Beyond 'Bandersnatch,' The Future Of Interactive TV Is Bright

Make a choice to see the next phase of the story. (Netflix)

Make a choice: Do you want to engage with your media passively or actively?

The December 2018 premiere of Netflix’s “Black Mirror: Bandersnatch” offered consumers a new way to influence the entertainment they’re watching. Netflix has a growing list of choose-your-own-adventure movies. What viewers might see as a simple choice, such as which breakfast cereal a character begins the day with, could affect the whole show’s storyline. There are other choices to make as well – some of which change the plot, and some of which may not.

Viewers aren’t watching these interactive films just once. Rather, they are watching them over and over again to find each ending and post maps of the diverging plot lines. I think I sat on my couch for nearly three hours straight trying to exhaust all of “Bandersnatch’s” choices as it followed a programmer and designer through the process of game development.

I’ve been teaching and researching game design and development since 2001. I see this type of experience not as just the future of entertainment, but as the expansion of a standard method of storytelling that game designers have been using for decades. Netflix is introducing new technology and new audiences to this type of entertainment, but fiction writers have been exploring similar themes for far longer, creating stories of time travel and alternative realities that let people fantasize about redoing decisions in life.

Controlling your own destiny

There is a kind of game made popular by “Dungeons & Dragons” that provides a way to understand and expand what “Bandersnatch” explores. Role-playing games let players pick characters with multiple traits, such as strength, health and special skills, and work together to achieve story-driven goals.

Fans of “The Lord of the Rings” books and movies will recognize the idea of a team of characters with different backgrounds, abilities and motivations, all trying to work together toward a goal. The adventure is not just in whether they achieve the task, but the encounters, mishaps and even battles that happen along the way. The ultimate outcome depends on the choices players make along the way.

Many role-playing games get people together around a computer to explore a collective adventure. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren)

Role-playing games started with players gathered around a table, keeping notes on paper and rolling dice to incorporate the role of chance and probability into the adventure. A human game master coordinated everything, keeping track of what was happening and working with players to advance their stories and the overall plot of the adventure.

Early computer games, such as the 1980s-era Infocom text adventures, turned the role of game master over to a game designer, who controlled the choices and their consequences. In the decades since, more powerful computers have let modern digital games offer a great many choices. Teachers have begun to use elements of role-playing games to help students learn.

Illusion of choice

With “Bandersnatch,” Netflix used software to process viewers’ choices and deliver the appropriate video. When watching and “playing,” I wondered if there were too few choices. The show offered only two choices of breakfast cereal, and the viewer couldn’t choose to skip breakfast, make eggs or open the freezer to grab some ice cream. But, there’s a very good reason for these constraints.

Every story decision requires more writing and more development. (Tony Hirst/Flickr, CC BY)

I often tell my students that when they’re creating role-playing games, the problem isn’t giving players choices: It’s deciding what happens next. Giving players lots of options is great, and fun – but with every choice the job gets harder. If there are three kinds of ice cream in the freezer, that’s three different sets of video to show vanilla, chocolate and strawberry – and possibly three different scripts, if the choice actually has consequences.

In game design, we call this a “branching narrative,” where every choice spawns as many new branches as there are options, and the tree gets bigger and bigger all the time. A movie with an enormous number of options would require multiple sets, extra time for actors, huge amounts of special effects work, extended production times and increasing budgets.

Such a complex film would also take viewers huge amounts of time to experience. Digital game players can handle this sort of effort by saving their progress and taking a break, returning to resume play hours later, or even days.

With an interactive movie, would a viewer want several days’ worth of watching? I don’t know if anyone has an idea of how long a typical interactive movie experience should last. My three hours on the couch watching “Bandersnatch” seemed about right – and ran through most of the options.

The Netflix producers borrowed from game designers, and the classic “Choose Your Own Adventure” book series, to give viewers the illusion of choices when really the alternatives were limited. My own research recommended the same technique: Allow the players some choices, but bring them back to the main narrative thread at key points.

Future of interactive media

There will be more interactive movies. Netflix has built its own software for “Bandersnatch,” which it can use for other stories too. There are already several addictive interactive kids’ shows, including “Puss in Book: Trapped in an Epic Tale,” “Buddy Thunderstruck: The Maybe Pile” and “Stretch Armstrong: The Breakout.”

Gamers are already familiar with this convergence of film, interactivity and branching narrative. Cinematic video games, like “Indigo Prophecy” and “Heavy Rain,” let players make choices in dialog and other cinematic aspects, all of which alter the endings. An academically published game, “Façade,” is considered important not just for showing that scholarly games can be fun to play, but also demonstrating that academic concepts of branching narrative and story can create meaningful play: The player visits a couple’s apartment, and depending on where the player moves and what the player says, the couple reacts in different ways.

Engaging with a couple on the rocks. 'Façade,' by Michael Mateas and Andrew Stern., (CC BY-ND)

I anticipate different genres of shows will explore interactive formats. Imagine playing through historical fiction where you can choose to execute Marie Antoinette or not. I also expect viewers will be able to make their choices in different ways than just pressing buttons on their remotes – perhaps by using voice recognition on their phones.

If artificial intelligence and machine learning systems get better at telling stories, viewers might even be able to suggest new possible choices, with the resulting content generated on the fly while people watch. Of course, there’s a strong overlap with virtual reality, offering immersive escapism, which is, in my experience, a key goal of interactivity.

In the meantime, “Bandersnatch” fans who want to continue exploring choosing their own adventures to direct a story can look for local gaming groups and game stores. “Dungeons & Dragons” and “HackMaster” are regaining popularity lately. So is live-action role-playing, in which people physically act out their fictional encounters. In these environments, players can ask “what if” without running into the limitations of software development and movie production teams. Human players can engage in the full extent of their imagination without any illusion of choice.

Live-action role playing.

About Today's Contributor:

David Schwartz, Associate Professor of Interactive Games and Media, Rochester Institute of Technology

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. 

Nerdist and Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment Present "The Science of Mortal Kombat" Series, Premiering Feb. 18

The Science of Mortal Kombat - Premieres February 18th

Nerdist's hit series Because Science has collaborated with Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment to explore the science of Fatalities and iconic moves featured in the upcoming Mortal Kombat 11 videogame.

The original limited series, The Science of Mortal Kombat, premieres Feb. 18, guest starring reigning UFC Heavyweight Champion Daniel Cormier, and marks Nerdist's largest production ever, highlighting the creatively brutal and visually stunning gameplay which the best-selling Mortal Kombat franchise is known for.

The Science of Mortal Kombat will feature host Kyle Hill, professional Science Communicator and host of Nerdist's hit show Because Science, as he breaks down the science behind iconic Mortal Kombat 11 Fatalities, Scorpion's deadly spear attack, and powerful Krushing Blows with the help of special guests – Cormier and former WWE Champion, CM Punk.

Kyle and YouTuber and Mythbuster Allen Pan will utilize special super slow-motion cameras allowing for enhanced visuals to analyze and break down each iconic fight move in Mortal Kombat 11, such as the pressure and strength needed to break bones, the scientific analysis of a character's superhuman abilities, and much more.

The Trailer:

The six-episode series of high-intensity fight re-enactments and behind-the-scenes footage will begin airing weekly via Nerdist.com and YouTube.com/BecauseScience on Feb. 18. and can be watched on Nerdist and Because Science channels any time after each Monday airing.

Mortal Kombat 11 is the latest installment in the critically-acclaimed franchise, developed by award-winning NetherRealm Studios, and is scheduled for release beginning April 23 for PlayStation4 computer entertainment system, PlayStation4 Pro computer entertainment system, the Xbox One family of devices including the Xbox One X, Nintendo Switch system and PC. 

To learn more about Mortal Kombat 11, please visit www.mortalkombat.com 

About Nerdist:

Nerdist is a multi-platform media and entertainment network for fans of genre and pop culture content. With flagship content including Nerdist News hosted by Jessica Chobot, weekly shows Because Science and The Dan Cave, and daily in-depth editorial coverage, Nerdist reaches millions of people every day on Nerdist.com and on leading platforms including the premium streaming service Alpha, YouTube, and Facebook. 

Nerdist is owned by Legendary Entertainment and is part of Legendary Digital Networks, which also includes Geek & Sundry and Amy Poehler's Smart Girls.

About Because Science:

How hot is a lightsaber?
Why does Captain America's shield bounce?
How much energy does it take Thanos to throw a moon?

Nerdist science editor Kyle Hill answers questions about fictional phenomenon using real-world science in vlogs, livestreams, and a weekly show, whose popularity has grown exponentially since its launch in 2018. Kyle created the popular YouTube channel, which rocketed to 100,000 subscribers in just two weeks, and has since grown to over 750,000 subscribers with more than 150 million views. To date, fans have watched nearly one billion minutes of Because Science, or over 1800 years! Kyle's work has appeared in WIRED, Scientific American, and The Boston Globe. He has hosted MythBusters: The Search and appeared as an expert on Bill Nye Saves the World, FOX News, and BBC World Radio.

About NetherRealm Studios:

NetherRealm Studios is a leader in the development of interactive entertainment, and the creator of the billion-dollar Mortal Kombat franchise. Mortal Kombat has spawned two theatrical films, multiple television series, and has sold over 42 million games to date. Located in Chicago, Illinois, the award-winning NetherRealm team has been working and creating games together since 1992. 

Additional information about NetherRealm Studios can be found at www.netherrealm.com.

SOURCE: Legendary Digital Networks

We Asked Artificial Intelligence To Analyze A Graphic Novel – And Found Both Limits And New Insights

What can an algorithm find when it reads a book? (Vasilyev Alexandr/Shutterstock.com)

With one spouse studying the evolution of artificial and natural intelligence and the other researching the language, culture and history of Germany, imagine the discussions at our dinner table. We often experience the stereotypical clash in views between the quantifiable, measurement-based approach of natural science and the more qualitative approach of the humanities, where what matters most is how people feel something, or how they experience or interpret it. 

We decided to take a break from that pattern, to see how much each approach could help the other. Specifically, we wanted to see if aspects of artificial intelligence could turn up new ways to interpret a nonfiction graphic novel about the Holocaust. We ended up finding that some AI technologies are not yet advanced and robust enough to deliver useful insights – but simpler methods resulted in quantifiable measurements that showed a new opportunity for interpretation.

Choosing a text

A graphic novel examined by artificial intelligence. (Reinhard Kleist/Self Made Hero)

There is plenty of research available that analyzes large bodies of text, so we chose something more complex for our AI analysis: Reinhard Kleist’s “The Boxer,” a graphic novel based on the true story of how Hertzko “Harry” Haft survived the Nazi death camps. We wanted to identify emotions in the facial expressions of the main character displayed in the book’s illustrations, to find out if that would give us a new lens for understanding the story.

In this black-and-white cartoon, Haft tells his horrific story, in which he and other concentration camp inmates were made to box each other to the death. The story is written from Haft’s perspective; interspersed throughout the narrative are panels of flashbacks depicting Haft’s memories of important personal events.

The humanities approach would be to analyze and contextualize elements of the story, or the tale as a whole. Kleist’s graphic novel is a reinterpretation of a 2009 biographical novel by Haft’s son Allan, based on what Allan knew about his father’s experiences. Analyzing this complex set of authors’ interpretations and understandings might serve only to add another subjective layer on top of the existing ones.

From the perspective of science philosophy, that level of analysis would only make things more complicated. Scholars might have differing interpretations, but even if they all agreed, they would still not know if their insight was objectively true or if everyone suffered from the same illusion. Resolving the dilemma would require an experiment aimed at generating a measurement others could reproduce independently.

Reproducible interpretation of images?
Rather than interpreting the images ourselves, subjecting them to our own biases and preconceptions, we hoped that AI could bring a more objective view. We started by scanning all the panels in the book. Then we ran Google’s vision AI and Microsoft AZURE’s face recognition and emotional character annotation as well.

The algorithms we used to analyze “The Boxer” were previously trained by Google or Microsoft on hundreds of thousands of images already labeled with descriptions of what they depict. In this training phase, the AI systems were asked to identify what the images showed, and those answers were compared with the existing descriptions to see if the system being trained was right or wrong. The training system strengthened the elements of the underlying deep neural networks that produced correct answers, and weakened the parts that contributed to wrong answers. Both the method and the training materials – the images and annotations – are crucial to the system’s performance.

Then, we turned the AI loose on the book’s images. Just like on “Family Feud,” where the show’s producers ask 100 strangers a question and count up how many choose each potential answer, our method asks an AI to determine what emotion a face is showing. This approach adds one key element often missing when subjectively interpreting content: reproducibility. Any researcher who wants to check can run the algorithm again and get the same results we did.

Unfortunately, we found that these AI tools are optimized for digital photographs, not scans of black-and-white drawings. That meant we did not get much reliable data about the emotions in the pictures. We were also disturbed to find that none of the algorithms identified any of the images as relating to the Holocaust or concentration camps – though human viewers would readily identify those themes. Hopefully, that is because the AIs had problems with the black-and-white images themselves, and not because of negligence or bias in their training sets or annotations.

Bias is a well-known phenomenon in machine learning, which can have really offensive results. An analysis of these images based solely on the data we got would not have discussed or acknowledged the Holocaust, an omission that is against the law in Germany, among other countries. These flaws highlight the importance of critically evaluating new technologies before using them more widely.

Finding other reproducible results
Determined to find an alternative way for quantitative approaches to help the humanities, we ended up analyzing the brightness of the pictures, comparing flashback scenes to other moments in Haft’s life. To that end, we quantified the brightness of the scanned images using image analysis software.

We found that throughout the book, emotionally happy and light phases like his prison escape or Haft’s postwar life in the U.S. are shown using bright images. Traumatizing and sad phases, such as his concentration camp experiences, are shown as dark images. This aligns with color psychology identifications of white as a pure and happy tone, and black as symbolizing sadness and grief.

Having established a general understanding of how brightness is used in the book’s images, we looked more closely at the flashback scenes. All of them depicted emotionally intense events, and some of them were dark, such as recollections of cremating other concentration camp inmates and leaving the love of his life.

We were surprised, however, to find that the flashbacks showing Haft about to punch opponents to death were bright and clear – suggesting he is having a positive emotion about the upcoming fatal encounter. That’s the exact opposite of what readers like us probably feel as they follow the story, perhaps seeing Haft’s opponent as weak and realizing that he is about to be killed. When the reader feels pity and empathy, why is Haft feeling positive?

The middle image in this sequence shows an example of a bright flashback. (Reinhard Kleist/Self Made Hero)

This contradiction, found by measuring the brightness of pictures, may reveal a deeper insight into how the Nazi death camps affected Haft emotionally. For us, right now, it is unimaginable how the outlook of beating someone else to death in a boxing match would be positive. But perhaps Haft was in such a desperate situation that he saw hope for survival when facing off against an opponent who was even more starved than he was.

Using AI tools to analyze this piece of literature shed new light on key elements of emotion and memory in the book – but they did not replace the skills of an expert or scholar at interpreting texts or pictures. As a result of our experiment, we think that AI and other computational methods present an interesting opportunity with the potential for more quantifiable, reproducible and maybe objective research in the humanities.

It will be challenging to find ways to use AI appropriately in the humanities – and all the more so because current AI systems are not yet sophisticated enough to work reliably in all contexts. Scholars should also be alert to potential biases in these tools. If the ultimate goal of AI research is to develop machines that rival human cognition, artificial intelligence systems may need not only to behave like people, but understand and interpret feelings like people, too.

About Today's Contributor:
Leonie Hintze, Ph.D. Student in Linguistics & Germanic, Slavic, Asian and African Languages, Michigan State University and Arend Hintze, Assistant Professor of Integrative Biology & Computer Science and Engineering, Michigan State University

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. 

Inspired By Sci-Fi, An Airplane With No Moving Parts And A Blue Ionic Glow

A time-lapse image showing the plane flying across a gymnasium. (Steven Barrett, MIT, CC BY-ND)

Since their invention more than 100 years ago, airplanes have been moved through the air by the spinning surfaces of propellers or turbines. But watching science fiction movies like the “Star Wars,” “Star Trek” and “Back to the Future” series, I imagined that the propulsion systems of the future would be silent and still – maybe with some kind of blue glow and “whoosh” noise, but no moving parts, and no stream of pollution pouring out the back.

Science fiction inspires research and reality.

That doesn’t exist yet, but there is at least one physical principle that could be promising. About nine years ago, I started investigating using ionic winds – flows of charged particles through the air – as a means of powering flight. Building on decades of research and experimentation by academics and hobbyists, professionals and high school science students, my research group recently flew a nearly silent airplane without any moving parts.

The plane weighed about five pounds (2.45 kilograms) and had a wingspan of 15 feet (5 meters), and traveled about 180 feet (60 meters), so it’s a long way from efficiently carrying cargo or people long distances. But we have proved that it is possible to fly a heavier-than-air vehicle using ionic winds. It even has a glow you can see in the dark.

A plane powered by ionic wind takes flight.

Revisiting discarded research 
The process our plane uses, formally called electroaerodynamic propulsion, was investigated as far back as the 1920s by an eccentric scientist who thought he had discovered anti-gravity – which was of course not the case. In the 1960s, aerospace engineers explored using it to power flight, but they concluded that wouldn’t be possible with the understanding of ionic winds and the technology available at the time.

More recently, however, a huge number of hobbyists – and high school students doing science fair projects – have built small electroaerodynamic propulsion devices that suggested it could work after all. Their work was pivotal to the early days of my group’s work. We sought to improve on their work, most notably by conducting a large series of experiments to learn how to optimize the design of electroaerodynamic thrusters.

A homemade lifter using the same principle as the new MIT airplane.


Moving the air, not the plane parts
The underlying physics of electroaerodynamic propulsion is relatively straightforward to explain and implement, although some of the underlying physics is complex.

We use a thin filament or wire that is charged to +20,000 volts using a lightweight power converter, which in turn gets its power from a lithium-polymer battery. The thin filaments are called emitters, and are nearer the front of the plane. Around these emitters the electric field is so strong that the air gets ionized – neutral nitrogen molecules lose an electron and become positively charged nitrogen ions.

Farther back on the plane we place an airfoil – like a small wing – whose leading edge is electrically conductive and charged to -20,000 volts by the same power converter. This is called the collector. The collector attracts the positive ions toward it. As the ions stream from the emitter to the collector, they collide with uncharged air molecules, causing what is termed an ionic wind that flows between the emitters and collectors, propelling the plane forward.

How MIT’s airplane works.


This ionic wind replaces the flow of air that a jet engine or propeller would create.

Starting small 
I have led research that has explored how this type of propulsion actually works, developing detailed knowledge of how efficient and powerful it can be.

My team and I have also worked with electrical engineers to develop the electronics necessary to convert batteries’ output to the tens of thousands of volts needed to create an ionic wind. The team was able to produce a power converter far lighter than any previously available. That device was small enough to be practical in an aircraft design, which we were ultimately able to build and fly.

Steven Barrett speaks in a ‘Nature’ mini-documentary about the first flight of an ionic-wind-driven plane.

Our first flight is, of course, a very long way from flying people. We’re already working on making this type of propulsion more efficient and capable of carrying larger loads. The first commercial applications, assuming it gets that far, could be in making silent fixed-wing drones, including for environmental monitoring and communication platforms.

Looking farther into the future, we hope that it could be used in larger aircraft to reduce noise and even allow an aircraft’s exterior skin to help produce thrust, either in place of engines or to augment their power. It’s also possible that electroaerodynamic equipment could be miniaturized, enabling a new variety of nano-drones. Many might believe these possibilities are unlikely or even impossible. But that’s what the engineers of the 1960s thought about what we’re already doing today.

About Today's Contributor:
Steven Barrett, Professor of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license.

To Celebrate NASA's 60th Anniversary, Monaco Will Host US Astronauts, Aerospace Experts, and the Screening of "Above and Beyond: NASA's Journey to Tomorrow"

"Above and Beyond: NASA's Journey to Tomorrow" - Poster

This Thanksgiving the Principality of Monaco will host NASA legends from the US space shuttle program at a forum to mark the agency's 60th anniversary, featuring a special screening of the Discovery documentary "Above and Beyond: NASA's Journey to Tomorrow" from Academy Award nominee and Emmy Award winning film maker, Rory Kennedy.

Held under the patronage of His Serene Highness Prince Albert II of Monaco, this initiative of the Embassy of Monaco in Washington, D.C. will start at 5:00pm with a screening of the film in English with French subtitles (free and open to the public with advanced reservations). 

It will be followed by an hour-long discussion with some of today's eminent aerospace leaders on the subject of air and space exploration with a focus on the importance of international cooperation (MonacoEventsUSA.com).

Panelists include Columbia (Jan 1986) Space Shuttle mission crew  and one of NASA's pioneering women astronauts:

• Captain Robert "Hoot" Gibson, former US naval officer, test pilot, aeronautical engineer, retired NASA astronaut who flew aboard the space shuttles Columbia, Atlantis, and Endeavour;
• General Charles Bolden, former NASA Administrator, Major General of the US Marine Corps and NASA astronaut;
• Dr. George "Pinky" Nelson, US physicist, astronomer, scientific educator and former NASA astronaut;
• Dr. Margaret "Rhea" Seddon, surgeon, NASA shuttle crew member, one of the first women accepted into NASA's Astronaut Corps;
• Captain Michael López-Alegria, NASA veteran of three Space Shuttle missions and one ISS mission;
• Mr. Guy Beutelschies, Lockheed Martin's vice president, Commercial and Civil Space; and
• Dr. Ilhami Aygun, president and CEO of SSI- MonacoSat

"The crew of Space Shuttle Columbia's 1986 launch is extremely honored to be taking part in this exciting program. We are so very grateful to His Serene Highness Prince Albert II for inviting us," said Captain Robert "Hoot" Gibson.

The panel Moderator is Mr. Mesut Ciceker, director, EMEA for Lockheed Martin Space, and Master of Ceremonies is Mr. Christian Moore, President of Media SSI-Monaco. 

The documentary will be introduced by the Director of the Smithsonian Institution's National Air and Space Museum and former NASA Chief Scientist, Dr. Ellen R. Stofan. 

Other esteemed NASA alumni expected to attend include French astronauts Patrick Baudry and Jean-Francois Clervoy.

"Earth science and space exploration have impacted humankind in countless positive and tangible ways. Monaco is proud to once again bring together such distinguished international panelists to share their experiences, and the Monaco screening of 'Above and Beyond' provides the perfect launch pad to celebrate 60 extraordinary years of NASA," said Her Excellency Maguy Maccario Doyle, Monaco'sAmbassador to the U.S.A. and the event's convener.

"This will be the second space forum initiated by the Embassy. The first, in 2016, premiered 'The Last Man on the Moon' (monacodc.org/Nov10), and underscores the Principality's historical interest in aviation and aerospace technology and exploration, given that SSI-Monaco, with partner Thales Alenia Space, launched its first communications satellite MonacoSat-1 with SpaceX's Falcon9 launcher into geostationary transfer orbit on April 27, 2015. A second satellite MonacoSat-2 is being planned by SSI-MonacoSat with an expected launch date by 2021-22."

"I am honoured that the Embassy has chosen to screen 'Above and Beyond' during this prestigious gathering of NASA astronauts and others who have dedicated their lives to understanding more about our planet and the world around us," says Rory Kennedy.  "Our goal in making this film was to present a record of the great accomplishments of NASA over the past 6 decades, and to look forward to its next great missions. From landing rovers on Mars to measuring the health of our planet, NASA's work is not only awe-inspiring but essential to our future well-being."

"In Above and Beyond: NASA's Journey To Tomorrow, Rory Kennedy commemorates the Apollo program's remarkable journey to the Moon, and the creativity of those who worked to achieve it, and most importantly, what we choose to do with our heritage of achievement," said Dr. Stofan, the John and Adrienne Mars Director of the Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum in Washington, D.C.

"Above and Beyond: NASA's Journey to Tomorrow" - Astronaut on the Moon

When & Where:

Thursday, November 22, 2018. Film starts at 5:00pm, panel discussion from 6:45pm, Auditorium Rainier III, Boulevard Louis II, 98000 Monaco

⏩ The panel discussion only will be live-streamed from 6:45pm: 

SOURCE: Embassy of Monaco

NASA Related Stories:

• Museum of Science, Boston Celebrates the Charles Hayden Planetarium's 60th Anniversary with the Release of New Film
• Astronaut Sally K. Ride's Legacy – Encouraging Young Women To Embrace Science And Engineering
• NASA Cargo Headed to Space Station Includes Important Experiments, Equipment 

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Bidders From 26 Countries Chased Superhero Toys, Including Record-Smashing Walking Batman, at Vintage Toy Auction

Rare TN Japan battery-operated Walking Batman, 12 inches, new/old store stock with pristine original Japanese-version box, set a new world auction record at $16,800 (image via Milestone Auctions)

Batman first captured the public's attention in 1939, when he appeared on the cover of Detective Comics #27. Since then, the masked crime-fighter has remained in the forefront of American pop culture, dominating all media and delighting generations of children in the form of toys that reflect Batman's complex world of heroes and villains. 

⏩On October 13, a classic battery-operated Walking Batman coolly strolled across the auction block at Milestone Auctions and in so doing set a new world auction record at $16,800.

Made in the postwar Japan by TN, the 12-inch Walking Batman was new/old store stock and appeared never to have been played with. Its original Japanese-version box was a rare bonus and depicted "Adam West" as Batman with sidekick Robin in the Batmobile. 

"There was a lot of action on that toy from all over the world. It opened on our website with an absentee bid of $2,500 and was already up to $10,000 before the auction even started," said Milestone co-owner Miles King. "From all that we can determine, the $16,800 selling price is a new auction record for the Walking Batman toy."

Buck Rogers U-238 Atomic Pistol Holster Set in rare original box, excellent to near-mint condition. Sold for $4,440 (image via Milestone Auctions)

Space fantasy toys were in great demand. A boxed Buck Rogers U-238 Atomic Pistol Holster Set estimated at $800-$1,200 soared to new heights, landing at $4,440. 

"We couldn't believe what some of the Buck Rogers items went for. There was a very nice selection in our sale, all from one consignor," King said. "Buck Rogers was one of the earliest space-themed characters. It's hard to believe he was introduced some 90 years ago and still has such a huge following with collectors."

A Superman Krypto-Raygun made by Daisy was all original and presented in a colorfully lithographed box complete with all six filmstrips and instruction sheet. An early Superman toy designed to allow the user to point the ray gun at a wall and view "picture stories." 
⏩ It rose to $2,280.

Another crowd-pleaser was Transogram's Elroy Jetson Bobbing Pull Toy Space Car. It was offered in mint condition and sealed on its original display card with images of both Elroy and his dad George and a tagline about the vehicle's "GRR-RR Motor Sound." 
⏩ Estimated at $800-$1,000, it made $1,860.

Also, a 7-inch tin friction Flying Saucer Z-101 in its crisp, colorful original box disintegrated its $400-$600 estimate to settle at $3,480. "It had a crude, early look that space toy collectors love," King noted.

For Disney fans there was an impressive array of 1930s through postwar-era toys. A rare and near-mint Marx boxed set featuring Pinocchio and Figaro the Cat tin windups, both in tip-top condition, was the ultimate two-for-the-price-of-one deal. 
⏩ Estimated at $1,000-$1,500, the set more than doubled expectations, finishing at $3,480.

"We could not have been more pleased with the way this auction went," said King. "It was 100% sold and grossed over $290,000. We saw many new faces at the gallery, and there were online and phone bidders from 26 countries, all pointing to a strong and well-supported toy market."

SOURCE: Milestone Auctions

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