Video: Adam West and Burt Ward ( 1966 Batman TV Show Actors ) 1987 TV Interview

Interviewed for Entertainment Tonight in 1987, Adam and Burt reminisce about their 60's Batman days and the neccesity of wearing "restraining devices." There is also a "hint" about a new Batman movie coming out which we all now know was BATMAN, directed by Tim Burton in 1989. It's the "1st Batman movie" with Michael Keaton & Jack Nicholson. I have always wished that they would have given Adam & Burt a cameo appearance in that movie. But, they did give a tiny film role to Bob Kane, one of the creators of Batman, so that's cool. He played a newspaper reporter.

FREE Batman Desktop Wallpaper Backgrounds!

OK, It's "Wacky Wallpaper Wednesday" again & you know what that means, more FREE Batman Desktop Backgrounds! Now, regular readers might have noticed a few wallpapers recently that were done by our friend "Bacon". They were very popular & I was kind of surprised when he sent some more! They look really great also so I thought I would just release one right now along with one I made. That way the "Bacon Goodness" can be spread out, ha ha! He did the one of Harley Quinn (the Joker's girlfriend) & just like his other graphics it's freakin' sweet! Just wait till you see his other ones, very cool. Anyway, mine is the one below Harley Quinn & it's the NEW 2008 Hot Wheels 1966 TV Show Batmobile by Mattel. I wanted to do this one because the promo photo of this car just came out & it's way too awesome! This is gonna be the '66 Batmobile Elite that will be larger & way more detailed than previous versions. I gotta get one of these, they're extreme!! But, I do wanna thank Bacon for his awesome contributions. I plan on posting more of his stuff soon so stay tuned for that. Thanks Bacon, you're really very talented & I appreciate the wallpapers you've done so far, they're very cool.

Interesting GRANT MORRISON INTERVIEW ( Batman Comic Books ) at Newsarama.

A friend sent me this link the other night to a very interesting interview with the famous comic book writer Grant Morrison. Grant will be responsible for the new Batman story arc titled "BATMAN R.I.P." & if you're a fan of this writer you should check it out, here's a link button:

HAPPY EASTER From The Batman!!

This BATMAN EASTER BASKET is so gosh darn cute, ha ha! Our friend Kevin sent us this cool photo of a new Batman product that is out for Easter. He told us he just found this at a Target Store. That's funny, I was just there a few days ago & checked...I didn't see it. They must have just got them so if you want one be sure to go there tonight...HAPPY EASTER EVERYBODY!! Oh yeah, Thanks Kevin for the great pic, appreciate that! Also, any Bat-Blog readers who spot new Batman merchandise please send us the information ( what, where, cost, & a photo if you can ).

It's the 20th Anniversary of BATMAN: THE KILLING JOKE Graphic Novel Book!

It's hard to believe that Batman: The Killing Joke came out 20 years ago, this makes me feel really old! I remember when it came out (I still have my original copy). Even back then it was a very BIG deal because it was written by the famous comic book writer Alan Moore & the artwork by Brian Bolland is still extremely beautiful by today's standards. In fact, this graphic novel is ICONIC. Shown up above is the original 1988 comic book ad hyping the release of the original graphic novel, 20 yrs ago! That famous picture of The Joker has been made into T-Shirts, Posters, Banners, etc. If you have never read The Killing Joke you should because it's really an important piece of history in the Batman Comic Book Universe. Plus, it's just so incredibly well-written & drawn, a great book! Recently, DC Comics published a Special "20th Anniversary" Edition. Here's a link for more information, check it out!

BATMAN TATTOO ART: Poison Ivy, Harley Quinn, & Catwoman Tattoos

One of our Bat-Blog Readers, named Peter, sent us these amazing photos of his 2 Batman-related Tattoos & they're AWESOME! Extremely well done with sharp lines & nice coloring. Basically it's the "GOTHAM GIRLS" done in the artwork-style of Bruce Timm from Batman: The Animated Series. On one arm he has the Catwoman leaping through the air & on the other arm is a graphic showing Poison Ivy & Harley Quinn together. I have always loved that Classic TV Cartoon & think this is a great choice for tattoo art. Thank you Peter for sending these wonderful photos. If any other readers have some pics to share then please send them in, we always appreciate it!

PHOTO: New BATMAN BLACK AND WHITE JIM APARO Statue

Ya know, these BLACK AND WHITE Statues from DC Direct just keep getting better & better! ( Click on the picture up above for a larger, more detailed, photo ). One of my favorite childhood heroes was the classic comic book artist Jim Aparo. His version of Batman is still one of my favorites, up there with Neal Adams & Jim Lee. At the DC Comics website I noticed this new statue in their "Just Announced" section. The text reads:
"DESIGNED BY JIM APARO; SCULPTED BY MIKE LOCASIOThe popular BATMAN: BLACK and WHITE line of artist-inspired statues continues!This rendering of the Caped Crusader is based on the cover image from DETECTIVE COMICS #443, drawn by longtime Batman artist Jim Aparo. Painted in monochromatic tones, this statue is certain to be another sought-after addition to DC Direct's line of BATMAN: BLACK and WHITE statues.The statue measures approximately 6.5" tall x 8" wide x 5" deep. It features a logo-shaped base, and is packaged in a black-and-white box. $ 75.00 US | On Sale June 11, 2008"

Vintage Magazine Ad: BATMAN'S TV SWEEPSTAKES 1966

Here at the Bat-Blog we're pretty popular for our contests but this is not one of them, ha ha! Again, we are NOT giving away $250,000 dollars worth of prizes, ha ha ha! ( I wish! ) There is NO $50,000 First Prize, Ha! This picture was an original magazine print ad published by Prell Shampoo & Gleem Toothpaste in 1966. They teamed-up with the 60's TV Show to have this contest. Back then you would see this advertisement in a large-format magazine like LIFE or the Saturday Evening Post. I just love the vintage graphics & it's a neat part of bat-history.

Video: Fan-Made Film ( Dubbed Dutch Language ) Batman Beyond: The Return of The Joker

Here's a recently found video that I thought was pretty interesting. Some fans took a clip from a Batman Animated Cartoon & added their own voices, in Dutch! Even though I can't understand what they're saying you can still get that they did a good job with the inflictions, timing, & "sound" of the characters. Check it out, it's kinda neat.

Photo: "Golden Age Joker" Batman Graphic Tattoo Art

I just found this really great example of some Batman-Related Tattoo Art. This is a graphic of the "Joker Playing Card" logo from the Golden Age of Batman comics. The tattoo belongs to a friend known as "Montreal_Clown" who resides in, you guessed it, Canada! I think the artist did a very good job. The colors are vivid & sharp...nice, very nice! As a side note I wanna thank the owner for allowing me to post this great pic. I appreciate that & your Joker tattoo looks awesome, a very good choice of imagery!

The Art of Marc Wolfe: Batman, The Joker, & Harley Quinn!

A friend of mine told me about an artist who must really like Batman because he has a few examples of Batman-related artwork in his online portfolio. The artist's name is Mark Wolfe & this guy is pretty talented. Here are a few examples of some graphics he did that look like real-life playing cards. I think they would make an awesome card set. They feature Batman, Joker, & Harley Quinn ( The one of Harley is my favorite ). Down below is a link button to check out his page. If you check it out please let us know what you think about his work by leaving a comment down below. Also, be sure to BOOKMARK the Bat-Blog before ya leave!

Another Official Bat-Blog Contest: WIN A 1966 BATMOBILE!!

Some people arrive at this blog by reading & clicking on a post title in an RSS feed so if you think we're giving away a real 1966 Batmobile you're crazy, sucker! Ha Ha! But we are giving away, for FREE, the next best thing. This contest is for an Original 2007 Mattel Hot Wheels 1966 Batmobile, Mint In Package. It's the car we all love from the classic 1960's TV Show that was designed by George Barris & it's really beautiful! All you have to do to enter is e-mail us your full name/address ( Please put "1966 Batmobile Contest" in the title ). We never sell or give away any information so it's totally private. The Bat-Blog Contest ends on Saturday, April 12th, 2008 at 11:00 pm - Central Time. Just be sure to send your name/address before then. I guess for legal reasons we need to state that this contest is in NO way associated with either DC Comics, Warner Bros, or Mattel. It's just that the Bat-Blog is very generous & we care about our readers! Oh yeah, one last thing: PLEASE ENTER TODAY and GOOD LUCK!!

CONTEST RULES:

1. The contest is open to the general public as well as anyone currently reading the BAT-BLOG on a daily basis. Employees of the Bat-Blog and employees' immediate family members and persons with whom such employees are domiciled are excluded from this contest.
   
   
2. The prize is not redeemable in cash and must be accepted as awarded.
   
   
3. Decisions of the contest judges are final - no substitutions will be available.
   
   
4. By claiming the prize, the winner authorizes the use, without additional compensation of his or her name and/or likeness and/or voice/photograph and municipality of residence for promotion and/or advertising purposes in any manner and in any medium (including without limitation, radio broadcasts, newspapers and other publications and in television or film releases, slides, videotape, distribution over the internet and picture date storage) which Bat-Blog may deem appropriate.
   
   
5. In accepting the prize, the winner, and any reader(s), acknowledges that the Bat-Blog may not be held liable for any loss, damages or injury associated with accepting or using this prize.
   
   
6. The person whose name is drawn as being the winner of the specific prize will be required to send us their correct mailing information before the prize is awarded to them. Postage to be paid, free of charge, by the Bat-blog.
   
   
7. Detailed contest rules applicable to this contest, including contest entry dates, how to enter, and prize value, number and any restrictions applicable to these prizes are available upon request by reading these Contest Rules, ha ha!
   
   
8. The Bat-Blog retains the rights, in its absolute and sole discretion, to make substitutions of equivalent kind or approximate value in the event of the unavailability of any prize or component of the prize for any reason whatsoever.
   
   
9. This contest is subject to all federal, provincial and municipal laws.
   
   
10. The Bat-Blog reserves the right to withdraw or terminate this contest at any time without prior notice.
    
    
11. Approximate value of prize varies.
    
    
12. Contest open to loyal Bat-Blog Readers only.
    
    
13. One entry per person.

The CLOWN TRAVEL AGENCY Viral Marketing, Part 3

OK, I was recently outta town & couldn't cover the whole "Joker Website" mess but our friend Zdravko ( from Bulgaria ) was on top of it. He wrote an e-mail saying, "Although it was night here when the Clown Travel Agency scavanger hunt started, I took part in it. It was all about picking up packages and following instructions in the addresses that appear on the site (2 new addresses per hour) and one of them was in Las Vegas, where my cousins live. So my cousin tried to get the Vegas package, but someone was there before her. After all the stamps were placed on the site, the list burned down and there was a message from the Joker telling you a new site - www.acmesecuritysystems.com/delos and a password - NEEDLE. He said that he needed you to crack the security system for him. If you could get through, you get a phone call from Jim Gordon...They even called me, in Bulgaria!". WOW! Thank you Zdravko for sending the report. Readers, he even made an audio wav of Jim Gordon's message but right now I don't have a way to post it so you'll have to go to the ACME Security Systems page & use the password NEEDLES to hear it.

I BELIEVE IN HARVEY DENT Batman Desktop Wallpaper

Since it's time for the weekly FREE Batman Desktop Background Wallpapers I thought I would post some that are a current marketing event for The Dark Knight Batman movie. Here are some "Political Campaign Posters" for Harvey Dent. He's currently running for District Attorney in Gotham City & he needs our support...I BELIEVE IN HARVEY DENT!

NEW DESKTOP WALLPAPERS: Batman Animated TV Show THE BRAVE AND THE BOLD Cartoon Network

The Cartoon Network as announced that they will be doing a new Batman animated cartoon TV series called BATMAN: THE BRAVE AND THE BOLD. It looks like they're giving the franchise a whole new look & it will be modeled after the original comic book series where each episode they will feature a different DC Universe character teaming up with the Dark Knight. It's scheduled to be released later this year in fall 2008. This, of course, will create a whole new reason for new toys & merchandising so be sure to check with the Bat-Blog in the near future for that information...we're excited! Oh yeah, about the 2 graphics featured here, they're both Batman Desktop Wallpapers! Please feel free to decorate your PC desktop or use them in a MySpace layout!

Vintage 1960's BATMAN TOYS From The 1966 TV Show Period!

Even though I enjoy ALL the many different pieces of Batman Memorabilia that's out there, from the past to the present modern-day, some of my favorites are the ones from the 1960's when the 1966 TV Show was popular. Here are some examples. The 1st photo is an extremely RARE Batman Slide Puzzle, Mint on Original Card. As a little kid I remember enjoying these a lot but most of the time they were very frustrating, ha ha! The next item is pretty RARE also. It's a Stardust-Batman Paint-By-Numbers Kit made by Hasbro, still in it's original box. It had 2 velvet-canvas pictures that you could paint with acrylics...groovy! The last photo is a Bat-Fan favorite. It's the Flying Batman Figure by TransOgram. Basically it's a vaccum-molded glider in the shape of the Dark Knight himself. It had a launcher with a rubber band to shoot him into the air. As a vintage toy dealer I have had a few of these & they are always wasted! The plastic they used to make it was very fragile & always cracked from use, very hard-to-find in mint shape. I know that many of you readers probably have some RARE 60's or 70's items so please send us a photo if ya have one. The Bat-Blog is all about sharing our love of the collecting hobby.

Vintage 1966 Batman PUNCHING BOP BAG Toy Catalog Ads!

One great reference for Vintage Batman Toys (other than the Bat-Blog of course, ha ha! ) are very old Sears & JC Penney Catalogs. You would be surprised what extremely RARE bat-memorabilia you can find there! Here's an example: In the mid-1960's they made a BATMAN PUNCHING BOP BAG that now is very hard-to-find, especially in MINT shape since these were all destroyed by kids playing with them. Also, once they leaked air then out in the trash they went! If there are any readers who collect these catalogs then please send us some scans. Thanks.

2 NEW Wacky Batman Products in Stores Now!

The other night we hit the local evil Wal-Mart to get a few supplies & I was pleasantly surprised to find, by accident, these 2 brand-new Batman products: Batman Bubble Bath ( Cherry Scent ) and Batman Band-Aid Box. You know I had to buy them, ha ha! The scary thing is the Bubble Bath has a major health warning on the back that reads, "CAUTION: Use Only As Directed. Excessive use or prolonged exposure may cause irritation to skin & urinary tract, etc..." OK, The part about "urinary tract" really really scares me, ha ha! But the packaging, for both items, is pretty cool. I like that they use the traditional "Comic Book Batman"...nice graphics!

BATMAN GOES MANGA! Death Mask in Stores April 9th.

International manga comic legend Yoshinori Natsume turns his talented pen to the Dark Knight, and the result is a chilling story about a new serial killer stalking Gotham's streets...one who bears more than a passing resemblance to Batman himself! Check out the first issue of BATMAN: DEATH MASK, in stores April 9th! For an Exclusive Sneak Peek be sure to visit the MySpace Comic Books website by clicking the link button down below.

Remember: The Bat-Blog FREE 1966 HOT WHEELS BATMOBILE CAR GIVE-AWAY Ends Soon!

This post is just a friendly reminder that the Bat-Blog Contest for the FREE Hot Wheels 1966 BATMOBILE Toy Car ( Mint on Card ) ends on Saturday, April 12th, 2008 at 11:00 pm - Central Time. Just be sure to send your name/address before then. For more details & official rules click the ENTER button down below!

You Take That Back, Maggie Gyllenhaal is HOT!

After doing a post here recently about the "I Believe in Harvey Dent" Dark Knight movie viral marketing video of "Rachel Dawes endorsing Harvey Dent for DA of Gotham City" I received an e-mail from some loser ( yeah, I said loser ) who wrote on and on and on about how ugly Maggie Gyllenhaal is & how she is not as pretty as Katie Holmes, etc...Well, I guess that guy has never seen these photos! Now, I always respect the opinions of people who have different ones than I do. Hey, it's called FREEDOM. But, readers, this guy was a total jerk who's opinion was just plain moronic. He said stuff like "Katie used to be married to Mel Gibson before marrying Tom Cruise", ha ha. Stupid dis-information crap like that. At first I thought it was a joke but this idiot was serious, ha ha! And that's an opinion I don't respect, one that's totally based on stupidity. Maggie Gyllenhaal might not fit the Barbie-Doll mold of beauty but she's independent, extremely smart, hard working, nice, funny, etc...and to me that's sexy. Whew, sorry to vent. I'm gonna lay down now & calm down.

New BATMAN COMIC BOOK ART Source Photo By Jim Lee

Here's an amazing "source photo" by Jim Lee. It shows how he took a digital photo of a toy motorcycle to help work out perspective issues on a major splash-page for an All-Star Batman & Robin, The Boy Wonder comic book he drew. The finished pencil art shows The Black Canary on her motorcycle tearing through Gotham City. I thought it was really cool to compare them & had to share it.

The Bat-Blog HOT WHEELS 1966 BATMOBILE Contest Winner is...

Last night, at 11:00 PM, was the last chance to submit responses to the current Bat-Blog Contest for the "Mint in Package" Hot Wheels 1966 TV Batmobile. This contest was sort of exciting for us because we received entries all the way to the end. I guess I'm a big nerd because I always get excited about the Bat-Blog Contests. Giving FREE Batman stuff away is actually fun, ha ha! OK, After 11:00 we printed some numbers & placed them in our lucky Batman Hat. After shaking them up real good we picked a winning number, #3. Checking the list we noticed that #3 was "Christopher Bacon of South Carolina". So, Chris, you're the latest Bat-Blog Contest WINNER! Congrats, We will be contacting you later. To everybody else we're sorry you didn't win but stay tuned because we are always planning more contests & the next one will be coming up real soon.

Harvey Dent Political Campaign Speech Cancelled

There's been a lot of hype recently about the I BELIEVE IN HARVEY DENT website having a "Live" News Conference yesterday ( Sunday ) at 3:00 PM EST. Well, I was away from the computer but after getting back home I checked & it looks like it was canceled because of a "Hostage Event down the street at a local Gotham City Deli". Here's what the official report is: "Today's press conference was unexpectedly cancelled due to a hostage crisis located at a nearby deli. In a selfless move, Mr. Dent entered the premises, exchanged himself for a woman who was being held at gunpoint, and negotiated the successful release of the remaining patrons in the restaurant. Watch this site for updates. We will release more details when they become available." Wow! Dent is a hero! But, I wonder when they are going to have their actual news conference rescheduled? They should release some information later & you can find it here. One last thing, to hear the above-mentioned news report event click on the "Bat-Phone" button below.

Springfield Punx: The Amazing Artwork of Dean Fraser ( 1966 Batman TV Show )

A friend sent this link ( Thanks Dave ) to an amazing commercial artist's website where he does well-known people rendered in the art style of characters from the Simpsons. It's called SPRINGFIELD PUNX! He's done a ton of famous people like Napoleon Dynomite, Steven Colbert, Jay Leno, NEO from The Matrix, Back To The Future, Pee Wee Herman, Heroes TV Show, & many many more! Our favorites are the actors from the 1966 Batman TV Show! Look at these of Batman ( Adam West ), Robin ( Burt Ward ), Batgirl ( Yvonne Craig ), Catwoman ( Julie Newmar ), The Joker ( Cesar Romero), The Riddler ( Frank Gorshin ), & The Penguin ( Burgess Meredeth )....AMAZING!! Here's a link button to check out more of his great artwork:

2008 BATMAN and CATWOMAN BARBIE DOLLS ( Tommy & Kelly ) Release Date: September

The Bat-Blog reported awhile back about 2 brand-new "Barbie Family" Dolls being put out this year by Mattel that will feature Tommy & Kelly dressed-up as Batman & Catwoman. They are so gosh-darn cute that every Batman / Barbie Collector is gonna have to have them! We had a photo from the 2008 Toy Fair & it was really cool to see them. But, the picture was kinda small. Well, here's a new high-resolution photo I got from a friend who's a very serious Barbie Collector. She's been searching for it for awhile & sent it to me as soon as it came in. ( Thanks Debbie, I appreciate that a lot & know the readers will love it ). Here's a way better picture showing the tiny details of the Catwoman Uniform and the Batman Bat-Suit. The detailing is pretty good & I like that they have the colors right. I really like that they used the retro "yellow oval" Bat-Symbol on the chest, old school! Mattel plans to deliver these in stores around September 2008. I'm guessing that since the release date will sort of be close to Halloween that the doll characters might be marketed as "wearing Halloween costumes" or "going to a costume party". Our friend Debbie said they will retail at around $29.95 for the set, not too bad!

Video: MORTAL KOMBAT vs DC UNIVERSE New Batman VIDEO GAME TRAILER & Interview

THE DARK KNIGHT: Message From Jim Gordon, GCPD

Today, as a part of the Acme Security Systems ( Gotham City ) website I got an e-mail from Jim Gordon. It reads, "My friend, Indictments are about to be handed down. If you don't want your name on one, we'll need your full cooperation in an upcoming operation. In case you haven't heard, we are struggling with a bit of corruption in the department. I'm not about to let the Gotham PD collapse in on itself, so we're taking action. We've identified a group of offenders that need to be apprehended. Problem is, most of these cops are hightailing it out of the city. But a C.I. just like you just gave us some information on their last known whereabouts. Now all we need is to catch them. This is where you come in. Consider yourself on deck. I'll contact you next week, and let's just say it's in your best interest to play along. County's not a place you want to spend the rest of your life. Lt. Jim Gordon, MCU"I guess we'll have to see what happens next!

Batman Artist STEWART JOHNSON Newspaper Clipping

Here's an interesting little story titled "Batman pays my mortgage, Artist's dream job drawing comic heroes"from a newspaper in the UK about the comic book artist Stewart Johnson. The photo is large enough to read but you'll need to click on the small picture up above. ( Thank you to John for e-mailing us the pic, it's awesome! ).

Video: Mattel BATMAN BEGINS Tumbler Batmobile Toy Car TV Commercial

Here's a blast from the past! It's the original Batman Begins Movie TUMBLER BATMOBILE TOY CAR ( Mattel ) TV Commercial from a few years ago. I never saw this when it originally aired so that's just another reason to love YouTube!

CUSTOM BATMAN Toys & Statues: THE KILLING JOKE Joker Cover ( Bust ) & BRUCE WAYNE Visits His Parents ( Statue )

I just came across a very nice website that features the custom work of a small group of very talented artists. It's called HIMESIS. For this post I am showing 2 of my favorite examples which was hard to do because they have a lot of nice stuff, ha ha! The 1st piece is a small sculpture that is a bust of the Joker as seen on the cover to Brian Bolland & Alan Moore's THE KILLING JOKE. It's sort of a 3-D creation of the classic cover. It measures approx. 5" tall & is very well detailed. The next piece is another statue which shows Batman still shocked by the death of his parents, Thomas & Martha Wayne. It's based on artwork from a comic book by Jim Lee, Batman #617. Besides statues there are also a lot of custom toys, action figures, vehicles, & other art at their website. Here's a link to check them out. Please be sure to BOOKMARK the Bat-Blog before ya leave!