TO THE BATPOLES podcast #80: The ’66 Batman comic strip: Having it both ways

[bat-rss]

We're back!!

In 1966, this Batman comic strip debuted. It walked a fine line between imitating to '66 TV show and differentiating itself from it. Paul and Tim discuss: http://ow.ly/OHar30iXF37

[High C]

Great to hear you guys again. It was a fun show. I didn't know much about the newspaper strip so it was very informative. I found it interesting how they had molls at the beginning, much like the show (and not the comics) but later dropped them.

[Ben Bentley]

Great to have the podcast back in my feed!

[BATWINGED HORNET]

Great to have you guys back!

At one time, I was tempted to buy the collection of the dailies, but after your review....I will pass. The trashing of the Robin character with the running "I'm a _____ little kid" thing is so unlike the comic book and the TV series version of the character. That is a distraction. Even the fact Batgirl actually used martial arts, instead of the pirouettes and wooden planks of the TV series is not enough to read through all of it.

The strip flip flopping between embracing or rejecting TV influences was sort of silly, since it operated in its own universe--not tied to the established continuity of the comics. Being its own animal, it would have been better off acting as a spin-off of the '66 series--at least until the show was cancelled, then move on to some other kind of influence, perhaps the '68 Filmation series, as that was a mix of the comics & Dozier show.

[Lord Death Man]

Mr. Young, if you think volume 1 was bad, you should skip ahead to volume 3 where the Batman strip became a showcase for the 'hero' Galexo with B & R rarely appearing (more often as Bruce and Dick). Just goes to show the miracle of licensing problems

And yes, it is great to hear yourself and Mr. Paul again

[Dan E Kool]

Great episode! Easily your best from the last two months.

I didn't realize these comics were republished as a collection. That's pretty neat. The stories don't sound particularly good, but as a part of "Bat History", it sounds very interesting. Might be worth hunting down.

I found this blog post about the Jack Benny story for anyone interested:
http://booksteveslibrary.blogspot.com.c ... atman.html

[Jthree]

Dear Bat-Guys:

Just listened to your podcast last night. While I did not agree with all your comments, I find the time enjoyable and gave your my rapt attention. One think, The Catwoman in this volume of the comic strip resembles the Julie Newmar version of the character, and it was probably the last. This also happened in the comic book where there was one story where the Princess of Plunder wore a green but similar 60's television type outfit. The nest time Frank Robbins had redesigned the outfit unto something different. Coincidence? I wonder.

Of all three versions of the Batman newspaper strip from the late sixties and early seventies, I enjoyed this one the most. I liked the offbeat humor and terrible jokes. The fact that it was an attempt to emulate the Adam West series was a plus for me. The latter straight adventure stories were a bit of a downfall for me.

I was able to meet Mr.Gisella at the Denver Comic Con last year. He as quite a gentlemen and was ticked to death that I had driven six hundred miles to meet someone like him and autograph my volume 1 of his Batman strips. He even marked my copy where his work began and ended. It was very enjoyable meeting him. IMHO, his generation had more talent than the current batch of artists have.

Still waiting to hear about that one Catwoman script that wasn't produced.

Jthree

[Therin of Andor]

I well-remember the ongoing b/w comic strip we got in the Sydney newspaper every Sunday, in the kids' section, in the 60s.

Later, coinciding with the arrival of Batgirl in the TV series Down Under, the Sunday strip ran the newspaper version of the DC comics' Batgirl debut. It was great, but it wasn't till many years later that I noticed, in US-printed colour comic issues, that the DC version of Barbara Gordon had red hair, and didn't need her red Batgirl wig from the TV series!

Sadly, when the Batgirl arc ended, the "Batman" newspaper strip was permanently replaced by "Hagar the Horrible".

[bat-rss]

x.jpgMr. Young, if you think volume 1 was bad, you should skip ahead to volume 3 where the Batman strip became a showcase for the 'hero' Galexo with B & R rarely appearing (more often as Bruce and Dick). Just goes to show the miracle of licensing problems

And yes, it is great to hear yourself and Mr. Paul again

Yikes, looks like Lancelot Link took over the art duties!

Thanks

[bat-rss]

Still waiting to hear about that one Catwoman script that wasn't produced.

There are actually two such scripts! Planning to get to one of them this spring

[epaddon]

One irony about the Conrad Hilton "appearance" in the Poison Ivy storyline is that Hilton, like Mr. Freeze #1 George Sanders, was also an ex-husband of Minerva (Zsa Zsa-and also the father of her only child).

[Therin of Andor]

like Mr. Freeze #1 George Sanders, was also an ex-husband of Minerva (Zsa Zsa-and also the father of her only child).

That Minerva plays the field!

Minerva and Sandman, "Batman '66" digital comic #6 by Ian McLean, on Flickr

Michael Rennie and Zsa Zsa Gabor twice played opposite each other: in "The Great Impersonation" and "A Man of Taste", two episodes of the 1950s TV series, "Climax!"