On the PBS program, Pioneers of Television, this week they featured an episode called "Superheroes". It covers the early history of the appearance of comic book characters on television and also crosses many eras: "Superman" in the 1950s, "Batman" in the 1960s, "Wonder Woman" and "The Incredible Hulk" in the '70s and "The Greatest American Hero" in the '80s.
They all fought villains, rescued the innocent and became role models. The episode features in-depth interviews with Adam West, Burt Ward, Julie Newmar, Lynda Carter, Lou Ferrigno, William Katt and others.
Warner Bros. Home Entertainment is bringing LEGO BATMAN: THE MOVIE - DC SUPERHEROES UNITE to Blu-Ray Combo Pack and DVD on May 21st, 2013. We featured the trailer for it here at the BAT-BLOG awhile back but there's a new photo out now showing the cover art so we thought we'd share that. Plus, another cool announcement is that they will package a special CLARK KENT Lego Figure to go with it too.
Just in case you missed it. Here's the wacky movie trailer:
Since today is the time that most people will have seen the new BATMAN: THE DARK KNIGHT RETURNS Part 2 DVD Movie ( it was released yesterday, January 29th ) I thought I would post a few B:TDKR WALLPAPERS to celebrate!
The 1st two feature my favorite character in both the graphic novel and film, Carrie Kelley, The Girl ROBIN! Then, we get a rare glimpse at a few Members of the Mutant Gang. Enjoy!
Right here, right now, is the brand-new "Tunnel Of Love" video clip from BATMAN: The Dark Knight Returns, Part 2 - AVAILABLE TODAY on Blu-ray Combo Pack and DVD!
The clip features Batman and the Joker finally putting a cap on their violent relationship in the Tunnel of Love. Michael Emerson (Lost, Person of Interest) offers the haunting voice of the Joker; Peter Weller (Robocop) is the commanding voice of Batman. I can't wait to see it!!!
Check out this extremely heartwarming video showing a brave kid named Zach who is battling leukemia. That's his photo up above. Zach recently got a phone call from Batman Actor Christian Bale & you can hear it in this video Zach's parents posted on YouTube. It's really great and a very generous thing that Mr.Bale did. He seriously has a lot of class. We hope Zach recovers soon. Zach is MY Hero.
HEY KIDS! Over at the NERDIST PODCAST website you can now listen to a really great interview they did recently with Mark Hamill. He was the Actor who played Luke Skywalker in a film called "Star Wars". It's a very cool movie, check it out sometime!
But also, for the last 20 years or so, he has been the voice of the Joker! Yes, he played the character in the "Batman: The Animated Series" TV Cartoon and then later did the voice again for 2 Batman Video Games, Batman: Arkham Asylum and it's award winning sequel, Arkham City. To visit the podcast and listen, just CLICK HERE!
This post is a tribute to a great Actor named Lewis Wilson (1919-2000). Yesterday, January 28th, was his 94th birthday. Mr. Wilson plays a very important part of Bat-History because he was the very first Actor to ever portray the Bat-Man. He did so in a series of Movie Serials from 1943 that contained 15 episodes. The basic plot was about a Japanese Spy called Dr. Daka who turned American Citizens into Zombies using a radium-powered ray gun.
You can watch the 1st episode down below, it's really fun & a joy to see so please be sure to check it out Also, just below that, we have a "1943 BATMAN MOVIE" Tribute Wallpaper created by a friend of ours (Thanks BatDave). HAPPY BIRTHDAY LEWIS WILSON and Thank You For Your Wonderful Contribution to the Batman Character.
OK, first off we were suppose to announce the Winner a few days ago but, to be honest, I have been sicker than a dog! When it first hit me I didn't leave my bed for 2 days. In fact, at first, I slept almost 36 hours straight just waking-up to maybe eat a little bit ( Thank You NyQuil ). Arrgghh, it's been total hell but I feel a little better today. I'm actually forcing myself to do this post, ha! YES! Now we're going to announce the Winner of our recent contest where we're giving away a set of BATMAN Fathead Wall Graphics. We randomly picked a number out of a hat & the winning number was #75. Which, according to our list, was a guy named Lee Vunkannon who lives in a place called Pace, FL. Congratulations Dude!! You won!! We will be contacting you to confirm your mailing information and also to make sure which amazing Fathead Batman Wall Decal you want us to send. This contest has been totally crazy and it also got the most responses of any contest we have done before. So, we wanna thank everyone who joined-in. We also very much want to thank the Fathead Company for their generous contribution. Their products are very well made and we know the Winner of this contest will totally love what ever sticker he picks out.
This is a friendly reminder that the latest Bat-Blog Contest to win an amazing FATHEAD BATMAN WALL DECAL ends tonight (Jan. 22nd ) at Midnight (Central Time). So, if you have not entered yet you need to do so now. For more details, and instructions on how to enter, then please CLICK HERE!
POW! The Original 1966 Batmobile Car, which George Barris was selling in the Barret-Jackson Car Auction on January 19th, 2013, sold for 4.2 Million Dollars! ZOWIE!! This is the original #1 custom car created by George Barris for the 1960's BATMAN TV Show! He held on to this car for decades and then finally decided to sell it. Then, it brought an amazing price!!
OK, up above is a photo that George Barris actually send us ( before the auction ) and right here, right now, we have made it into a Wallpaper Background you can use to brighten your desktop. Then, down below, is some amazing TV footage from the event. Wow, I'm still blown away. Congratulations Mr. Barris!!
Congratulations George Barris on your amazing auction price! Well Played Sir, and Thanks for creating such wonderful childhood memories for all of us. This is the greatest car in automobile history!!
Side Note: This image is a Desktop Wallpaper ( click to enlarge it ).
Hey Daddy-O! Check out this totally crazy BAT-FINK Limited Edition Art Print created by Artist/Illustrator Jason Edmiston! It combines two great cultural icons, Batman and Rat Fink. Plus, it also features the greatest car ever, the 1966 BATMAN TV Show Batmobile!!
It measures about 18" X 24" and if you're interesting in buying this art print then please visit his ETSY page.
Jason has a website where you can see more great art, just CLICK HERE.
Over in England there's a company called Eaglemoss that has plans to reboot their toy line of Diecast Batmobile Cars that they call, "The Batman Automobilia Collection". You might have seen these on the BAT-BLOG before, you might even own a few of the ones that were only sold in the UK.
Well, it looks like they are bringing them back and sort of starting over. To be honest, I think one problem they had before was that they didn't realize these cars would be so sought after by Americans, ha! I know a ton of Toy Collectors who had a hard time getting them here in the USA. Now, they're rebooting the project with plans to release many more cars than previously planned plus they also plan to sell them in the US and elsewhere. Another major difference too is that now the Clear Plastic Display Case is "rectangle-shaped" and not oval. This makes displaying them easier and they will also be more "stackable".
Here is the new "Batman Automobilia Collection" TV Commercial. It's a great introduction and then way down below we have also added a few promo videos of other cars in the series.
The 1st one in the series is the Batmobile form the 1989 Batman Movie (Michael Keaton). Then, #2 will be the 1966 Batmobile from the Classic TV Series. Both of these are available now & then other cars in the series will be released about two per month.
For more information on how to order them please visit their official website, just CLICK HERE!
OK, We did report on these 2 brand-new Batman and Robin Action Figures before but DC Collectibles just released this new photo and it's really nice so I thought I'd share it again. Here, we get to see the new 2-Pack featuring characters from the DC NATION animated TV Series. These characters were designed by Aardman Studios. This boxed set will arrive around May, 2013 & will have a retail price of about $39.95 US.
DC Collectibles just announced a few new products that should be hitting stores around May, 2013. One item that came as sort of a surprise was this brand-new BATMAN: BLACK AND WHITE STATUE that is based on comic book art by MICHAEL ALLRED. He's the Artist who created MADMAN & his work is really great! So, it's kind of cool to see his vision of the Dark Knight. I like the "retro-style" of this version. This B&W Statue was sculpted by Jonathan Matthews. It will measure about 7” high x 6” wide x 4.25” deep. The retail price is around $79.95 US and, like we said earlier, look for it on sale in May.
Long time readers of the BAT-BLOG know that we totally love creativity in all it's forms and we're also crazy goo-goo about Papertoys... So, when we came across this brand-new BATMAN THE DARK KNIGHT Paper Toy on the web the other night we were pretty excited! Here's a link to check it out, just CLICK HERE! Oh yeah, for the 2 or 3 people who don't know what "Paper Toys" are they are, they're PDF Files that you download & print on card stock ( or paper ) and then cut-out/assemble. Please be careful though, they're extremely addictive!
At the recent "Consumer Electronics Show" in Las Vegas somebody spotted some pretty cool DC COMICS Superhero Character Cellphone Cases for the Apple iPhone. They're made by a company called Chara-Cases and will maybe have a retail price of about $34.95. Look for these sometime near March, 2013.
OK, This is total GENIUS! Here's a GREAT mash-up video combining both Elvis Presley and Batman (Adam West ). Plus, we get a small view of the Batusi Dance!
WOW! A Friend of our who lives in Brazil ( Lucky! Most Beautiful Place on Earth! ) sent us this photo of the next set of BATMAN TOYS that are being announced at their local chain of Bob's Restaurants!! Yes! They're making these small figures that will be in their Kid's Meals. The list of characters include: Batman, Robin, Batgirl, Joker, and Catwoman!! I really like these a lot and hope to build a set later. Oh man, these are gonna be so hard for us Americans to get, arrgghh!
The other day, while gliding through my local Target Store, I noticed an unusual item in their "Bookstore" area, a set of Disney POP! Heroes Bookmarks. Now, I knew that this company also had the license to make DC Comics characters but only saw Disney/Pixar items. So, when I got home last night I decided to check out the Official Funko Website ( they're the company that makes these ) to see if there were some "Batman" ones. The answer is... "Yes! They made ones of Batman and the Joker!" Here's a pic:
Then, I discovered a few more brand-new Batman items that are coming out in early 2013 ( To be exact - Jan, Feb, & March ). First, there's this Batman Character Lamp. I wish this thing was HUGE, that would be way cooler, but these are really kinda small. But they're great for a little Kid's bedroom or an Adult's Office Space.
Next up is one of those POP! Heroes Figures but this one is a USB / MP3 Audio Speaker that you can hook-up to your iPod, iPhone, or MP3 Player.
The next 2 pics show an unusual item coming out too. These are some POP! Heroes Figures that are a mash-up between DOMO & Batman. They're called ( Duh! ) "Domo Batman" and "Domo Dark Knight". I actually kind of like the blue version.
OK, the last 2 photos here are an item that's been out awhile, the DC Universe Mini-Wacky Wobblers 4-Pack, and a prototype graphics for some future items. We have featured the mini-wobblers here a few months ago but this pic shows the packaging & I can't remember if we had a picture of the box from back then.
Then, here's that 2nd set of items I'm talking about, the Wisecrackers Statues. Anyone who grew-up in the 1960's or 70's might remember these weird statues. They usually had a generic super-cute character with a phrase on the base that said something dumb like, "I Wuv You This Much" ( and their arms would be wide open, ha ha ). Well, Funko has plans to make some based on DC Comics Superheroes & Villains ( they have already released some Star Wars ones, they're adorable in a very sick twisted way). Oh yeah, I guess they're making MARVEL Comics characters too because there's the Amazing Spider-Man, ha ha!
Check out these pics sent to us by our good buddy, BatmoBilly. He's a very serious Batman Toy Collector who's main focus is the "Batmobile Car". He said he just saw these starting to surface on eBay & decided to share the information ( Thanks BatmoBilly ). Here are some Batman Cuff Links made by DC Comics Originals. Of course they are the 1966 Batman TV Show Batmobile, the one designed by George Barris. Hmmm, I don't usually wear dress shirts but these are kinda cool. What do you think? Please leave a comment either here or on our Facebook page, thanks.
Here at the BAT-BLOG.COM, we were recently contacted by the FATHEAD WALL GRAPHICS Company to see if we would like to feature a contest where we give away a GIANT-SIZE BATMAN Wall Decal, Winner's choice! Yes, you read that right. We're giving away a BATMAN Wall Decal you can use to brighten just about any room of your home!! These Stickers are super high-quality and look awesome as room decorations. Plus, you're just not a serious Fan of the Caped Crusader without one, ha!
Now, something to consider is that FATHEAD offers many different variations of the character. We like to break them down like this: There's "Comic Book Batman", "Arkham City Video Game", and "Noland Universe THE DARK KNIGHT Movie" versions. There are also a ton of different characters to choose from like Batman, The Joker, Catwoman, Harley Quinn, etc... They even have ones of the Tumbler Batmobile or just the Bat-Symbol Logo! Here are some examples:
OK, HERE ARE THE BASIC RULES ON HOW TO ENTER:
1. Send us an email with your full complete name and address. 2. Make sure the title of the email is "FATHEAD BATMAN CONTEST". 3. Also, tell us which sticker you like the best! Please keep in mind that you can change your selection after you have won. Yeah, that's it. The contest ends on Tuesday, January 22nd at 12-Midnight (Central Time). All entries must be turned in before then. Then, on Wednesday, Jan. 23rd, we will announce the Winner! Just follow the rules completely and send in your entry today ( only one per household ). You can email us by clicking the icon down below:
CONTEST RULES:
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.
The prize is not redeemable in cash and must be accepted as awarded.
Decisions of the contest judges are final - no substitutions will be available.
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.
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.
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.
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!
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.
This contest is subject to all federal, provincial and municipal laws.
The Bat-Blog reserves the right to withdraw or terminate this contest at any time without prior notice.
TO THE BATMOBILE!! Here's a photo sent in to us by our good buddy, Buster the Bat-Dog! Wait, shouldn't that be "Bat-Hound"? Anyway, he's super-excited about the fact that he is currently filming an amazing adventure of himself where he fights crime in Gotham City and even gets a chance to drive this Classic 1966 Batmobile Car! The movie, which will appear on YouTube later, will be announced right here. So, please stay tuned to the BAT-BLOG for further news.
An extremely awesome ( and probably very pretty ) Bat-Blog Fan just sent us these fun pics of a few new BATMAN Toys she got at Target the other night. It looks like Mattel is finally releasing some new Hot Wheels Cars for their 2013 DC Universe Series. Here's the 2 she found: Robin and Mr. Freeze...Cool!
Over at the VULTURE Website (New York Magazine) a Designer and Illustrator named Patrick Sullivan recently contributed some very clever "Origotham Batman" Paper Masks that you can print out and make. He made them to celebrate THE DARK KNIGHT RISES Movie and we get Batman, Catwoman, and Bane! Basically, you print these your computer printer with 11 X 17 card-stock, then fold them into shape. The ones shown here are just an example. To get the full how-to instructions and place to download the high-quality PDF files, just click HERE!
Just a quick post to share these "Batman" Wallpapers I made the other night using some of the promo art from DC Comics' recent "Death in the Family" storyline that ran through some of the Batman titles. They, of course, feature Batgirl and Catwoman, MEOW!
Awhile back, here at the BAT-BLOG.COM, we did a quick post showcasing a few brand-new pieces of BATMAN Merchandise that are in stores now. You know the drill, we're always telling everybody about the new products out there. Well, since then, we have received some pics from a few super-loyal Bat-Blog Fans who are very cool and extremely thoughtful. here we go! The 1st three photos are two items found at Wal-Mart. It's a fun Batman Bat-Signal and a Thermos Travel Tumbler that could also be used for Coffee.
Then, here's an item a friend found at Target... on Clearance Sale!! This is a "Batman: The Brave and The Bold" Toothbrush Holder and Hand Towel Set, very cool! I should also mention that at my Target they also had a Metal Trash Can on sale too ( sorry, no pic, I didn't have my camera with me when I was there sort of randomly by accident ).
Last, but not least, are these 2 fun items that were spotted at BIG LOTS. One item is HUGE Batman Bat-Symbol Eraser and the other is a Plastic-Net Bag filled with Belgian Chocolate Coins.
OK, which item, or items, do YOU like the best? If you're a Facebook member then please leave a comment & let us know.
