BATMAN PINUPALOOZA: Chris Franklin takes you shopping!
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Welcome to BATMAN PINUPALOOZA, a 60th anniversary celebration of the seven seminal 1966 Batman pinups by penciller Carmine Infantino and inker Murphy Anderson that in large measure became the definitive versions of the Dynamic Duo and their venal villains for years to come.
This is a 13th Dimension theme week unlike any we’ve done before: Each of our artists — Kerry Callen, Bill Morrison, Des Taylor, Walt Grogan (who did that fab banner), Chris Franklin, Dakota Alexander and Franco — is reimagining at least one of the pinups every day this week, with equal parts reverence, whimsy and humor. For more on BATMAN PINUPALOOZA and the history of these pinups, click here. — Dan
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A selection of items based on the Batman pin-ups throughout the decades, including a few bonus ones.
By CHRIS FRANKLIN
In 1966, when DC published the Batman pin-ups by Carmine Infantino and Murphy Anderson, it inadvertently created what could be considered one of the first style guides issued by a popular franchise. The images of the Dynamic Duo and their top three male villains became ubiquitous on every conceivable kind of retail product for the next 15 years. And they still pop up occasionally today!
These depictions were emblazoned on some of my favorite childhood possessions, such as my Batman sleeping bag, and the free poster I got in a box of Post Fruity Pebbles cereal that strangely has some redrawn elements of the famous rooftop image.
From milk cartons to music boxes, from toys to school supplies, these became the definitive images of some of pop culture’s most famous characters for at least two generations. Let’s roar out of the Batcave and take a look at 13 examples of these famous pinups translated into other types of merchandise, many in three dimensions!
My Dad and I napping on the couch under my Batman (swinging pose) and Robin sleeping bag.
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Jigsaw Puzzle – American Publishing Corp, 1973. American Publishing Corp. released several DC-themed puzzles in the ’70s, and some of them were produced in a unique fashion: in a cardboard can with plastic lid, much like a container of peanuts! This 1973 puzzle reprints the most iconic image of the Dynamic Duo with some minor recoloring, and without the “Best Bat-Wishes” text.
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Official World’s Greatest Super-Heroes: The Super Foes – Mego, 1974. Mego’s use of the pinup images of Joker, Penguin and Riddler on their packaging for their various formats of superhero action figures and accessories further cemented those drawings in the subconscious of ’70s and early ’80s kids. But they went beyond merely repurposing the artwork and used them as the very basis for the figures themselves, particularly the 8-inch versions. The Joker’s hair and brown shoes, the Penguin’s smirk, and, especially, the Riddler’s snarly grin were adapted directly from the Infantino/Anderson images. Considering the incredible popularity of these figures, this further canonized those depictions.
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Batman and Robin Figurines – Chemtoy, 1974. At first glance, modern collectors may look at these packaged figures from Chemtoy and think they are unlicensed bootleg figures. But no, these are officially licensed releases! The art is aping hastily redrawn Irv Novick images of the Dynamic Duo, and the paint on the figures looks like it was applied by the Ten-Eyed Man. But there’s a crude charm to them, nonetheless.
Take one look at these repainted loose examples I found nearly 40 years ago at a local swap meet, and you can see the sculpts are quite nice and capture the standing images of the Caped Crusaders by Infantino/Anderson perfectly!
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Figural Magnets – Monogram, 1975. In 1975, Monogram issued a wide range of die-cut figural magnets of DC and Marvel characters. Like most merchandise from this era, the Batman characters dominated the line. And nearly all of them were based on the pinup art by Infantino and Anderson. Each magnet also had a self-adhesive stick-on on the back as well, in case you wanted to stick it to something non-magnetic… like your parents’ car dashboard. In addition to Batman, Robin and Penguin seen here, they also released pinup-inspired magnets for Joker and Riddler.
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Pepsi Super Series/Collector Series Drinking Glasses – Pepsi, 1976/1978. A list of products based on these images could never be complete without an entry for the ubiquitous Pepsi Collector Series glasses. Pepsi partnered with DC for two series: the “moon” glass run from 1976, so named because of the circle or moon behind each character, and then a later series in 1978 that, unlike the first, didn’t repeat the same image on both sides of the glass but instead threw on a logo and insignia for each character. As always, Bat-characters dominated the line, with Gotham City represented by six in the 1976 moon series (Batman, Robin, Batgirl, Joker, Penguin and Riddler).
All of these were based on Infantino art, with the villains’ and Batman’s images hailing from the immortal pinups. The swinging image of Batman was used on the 1978 glass, shown here in its two formats: the regular size, and the smaller, bell-shaped design, which I have owned since 1978. It and the Superman glass from that series were purchased for me by my cousin Joe, and my Mom wouldn’t let me drink from them, instead putting them up in our China cabinet, since they were “collectible.” Thus began my collection in earnest!
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Batman Model Train Car – Tyco, 1977. In 1977, prolific radio-control toy and model train manufacturer Tyco released a fun series of train cars featuring DC superheroes advertising their own comics, and featuring the newly minted DC Bullet icon. Superman, Wonder Woman and Captain Marvel received cars, and of course so did Batman. Tyco repurposed the swinging image of the Caped Crusader from the pinup set, including the Batsignal. And the text, “Follow Batman in DC Comics,” makes this fit in with a nice train display set, adding some real-life marketing verisimilitude. If only there were actual train cars created in 1:1 scale!
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Batman Wristwatch – Dabs, 1977. Dabs and Co. advertised their “Super Hero Time Machine” wristwatches on the backs of DC Comics in 1977. It was a rare opportunity for Spider-Man to appear on the (back) cover of a DC publication! Superman, Wonder Woman, Batman and the Joker were offered from the DC set, with the latter two’s art hailing from the pinup set. Joker was only available in large adult sizes, because kids shouldn’t be promoting super criminals! His inclusion should silence those who seem to think the Joker WASN’T Batman’s No. 1 foe since the very beginning… because he was.
The Batman watch you see here is my childhood copy, one I wore before I could even tell time. It doesn’t work anymore, but Batman is still happily swinging, all these decades later.
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Revolving Musical Figurines – Price Import Japan, 1978. I normally feature only items from my own collection in these gallery articles, but these definitely need to be included in any discussion of merchandise based on the pinup series, especially since they were geared directly toward collectors, and not necessarily kids. Price Import of Japan issued several DC Comics-inspired ceramic musical figurines in 1978, and of course the Batman characters took up half of the line. Catwoman and Penguin were also included, but the three depicted here are based directly on the pinup art.
The Joker is apparently often missing his cane, but it was included in the release. The music seems to vary, but most play “Superstar” from the play Jesus Christ, Superstar. The only one of these I have ever owned is the Superman model, which I have had since I was a kid (although he was broken and glued back together multiple times), and he plays the same tune.
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Joker and Riddler Figurines – Gulliver, 1981. I’ve showcased this Joker figure before, but it’s worth sharing again, especially since he’s paired with another Bat-rogue. These figures were produced by Brazilian/Argentinian toy manufacturer Gulliver in a promotion with Pepsi. The Riddler is straight out of the classic pin-up, finger pointing strangely down, leg cocked. But the Joker takes the pin-up image and adds a then fairly new comic element: the Laughing Fish from the Englehart/Rogers/Austin run of Detective Comics! This was the first toy/figure to feature the poisoned sea life, and it would become a common accessory with Joker figures in the decades to come.
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Batman and Robin Lamp – Warner Bros. Studio Store, 1999. The dearly departed Warner Bros. Studio Store had a bevy of great and unique DC-themed products, including a series of items based on Silver Age designs, particularly Infantino’s versions of Gotham’s denizens. This lamp strangely flips the actual rooftop image, swapping the sides Batman and Robin are on. But it’s still clearly based on that seminal masterpiece. It originally came with a cone-shaped lamp shade with the bat-symbol on it, but unfortunately mine got a little too close to the bulb and burned. Holy fire hazards!
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The Classic Silver Age/First Appearance Action Figures – DC Direct, 2003-05. DC Direct kicked off their production of Batman figures with a two-pack containing Silver Age iterations of the Dynamic Duo. They continued with sets featuring Joker and Batgirl, and then Penguin and Catwoman. The figures (minus Catwoman) are all directly based on Carmine Infantino and Murphy Anderson’s interpretations of the characters, as is the Riddler, who was released in DC Direct’s First Appearance line, based on his Silver Age return in Batman #171 (May 1965).
While the Joker’s not quite a match for the pin-up art, Batman, Robin, Penguin and Riddler look like they could have leaped from them. If not for the limited articulation that was standard at the time, it would be easy to recreate the posters with these wonderful figures, crafted by master sculptor Tim Bruckner.
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1960s DC Comics Batmobile – Corgi, 2005. After issuing the classic die-cast TV Batmobile in the 1960s, and a fleet of Bat-vehicles into the 1980s, Corgi returned to the franchise in the early 2000s, creating replicas of just about every conceivable comics-style Batmobile in a variety of sizes. The 1964 “New Look” Batmobile has rarely been made into toys and collectibles due to the popularity of the George Barris-created television series model, and the comics cars inspired by it. But Corgi did right by this unique comic design, and while Robin is missing from this 1:43 scale model, otherwise it captures that image of the powerful vehicle emerging from fiction’s greatest secret headquarters quite nicely.
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Stuffed Batmobile – Build-A-Bear Workshop, 2019. One of the most peculiar appearances of the 1964 “New Look” Batmobile was released as recently as 2019 at Build-A-Bear Workshop of all places! The company has long had a history of making DC-themed stuffed bears and outfits, but their choice of this obscure ’60s design for a “vehicle” for their bears was a welcome one, even if it is a headscratcher. I display mine with the crocheted Batman ’66 figures my daughter made for me a few years ago, recreating that classic pinup image!
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MORE
— The Complete BATMAN PINUPALOOZA Index. Click here.
— The Famed 1960s BATMAN and JOKER Pinups — ANIMATED STYLE, by DES TAYLOR. Click here.
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13th Dimension contributor CHRIS FRANKLIN is a graphic designer, illustrator, writer, and podcaster, who co-hosts and produces several shows on the Fire and Water Podcast Network, including Batman: Knightcast. Check out his illustrative and design work at chrisfranklincreative.com.
