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Dec03

ZOK! Dig the 13 Grooviest BATMAN ’66 Cameo Appearances

Posted by Dan Greenfield on Dec 3, 2021

ZOK! Dig the 13 Grooviest BATMAN ’66 Cameo Appearances

From Batclimbs to walk-ons… Our buddy and pal Jim Beard is back with another groovy TOP 13 Batman ’66 list — this time tackling those wonderfully wacky cameos, from Batclimbs to straight-up walk-ons. Oh, and don’t forget: Since it’s the holiday shopping season — I highly recommend Zlonk! Zok! Zowie! The Subterranean Blue Grotto Essays on Batman ’66 – Season One, an in-depth episode guide edited by Jim, with Rich Handley. There’s also the sequel — Biff! Bam! Eee-Yow! The Subterranean Blue Grotto Essays on Batman ’66 – Season Two — and both editions feature courageous chroniclers such as 13th Dimension columnist Paul Kupperberg, The Batcave Podcast host John S. Drew, Keith R.A. DeCandido, Chris Franklin, Ed Catto, and yours truly, among many others. So dig the 13 GROOVIEST BATMAN ’66 CAMEO APPEARANCES — in no particular order: — By JIM BEARD If it weren’t enough that Batman boasted of a bevy of stars in its firmament as Special Guest Villains week in and week out, the famous 1966-68 show captured even more luminaries for extra-special cameos sprinkled among episodes. It became a “thing”—who would show up on Batman next? The sky was often the limit. I’ve gathered together some of my favorite cameos here, not only the well-known, at-the-window Batclimb guests, but a few other walk-ons that are nonetheless pretty damn cool… or weird. — Didja know the first season only sported one window cameo? It wasn’t until the Season 2 opener, “Shoot a Crooked Arrow/Walk the Straight & Narrow,” that the idea hit home and TV host Dick Clark got off his bandstand to “dip his diphthong” to the Caped Crusaders. — It was an incredible moment for television super heroes—or at least an incredible example of product placement—when none other than the Green Hornet and Kato wagged their masked faces at Batman in “The Spell of Tut/Tut’s Case is Shut,” months ahead of their famed full crossover on the show. Holy hatted Hornet! — Here’s where things start to get strange: In the middle of 1966’s “Come Back, Shame/It’s the Way You Play the Game,” the Dynamic Duo meet a German army colonel who still thinks it’s World War II… and Batman plays along with the delusion. The weirdest thing of all is Werner Klemperer was Klink-ing around on a different network at the time. —...

Nov27

EEE-YOW! Dig These 13 Groovy BATMAN ’66 Cliffhangers

Posted by Dan Greenfield on Nov 27, 2021

EEE-YOW! Dig These 13 Groovy BATMAN ’66 Cliffhangers

When the best is when the worst is yet to come! What’s the highlight of any Batman ’66 episode? The Batfights? The run to the Batpoles? The Batmobile roaring into action? Any time Julie Newmar’s on screen? The deathtrap cliffhangers? It’s all memorable and it’s all fun, but the deathtraps were perhaps where the show’s creators were at their most clever and campy. I’ve long wanted to list my own TOP 13 deathtraps, but now that fellow Batexpert Jim Beard is in the house as a 13th Dimension regular columnist, I offered him a shot at putting such a list together. (Thankfully, he included several of my absolute faves — and I didn’t even ask!) Anyway, while we’re on the subject — and since it’s the holiday shopping season — I highly recommend Zlonk! Zok! Zowie! The Subterranean Blue Grotto Essays on Batman ’66 – Season One, an in-depth episode guide edited by Jim, with Rich Handley. There’s also the sequel — Biff! Bam! Eee-Yow! The Subterranean Blue Grotto Essays on Batman ’66 – Season Two — and both editions feature fine finny folks such as The Batcave Podcast host John S. Drew, 13th Dimension columnist Paul Kupperberg, Michael Jan Friedman, Bobby Nash, Chris Franklin, Ed Catto, and my own bad self, among many others. So if you want to order the books – and you do – click here for Season One and click here for Season Two. In the meantime, dig 13 GROOVY BATMAN ’66 CLIFFHANGERS: — By JIM BEARD Batman’s cliffhangers are beyond legendary, a unique device for 1966 television, but inspired by the exciting chapter ends of 1940s serials. For the ’66 series, kids thrilled to them the same way their parents did a generation before—and in many cases believed the Dynamic Duo might very well have permanently perished from them! I’ve gathered together 13 of my most favorite deathtraps and dastardly dangers for Batman and Robin — 13 moments from the show that still thrill me to this day. In chronological order: — Fine Fiery Furnace! Interestingly, the second cliffhanger of the entire series, seen in “Fine Feathered Finks,” involved neither Batman nor Robin, but Bruce Wayne himself. What I dig about it is that it’s one of the more realistic deathtraps… and Bruce barely escapes from it with his patent leather shoes intact....

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