Creature from the Black Lagoon (26/54) - Super7 ReAction Figures (2016-2021)

When Super7 debuted their Universal Monsters ReAction line in 2016, I had no idea just how many variations of said figure I would come to collect! I debated whether or not to include these in a single post, or highlight each individually. As you'll see, I decided on the former, which I hope I don't come to regret in the future!

The Creature was originally released in Series 2 in a standard coloring scheme...

...as well as a glow-in-the-dark variant chase figure.

An alternative glow variation was released as a New York ComicCon exclusive...

...which frankly is a less-impressive glowing figure.

A gray 'Silver Screen' variant was also released on a foil-enhanced cardback, again as a New York ComicCon exclusive.

A few years later, a San Diego ComicCon exclusive was offered with a more garish color scheme on a nice, die-cut figural cardback.

Knowing where there was a market to exploit, Super7 didn't stop there! In 2020 they released a boxed version to mimic the Penn-Plax Aquarium decoration, not unlike what we showcased previously.

And lest you think they finished there, in 2021 they dropped a 'Silver Screen' black and white variant. 

They've definitely gotten their money's worth out of those molds! Believe it or not, there are even more variations of this Creature than those shown above (several I could thankfully live without!)

Be here next week for more from my Creature collection!

Godzilla (25/54) - Tsutomu Kitagawa original Godzilla illustration (2016)

In 2014, I had the pleasure of meeting two Godzilla actors at Monsterpalooza in Burbank: (left) Tsutomu Kitagawa [Godzilla 1999-2004] and (right) Ken Satsuma [Godzilla 1984-1995].

In 2016, at the same Alien Con where I picked up Christine Chapin's Chibi illustrations, I was able to purchase one of Tsutomu Kitagawa's original Godzilla illustrations for my collection.

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Check back next week for another item from my Godzilla collection!

Happy 70th Birthday I Am Legend (26/54) - Stanley Meltzoff Gold Medal cover painting art print on canvas (2014)

Welcome to the bonus I Am Legend post. 

In 2014, I learned that the original Stanley Metzoff cover painting had sold at auction six months earlier. As disappointing as it can be, sometimes it's actually best to find out you missed out on an auction after the fact. While I would have been prepared to pay a pretty penny to add that holy grail to my collection, I definitely couldn't have bested the $37,500 it sold for.

But if you can't have the original, a 15" x 20" one-off reproduction on canvas is a nice (and affordable) consolation. 

The detail in the original painting is awesome — far better than one can appreciate by looking at the reproduction on the book itself. Thankfully, Heritage Auctions (ha.com) posts high resolution images of the items they auction for potential bidders to review. 

Come back next Monday for the next regularly scheduled post from the I Am Legend archive!

I Am Legend (25/54) - First Canadian printing (1957)

Perhaps you'e thinking, didn't we just see this post? Well, it does appear to be deja vu all over again — but it truly is different. At least partially. 

You see, when Gold Medal released their 2nd printing of I Am Legend in 1957, they simultaneously released the first Canadian edition. Easily overlooked, there are a couple of identifying marks you can use to tell the two apart.

First, the price. The Canadian printing has a 35¢ price, compared to 25¢ in the US.

Additionally, the back cover notes the country of origin with the line "Lithographed in Canada" just above the quote adjacent to Matheson's photo. The US edition does not specify where it was printed.

The copyright page also denotes "Printed in Canada" and you'll also note that it doesn't reference two printings as the US version does — as this is the first Canadian printing (despite the SECOND BIG PRINTING! notation on the cover).

This edition was one of many discoveries that I wasn't aware of in advance, but through the accumulation of multiple copies, after which the variation stood out. Unless you are holding the two copies side-by side, few would even notice the minor difference between them. But once you know to look for them, they can't be missed.

Be here next week for another item from my I Am Legend archive!

Creature from the Black Lagoon (25/54) - Super7 Creature From The Black Lagoon Universal Monsters Glowing Bubble wand (2022)

Super7 has done a ton for Creature fandom — including these Soap bubbles with wand designed to resemble Super Soakies bubble bath containers from the 1960s. They've offered a full line of Universal monsters in various decos, and I was finally suckered in by the (of course) Creature glow variant.

I was tempted to free him from his shrink-wrapped prison until I saw what they were currently selling for! Once again — the Creature dominates the secondary market, with this glow version topping the list. Thankfully, for anyone interested, Super7 still has the standard version in stock, as well as a 'Silver Screen' black and white variant, and a bright orange Halloween variant. 

 Check back next week for another item from my Creature collection!

Godzilla (24/54) - Godzilla Fest exclusive Bandai Burning Godzilla vinyl figure (2021)

Somehow this 2021 Godzilla Fest Exclusive slipped past my radar until earlier this year (when I picked up the blue Godzilla -1.0 theater exclusive). As previously stated, I'm a sucker for interesting color variants, and this being one of my favorite Godzilla styles (1995), I had to pick it up.

Again, my fondness for interesting color variations, as well as my love for all of the various burning/meltdown Godzilla offerings from Godzilla vs Destoroyah made this a must-have for the collection. 

 Be here next week for another item from my Godzilla collection!

I Am Legend (24/54) - Gold Medal 2nd printing; Printer G. Hall File copy (1957)

In January of 1957, two and a half years after the novel's debut, Gold Medal released a new edition of I Am Legend (now #643), boldly proclaiming, "SECOND BIG PRINTING!"

Somewhere along the line, I was able to acquire a near-pristine copy with a sticker on the inside front cover identifying the book as a Printer G. Hall file copy. Years later, through internet searches, I was able to find other books with identical labels. A very cool, unique representation of the book for the archive.

Aside from the "SECOND BIG PRINTING!" banner on the cover, the William Campbell Gault quote is reformatted (and prize-winning is now hyphenated). Additionally, the bold white line between the title block and Stanley Metlzoff artwork has been removed.

The spine of the second printing is changed from the red text on white from the first printing to black text on yellow. I did some research on the spine ornamentation (the black cross versus the red diamond), but there's no clear, identifiable logic to the use of those on Gold Medal paperbacks.  

Check back next week for another selection from the I Am Legend Archive!