman's Costume Winner
- July 8, 2008: RedEye's Best Superhero Tournament
- July 9, 2008: Midway Reveals Mortal Kombat vs DC Universe Game Play
- July 9, 2008: DC Universe Online - Artwork Trailer
- July 10, 2008: Tonner Announces Comic-Con International Exclusives
- July 11, 2008: Comic-Con International 2008 Schedule
- July 13, 2008: Comic-Con International Friday and Saturday Schedules
- July 13, 2008: Superman 70th Anniversary Celebration in Chile
- July 15, 2008: Steve Younis Interviewed on Perth Radio
- July 16, 2008: DC Universe Online and MK vs DC Trailers
- July 17, 2008: Alter Ego #79 Special Superman Edition
- July 17, 2008: The Homepage Jamboree on Views From The Longbox
- July 21, 2008: Superman World Record Attempt
- July 23, 2008: Jim Lee Talks DC Universe Online
- July 25, 2008: Comic-Con - DC Universe Online Panel
- July 25, 2008: Comic-Con - Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe Panel
- July 25, 2008: Comic-Con - Mattel & DC Direct Panels
- July 25, 2008: Glu to Bring Superman/Batman Game to Mobile Phones
- July 25, 2008: A Report on Toledo's Superman Celebration
- July 29, 2008: Fans Visit Jerry Siegel's Home
- July 31, 2008: Comic-Con - Part 1: DC Universe Online MMO RPG
- July 31, 2008: Al Gore is Jor-El
- August 1, 2008: Comic-Con International Report: Part 2
- August 2, 2008: Sales of Fake Superman Suits on the Rise
- August 8, 2008: More Documents from the Superman/Superboy Lawsuit
- August 19, 2008: Marc Nobleman Talks Boys of Steel: The Creators of Superman
- August 19, 2008: The Book of Lies Trailer Released
- August 20, 2008: A Videogame Examination - Superman III and Atari
- August 27, 2008: USA Today Examines Mitchell Siegel's Death
- August 28, 2008: Meltzer's Novel Weak on Actual Facts?
- September 1, 2008: Superman Krypto-Collectibles at Jollibee in the Philippines
- September 1, 2008: New Content Now Online at SupermanBobHoliday.com
- September 1, 2008: Brad Meltzer Explains Why He Loves Superman
- September 2, 2008: Charity Auction to Save House Where Superman Was Created
- September 3, 2008: Exclusive Artwork Images for Siegel House Fundraiser
- September 9, 2008: DC Super Heroes Shoes
- September 11, 2008: Over $34,000 Already Raised For Siegel House
- September 14, 2008: Full Roster Released for Mortal Kombat vs DC Universe
- September 16, 2008: Geoff Johns Writing for DC Universe Online
- September 16, 2008: Kevin J. Anderson Talks About First Encounter
- September 17, 2008: Second Week of Auctions Raises $50,000 for Siegel House
- September 17, 2008: Six Flags Makes Superman: Ride of Steel Even Better
- September 19, 2008: Pre-Order Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe
- September 19, 2008: A Chat with Brad Meltzer
- September 20, 2008: A Report from Dragon Con '08
- September 20, 2008: Exclusive Interview with Brad Meltzer
- September 22, 2008: A Chat with Brad Meltzer
- September 24, 2008: Part 2 - Kevin J. Anderson on First Encounter
- September 24, 2008: Northeast Ohio Volunteers Join National Day of Action
- September 25, 2008: Top Trumps DC Super Heroes 2
- September 25, 2008: Superman Visits Trinity Church
- September 25, 2008: Neal Bailey Writes Hillary Clinton Comic for Bluewater
- September 29, 2008: Superman/Superboy Lawsuit in WB Quarterly Report
- September 30, 2008: Hallmark Celebrates Superman
- October 1, 2008: $117,222 Raised to Save Siegel House
- October 2, 2008: Dwight Howard to Wear Superman Shoes
- October 4, 2008: Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe Box Art Revealed
- October 5, 2008: Superman/Batman Painting Sells For Record Price
- October 7, 2008: Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe Kollector's Edition Details
- October 9, 2008: Internet Blog Becomes Part of Superman Lawsuit
- October 13, 2008: Robert Erwin Helps Save Siegel House
- October 13, 2008: Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe Updates
- October 14, 2008: DC Universe Wave 6 Action Figures
- October 14, 2008: Historic Lost Superman Footage Now Online
- October 17, 2008: I was born on Krypton Jokes Barack Obama
- October 21, 2008: Screaming Tiki Con Report
- October 22, 2008: First Ever Superman Toy Listed on Ebay
- October 22, 2008: Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe Video - Alex Ross Paints Cover
- October 22, 2008: Prepaid Superman Visa Card in Australia
- October 25, 2008: Two Superman Stories in This American Life Podcast
- October 27, 2008: Superman Joins David's Cookies
- October 27, 2008: The Dark Knight Meets Superman
- October 28, 2008: Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe Super Moves & Pro Moves
- October 28, 2008: Senior Producer Yanagi Talks DC Universe Online
- October 29, 2008: Noel Neill Statue Website Launched
- October 30, 2008: Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe Story Trailer
- October 31, 2008: T-Shirts Show Superman's Universal Appeal
- October 31, 2008: DC Universe Online Website
- November 6, 2008: Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe - Kombat Modes
- November 6, 2008: Superman Court Case Dates Set
- November 7, 2008: Superman Wall Calendars for 2009
- November 7, 2008: Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe - Holofoil Postcards
- November 8, 2008: Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe - Ultimate Mash-Ups
- November 10, 2008: Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe Rage Trailer
- November 12, 2008: More Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe Videos
- November 14, 2008: The Superman Orchestra - Tonight!
- November 14, 2008: The Joker in Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe
- November 17, 2008: Beethoven & Superman
- November 18, 2008: DC Universe Battle for Metropolis Action Figures
- November 19, 2008: New Superman Video Game Stalls?
- November 19, 2008: More Videos Added to SupermanBobHoliday.com
- November 22, 2008: Super Bricks Available from Siegel House
- November 26, 2008: Jim Lee Discusses DC Universe Online
- November 27, 2008: Superman at the Macy's Thanksgiving Parade
- November 27, 2008: Superman Movie & TV Costumes on Auction
- November 28, 2008: Supermen of America Member Ring on Ebay
- November 29, 2008: Patricia Marand - Broadway's Lois Lane - Dies
- December 3, 2008: All-New Superfriends Hour - Season One, Volume Two
- December 4, 2008: Superman During World War II Lecture
- December 5, 2008: Gray and Palmiotti Talk Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe
- December 9, 2008: DC Universe Online Austin Studio Tour
- December 10, 2008: Superman Defeats the Ku Klux Klan
- December 27, 2008: Superman Be@rBrick in Japan
- December 29, 2008: DC Universe Action Figures in 2009
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