23 November 2009

The Superman-The Movie Gallery page three and four and Superman II Gallery have been updated with new material. Check out the rare posters!

 20 November 2009

 The Superman-The Movie Gallery, Reeve Tribute main page, Wallpaper Gallery, and Superman II Gallery have been updated with new images. Check out the rare posters! Have a great weekend...watch some great movies!

 The three Superman-The Movie Madelman items are among the most unique superhero collectibles of the late 70s/early 80s, I particularly like the buggy and helicopter for their very nice painted atwork on the boxes. If you own these, you know immediately what I am talking about, and if your boxes are in good shape, then you have some very neat collectibles to enjoy. I actually do not own a helicopter, but I do have a buggy (Superman driving Lois in a buggy?), so I decided to scan the top of the box today. You can see the original television commercial and more photos here, here and here. If any of you have or know of a helicopter for sale, please contact me. I'm also after a better condition buggy box. By the way, EL BLOG DE SUPERS0NICMAN and KRYPTO CLUB feature some great movie collectibles that I know you'll want to check out.

 18 November 2009

 Click here and see the two Blu-ray banners at the top of the page to learn more about trading in your WB DVDs and HD-DVDs for Blu-rays.

 While digging through my Superman archives today, I came across this video store poster that I had forgotten about. It's from 1983 and hasn't seen the light of day since. I really like the design of "The Adventures Continue" logo. The transparent, crystal-like logo style that was used throughout the marketing campaigns of all four Christopher Reeve Superman films is really unique, and has never been duplicated since that I have seen. Anyway, after two hours of of work, I finally got it assembled from over 20 individual scans. I left in the fold lines. I hope you enjoy it! By the way, where are your VHS and Beta tapes of Superman-The Movie and Superman II? How about your RCA videodiscs? Watch the 1982 RCA VideoDisc opening, the 1981 RCA VideoDisc original opening, and finally, the Pioneer LaserDisc bumpers and side break.

 16 November 2009

"Superman For A Day."

 12 November 2009

Will Reeve Recalls Favorite Memories of Christopher and Dana Reeve. Read more here.

 11 November 2009

Click here for an exciting update about the upcoming Christopher Reeve Superman figure from Cinemaquette.

 08 November 2009

 I've been enjoying the new RUBY-SPEARS SUPERMAN DVD set. One of my favorite segments is "Superman’s Family Album: The Adoption" at the end of episode one. You can hear Ron Jones' music from that segment at the beginning of my 21-minute Superman: The Music music sampler. Enjoy!

 I recently picked up this new DC Comics 75th Anniversary tee at Bloomingdales. It's very good quality and softer cotton than you may have felt on other tees. The art appears to be Jerry Ordway's, so that's a good thing!

 03 November 2009

ANIMATION LEGENDS JOE RUBY & KEN SPEARS DISCUSS WARNER HOME VIDEO’S RELEASE TODAY, NOV. 3 OF 1988 SERIES RUBY-SPEARS SUPERMAN -- "Ultimately, we settled on the Christopher Reeve model – he had personality and a sense of humor, and yet he was still Superman. We figured that it worked for the films, so it would work well for us.” Read more here. Here are some screenshots from the series:1|2|3|4|5|6. Be sure to order your copy of Superman: The Music today to hear the entire Ruby Spears Superman Cartoons Soundtrack! Supplies are limited. Click here to see the show's opener.

 30 October 2009

Herve Attia has done a very clever job of creating this Superman-The Movie location film. Check it out here!

 17 October 2009

John Field, noted film historian and George Reeves Superman aficionado, is selling some outstanding quality 16mm film prints from his personal collection on eBay. I have viewed many of his films over the years, and they are all gorgeous and always handled with tender loving care. Check them out here!

 16 October 2009

I have added new quotes to the Reeve's Words section. Have a great weekend!

 15 October 2009

In Touch Weekly features Reeve legacy.

 10 October 2009

 Five years ago today, we lost one of our greatest heroes...CHRISTOPHER REEVE: HERO - ICON

 I made some time today to revisit my Reeve Tribute Art folder from 2004 and realized that I had skipped posting some nice submissions, including those from Marc Guerrero, Kevin D. Anderson, Daniel Lundie and Sam Hanover. I also posted some additional tribute editorial cartoons and letters today. Thank you to everyone who recently sent me their art and letters.

 09 October 2009

 Click here to see a great 2006 interview with director Richard Donner. Thanks Ollie for the scoop!

 Check out the updates at www.superman1978.com.

 25 September 2009

Today, September 25, 2009, would have been Christopher Reeve's 57th birthday. Chris, all of us miss you more than we can express in words. Thank you for changing so many people's lives for the better. You will always be remembered.

 22 September 2009

Nearly all of the major galleries have been updated over the past few days. Enjoy!

 15 September 2009

So there you go Superman fans: 'We Don't Have Any Current Plans For Superman,' Says DC Entertainment President. Keep enjoying the Christopher Reeve series!

 11 September 2009

Remember.

 10 September 2009

 Happy Birthday to Alex Serpa!!

 Levitz & Nelson on DC Entertainment.

 31 August 2009

“THE CIRCLE IS NOW COMPLETE”: The Last Word on SUPERMAN II -- An Exclusive Report for CapedWonder™.com Written and Edited by Bill Williams.

 30 August 2009

Download the second Webisode from the upcoming Superman-The Movie: Restored International Cut fan edit called "Krypton to Smallville". Click here for more information about this DVD project.

 27 August 2009

Here are two images that I know you'll enjoy. The first is of Stuart Freeborn pouring a body cast of Margot Kidder for her front projection flying harnass used in Superman-The Movie, and the second is of Christopher Reeve as Superman departing the little girl and her cat in Superman-The Movie.

 17 August 2009

I have recently updated the Donner Years, Superman II, Superman III and Superman IV galleries with new and updated photos. I have also eliminated some photos from these galleries, as well as the Wallpaper gallery, because I felt that they were no longer up to my standards. Many of the Donner Years Superman-The Movie promotional photos are restorations by Sebastian Colombo. Head over to those galleries and enjoy!

 11 June 2009

This Superman II (Lester shot) Fortress of Solitude photograph is among my very favorite portraits of Christopher Reeve. It immediately communicates Chris' warm, friendly and strong portrayal of the character. You know, I've been a photographer for over 25 years, and the older I get, the more I am enjoying B&W photographs. I especially like digitally converting color photos into B&W and infared creations. If you take a look at the Kent farm photos (link below in the 10 June posting), you'll see how B&W photos can be quite dramatic. In the case of these landscape/scenics photos, the textures of the wood and the "old days" look and feel really speak to me. I actually prefer the Reeve portrait above in B&W (with some subtle warm tinting) over the colorized version that's been on this site for awhile.

 07 June 2009

Martin Lakin's fascinating and very infirmative Superman movie costumes article has been updated. Click here to read it. The Original Prop Blog has recently added two incredibly detailed photos of the 'bridal weight spandex' used in authentic Christopher Reeve Superman costumes. Check them out here.

 01 June 2009

For those of you who attended the 1988 50th Anniversary Superman Celebration in Cleveland, Ohio, you may remember the magnificant statue prototype that was on display by the dealer's room. See it here and here. The plan was to erect a huge version of it in the city, but it never happened. Where is this statue today? I am not certain. Who made it? I cannot say. Will a statue ever be erected in Cleveland? I don't know. See the guy in the background wearing the white shirt? That is George Perez! I hope to see many of you in Cleveland next month!

 28 May 2009

Christopher Reeve was on my mind all day yesterday. Just one year prior to his accident, I was talking with this tall, strikingly handsome, and somewhat shy, but very friendly, man backstage at the 1994 Dixie Trek Convention. Chris was a true gentleman with class who gave 100% to many happy fans that day. I am truly blessed to have known him.

 27 May 2009

Enjoy Otis' exploits to Stayin' Alive by the Bee Gees. This is a really fun clip, edited by Alex Serpa and featuring many extended scenes never officially released. Download it here. And here is a frame-by-frame comparison clip showing the extensive work that is going into cleaning up footage for the upcoming Superman-The Movie: Restored International Cut DVD.

 21 May 2009

Lately, I have received a number of very nice messages and interesting files from fans. Among them is this studio photo of Brandon Routh in costume. I like the way his cape is being held up with wire/string. Since there are many of Brandon's boot prints on the white set, I wonder just how many poses he struck for the camera. Maybe they will surface one day.

 19 May 2009

Here are some very interesting early storyboards from Superman II. Notice the panel with the demolished Jumeirah Essex House sign. Here's the Jumeirah Essex House behind Christopher Reeve in the most famous Superman-The Movie promotional photo.

 18 May 2009

Warner Home Video has announced the U.K. Blu-ray release of a double pack containing both Superman-The Movie and Superman Returns for the 15th of June. Read more here and here. The Christopher Reeve Superman image on this Blu-ray box art originated from CapedWonder™.com.

 05 May 2009

  PBS series American Masters (in the section devoted to the series of episodes titled, You Must Remember This: The Warner Bros. Story) there are additional interviews with Warner Bros. directors, producers, and executives not included in the film. Watch Richard Donner's interview about Christopher Reeve's car and his former Warner Bros. office.

Here are much larger versions of two photographs of Christopher Reeve here and here; and a never-before-released photograph of Noel Neill that I shot at 1994 Atlanta Dixie Trek convention. Chris is seen here backstage signing autographs for the organizers before meeting Noel Neill on stage to give his question and answer session. You can read more about Chris, Noel and the convention here. I shot many photos of Chris and Noel that day, so I'll eventually get them posted to the page...stay tuned! Most of you have probably already seen this one that appears in Noel's book and on her table when she attends shows across the country.

 04 May 2009

Superfan James Mercuri was kind enough to send me some very nice scans of posters from all four Christopher Reeve Superman films. Go to the Gallery to see them!

 02 May 2009

 This is one of my favorite portraits of 34-year-old Christopher Reeve, from the United Nations scene in Superman IV: The Quest For Peace.

 There's a new gallery of behind-the-scenes photographs from the Superboy TV show here.

 27 April 2009

Isn't it amazing how Christopher Reeve looked like Superman even when he wasn't in character? Here's three photos of Chris taken in his late 30's. They were taken with Kodak Tri-X film and scanned with a Nikon CoolScan 8000 professional scanner. I did no manipulation besides dust removal and contrast correction: 1|2|3. Chris still looked great, didn't he? I think he could have played Superman/Clark Kent well into his 50's. Here are some of the first photos taken of Chris (in his early 20's) around the time that he was picked for Superman (February 1977): 1|2|3|4.

 23 April 2009

The more desirable and unique Christopher Reeve Superman collectibles are difficult to find these days. I remember buying many of them in pristine condition back when Superman-The Movie was released in theaters in 1978. I continued my pursuit of more movie collectibles until about the mid-90s. Now I mainly focus on locating rare stills, slides, transparencies, marketing and promotional materials, anything with photography and art. Among my favorite rare Superman movie toy collectibles are the three Madelman pieces made in Spain to promote the first movie. The video is just great -- check it out! I actually like the box art better than the toys! Go to the Krypto Club blog to learn more about Madelman. And click here, here and here to see more rare Superman toy collectibles. Have a great weekend everyone!

 21 April 2009

This behind-the-scenes photo of Christopher Reeve and daughter, Alexandra Reeve, from the set of Superman IV was featured in a Good Morning America interview with Alexandra Reeve Givens this morning on ABC News. She discusses the latest medical news on paralysis. Please visit the Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation website often. Thanks to Martin Lakin for contributing the Superman IV photo to CapedWonder™.com.

 20 April 2009

Superfan Julian Adderley recently sent me this PDF file of the Superman-The Movie program. If you saw the film on the silver screen, you may remember the theater ushers handing out this great collectible. I own quite a few copies because I saw the film fourteen times in 1978/1979!

 17 April 2009

 New audio and video files have been added to the Superman-The Movie: Restored International Cut and Multimedia sections.

 One of my other favorite "flying" things is the giant manta ray. I had the opportunity to shoot video of 20 of these beautiful, amazing creatures last night in Kona, Hawaii. I was in awe as they "flew" all around our heads feeding on plankton attracted by our lights. It was an incredible experience for my family and me. One of my friends said that it looked like I had brought back video footage from an alien world. Enjoy the video by clicking here. Be sure to choose the "HQ" setting just below the image. Note the moray eel ascending at about the 0:54 mark in the video.

 09 April 2009

My brother and I attended the 50th anniversary Superman celebration in Cleveland, Ohio, in the summer of 1988. Even though the show was not a very successful one, we both had a great time anyway. The dealer's room was fun, the film show was wonderful to watch, and the memorabilia room was an enjoyable place to take photosgraphs. I shot many photos during the trip, and here is one. I will eventually post more photos.

 07 April 2009

I'm sure most of you have seen the original 1978 Making of Superman-The Movie vintage television special. You may remember the short scene of Christopher Reeve at Andy Warhol's house in New York City talking about Chris' belt buckle. When Andy asked him about it, Chris told him that he made it from a spoon in "shop class" in seventh grade at Princeton Day School (Princeton, New Jersey). That would have been in 1964-65. Here's an interesting "biography" that covers Chris' experience at Princeton Day School; and here's an article about Chris on The Daily Princetonian website.

So, you ask...where am I going with this story? Well, I was digging around in my photo collection, like I do quite often, and after looking at some of Chris' makeup shots with Stuart Freeborn, I realized that Chris was wearing that very spoon buckle outside his trailer in Gallup, New Mexico, while preparing to film earthquake scenes with Marc McClure and Margot Kidder (June 1978). Here's the photo with a inset closeup of the buckle taken from a Making of screenshot, and here's a version without the inset photo. Chris often spoke in great detail about his formative years growing up in New Jersey; this buckle must have meant a great deal to him. Watch the Andy Warhol Making of segment here where you can clearly see Chris' buckle. Watch more videos in the CapedWonder™ Multimedia Section.

 06 April 2009

New images have been added to the Richard Donner Years Gallery, including high-def screenshots like this one of British actress Jayne Tottman who played the little girl with her cat in Superman-The Movie (one of the best scenes in the movie). I did some checking around to see what other work Jayne did as a kid, and I came across this 1979 U.K. public information film, Play Safe: Frisbee.

 05 April 2009

New images have been added to the Richard Donner Years Gallery and Wallpaper section. Take a close look at this photo of Reeve, Donner and the crew setting up to film Lois Lane roll down her car window to greet Superman after he turns back the world in Superman-The Movie. There are clips in Reeve's hair, apparently to hold his 'S' curl in place during the summer winds in New Mexico. I have never seen these clips in any other behind-the-scenes photos in my collection. When I first scanned these photos, I thought the white clips were dust...until I zoomed in.

 30 March 2009

President Obama signs Christopher Reeve bill. See the video here.

 28 March 2009

Today is the seventh anniversary of CapedWonder™.com! Thank to everyone who supports this website.

 25 March 2009

Superfan Greg Jones recently sent me a beautiful scan of one of my favorite paintings of Superman. It was done by artist by Drew Struzan and released by The Thought Factory in 1977. Other Superhero posters were also released that same year. You can find out more information by doing some internet research. Here's the poster...enjoy!

 24 March 2009

Imagine an animated Superman in Christopher Reeve's likeness in a full-length film.

 12 March 2009

 On March 9, 2009, President Obama overturned the Bush policy on stem cells. Download his remarks about Christopher Reeve here. Thanks to 'Selutron' for the .mov file.

 On 11 March, Larry King Live guest host, Dr. Sanjay Gupta, interviewed Christopher Reeve's daughter, Alexandra Reeve Givens, and Reeve Foundation Chairman of the Board of Directors Peter Kiernan, about President Obama’s executive order and its implications. Alexandra discussed her father’s legacy and how she felt hearing the President deliver such an eloquent tribute to her father and stepmother. Download the video segment here. Thanks to Alex Serpa for the .mov file. And thank you Alexandra, Matthew, Will, Peter, Jane Seymour, dedicated scientists and so many others for your incredible efforts towards achieving Christopher's dream of finding cures for spinal cord injuries and other disabilities. Go Forward!

 10 March 2009

Remember the "shirt rip" image on the cover of the Superman II: The Richard Donner Cut DVD box? That image was also used in the original movie theater newspaper advertising and various other industry publications such as Variety for Superman-The Movie. Ever wonder if that was really Christopher Reeve in the (unique and never screen-worn) costume and Clark Kent suit? Well...it wasn't...here's the model, with mustache and all! Unfortunately, I don't know who this gentleman is.

 25 February 2009

 You may notice that I've been updating and reorganizing the Richard Donner Years Gallery. This is by far one of my favorite headshots of Chris Reeve. And here's a painting I created from a rare Reeve photo. Enjoy!

 I had a very enjoyable day going through some of my Superman photo collection. One of the images I came across again, and had forgotten about, was of Les Bowie (with his arm extended) and Stuart Freeborn (white-haired man with glasses to Les' left) on the Superman-The Movie tunnel set preparing the "dummy" frozen Superman bust for the scene of Superman being (momentarily) frozen by Lex Luthor's ice machines on his way to Lex's lair. You will remember that Les Bowie was Creative Supervisor of Mattes & Composites on Superman-The Movie, and won one of the Academy awards for SPECIAL ACHIEVEMENT IN VISUAL EFFECTS; and Stuart Freeborn was Creative Supervisor of Makeup & Special Visuals on Superman-The Movie. Unfortunately, Les passed away in 1979 before he could receive his award in person. Stuart did Christopher Reeve's makeup for all four Superman films. You can read more about Les here and Stuart here.

 18 February 2009

 Fans are already e-mailing me asking if I will be attending the Metropolis Superman Celebration this summer. My answer is that I do not attend that show any longer. For those of you who do, have a great time. See the CapedWonder™ gallery prints that I donated to last year's celebration here, here, here, and here.

 You will notice that many standard definition DVD screenshots have been removed from the Richard Donner Years Gallery. A few high-definition screenshots have been posted to the gallery. I will post more in the future, so check back.

 16 February 2009

Super rare, one-of-a-kind continuity Polaroids from the Superman-The Movie Lois Lane crushed car set in Gallup, New Mexico, have been added to the Behind-The-Scenes section of the Richard Donner Years Gallery.

 11 February 2009

Superfan Ian Sheppard was kind enough to send me this great scan of Comics Scene magazine that features wonderful Superman-The Movie artwork by Jerry Ordway. And Superfan James Mercuri has contributed large scans of some great Superman posters. These new files, along with some newly revised files, all appear in the Richard Donner Years Gallery.

 07 February 2009

Superfan Martin Lakin sent me some great scans last year, and I've just recently started posting them in the Richard Donner Years Gallery. Thanks Martin! This is one of my favorite pieces of art.

 01 February 2009

 Three new images have been posted to the Richard Donner Years Gallery here, here and here.

 I am a big fan of clouds, so I present to you a gallery of my own cloud photographs.

 10 January 2009

I recently acquired these rare images of Christopher Reeve and Richard Pryor practicing their wire flying for Superman III. Amazing how very dangerous wiring flying is, and how easy and fluid Reeve made it look. Enjoy!

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