Saturday, June 15, 2013

A Tour of the Signal Watch Fortress of Solitude

I saw online some folks were doing tours of their Superman collections. Well, it seemed like a SUPER idea to participate.

My Fortress is in disarray at the moment as I'm currently consolidating my collection and removing large portions of it.  I'm going to humblebrag and note that what you see here is only part of what I had on display until recently.  I'm really winnowing it down to Superman and Wonder Woman these days.

I started collecting Superman stuff in college, and I don't have much in the way of vintage. So the collection takes you from the late 90's til now, I guess.


your entry from the hallway to the Fortress




The North Wall

just inside the door, I keep the boots and cape
This wall isn't all Superman, but it does have a lot of DC Direct action figures.  There's also some other art, such as an early-days Alex Ross Batman print that, here, is obfuscated with glare.



So many Supermans (and Supergirl)

some Super Powers and toys from "Man of Steel"

yes, that IS an autograph from Adam West and some Alex Ross JLA figures.  The first action figure I ever had as a non-kid is the Batman on the right.  A gift from my pal, Patricio.  DKSA Batman was a gift from Jamie.  I'm fairly easy to please on birthdays and holidays.

a bit more of the wall.  You can see junk on the floor as a sign of ongoing progress.

My mother-in-law, Judy, got me that WW print.  It's a favorite item.  I have heard of my gigantic WW statue described as a "real conversation piece".

I tell you guys I like Wonder Woman, but I don't know if people believe me

still working in these shelves.  Randomness, Ed McGuinness Superman, Power Girl.  A wallet from Simon in there.

Signed pics from Noel Neill and Margot Kidder got for me by JimD.  Jamie got me Supes v. Spidey.

Kandor, Kryptonite

Superman watches and other items.  Colored Kryptonite.

The East Wall

Sort of a desk, windowy area

glassware and signed comics from Chris Roberson!  Alex Ross print and original art by Ed McGuinness.

Some Super odds and ends.  

Some of those Mattel DC Superman figures

The vintage lunchbox was a gift from Doug, I believe.  


Jimmy, a Superman card game (gift from Doug), an original Superman: The Movie glass that we got when the movie came out, and Steel from Kenner.  That clock is pretty new, bought from Planet Superhero, a local outfit.


Superman lamp, Krypto's rocket, a cardboard Superman watching, and some villains (and Adam Strange)

some floating shelves for old school items and Krypto!

Hot Toys Superman, JL cartoon Superman, Super Pets, etc...


some small scale Superman, Superman Returns, S:TAS, etc...

vehicles!

Justice League Watch Tower, Javelin 7, more Super Transports

even more super transports

The South Wall

I recently moved these shelves upstairs.  You don't want to know what this took.  I had to move all of these individual statues one by one up the stairs.


Below:  The Superman up top was a birthday gift from Jamie many years ago.  Jason got me the aging All-Star Superman figure for my birthday I think when I turned 35, and my Mighty Texas Longhorns collided with Superman on the cover of Sports Illustrated when the great Vince Young led UT to a national championship in January of 2006.





I didn't get enough pics of the books, but multiply this by 4


My mother-in-law, Judy, surprised me with the Muhammad Ali vs. Superman statue on my birthday

I am very happy to have consolidated my Superman books and media in one space

Supergirl gets her own shelf, as it should be

I was a huge fan of DC Direct's decision to make a stab at Silver Age Superman toys

The large Batman and Superman statues were the first statues I ever picked up

The West Wall

The West Wall is mostly doors.  Oddly, it didn't exist when the house was built, but the previous owners wanted another bedroom, which is now this office.  It includes the closet where I store my comics, the door to the room, and is shaped funny.  The room opens onto a landing at the top of the stairs, and it all used to be one big open space.

The red doors hide the comics

The doors open.  I'm not sure how many comics I have anymore.  Several thousand, though.  The comics in frames are a signed Mark Waid JLA, Poe by my pal JackBart, JSA by Don Kramer (from Simon) and Geoff Johns on Green Lantern

Superman #41, first Superman/ Flash race, Superman Red/ Blue, hidden Power Girl atrium

my JLU 12" dolls, their smaller counterparts and some favorite comics

Flash, Batman on TV, the exit and the Key to the Fortress (it's really heavy)
The East Wall - revisited

there's that Batman from Alex Ross.  Randy got me that issue of Superboy.  It's a favorite.
Out in the Hallway

Here's my shelf of other graphic novels, out on the aforementioned landing.  Ikea and a weekend of toil can work wonders to organize your comics.

What you can't see are all the stacks of graphic novels I need to find a home for as we're reconfiguring the collections.

Up top there is a copy of the George Lowther Superman novelization from 1942.


some comic booky pals relax with a big book

There actually is more stuff I could show, like t-shirts and whatnot, but I'll leave it be.  This is probably enough of an assault on the eyes.

Anyway, it's been fun grabbing some pics to share the Fortress with you!

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