OK, it's the middle of the day & I am finally posting the "Wacky Wallpaper Wednesday " backgrounds. I know, "I'm Late", ( sorry ) but really I was working on the Bat-Blog almost all night ( technical issues ) & slept in late. So, like my Grandmother used to say, "Better late, than never!" But, I think you'll enjoy these backgrounds so here we go! The 1st one was made by me using some graphics I found at the DC Comics website. The visuals were just too awesome to NOT make into a wallpaper, ha! Plus, besides Batman, there are some cool villains: Catwoman & The Penguin! The next wallpaper, I'm very proud to say, was sent in by a Bat-Blog Contributing Artist named Sean Hartter. Both the artwork & art direction are really great! He came up with this very clever idea of making a fake issue of PLAYBILL. These are small booklets you used to get when you went to the theater of a Broadway play. Ironically, it looks EXACTLY like an original issue...making it a wonderful parody. Now the other thing that's pretty funny is that, to give it a heightened sense of realism, he used the real names of famous actors & writers. The play is titled "BATMAN: The Joker's Five Way Revenge", which is a very classic comic book story actually written by Dennis O'Neil. Plus, the 2 real-life Famous Actors are John Barrymore & Lon Chaney. The picture is an actual photo of them but shopped with the Batman & Joker costumes...awesome! It also says that the play was produced by Robert Kane ( Bob Kane ). Which is funny because he's the guy who "created" Batman. I'm not surprised that Bill Finger didn't get a mention, ouch!
Well, it looks like our good buddy BATMOBILLY has been pretty busy hitting the retail stores lately. I guess it's a good time to maybe find some cool stuff again! These photos were taken at Target & show a few neat new bat-items. The 1st photo is a BATMAN: THE BRAVE AND THE BOLD Batmobile Toy Car that Billy said was a Toys-R-Us Exclusive, but is now being sold at Target in different packaging, that's weird! But I totally love the design of this vehicle! ( Be sure to click on it for a larger version ). The next 2 photos are some more of those "value-priced" Imaginext Action Figures by Fisher Price ( Target Exclusives ). They are Mr. Freeze & The Penguin...cool! The last pic shows a nice new assortment of the B:TB&TB ACTION LEAGUE Mini-Figures ( I think they called them "Minis" ). It looks like they've done Batman ( Blue ), the Joker, Bat-Knight, The Demon Etrigan, Owlman, Blue Bowman, Batman ( Grey ), The Top, Sportsmaster, & Green Arrow. Hey Billy! You photographed the Demon Figure twice! ( Ha Ha! Just Kidding ). I gotta say that out of all of these mini-figs my total favorite has to be the Joker...he's awesome! Thank you Billy for taking the time to take these cool pics, I appreciate that. If any other Bat-Blog Fans come across any brand-new Batman Merchandise while surfing the stores then please let us know. Remember, sharing the joy of collecting is the main focus of this website.
A friend of mine over at the 1966 Batman Message Board shared this link he found of a very cool '66 BATMAN-Themed Video Game he found online. It's one of those "Free Flash Games" you see a lot & this one was created by TV LAND awhile back to promote the fact that they had the Batman TV series & Movie on their channel. It's called "BAT-ATTACK, The Road To Gotham". To be honest, it's really sort of cheesy, ha! But if you're a Batman Fan it's actually kind of fun to play. A lot of the villains ( The Joker, Catwoman, Penguin, etc...) from the TV show make an appearance. Go ahead & give it a try, see how high YOU can score, by clicking HERE!
In Argentina, in 1978 & '79, DC Comics teamed up with Pepsi-Cola for a very cool DC SUPER HERO Promotion! They had special Super Hero Bottle Caps placed on their Pepsi Soda Pop Bottles with very cool graphics of a comic book hero or villain. Quite a few of them were Batman-related so that's what you see in the 1st photo, click on it for a larger version. They made ones for Batman, Robin, Commissioner Gordon ( Comisionado Gordon ), Batgirl ( Batichica ), Bruce Wayne ( Bruno Diaz ), The Joker, The Riddler ( El Acertijo ), The Penguin ( Pinguino ), Catwoman ( Gatubela ), Ra's Al Ghul ( Ragul ), & The Scarecrow ( El Espantapajaros ). The next two photos show a special in-store Paper Place Mat that contained a "Collector Board" on one side ( in color ) & a "Checker Game" on the other. These photos also show the other Bottle Caps of Superman, Aquaman, Green Lantern, Wonder Woman, Supergirl, Flash, etc...so be sure to click on one of those to see them! I gotta say that I am totally loving the vintage graphics on all of this stuff, great stock art! The last photo is a super close-up of the BATICHICA Bottle Cap. I really love the sound of that word, Batichica! Speaking of her, these photos were all sent in by our good friend Milotik who lives in Argentina ( Thank You! ). These DC Comics Bottle Caps are a part of his amazing Batgirl Toy Collection. You see, Milotik's main collecting focus is on her & that's very cool. He has some very neat stuff, some of it extremely RARE! He even has a great website where he shares his collectable adventures called EL BLOG DE BATGIRL which you can visit by clicking HERE!
Here's some really great photos that a Bat-Blog Reader named Blake wanted to share & I am glad he did! Last summer Blake & his friends decided to become their favorite superheroes ( and villain ). They dressed up like Batman, Robin, & the Penguin. Blake, thanks for sending us these wonderful pics. The costumes are great & the POW you added to a few of the photos really cracked me up...good job! I also like how they have a sequential order to them like reading a graphic novel, pretty funny! I wanna invite all other readers to send us your wacky Batman-related pics. There is always an e-mail button on the top right-hand side of this page.
This week I thought I would post some "Blast from the Past" Batman Wallpapers! So, here are some Desktop Wallpaper Background images from the Classic 1966 Batman Movie! The fun thing is we get to see Batman ( Adam West ), Robin The Boy Wonder ( Burt Ward ), The Joker ( Cesar Romero ), The Riddler ( Frank Gorshin ), & Penguin ( Burgess Meredith ) in all their crazy-zany glory...IN COLOR!!
The BATMAN: BLACK & WHITE STATUE line continues to expand as THE PENGUIN becomes the second villain to join the series! ( The Joker was the 1st one ). Designed by famed artist Brian Bolland, this pose is taken directly from a panel in BATMAN: BLACK & WHITE VOL. 1. DESIGNED BY BRIAN BOLLAND & SCULPTED BY RAY VILLAFANE. The statue measures approximately 6” high x 4.5” wide x 4.5” deep, is painted in monochromatic tones, features a Bat-logo-shaped base and is packaged in a black-and-white box. Release Date: July 8th, 2009 ( approx. $75.00 ).
While surfing the internet the other day I came across this photo of some Batman Vending Machine Figures. There was absolutely NO information about these & I'm wondering if any readers know anything about them. I seriously don't remember ever seeing them before so I think they're totally new & maybe not even out yet. It looks like they're gonna have 7 pieces to collect: Modern Batman, Retro-Style Batman, Robin, The Joker, Poison Ivy, Harley Quinn, & The Penguin. If ya ask me, I think they look pretty AWESOME! If anyone has ANY info on these then please contact me...thanks.
The main thing about the BAT-BLOG is it's all about sharing the joy of collecting both New & Vintage Batman Toys. I know we post alotta cool wallpaper graphics, clever YouTube videos you can watch for free, funny humor photos you can share with friends, etc...but that's not the main reason to come here. The main function of the BAT-BLOG is for Batman Collectors from ALL OVER the world to share information & great pics. The 3 toys shown above are a good example. John sent us this cool photo of his 1966 Batman PIX-A-GO-GO Toy. Basically this now hard-to-find toy was a film-strip that was made of 2 layers & when you moved them they showed the characters in action. Sort of a poor man's animated viewmaster reel. This one features the Penguin & I really love the old vintage graphics...nice litho, cool green logo. The 2nd photo shows a cool airplane glider toy, also from the 60's & MINT IN ORIGINAL PACKAGE, called BAT-JET! This was sold for the UK market & is extremely RARE! The 3rd photo is another foreign toy called BATMAN'S CAVE MAZE. It's one of those wood boxes with a maze on top. A knob on each side controls the tilting effect of the maze & you move a small ball around & try not to have it fall in the holes...These were usually pretty hard to do & as a kid these always got on my last nerve, ha ha! But, this baby is Super-RARE especially with the original box. Also, the graphics on both are extremely beautiful...doesn't it bring tears to your eyes, I need a minute please, LOL. As always you can click on the small pictures for larger photos, especially try out the BATCAVE TOY because it's really detailed! If you have any cool photos you wanna contribute then please e-mail them today!
A friend of the Bat-Blog, named Jeffery, sent us some really wonderful high-resolution art the other day of a few brand-new Batman Comic Book covers. The artwork features a lot of really great characters: Batman, Penguin, & even Batgirl! So, I thought I would make some Wallpapers you can use as a background in a MySpace Layout or as cool graphics for your desktop. Yes, I know, & it's NOT even "Wacky Wallpaper Wednesday", ha ha! ( Thanks Jeffery! )
Anybody remember these BATMAN RETURNS Movie Cups from McDonalds? I do, I collected them all! I also remember being sort of upset that they were plastic because for a long time these Premium Promo Glasses from Fast Food Restaurants used to be high-quality glass. Then, I guess some moron sued them or something ( or maybe they became too expensive to produce ) so they all went to plastic. But, these BATMAN RETURNS Cups were still pretty neat & the graphics were really nice. The lids were actually a Mini-Frisbee that didn't fly very well, but looked cool. There were 6 to collect: Batman, Catwoman, The Penguin ( 2 ), Bruce Wayne, & The Batmobile. Now, I got the photos here so you can see the cups & that "Newspaper-looking thing" was the Paper Placemat used at McDonalds for the trays. I remember a HUGE Standee Store Display Sign that was in the store too but couldn't find a pic at the time of this post. But really the main thing are the cups & the video. Yes, the TV Commercial! It's down below so be sure to check that out too.
Here's a really cool photo showing some SUPER-RARE Pepsi Bottle Caps from Argentina! You got these off Pepsi Cola bottles & on the inside they feature pictures of various DC Comic Book Characters. There's Superman, Batman, Robin, Aquaman, Green Lantern, Wonder Woman, Supergirl, Green Arrow, Krypto, Hawkman, etc.. There are also some cool villians like the Joker, Riddler, Penguin, Catwoman, Lex Luthor, Mr. Freeze, etc..This photo was sent in by our great friend Ramiro, who lives in Argentina....Thanks Ramiro! If anyone living outside the USA, or inside the USA for that matter, has any cool photos then please share them here! Be sure to check the BAT-BLOG ARCHIVES for more cool foreign toys & rare bat-items!
These 2 cool photos were sent to us by our good friend Ramiro from Argentina! The top pic shows a few RARE Spanish PVC Figures of Superman, Batman, Robin, Batgirl, Wonder Woman, some "Space Lady", Joker, Catwoman, Penguin, & The Riddler! There's also a vintage-looking Batmobile that sort of looks like the one made by Kenner for the Superpowers Toys, remember those? ( Click on the small photo above for a larger, more detailed, picture! ). The 2nd picture shows 2 larger-sized action figures with a 1966 TV Show-version Batmobile toy car...awesome! We wanna send a special THANK YOU to Ramiro for these great pix!! If any other readers have some cool photos of their RARE BATMAN TOYS to share then please do because it's the readers who make the BAT-BLOG great!
We all need a good laugh every now & then so for that reason I thought I would post some of these humorous photos & funny drawings I came across recently. The 1st one is what Batman & Batgirl Fans would look like on the Southpark TV Cartoon, if they went to a comic book convention, ha ha! The next one was sent in by a Bat-Blog Reader & shows a Penguin dressed as The Dark Knight, actually it looks more like the 60's Adam West version, ha ha. The last one is a parody of a classic 1980's Prince record album using the Batgirl Bat-Cycle (Yvonne Craig version ) from the 1966 TV Show. The original source is on the left to refresh your memory, a pretty good likeness, ha ha ha ha!
Remember the PENGUIN COMMANDOS in the 1992 BATMAN RETURNS movie? I always thought they were extremely cheesy but, also, I do have to admit that they do look kinda cool! These were the animals that the Penguin ( Danny DeVito ) had brainwashed & loaded with weapons to terrorize Gotham City, ha ha! Well, Here are some amazing Vinyl Model kits of them built-up by our friend known as SKINNYBIRD. This guy is pretty talented and has great skill with painting & building models! Every now & then we feature one that he has made. Please be sure to check out the BAT-ARCHIVES for more of them! ( Thanks Skinnybird! )
OK, anybody who has been reading my Bat-blog for longer than 2 weeks has got to know that I am totally crazy for the cool Vintage Batman Toys! To be honest that's the total reason I created this blog. I know we try to cover all the Brand-New Products, Merchandise, & other Batman-Related News but it's the "Vintage Stuff" I'm really goo-goo for! Here's just a small example of some really great "Super-Rare" Memorabilia I have seen lately. The 1st item is a 1960's BATMAN Inflatable Pool Toy. I love both the Retro-Style Graphic & the shape of the thing. You know this would be really cool to hang on the wall for display! The next item is awesome too & beyond super-rare! It belongs to a Good Friend named Saul & he said he's been looking for this thing for many years. It's a Wooden Skateboard with Cool Batman Artwork. It was made by the Mettoy Company in England back in 1966. Yeah, this was only sold in the UK & is ultra-hard-to-find! I mean, it's practically a "Museum-Piece". He said it's one of his favorite pieces in his collection & that really means a lot because he has a TON of incredible bat-stuff from all over the world. The last pic is something that's not as rare but it's still pretty cool. It's an old 45 rpm Record with The Penguin telling a story with Burgess Meredith's actual voice. The graphics on the Record Sleeve are really great stock art drawn by Carmine Infantino & it also has an actual photo from the TV Show, all in one. Whew! I hope you guys liked some of these pics & if you have any ultra-rare pieces of Bat-Memorabilia you would like to share then please send us a photo today! Our e-mail button is always on the top right-hand side of this page.
This photo cracks me up every time I see it, ha ha! Plus, the costumes are very impressive. This photo from a Color Slide was sent in by a friend named Ralph & it's a picture of some Batman-related Costumes his Mother made for Ralph when he was a little kid in 1974 or 1975. The details are insane & of course it's the 1966 TV Show version of the characters. He said that they used to wear these costumes & make small plays with them. Plus, while doing so, they would photograph each different sequence. Then later, when they projected the slides on the wall ( in correct order ) they sort-of had a Batman movie! Wow! This is really creative & must have been a lot of fun too! I also gotta say that Ralph's Mom did an incredible job on these costumes...they're really great! Thanks Ralph for sharing your story & this fun vintage family photo. If any other Bat-Blog Fans have similar experiences then please send us some pics!
