Opened! 1984 Super Powers Boardgame
As I work on my latest book I’m digging into some real odd stuff, including this boardgame from Parker Brothers in 1984. I found this copy of the Super Powers: The Justice League of America Skyscraper Caper boardgame at a flea market a few years ago and it’s been sitting in my closet waiting for . . . well, it turns out the game has been waiting for me to figure out that it needs to appear in a book about action figure marketing during the eighties.
How is a boardgame that is based on an existing comic book property at all related to action figure marketing? Well, the entire Super Powers Collection brand was devised when Kenner licensed the DC characters and planned out a line of action figures, vehicles, and other toys. The entire program looks to me like a significant action figure marketing campaign, a feeling Wikipedia supports:
“Once the line was on the market, a vigorous merchandising campaign took place, with DC Comics and Kenner striving for the Super Powers logo to become ubiquitous.”
Not surprisingly, the Super Powers: The Justice League of America Skyscraper Caper boardgame was produced by another company under the General Mills umbrella, Parker Brothers, continuing the strategic push from General Mills for all of the parts of their Toy Group to work together on products that help drive sales for each other in the market. Synergy at work!
Related articles
- ROM Ad from 1979 (battlegrip.com)
- “Get in on the action with Power Action!” (battlegrip.com)
- 1985 Super Powers Cup Holders from Burger King (battlegrip.com)
Wow, I’ve never heard of this one. Looks super cool–a 3D game board! And those individual character pawns are wonderful!
I actually had this game growing up. Oddly enough, I don’t think I ever played it as a game, instead settling on using it as a miniature playset for the included super hero game pieces. It held up surprisingly well for something made completely out of thin cardboard.