BATMAN’S HOT-LINE | 13th Dimension, Comics, Creators, Culture

May16

Every Time YVONNE CRAIG’s BATGIRL Was on TV It Was a Special Occasion

Posted by Dan Greenfield on May 16, 2025

Every Time YVONNE CRAIG’s BATGIRL Was on TV It Was a Special Occasion

A FRANCO FREE-FOR-ALL FRIDAYS birthday salute… By FRANCO I would sit and watch for anything superhero. Starved for heroes in bright, spandex costumes. I would watch The Electric Company just to see if Spider-Man was going to show up that week. With the 1966 Batman TV series, we had the Dynamic Duo of course, but there was that awesome, every once in a while when Batgirl would show up. I would get so excited during the opening credits because there would be those little extra snippets with her swooping in on her Batrope and then riding by on her motorcycle. My afternoon was set. More heroes. Oh, man. What a trip! She was awesome! Purple is my favorite color! You have understand what life was like back in the 1960s and ’70s. We didn’t get a lot of superhero stuff on the three to six channels we had. (Gosh darn, I have the overwhelming feeling to yell at all of you to get off my lawn right now!) The late Yvonne Craig, who was born 88 years ago, on May 16, 1937, played the Dominoed Daredoll. She was in a bunch of stuff and started as a ballet dancer. I remember her from being in a film with Elvis (two actually, I looked it up), and as the green Orion girl on the original Star Trek. But she was most famously Batgirl! Also, I bet you didn’t know Robin and Batgirl were paid — and not equally by Batman — for being crime fighters! I don’t mean the actors, I mean the heroes themselves! Reprising her role as Batgirl in 1973, she did a PSA about equal pay for women. It’s fun; check it out if you’ve never seen it. Spoiler: Adam West isn’t in it. The guy who plays Batman, Dick Gautier, was none other than the voice of Serpentor in the G.I. Joe cartoon series. Gives new meaning to the quote: “You either die a hero or you live long enough to see yourself become the villain.” Which is from a Batman movie! (Dear god, I’m such a nerd!) Anyway… It’s Yvonne Craig’s birthday. Thanks for Batgirl. Also I basically look for any excuse to draw Batgirl. Happy Friday! — MORE — The TOP 13 Yvonne Craig BATGIRL EPISODES — RANKED. Click here. — The All-Time Best...

May16

The TOP 13 Yvonne Craig BATGIRL EPISODES — RANKED

Posted by Dan Greenfield on May 16, 2025

The TOP 13 Yvonne Craig BATGIRL EPISODES — RANKED

A birthday celebration! — UPDATED 5/16/25: The late, great Yvonne Craig was born 88 years ago on May 16, 1937. This column was first published in 2016 in slightly different form. Perfect time to present it again. Plus: Check out Franco’s new tribute to Craig’s Dominoed Daredoll. Dig it. — Dan — Yvonne Craig was born May 16, 1937, but sadly didn’t make it to her 79th birthday. Ms. Craig left us last summer and at the time, we filled 13th Dimension with remembrances and tributes. It was an honor. Now it’s time to once again celebrate her time in those purple, spangly tights. As I said in August, Yvonne Craig saved the third season of Batman ’66. As a kid, I didn’t even recognize that the writing had slipped or that some of the performances had flattened. Having Batgirl swing across the screen in the animated opening was a special occasion. So with that in mind, here are the 13 BEST YVONNE CRAIG BATGIRL ’66 EPISODES — RANKED: — 13. The Batgirl “pilot”. Low production values. Outlandishly bad Killer Moth costume. But that’s all to be expected of what’s basically a test reel. All the basics are introduced here, though, even if viewers had to wait years to actually see this. Batgirl’s even a little saucier than she is in the series. — 12. Ring Around the Riddler. I went on John S. Drew’s The Batcave Podcast to talk about this episode (click here) which I loved so much as a kid. As an adult, not so much. However, one of the great elements is Barbara’s easy relationship with her father, Commissioner Gordon. Yvonne Craig and Neil Hamilton had such good, gentle chemistry, and I especially like the scene where they watch the Betsy Boldface’s late-night sports show. 11. Nora Clavicle’s Crime Club. Horrible episode. One redeeming quality: The Siamese Human Knot. — 10. Batman ’66 #21. I’m sneaking this in here because it’s a great Batgirl ’66 story. Batman and Batgirl travel to Japan to battle Lord Death Man (whom you can read about here). The most memorable Batgirl appearance in the excellent comics series. Written by Jeff Parker with art by Sandy Jarrell and colors by Jordie Bellaire. — 9. Catwoman’s Dressed to Kill. Batgirl as fashionista. The Batgirl/Catwoman rivalry bares its claws in this one....

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