BATMAN Gets a Traffic Violation in The UK!

Ha Ha, This is sort of funny news because it's true! Recently, while Warner Bros was busy promoting the new DARK KNIGHT Batman movie in the UK, they got a ticket on the Tumbler Batmobile for illegal parking! Apparently they parked the car in a "No Parking" area while displaying the car in public. The British Police Officer had no choice but to give them the ticket. Now, that's gotta be some bad karma there, ha ha...giving the Batman a ticket!! This story was originally published at DEN OF GEEK you can go there to read all the actual details. Plus, they have some more photos.

BATMAN: THE BRAVE AND THE BOLD Magazine By TITAN COMICS in The UK

OK, This post is mainly for our friends who live in the United Kingdom, Australia, & New Zealand. The TITAN COMICS Company will be publishing a BATMAN: THE BRAVE AND THE BOLD "Comic Book" Magazine. The neat thing is that the very First Issue #1 will come with a few special gifts included ( I guess the thing will be poly-bagged ). The items include: a Stationary Set, Batman Mask, & Stickers. The "Stationary Set" looks like it includes a Pencil, Ruler, Paper, & Pencil Case...AWESOME! Now, I'm pretty sure they sell these at Grocery Stores but since I don't live there I have no idea, ha! The local Comic Book Shops there will probably carry them too. But, from their website, you can subscribe for a year & get 13 Issues for only £27.60. But the thing is, you have to live in the United Kingdom, Australia, or New Zealand. Bummer! Here's the link for their website, just click HERE!

CALLING ALL BATMAN FANS IN THE UK ( United Kingdom )!

This message is a shout out to all the Bat-Blog Readers who live in, or around, the UK. I was contacted recently by the PR Firm handling the release of the Arkham Asylum Video Game. They are looking for Batman Collectors who are willing to donate "Batman Items" for a special exhibit in conjunction with a special Arkham Asylum Release Party. They wrote:

We are on the hunt for Batman memorabilia and are requesting all Batman collectors or fans possessing key items to get in touch. This can be anything from original artwork, toys, comics, film props, listings and general merchandise. We are hoping to loan the items with a view of displaying them at a potential exhibition.

Please email Olivia Gourlay at Taylor Herring Public Relations Ltd at Olivia.gourlay@taylorherring.com or call 0208 2065151.

Vintage BATMAN MEMORBILIA & TOYS From Around The World!

I know that the Bat-Blog has kinda been crazy with the Halloween Holiday lately & we have been neglecting the toy collector aspect of the blog. So, here's a post to make up for it, ha ha! Here's a really nice example of a few pieces of Bat-Memorabilia made in different parts of the world. The 1st example comes from the United Kingdom ( England ) & is the Original Bubble Gum Wax Wrapper for a Set of 1966 Batman Trading Cards. Oh man, I am totally crazy over those vintage-style graphics...awesome! The next item might appear to be French but it's not from France. This is a Batman Board Game from Canada! It was made by Hasbro in 1973. OK, the last 3 pictures are a Set of Japanese Batman Canvas Sneakers. These shoes, of course, are from Japan & came out around 1966. The original shoe box is shown here with the product & it's equally as cool! Again, the graphics are just totally beautiful. Do you live outside the USA? If so then please send us some photos of some fun "Foreign Batman" items you might have. Sharing the love of Batman Toy Collecting is one of the main functions of this fan site. Our e-mail button is always on the top right-hand side of this page, thanks.

URBAN OUTFITTERS ( UK Clothing Store ) Presents 2008 BATMAN & BATGIRL T-Shirts

This post is a shout out to all the readers who live in the UK. There's a store in England called URBAN OUTFITTERS & this year they will have a few "Vintage T-Shirts" featuring retro-graphics of Batman Logo Symbols & one of Batgirl. If you live near there you might check it out. They look pretty awesome! Oh yeah, on a personal note, I'm in love with the model in the center wearing the yellow shirt, of course the one on the right isn't bad either, ha ha!

The BATMAN FAMILY To The Rescue!

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!

DC Comics Super Hero Collection Special: BATMAN AND THE BATCYCLE Lead Figurine From Eaglemoss in The UK

OK Now, This is pretty cool! You might have read here at the Bat-Blog before about a company in the UK called Eaglemoss who issue those special DC Super Hero Collection Lead Figures ( In England they call them "figurines", oh la la ). They make these very small, but very detailed, mini-figures of all the DC Comics comic book characters cast in lead. This company is going crazy! I mean, there are like almost 40 something of these figures now! Well, anyway, they have this new "Special Edition" one coming out soon called BATMAN AND THE BATCYCLE. Oh man! It looks pretty awesome! Now before you totally fall in love please keep in mind that this Bat-Cycle is probably NOT a large full-size statue. If ya wanna see how small these things are then be sure to click the "Figurines" Tab at their website. You'll see a photo of an artist employee painting one. Now this special one might be a little bigger but I'm not sure. For more details be sure to check out their UK website by clicking HERE!

THE DARK KNIGHT Batman Movie News : Explosion in London While Filming in England

These were the amazing scenes as Battersea Power Station appeared to explode in the dead of night last night.

The emergency services were flooded with calls from local residents who feared the defunct electricity generating plant had been targeted by terrorists.

But they were reassured the 200ft fireball, accompanied by columns of grey smoke, which could bee seen for miles across the capital, was a special effect for the latest Batman film.

The spectacular stunt scene, in which Batman actor Christian Bale narrowly cheats death, is believed to be the opening sequence of the fifth caped crusader movie The Dark Knight.

Resident Marck Jason, 24, of Battersea, said: “I was gobsmacked. I was just walking home and saw this bloody huge explosion.

“Obviously my first thought was that it was a terrorist attack and I dialed 999."

“I know it’s sort of cool that the place is being used for a film, as its a brilliant building, but a bit of warning wouldn’t have hurt.”

ART: COMIC BOOK SUPERHEROES Painting by Allan Sanders

Last night I was goofing around on the internet when suddenly I discovered an extremely funny and very well drawn illustration of DC & Marvel Superheroes ( Click on the image up above for a larger, more detailed, version ). Actually it's a painting that was recently shown in the "Hot Rods & Hairy Beasts" art exhibit at the Coningsby Gallery, in London. The artist's name is Allen Sanders & he's from Brighton, UK. I thought I would post it here because it does have Batman, Robin, & the Batmobile! I had to find out more about this guy. So, I discovered that he has a website / blog called LOOPLAND. Be sure to visit sometime because his work is pretty cool. Here's a link:

Music Video: BATMAN AND ROBIN Comedy Skit with Neil Innes!

Our buddy Kenneth sent us this extremely rare Vintage BBC British Television video showing Neil Innes as Batman doing a Batman-themed comedy skit. Andy Roberts is playing the guitar, dressed as Robin. Now, the name of the show was "Rutland Weekend Television" & was written by Eric Idle. I know everybody would recognize him as one of the main actors in the Monty Python & The Flying Circus TV comedy team ...just do a quick search on the Internet & you'll know who he is! In the mean time, enjoy this super-wacky crazy song called "Boring". WARNING: You will not be able to get this song out of your head for the rest of the day, ha ha!

RARE Batman Collectibles From The BATFAN Collection

OK, For people who have been reading the Bat-Blog for quite awhile ( thanks! ) you all know one special contributor nicknamed "The BATFAN". He has donated a lot of cool contest prizes & has sent us photos from his amazing Batman Art Collection. Well, here are a few pieces of Batman Memorabilia he has in his personal collection that he wanted to share because they're all so extremely unusual & very rare. The 1st two items are Batman-Shaped Ceramic Clocks that were made & produced in Japan. Plus, they were ONLY SOLD IN JAPAN too so they're kinda hard to find in the USA. They were issued in the 1980's, just a few years before the 1989 Batman Movie. They're both so extremely cool that I actually can't decide which one I like best, ha ha! The company who made them is named CREATE & they also made the 2 Glass Mugs you see below the clocks. OK, Now the last photo is a set of Ceramic Thimbles made in England ( UK ) by the Berkshire China company in 1996. The weird thing is Batman looks like he's the "movie version" while all the others seem like they're from the "Batman: The Animated Series" cartoon. Plus, the colors are sort of off a little bit. But, they're totally wonderful to look at & I love the artwork they have! All of these items are really great & I know a lot of collectors are gonna totally droll over these pics, thanks Batfan!

Batman's TUMBLER BATMOBILE CAR From the Dark Knight Movie Will Be in England Very Soon!

This post goes out to all the readers who live near the UK. Warner Bros and DC Comics are pleased to announce that they will be bringing the Tumbler Batmobile Car from Batman Begins and The Dark Knight movies to the London Film and Comic Con at Earls Court 2 in England on July 17th and 18th, 2010. Yes! The Batmobile is LIVE ON TOUR in Europe! For more information be sure to click HERE! ( Thanks Dan ) Oh yeah, if anybody goes to this event then please be sure to send the Bat-Blog some photos.

Reference Photos: Vintage 1960's UK Batman Dart Game Toy

I know the Bat-Blog is crazy for trying to cover EVERY single angle of the Dark Knight Pop Culture but our main focus is the love of collecting Vintage Batman Toys, really! This is an example: Here are a series of 3 photos sent in to us by a reader in response to me asking for picture submissions. He asked me to NOT print his name but I still wanna say, "Oh My God, Thank You, Thank You!" This is an amazing & super-RARE piece of Batman Memorabilia!! This is a Vintage 1960's Batman SPIN DART TARGET GAME. It was made by Mettoy ©1966. The graphics on both the original box & the toy itself are incredible. When I opened my e-mail the other day I almost cried, ha ha! It looks like a large round target that is on a tripod-stand & before the shooter tries to get a bullseye, another person will spin the target for more of a challenge. It's sorta like a wacky carnival game but I like to think of it as the most beautiful "Piece of Art" I have ever seen! Not to give away the location of our reader but he did have a UK address so I'm guessing this is a wonderful toy from Great Britain! I love that it has a few very obscure Batman Villains like Blockbuster, Mr Freeze, & Poison Ivy. You usually don't see them like you do the Riddler, Penguin, & Catwoman. OK, again, I want to invite ALL readers with RARE Batman Collectibles to send photos, hell yeah!

Photos of The TUMBLER BATMOBILE CAR At The Recent LONDON FILM & COMIC CON

Awhile back the Bat-Blog reported here that the TUMBLER BATMOBILE BATMAN MOVIE PROP CAR ( From Batman Begins & The Dark Knight ) was going to make an appearance at the London Film & Comic Con. Well, our friend Dan went to the event & shot us some wonderful photos! be sure to click on them for larger versions. He said it was very interesting to see the actual car in real life. I could only imagine. I wanna thank Dan for thinking about the Bat-Blog & sharing these pictures. I wish I could have been there, ha! Oh yeah, if anybody wants to read the original post, then here's a link - just click HERE!

Vintage 1960's BATMAN TOYS and MEMORABILIA From Around The World! ( Japan, The UK, & Italy )

OK, The Bat-Blog has been reporting a lot on the Dark Knight Batman Movie lately & to be honest it's getting a little old, ha ha! Don't get me wrong. I'm totally excited about this movie & can't wait till it comes out, but I also love the vintage toys too! So, I thought I would post a few Super-RARE pieces of Batman Memorabilia from around the globe. We start in Japan, where in the 1960's, some Japanese company produced this wonderful Batman Action Figure (Doll?). It must be kinda boot-leg because the colors are wayyyy off! But I think that gives the piece a lot of charm & it does make it a variant figure, something different for the collection. The next item comes from England, or as I like to call it, The UK! It's a Batman Ballpoint Pen shown on the original blister card...beautiful vintage graphics, a favorite item! The 3rd photo is also an item from the UK. It's a RARE Corgi Car vehicle from their "Husky Extra" line #1003. It's a Bat-Boat with Trailer from the 1966 TV Series. This was sold to go with their 1966 Batmobile from the same Batman TV Show. Oh my god, look at the price! It was only 59 cents, ha ha! The last photo is a very obscure item from Italy. It's a Batman Costume Playset in original bag with header card. I love the vintage Bat-Logo on the card & the "toy" itself is pretty cool too. It was made by Il Giocattolo, an Italian company. OK, I should not have "went off" at the beginning of this post about being tired of The Dark Knight Movie News but I just wanted everybody to know that we have not forgot about the people who love the vintage toys. Mainly, because we love them too!

Vintage Video: Tumbler Batmobile from Batman Begins Movie on British TV

Here's an interesting video from a few years ago when the Batman Begins movie was being talked about. This footage is from a British TV Talk Show in the UK called TOP GEAR. It stars Richard Hammond and James May. Be sure to listen to the cheeky comment made at the very end of the video...it's kinda sarcastic but also pretty funny!

BATMAN and JOKER T-SHIRTS From The UK's FRENCH CONNECTION Clothing Store

There is a specialty store in the UK called the FRENCH CONNECTION & this year they will feature many different high-quality T-Shirts with Batman graphic designs. The shirts cover a lot of different versions of Batman & The Joker from the Comic Books to The Dark Knight movie ( the examples shown here are the "comic book" versions with the 1st Batman being the artwork of Jim Lee ). There's gonna be a very nice variety. Here are just 2 of my favorites & they have so many great ones that it would be hard to choose. Now, the thing to keep in mind is that they are quite expensive. Another thing to think about is that they are not yet published on their website but will be soon. Down below is a link button to their main site. Later, choose the "United Kingdom" section to see the Batman & Joker T-Shirts.

The Original BAT-POD Motorcycle & Costume Props From THE DARK KNIGHT Spotted in the UK!

I was pleasantly surprised the other night to receive an e-mail from a Bat-Blog Reader named Lee who lives in the UK. He had some really wonderful photos of the original BAT-POD Motorcycle & a few Prop Costumes from THE DARK KNIGHT Batman movie. He explained in his letter, "Hi Tom, my name is Lee, I'm from Manchester, England and I am a huge BATMAN fan. Last year I was lucky enough to get a glimpse (and a cheeky feel) of the Bat-Pod and I was also lucky to see all the costumes in glass display units. I have been looking at your website for about 2 years now and find it really interesting, especially being a collector myself. Also once I get all my collection together I will send you some pics. I have some really wicked stuff like Hot Toys, Model Kits, Action Figures, and a few really rare items. Anyway, keep up the brilliant website! I have attached some pictures of that day I went to see the costumes and Bat-Pod. The picture with the guy in a white t-shirt & brown hat is me!" Cool, very cool! Thank you for sending these great pics Lee & also for the kind words about this blog! Getting to meet Bat-Fans from all over the world is really exciting for me. On a side note I am totally jealous you got to see the real Bat-Pod & these cool costumes, that's a Super-RARE opportunity! It's really neat that Warner Bros displayed this stuff so far away, in the UK. So tell me honestly, did you totally want to steal the Bat-Pod? I know I would have, Ha Ha!

BATMAN Parody T-Shirt: The TUMBLER BATMOBILE GETS A TICKET!

You might remember awhile back we did a news story of an actual event that happened in the UK. While promoting The Dark Knight movie in England some Warner Bros employee "accidentally" parked the real-life TUMBLER BATMOBILE in a "No Parking Zone" & received a ticket violation. Somebody caught a few photos of the parking attendant putting a ticket on the windshield. It was a HUGE press story over there. The angle was always filled with humor but it was also a reminder that even Batman is NOT above the law! Anyways, a good friend to the Bat-Blog, named Roger, who's a graphic artist with Ruby Red Designs, sent these pics of a brand-new BATMAN T-Shirt he just designed. It's pretty hilarious! Here's a link if ya want to make a purchase.

http://tinyurl.com/736wz6

Vintage 1960's BATMAN AND ROBIN Washington Pottery UK

You're not going to find these BATMAN AND ROBIN Mugs ( Coffee Cups ) in any retail store today. These babies were made in the 1960's by Washington Pottery of the UK... probably around 1966, to capitalize on the popularity of the TV Show. In fact, they were only sold in England & are kinda hard to find. Well, thanks to the Internet they're not extremely rare. Here are some pics sent in to me by a friend of mine who collects pottery. He knew that I would love these. I do, they're great! Now all I have is one mug & somewhere I have a small platter. Unfortunately they're in deep storage. Yes, they also made Batman Plates, Patters, Bowls, and ( I think ) even an Ashtray! But for now we have these photos to drool over ( Thanks Dave ). The graphics are totally vintage & completely wonderful. Seriously, I love the sharpness & color. The one with the Batmobile car is just beautiful.