TO THE BATPOLES #134: What’s My Crime? Bob Dozier’s Joker Drafts

General goings on in the 1966 Batman World

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Mr. Glee
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Re: TO THE BATPOLES #134: What’s My Crime? Bob Dozier’s Joker Drafts

Post by Mr. Glee »

gothosmansion wrote: Thu May 28, 2020 6:32 pmWe'll never know what issues Semple or the other writers may have read and pulled ideas from, other than the stories that were adapted into episodes. I wish there was some way we could find out.
The BATMAN book by Bob Garcia and Joe Desris offers a few clues about where and how Dozier obtained his first comic books. Dozier's first meeting with ABC executive Douglas Cramer occurred in April or May of '65 in L.A. At the end of this meeting, Cramer left Dozier “a small stack of comics”.

Dozier flew to N.Y. a few days later (in May ’65) to meet with Cramer again. Cramer had since met with Bob Kane, who gave him some comic books “with important stories in Batman’s history.” [emphasis added] Cramer recalled giving these comic books to Dozier as well. (Kane seems a plausible, even likely source for the older, rarer issues that wound up in Dozier's possession.)

From New York, Dozier then flew to Spain, where Simple was living. The main purpose of the meeting was to discuss another project the two had been collaborating on (a science fiction pilot entitled “Mr. Zero”.) During this same meeting, Dozier mentioned to Semple that ABC was interested in a Batman series, and gave Semple one of the Batman comics in his possession.

Additionally, the book reproduces a Greenway memo dated June 16 ’65 which identifies four additional comic books that Dozier sent to Semple. Per the memo, these were Batman #s 159, 169, 171 and Detective Comics #290. In the memo, Dozier's asks Semple to pay particular attention to the Riddler story in #171.
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Jim Akin
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Re: TO THE BATPOLES #134: What’s My Crime? Bob Dozier’s Joker Drafts

Post by Jim Akin »

Mr. Glee wrote: Thu Jul 09, 2020 7:46 pm From New York, Dozier then flew to Spain, where Simple was living. The main purpose of the meeting was to discuss another project the two had been collaborating on (a science fiction pilot entitled “Mr. Zero”.) During this same meeting, Dozier mentioned to Semple that ABC was interested in a Batman series, and gave Semple one of the Batman comics in his possession.
I wonder if Dozier and Semple were moved to change the name of Batman's frosty foe to avoid confusion with their other Mr. Zero.

As I believe most board members know, Mr. Freeze debuted under a different name in the 1959 comics story "The Ice Crimes of Dr. Zero." The tale was reprised in the all-reprint "Fantastic Foes" issue Batman #167 (cover-dated December 1965), which was likely part of Dozier and Semple's research for the show. (The same issue also reprinted "The Joker's Utility Belt.") Dr. Zero was a one-shot comic villain until the TV show rechristened him, and Mr. Freeze really took off after Batman: The Animated Series gave him a tragic backstory.
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