There's An X-MEN Toy Commercial Compilation After All...
Please enjoy Wolverine on a jet ski, a moment I missed entirely, perhaps because I wasn't paying a lot of attention to kids' TV at that time. I don't remember most of these commercials, actually, even though I watched every episode of the show as it aired. I'm assuming the FCC regulation against toy ads airing during the shows they spin off from was still in effect. Also, I'd be curious to know why Wolverine's look during "Inferno" inspired that Missile Flyer toy. What is that thing? Finally, here's an interesting collection of animated Batman commercials from the late 1980s, which apparently only aired in Canada. They used Mike Zeck art as the inspiration!
I remember those Zellers commercials quite fondly. I bought many an action figure at Zellers in my youth. I remember seeing those ads and wishing they would make a Batman cartoon in thst style. While that didn't happen, the cartoon we did eventually get was pretty good, even if it didn't look like it was drawn by Mike Zeck. Watching the commercials now, both Joker and Riddler's laughter sounds like it was lifted right from the 1966 tv series. I wonder if they had permission or just figured nobody would notice? (Sadly, all Zellers locations were taken over by Target, which didn't last very long for a number of different reasons.)
As a kid, I didn't understand why cartoons couldn't just look exactly like comic book art. This probably would've been my dream BATMAN cartoon at the age of nine, although they would have to fix those mouth movements.
I don't even think that commercial ad was exhaustive. I remember an ad where a kid was asked to recite every single character in their lineup.
I forgot how female heavy the X-Men movie action figure lineup was. I heard the toys did not sell, which was the beginning of the end for the franchise, in some ways. I wonder how much of an effect that had on the Ike Perlmutter school of merchandising.
Looking at other commercials. Strange seeing the interregnum between 90's cartoon Spider-Man and movie Spider-Man.
I remember those Zellers commercials quite fondly. I bought many an action figure at Zellers in my youth. I remember seeing those ads and wishing they would make a Batman cartoon in thst style. While that didn't happen, the cartoon we did eventually get was pretty good, even if it didn't look like it was drawn by Mike Zeck. Watching the commercials now, both Joker and Riddler's laughter sounds like it was lifted right from the 1966 tv series. I wonder if they had permission or just figured nobody would notice?
ReplyDelete(Sadly, all Zellers locations were taken over by Target, which didn't last very long for a number of different reasons.)
As a kid, I didn't understand why cartoons couldn't just look exactly like comic book art. This probably would've been my dream BATMAN cartoon at the age of nine, although they would have to fix those mouth movements.
ReplyDeleteI don't even think that commercial ad was exhaustive. I remember an ad where a kid was asked to recite every single character in their lineup.
ReplyDeleteI forgot how female heavy the X-Men movie action figure lineup was. I heard the toys did not sell, which was the beginning of the end for the franchise, in some ways. I wonder how much of an effect that had on the Ike Perlmutter school of merchandising.
Looking at other commercials. Strange seeing the interregnum between 90's cartoon Spider-Man and movie Spider-Man.