Ertl 1992 #2481 'Batman Returns' Batman

I'm finally getting around to showing the figures that were made by Ertl for 'Batman Returns'. I had already blogged the Batmissile (Mattel Hot Wheels re-issue), The Penguin Duck (Mattel Hot Wheels re-issue), and the Batskiboat (original Ertl issue) that was part of the 4-vehicle set - but I'm still missing the Batmobile from this series :-(

The 4-figure set includes Batman, Catwoman, Penguin Commando, and The Penguin all done as diecast metal figures. Batman measures 2" (5cm) tall and all the figures are much closer to 54mm (1/32 scale) than they are to the scale of the vehicles which is anywhere from 1/50 - 1/64 scale. The sculpting is nice and the detailing well done and I do like that this Batman is in somewhat of an action pose - the only figure of the series to be shown in something other than 'portrait' mode. Enjoy!

1992 McDonald's Batman Returns Catwoman Cat Coupe

Last week Toys & Stuff looked at the 1992 Batman Returns 'Press-&-Go Car' McDonald's offered with its Happy Meals. The Press-&-Go Car was an odd design having no known prototype in the movie but it did offer a Batman-ish look and play value for the kids. But now I find myself in a quandary. I know there were a lot of toys and models of Bat-stuff produced that never actually appeared on TV or in the movies and were essentially exercises in the toy maker's art. If you're a toy company and want to produce a cool looking toy based on one of pop culture's biggest franchises then Batman would definitely be a natural. Okay fine. My problem is two-fold: Like the Press-&-Go Car I have yet to find verification on the web that today's Cat Coupe is in the movie; AND I really don't want to have the watch the movie again to verify it!! I really really don't. Right now drinking a beef liver and castor oil shake sounds more appealing! LOL

Whether in the movie or not, all four cars in the series are caricatures. Today's Catwoman Cat Coupe is a cute little sports car with an over-sized Catwoman figure that, when pushed along the table, the tail wags back and forth. One nifty  touch I failed to notice until I was editing the photos was the Catwoman head on the hubcaps. This is a nice little toy but I wonder how long that tail lasted in real play use as it  looks easy to break. Okay, 'nuff said - Enjoy!

1992 McDonald's Batman Returns Happy Meal Series

Well, time to start another small Batman series here on Toys & Stuff. I've always been a fan of McDonald's Happy Meal toys and especially like their various super hero offerings. When Batman Returns hit the theaters in 1992 it offered enough cool gadgets to make any toy company happy. In fact, this movie and the subsequent studio offerings weren't much more than two-hour toy commercials anyway, being nearly as campy as the 1966 incarnation and were essentially live-action cartoons. It was only with Christopher Nolan's Batman Begins that the Batman story started getting serious again.

HOWEVER, campy and cartoony can be a boon for the toy collector - it usually means fun stuff and today we start looking at the fun stuff that came out for Batman Returns.  We'll begin by featuring the tray-liner that was placed on every dining-in order. The liner is printed on both sides. The front side is a faux newspaper front page with various Batman Returns 'articles' while the reverse side is a drawing which mimics the McDonald's in-house display for the toys. The date at the top left corner of the front page is June 12 - July 9 1992, giving the collector a pretty good indication as to when the toys were offered. This 4-piece set consisted of vehicles only: Batmobile w/detachable Bat-missile; Catmobile; The Penguin's Umbrella car; a Batman's 'Press-&-Go' car which resembles a cross between the Batplane and a snowmobile? (huh? I haven't seen the movie in a l-o-n-g time and quite frankly don't remember this contraption). Enjoy!