Classic Comic Book Cover : Batman # 129

This is the cover to Batman # 129 made during their "wacky period". The villain tells Batman & Robin, "DON'T COME ANY CLOSER, BATMAN, OR I'LL TURN THE FAN TO FULL SPEED---AND BATWOMAN WILL BE DOOMED!". Ha Ha, great stuff!

Photos: 2 Vintage Batman Toys & a Comic Book Ad

The title for this post isn't too exciting is it? But the pictures are pretty cool. One of the toys shown here I have never seen before. It's the 1st picture with the BAT-COPTER Model Kit that has the original box, from the 1960's. I have never never NEVER seen this so it's gotta be super-RARE! Thank you Donald for sending the photo. The next item is pretty cool & also very obscure. This is the Batman Battery Tester from 1975. You know this item was fun to play with for hours & hours, ha ha! I do like the vintage graphics because it looks like Carmine Infantino art work. The last picture is an ad for SILLY PUTTY from inside a comic book. It's from the 60's & I thought it was kinda cool. Thanks again Donald for sending us the photo of this rare model kit. If any other members have photos of their RARE Batman pieces then please e-mail them to us. The Bat-Blog is ALL about sharing the love of collecting Batman...Thanx!!

NEW BATMAN TOY : Toys-R-Us Clearance Sale This Week

Today, while running errands, I was listening to the radio when all of a sudden there was a commercial for Toys-R-Us stating that they were having a Major Clearance Sale. So, for the hell of it, I went up there to check it out. I found a cool Batman toy called The BATWAVE Device. It's was originally over-priced at $24.99 but on sale now at around $4.00!! Basically it's this communicator-looking thing is a device that you use while watching th new "The Batman" cartoon. You point the device at the TV & it picks up signals that give you video games to play. They also had a sale on Batman Birthday supplies like napkins, paper plates, cups, etc...so I got everything there for 80 cents a package.

BATMAN COMIC BOOK ART TATTOO By Staircase Tattoos

While surfing the net recently I came across this group of really talented tattoo artists in Santa Cruz, California named STAIRCASE TATTOOS. They feature a lot of nice examples of tattoo work but my favorite was this one of Batman. Now, I know I have seen the original comic book art this was taken from but can't remember. it's driving me crazy so if anyone knows please tell me, ha ha! If you wanna check out more of their tattoo art then visit their website: http://www.staircasetattoo.com As a side note ~ 2 Bat-Blog readers were kind enough to remind me that this was the cover to "Batman: Shadow of the Bat # 1" with the art work by Brian Stelfreeze...Thanx guys!

Designer Sneakers : BATMAN SHOES By Ubiq Fatima of Japan

While using a Japanese Search Engine I found these NEW Batman "Designer" Sneakers by a company called UBIQ FATIMA. They feature Golden Age graphics of 1940's Batman Newspaper Comic Strips. They are only available in Japan & maybe some super-exclusive stores in the US. The only price quote I was able to find is the Japanese price of 16,800 Yen. Which, I think, is about $146.50 US Dollars. There are 2 choices: One is colored with bright primary colors and the other is pure black & white. I love the shoe box design & the use of the vintage-style Batman comic book logo on the back of the shoe is really cool! I'm too poor to afford these right now so if any Bat-Blog members are super-rich ( & feeling generous ) you can buy me a pair of these cool shoes, ha ha! No, seriously, just ask for my address.

What If?...Fisher Price Made Batman Little People??

Tonight I checked out the Bat-Blog Message Board and one of our members, named Jeff, who's a pretty talented artist, came up with the concept of "What If" Fisher Price had made some Little people who looked like Batman characters. What would they look like. I think this is a great idea & I wish they would make them!! This idea is so brilliant I'm kind of shocked nobody else has done this, ha ha. I know that toy collectors would flip over these & little kids would love playing with them. I have been noticing that Hasbro has been making Mr. Potato Head as Darth Vader& the other day I saw one of Spiderman. Ya know, they should make one of Batman. Probably during the Dark Knight movie I bet they will!

Bat-Video: Zeller's Batman & Robin TV Commercial w/ The Penguin

Here's a really great vintage TV Commercial for Zeller's TOY LAND with Batman, Robin, & the super-villain Penguin. We've featured some more of these great Zeller's Department Store TV Commercials in previous posts so be sure to check them out. You might need to look in the BAT-ARCHIVES which is located on the right-side of this blog, near the bottom.

High-Fashion DOLCE & GABANNA Batman T-Shirt

I'm a simple man & I don't spend a lot of money on clothes. I gotta save my hard-earned cash for Vintage Batman Toys!! But, if I were rich, I might buy one of these cool T-Shirts. Well, ok, maybe not!! The other day a Bat-Blog reader wrote to us about a great shirt he found while surfing thru the DOLCE & GABANNA Clothing website. Recently DOLCE & GABANNA released a Batman-Themed Clothing Line. Here's an example of one of the shirts. As you can see from the close-up photos Batman is placed on the T-shirt with sequins. I don't understand fashion one bit I guess because this seems wayyy too pretty for a man's shirt. Plus, it's really really expensive. But it looks like it's great quality & this is something this company is known for...me, I'm a simple man.

2 Batman Desktop Background Wallpapers

Here's 2 really cool Batman graphics for a desktop wallpaper or as a background in a MySpace layout! The 1st one shows the majestic Bat-Signal shining in the clouds of Gotham City...a nice Bat-Symbol for sure! The 2nd one is a recent action figure toy of Batman in the classic blue/gray costume outfit, one of my favorites! Both of them are pretty cool. Go ahead & try them, you'll see. If you're looking for even more Batman theme wallpapers then be sure to check out our BATMAN WALLPAPERS PAGE. The link button is on the right-side of this blog. We also post NEW wallpapers every Wednesday so if you dig thru the ARCHIVES then you can find them all ( The "Bat-Archives" are on the right-side too, down low )...with both sources there are nearly 100 of them!

Bat-Video: Zeller's Batman & Robin TV Commercial w/ The Joker

This is mainly a test of one of Blogger's new functions where you can embed your own videos. This video is a TV Commercial for the toy department of Zeller's Stores. Zellers is mainly located in Canada so a lot of Americans have never seen them before....a real treat.

THE DARK KNIGHT: Hershey's Chocolate Candy Promotion for New Batman Movie

Here's a picture I blatantly stole from a friend's Batman Fan web page because I think it's kind of cool. Ha Ha, sorry, Jason. Here's some prototype photos showing what the Reese's Pieces candy bar wrapper is gonna look like once THE DARK KNIGHT Batman Movie is out. It also looks like Batman will be featured on the Kit Kat candy bar too. Below that is a picture showing the "advertising header card" that will probably be a store display. At the bottom of that they show the URL for their site as REESESBATMAN.COM but I checked & the site isn't up yet....stay tuned, we'll let ya know when it does. Oh, my friend's page I stole this picture from actually has a pretty cool blog. Here's the URL, check it out!! http://batmanthedarkblog.blogspot.com/

Vintage Batman Toys: BATMAN BEYOND Burger King Kid's Club Toys

Now when I think of "Vintage" I think of stuff from the 1950's & 60's, maybe even the 70's or 80's. But I guess you can label anything "Vintage" that's NOT in the stores any more....hmmm, I wonder. Here's an example: Shown here is a graphic showing all the fast food toys in the complete set of 8 BATMAN BEYOND toys from the Burger King Kid's Club meals ©2000. I remember when these came out & I got a few but I think I'm missing some so I found this picture to use as a guide. In the future I plan to complete this set. Anyway, I really love the BATMAN BEYOND cartoon. I remember the days before this TV show came out & I was very skeptical. I mean, the promo art I was seeing sort of had me worried. But, after it came out, I seriously loved this show. The animation was great, the stories were pretty good, the sound effects / voice acting, etc... was top-notch! Overall, it was a really great series. I think because of it's short life this version of Batman gets over looked, it shouldn't.

The Bat-Blog's ONE YEAR Anniversary is Today!!

This is a proud day for me, the writer of this blog. Today is the one year anniversary of the Bat-Blog! I know it sounds kind of corny but it has been really exciting doing this. The best thing has been the open communication with the fans of Batman that exist from all over the world. The countries where we get e-mail from is sort of exciting too. Germany, England, Argentina, Bulgaria, Canada, Mexico, and many others are telling us about their love of the character. When I began the Bat-Blog I was concerned about being able to come up with new material everyday but there are so many angles to the character that it's been a lot easier than I thought. One way we keep things fresh is getting material from readers. We love that because sometimes it's an angle we're not thinking about at the time. People send us photos from their personal collections of Batman Toys & that's always fun. The joy of collecting Batman Toys & Comic Books is what the Bat-Blog is really ALL about. We also try to cover everything else like the TV Shows, Movies, Cartoons, Art Work, etc... The 1st year anniversary has got me thinking about new improvements to this blog. I have some new ideas that I hope will make it a better experience. If you ever have any ideas please send them in. I look forward to doing this year after year so if you're a Bat-Blog or Batman Fan then please help spread the word. Please post a link to us in your Website, Blog, Message Board Postings, MySpace Page, etc...

Please Help Promote The BAT-BLOG Today!

Tommorrow, August 26th, is the official ONE YEAR ANNIVERSARY of the Bat-Blog! I can't believe we have been doing this for one year!! It's really been a labor of love & I hope that shows. The main goal of this blog was to share the love of collecting Batman Toys, Collectibles, & Comic Books. We also love the TV Shows, Movies, Cartoons, etc.. Right now we want to ask a few small things from our readers. 1. Please promote the Bat-Blog with links on your own Blogs, Message Boards, MySpace Pages, etc...We have buttons/banners all over the place you can use & if you need a special one made, just ask! Up above are 2 examples. Link them to http://www.bat-blog.com 2. Please let us know what kind of content you would like to see. We seriously try to cover ALL angles of Batman but might miss out on certain areas. 3. Please send material ( Pictures & photos ) to us via e-mail. The button for sending us mail is on the right-side of the blog. It's easy to do & we love getting mail anyway, ha ha!

Cool Art : Batman Poster Made From Montage of Vintage Comic Book Covers

This is pretty cool. We got an e-mail from a Bat-Blog Reader named Mike who wrote, "I thought you might like this. This is a Batman poster I made of Alex Ross's rendition of Batman made completely of individually placed and overlapped Batman comic covers. It took me around 14 hours to do and the real size is 27 by 41 inches. I also did a superman one but this isn't Superman-blog so I'll keep that one to myself. Enjoy!". WOW! 14 hours is some serious dedication!! But the overall effect is really awesome. We think you did a super-great job on this & if readers look very closely it DOES look just like Ross's artwork....great job Mike!! Really great!! Thank you for sharing this with the blog. Readers might have to click on the small picture up above for a larger, more detailed, picture...it's cool!

Bat-Video : TV Commercial for 1989 Batman Movie

Batman Humor : Funny Comic Strip by Fred Hembeck

Anyone who's ever read a comic book, be it either DC or Marvel, knows about the great cartoon-style art of Fred Hembeck. We're such big fans of his that we added his blog FRED SEZ to our BAT-LINKS page. Be sure to check it out later. For now, here's a very humorous comic strip to enjoy!

Vintage Comic Book Ad : 1966 Batman Magic Photo Kit

Here's a picture sent to us awhile back & we totally lost it on our computer files. It's an advertisement for the BATMAN MAGIC PHOTO KIT & dates from the mid-sixties, probably 1966. The graphics are really cool & I have never seen the actual product that you would get in the mail. If anyone has a picture of that toy then please send it...we're very curious!

Original Batman Art Work : Tim Burton's Personal Birthday Card

Here's a really cool picture sent to us by Dave, a loyal Bat-Blog Reader. He writes, "This photo is a personal favorite of mine. It's an original art drawing by Tim Burton ( The director of 1989 Batman Movie, Edward Scissorhands, & The Nightmare Before Christmas ). It's a cartoonish rendering of Batman & Robin that is sort of surreal because Batman has 2 mouths, very strange. It was a birthday wish to a friend of his....lucky! Please post it." Wow Dave! We love this drawings & we're sure many other Bat-Blog readers are gonna like it too. Thank you for sharing this photo with us. If any other readers have some cool photos to share then please do. You can find our E-MAIL US button on the right-side of this blog.

Batman Art Work : DICK SPRANG Framed BATCAVE Art Print

A new friend to the Bat-Blog, named Hans, sent us this photo of a Batman Fine Art Print he recently purchased & had framed. He lives in the Netherlands & is a huge Batman Fan! The artwork is done by Classic Golden Age Comic Book Artist Dick Sprang. It's a lithograph & Han said it was # 84 of only 175. Wow! This is an amazing piece of art. This was a highly detailed graphic showing the many different aspects of the classic BATCAVE. You see the Giant Penny, The Bat-Computers, The Bat-Vehicles ( Batmobiles, Bat-Plane, Bat-Copter, etc...), The Stuffed Dinosaur, & The Bat-Lab. You also have a Rouge's Gallery with The Joker, Penguin, Riddler, Two-Face, & Catwoman too. I remember when these came out & I really wanted one but could not afford it at the time....looks great Han, great job on the framing too, very nice!! Also, thank you for sending us this photo to share. We wish all Bat-Blog readers send a photo!

Batman Wallpapers : BATGIRL ACTION FIGURE & 1966 TV Series

Here's 2 awesome desktop backgrounds you can use in a MySpace Layout or as a desktop wallpaper. These 2 Batman Wallpapers are both Batgirl related. The 1st one is the new Silverage Batgirl Action Figure to be released by DC Direct in 2008. It's based on the classic comic book art of Carmine Infantino. We seriously love this action figure!! The 2nd one is a photographic montage of different poses by Yvonne Craig, as Batgirl in the 1966 TV Series. This vintage 1960's bombshell is still popular today...MEOW!

Video : A Tribute To The 1966 Batman TV Show Series

Batman Memorabilia From Around The World

One thing I love about doing the BAT-BLOG are the e-mails from people from all over the world. It seems like there are Batman Fans everywhere. Germany, France, Bulgaria, Argentina, India, etc...all have products featuring the Dark Knight. here's a few examples. The 1st picture is a Laser Disc made for the Japanese market. It features the 1966 Batman Movie w/ Burt Ward & Adam West. Batman is really HUGE in Japan! The 2nd photo is a RARE piece of Bat-Memorabilia from the UK. Our friends in England use the word "Badges" instead of "Buttons" or "Pins", like we do in the USA. The last photo is a Batman Comic Book from Poland. It is titled "LADERLAPPEN", which sound kind of cool!

The BAT-BLOG Turns a New DARK KNIGHT Photo Into Shameless Promotion!

Here's a new picture from THE DARK KNIGHT Batman Movie showing Alfred ( Micheal Caine ) in the new Bat-Cave explaining to Bruce Wayne / Batman ( Christian Bale ) what he thinks about this blog, ha ha ha! Yes, shame on me.

New Batman Toys : 7 Yamato Figures from Japan

The residents at Gotham City are now available as 4 inch tall figures and each with a bat symbol base! Made by Yamato Japan & distributed by DC Direct. A set of 7 figures contains Robin, Penguin, Joker, Harley Quinn, Poison Ivy & 2 versions of Batman.

Auction : Original Batman Costume Mask Worn By George Clooney

Recently on eBay, a very cool auction company called PROFILES IN HISTORY auctioned off the original costume mask/cowl that George Clooney wore in the Batman & Robin movie. I can't remember the exact price but I think it went for $6,000.00. Now, that's a bargain for a one-of-a-kind piece like that! This company has also sold the original Batman, Robin, & Batgirl costumes, from the same movie, in previous lots. Those all brought around $12,000 each. This company always has the most impressive items. "Where do they get those wonderful toys?!", ha ha! The only company I can think of that might compete with them would be Heritage Auctions from Dallas, Tx.

Batman Movie News : US Senator PATRICK LEAHY will make an appearance in The DARK KNIGHT

It's confirmed, long time Batman Fan Patrick Leahy will be making an appearance in the NEW Batman Movie THE DARK KNIGHT. Patrick Leahy is the Senior United States Senator from Vermont. He is a member of the Democratic Party, and is the current chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee. A big fan of the Batman comics, he lent his voice in an episode of Batman: The Animated Series as a Governor in a western tale involving Ra's al Ghul & Jonah Hex. He also appeared as a cameo in the movie Batman and Robin during the Jungle Party Sequence. Senator Leahy wrote the foreward to the first volume of "The Dark Knight Archives," a hardcover reprinting of the first four issues of the Batman comic book. We think it's great that somebody so high-up in government is such a HUGE Batman Fan!!

Bat-Birthday : JILL St. JOHN from the 1966 Batman TV Series

Today, August 16th, is Jill St. John's 67th birthday & we wanna wish her the best!! She's made many appearances on both film & TV. She appeared as "Molly" in the 1966 Batman TV Series & was also in the 1971 James Bond film "Diamonds Are Forever". Plus, she is extremely HOT!

Wacky Homemade Batmobile & Bat-Blog Promotion

I found these 2 photos of a "Homemade Batmobile" on one of my favorite Batman Message Boards. When I saw them I knew they had to be shared here because they are so hilarious! Some guy made his own Batmobile & we think he did a really great job on it. I mean, it's not a totally accurate & perfect replica car but it's really really funny! We love it when bat-fans get creative!! Speaking of creativity, the next photo is my own personal work truck, Ha Ha!! Yes, I found some white-vinyl stick-on letters at a garage sale recently & decided to advertise the BAT-BLOG on my tailgate. Who knows, maybe somebody will see it in traffic and when they get home they will come check out the BAT-BLOG web page...it can't hurt & ya gotta try to promote yourself ANY way you can. In fact, we wanna ask all our loyal Bat-Blog readers to do the same, ha ha!!

Vintage Sixties Batman Memorabilia - Toys & Paper Items

OK, We have been posting a lot of the new photos from THE DARK KNIGHT Movie so we thought we would get back to what the BAT-BLOG is really all about & that's cool Vintage Batman Toys! The 1st photo is a personal favorite, mainly because they are so cute & extremely hard to find in an unopened package, that's the Box of 1960's Batman Valentines Cards. The retro-style graphics on these are really great to see! The next item is pretty RARE also. It's a Batman & Robin Punch-Out Book made by Whitman ©1966. Again, the graphics are great!! It's also kind of funny that you could buy it for 29 cents. If any readers have photos of some of your cool Batman Memorabilia then please send them in to us to share.

THE DARK KNIGHT Movie : More Photos of Heath Ledger as The Joker

These new photos from THE DARK KNIGHT Batman Movie speak for them self. They feature more of what Heath Ledger will look like as The Joker in the new bat-film. These pictures, more than ever, really show his costume & make-up very well.
HELP SPREAD THE WORD!
Please put the JOKER Banner ( The Dark Knight Movie ) seen below on your MySpace Layout, Blog, or Website!! Just copy the code below & paste to your profile! Thank You! <center><a href="http://tomztoyz.blogspot.com/"><img src="http://i120.photobucket.com/albums/o175/tomstoyz/props85.jpg" height="144" width="160" /></a></center>

New Photos : Batman Action Shots From THE DARK KNIGHT Movie

These just in! Here's some action shot photos from the new THE DARK KNIGHT movie of Batman scaling a wall to dive on a car below ( The Joker maybe ??? ). Also, We're not sure if this is actually Christian Bale or a stunt man but it's still cool to see! The movie is currently shooting in Chicago & will be released in 2008.

New Batman & Joker Photos From THE DARK KNIGHT Movie

Wow! When I opened my e-mail this morning I was shocked by this awesome set of photos! Thank you Dave, thank you very much, these are great!!! The 1st one shows a nice example of what the Bat-Cave is gonna look like. I like the way the Bat-Costume is displayed behind Christian Bale ( Bruce Wayne ). Plus, it's nice to see Micheal Caine as Alfred again, indeed. The 2nd pic is a GREAT photo of Heath Ledger as The Joker. One of the best so far! The 3rd photograph shows the BAT-POD Bat-Bike in action...love it! The last of the pix features Batman resting on a balcony in Gotham City. It really shows the new Bat-Costume in a lot of sharp detail...nice!! Thanks again Dave, these are seriously cool!!
HELP SPREAD THE WORD!
Please put the JOKER Banner ( The Dark Knight Movie ) seen below on your MySpace Layout, Blog, or Website!! Just copy the code below & paste to your profile! Thank You! <center><a href="http://tomztoyz.blogspot.com/"><img src="http://i120.photobucket.com/albums/o175/tomstoyz/props85.jpg" height="144" width="160" /></a></center>

Original Comic Book Art : JIM LEE, All-Star Batman and Robin #1

Here's a nice photo of an original piece of comic book art by Jim Lee from All-Star Batman & Robin's 1st issue. This is page 4 & features a lovely girl. I know the comic-nerds are gonna hate this!! ( I mean "comic-nerds" in a good way, ha ha ). The actual comic book page is featured on the right, for comparison. Please be sure to click on it to see the details, nice work!!

Custom Art Sculpture: 1989 Batman & Joker Busts

While crusin' eBay the other day I discovered this amazing artist named Mike Hill who makes very life-like sculptures that he casts in resin. Here's an example of his work. Here is Micheal Keaton & Jack Nicholson as Batman & The Joker from the now classic 1989 movie. The attention to details are insane!

Batman BIRTHDAY CAKE Photo From Bulgaria!

A new friend to the BAT-BLOG, named Zdravko Genov, gave us this photo of the Batman Birthday Cake he had recently. It's shaped just like the Batmobile from the Animated Series & it's extremely cool!! There are also 2 PVC figures used as decoration. The Batman figure looks like the McDonalds Happy Meal Toy from a few years ago but the Robin is one I have never seen before. The other thing that's kind of neat is that he lives in Bulgaria...wow! See, Batman is popular all over the world, that's great!! Thanks again Zdravko for the cool picture, we love it.

Toy Prototype ( Never Made ) Batman Animated Series

A brand-new contributor to the BAT-BLOG, named Kevin, sent us this photo of a prototype for a Batman Toy that was never made. It's Batman from the Animated Series & he is shaped like one of those "Barrel Full of Monkeys" game pieces. I guess the idea was to make a game like this but it never was produced. Wow! This would have been a really cool collectible. Too bad they didn't make it. This item has got to be Super-RARE since it's one of a kind, that's cool. Thanks again for sending the photo Kevin! If any other readers have ANY kind of cool Batman photos then please send them in to us. The BAT-BLOG is ALL about sharing information about the hobby we love, Batman toy collecting.

About The BAT-BLOG Author / Writer / Blogger

Hello Everybody! Just the other day we got an e-mail from a BAT-BLOG reader who said he has been reading the blog for about 6 months now & was wondering what I looked like. He said, "Hey Tommy, I'm just curious what you look like because since reading your blog I almost feel like I know you now". Ha ha, OK Mike, here's a picture of what I look like...if I were a Simpson's character, ha ha!

Video: 1966 Batman TV Show Batmobile Replica Car Spotted in Memphis!

Bat-Birthday : JULIE NEWMAR Catwoman 1966 TV Series

Yeah! Today, August 16th, is Julie Newmar's birthday! She turns 74 today. Of course all Batman Fans know her as the beautiful ( and best ) Catwoman from the 1966 TV Series. It's kind of funny, for this blog I knew I would be doing this post for a few days so, in advance, I asked some friends if they had a current photo of her. Bamm! I received this photo of her you see above. It was taken very very recently! Wow, she still looks great & I'm told she's in very good health so that's very good. We have included a video down below that is sort of a biography on her, a nice touch...enjoy. Oh yeah, "Happy Birthday Julie Newmar!!"

FEMME FATALES Magazine: Bat-Babe Issue

This month look for the brand-new issue of FEMME FATALES in your local book stores! Why? Because it features a special spread on "Bat-Babes" with beautiful models wearing Batman, Batgirl, & Robin costumes. The extremely well-detailed costumes were supplied by Wally Wingert. The costumes are the classic 1966 Batman TV Series style that everyone loves. Wally's costumes are also known for their great attention to detail. There's the classic 60's Batgirl costume like the one worn by Yvonne Craig. Plus the Batman & Robin ones like Adam West & Burt Ward used. The lovely ladies in costume are so pretty that they will drive all comic book geeks insane!! HUBBA HUBBA!!

Mike Wieringo : Famous Comic Book Artist Passed Away

Last Sunday comic book artist Mike Wieringo, known to friends as "Ringo", passed away at his home. He had a major heart attack at the very young age of 44. He's best known for his work on Marvel's Fantastic Four but he also did a stint at DC Comics drawing the Robin comic book. Friends of mine who knew him always said he was very down-to-earth & an extremely nice guy. This is also how many people remember him. It's nice to know that besides being a very talented artist he was also a great person, he will be missed. Our thoughts go out to his family. ( The 1st picture up above is a self-portrait, which we thought was fitting for such a wonderful artist. It really looks like him a lot! ).

Wacky Batman Wallpaper Wednesday!

Yes! This Wednesday we're able to post new Batman Wallpapers! Last week we experienced the worst PC virus ever & was unable to post anything for a few days....aarrrgggh! But today we're on schedule. Here are 2 kick-ass Batman Wallpapers you can use to brighten your desktop or put in a MySpace layout. The 1st graphic is a scanned Golden Age Comic Book page where you see Batman bursting thru a window. As wallpaper, it looks like he is jumping thru your PC monitor. I love the "Retro 30's look" of Batman here. The 2nd graphic is by Frank Miller & is from the classic graphic novel THE DARK KNIGHT RETURNS. It has the cool Carrie Kelley ( Girl Robin ) character that you don't see a lot of, very obscure. Be sure to check the BAT-BLOG ARCHIVES for many many more desktop wallpapers. We also have a Batman Wallpapers page. The links for both are supplied on the right-side of the blog.

NEW TOY NEWS : Mattel Recalls Batman Toys

This morning, on almost every major cable news program ( CNN, MSNBC, etc...), the CEO of Mattel announced that there are some toys made in China for the Mattel Toy Company that are being recalled. The 2 major problems are some toys having lead paint & others have magnets that fall out. They announced that there are 4 Batman Action Figures with this magnet problem. These are the EXP Series figures with "Magna" in the name. It's been almost impossible to get photos of these & we think these are the actual four they are talking about. You can get more information about the recall list at the Official Mattel website, check it out!

Vintage 1970's MEGO DOLLS AD : Magnetic Batman & Robin

Here's a blast from the past some of you might recognize. This is an original comic book advertisement for the, now classic, 12 1/2" MAGNETIC BATMAN & ROBIN Dolls made by Mego Toys. The weird thing about it is that it's all comic book art work & it doesn't have a photograph of the actual toy. If you're a Mego Fan then be sure to visit our archives ( located at the right-side of this blog ) to see many more stories & photos of Rare Vintage 1970's Toys. We also want to recommend a great website called MegoMuseum for even more information. We have a link to them on our BAT-LINKS page ( the link button is on the top right-side ).

Humor : Funny Batman-Related Photos HA HA!

In today's screwed-up world it's good to have a laugh every now & then, ha ha! That's why we decided to post a few funny pictures today, just to brighten your day. The 1st photo was sent in by a loyal BAT-BLOG reader named Kevin. He made this "Balloon Art" of Batman that cracks me up. I mean, it's really well made & a good likeness but at the same time it's kind of funny. Thanx for sending us this picture Kevin, I know the readers WILL like it a lot.The 2nd picture is just a random photo from the internet & seeing Daffy Duck in Batman Costume is silly. The last photo is the cover to a bootleg book done by a Jewish comedian. It's called "Batfink & Rubin", kinda weird huh? We want to invite all the other readers to send us stuff too, we love getting e-mail.

Just Released : BATGIRL SHOWCASE Graphic Novel Book

This month DC Comics released the SHOWCASE Graphic Novel featuring past stories of BATGIRL. For readers who have never read one of these here's the basic information. For awhile now DC has been putting out these special SHOWCASE books which usually have around 500+ pages of reprinted comic books that all revolve around a central character. There have been a few of these already & they're really cool. Now, my ONLY complaint is that the stories are not reprinted in color but done in black & white. But, this keeps the cost down & they are really a great value. Also, you can find these at your local book stores like Borders or Barnes and Noble.

Vintage Batman Toys : RARE Japanese Items

I guess if you're a regular reader of the BAT-BLOG then you'll know that we are totally goo-goo over both vintage & foreign Batman toys. Here's some really great examples of some 1960's Batman items from Japan. The 1st photo is an extremely cool BAT-PHONE made for the Japanese market. We love the groovy vintage graphics on the box & it's neat to see the word "Batman" in Japanese, way cool! The 2nd photo is a very RARE Batmobile item that is sort of a trinket box. Actually it's more like a Pencil Box. I have a friend who has one of these & she will NOT part with it for anything. ( Some day it will BE MINE, ha ha! ). The last item is a retro Batman Pencil Sharpener from Japan. I couldn't remember if we posted this picture before, but who cares, it's ultra-cool!! If any readers have some nice stuff like this to share then please send photos.

BATMAN VIDEO: Batmobile Monster Truck at Monster Jam, Indianapolis 2007

NEW TOYS : DC Super Friends Are In Stores NOW!

Last night I went up to Super-Target to get a few groceries for dinner. Since I was there I thought I would hit the old toy isles to see if there were any NEW Batman Toys.....There was, Finally!! Mattel just released the 1st wave of DC SUPER FRIENDS Action Figures. They are basically the Justice League characters all done in a super-cute style, like they are little kids or something. They are so cute & adorable that I know many comic book fans are gonna love them! So far they have released Batman, Superman, Green Lantern, Flash, Lex Luthor, & Aquaman. They also have 3 vehicles. The Super-Bike ( why does Superman need a vehicle?? ), a Bat-Bike, & the Batmobile. The Batmobile is really very cool but sadly it seems sort of too pricey to me. The retail price is about 30 bucks! I mean, it looks great but it is kind of light & flimsy. I think it should be priced around $20.00, that would be more fair. OK, back to the figures. Up above I have made a DESKTOP WALLPAPER you can use to brighten your PC background ( as wallpaper it can also remind you to go out & buy it, ha ha ). You could also use this wallpaper as a background in a MySpace Layout...enjoy! Also, Under the "Batman Figure" Wallpaper, I've included a photo of the Batmobile.

COMIC BOOK COVER : The JOKER # 1, Classic!

Personally, in different stages, I collected comic books hardcore when I was young. 1st it was in my very early teens, back in the 70's. One day, at a drug store, I bought an issue of SPIDERMAN : PETER PARKER off one of those metal comic book spinning racks. I was instantly hooked! Even to this day I seriously love the "sqeeking sound" those old racks make when you turn them around. I collected a few titles for a few years, mainly Batman issues. But then I discovered something more important ( Girls & Cars ). I quit collecting until the 1980's. Then I was in my early 20's at that time & I had a way better job so I could afford to collect more. At that time I collected many different titles. Mainly Batman, Detective Comics, Superman, Action Comics, Aquaman, Wonder Woman, Amazing Spiderman, X-Men, Wolverine, Star Trek: The Next Generation, etc...many many more! But, one of my favorite comics from those early years was The Joker. He got his own comic book but it didn't last long ( I think he only had about 9 issues ). The Joker #1 ( shown up above ) was my all-time favorite Joker cover. It was also the ONLY comic book I ever had destroyed. I had it sitting on the kitchen table & for some reason my cat went nuts! She totally shreaded the entire comic! Someday soon I am gonna get this comic again & frame it as a reminder of the good old days. Yes, I'm becoming an old man, ha ha!

Batman Wallpapers : The Dark Knight For Your Desktop!

OK, I guess I have some explaining to do. This week I have not been posting every day like I usually do because my computer got a very VERY nasty virus!! It was a 3 day nightmare trying to fix it all back but I was finally able to reformat & now my computer is better than ever. Now, the BAT-BLOG is famous for posting 2 brand-new FREE Batman Wallpapers every Wednesday. We call it "Wacky Wallpapers Wednesday", ha ha! Well, my PC was down so I didn't get to post them then so I thought I would post them now. Here are 2 wonderful desktop wallpapers you can use to brighten your computer's desktop or use as a background in a MySpace layout. The 1st one is my favorite because it reminds me of POP ART & I think the artwork was done by Carmine Infantino, one of the greatest Batman Artists...ever! The 2nd one isn't too shabby either...enjoy!

COVER : 1950's Batman 3-D Comic Book with Glasses

Here's an incredible photo sent to the BAT-BLOG by a loyal reader who said he just recently found the original 3-D glasses for this 1953 Batman 3-D comic book he has had for almost a year! He said since getting the book without the glasses that he has been obsessed! His e-mail was pretty cool because he really seemed excited about this, which is awesome, & he wanted to share the news with Bat-Blog readers....Thanks Dave! We're really happy for you & this is really great news, thanks again for the photo. Also, thanks for thinking about this blog, that's cool! We love getting photos & e-mail from readers. Sharing info about Batman is what we're all about.

BAT-HISTORY : Chris O'Donell's Original ROBIN COSTUME Suit for Batman Forever Movie

Recently, on eBay, a really cool auction company named PROFILES IN HISTORY auctioned off the original Robin Costume worn by Chris O'Donell in the 1995 Warner Brothers movie BATMAN FOREVER. It's made mostly out of foam latex & is covered with metallic paint. It sold for $12,000.00. Yes, you read that right, twelve thousand!! This is the same company that sold George Clooney's Batman costume awhile back. Be sure to click on the small picture above for a larger, more detailed, one.

DC DIRECT: Robin / Dick Grayson 13" Action Figure

Here's a new addition to DC Direct's new line of 13 inch Action Figure Dolls, Dick Grayson as Robin! These figures are well articulated & very detailed. I really like this one & I might have to break down & get it!! ( They're kind of expensive. I think they're around $50 or $60.00 ) Ouch!

TWO-FACE Batman Custom Resin Model Kit

Here's a really cool picture I found on the web awhile back. It's from a company named Spyda Creations & they specialize in Resin Model Kits. Here's one that is an art bust of TWO-FACE. I forget the URL but a quick Google search should get their web page. They're very well known company in the resin model kit community.

Documentary Video - 1989 Batman Movie

BATMAN ANIME : Soon To Be Released DVD Movie

Here's an official graphic from Warner Bros about a soon-to-be released DVD Cartoon Movie titled BATMAN ANIME. The description reads: Set in the period between BATMAN BEGINS and THE DARK KNIGHT, this brand new adventure follows BATMAN as he unravels a mystery over six original stories done in the style of Japanese Anime. Each of the six original stories has been written by a highly respected screenwriter or comic book creator. The talent includes Academy Award nominee Josh Olsen ( The History of Violence ), screenwriter of the Blade films and Batman Begins David Goyer, and famed comic book writer Brian Azzarello, among others. The Batman Anime DVD is viewed as a perfect companion piece to BATMAN BEGINS and THE DARK KNIGHT. The original stories introduce a number of classic characters from the DC Comics BATMAN universe as well as following up on characters and storylines that were introduced in BATMAN BEGINS. Target: Core fans and tween boys Rating: PG-13 ( anticipated ) Release: 2-4 weeks in advance of TDK film release. ( Click the picture above for a larger photo )

Humor Video: BAT-FOLLIES, a Silly Fan-Made Batman Parody

Here's a very funny ( and well made ) fan-made film of Batman, Robin, Joker, Catwoman, etc...titled BAT-FOLLIES. It contains a lot of references from the 1966 TV Show & current modern-day movies....enjoy, ha ha!

Rare Photos: BATMAN CONTRIL STATION Vintage UK Toy

Even though we try to cover New Batman Movie Information, New Batman Toys, FREE Batman Desktop Wallpapers, the Cartoons & TV Series. The main focus of the BAT-BLOG is, of course, Vintage Bat-Memorabilia!! Here's an example: This Vintage Batman Toy photo was brought to our attention by a Bat-Blog Message Board member nick-named "Jokerscrowbar". This item was recently posted on eBay.UK & is so RARE that we have NEVER ever seen it before! It's the BATMAN CONTROL STATION made in the 60's by Tudor Rose, a UK toy company. The graphics on the BOX are extremely awesome!! The weird thing though is that the actual toy doesn't resemble anything in the "Batman Universe". The rockets look more like something you would see in Flash Gordon or Buck Rogers. But I gotta get back to the graphics on th box. The artwork is done in a sort-of Carmine Infantino comic book style that is beautiful. Looks like it was a painted graphic made especially for the box art. It also kind-of looks like the artwork done for those 1966 Topps Batman Trading Cards too....very VERY nice! Thanx Jokerscrowbar for sharing this with us. ( Click on the above photo for a larger, more detailed, picture ).

Bat-Birthday : THE JOKER is 67 Years Old Today!

Even though THE JOKER is a fictional character & not a "real person" a lot of comic book fans consider August 1st to be Joker's official birthday! Since he first appeared in the classic Golden Age comic book BATMAN #1 (Spring 1940) I guess that makes him 67 years old!! Just a note: The 1st graphic up above is a Desktop Wallpaper of Joker's 1st Appearance!!

Wallpapers: The DARK KNIGHT Batman Costume & Aurora Model Kit of ROBIN, THE BOY WONDER!

I thought these 2 pictures would be a nice set of wallpapers to brighten a desktop background or use in a MySpace page. They each feature BATMAN AND ROBIN!! The 1st one is the official photo of the NEW Batman Costume that will be worn by Christian Bale in the new THE DARK KNIGHT Batman Movie. The 2nd wallpaper graphic was sent in by a cool BAT-BLOG reader & is a sharp photo of the re-issued Aurora ROBIN THE BOY WONDER Model Kit, very well done with a really great paint job! ( Thanks Jeff, for the great pic! )