Big missile Penguin apparently stole a bunch of Enzyte, making for a very uncomfortable fight with Batman. "Weeh weeh weeh, caped crusaders! I've got you this time!... oh... oh wait... hang on... my missile has been at attention for more than four hours... I think I need to seek medical assistance..."
I heard that the reason why they reused the Kenner super powers penguin is because the movie version was too scary or too grotesque to make a toy out of or so I heard
Multiple other companies made figures of Devito's penguin at the time. And with the Animated Penguin based off that version getting made a year later, I don't think that's a viable theory.
Crazy how it's the Super Powers Penguin 🐧 figure that got all those variants. I'd be willing to bet not many kids wanted the penguin figure to begin with.
Despite its various failings, I kinda like the final version, because I think his black and white suit easily looks the best. I've always enjoyed the notion of vile villains being impeccably dressed.
I never knew how much mileage this little figure had. Always loved the Super Powers design for Penguin, with the cute cartoony head sculpt and the color scheme that reminds me of a character popsicle from an ice cream truck, I can see why it’s been referenced in all sorts of modern merchandise and toys
Hey Michael I grew up without siblings so whenever I'd watch your videos when l was in middle school it felt like i had an older brother explaining the cartoons & toys they had growing up. Even though I have since then graduated your videos still give me that same feeling they did all those years ago when I first saw the Vehicle Voltron video as at the time i saw a cool robot in the thumbnail & decided to check it out with me being a fan ever since.
In the UK the Toybiz Penguin I got brand new had the umbrella that fired the whole umbrella top but he didn't have the coat tails or any holes for a coat tail to attach. That was in 1992.
I hadn't realized there were so many variants of the Toy Biz one, I thought it just went Kenner, Toy Biz, Kenner. Thanks for the new information, it's always fun learning little tidbits like this.
@ As you should be, these are just my personal favorites and I think this was probably a better way to say what I wanted to say in my original statement.
Fascinating! I knew that the Toybiz Penguin was more or less a lower quality Super Powers Penguin, but I had no idea the extent of the modifications nor that they rereleased him three times! This was so interesting and fun!
That’s just nuts that there were so many variations. I find it hard to believe it was cheaper to remove the knee joints and redo the mold than to just give him knees
Pretty cool and informative Michael! Would love to see how Penguin was portrayed in figures throughout history overall, but I realize that's beyond the typical scope of your channel, and I don't blame you for avoiding McFarlane if it is your preference. Always spot on with your editing
The lack of an accurate Danny DeVito Penguin is up there with the most irritating (to me) action movie figure occurrences, along with the N2 toys Fifth Element line not being produced and the total lack of figures for The Running Man
I don't know if it's true, but I'd always heard they reused the Kenner Penguin for the BATMAN RETURNS line because the Danny DeVito version was deemed too scary/gross for kids. If it were just a cost-cutting measure, they could've probably gotten away with only re-sculpting the head, as he wears a similar enough outfit in the movie at one point.
Multiple other companies made figures of Devito's penguin at the time. And with the Animated Penguin based off that version getting made a year later, I don't think that's a viable theory.
@@retroblasting Yeah, it's likely just a rumor that got traction because of the McDonalds thing, and general controversy from parents groups surrounding BATMAN RETURNS at the time. It's just what I've always heard, but have never been able to confirm.
Great info and a nice overview of a rather strange history. Conclusion: Tony bought a legit Penguin! Phew! Glad about that. Love a story with a happy ending!
I too love the breakdown given in this video! Very well done! I know the final version cheaped out on a lot of features, and that accessory is just ridiculous. However, I really do like the deco on this figure! The black tux with red accents really stands out. Sure it's not accurate to the film or comics, I just think it looks cool on its own.
Kenner seemed to always stretch their toy molds. I had that penguin from the batman returns toy line. Even as a 8 yr old kid I knew that figure did not look like Danny Devito.
Thanks for another great video. Penguin was always a favorite of mine. I had the Kenner Super Powers, the ToyBiz Super Heros, Kenner Batman Returns, and the original BTAS figures. I did not know about the Mattel redesign BTAS figure until many years after its release. Never had that one.
I wonder if the Penguin's chunky character proportions made his original mold expensive to design and produce so they used it as much as possible so they could get the most out of it. I alsow think that Devito's Penguin design was propabaly either difficult to translate into figure form or Kenner thought it was too scary for kids so they just reused the old mold.
I pulled out my Kenner Super Powers Penguin just to check if I had the original. Whew! It is! I was worried after watching this video that mine was a later version. Thanks for pointing out the details! 😊
My brother and I collected Super Powers but when we saw the ToyBiz versions we couldn’t stand them, they looked so cheap, plus we pretty much had their initial wave since we had all of Super Powers waves 1 and 2, plus Mr. Freeze from wave 3. Knew about first Toy Biz Penguin, didn’t know about the other 2. Had seen Kenner’s black Penguin, but again we had the Super Powers version so wasn’t interested in that version. What an interesting path Penguin waddled through.
@@raymondtillotson6985 Well whoever the company was that made the McDonald's toys were they certainly weren't Kenner. So whether or not they paid DeVito for his likeness to have a more accurate DeVito Penguin sculpted McDonald's toy would be a moot issue. Because that would have no bearing as to whether or not Kenner would pay DeVito's price tag for his likeness. That would be determined on a company by company basis. And when it came to Kenner they may of been like, nope. Too expensive.
The first was the best. I'll take that unpainted left eye over all the other figures. Tge first Kenner version was the only one that had buttons on the coattails molded in, too. Amazing that it kept getting worse and worse. I had no idea there were so many iterations. Great deep dive Penguin video.
When I got my Toy Biz Penguin as a kid, it was the one where the whole top of the umbrella shot off, but it didn't come with the coattails. I think I still have that one stored away somewhere.
There were non coat tail penguins without the holes in the back with the whole umbrella missle too. That was my first one and I remember it broke and my mom returned it to hills and got me another one. That one had the whole umbrella missle and the coat tails. Maybe it was a between stock pack when they were putting them in packages. That one that broke was probably worth something to someone lol
I heard the reason why the Batman Returns penguin figure didn't look like Devitio was because they thought that the Devito penguin’s appearance was too scary for children.
That's a theory that has never been proven. Other companies at the time release figures and dolls of DeVito's character without issue. Other rumors fans claim have to do with movie contract disputes. None of these have been proven. More likely, Kenner was saving money on the line.
I have the short missile version. I don't recall ever seeing the long missile version in stores but I also probably wasn't looking for it since I already had one Penguin. Also kind of surprised they even did the small missile after the Battlestar Galacticia incident that happened 10 years prior.
I got taken on a Robin a few years back. It was an eBay listing, saying it was super powers. I knew the difference, but I did not ask to make sure. Sure enough, Toybiz Robin, with the yellow chop function in the back. Live and learn.
I got the Batman Returns one as my first ever Penguin. Never understood why he didn't look like devito. (Or why they didn't make one Batman figure that had the new armor design on a 5 inch figure.) I wonder if the kids in the years before hated the deployed umbrella with every penguin because he always used his gadgets with the umbrella retracted.
I had to look very closely buying a Super Powers one online 😅 Interesting the animated figure at the end had a black umbrella. My one has a red and white hypno version.
That's the 1993 Penguin figure with the second umbrella from the "Revenge of the Penguin" 4-figure set. I have the original umbrella you're referring to as well as the figure is the original release while the umbrella was acquired separately as a loose part.
I got the third one for Christmas while my brother got a snow camo batman with jetpack I think so I was little unimpressed with fatman with umbrella missile lol
I grew up with a 4th variant of the ToyBiz figure. He had no separate coat tails like the first two variations. However, his umbrella was completely different. This Penguin's umbrella did not shoot a short or long missile from the middle of the canopy. Instead, the entire canopy fired from the handle/cane. The umbrella was unbalanced. Due to the canopy/missle being too heavy and the handle being too long, because the firing mechanism was an extension of the cane/handle, Penguin could barely hold the umbrella upright. And since the canopy was the missile, it plugged into the firing mechanism rigidly in one position and could not spin like the Kenner version.
@retroblasting Sorry. I realize I missed that part. I assumed that the lineup of the figures at the beginning of the video was all the variants mentioned. I now see that the version I had as a child must be the figure with the paint scuff on the torso that you show later, by itself. Sorry I complety misunderstood or was not paying attention hard enough. It must be true that youtube shorts rot the brain. I need to cut those out and go back to longer format videos. Sorry again and thank you for the video. My apologies.
I had that Batman Returns penguin. I quite liked the black suit but why did he need an umbrella logo/brand on his lapel? Like he's property of Jurassic Park.
As the story goes, when he found out Warner Bros wanted Danny DeVito to play The Penguin, he told his friend Jack Nicholson about his experience working on the first movie's production. The first Batman movie had been a huge success & Nicholson agreed to be in it only if he received profit from merch that included his likeness. He made bank. Nicholson told DeVito to ask WB for the "Nicholson Deal", & when he requested it, Danny was told, "but you're not Nicholson". This is likely one reason why you don't see toys from that era w/Devito's character's face, including Kenner's Penguin from Returns.
@retroblasting - Are there? I only know of one tiny Army Man-style figurine Hallmark, I think) & the doll-like by Applause. But Devito's image isn't being used to sell in neither. Just the Winston/WB design of the character.
@timothyward8695 - They probably just paid WB (not evenStan Winston) for the character's design, simply b/c the detail of the figure doesn't show Devito's likeness. That wouldn't be the case in a 1:18 scale figure, which likely would've had to include Devito's likeness as the Penguin (especially on the card).
Hrmmm....I'm wondering if that Kenner projectile launcher is actually a retooled neutrona wave from the Real Ghostbusters line? I wouldn't put it past em
The missile umbrella is a little weak. What would have been cool for the Animated Series penguin would be if they used the Superpowers Penguin's umbrella with the extendable sword section. Since there were a few times he used his umbrella like a sword in the show
Right, but that's not something you can see at a glance when it's standing on a shelf in a toy/collectable store. This was about immediate identifiers.
I have a few questions about this, because in 1989 I was in high school, and I wasn't suppose to play with toys so I transitioned to comic book collector and bought the 89 Batman figures and DC Heroes line and kept them in the package. I do remember looking at them and thinking it was Super Powers molds, but like Michael said, with Toy Biz flourish, so I was wondering how that works. Does Kenner own the molds or transfer them to DC when the license expired and then Toy Biz makes new molds based on the old ones? Cause when you look at both they're close, but then when you look at the Toy Biz Lex Luthor it's like what is this, you suck at your new molds? Sorry to ramble, I'm really curious about how that works, because I had dealings with a miniature wargaming company that "had" the rights to a couple lines they "bought" ( e.g. Inferno, Gwar: Battles in Anartica, maybe Critter Commandos) and the warehouse got broken into and all that was missing were the molds to those line. Again rambling, but I never got closure on that company that released the third edition of Warzone (Mutant Chronicles) which was a box set with plastic starter armies similar to 40k boxed sets.
I still have the Kenner Batman Returns Penguin, personally I think it seems the better quality version compared to the others (the colour helps too), also the torso seems to be an update (if I recall ?) not exactly the same as the others, maybe a bit fatter ?
I also wasn’t a fan of the DeVito design, so this figure was good. Strangely for the next movie, Kenner also gave us a comic accurate Bane (which was also a good choice).
I am so here for this!!
The man of the hour!
The power house duo 🫡
You earned the shoutout
Loved your Melbourne video
Turns out you did get the Super Powers Penguin!
I love the collaboration between Retroblasting and Analogtoys. You guys compliment each
Big missile Penguin apparently stole a bunch of Enzyte, making for a very uncomfortable fight with Batman. "Weeh weeh weeh, caped crusaders! I've got you this time!... oh... oh wait... hang on... my missile has been at attention for more than four hours... I think I need to seek medical assistance..."
I heard that the reason why they reused the Kenner super powers penguin is because the movie version was too scary or too grotesque to make a toy out of or so I heard
Multiple other companies made figures of Devito's penguin at the time. And with the Animated Penguin based off that version getting made a year later, I don't think that's a viable theory.
Another GREAT informative video. I’m always in good hands with “the details” on RetroBlasting!
Much appreciated, man.
A Video on my Favorite Batman Villan? Right On!
Crazy how it's the Super Powers Penguin 🐧 figure that got all those variants. I'd be willing to bet not many kids wanted the penguin figure to begin with.
Despite its various failings, I kinda like the final version, because I think his black and white suit easily looks the best. I've always enjoyed the notion of vile villains being impeccably dressed.
Very cool! I love a good Super Powers (or Secret Wars) history video! Thanks for posting.
I had no idea that Toy Biz Penguin figure I used to have was a THIRD variant! Learn something new every day.
I never knew how much mileage this little figure had. Always loved the Super Powers design for Penguin, with the cute cartoony head sculpt and the color scheme that reminds me of a character popsicle from an ice cream truck, I can see why it’s been referenced in all sorts of modern merchandise and toys
What an interesting idea! Great knowledge Michael! You remain the best in my book! - William. I want to find the original Kenner line now!
Hey Michael I grew up without siblings so whenever I'd watch your videos when l was in middle school it felt like i had an older brother explaining the cartoons & toys they had growing up. Even though I have since then graduated your videos still give me that same feeling they did all those years ago when I first saw the Vehicle Voltron video as at the time i saw a cool robot in the thumbnail & decided to check it out with me being a fan ever since.
Love the historical dives. Always a great deal of entertaining information
In the UK the Toybiz Penguin I got brand new had the umbrella that fired the whole umbrella top but he didn't have the coat tails or any holes for a coat tail to attach. That was in 1992.
I didn't say there might not be tail-less versions with the 3rd umbrella. I said I've never seen tailed versions WITHOUT the third umbrella.
@@retroblasting I know. I was just putting it out there that another slight variation exists.
@@JurassicRodI'm American and also had a sans tails Penguin that fired the whole umbrella
I hadn't realized there were so many variants of the Toy Biz one, I thought it just went Kenner, Toy Biz, Kenner. Thanks for the new information, it's always fun learning little tidbits like this.
When Michael does videos like these he is at his best. Love, love, love the knowledge and the breakdown.
Thanks. That said, I'm proud of all the videos I've put my time into.
@ As you should be, these are just my personal favorites and I think this was probably a better way to say what I wanted to say in my original statement.
Always enjoy your videos, Michael.!! Thanks.!!
I had the SP Penguin ...and turned my noise up at the 'imitations' ...
Fascinating! I knew that the Toybiz Penguin was more or less a lower quality Super Powers Penguin, but I had no idea the extent of the modifications nor that they rereleased him three times! This was so interesting and fun!
Another fun informative video my friend. Keep'em coming. 💯💯💯
Awesome. I had all these. I feel I need to find them all again!
Very informative, I did not have these growing up but nice to have the comparisons
Great video Michael French! I prefer the Super Powers version as the best of the 4! :)
That’s just nuts that there were so many variations. I find it hard to believe it was cheaper to remove the knee joints and redo the mold than to just give him knees
Pretty cool and informative Michael! Would love to see how Penguin was portrayed in figures throughout history overall, but I realize that's beyond the typical scope of your channel, and I don't blame you for avoiding McFarlane if it is your preference. Always spot on with your editing
The lack of an accurate Danny DeVito Penguin is up there with the most irritating (to me) action movie figure occurrences, along with the N2 toys Fifth Element line not being produced and the total lack of figures for The Running Man
I don't know if it's true, but I'd always heard they reused the Kenner Penguin for the BATMAN RETURNS line because the Danny DeVito version was deemed too scary/gross for kids. If it were just a cost-cutting measure, they could've probably gotten away with only re-sculpting the head, as he wears a similar enough outfit in the movie at one point.
Multiple other companies made figures of Devito's penguin at the time. And with the Animated Penguin based off that version getting made a year later, I don't think that's a viable theory.
@@retroblasting Yeah, it's likely just a rumor that got traction because of the McDonalds thing, and general controversy from parents groups surrounding BATMAN RETURNS at the time. It's just what I've always heard, but have never been able to confirm.
"The UM-brella"
🤣🤣
We get it, it’s the biggest word you’ve ever heard.
Amazing how far we've come from "Weeh weeh weeh" To "We're in it now Vic!" Wait... after the finale that might not be uhh the best quote to use lol!
Great explanation.
I must have been a weird kid. I grew up with Batman ‘66 reruns and Penguin had a lot of curb appeal to me.
I have most of those 1989 figures and they are still in their package.
Great info and a nice overview of a rather strange history.
Conclusion: Tony bought a legit Penguin!
Phew! Glad about that. Love a story with a happy ending!
This range was never particularly popular here in Northern Ireland but it's been interesting to find out these little details
After this clip. I have to check which Penguin I have lol. Great information as always!
Still to this day, I have never seen any of these figures. Great informative video as usual from the RB team!
This video seems especially timely given that the excellent Penguin show on HBO just wrapped up.
I too love the breakdown given in this video! Very well done! I know the final version cheaped out on a lot of features, and that accessory is just ridiculous. However, I really do like the deco on this figure! The black tux with red accents really stands out. Sure it's not accurate to the film or comics, I just think it looks cool on its own.
Very informative. Thank you for doing this.
So many variations based off of one mold. I wonder how the inter office discussions were back then.
More Super Powers / Batman Figure Videos ?? 🙏
You're literally watching one right now.
Kenner seemed to always stretch their toy molds. I had that penguin from the batman returns toy line. Even as a 8 yr old kid I knew that figure did not look like Danny Devito.
Thanks for another great video. Penguin was always a favorite of mine. I had the Kenner Super Powers, the ToyBiz Super Heros, Kenner Batman Returns, and the original BTAS figures. I did not know about the Mattel redesign BTAS figure until many years after its release. Never had that one.
I wonder if the Penguin's chunky character proportions made his original mold expensive to design and produce so they used it as much as possible so they could get the most out of it. I alsow think that Devito's Penguin design was propabaly either difficult to translate into figure form or Kenner thought it was too scary for kids so they just reused the old mold.
Other toy makers didn't find it too scary to make the Danny Devito version
Awesome! Now to go check to see which one I have.
Wow, who’d a thunk that Penguin had such a strange history.
I pulled out my Kenner Super Powers Penguin just to check if I had the original. Whew! It is! I was worried after watching this video that mine was a later version. Thanks for pointing out the details! 😊
This could be the start of a new series - Batman Follies!
The removable coatails are not interchangeable between kenner and toybiz either. I learned this the hard way.
Well plus the Toy Biz ones don't have the button details, so.... why want them anyway?
My brother and I collected Super Powers but when we saw the ToyBiz versions we couldn’t stand them, they looked so cheap, plus we pretty much had their initial wave since we had all of Super Powers waves 1 and 2, plus Mr. Freeze from wave 3. Knew about first Toy Biz Penguin, didn’t know about the other 2. Had seen Kenner’s black Penguin, but again we had the Super Powers version so wasn’t interested in that version. What an interesting path Penguin waddled through.
Even at the time I thought it odd that they couldn't mold a new Penguin figure, but were ok making new Penguin commando minions for him.
I always thought it might of been a likeness issue where Danny DeVito wanted too much money, so Kenner just opted to reuse the Super Power mold.
@@josephjones7828 I thought about this, but then, McDonalds had a more accurate Penguin toy at the time, so who can say?
@@raymondtillotson6985 Well whoever the company was that made the McDonald's toys were they certainly weren't Kenner. So whether or not they paid DeVito for his likeness to have a more accurate DeVito Penguin sculpted McDonald's toy would be a moot issue. Because that would have no bearing as to whether or not Kenner would pay DeVito's price tag for his likeness. That would be determined on a company by company basis. And when it came to Kenner they may of been like, nope. Too expensive.
@@josephjones7828 Whereas McDonalds would have said "I'm lovin' it!"
These are the videos I really enjoy! Not saying boo or anything else RB makes, but this neat toy history stuff is cool.
Good video, I never noticed the Kenner version had no pupil.
I love that title 😂
The first was the best. I'll take that unpainted left eye over all the other figures. Tge first Kenner version was the only one that had buttons on the coattails molded in, too. Amazing that it kept getting worse and worse. I had no idea there were so many iterations. Great deep dive Penguin video.
When I got my Toy Biz Penguin as a kid, it was the one where the whole top of the umbrella shot off, but it didn't come with the coattails. I think I still have that one stored away somewhere.
I didn't say there might not be tail-less versions with the 3rd umbrella. I said I've never seen tailed versions WITHOUT the third umbrella.
great video Michael! speaking of penguin, hope you got to see the series-really amazing and wishing you'd do an analysis of that
Remeber seeing an end cap full of the last version of the blue on at Zellers in Canada around 1990. Pretty cool video thanks!
That is a LOT of effort from Kenner on the Penguin...
The Batman Returns Catwoman sculpt was an unused sculpt for the Super Powers wave that never happened.
I am slow clapping the title of the video. First class. I have no notes.
There were non coat tail penguins without the holes in the back with the whole umbrella missle too. That was my first one and I remember it broke and my mom returned it to hills and got me another one. That one had the whole umbrella missle and the coat tails. Maybe it was a between stock pack when they were putting them in packages. That one that broke was probably worth something to someone lol
I didn't say there might not be tail-less versions with the 3rd umbrella. I said I've never seen tailed versions WITHOUT the third umbrella.
Well, I didn't realize Toy Biz made variants of Penguin
What a classic figure
“English, Dude. English.”
@ 😆 damn autocorrect
Damn, I actually don't remember which one was had as kids. I thought you were going to say Penguin was also repurposed as Friar Tuck in Robin Hood. 😃
No, that was a Gammorean Guard from Return of the Jedi.
Another fantastic video.
Very good video
I'd love a Robin Hood video. A frankenstein abomination of a toyline if I ever saw one.
I heard the reason why the Batman Returns penguin figure didn't look like Devitio was because they thought that the Devito penguin’s appearance was too scary for children.
That's a theory that has never been proven. Other companies at the time release figures and dolls of DeVito's character without issue. Other rumors fans claim have to do with movie contract disputes. None of these have been proven. More likely, Kenner was saving money on the line.
@ ok thanks for the info
I would rather buy a figure of Pingu. 🙂
I have the short missile version. I don't recall ever seeing the long missile version in stores but I also probably wasn't looking for it since I already had one Penguin. Also kind of surprised they even did the small missile after the Battlestar Galacticia incident that happened 10 years prior.
I got taken on a Robin a few years back. It was an eBay listing, saying it was super powers. I knew the difference, but I did not ask to make sure. Sure enough, Toybiz Robin, with the yellow chop function in the back. Live and learn.
that's a chunky fig
Serious gut shelfage
I had the third version of the toy Biz penguin, and the Batman Returns penguin.
Now can we get a version from the Penguin series, complete with a plum-colored Maserati?
I got the Batman Returns one as my first ever Penguin. Never understood why he didn't look like devito. (Or why they didn't make one Batman figure that had the new armor design on a 5 inch figure.)
I wonder if the kids in the years before hated the deployed umbrella with every penguin because he always used his gadgets with the umbrella retracted.
The only Super Powers I had back then was the Dr. Fate one but I bet that figure also has other variations that I don't know of.
I had to look very closely buying a Super Powers one online 😅 Interesting the animated figure at the end had a black umbrella. My one has a red and white hypno version.
That's the 1993 Penguin figure with the second umbrella from the "Revenge of the Penguin" 4-figure set. I have the original umbrella you're referring to as well as the figure is the original release while the umbrella was acquired separately as a loose part.
I got the third one for Christmas while my brother got a snow camo batman with jetpack I think so I was little unimpressed with fatman with umbrella missile lol
I grew up with a 4th variant of the ToyBiz figure. He had no separate coat tails like the first two variations. However, his umbrella was completely different. This Penguin's umbrella did not shoot a short or long missile from the middle of the canopy. Instead, the entire canopy fired from the handle/cane. The umbrella was unbalanced. Due to the canopy/missle being too heavy and the handle being too long, because the firing mechanism was an extension of the cane/handle, Penguin could barely hold the umbrella upright. And since the canopy was the missile, it plugged into the firing mechanism rigidly in one position and could not spin like the Kenner version.
THAT UMBRELLA IS LITERALLY IN THIS VIDEO!!!!!
@retroblasting Sorry. I realize I missed that part. I assumed that the lineup of the figures at the beginning of the video was all the variants mentioned. I now see that the version I had as a child must be the figure with the paint scuff on the torso that you show later, by itself. Sorry I complety misunderstood or was not paying attention hard enough. It must be true that youtube shorts rot the brain. I need to cut those out and go back to longer format videos. Sorry again and thank you for the video. My apologies.
I had that Batman Returns penguin. I quite liked the black suit but why did he need an umbrella logo/brand on his lapel? Like he's property of Jurassic Park.
so i wonder was the penguins redesign in the cartoon inspired by the toy , a mandate by studios ,or just a coincidence
I had all versions except the long missle one lololol
As the story goes, when he found out Warner Bros wanted Danny DeVito to play The Penguin, he told his friend Jack Nicholson about his experience working on the first movie's production. The first Batman movie had been a huge success & Nicholson agreed to be in it only if he received profit from merch that included his likeness. He made bank. Nicholson told DeVito to ask WB for the "Nicholson Deal", & when he requested it, Danny was told, "but you're not Nicholson". This is likely one reason why you don't see toys from that era w/Devito's character's face, including Kenner's Penguin from Returns.
And yet, there ARE figures from other companies FROM THAT TIME that do depict DeVito's Penguin from the film, so.......
@retroblasting - Are there? I only know of one tiny Army Man-style figurine Hallmark, I think) & the doll-like by Applause. But Devito's image isn't being used to sell in neither. Just the Winston/WB design of the character.
@@Guernicaman Ertl, Applause, even the Happy Meal version
@timothyward8695 - They probably just paid WB (not evenStan Winston) for the character's design, simply b/c the detail of the figure doesn't show Devito's likeness. That wouldn't be the case in a 1:18 scale figure, which likely would've had to include Devito's likeness as the Penguin (especially on the card).
@@timothyward8695 didn't know ERTL made batman toys as i always associate them with Thomas toys
does he at least do his famous flipper trick?
Hrmmm....I'm wondering if that Kenner projectile launcher is actually a retooled neutrona wave from the Real Ghostbusters line?
I wouldn't put it past em
The missile umbrella is a little weak. What would have been cool for the Animated Series penguin would be if they used the Superpowers Penguin's umbrella with the extendable sword section. Since there were a few times he used his umbrella like a sword in the show
Im pretty sure there was a 3rd version of the umbrella that shot the entire top off like a missile
That's literally in this video.... that you haven't watched and you're just commenting prematurely.
@retroblasting nah I watched it, but at work and must have missed it.
The Toy Biz Penguin also does not have foot peg holes in the feet, like the Super Powers figs did.
Right, but that's not something you can see at a glance when it's standing on a shelf in a toy/collectable store. This was about immediate identifiers.
@ Understood.
Kenner should just reissue it and sell it as a Colin Farrell action figure
I have a few questions about this, because in 1989 I was in high school, and I wasn't suppose to play with toys so I transitioned to comic book collector and bought the 89 Batman figures and DC Heroes line and kept them in the package. I do remember looking at them and thinking it was Super Powers molds, but like Michael said, with Toy Biz flourish, so I was wondering how that works. Does Kenner own the molds or transfer them to DC when the license expired and then Toy Biz makes new molds based on the old ones? Cause when you look at both they're close, but then when you look at the Toy Biz Lex Luthor it's like what is this, you suck at your new molds? Sorry to ramble, I'm really curious about how that works, because I had dealings with a miniature wargaming company that "had" the rights to a couple lines they "bought" ( e.g. Inferno, Gwar: Battles in Anartica, maybe Critter Commandos) and the warehouse got broken into and all that was missing were the molds to those line. Again rambling, but I never got closure on that company that released the third edition of Warzone (Mutant Chronicles) which was a box set with plastic starter armies similar to 40k boxed sets.
Deep
I still have the Kenner Batman Returns Penguin, personally I think it seems the better quality version compared to the others (the colour helps too), also the torso seems to be an update (if I recall ?) not exactly the same as the others, maybe a bit fatter ?
I also wasn’t a fan of the DeVito design, so this figure was good.
Strangely for the next movie, Kenner also gave us a comic accurate Bane (which was also a good choice).
I hated that fake Returns Penguin then and you know what? Looking at it now, I still hate it.
remember kids.. missile size is important.
Any more Kenner Super Power vids?
You just watched one.
Do you laugh at old people who mistake the facebook status bar for the google search bar? Cause...
@@retroblasting the put some more up!
@@Chronically0nline only at your mom.
@@Scorp308 Sorry, my mom is smarter than yours.. so she doesn't use facebook.
The people that design this was so lazy it's crazy never gave us a Danny DeVito figure 😡
UMbrealla
What is this shit?
It's very obvious.
Clearly not given some people have had to ask before buying them, as the opening clip demonstrates.
I swear my brother had the no-tails version but with the 3rd version full umbrella projectile. Maybe I'm misremembering, though.
I didn't say there might not be tail-less versions with the 3rd umbrella. I said I've never seen tailed versions WITHOUT the third umbrella.
Can confirm. I still have my childhood Penguin. It is the full umbrella top firing version, but without coattails.
This was so flocking informative! Thanks!