Over the past few years, we’ve seen NECA, Mattel, and McFarlane revisit Superman: The Movie with a wave of retro action figures in a range of scales. For collectors, it should have been everything we’d been waiting for. But time and again, they miss the mark. The likeness never quite feels right, the presence isn’t there—and somehow, Christopher Reeve’s Superman remains just out of reach. Whether it’s down to licensing constraints or a lack of care, the end result is the same: figures that never truly capture the magic.
Enter Chris King. Originally, Chris began by recreating the iconic Kenner-style backing cards for Star Wars, selling his work through his Etsy shop. What started as faithful reproductions quickly turned into something much bigger. Custom card backs followed, along with entirely new lines built around a simple idea—what if Kenner had expanded beyond Star Wars?
From Back to the Future to Battlestar Galactica and Buck Rogers, King’s work reimagines a world where these properties received the same treatment. It’s nostalgia, but done properly—and with a level of care that’s often missing elsewhere. As things progressed, so did the ambition, with other talented artists and makers contributing their skills to help bring these ideas to life.
But Chris didn’t stop there. In 2020, he teased something completely unexpected—a grey, primer-coated 3D printed figure of Christopher Reeve as Superman. Even in that unfinished state, the reaction was instant. Comments flooded in: “Where can I buy this?” “How do I get one?”
It wasn’t just interest—it was demand.
Shortly afterwards, Chris—working with a small group of collaborators—released a very limited run. It sold out instantly.
Where could he go next with the figure? Only one place. To create something truly unique—something rarely, if ever, seen in the figure world. Not just a figure that could stand on display, but one that could be posed in flight.
This was achieved not only through the inclusion of a second head, fixed in a flying pose, but through an innovative use of magnets at every point of articulation. The result is a figure whose head and limbs can be removed and repositioned with ease—allowing it to be posed in virtually any position imaginable.
This brings us to his most recent work, shared on Instagram—a new Superman and Clark Kent two-pack boxed set. As Chris himself explains:
“Put together with love for the movie itself, the Kenner figures from the late 70’s and of course, my huge admiration for Christopher Reeve’s portrayal of both characters that genuinely made me “Believe a man can fly.”
This project started more than 6 months ago when I came up with the artwork for the box. With help from many talented artists and friends, the final result has surpassed my expectations.”
While driven by Chris’s vision, this project—like those before it—has clearly been a collaborative effort, bringing together a group of talented artists and makers, each contributing their expertise along the way.
You can see that combined effort in every part of it.
I don’t know about you, but this is exactly the kind of figure I imagined owning as a kid.
It’s hard not to be impressed. The level of craftsmanship, attention to detail, and genuine passion behind this work is obvious—resulting in what may well be the most faithful retro action figure representation of Christopher Reeve’s Superman ever produced.
Project Credits
- @ckingagram – Project creator, creative lead, Art Direction and cardback design
- @nilsvansante – Enhancement and modification of the 3D head for the 3.75” body and cape to allow arms to be put into flight pose
- @sebascolo2024 (Sebastian Colombo) – Provided 3D scan of Christopher Reeve’s head
- Will Higgins – Body sculpture
- @tcu_toys – Printing and painting
- @funkymaclunkey – 3D sculpting and design; articulation system; full Clark Kent figure
- @toyweavercustoms – Insert tray design
- @capedwonder – Fortress of Solitude and Character photos featured on the two-pack box
Thank you for this really nice article about my Superman figure process Alexei. It’s nice to see something like this after being so zoned in and focused on it for so long, it’s easy to forget just how many like-minded fans who share the love for Chris Reeve’s Superman are out there enjoying these little projects that I make.