Here's a 1940's Golden Age Comic Book Cover that I thought would be appropriate for today's event, Christmas Eve. It's BATMAN # 27 from 1945 ( Be sure to click on the above photos for larger, more detailed, pics ). It shows Batman & Robin helping Santa Claus deliver toys to good boys & girls...it's a Classic! On the back cover was an advertisement for the Daisy Air Rifle company. HAPPY HOLIDAYS!!
The other day I was trolling the NECA Website for some new Batman products. Later this year they will release 2 new Batman Items that are not "Dark Knight" movie related but will feature vintage retro-style graphics. The 1st piece of merchandise uses the most retro-thing you can have... it's a large BATMAN GOLDEN AGE 1939 COMIC BOOK COVER Hanging Fabric Wall Scroll. Of course, it's the cover to Detective Comics #27 which we all know was the very first appearance of the caped crusader! It measures about 22" X 32", which is actually kinda BIG! I'm really liking this item & think it will be a "must have"! They also have a vintage ACTION COMICS / SUPERMAN cover too. The next photo shows us some neat SUPERHERO TIN BANKS they're gonna release & one of them is Batman! The other two are Superman & Wonder Woman. These too have retro-graphics because they sort of look like they have 1980's artwork. If anyone knows who the artist is for these please let me know. I think they look kinda like Dick Giordano's artwork. Anyway, here's some new stuff to keep an eye out for & if ANY Bat-Blog Readers hear about ANY brand-new Batman Merchandise then please shoot us an e-mail so we can share. This blog is all about connecting collectors with great information!
Can you imagine being a little kid in the early 1940's & seeing this ad in your favorite magazine? Like, "Who are these Batman and Robin guys?!" Yeah, we need a time machine, ha ha!
Here's the original comic strip art work for the Batman Daily Newspaper Strip dated February 19th, 1946. ( Click the small picture up above for a larger, more detailed, photo ). The art work was done by Dick Sprang & Charles Paris. There are 2 new books recently published that reprint the vintage 40's Batman comic strips & I have been really enjoying these again. When I saw this picture on the internet of some original art I had to share it.....classic stuff!
Here's what the cover to Detective Comics # 58 looked like back in the 1940's. Wow! Readers who were around during the "Golden Age" were lucky....this is a masterpiece of ART! People today laugh about 10¢ covers being so cheap but I bet that was a LOT of money to a little kid in those days! We try to cover ALL the many aspects of Batman Memorabilia here at the BAT-BLOG so if you have any ideas for different material or photos you want to share then please send them in.
This Golden Age Comic Book Cover is an ICON! The bold red background with the full moon is classic. This is the 4th Issue of Batman & it's from the 1940's. It also features Robin, The Boy Wonder...one of my favorites!!
Here's a really great photo ( click on it for the larger, more detailed, version ) of the original 1940's MOVIE PRESS KIT for the Vintage 40's Batman Movie Serials. Basically it was some promotional material sent to movie theaters explaining how to use the movie posters & hype the classic movies. We can't even begin to explain how super-RARE this baby is & we also seriously LOVE the Golden Age graphics!!
Here's an amazing piece of Bat-History! This is an Original Newspaper Press Sheet showing the BATMAN AND ROBIN Daily Comic Strips for the week of May 15th through the 20th, 1944. It was test-printed by the McClure Newspaper Syndicate ( Be sure to click on the above photo for a way larger, more readable, version ). Now, for people interesting in reading these today then be sure to check out this book published by Kitchen Sink Press reprinting all the Dailies from 1943-1946. They also made a separate book covering all the Sunday Strips.
This is the trailer for the 1943 Batman Serial Movie. But it's not the original one shown in the 1940's. It was from the re-release, back in 1966. It was re-released when the TV show was going good on ABC-TV, and movie theaters across the country showed the serial again to cash in on Batman's popularity. It was a very fun serial, and if you ever get the chance to see it you should because it;s a Classic! In fact, here's a link for more information.
Here are a set of 2 totally amazing custom-made dolls of a Golden Age Batman & Doctor Death. They were sold on eBay awhile back & I was extremely impressed with their craft & attention to details. Before I get into this post too far I want to apologize to the artist who made these because I forgot to get his name to give him credit. I had bookmarked the information & now, later, I can't find them. I searched forever! But, while these photos were sitting in my bat-folder for a long time I knew I had to get them up here anyway so, sorry. Basically, there's a Batman Fan out there who is extremely creative & was inspired by some 1930's & 1940's Batman stories to create these 2 Custom Dolls. These figures really deserve to be called ART MASTERPIECES because they are so extremely well done. One, of course, is BATMAN, who we all know. But the other one might be a character that some Bat-Blog readers are unfamiliar with. His name is DOCTOR DEATH ( real name: Doctor Karl Hellfern). Basically he was Batman's very 1st "Super-Villain". He first appeared in Detective Comics # 29 in July 1939. This book was Batman's very third appearance as a character so it's an extremely "early story". His deal was he liked to kidnap very wealthy people, inject them with a toxic poison, & then hold the antidote for a ransom of very large sums of money. Yeah, a real wack-job! The artist who created these did them with amazing detail. he sculpted the heads, painted them, created the clothing & costumes, and even made some props. I had to share these because they are so beautiful, really, & if any reader knows the artist who made them please let me know so I can get his name in here. For now, just please enjoy the pictures. Click on them for larger, sharper, verisons ( they're nice ). As a side note: the very last photo is a Detective Comics # 35 comic book ( January 1940 ) that was recently auctioned off by Heritage Auction Galleries in 2006 for almost $18,000.00!! Yes, Eighteen-Thousand!!
OK, I gotta let new readers know that every single Wednesday here at the Bat-Blog is "Wacky Wallpaper Wednesday" & we always post a few Batman-themed Desktop Backgrounds for you to enjoy! This week I thought I would go with a "Batmobile Car Theme". The 1st one is an extremely Vintage Batmobile from the Golden Age of Batman comics. In fact, it's almost just a regular car, ha ha! But it's a great example of The Dark Knight's rich history & was featured in Detective Comics # 37. Now, for the 2nd one, I used a graphic image from the current modern-day BATMAN AND ROBIN # 1 Comic Book Issue. The artwork here was done by Frank Quitely and it's what fans are calling "The Flying Batmobile". This is like one of the most recent new Batmobiles. In this image they are chasing a villain known as "The Toad", a great character!
Here's an interesting piece of Bat-History! In the March, 1944 Issue of BOY COMMANDOS ( # 6 ) Batman, Robin, and Alfred join the Paper Drive effort for the war. In this Public Service Announcement Ad ( PSA ) Alfred explains to a small boy how recycling newspaper can help the US Troops during World War II. It's a bit of American Propaganda aimed at supporting the fight against Germany's Hitler & Japan's Hirohito. Be sure to click on the small graphic up above to see a larger, easier to read, version.
Here, for your viewing pleasure, are 2 brand-new BATMAN WALLPAPERS with images from the next TV Batman: The Brave and The Bold episode, "The Knights of Tomorrow". Tonight's show will be sort of special because it's going to send Batman through time & we'll all get a look at all the many variations of the character in different eras. Like, "The Riddler" Wallpaper Background shows a 1939 Golden Age Batman ( See the short purple gloves, unique bat-belt with circle buckle, & his ears are super-pointy ). Then the one with Robin is very much like the 1940's when Bruce first acquired Robin, the Boy Wonder. It has a very 1940's look about it too. Awesome! This episode looks like it's going to be great! It airs on Friday, November 19th at 7:30pm on the Cartoon Network. After watching it, please let us know what you think about it.
