HOLY BRAIN FREEZE! Dig These Groovy BATMAN Slurpee Cups

It’s July 11. That’s 7/11. Get it?

You wanna hear something funny? Of all the things I miss during this eternal lockdown, getting a Slurpee ranks right there near the top. It’s the little things, y’know?

I mean, I’m sure my local 7-Eleven is open but I’m really trying to avoid going out to too many places while this pandemic continues to rage.

What I’ve been doing instead is assembling a collection of 1973 Batman Slurpee cups. Because fun. And because I can’t go out and get a damn Slurpee. (Coke is my fave, by the way.)

Dig these:

Now, I’ve written about Slurpee cups a number of times and I’ve even discussed them on a Fire and Water Network podcast. (Click here to listen!) These works of kitschy plastic art are tangible reminders of those simpler Bronze Age days.

So since today is 7/11, I figured I’d show off this Gotham-centric collection that’s been a real kick to put together.

Included here are the Big 7 Bat-characters of the time — Batman, Robin, Batgirl, the Joker, the Penguin, the Riddler and Catwoman.

Now, I fully acknowledge that this is not a complete set. There were four more Batman cups among the 60 licensed by DC: Bruce Wayne, Dick Grayson, Alfred and Commissioner Gordon. But for whatever reason they’re adorned with somewhat awkward art and they just don’t seem to fit the oeuvre.

These, though, are a wonderful combo of designs.

You’ve got your Neal Adams Batman:

Your Carmine Infantino Robin:

Your Don Heck Batgirl:

Your Infantino Joker:

Your Infantino Penguin:

Your Infantino Riddler:

And your Catwoman, featuring a Golden Age outfit that would return in the ’70s. (I’m not sure if this is Dick Sprang or not, so if you know, say so in the comments):

Even though these came out in 1973, the Infantino and Catwoman illos fit right in because they were often used as merchandising art, as you can see from some of the Mego boxes sitting behind the cups.

Anyway, as much as I love these, I am slightly disappointed we didn’t get more characters. Marvel had a much bigger selection of cups and if DC had followed suit, perhaps we’d have gotten Ra’s al Ghul, Talia and Man-Bat. And hell, I can’t believe they didn’t do Mr. Freeze.

But hey. These seven beauties are a little respite in what’s been a thirsty summer.

P.S. Bonus points to anyone who can tell me what issue that Batman image originally came from.

MORE

— The 13 Wackiest DC & Marvel SLURPEE Cups. Click here.

— 13 Far Out MARVEL SLURPEE CUPS of the ’70s. Click here.

Author: Dan Greenfield

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15 Comments

  1. Looks like the Neal Adams Batman is from Detective Comics 404 (“Ghost of the Killer Skies”), last panel of page 7.

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    • (BTW, I’m jealous of your childhood Slurpee cup addiction, but also grateful that my sugar intake was kept moderated as a kid, even though I couldn’t have Slurpees.)

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      • I probably saw that Batman image so many times on licensed products that it really stood out when I finally saw it in a reprint of Detective 404 years later (most likely in Greatest Batman Stories Ever Told).

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  2. Mitch L beat me to it! This week, I’ve been reading The Greatest Batman Stories Ever Told before going to bed and I’d just re-read “Ghost of the Killer Skies” the other night. And the Robin art is similar to what Infantino drew in the Blockbuster story in the book. So it’s timely coming across your article and seeing the Adams and Infantino art.

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  3. You can’t go wrong with Neal Adams Batman. That’s my favorite out of this collection of cups.

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  4. You know, in just three years, we’ll be looking at the 50th anniversary of the cups. Wonder if DC and 7-11 could work out a deal for a commemorative re-issue…

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  5. You don’t have Alfred, Comm Gordon, Dick and Bruce?

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      • From what I understand, these images were chosen by sending a copy boy down to the archive and drawing stock images of the “most popular characters” of the time out of the clip-art files, which is why the art is all over the place and we got stellar and exciting characters like Ma Kent and Jane Clayton (Tarzan’s wife). When Marvel was presented with the same project the following year, they took it seriously, took stock art, cleaned it up and made changes as necessary. Going that extra step is what led to Marvel getting a follow-up series that featured all-new art done specifically for the series.

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  6. No Mr. Freeze Slurpee cup?!…W-I-I-I-ILD!!!

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  7. At first I thought that the Batman/Neal Adams Slurpee cup was based on the more popular image of Batman pursuing the Joker after fighting off the shark in that tank, but he wasn’t wearing his utility belt in that most famous image (which was never explained why or how he lost it).

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  8. Wonderful stuff Dan! I don’t think there has EVER been a 7-11 anywhere near me, so I totally missed out on the Slurpee cup craze. I have stopped in the stores on road trips since, but was forever denied them as a kid.

    I’m also impressed with your Mego boxes in the background! Yowza!!!

    Chris

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  9. The Catwoman illustration was drawn by Sheldon Moldoff & Charles Paris. And yes, some of the DC character choices were questionable, I’m guessing they wanted to show the wide range at DC, though, IMO, they should have used more members of Batman & The Flash’s Rogues Galleries. As for the Marvel Slurpee cups, I find it funny that out of all 60 cups in the set, we only got one villain in Dr. Doom. It amazes me that characters like Thundra, Night Rider & Killraven made the cut, but major villains like Dr. Octopus, Magneto, The Red Skull & The Green Goblin were snubbed.

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