Next up for the month is Winslow Schott, aka Toyman. The
character first appeared in comics in Action Comics #64 and has been a mainstay
ever since. He’s also been revamped a number of times in the comics and even in
other media. He even hasn’t been Schott. He’s usually been a disgruntled toy
maker who wants revenge for losing his job or other things. Heck, Sherman
Hemsley played a version of him on Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of
Sueprman, so this character has been places. There’s even a heroic version of
Toyman out there.
One thing that’s been interesting is that people have tried
to darken the character over the years. One of the biggest changes was to make him
into a straight-up nutjob when he killed Cat Grant’s son, Adam. I’ve heard that
folk weren’t a fan of that change in the mid-90’s. I haven’t gotten to those
issues yet in my re-read, so I can’t say what I think about it. I did think
about looking at those issues, but I’m going somewhere else with the character.
The character was revamped on Superman: The Animated Series, so that’s where
I’m going with this one. Today’s post looks at “Fun and Games,” the fourth
episode of the series.
The episode starts out with a group of gangsters escaping in
a robbery. When they get back to their hideout, they reveal the work for Bruno
Manheim, a wealthy businessman. They end up getting accosted by a guy in a
really creepy child’s mask and almost get killed when Superman saves them. Later,
Clark, Lois, and Jimmy go to a rehearsal where Manheim is preparing to
entertain guests. Suddenly, small airplanes show up and start shooting up the
place. They damage a few things until Clark uses his heat vision to take them
down.
Later on, Manheim is once again attacked on his yacht by a
large, mechanical ducky. Superman shows up and takes it out but Toyman, who’s
revealed to be Winslow Schlott, kidnaps Manheim. He also kidnaps Lois since she
wrote a pretty scathing article about him. Clark and Jimmy know she’s missing
so they try to link Manheim to toys. They find out about Winslow Schott, a
toymaker who died in prison thanks to Manheim. The man in the mask is actually
the son, Winslow Schott Jr. They find the hideout, so Superman races out the place and saves Lois and Manheim. Unfortunately, the episodes ends with Toyman getting away.
…………………………………………………………….
I thought this was a pretty good episode for the most part.
Toyman is pretty good in this. He’s probably the best version of the character
outside the comics. The voice, the clothes, and that mask combined
into something that made him look unsettling. He’s also pretty credible with
all of the weapons he throws at the Manheim and Superman. That duck honestly
cracked me up. I also liked the little twist of it being the son of Schott. It
makes me wonder what the creators on CW’s Supergirl will do with Winn (son of
Toyman) on that show.
Man, I'd hate to be in Manheim's place.
Everyone else was
good for the most part. Superman does get a little trumped by Toyman but it’s
just a little. Lois was pretty cool and Jimmy was actually pretty useful this
time. The animation is also pretty good. There’s also not much wrong with the
episode overall. It’s a pretty simple story, but there are things and people
that will come back in later episodes. Seeing this really wants me to re-watch
the whole show. I only got the first 18 episodes, but I could find more of them
if they’re cheap. Overall, it’s a nice episode for the character.
Toyman isn’t necessarily one of my favorite Superman
villains. He does have an interesting approach in that he uses toys to commit
crimes, but that’s about it. I see why some writers want to darken up the
character and make him more of a threat. I don’t know if child-killing is the
way to go, though. Well, that’s all I got for now. Next time will be a return
to the Earth One universe where a certain Kryptonian comes to Earth. For now,
Peace, God Bless, and treat your kids right. They could grow up and use toys to
commit crimes.
NEXT TIME: “WHAT IF ZOD WAS ONE OF US?”
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