1960 Novel : Superman Candy & Toy Play Card
Superman Candy & Toy was released in 1960 by the Novel
Package Corporation and distributed by Levon Products Inc. Each five-cent box contains one of
four perforated "Play Card" panels. The American Card Catalog
reference is R722-21.
The perforated card panels are approximately 2.45 x 3.75", taller than a
standard trading card. The panels are not numbered and the backs are
blank. The characters included are Superman, Jimmy Olsen,
Lois Lane,
and Perry White. The Superman chest emblem on the card is reversed due to
a color separation error during printing.
All four card images are from the cover of Superman Annual #1
(June 1960), penciled by Curt Swan and inked by Stan Kaye.
.png "Curt Swan & Stan Kaye, Superman Annual 1 (Summer 1960)")
For over two decades, Novel Package Co. of Brooklyn produced candy and
card sets showcasing a diverse range of topics including comic characters
and celebrities. Levon Products Inc. produced the advertisements for the
Superman Candy & Toy release. Levon is Novel spelled backwards.
The history of the Novel Package Corporation includes legal troubles. In
1943, Novel received a notice of judgment from the FDA for misbranding
candy and violating section 5134 of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic
Act. According to the judgment, "The candy and toy occupied, in some
instances, as little as 10 percent of the capacity of the package and, in
general, less than one-half the capacity." No personnel were named and no
claimant appeared in court. Over 35,000 packages of seized candy and toys
were destroyed. Brooklyn manufacturers Pioneer Specialty Co. and Candyland
Company are also named in the judgment.
In 1944,
federal injunction proceedings
were brought against Novel Package Corporation,
Leader Novelty, and ten other Brooklyn candy concerns. Complaints included gouging the
consumer, lowering the quality of candy, failing to keep proper financial
records, and unsanitary manufacturing conditions. The Office of Public
Affairs reported that candy molds from established firms were altered and
rebranded as a more expensive product. Some candy products were being
manufactured alongside straw brooms in an open loft. OPA investigators
witnessed perspiring workers stirring candy mixture by hand.
Another notice of judgement for short-weighting and misbranding candy was
received in 1944. Around 30,000 packages of candy and toys were seized by
federal agents in Kansas City, MO, and Baltimore, MD. Again, no personnel
were named and no claimant appeared in court. Most of the impounded
product was delivered to a charitable organization.
During the 1950s and 1960s, the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment
Station conducted multiple studies that found products from Novel were
misbranded.
