Video - Interview with GEORGE BARRIS, Creator of the 1966 BATMAN TV Show BATMOBILE

Here's a very recent interview with George Barris who we all know designed and created the Custom 1966 Batmobile Car for the Classic 60's BATMAN TV series.

Photos: Kid in Batman Costume with George Barris 1966 Batmobile Pedal Car!

I was recently approached by a Bat-Blog Reader who wanted to send some pics but at the same time wanted to remain totally anonymous, I accept that. We always totally respect privacy here so that's cool. But WOW! He sent some super-amazing photos, seriously! Here are some pics of his son dressed up in his Batman costume. It's got the cape, cowl mask, & everything...very very cool! He even has a 1960's style Bat-a-Rang prop, that's awesome! But the best part about the photos, other than the cool kid, is the extremely incredible 1966 Batmobile Pedal Car! This is styled just like the car George Barris made for the 1960's Batman TV Show! When I was a little boy I would have killed for something like this, ha ha! I love the accurate paint job ( the red striping on black is very nice ) and the mag tires, exhaust shoots, bat-symbol door emblem, clear windshields, etc...are all GREAT! Thank you for sharing these private photos, I really appreciate that. The 1st one with him sitting in the car is now my favorite Batman photo!

"The Adam West Experience" at the 2008 Red Bull Soap Box Derby

Every year the RED BULL Beverage Company has a famous Soap Box Derby Race event where people make their own cars & go totally crazy doing it! This year, 2008, it was in Cincinnati & I'm proud to say that there was a team called "The Adam West Experience" where some Bat-Fans made a replica of the "George Barris-Style" 1966 Batmobile Car! The 2 drivers even dressed up as Batman & Robin, ha ha! Here's a few pics of it & then a video where they sadly broke their car. Man, it would have been sweet if they won & we got to see the Batmobile cross the winning line...maybe next year!

Bat-Fan Tribute Video: George Barris' 1966 TV Batmobile Car!

Here's a pretty cool Tribute Video from a 60's Batman TV Show Fan. It's main focus is on footage of one of the very best Batmobile cars out there, the one designed by George Barris for the 1966 Batman TV Show!

NEW 1966 BATMAN TV BATMOBILE TOY CAR By HOT WHEELS

All the Batman Message Boards are in a buzz about the release of the new line of BATMAN BATMOBILE diescast toy cars that are gonna be made in 2007 by Hot Wheels! Basically, the Corgi Toy Company, who has been making an extremely nice series of Batmobiles the last few years, has lost the agreement to do them & next year they're gonna be made by Mattel. The main car everyone is super-excited about is the '66 Batmobile from the 1966 Batman TV Show, designed by George Barris! Up above is a prototype graphic "teaser" showing the car...I can't wait for this to come out because it should be extremely cool! I've heard they're gonna go all out on this one & the fine-details are gonna be insane! Also, It's gonna be a large-sized car about 1/18th scale!! Mattel is keeping everything super-secret right now so we don't know yet but as soon as the info becomes avaliable you can read it here at the olde BAT-BLOG! ( Click the small picture up above for a larger photo ).

George Barris' Design Patent for the 1966 TV Batmobile Car!

This is a very cool piece of Bat-History! Shown above is the original "Vehicle Design Patent" that George Barris filed with the United States Patent Office on Oct 18th, 1966 for his Classic 1960's Batman TV Series Batmobile custom car design! The rough graphics show the basic concept of the design in front view, side, back, etc...Sweet!! This is the greatest car ever made....ever!

Random Photos of Great Vintage Batman Memorabilia!

I'm really tired this morning so I thought I would just do an easy post, nothing complicated, but still fun. Here's some random photos of cool Vintage Batman Memorabilia! The 1st photo is my favorite because I had this Melamine Plate, Bowl, & Cup Set as a small child & I still have the original plate. It hangs in my kitchen & every time I see it I always feel all warm & fuzzy inside, ha ha! In this photo we get to see the Dinner Set all shrink-wrapped in it's original box, which believe me, is way beyond RARE! I would kill for this! The next photo will be recognized by all 1970's Mego Fans for it's rarity & beauty. This is the COMIC ACTION HEROES Play Set with Exploding bridge & Batmobile. This was made for the smaller action figures & NOT the 8" dolls so the scale is way smaller. I have that Batmobile but it's missing the clear roof canopy piece, still pretty cool. The next item I see on eBay all the time. It isn't vintage but still pretty neat & would look great on a hat or jacket. It's a sew-on patch with graphics of George Barris' 1966 TV Show Batmobile, a true work of Art! The last photo was sent in by a reader named Randy who wrote, "Tommy, I was walking through my local outdoor flea market ( Tulsa, Oklahoma ) recently when all of a sudden my eye caught a glimspe of this rare 1966 Batman Bicycle Tag! I ran over to it, grabbed it, then remembered that I needed to not act all excited about it so the dealer wouldn't raise the price, ha ha ha. I asked how much it was & he said $5.00. I could not get my wallet out fast enough!". Wow, Randy! I love the story but wish I would have found it first, ya bastard! Ha Ha, just kiddin'! ( Randy's a good friend & I can tease him like that ). Thanks for sending me the photo Randy, ya know, to torture me. But, I do appreciate it because my readers will love it, thanks. If any other readers have stories/photos to share then please send them in or join our Message Board & tell/show everybody!

BATMAN CUSTOM CARS : Homemade Batmobiles

These kind of custom cars really crack me up, ha ha! I love when people get creative & decide to turn an old car into the Batmobile. Here are 2 super-great examples. The 1st one is a 1968 Chevy Impala. It's painted in the classic George Barris style: black paint job with red trim. It even has some cool mag tires & great tail fins. It's a beauty! The 2nd car is a little bit funny with just fins ( on front & back ) & Bat-Symbol logo stickers on the doors. Still pretty cool, I'd drive it!

EXCLUSIVE 1966 BATMOBILE Hot Wheels Car Avaliable Through Mattel's RED LINE CLUB

Mattel has an Official Hot Wheels Fan Club website online called RED LINE CLUB. If you become a member you can buy a special 1966 Batmobile Car 1:64 Scale ( small, regular-size Hot Wheel car ). It's the George Barris design from the 60's TV Show. This one is an improved version where the black paint is a little more glossy, the tires are different, & the windshield is clear plastic. It's made sort of like how they should have made it in the 1st place, ha ha. I forget the exact details on pricing but to buy the car you have to be a member of the club. The membership is $24.99 & I think the car is around $15.00. Now, here's a link down below if you want to join but you'll only be a member for a few months because it starts over on January so I would wait until then & maybe hunt the car on eBay.

New 1:18 Scale Hot Wheels 1966 BATMOBILE with Box

Just a quick post, here's what the display box is gonna look like for the 1:18th Scale Hot Wheels 1966 Batmobile Diecast Car....SWEET! This is gonna be released very soon so keep an eye out for it. I imagine it's gonna be 50 times as hard to find in retail stores as the regular Hot Wheels car was.

2 BATMOBILE CAR PAPER MODEL KITS : Free Download

A really cool webpage was brought to my attention the other day. It's a site for people to download paper model kits to make famous cars. They have these 2 vehicles there that I know Bat-Blog readers will love: The 1966 Batmobile from the TV Show ( George Barris' car ) & The Tumbler from Batman Begins Movie ( and soon, The Dark Knight ). These are FREE model kits you download as a PDF file & then print on your computer's printer using card stock paper. After that you cut the pieces out & then glue then together. Looking at the photos you have to admit that they are quite impressive. The attention to details are insane, ha ha! Be sure to click on the photo above for a larger picture where you REALLY see the details, crazy! Down below is a link to that wonderful page. If you do get one of these free kits you should think about giving them a donation but you don't have to. As a side note, if anybody here makes one of these please send us a photo. In fact send us photos of ANY of your Batman-related projects. Have fun!

http://paperinside.com/batman

New Motor Trend Magazine Does 1966 Batmobile Story & Adam West Interview!

Here are a few images from the summer edition of MOTOR TREND CLASSIC magazine where they do an article on the 1966 BATMAN TV Show BATMOBILE George Barris Custom Car & then an interview with Adam West...looks pretty cool! This is on the newsstands now so keep an eye out on your next trip to Borders or Barnes & Noble. ( Thanks to Paul B for sending the pics ).

Another Official Bat-Blog Contest: WIN A 1966 BATMOBILE!!

Some people arrive at this blog by reading & clicking on a post title in an RSS feed so if you think we're giving away a real 1966 Batmobile you're crazy, sucker! Ha Ha! But we are giving away, for FREE, the next best thing. This contest is for an Original 2007 Mattel Hot Wheels 1966 Batmobile, Mint In Package. It's the car we all love from the classic 1960's TV Show that was designed by George Barris & it's really beautiful! All you have to do to enter is e-mail us your full name/address ( Please put "1966 Batmobile Contest" in the title ). We never sell or give away any information so it's totally private. The Bat-Blog Contest ends on Saturday, April 12th, 2008 at 11:00 pm - Central Time. Just be sure to send your name/address before then. I guess for legal reasons we need to state that this contest is in NO way associated with either DC Comics, Warner Bros, or Mattel. It's just that the Bat-Blog is very generous & we care about our readers! Oh yeah, one last thing: PLEASE ENTER TODAY and GOOD LUCK!!

CONTEST RULES:

1. 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.
   
   
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4. 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.
   
   
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7. 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!
   
   
8. 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.
   
   
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10. The Bat-Blog reserves the right to withdraw or terminate this contest at any time without prior notice.
    
    
11. Approximate value of prize varies.
    
    
12. Contest open to loyal Bat-Blog Readers only.
    
    
13. One entry per person.

New 2007 Mattel HOT WHEELS BATMOBILE Car 1966 TV Show Series Version

Finally! Mattel has released some actual photos of the highly anticipated release of the 2007 Hot Wheels 1966 TV SERIES BATMOBILE CAR!! This is the car for the 66 BATMAN TV Show starrring Adam West & Burt Ward with series car designed by George Barris. Here's 2 photos showing both sides of this small scale Hot Wheels car. Mattel is also gonna release 2 other sizes later, sort of a medium version which will be the size of a Corgi Toy car & a large scale version that is suppose to be very highly-detailed. You can find more information on this diecast toy car in our BAT-BLOG ARCHIVE. The main thing right here is just the photo!!

Mattel Has Plans For Brand New 1:64 Scale 1966 Batmobile Hot Wheels Car!

Here's a photo from a recent Mattel Toy Company meeting where they present the prototype blueprints for a New 1966 Batman TV Show Batmobile ( George Barris style ) Hot Wheels Car to be released in 2009 as a part of a Collector Series. This will be the small 1/64th scale size ( like a regular Hot Wheel car ). The only difference I can see, from this pic anyway, is that the rims for the tires will be more modern. But, we'll have to wait & see.

Custom 1966 BATMOBILE 1/6th Scale Model Kit with Batman & Robin Figures

I recently saw this amazing Custom 1966 Batmobile Model Kit on eBay being offered by Fa_Da_La Toys of San Francisco, California. Look at the photos, it's incredible!! It's a HUGE 1/6th Scale & totally handmade piece of ART! The details are insane. It's modeled after George Barris' Lincoln Futura car from the 1960's TV Show. It also included two 12" Batman & Robin figures. The Batmobile is made of FRP material ( Fiber Re-enforce Plastic ) with some diecast parts, high-gloss finish, ultra detailed chrome rims, & real rubber tires. It measures about 31" L x 12" W x 10 1/2" H. The auction ended on Oct 8th with NO bids but I bet they'll offer it again so if you're interesting then keep an eye out. This would make a very nice gift for me. Send an e-mail for my mailing address. Thank You.

Batman Birthday Cake of The 1966 Batmobile Car

Since today is Valentine's Day I thought I would post this photo of an extremely cool "1966 Batmobile Car" BATMAN Birthday Cake made by a very talented Girl named Michelle. She did an amazing job on it. Now I know that a "Birthday Cake" has absolutely nothing to do with Valentine's Day, ha ha! But this cake is so awesome I thought I would post it anyway!

Bat-Dave Takes a Ride In The Batmobile!!

Our buddy, known as "Bat-Dave", just recently got to ride in the Batmobile!! No, seriously, he sent us some pics to prove it ( Be sure to click on them for larger, sharper versions ). Plus, he has a great story about it too. Check this out:

I was having a cold beer last weekend at The Beachcomber Bar & Grill on Seaside Heights boardwalk where MTV films that horrible 'Jersey Shore'. I commented to this older fellow to my left wearing a 'weathered' Batman tee how much I liked his shirt. It turns out that the guy is Jay Weatherby, New Jersey's coolest Adam West/Batman impersonator!! Not only is Jay a walking encyclopedia of the 1960's TV series, he even had his own costume tailor-made and... get this...He MADE his very own BATMOBILE!!! A few years back, Jay sawed the entire top off his 1980's Ford Mustang and has basically customized it as a homage to the 1966 George Barris vehicle!!! Jay does parties and other personal appearances from time to time. It was a real thrill when he took me for a quick spin around Seaside in his trusty 'Batmobile'! Kids of all ages on the boardwalk were loving it!

Looking For The NEW 1:18 Scale Hot Wheels 1966 Batmobile Car? CLICK THIS LINK!

VIDEO: Hot Wheels 1:18 Scale 1966 TV Batmobile Car ~ First Look

Our friend at "Scooter's Custom Works" created this really neat video showing him getting the new 1:18th Scale TV Batmobile from Hot Wheels. He pulls it right out of the case, opens the box, then gives you a great visual of the entire car...nice! It gives you a very good idea what the toy looks like.