The Endless Joy of Superhero VIEW-MASTERS
An EXCLUSIVE EXCERPT from TwoMorrows’ RetroFan #2…
MORRISON MONDAYS meets BATMAN ’66 WEEK — again! — Welcome to BATMAN ’66 WEEK, celebrating the 60th anniversary of the beloved TV show starring Adam West! Over the last week, we’ve been presenting daily tributes and features, leading up to Jan. 12 — the premiere date itself — where we’ve rolled out a brand-new TOP 13 BATMAN ’66 EPISODE COUNTDOWN, voted upon by a panel of the most knowledgeable Bat-experts around. Click here for the COMPLETE INDEX. — Dan — By BILL MORRISON If there was a religion based on the 1966 Batman TV series, today would be the equivalent of Christmas. 60 years ago, on January 12, 1966, the ABC television network delivered a big, Bat-present to fans of the Caped Crusader, and we celebrate that groovy, campy gift to this day. For my part, I’m observing the anniversary by sharing some original artwork from my Batman collection and highlighting 13 astonishing artists who drew the Dynamic Duo in the spirit of the TV show. (I also voted in the TOP 13 BATMAN ’66 EPISODE COUNTDOWN.) — 1. Joe Giella. In May of 1966, after the phenomenal success of Batman on TV, DC Comics resurrected the newspaper strip that had ended 20 years earlier in 1946. The revived strip mirrored the campy tone of the TV show, taking full advantage of Batmania. The comic books in which the Caped Crusaders appeared, mainly Detective Comics and Batman followed suit a few months later. These daily strips are from the “Joker on Parole” and “Jolly Roger” storylines and were drawn by Joe Giella. Joe was known primarily as a great inker in the comics, but these 1966 strips prove that he was also a magnificent penciller! — 2. Bob Oksner. If there had been a Batman comic book based on the TV show in 1966, Bob Oksner would have drawn it. He was an extremely versatile artist, and could draw comics in a realistic adventure style that was in the same league with fellow DC artists like Neal Adams, Jim Aparo, and Curt Swan. But he was just as adept at drawing humor comics, and DC kept him busy throughout the ’50s and ’60s on funny books like Leave it to Binky, Miss Beverly Hills of Hollywood, and Angel and the Ape, as well as titles based on comedians and sitcoms such as The Adventures of Bob...
SUNDAY FUNNIES WITH KERRY CALLEN meets BATMAN ’66 WEEK! — Welcome to BATMAN ’66 WEEK, celebrating the 60th anniversary of the beloved TV show starring Adam West! All week, we’ll be presenting daily tributes and features, leading up to Jan. 12 — the premiere date itself — when we’ll roll out a brand-new TOP 13 BATMAN ’66 EPISODE COUNTDOWN, voted upon by a panel of the most knowledgeable Bat-experts around. Click here for the COMPLETE INDEX. — Dan — By KERRY CALLEN January 12 is the 60th anniversary of the Batman TV program, airing on ABC. It premiered in 1966. With me being 5 at the time, you might think I loved the show. But, I never saw it. Where I lived in Arkansas, we only received two channels, CBS and NBC. My exposure to Batman was through two comic books. One was from the very first comic I ever bought, 1965’s Teen Titans #1, by Bob Haney, with art by Nick Cardy. Batman was in one panel. My first comic with Batman in a starring role was The Brave and the Bold #68. Also written by Haney, it had art by Mike Sekowsky and Mike Esposito, and a cover by Sekowsky, with inks by Joe Giella and Murphy Anderson. I bought the book because I was a fan of Metamorpho. I saw him in comics while waiting at a barber shop. This was my main introduction to Batman, and it’s a doozy. He becomes BAT-HULK! The book hit the stands in August of ’66. Batmania was in full swing — and Batman is mentioned as being on TV twice in the issue. We also find out that Batman is “super-marv and fab.” The main villains were the Penguin, the Riddler, and the Joker. DC was obviously targeting fans of the TV show. The three villains team up and expose Batman to a strange gas, transforming him into Bat-Hulk! The entire story is actually a bit strange. Aside from super-strength, Bat-Hulk can throw fireballs from his molten-hot hands. Bat-Hulk only appears in this one comic, but I’ve long held a fondness for him. While other kids were discovering Batman through the TV show, I had to reread my own oddball discovery of the character. Using my own twisted logic, I’m celebrating the show’s 60th anniversary by drawing Bat-Hulk! By the way, when Frank Miller’s The Dark Knight Returns...
An EXCLUSIVE EXCERPT from TwoMorrows’ RetroFan #2…
