Writer/editor Bob Rozakis joins us for a new interview series — BATMAN FAMILY ALBUM. — UPDATED 2/16/19: Every once in a while I’m reminded of how much I love the Bronze Age title Batman Family. The upcoming return of the Joker’s Daughter is just the latest reason. So dig this piece that launched our interview series BATMAN FAMILY ALBUM back in 2015. I think you’ll enjoy it — as well as the subsequent installments. — Dan — The two best Batman runs of the ’70s were by Denny O’Neil and Neal Adams at the beginning of the decade, and Steve Englehart and Marshall Rogers at the end of it. Their stories, simply put, set the foundation of the modern Dark Knight. There were also mighty contributions from the likes of Bob Haney and Jim Aparo in Brave and the Bold, as well as Irv Novick and Len Wein, to name just a few. But over the course of the decade, all three titles starring Batman — JLA and World’s Finest are separate animals — had their ups and downs. There were dozens of memorably unmemorable stories tucked between the masterpieces. Enter Batman Family, the most consistently entertaining Batbook of the 1970s. Of course, we’re only talking 20 issues, many of which were stocked with heavy doses of reprints, but no comic was more fun, issue in and issue out. A lot of that was down to the sensibilities of Bob Rozakis, who crafted much of the book’s content and sense of whimsy. Batman Family was also highly influential: While a number of features and reprints centered on the various supporting characters and villains of Gotham, the focus was on the Batgirl and Robin team — the so-called Dynamite Duo — and their will-they-or-won’t-they relationship. Before Batman Family, there was no sexual spark between the two — at the time the book debuted, Barbara Gordon was a congresswoman and Dick Grayson was a college student. Today, through retcons borne from the seeds sown in the title, Babs and Dick have become DC’s great, star-crossed lovers, youthful contemporaries who learned at Batman’s side in roughly parallel fashion. But that’s something we’ll explore down the road. In this, our first installment of BATMAN FAMILY ALBUM, Bob Rozakis talks about how he ended up with the gig … — Dan Greenfield: It’ll probably...
EXCLUSIVE: Cesar Romero’s slick threads… — UPDATED 2/15/19: Today was Cesar Romero’s birthday! (He was born Feb. 15, 1907). Perfect time to re-present this look at one of his original Joker costumes. Enjoy! — Dan — In case you’re just joining us, we’ve been showing off a series of original Batman ’66 costumes owned by an anonymous collector dubbed “Alfred.” It’s an amazing collection that includes all the main heroes and villains, as well as authentic and replica vehicles and assorted props. So far, we’ve brought you UP-CLOSE LOOKS at Alfred’s Batman, Robin, Batgirl, Riddler and Catwoman costumes, as well as the original Penguin submarine prop from the 1966 movie. (Click here for much more on all that.) Now, we’re up to the Joker. Timing’s good on this one because Alfred has just added a Cesar Romero Joker mannequin to join the ones above: The mannequin itself was created by Greg Maraio, Marc Spess, Daniele Tirinnanzi and David Costa — and we’ll have more on their work soon. But the costume is an authentic outfit worn by Cesar Romero. At least mostly — the jacket, vest and pants are originals, but Maraio provided dead-on replicas of the shirt, tie, gloves and shoes to complete the look. Check it out: — MORE — The Greatest BATMAN ’66 Collection You’ll Ever See. Click here. — Dig This UP-CLOSE LOOK at an Original RIDDLER Costume. Click here. — Dig This UP-CLOSE LOOK at an Original CATWOMAN Costume. Click here. — Special thanks to Dave DeVenter (aka BatDave of NJ BatSquad Studios), John Brown of Gotham City Supercars and Greg Maraio for making this...
Writer/editor Bob Rozakis joins us for a new interview series — BATMAN FAMILY ALBUM.
EXCLUSIVE: Cesar Romero’s slick threads…
