Dimension X

Premiums were a normal commodity of growing up in Pre-Television America. A kid could not wait until his Decoder Badge arrived so he could decipher the new code being given on some Adventure Hero's Radio Show...They felt like they belonged to something very special, & indeed they did...

Comic Books were booming as the industry discovered the Super-Hero & it's money making powers, thanks to JERRY SEIGEL & JOE SHUSTER, the Creators of "SUPERMAN". Everywhere, Publishers were popping up left & right trying to compete & come up with the next big marketing & licensing property.


By the time America entered World War II, metals were being salvaged & used for the War effort. So Brass & other metallic-made Premiums were put on a tight halt, for the time being. JOE SIMON & JACK KIRBY's "CAPTAIN AMERICA" was given his own "Sentinels Of Liberty" Club in 1941, & is one of the 1st Patriotic Heroes. Here is the gorgeous 1941 Brass Badge, which was part of the kit made available from the Comics published by "TIMELY" Publications.


Other characters jumped on the Patriotic path, though most did not last long like the ones who are now considered the "Classics". LEV GLEASON's "SILVER STREAK COMICS" featured a short run of "CAPTAIN BATTLE" adventures, & was even given it's own title for a couple years. This still did not stop the formation of a "Captain Battle Boy's Brigade" in 1942. This Pinback is very rare due to the unpopularity & poor enlistment of members for this humdrum copycat hero.

Bronx Born WILL EISNER started one of the 1st Comic Book packaging studios, using some of the best talents ever to be involved with the medium. His own work evokes theatrical design & stage direction, complimentary of the best storytelling to ever be done in the medium of Comics. His most popular creation, "THE SPIRIT", was a trend-setting body of work, & is still highly regarded as the highest level that the comics format can ever reach. "The Spirit" was featured in a supplementary insert, only available in Newspapers in certain states around America. This Pinback promotes the start of the feature in the "Minneapolis Morning Tribune", 1942.

By the 1960's, mass merchandising & Licensing was taking on it's most unique & attractive period...

"TOPPS, Inc.", of Brooklyn, NY, was & is still the leader in producing the "Gum Card & Stickers"...From Sports Teams to Television Shows to Science Facts, TOPPS has for many years created the market for collecting stickers & cards featuring any & all types of subject matter. Of course the common American knows of the "Baseball Card", one of today's most highly invested & profitable product. Even more stable than anything you can purchase on the stock market or in real estate. So-called "Baseball" fanatics will splurge an infinite amount of cash on a particular Card, which will usually always increase in value if cared for properly.

In the early 1960's, TOPPS started to market licensed characters on Tattoos. A large number of very popular Animated Cartoon Characters were now to be shown off on your skin, or school books, or wherever you choose. Plus a "Bazooka"-like chunk of gum was integral to the mix, to create the saliva needed to wet & applique the image.

This is a Rare Series of Licensed "DC COMICS" Character Tattoos, called appropriately, "COMIC BOOK TATTOO" from 1967...

Shown here are the 4 different Packaging wrappers used to entice the Comic Fan, featuring "WONDER WOMAN" by Murphy Anderson, "SUPERMAN" by Al Plastino, "AQUAMAN" by Ramona Fradon, & "BATMAN" by Carmine Infantino. The Tattoo images are on the reverse side of the wrapper, & most examples were images of "Superman & Family". These were re-used images from TOPPS' "Superman Tattoo" release from 1962, much to the disappointment of fans expecting the other heroes shown as marketed.

What is more desireable & far more rare for the Collector today, is the "Point of Purchase" Display Box, the packs came in. Here is the Box & side panel, with Artwork by "DC Superman" Artist, "AL PLASTINO". The Box can be fairly called an example of false advertising, as a few of the characters shown, are no where to be seen on the actual Tattoo Wrappers. "Wonder Woman" is not even shown on the Box, replaced with "The Flash" & "Green Lantern". Still, an extremely scarce disposeable Box that commands hundreds, if not thousands, if found at all. This is the 1st one I have seen since 1969, when I would buy them at my local "Five & Dime" Discount Store...

By 1967, when "Bat-Mania" was in it's decline, a few companies still marketed Superhero items, even though parents & some kids were burnt out by the merchandising overkill of BATMAN. "SPACE" Toys were the next craze, due to the "Apollo" mission to the Moon.

Companies like "HASBRO", still contracted to the licensing of certain characters, still used them to enhance their more generic merchandise. The HASBRO "Target Games" from 1967 featured a plastic Gun with 3 Darts, blistered to a Cardboard Display, centered with a Metal Target.

Here is the extremely Rare "SUPERMAN TARGET GAME" from 1967, featuring images of certain Villians used for the first time on any merchandise. "BIZARRO", " MR MXYZPTLK", "BRAINIAC", & "LUTHOR", with art by CURT SWAN & JOHN FORTE, centers a beautiful painted image of Superman breaking free, of being chained by an Iron-Masked & Caped adversary unknown. Almost like a piece of 60's "Pop Art", suitable for framing...