#super klenk

[x5red]

New rare Super Klenk images found

Super Klenk, starring Ara Mina, was a Filipino superhero comedy action series that debuted in the final weeks of 1999, and is possibly one of the most obscure superhero tv shows of recent times. And that's a shame... because despite apparently not making much of an impact at the time of broadcast, the show does play an interesting part in Pinoy superhero tv history.

Up until Super Klenk there had been only sporadic appearances of superheroes and superheroines on Filipino tv. In 1977 Darna had appeared in a one or two (depending on who you believe) tv specials. Then in 1986 two companion superhero shows, Kidlat and Zarda Super Filipino, are rumoured to have been broadcast (although details are sparse.) But the heavily fantasy inspired fantaserye and telefantasya genres didn't really seem to take off until the 2004 ratings hit Marina, a series about a mermaid.

Marina prompted a steady supply of fantasy-based shows, including several based on superheroes, that has lasted up until the modern day. Early examples, like Krystala (2004) with Judy Ann Santos, Darna (2005) with Angel Locsin, and Darna (2009) with Marian Rivera, are all fondly remembered. But sadly few remember Ara Mina's Super Klenk, the 1999 superheroine show that was their forerunner.

This blog has been trying to correct the dearth of Super Klenk information by tracking down details of this incredibly obscure tv show. You can see past efforts documented here, here, here, and here. But details have been painfully slow in revealing themselves. Particularly there's still a real lack of images from the show, and only a single tiny fragment of video taken from a trailer advert.

But that has now changed... just a little.

Thanks to a source who wishes to remain anonymous we're able to present a couple of new photos from Super Klenk. And they're pretty decent quality images too -- indeed, the most high quality pictures to date. One image even shows a scene apparently taken from an episode, featuring Ara Mina alongside her co-stars Paolo Fabregas and Jaime Fabregas.

The new pictures throw up some interesting questions about Ara Mina's costume. As it is possible to see from the various assembled images, it appeared to change quite a bit.

In older photos the costume body either appears quite plain with the cape totally detached, or decorated in sparkles with the cape secured under the arms. But these new photos show a plain body with a cape that is attached onto the body itself. (The dark stripes in one photo may possibly be a trick of the light -- or maybe not.) One photo looks like it was taken during filming, so do the other pictures show early prototypes from the costume's development?

Unless we can get hold of more details, specifically clips or images from the episodes themselves, it will be difficult to answer those questions. We can but hope that there's more hidden Super Klenk material out there just waiting to be discovered.

In the meantime, many thanks to the anonymous source who provided the new pictures.

[superseriousshow]

FEBRUARY 15TH WITH Rhea Butcher 

John Early / Ithamar Enriquez / Kara Klenk / Grant Lyon / Nick Thune

Film by Daniel Garcia / Yes Boss Creative 

Tickets: www.nightout.com/superseriousshow

Instragram: https://www.instagram.com/seriousshow/

[cinearteee]

Victoria

Victoria nos narra la historia de una noche de fiesta en la vida de unos jóvenes. 

Inicia la película con los destellos de una luz blanca en medio de una fiesta, nos presentan nuestro personaje principal Victoria, chica que solo lleva 3 meses viviendo en Alemania, en muy poco tiempo vemos cómo se relaciona tan fácilmente con un grupo de 4 amigos que recién los acaban de sacar de la discoteque donde se encontraban todos. En mi opinión no puedo creer lo rápido que confío es estos chicos, personalmente me generó mucha desconfianza la amabilidad que tenían ellos hacia ella, vivía tensada esperando el momento en que le fuera ocurrir algo por este grupo de amigos, pero la verdad fue todo lo contrario, puede evidenciar como Victoria fue aceptada en el grupo como una compañera más, en la escena donde el narco se iba a quedar con ella mientras Boxer conseguía el dinero que le debía todos accedieron a realizar el robo del banco por salvarla y es aquí donde entra otra cuestión, ¿Qué hubiera sucedido si los chicos hubiera preferido dejar que el narco se quedará con Victoria toda esa semana mientras que Boxer conseguía el dinero? ¿hubiéramos evidenciado todas estas experiencias que vivieron en menos de 24 horas? La verdad pensé que la historia se iba a tratar sobre el presunto “secuestro” de nuestro personaje principal”, pero, nunca me imagine que ellos no iban a permitir que eso sucediera. 

Todo el film desde el principio hasta el final estuvo super entretenida, en pocas palabras me encanto, es la película que más me ha gustado de todas las que hemos visto, su narrativa es excelente, puede parecer una simple historia pero hay algo fascinante en ella. Para durar 2 horas y 30 minutos (que es un tiempo extenso), uno no llega a sentir el tiempo mientras la ve, además es muy fácil de ingerir y el tipo de trama te hace enredarte en ella. 

Quedé algo conmovida con los últimos minutos de la película, ya que esperaba un final algo cliché, lógicamente esperaba que Victoria escapara con Sonne y todos felices, no esperaba para nada la muerte de el y más ese final que se tan calmado, como después de la tormenta de toda la noche y poco de la mañana llega la calma, quedando solo ella, pensé que el final iba a hacer un poco más trágico pero la verdad fue todo lo contrario. Literalmente en una noche puede suceder de todo y con esta película no lo dejan muy en claro. 

Hablando de puntos más técnicos, vemos que el film fue grabado en cámara en mano y en un plano secuencia  grabado por las calles de Berlín, donde la duración de la grabación consta de solo 138 minutos, exactamente lo que dura la película. En conclusión Victoria se ha vuelto una de mis películas favoritas, además es una gran cinta que todos deberíamos de ver en algún momento. 

FICHA TÉCNICA:

Dirección: Sebastian Schipper

Guión: Olivia Neergaard-Holm, Sebastian Schipper

Fotografía: Sturla Brandth Grøvlen

Reparto: Laia Costa, Frederick Lau, Franz Rogowski, Burak Yigit, Maximilliam Mauff, Eike Frederik Schulz, André Hennicke, Anna Lena Klenke, Philipp Kubitza, Jan Breustedt, Martin Goer, Adolfo Assor, Daniel Fripan

Calificación:  ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

[mypoliticalpointofview]

Raucherrechte und Frauenverbote

- die aktuellen Regierungsbegehren 2018!

Auch ein großes Thema momentan ist die Beißkorbpflicht - wobei ich ja finde, jeder Waldhäusl ist einer zu viel. Der setzt sich aber tierlieb wie immer für eine Beißkorbpflicht ein, weil Alkoholkontrollen bringen gar nichts (fällt doch schon ein bisschen unter Klientelpolitik, oder?).  Mit der gewohnten Kompetenz wird anschaulich geworben... eben damit, wie man einen Beißkorb halt verkehrt herum aufsetzt. Wo ist da unsere Tierschutzbeauftragte Frau Strache, wenn man sie mal braucht? Man kann ÖVP und FPÖ ja vieles vorwerfen, wenn es um unsere Gesundheitspolitik geht. Aber dass jetzt öffentliche Gelder auch in Schönheitschirurgie fließen... nein... der Scherz ist einfach zu offensichtlich und einfach.

Zu Kickl kann ich momentan nichts sagen. Es fällt mir wirklich schwer, allem zu folgen und an jeder seiner Ecken up-to-date zu sein... kritische Medien, BVT, Florian Klenk... ich schaffe es einfach nicht. Außerdem bin ich noch etwas bockig, weil ich es nicht auf die Liste der kritischen Medien geschafft habe und das braucht noch ein oder zwei Tage bis ich das überwinden kann. Aber wenn ich ihm so zuschaue, dann erinnert mich das immer so sehr an meine Kindheit... an die Schule um genauer zu sein. Permanent zum Direktor gerufen, um wieder zu erklären, warum man schon wieder Scheiße gebaut hat. Und ja, ich hab damals auch immer versucht, es jemand anders anzuhängen. Auch mir ist es meistens durchgegangen. 

Zum Glück hat sich jemand gefunden, der sich höchstpersönlich (oder sein Social Media Team halt) um unsere Sorgen, Ängste und Probleme annimmt und eintritt für unsere demokratischen Werte - Jan Böhmermann als Retter in der Not! Und der ist super, auch wenn es dem Sebastian nicht passt!

[trailcatjim-blog]

Mount Misch and Mount Buckindy

July 2-5, 2015 

Mount Misch (7435') Mount Buckindy (7320')

Fay, Kevin K, Eileen, and I spent Independence Day Weekend climbing Mt. Misch and Mt. Buckindy, two major peaks in the Suiattle drainage. The approach to these peaks has a reputation for difficult sidehill travel. We found that it is nothing short of a sidehilling sufferfest...but worth the agony.

Day 1 involved toiling up the newly re-accessible Green Mountain Trail in 90+ degree heat. This trail is in fine condition despite little use since 2003, and the lookout cabin once again stands proudly on the summit. Several hundred feet below the cabin, we crossed over the ridge and dropped into a little basin. The ridge gave us a first look at our objective peaks and the general traverse route. Those vivid green slopes look so inviting, you get a sense that this will be pretty straightforward. It isn't. 

First view from Green Mountain ridge 

A couple hours later, we found ourselves contouring across frustratingly steep and slippery vegetation en route to Lake 5371. Trekking poles and ice axes helped to maintain an upright position, but it was still just a long succession of slips, slides, and falls. At the lake basin (5.9 hours from car), we met a party of three---Mark, Tom, and Tehoot---setting up camp. They were surprised that we intended to push on beyond the scenic basin. In retrospect, they had it right; we should have planned for another day.

Traversing slippery green slopes 

Exiting from the lake basin required several hundred feet of "scrambling" up ridiculously steep forest duff to gain the crest of a spur ridge. This duff was equivalent to Class 4 rock. Between the heat and steep angle, we felt thrashed upon reaching the crest. A muddy basin on the other side tempted us to stop for the day, but we decided to keep going for the sake of a strategic campsite. More steep greenery and super-steep forest got us to a 5760-foot saddle and a faint climber's path that led up Point 5890 for a nice view of Buckindy and Misch.

Mount Buckindy and Mount Misch from Point 5890 

From Point 5890, we hiked down the crest to an agreeable campsite closely above a 5360-foot saddle (10.6 hours from car). It had been a strenuous day, and we were well past being ready to stop. A tiny puddle provided us with much-needed water, which had the color of a fine Kentucky bourbon even after being filtered. Fortunately, the sunset views of Dome Peak and Glacier Peak compensated for this. 

Spire Point and Dome Peak from low saddle camp 

Day Two began with a change in our climbing strategy. Rather than packing up and moving camp over toward Buckindy and Misch, we decided to leave camp at the saddle and instead attempt to day-trip over to the peaks. In case things ran longer than expected, we all took bivy sacks and a little extra food.

A vague climber's path went northward up the ridge crest and gave us a look at the remarkable crags of Mt. Chaval.

Mount Chaval from Green-Misch ridge 

We ascended to Elev. 6300 feet and then dropped down to the left. 

High point on Green-Misch ridge 

More unpleasant traversing ended at a delightful 5200-foot basin below Mt. Misch (3.4 hours from saddle camp).

Mount Misch above basin at 5200 

We ascended a gorgeous lupine slope toward Mt. Misch, then traversed moderate snow fields over to the peak's west ridge.

Ascending lupine field to Mount Misch 

Traversing snowfield to Mount Misch 

Once on the rock of Mt. Misch, we made good use of a detailed trip report by Paul Klenke. He accurately described a traverse into an initial gully, followed by another traverse into a larger gully on the mountain's southwest face. Although this latter gully has a reputation for being extremely loose, we found it to be fairly typical in terms of loose rock, but steep enough (with lots of Class 3+ scrambling) to keep things fun and interesting. 

Scrambling up SW gully on Mount Misch 

We reached the summit in mid-afternoon (7.9 hours from saddle camp) and enjoyed a full half-hour on top. 

Kevin, Fay, and Eileen on Mount Misch summit 

The summit register includes a foreword by Peter Misch, the eminent North Cascades geologist and U.W. professor. He never climbed his namesake peak but was alive to see its official dedication.

Foreword in Mount Misch summit register 

We made two rappels down the gully, then scrambled back to the snowfield. It was getting to be late afternoon, but we elected to head over to Mt. Buckindy while in the neighborhood.

Rappelling down Mount Misch gully 

In a little glacially carved bowl closely south of Mt. Buckindy, we encountered a strange cluster of wooden timbers and metal debris. Are these are the remnants of a previous geological exploration? We might never know.

Ruins below Mount Buckindy 

A steep snowfinger on the western side of Mt. Buckindy ended in a small notch between its north and south summits. One long pitch of Class 3-4 climbing ended on the south (true) summit.

Climbing west snowfinger on Mount Buckindy 

Views from the summit were a bit better than from Mt. Misch, owing to its more central position. The warm evening sunlight enhanced to red hues of the oxide-stained metamorphic rock.

Mount Misch and Glacier Peak from Mount Buckindy 

We descended by scrambling over the north summit and then plunge-stepping down sandy slopes adjacent to the snowfinger. 

Kevin on north summit of Mount Buckindy 

A south-trending descent of talus, scree, and green slopes dumped us into the 5200-foot basin at 10:20pm. Mark, Tom, and Tehoot were asleep in their tents as we stumbled through their camp. We fell into our bivy sacks and shivered through a surprisingly chilly night.

Come morning of Day Three, we quickly packed up and headed back toward our saddle camp. About halfway along our traverse, we encountered Stefan Feller and Mike Collins, who were going in to climb Mt. Misch. They had camped in the same saddle as us and were planning to day-trip over to the peak. We took Stefan's car key to help out with a car shuttle from Green Mountain TH to Downey Creek TH.

Back at saddle camp, we rested for several hours before packing up and starting a hot traverse over to Lake 5371. The crux of our afternoon was a descent of the inhumanely steep forest duff slopes above the lake basin. We managed this descent by making four full-length rappels and then down-climbing one pitch of Class 5 dirt (no kidding). Two ice tools would be very helpful here.

Our last night was spent in a meadow below the lake, and Day Four was a blur of horrible vegetative traversing back to Green Mountain. We all agreed that this was a trip that is well worth doing once---but never again.

Approximate stats: 20 miles traveled; 11,600 feet gained and lost.

[x5red]

More Super Klenk details come to light

Does Super Klenk still exist? Did Super Klenk ever exist? The tv show is so famously obscure that one could be forgiven for believing it was just a hoax. Running for 13 episodes at the turn of the millenium, Super Klenk followed the antics of a school teacher who has a secret life as a superhero. Broadcast on primetime Sunday evenings on GMA-7, each episode lasted 90 minutes, blending action, romance, and comedy. For a primetime show running on a major network there's precious little evidence online of it ever having existed. Only one very brief video clip is available, taken from a station promo, plus a tiny number of low resolution promotional photos.

It is, very likely, one of the most obscure and undocumented superhero tv shows ever. The series appeared to have not been reshown since its original broadcast, and for all anyone knows the master tapes may have been junked. But that doesn't mean that with a bit of digital sleuthing we cannot unearth some interesting details about the series. For example, a while back a study of television listings in newspapers revealed the original broadcast details, and the tantalising possibility that there may have been far more than just 13 episodes.

In this post we outline further sources of contemporaneous information.

The Manila Bulletin

We start with a low resolution scan of an article from the Manila Bulletin (see above.) The article is conveniently written in English, yet parts of the text are hard to decipher given the low quality of the image. The following is a transcript as best can be made out. Note: passages marked in colour denote text that is unclear or missing from the image.

[START]

Tired of your usual Sunday night viewing habits? Then look up in the sky. Is it a bird? Is it a plane? It's Super Klenk to the rescue!

Although you won't really see Super Klenk in the sky once you channel surf to GMA-7 tonight at 8 p.m., their newest situational comedy entitled "Super Klenk" premieres.

Produced by Philippine-broadcasting leader GMA Network Inc., the comical super series "Super Klenk" stars sexy Ara Mina, who plays a dual role. As a normal human being she is a grade school teacher and volunteer rescuer Charito for Rescue 711, while she turns into the high flying but still fumbling heroine whenever she's needed to save people in distress.

In her new role as a super heroine, silver screen goddess Ara Mina defies the stigma of a "TF" [titillating films] actress. According to her, she doesn't care if people including the press would criticize her the way they did when she took on a singing career. What is important to her is that she remains focused on entertaining the children who will watch her show. She also emphasized that her decision to do children's show is not an indication that she will veer away from doing sexy roles. Her latest film that is slated for a January, 2000 release entitled "Laro sa Baga" will still feature her in some steamy love scenes.

According to its director Mac Alejandre, the unusual title of the sit-com was spawned after its head writer Isko Salvador, aka Brod Pete, who also plays Doctor Cortal in the TV series, took a break from their brainstorming. The creative team formed solely for this show were thinking of the show's title at Amigos Restaraunt when Isko came back with the "Super Klenk" apparently is also the middle name of Ara Mina (it is pronounced in Germany the same way as the word clench is pronounced.)

"Super Klenk" is also unusual in its length. It is a one and a half-hour sit-com, which is not the norm for television. Director Mac has no reason for this except that it was the time given them by GMA 7's programming department. He find this challenging since he knows that he has to keep this one and a half-hour show interesting all the way.

"It is really hard to do a sit-com that's one and a half hour that's why we have to make this as interesting as possible visually, acting wise and gag wise. The truth is the pilot episode was done in more than two days because we have a big cast and it was really hard doing the special effect," Explains Director Mac.

Insiders from the show said that the "Super Klenk's" special effects budget was really financially stressful but GMA-7 shelled out just the project's success. The special effects have also been at the helm of two creative [unreadable] behind "Super Klenk" five days to decide on which special effects to develop and utilize.

"Super Klenk" was developed with children's Sunday night viewing bits in mind according to GMA's VP for Programming Wilma Galvante. [Unreadable] is a wholesome entertainment but with Ara Mina as the star. "The show [unreadable] promises young televiewers bit only fantastic special effects but also moral lessons that are interjected in every episode.

The launching of "Super Klenk" is in line with the new shows GMA 7 has [unreadable] for its viewing public for the year 2000. The culmination of all their [unreadable] released and offered this year is "Millenium Broadcast."

So how does Ara Mina become Super Klenk?

The unassuming Charito lives an ordinary life as a teacher who has to contend with mischievous students like copycat Xerox and the narcoleptic [unreadable]. As a rescue volunteer, she works with an obnoxious publicity hungry [unreadable: police?] chief, Hope Pimentel.

Her daily routine suddenly shifts to a new gear one day in some dark [unreadable: alley?] when she sees an old lady whom she thought was waylaid by street thugs. Charito tries to revive the seemingly old ago-go dancer, Tondang Xorax (Flora Gasser), who [unreadable] against the wall during a chase with her archenemy Oblada (Sandra Gomez.) Charito's attempt to breathe life back into [unreadable] Xorax proves futile but he superpowers of the aging heroine is accidentally transferred to the young volunteer rescuer. Tondang Xorax [unreadable: magically?] fades into a celestial star right before the unbelieving eyes of the [unreadable: unsuspecting?] Charito. Soon Tondang Xorax visits Charito to inform her the [unreadable: henceforth?], she will be known as Super Klenk.

Also starring Pilita Corrales, Isko Salvador, Paolo Fabregas and James Fabregas.

[END]

Philippine Headline News Online

This next piece was posted to the Philippine Headline News Online mailing list on 11th December 1999, and seems to be a standard press release announcing the upcoming show. Translations of the non-English parts, courtesy of Google, are presented in colour.

[START]

WHOLESOME ROLE FOR ARA MINA IN GMA-7 SERIES

Quezon City, Dec.11, 1999 - GMA-7 is changing the image of bold star Ara Mina via a wholesome role in the network’s newest fantasy-action comedy series entitled Super Klenk!

“Tamang-tama nga dahil ngayong naghihigpit sa bold, heto’t nabigyan naman ako ng chance to do this kind of wholesome show na puwede sa bata and for the whole family,” Ara says. ["It's right because now that the bold is being restricted, I was given the chance to do this kind of wholesome show that can be done by children and for the whole family."]

Ara plays Charito, a dedicated grade school teacher and rescue worker. One night, she witnesses the original Super Klenk meet an serious accident. While trying to give the accident victim some mouth-to-mouth resuscitation, Ara received the special powers of Super Klenk, played by Flora Gasser.

“I become the new Super Klenk, a crimebuster who is the mortal enemy of the main villain in the show, si Oblada, played by Sandra Gomez,” Ara adds. “I enjoy doing this show because para akong si Wonder Woman and I get to do a lot of action scenes while fighting criminals. Nakakalipad din ako rito at ginastusan nila ang special effects sa flying scenes to make it look really convincing on screen.” [I enjoy doing this show because I'm like Wonder Woman and I get to do a lot of action scenes while fighting criminals. I was also able to fly here and they paid for the special effects in the flying scenes to make it look really convincing on screen.]

Playing the love interests of Ara in the show are newcomer Paolo Fabregas (son of actor-musical director Jaime Fabregas) and Isko Salvador (more popularly known as Brod Pete of Ang Dating Doon.)

This does not mean, though, that Ara is turning her back on sexy movies. As a matter of fact, she has just finished Laro sa Baga.

[END]

Philstar Global

The third piece was published on 18th March 2000 on Philstar Global, marking the premature cancellation of the show. Again, translations in colour.

[START]

Ara: Win Some, Lose Some

The sad news is true, after all. Yes, Ara Mina's Super Klenk will have its final telecast (GMA 7) this Sunday. After that, her flying character will be grounded (never to fly again?).

But the good news is that Ara will topbill a new GMA sitcom, untitled just yet, which starts telecast very soon.

"Super Klenk was very hard to shoot because palagi kaming outdoors," [Super Klenk was very hard to shoot because we were always outdoors] said Ara when Funfare talked to her on the set of FPJ Productions' Ayos Na Ang Kasunod (to be released by Millennium Cinema), her first team-up with FPJ. "Our minimum shooting time was two days. I wore a tight costume which could sometimes be very uncomfortable. I'm looking forward to doing the new sitcom which is light and easier to do. Like Super Klenk, pambata din 'yung bago kong sitcom." [Like Super Klenk, my new sitcom is also for children.]

Ara is leaving for Las Vegas third week of April to perform in a concert with Martin and Bert Nievera.

[END]

Cast and crew

Finally, through various sources (the IMDB, actor's profiles, etc.) we are able to pull together a list of the main actors and their characters, as well as some of the key production crew.

Ara Mina as Charito and her alter ego Super Klenk.

Isko Salvador (aka Brod Pete) as Doctor Cortal, the love interest, and also one of the show's writers.

Paolo Fabregas as another doctor and possible love interest.

Flora Gasser as Tondang Xorax, the superhero whose powers are accidentally transferred to the Charito.

Sandra Gomez as Oblada, the show's main villain.

Pilita Corrales as Aunt Baby, the relative Charito lives with.

James (Jaime) Fabregas as Hepe Pimente, the police commissioner and Charito's boss at the rescue team (also the real life father of actor Paolo Fabregas.)

Dingdong Dantes, possible guest actor.

Mark Anthony Fernandez, possible guest actor.

Elizabeth Ramsey as Tiya Kirara, guest actor.

Roxanne Barcelo, possible guest actor.

Yoyong Martirez, possible guest actor.

Mac Alejandre, the showrunner and director.

Wilma Valle Galvante, GMA's VP for Programming.

Conclusion

Over the last couple of years a lot of classic pinoy television has been uploaded, legitimately, to YouTube. The good news is therefore that it is possible that one day Super Klenk may be available for the public to watch once again. The bad news is that, given the obscurity of the show, it could be a very very long wait. Worse still, assuming the episodes do still exist in an archive somewhere, the chances are any uploads will be chopped up into small YouTube friendly chunks, rather than presented in their original 90 minute format. There's always the possibility that the show in its original form may be included on a streaming platform, or re-screened on a golden hits style cable channel, but so far neither of these things have happened.

And so, in the absence of any episodes to watch, the details above are currently all we know about what is possibly tv's most obscure superheroine show (unless you know more?!?) Maybe that will change in future -- here's hoping.

(A quick thank you to DrMuttonChops for tracking down a scan of the Manila Bulletin article, posted years ago on Ara Mina's social media.)

[x5red]

Superheroine detective work: Super Klenk broadcast details uncovered

Ah yes, Super Klenk! The Filipino tv series that is possibly the most well hidden show in the history of superhero television..!

Despite running in primetime on a major network, Super Klenk has left behind precious little evidence of its existence: scant details lifted from a press release, a tiny handful of low-resolution photos, and a few seconds of video footage in a promo. We're not even entirely certain how many episodes of the show were broadcast.

Until, perhaps, now...

Many many years ago Google Books began to collect scans of thousands of old newspapers. The site is somewhat neglected these days (the design has an early 2010s vibe), but the archive is still accessible and -- importantly! -- has indexes of a handful of Filipino papers.

Would there be any details of Super Klenk hiding amidst these column inches, perhaps..?

Time to turn detective...

The Philippine National Enquirer published weekly tv listings in its Saturday editions. Sure enough there's an entry for Super Klenk in its Saturday 1st January 2000 edition, showing that the show was scheduled for broadcast on Sunday 2nd at 8:00pm on Channel 7 (aka GMA-7.) Subsequent Saturday editions also have listings scheduling Super Klenk for January 9th, 16th, 23rd; February 6th, 13th; March 5th, 12th, 19th, 26th; and April 2nd, 9th, 16th. (No listings were available for February 20th and 27th, nor April 23rd -- those editions are absent from the archive.)

A short article about Super Klenk's star Ara Mina, published on April 15th, claims the series had folded, suggesting that April 16th was likely the show's last broadcast. Presumably the next Enquirer Saturday edition (23rd April, missing from the archive) would have shown a replacement series. All archived editions after this date have Super Klenk absent from tv listings.

Common internet wisdom is that 13 episodes were broadcast before the show was cancelled. But (assuming broadcasts on 20th and 27th February) the tv listings show 4 episodes each in January, February, and March, plus 3 in April, making a grand total of 15 episodes.

Unfortunately the Google archive for the Philippine National Enquirer only goes back as far as 1st January 2000. However, the one brief video clip we have of Super Klenk is from a promo that suggests its debut was set for December 12th. This might indicate 3 episodes in 1999: December 12th, 19th, and 26th. That ups the potential episode count from 15 to 18 episodes!

But we should be careful...

Tv listings can be unreliable. Guide magazines are often prepared six weeks ahead of broadcast, so don't reflect sudden cancellations or late reschedulings. Daily newspapers have a shorter lead time, but they typically only print the show title, making it impossible to know whether a repeat or original episode is being shown.

Indeed the Enquirer exhibits some contradictions within its own pages: the listings consistently show Super Klenk being broadcast at 8:00pm, yet there's a couple of brief mentions in articles that suggest the show was switched to 7:30pm during January.

The tv listings may be unreliable, but at least they give us something to work from, rather than a vacuum.

But aside from these air dates, are there any other snippets of information lurking amidst the newspaper archive?

Sadly, not many. (Although it is possible they've yet to be surfaced by the right search query.) The 11th March edition gives a brief synopsis of the next episode, mentioning a plot that sees the heroine putting up with a house guest and fighting a villain known as Bingo Man. There's some profile pieces on actors who appeared in the series, but they only mention Super Klenk as a line item on a list of credits.

It is entirely possible that there are other archives, with magazines and newspapers that give further details on this series, but for now we'll have to make do with a list of potential broadcast dates and a brief plot synopsis of one episode.

The detective work continues...

[x5red]

super kienk's advertisement youtube com / watch?v=SC_NagX_u3A

Super rare Super Klenk footage found online!

I'd previously written about how Super Klenk had to be one of the rarest superheroine tv shows ever made, with only a handful of sketchy details from contemporary press releases and three low resolution images in the public domain. It had become a kind of white whale in a few superheroine fandom circles -- indeed only last week I quipped with a fellow fan about the likelihood of footage turning up on GMA's new Pinoy Hits retro-tv channel. A few had even joked that it was some kind of hoax, and the show never actually existed..!

Well that has just changed (although admittedly only slightly.)

An anonymous tipster sent me a link to a GMA promo video advertising their new December 1999 line-up of shows, and it contains a few tantalising seconds of Super Klenk footage.

A big thank you for the tip, whoever you are..!

In the few brief clips we see Super Klenk spin around, then practice her take off. (Did she go to the Wonder Woman school of transforming, perhaps?) The advert doesn't tell us anything more about the show, other than when it debuts -- but that's okay, just seeing a few fleeting clips is enough (for now!)

Anyone remember watching this show? Care to share a few details? I know it was cancelled after only a very short run, but even so it is still interesting, if only because of its rarity.

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The missing heroines: some of the most obscure superheroine tv and movies

It seems that these days every show we can ever remember watching is immediately available at the touch of a button. As the market for video streaming services grows, year on year, more and most classic series have been digitised and made available as box sets, but there are some shows and movies that stubbornly remain hidden. Below is listed five professionally made tv shows or movies centring around superheroines that are (in one way or another) hard to find. It may not surprise many that they are all from non-English speaking markets, notably Thailand and the Philippines.

This is a long way from an exhaustive list -- there are plenty of other examples. The ones highlighted below are all productions that had decent budgets, and/or were screened to large audiences in movie theatres and on prime time tv schedules, but nevertheless have vanished into relative obscurity.

Komiks: Super Gee (Philippines, 2006)

Super Gee was a 2006 unaired pilot episode of the ABS-CBN series, Komiks / Komiks Presents. It starred Judy Ann Santos in the title role, a millionaire businesswoman and mother of four named Gigi, who secretly fights crime as a masked vigilante. The only person who knows Gigi’s true identity is Robin, her engineering genius younger brother, who builds gadgets for Super Gee and her motorcycle. In the komiks, Super Gee had a short run between 1972 to 73 in the pages of Darna Komiks, before being revived as Super Gee II between 1987 to 88 in the pages of Super Action Komiks.

Status: totally missing, perhaps still in existence.

Electrika Kasi Eh! (Philippines, 1977)

Electrika Kasi Eh! was a sometimes surreal superheroine movie that dealt with a plot to attain eternal youth through draining the lifeforce of children. The title heroine is played by Trixia Gomez, pitted against Chanda Romero and Celia Rodriguez as the villains, with Orestes Ojeda as the heroine’s love interest. Trixia starts out in the slums, but when her boyfriend is hypnotised and kidnapped by the villains, she uses a magic amulet to transform into Electrika (with a little help from Rez Cortez as an angel) and save him.

Status: missing, possibly entirely or partially destroyed.

Typhoon and Lightning Bolt (Thailand, 2011)

Otherwise known as ไต้ฝุ่นสุดซ่า สายฟ้าจอมกวน, this Modern Nine TV series ran for 60 episodes on Thai tv and apparently attracted quite a following with the younger demographic. Dust is the earnest son of a storm god, while Fah is the fun-loving daughter of a thunder god, and together they are tasked by their parents with helping mortal teenagers to stay out of trouble. The pair quickly adopt human identities and mingle with everyday teens, but they are quick to switch into costume whenever the need arises. Their parents are playing matchmaker, however, hoping that the pair will fall in love and form a new god dynasty.

Status: obscure, episodes may possibly be on a Thai streaming service.

Super Klenk (Philippines, 2000)

Super Klenk is perhaps one of the rarest superhero tv shows ever, with no clips online, and only a handful of publicity photos. Ara Mina played Charito, a school teacher who accidentally acquires super powers and becomes the superhero named Super Klenk. In her heroine form she has super strength, invulnerability, and the ability to fly. The series ran for just 13 episodes on GMA 7, and mixed superhero antics with comedy.

Status: totally missing. A few publicity photos exist only.

Wonder Woman: Wonder G (Thailand, 2010)

Otherwise known as สาวน้อยมหัศจรรย์ (Wonder G.) Shy and gawky 16 year-old, Wansai, dreams that she can become the most popular girl at school, never suspecting that a strange pink glowing rock she finds in the debris of a fallen meteorite will transform her into the amazing superheroine, Wonder G. This series ran for 48 episodes on Thailand’s Channel 7, aiming at the young audience by stealing some of the heroine’s aesthetic from popular Japanese Sentai shows. It was a mix of superhero action with romance, as Wansai learns how to become a superhero, while also becoming less socially awkward in her everyday life.

Status: obscure, a few episodes on YouTube, other episodes may possibly be on a Thai streaming service.

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Is this the rarest superhero tv show ever?

Super Klenk: GMA, 13 episodes

In recent months a lot of previously difficult-to-find superhero television from broadcasters outside of the USA has started to surface on the web, thanks to networks putting their back catalogues onto sites like YouTube. Leading the way are superheroine shows like Krystala, Suki Suki Majosense, Super Twins, and even Saras 008 -- all now available online for international audiences to enjoy. But there remains one super female tv show stubbornly absent from the internet: Super Klenk.

Super Klenk saw Ara Mina playing the role of Charito, a mild mannered school teacher who accidentally acquires super powers when she attempts to help an injured heroine by the name of (you guessed it) Super Klenk. Charito becomes the new Super Klenk, transforming whenever she shouts her heroine name. In her superhero form she has super strength, invulnerability, and the ability to fly, all of which she uses to fight for justice while maintaining her secret identity as a grade school teacher.

This action comedy ran for 13 episodes in 2000 on Filipino network, GMA 7, but outside of a tiny number of publicity photos (above), there’s almost no record of it on the internet. No trace of a DVD release, no clips on YouTube, not even any screenshots from the episodes themselves. Given that this show was broadcast after the rise of the internet, by a popular Filipino tv network, it’s odd that it is so incredibly anonymous.

What scant details there are suggest that Flora Gasser played the original Super Klenk; Sandra Gomez played the villain, si Oblada; with Paolo Fabregas and Isko Salvador apparently playing the lead character’s love interests. Dingdong Dantes is also said to have had a role.

Perhaps in years to come GMA will dust down the tapes from its archives and throw a few clips up online. Until then, Super Klenk remains remarkable thanks to its spectacular near-invisibility.

[superseriousshow]

Kara Klenk // The Super Serious Show // February 2017

Photo by Callie Biggerstaff

[arcadiaberger]

I am always fond of seeing superheroines becoming pregnant, so even if I didn't know anything else about Super Klenk, I'm pleased to see images of her pregnancy.

New rare Super Klenk images found

Super Klenk, starring Ara Mina, was a Filipino superhero comedy action series that debuted in the final weeks of 1999, and is possibly one of the most obscure superhero tv shows of recent times. And that's a shame... because despite apparently not making much of an impact at the time of broadcast, the show does play an interesting part in Pinoy superhero tv history.

Up until Super Klenk there had been only sporadic appearances of superheroes and superheroines on Filipino tv. In 1977 Darna had appeared in a one or two (depending on who you believe) tv specials. Then in 1986 two companion superhero shows, Kidlat and Zarda Super Filipino, are rumoured to have been broadcast (although details are sparse.) But the heavily fantasy inspired fantaserye and telefantasya genres didn't really seem to take off until the 2004 ratings hit Marina, a series about a mermaid.

Marina prompted a steady supply of fantasy-based shows, including several based on superheroes, that has lasted up until the modern day. Early examples, like Krystala (2004) with Judy Ann Santos, Darna (2005) with Angel Locsin, and Darna (2009) with Marian Rivera, are all fondly remembered. But sadly few remember Ara Mina's Super Klenk, the 1999 superheroine show that was their forerunner.

This blog has been trying to correct the dearth of Super Klenk information by tracking down details of this incredibly obscure tv show. You can see past efforts documented here, here, here, and here. But details have been painfully slow in revealing themselves. Particularly there's still a real lack of images from the show, and only a single tiny fragment of video taken from a trailer advert.

But that has now changed... just a little.

Thanks to a source who wishes to remain anonymous we're able to present a couple of new photos from Super Klenk. And they're pretty decent quality images too -- indeed, the most high quality pictures to date. One image even shows a scene apparently taken from an episode, featuring Ara Mina alongside her co-stars Paolo Fabregas and Jaime Fabregas.

The new pictures throw up some interesting questions about Ara Mina's costume. As it is possible to see from the various assembled images, it appeared to change quite a bit.

In older photos the costume body either appears quite plain with the cape totally detached, or decorated in sparkles with the cape secured under the arms. But these new photos show a plain body with a cape that is attached onto the body itself. (The dark stripes in one photo may possibly be a trick of the light -- or maybe not.) One photo looks like it was taken during filming, so do the other pictures show early prototypes from the costume's development?

Unless we can get hold of more details, specifically clips or images from the episodes themselves, it will be difficult to answer those questions. We can but hope that there's more hidden Super Klenk material out there just waiting to be discovered.

In the meantime, many thanks to the anonymous source who provided the new pictures.