Video: The Testimony of Robert "Bob" Kane, Batman Co-Creator

One of my friends has a really great website called DIALBFORBLOG.COM & recently he posted this very interesting video on YouTube. It's an interview with Bob Kane that was shown on Canadian TV around the time of the 1989 Batman movie. In it he takes TOTAL credit for creating Batman, funny stuff.

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:

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

Video: THE DARK KNIGHT Chuck The Movie Guy Interviews The Cast of the New Batman Movie.

Chuck "The Movie Guy" talks with Christian Bale, Aaron Eckhart, Gary Oldman, & Maggie Gyllenhaal about their characters in THE DARK KNIGHT Batman movie.
Christian Bale - Batman, Bruce Wayne



Aaron Eckhart - Harvey Dent, Two-Face



Gary Oldman - Jim Gordon



Maggie Gyllenhaal - Rachel Dawes

Original 1966 Batman ADAM WEST talks about rolling in the Batmobile and his "Junior Bentley"

Over at the MOTOR TREND Magazine Website a reporter named K.S. Wang did an interesting interview with Adam West about what kind of cars he has in his personal collection ( No, he doesn't own a 1966 Batmobile, ha ha). It seems that his main ride is a 2007 Chrysler 300C. I love his personalized license plate that reads NBR1BAT ( Number One Batman ). Here's a link to check it out.

The Tonight Show : MICHAEL CAINE Interview THE DARK KNIGHT July 11th

Be sure to check out Michael Caine's interview on NBC's THE TONIGHT SHOW with JAY LENO on Friday, July 11th ( check your local listing for time ). Of course we all know him as Alfred, Bruce Wayne's Butler, in Batman Begins & The Dark Knight. He's an extremely funny & very intelligent guy so it should be quite good. Plus, there might be some new insight to the new Batman movie we have not heard before.

THE DARK KNIGHT Actor's Interviews Talk Show Media Blitz!

OK, since THE DARK KNIGHT Batman Movie is about to hit Warner Bros is kicking the media talk show circuit up a bit! Scheduled for Tuesday, July 15th:
In the morning, Morgan Freeman ( Lucius Fox ) will be on The TODAY SHOW. Then, Morgan Freeman will join Michael Caine ( Butler Alfred Pennyworth ) on THE VIEW. Then, later tonight, Aaron Eckhart ( DA Harvey Dent / Two-Face ) will be on the LATE SHOW with David Letterman. Be sure to check your local TV Guide for air time information.

*NEW* Batman -The Dark Knight - TV Interview in HONG KONG

This Cable TV interview took place in Hong Kong, one of the cities which the movie was filmed at. The interview of Christian Bale and Maggie Gyllenhaal appeared on July 13, 2008. It's pretty interesting to see "foreign press" & I'm also wondering why "Rachel Dawes" was there. I don't think she had any scenes in Hong Kong so that's kinda weird. But, it's always nice to see her, enjoy.

The BAT-BLOG INTERVIEW On PLANET COMIC BOOK RADIO is Posted Now!

A few days ago I was interviewed by Javier Hernandez on his PLANET COMIC BOOK RADIO Podcast. This was my very 1st "LIVE" interview & I gotta admit it was really a lot of fun! He's a great host & the interview went along pretty smooth. To be honest I was extremely nervous, ha ha! At first all I could think about were the thousands of listeners but after awhile I just focused on talking with Javier, he's such a nice guy and a very good host, so that made it a lot easier. I know a lot of readers missed hearing it when it first came on, because of their jobs or whatever, but it's now posted on the PCBR website & you can listen to it anytime. It just streams on their page & it's like listening to the radio, very neat. Also, You don't really need to download any special software. Another way to hear it is to just download it as a podcast on your iPod. I hope you check it out! You can click on the above graphic or the PCBR LINK BUTTON down below, thanks! Oh yeah, I would also like to publicly thank Javier Hernandez for being such a gracious host & allowing me to do this. It was a really neat experience.

New BAT-MANGA BOOK : Deb Aoki Interview with Chip Kidd and Saul Ferris

Everybody knows how I am totally goo-goo over the soon-to-be-released BAT-MANGA: THE SECRET HISTORY OF BATMAN IN JAPAN Book. Well, a Manga-Reporter named Deb Aoki did a really great interview with the authors Chip Kidd & Saul Ferris. Chip Kidd is mainly known as a book designer but is also a major Bat-Fan. Saul Ferris is a totally obsessed Vintage Japanese Batman Toy Collector! I actually kinda-sorta know Saul & he's a really nice guy. He's one of those super-rich toy collectors who buy a lot of expensive collectibles but he's also very down-to-earth so it's hard to hate him, ha ha. I hope what I just said doesn't make him sound bad, ha ha, I guess I'm just jealous ( I'm poor ). He has an incredible Batman Toy collection, seriously. Be sure to click the link button down below for a very well done interview.

Exclusive GEN Interview With Batman DETECTIVE COMICS Artist DUSTIN NGUYEN

Gee Gosh, we're kinda proud. Our good friend Stephanie recently did an amazing job interviewing the current Batman DETECTIVE COMICS Artist DUSTIN NGUYEN. If you have been reading that title then you know his artwork is really really great ! She has it posted at the GEN ( Girl's Entertainment Network ) website. So, if you're a fan of this artist's work ( or just like Batman in general ) then please be sure to read her interview today! Here's a link button:

RADIO INTERVIEW: SAUL FERRIS Batman Toy Collector & ANNE ISHII Bat-Manga Book Translator

A very good friend to the Bat-Blog has just recently been interviewed on NPR Radio so I thought I would proudly share it here. His name is Saul Ferris & besides being a pretty nice guy he's also a Super-Collector of all things Batman ( Just so you know, his picture really didn't have a Batman Mask on it, that's just me being wacky! ). His main focus is on the Super-Rare Vintage 1960's Batman Toys & Memorabilia. He was a major contributor to the publication of Chip Kidd's latest book "Bat-Manga!: The Secret History of Batman in Japan". In fact, the Bat-Manga book is a large part of the radio show but also includes a lot of tips about collecting toys & comics. Also included in the interview is Anne Ishii, who served as the Japanese translator for the book project. To hear this show on either your iPod or PC just click on the link button down below. When you arrive at the website just look for a show titled "The Sweet Smell of Yesteryear" recorded on January 4th, 2009. Click on the "audio button" & it magically appears in your media player. Also, if you want to contact Saul about any old 60's Batman Toys you have for sale he can be reached at ICOLLECTBATMAN@aol.com. ( Someday I'm gonna have to tease him about still being on AOL, ha ha ). Oh yeah, one last thing. I had a photo of Saul Ferris that I could post here but apologize for not having one of Anne. I tried to find one on Google, but couldn't find one that wasn't copyrighted. Just so you readers know, she is very very cute!

JULIE NEWMAR Interview CATWOMAN ( 1966 Batman TV Show )

MEOW!! Over at the IMAGINE DAILY website a Reporter named Melanie just did a really great interview with Julie Newmar! Of course we all know her as the actress who played Catwoman on the 1966 Batman TV Show series. The interview is really great. If you want ( and I know you do ), you can read it by clicking HERE!

Del Toro Talks Some More About ‘Pacific Rim’ and ‘JL: Dark’

The perpetually in development Guillermo del Toro took a time out from actually post-production on his giant robot versus monsters movie Pacific Rim to talked to The Huffington Post about his unintentional five year break between movies, the challenges of getting all his recent projects of the ground (including Pacific Rim), and what progress (if any) there is on the proposed Justice League Dark project.

Let’s cue the highlights from the interrogation… er, interview. What’s the deal with all that stuff you’ve been attached to the last several years, Guillermo?

Yeah, but it’s funny: a lot of the attachments that are announced are not real. A lot of them are — I’m not denying it. But a lot of them happen — like, I was attached to Dreamworks three years ago and I’ve worked on four movies.

What’s the deal with it being almost five years since you’ve directed a movie?

No. As a director, true. But, I gave two years of those four years to “The Hobbit” and one year to “At the Mountains of Madness.” And I thought, in both cases, that they were going to be the next movie. You don’t control this.

Fair enough, but we never want you to take such a long break again, deal?

I don’t want to ever go another four more years without directing if I can help it. But, it may happen. I like very much taking those movies serially — and putting a year of pre-production and design and put all the love that is needed. And a thing like “Pacific Rim” is a huge design.

But seriously, how did it feel to get out of pre-production mode and finally get back into the director’s chair?

You know, it’s funny. The first two days of shoots, I prepared those two days more than ever except maybe my first movie. Because I wanted to not have any hitch. So, the first two days of shoots, I was half a day ahead of schedule. I was not rusty, you know? At the end of the movie, we were four days under schedule. And we were severely under budget — we were able to allocate that budget into more of the effects. So it was very important for me to have that movie be a fiscal exercise on my craft as much as an artistic endeavor. I wanted to prove to myself that you don’t get rusty — that you can go right back to the bike and ride it.

And now for the big one, anything new you can tell us about JLD?

It is a probability. But, see, the problem is that a lot of people get a hold of things before they are a reality. Like, for a while, people were talking about the “Dr. Strange” movie. I said, “I’m not involved. At all.” And then they were talking about another movie and two or three times I had to say, “I’m not involved.” In this case, I hope it happens.

We hope it happens too. Obviously, we’ll keep you updated about on every little thing about both Pacific Rim and Justice League Dark.

Source: Geek Tyrant

BATMAN AND ROBIN TALK - Rare Interview with 1970's Live-Action Stage Show Actors

Over at the Noblemania website our friend Marc has been very busy covering the Classic 1970's TV Show "Legends of the Superheroes" & tracking down all the Actors from this event. He recently interviewed James Rebhorn ( Batman ) and Gary Metriott ( Robin ) who performed as the Dynamic Duo back then. It's a RARE interview & a nice piece of Bat-History. here's a link to check it out, just click HERE!

ROBIN THE BOY WONDER! Recent BURT WARD INTERVIEW at The Nightwatch Radio Podcast

Awhile back, I received an email about a very cool future Bat-Event, BURT WARD ( The Actor who played "Robin, The Boy Wonder" on the 1966 BATMAN TV Series ) was being interviewed on the Nightwatch Radio Podcast. Awesome! Except, because of an internet glitch, I never got this news. Then the event happened and I only had time to post it on the Bat-Blog Facebook page just an hour or two before it happened. So some people got to hear it "LIVE" and many did not. I want to apologize to both my Readers and the Pod-casters for this screw-up. Hey, I'm extremely good looking but NOT perfect, ha!

Anyways, here's the good news! The Podcast Interview was recorded and can now be either listened to or downloaded at their website. When visiting the site be sure to click on their "AUDIO CHAMBER" Link Button and look for the "ROBIN, BURT WARD" item listed for 1-17-12.Oh yeah, for their website, click HERE!

The Joker & Deadpool Invade Ohayocon – Day Two

Our Day Two coverage of Ohayocon 2013, I let The Joker and guest star Deadpool venture around the con and interview cosplayers.

I think I’ve made a terrible mistake.

Joker cosplayer is Brady Hall. Deadpool is Kyle Akers.

The MICHAEL KEATON INTERVIEW at WTF Podcast With Marc Maron

About a year or so ago one of my best friends turned me on to a really fun podcast called "WTF With Marc Maron". I've been hooked ever since, it's great! The site's main focus is a long-time Comedian named Marc Maron and he sits in his garage interviewing tons of people in the "Comedy & Entertainment Industry". The segments go anywhere from 40 minutes to a full hour. To be honest, sometimes they're "OK", and other times they're insanely good. It's a great podcast & well worth following.

Anyways, Here's a really great one! Yesterday, Marc posted the latest interview featuring Actor Michael Keaton. It's very in-depth and even has a lot of fun information on Keaton's Batman movies and what it was like to work with Tim Burton. It's honestly very interesting. But, I gotta warn people... there is some cussing (ha ha!) so it might not be safe for work or for little kids to listen too. Here's a LINK, once there scroll down a little bit & click the start button... good stuff!

‘Trek’ News: Cumberbatch Villain Talk and New Pics

It’s another early Christmas present for Star Trek fans as Empire magazine features a big spread of new photos from Into Darkness as the cover story for its 2013 preview issue. Meanwhile, in other areas of the internet, Benedict Cumberbatch talked to GyaO! in great detail about his villainous role as John Harrison, the catalyst for the action in the sequel who right now may or may not be identified by a Miranda Tate-like alias to mask his true identity.

Let’s do words first. Cumberbatch, with some support/supervision by director J.J. Abrams, enlightened GyaO! (via Coming Soon) as to the methods and motivations of the Harrison character. I don’t think there’s anything below that might answer fan questions about potential secret identities, but its actually nice to hear both Abrams and Cumberbatch finally shed some light on character with so much mystery built in.

Here’s what they had to say:

“When J.J. described the role to me, he described someone who was, in movie terms, a mixture of Hannibal Lecter, Jack in ‘The Shining,’ and the Joker in ‘Batman,’” Cumberbatch said. “…He’s someone who has enormous physical strength. He’s someone who is incredibly dangerous, both as a physical entity and through the use of various technologies and weapons and who performs acts of what I would describe as terrorism. He’s also a psychological master. He manipulates the minds of those around him to do his bidding in a very, very subtle way.”

“His name is John Harrison and he is sort of an… average guy who works in an organization called Starfleet,” Abrams added, “and he turns against the group because he has got this backstory and this kind of amazing secret agenda. After two very violent attacks, one in London and one in the US, our characters have to go after this guy and apprehend him. And it is a far more complicated and difficult thing then they ever anticipated. ‘Into Darkness’ is very much about how intense it gets and really what they are up against.”

Now here’s the goodies. A veritable ton o’ never-before-seen shots from Into Darkness feature much of the major cast including Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, Simon Pegg, Zoe Saldana and Cumberbatch. Select an image and click to embiggen. (Thanks to Coming Soon for doing all the tedious scanning.)

Star Trek Into Darkness comes out in theaters everywhere May 17, 2013.

Interview: R.I.P.D. Writer Jeremy Barlow on ‘City of the Damned’, ‘Star Wars’, and More

Jeremy Barlow has written Star Wars comics, Mass Effect comics, Deathlok, and more, but this time he’s taking us out west with R.I.P.D.: City of the Damned, a prequel to the R.I.P.D. movie that will star Jeff Bridges and Ryan Reynolds when it debuts this summer.

I spoke to Barlow about picking up where Peter Lenkov left off with R.I.P.D., what he thinks about the future of Star Wars, the possibility of more Deathlok, going freelance, and what it takes to write a comic book.

For those who aren’t familiar with Peter Lenkov’s original R.I.P.D. story, how does this pivot off of that and how does the film pivot off of City of the Damned?

Jeremy Barlow: Peter Lenkov's first story introduced the Rest in Peace Department through protagonist Nick Cruz' (now Nick Walker) eyes. He was a troubled Boston PD officer killed in the line of duty and recruited into the R.I.P.D. to patrol the afterlife. Nick's senior partner is Roy Pulsipher, a gunfighter from the old west and now 100-year veteran of the force. It's a great story, equally full of horror and heart, and it's the basis for the upcoming film.

City of the Damned takes us back and tells the story of how Roy joined the R.I.P.D., and how the disturbing events of his first case shaped his personality. Through this we expand the R.I.P.D. universe and dig deeper into its mythology, while still keeping the terrifying/sentimental tone that Peter established.

You’ve written for pre-established voices like Star Wars before, but here you sort of get to be out front with it. How involved were the filmmakers and Lenkov in the plotting stage and did you feel like you had to speak with Ryan Reynolds or Jeff Bridges’ voice at times?

Barlow: The movie's production was well underway when we started City of the Damned, but I was given autonomy to build the world. I pitched a prequel to give us some space, and once we had the green light, artist Tony Parker and I just went for it and didn't hold anything back. Peter Lenkov has been involved at every step too, making sure everything lines up. He digs what we're doing.

As for writing the characters, it was less a case of "having" to write to Bridges' and Reynolds' voice than "getting" to. One of the challenges of writing is creating vivid characters that speak to you, whose voices you hear in your head, and whose reactions to any situation you'd know by heart. Having those voices already in place is golden.

That said, Nick Walker (the Ryan Reynolds character appears only in a modern-day bookend sequence in the first and final issues. Otherwise, Roy is teamed up with his own senior partner, an intense Puritan named Crispin Mather, who's a new character. For Roy's voice, I've been leaning toward a younger and more brash, Thunderbolt and Lightfoot era Bridges. Throwing him together with a stoic Solomon Kane type has been fun.

Staying with a “voice” question, we go back 100 years to the old west in City of the Damned, you’ve visited that time in your writing before with They’ll Bury You Where You Stand, what is it about that time that appeals to you as a writer?

Barlow: Hey, thanks for mentioning "TBYWYS!" (my original short story with artist Dustin Weaver, which ran in Image Comics Outlaw Territory vol. 2 anthology). I'm glad someone read it!

I'm not at all interested in traditional westerns, actually. In fact, I grew up hating them — the cheap sets, the overly simplistic morality, the bombastic musical scores — just not for me. The western is a purely American mythology, but by its nature it can't escape the concepts of Manifest Destiny and the John Wayne/good guys wear white fantasy. Which just kills it dead for me.

However, I love, LOVE, European westerns from the 60s and 70s. Respect to Sergio Leone and all, but those Man with No Name" movies don't even scratch the surface of that genre's greatness. The original Django's opening credit sequence opened a trapdoor in my brain the first time I saw it, and I fell right in. Through the European filter, that American mythology becomes something else entirely. Something more honest and true, more brutal and surreal, and the visual language knocks you on your ass.

The short answer to your question is, I use this 'wrong' western genre for the same reasons I like writing science fiction-the freedom to go anywhere and do anything. I love creating wholly unique worlds, going places that couldn't exist otherwise, and using familiar symbols in unfamiliar contexts.

Complete 180, more Dethklok comics or other Metalocalypse projects? Ever?

Barlow: Oh, man — I wish. I really hope so. I haven't heard anything from Dark Horse on that front, but I get the sense that the books didn't do as well as we hoped, so I don't know. That was easily the best and most fun job I've ever had, and I could write 100 more issues of Dethklok, easily. Cut off your fingers and cross them.

You were with Dark Horse for a while and then you went freelance and you aligned with Periscope studios. What kind of advantage does joining with a collective give you in terms of booking work and what are the benefits of working freelance as opposed to having one set home?

Barlow: The networking advantages are indirect, at least for me, and I'm not sure that being a studio member has led to getting hired for something. The true benefit of joining Periscope, though, is simply spending time with like-minded and insanely talented artists and writers. It's having a place to go and having people to interact with when the isolation of working from home is too much. It's been a lifesaver, and Periscope is like a second family.

Writing at the studio can be challenging, depending on what I'm working on, but that's only because the room is full of creative, really wonderful people having a great time, and who'd want to block that out?

In terms of your process, how long does it take you from first letter to last to write a script and how do you avoid distractions?

Barlow: Too long. I used to beat myself up for being a slow writer, but I've accepted that it's not so much that I'm slow as I am extremely thorough. I can write a 22-page script in about ten days, but only after I've already spent at least as much time working out the ideas, breaking down the dramatic beats, and solving all of the logic and consistency problems. I go on long walks daily to work things out in my head (and to convince myself that I'm not terrible at what I do).

I script using a program called Movie Magic Screenwriter, with a personally customized template. While scripting, I also have a Word doc open, which I use for general outlining and problem solving. If I get stuck, I talk it out in the Word doc until the solution presents itself, then I jump back over to the script.

My first drafts are loose and crappy. The pages are paced out with one-sentence panel descriptions and placeholder dialogue. Once that's down I'll expand that draft into a full script, along with reference web links for the artist, and everything. Then I'll print that out, proof it, and use it as a reference to rewrite a third draft from scratch. Which is crazy, I know, but it gets the best results. You can stare at a thing for so long that you lose sight of it, and retyping it finds the blind spots and tightens everything up. This is time consuming, especially when I'm juggling multiple projects, but maintaining quality is worth it. The upside is that because I'm so thorough, I'm very rarely asked to do rewrites. So maybe I save a little time on the backend.

For productivity, I use a variation on the Pomodoro Technique. Which is that I have a pair of timer widgets on my Macbook's dashboard — one set for twenty-five minutes and the other for six. While the longer one runs, I work. I focus on the task and ignore the stress and the urge to web surf. When it goes off, I take a six-minute break-no matter what. I walk around the house, drink some water, do some pushups, anything to refresh the brain. When those six minutes are up, I'm back at the desk for another twenty-five.

Before working like this, I'd lose days to anxiety. Days! I'm easily overwhelmed, and my workload this year has been crazy — if I think about everything ahead of me, I lock up and can't get anything done. It's a bad cycle. Breaking it down into small, timed chunks instead has worked wonders.

Advice for aspiring comic writers on how to get published?

Barlow: Get an Internet connection. Okay, that's the smartass answer — but what I mean is that digital is as viable an option for getting your work out there as is trying to get a publisher to pay attention to you. Get online, meet some artists, and just get your stuff out there. Digital is the future — I don't buy monthly comics anymore, I read everything on my iPad — and there's no barrier to sharing your work with the world. If you're good, people will pay attention. If you're not good, keep at it and eventually you will be.

If the question you're really asking, though, is how does an aspiring writer get to do this for a living? Again, it goes back to becoming really good at what you do — so good that someone will want to pay you to do it — and getting there takes a lot of time working and a lot patience sweating through your amateur phase. I've been at this for ten years, and I feel like I'm only just getting my sea legs under me.

What existing character would you like to get your hands on and what would you do with them?

Barlow: Mad Max. In a heartbeat. That character and his whole world are rich and so much fun, you could go in all kinds of directions with them. I'd put him on a ship and send him around the world, starting with Asia and the Middle East, and dig into how the rest of the world is living in the post-apocalypse. How great would that be? Wow. Okay, I have to do this, if even just for myself.

How do you feel about the upcoming Star Wars film?

Barlow: It’s exciting. I’ve written a handful of all-ages Star Wars graphic novels, and my approach was always ‘what would Pixar do?’ Meaning, how best to find the stories’ meaning and heart, and to make them ‘all-ages’ in the truest sense of the word — enjoyable to everyone, regardless of how old the reader was.

I have no inside information, but the rumors are pointing toward Disney and Lucasfilm actually kicking it over to some of the Pixar guys, and that’s fantastic. As a fan, I’m stoked, and I’m looking forward to Star Wars again in a way I haven’t been in a long, long time.

Is there a Star Wars story or character you worked on that you think would be fantastic on the big screen? Would you sell your soul to work on that movie? Keep in mind I am not the devil or an agent of, so any affirmation does not constitute a binding agreement.

Barlow: As a professional, I’m not interested in working on the movie, to be honest. I’ve said what I had to say about Star Wars, and I haven’t written anything for them in quite a while. I’m looking forward to just being a fan again, no longer seeing behind the curtain, and doing my best to stay on media blackout until the movie hits, because I like to be surprised.

That said, if I could have one of my characters built into their future plans, it’d have to be BoShek — the pilot with the sideburns who refers Luke Skywalker and Ben Kenobi to Han Solo in the Mos Eisley cantina. He gets three seconds of screen time, but I wrote a story setting him up as the Star Wars version of The Transporter, which was a blast. So either him, or Shon-Ju — a failed Jedi padawan turned martial artist who creates his own system of hand-to-hand Force-powered combat, and who has an enormous chip on his shoulder toward his former teachers. He has a lot of depth and potential. I say humbly.

Otherwise, yeah. I’m right in line with you guys on opening night 2015!

R.I.P.D.: City of the Damned from Barlow, Peter Lenkov, and Tony Parker debuts tomorrow (11/28). You can pick up a copy online or at your local comic book shop. For more information on Jeremy Barlow, check out his website.