For the Art Collectors who collect the BATMAN: BLACK & WHITE Statues here's a brand-new addition just announced by DC Direct. It's the Neal Adams version of The MAN-BAT! This statue will be sculpted by Jason "Spyda" Adams so you know it's gonna be ultra-cool! The pose that Kirk Langstrom ( character's name ) is in is taken from the cover to the classic Detective Comics #400 comic book ( shown down below ). Which, by the way, was the character's very first appearance. Plus it's interesting to note that Neal Adams had actually created this character so that's cool they're making a statue & having him design it. The Retail Price for the B&W Statue will be $ 80.00 & it goes on sale October 13th, 2010. So, towards the end of the year, be sure to keep an eye out for this awesome piece of art!
Just a quick post to let "Batman: The Brave and The Bold" Cartoon Fans know that there is now a Set of Bedding to purchase. It comes in both Twin & Full Size. You get a Comforter, Top Sheet, Bottom Sheet, & 2 Pillowcases. I'm really loving the graphics on this thing. It features Batman, Aquaman, Blue Beetle, & Red Tornado! I might have to get one for my room, ha ha!
Well, it looks like the DETECTIVE COMICS #27 recently auctioned off by Heritage Auction Galleries of Dallas, TX is now totally famous as being the world's most expensive auction price for a Golden Age Comic Book! Of course all Batman Fans know this issue to be the very 1st appearance of the Dark Knight in 1939. It sold for $1,075,000. Yes, you read that right, One Million Seventy Five Thousand Dollars!! Just 3 days prior to the Batman comic book selling so well a company called Comic Connect auctioned off a vintage issue of Superman ( Action Comics # 1 ) for 1 million. Then, Batman beat that record price by 75 thousand!!
There's been a lot of news lately about the actor Joshua Andrew Koenig missing & it appears that he was finally found on Thursday. Apparently, while on a trip in Canada, he committed suicide. He is the son of Walter Koenig, the actor who played Chekov on the Classic 60's TV series STAR TREK. For Batman Fans Andrew is best known as playing the Joker on the BATMAN: DEAD END Fan Film. I gotta say that movie is a total fan-favorite. It's really well made, a lot of fun, & Andrew's acting of The Joker was totally great. I hope he finds peace where he is now. The family has asked that if people want to make any donations then please contact the US Campaign for Burma. It was a charity that Andrew was deeply involved in, Please CLICK HERE.
Here are some amazing examples of the fantastic artwork of Alex Toth! Most of his fans know him for his Golden Age Comic Book Art but he was also a leading Graphic Designer in the World of Animation. In fact, he created most of the visual look for the Super Friends Cartoon TV Show back in the early 1970's & here are 3 totally awesome "Model Sheets" to prove it! A Model Sheet is something used by an Animator to keep an exact idea of what certain things are suppose to look like. It helps to make artwork consistent & sets the correct scales, sizes, & colors too. In these examples you see the ones for Batman himself, his Batmobile Car, & the famous Bat-Jet! I totally love this old animated cartoon & when I was a very little kid I really loved it too. I wanna thank our friend Scott for sending these great pictures & reminding me of my childhood. Also, I'm a HUGE Alex Toth Fan so seeing anything by him is a great treat.
Here's a very clever BATMAN TATTOO sent in by a Bat-Blog Fan named Zachary. He totally loves BATMAN: THE ANIMATED SERIES & to prove it his tattoo shows 3 frames from the Animation Storyboard for the cartoon's opening intro. WOW! That's very original & actually very very cool! He said he got the image from the BATMAN ANIMATED Book by Paul Dini & Chip Kidd. I love that book. It's a great "behind the scenes" look at the making of the TV Show. It came out a few years ago & is a total fan-favorite among many Batman Collectors ( For more info I posted an Amazon link at the bottom of this post ). I wanna thank Zachary for sending in this wonderful photo & also give him props for getting such a unique bat-tat! Remember Readers, if you know anybody who recently got some ink done then please shoot us a photo. Our e-mail button is always on the top right-hand side of this blog.
HA HA HA HA, whew! OK, Lately we have been getting a few more drawings sent in by Bat-Blog Readers for the DRAW BATMAN'S FACE challenge. I gotta say that I'm putting them in the order we got them & this time they're all sort of crazy. I mean "crazy" in a good way! The 1st one is from our friend Ray. He decided to draw the Adam West version of the Dark Knight. For using the Microsoft DRAW program it turned out pretty great! The next 2 were done by our friend Gary. He said that the one with the scary face is the scene in the movie where Batman gets sprayed with Scarecrow's Fear Toxin ( it's awesome! ). The 2nd one is "Batman Dog Face", ha ha! The last one was drawn by a Good Citizen named Logan & it shows Batman enjoying a 3-D Movie ( IMAX maybe? ). It's pretty cool! I wanna thank everyone who sent these in. All you guys are totally great Graphic Artists!!
Here is a small Video Documentary on the "Making of BATMAN: UNDER THE RED HOOD". This will be the next animated DVD movie from Bruce Timm & the DC Universe. It will start with scenes from the classic comic book story line, "A Death in The Family" & will morph into a more modern day scenario where there is a new villain causing havoc in Gotham City, a guy named the RED HOOD. Plus, it looks like they have actor Bruce Greenwood ( New Star Trek movie ) doing the voice of Batman so that could be pretty cool!
One of the things I love about doing the Bat-Blog is getting to meet other Batman Fans from all over the world. Like, I recently met a very nice guy named Silvio Ribas who lives in Brazil. He's a major Batman Collector & he has a blog that shares what it is like to be a Batman Fan in his country. It's pretty cool! He also wrote a book in 2005 titled "Dicionario Do Morcego", which means "Dictionary of The Bat" in Portuguese. Hopefully he will send me a Review Copy, then I can give you more information about it. Now, unfortunately, I can't read the Portuguese language but I still like to visit Silvio's website every now & then because it does have some cool pictures & with translation software I can sort-of read it. Here's a LINK to check it out.
I meant to talk about this the other day but with the current release of the JUSTICE LEAGUE: CRISIS ON TWO EARTHS movie I was sort of busy. Well, it looks like Warner Bros is going to come out with a video game for the BATMAN: THE BRAVE AND THE BOLD property. The video game, for now, will be available for the Wii & Nintendo DS. Here's what the Official Press Release from Warner Brothers Games sort -of says:
Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment, on behalf of DC Comics, announces Batman: The Brave and the Bold the Videogame, an action-adventure videogame based on the popular animated series, available this Autumn for Wii™ and Nintendo DS™. In the game, fans play alongside Batman and many of his allies in the DC UNIVERSE to take on dozens of popular villains.
Batman: The Brave and the Bold the Videogame fully immerses fans into the vivid animated world of the successful TV series where kids can play as Batman or together with family and friends in two-player co-op mode. Players can choose from iconic characters ROBIN, GREEN LANTERN, BLUE BEETLE, along with drop-in heroes such as AQUAMAN to help solve puzzles and fight foes.
The game provides maximum replay value to those who own both the Wii and Nintendo DS versions by allowing them to connect the two systems to unlock BAT-MITE as a playable character. Players can control him with the Nintendo DS to wreak havoc or fight alongside the main characters in all levels of the Wii videogame.
Batman: The Brave and the Bold the Videogame further illustrates the diverse appeal of the Batman brand and the gameplay is a fun, vibrant extension of the animated series,” said Samantha Ryan, Senior Vice President of Development and Production, Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment.The game’s co-op play offers kids, families and Batman fans an interactive way of experiencing the cartoon’s iconic characters.”
In Batman: The Brave and the Bold the Video Game, players embark on an exciting journey through crime-filled alleys, alien planets, abandoned underground cities and mysterious laboratories. Further lending to the authentic cartoon feel of the game is the inclusion of Batman’s iconic gadgets such as Batarangs and his Grapnel Gun.
THE QUARTER BIN website was lucky enough to get to go to the Movie Premier of JUSTICE LEAGUE: CRISIS ON TWO EARTHS and interview many of the people involved in creating the film. The 1st interview is with Actor James Woods who does the voice for Owlman. The 2nd one is the writer of the movie, Dwayne McDuffie, & the last one is with the always great, always wonderful, Andrea Romano - Voice Director.
Since the DVD Movies ( Regular DVD, 2-Disc Set, & Blu-Ray ) for the new DC Universe JUSTICE LEAGUE: CRISIS ON TWO EARTHS animated film is going on sale today I thought I would share a few Free Background Wallpapers to celebrate! One features just Batman & the other one has Owlman & our favorite Dark Knight... enjoy!
OK, Here's a list of all the Promo Deals the Retail Stores are having to promote sales of their DVD of JUSTICE LEAGUE: CRISIS ON TWO EARTH. The 3 I'm covering are the major outlets: Best Buy, Amazon, & Target. I checked the Walmart website & they didn't list anything so if they do something please let me know. There might also be other promotional items out there with other stores. I have tried to compile this information the best I can so if it's not totally accurate then it's not my fault, ha! Alright, here we go! Most of the stores on this list have a Free Exclusive if you buy the DVD 2-Disc Set or the Blu-Ray Copy only. Looks like you don't get anything if you buy the regular DVD movie. Best Buy has an Exclusive 3" Figure of OWLMAN ( yeah, you read that right, 3 inches. But it does look kinda cool though ). Amazon gives you a Free Lithograph Poster with a graphic from the animated film ( No Batman shown ). The movies you buy at Target have a special "Extra Short of The SPECTRE" that sounds pretty cool! But, at the Amazon website they show that they have it too ( I think Target sells a lot of stuff through Amazon, like they are partners or something ). If I get any more information on any new promotional items then I'll be sure to post them here. So, stay tuned with the Bat-Blog!
Here's some freakin' sweet photos of the Original 1966 Batman TV Show & Movie BATCOPTER!! This is NOT a replica but the real deal! I got these photos from a friend named Amanda. In one pic you can see her standing next to Eugene Nock, the Owner & Pilot of the '66 Batman Helicopter. You see, after he bought the original TV & Movie Prop he totally restored it & now goes on tour visiting State Fairs & Auto/Comic Book Conventions allowing people to go for a ride. I know a few people who have done it & they all say it's a total blast! Because of the design of the copter's canopy you get an extreme view of the ground. A lot of people say it's almost like you're flying in the air like Peter Pan & not just looking out of a window. I know what they're talking about. I have not had a ride in this helicopter but one just like it ( a Bell Army one ), as a kid at the Oklahoma State Fair, many many years ago. It's a totally cool experience! I wanna thank Amanda for sharing these wonderful photos. She's very nice, I appreciate that. If there are any other Bat-Blog Readers who have taken a ride on the Famous Bat-Copter then please send us some pics & share your experience. Also, about Amanda: She is the Model from the "Superhuman Experiment" so please be sure to check it out sometime by clicking LINK!
Our friend Loyal went & got himself a Set of "Batman and Superman" tattoos that are pretty sweet! Fans of the Comic Book Artist Alex Ross will instantly recognize his hyper-realistic art style here. The colors & shading look really great. Plus, these images are very iconic so that's cool! Thanks to Loyal for sharing his wonderful Bat-Tats. If any other Bat-Blog Fans get some ink done please shoot us a photo. Our e-mail button is always on the top right-hand side of this page. Rock On!
Here's an item I spotted over at "Superhero Stuff" the other night & thought it was worthy enough to pass along. I like the 1980's retro-style artwork. It looks like they're starting to carry a Batman Ceramic Coffee Mug. So, I guess if the mugs turn out to be a good product then maybe we'll see more. I have a few & have always loved to drink out of them. Of course, I am a pretty cool guy! ( Ha Ha! Just kiddin' ) Anyways, here's a link down below if you want one:
Our friend Kai sent us this cool digital-drawing he did recently. It's a beautiful piece of art showing Terry McGinnis from the BATMAN BEYOND Animated Series. It's a mash-up of a few graphics added with his own art techniques. I've always loved that cartoon so seeing this is a rare treat, thanks Kai!
Alright, Here's a news report from our Retail-News Reporter Batmobilly! It looks like he's been hitting a few stores lately. He tells us that at Toys-R-Us he saw the new wave of Hot Wheels Batmobile Cars, the cool 1:50 Scale. As an example the BATMISSLE from the Batman Returns movie is shown. Next is another diecast item from Mattel that even I didn't know existed yet. It's a Monster Jam "Monster Duo" Set. You get the Bat-Truck & a special Hot Wheels Car ( Sort of looks like the Vintage Movie version here ). I really like that car! The last photo is from Wal-Mart & he said he took the pic because getting these DVD movies for only 5 bucks each is a pretty good deal. That is, if you just need 1 of them. Actually they have bundled all 4 of these movies together in one set for around $10. But if you're just missing one of these then $5 is cool. Thanks Batmobilly for the great report! If YOU, the Bat-Blog Reader, see any cool bat-merchandise while you're out cruising the stores then please let us know!
OK, ya gotta love it when people customize their car into a Batmobile...it's wacky! Here are some fun photos from a guy I met online named John. He did some custom work on a 1997 Cougar & made it into the Ultimate Bat-Car! As you can see from the very 1st photo chicks totally dig the ride. Yes, there is a car in that photo (look to the right). Now in the next pic you can see the custom upholstery with the Bat-Logo on the seats. I like that everything inside is black & grey. Plus,I totally love that futuristic steering wheel, very cool! The next 2 shots show the outside of the car. You can really see the custom paint job with the Bat-Symbol on the sides & the hood. I guess it's important to say that they were shot while on a road trip up & down Route 66. Some pics were shot at the Texas border & the other one was in the mountains. I wanna thank john for allowing us to show off his cool Bat-Car & also invite all other Bat-Blog Readers who have made some Custom Batman stuff to send your pics in too.
In the current ( March 2010 ) issue of "Antiques & Collecting" our friend Fred Grandinetti has written an article on Batman TV Show Collectibles. I have not seen it yet but plan to check it out this weekend. Has anyone seen it? Also, Fred just wrote an article about "Batgirl in The Media" that will be in Movie Collector's World # 742, April 2010. OK, now I have read this story & it's pretty interesting. Basically it just sort of outlines the history of the character & her many different appearances in all kinds of media, like: Comics, TV, Movies, Animation, etc... Look for the Batgirl story later at this LINK!
HA HA HA HA HA! The 1st photo is one I randomly found on the Internet. It's of a mother who dressed-up like the Joker to take her small son out for his birthday. It looks like they are using public transportation. He's wearing a kid's costume of our favorite Caped Crusader, BATMAN! I thought it was kinda sweet that a Mother would do that. Speaking of buses. The next image is a funny new Humor T-Shirt featuring Batman, in Gotham City, using a bus to get around. Maybe his Batmobile was in the garage? ( Yes, we'll be here all week folks, har har! ) The next pic is the best one, so that's why I saved it for last! Remember our "Draw Batman's Face" Art Challenge? Well, this one was sent in recently by our friend Aaron. He made Pokemon into the Dark Knight and it's awesome!! Seriously, I cracked-up when I first saw it, totally unexpected! ( Thanks Aaron, great drawing & the coloring is nice too ). Now, if you guys come across some funny Batman-related Humor then please let us know, thanks!
Just a quick post to remind Batman Collectors in Brazil that there's a brand-new Batman product you might pick-up while at the Drug Store. Also, while you're there, grab me one too! Ha Ha, I thought this weird piece of bat-merchandise was actually pretty cool. It's just a Box of Band-Aids but it has graphics that are totally different than the ones sold here. I'd like to end this post by asking all Bat-Blog Readers outside the USA to please let us know what kind of cool stuff you guys have in your country, thanks!
OK, This is a really really great, very heart warming, story! This photo is of the Hughes Family who live in the UK. They recently sent us this picture. Now at first I thought they had dressed-up for Halloween ( Do they have Halloween in England? ) but they did not. To help explain everything I'm just going to quote the letter they sent & it will give you a way better idea. Here it is:
The reason we were all dressed up was because my Mum hadn't been feeling very well, she is disabled and gets very down a lot. So we thought we would cheer her up by dressing up and going out in broad daylight to see her. My Mother had never seen us dressed like this before, but she has heard that my husband Richard loves Batman and owns a Bat-Suit. My Mother has never laughed so hard and we got so many strange looks from people on the drive over there! Batman with his mask on in the car, with a little Batman and two Joker villains...Yes, very funny!
I agree! Yes, Very funny indeed! See, I told you it would be a great story!! This is completely wonderful! I wanna thank the Hughes Family for sharing their photos. It's great that good things like this still happen from time to time. I bet your Mum will NEVER forget that special day, ha! If any other Bat-Blog Readers have similar events to share then please do. Send us some pics & your story!
For the Art Collectors who collect the BATMAN: BLACK & WHITE Statues here's a brand-new addition just announced by DC Direct. It's the Neal Adams version of The MAN-BAT! This statue will be sculpted by Jason "Spyda" Adams so you know it's gonna be ultra-cool! The pose that Kirk Langstrom ( character's name ) is in is taken from the cover to the classic Detective Comics #400 comic book ( shown down below ). Which, by the way, was the character's very first appearance. Plus it's interesting to note that Neal Adams had actually created this character so that's cool they're making a statue & having him design it. The Retail Price for the B&W Statue will be $ 80.00 & it goes on sale October 13th, 2010. So, towards the end of the year, be sure to keep an eye out for this awesome piece of art!
