Video - Michael Uslan BATMAN The Dark Knight Phenomenon

Here's an interesting video shot at New York Comic Con of an almost 1-hour speech by Michael Uslan, the Producer of the Batman Movies. This is part one ( 10 minutes ) & there are 5 total, that you can enjoy at YouTube. Basically, he shares his stories about being a HUGE Comic Book Fan & going to early Comic Book Conventions. In fact, he went to the VERY FIRST Comic Con in NYC back in the 1960's. Now the reason I'm posting this video is because he talks about Batman, a lot!

Photos - Comic Book Artist JOE KUBERT at New Jersey Comic Book Store!

Last week the Bat-Blog announced the special appearance of JOE KUBERT for a Book Signing at Dewey's Comic City in NJ. Well, Ace Bat-Reporter BatDave went to the event & said it was fantastic! He said that, "Mr. Kubert was extremely nice & even signed stuff for free!" It's great to see that some Artists are not greedy, ha! but, I've always been told by Friends who have met this guy that he's very down to earth. So, that's cool. While there Bat-Dave had some of his personal comic books, favorites from his childhood, signed. He also got these great pics. The 1st one shows the legend himself, Joe Kubert! Oh man, I wish I could have been there. As a side note: the last image, of the classic comic book covers, I made that into a JOE KUBERT COVER ART Wallpaper Background you can use to brighten your desktop. Also, a special thanks goes out to BatDave for his awesome reporting skills!

What Country Are These BATMAN Comics From?

Anyone who has been reading the BAT-BLOG for any length of time knows that I am totally goo-goo for Batman "Foreign Comic Books", ha! But here are two ( images, not actual books ) that I recently found & I have no idea where they're from. So, this post was made to ask everyone out there, "Do you know what country these came from or maybe the publisher?" Both of them look like reprints. The 1st one with the Joker on the cover has the artwork from the original cover to Joker #2. The next comic is a reprint of a 1960's story with classic art by Carmine Infantino. I forget the number of the actual BATMAN issue but it's a very iconic image.

Reminder - FREE COMIC BOOK DAY is Saturday, May 7th

Just a friendly reminder that tomorrow, Saturday, May 7th is FREE COMIC BOOK DAY. This is when you can hit your favorite Comic Book Retail Store ( or Public Library, in some cities ) and pick-up some free comics!! Now, this year there will be 2 books you will want to pick-up that are sort of Batman-related. The 1st one is a "Young Justice / Batman: The Brave and The Bold" issue. This book features stories with characters from each Cartoon Network animated TV series. The 2nd one is totally wacky & comes from Bluewater Productions, "The Mis-Adventures of Adam West". Reading it, I know he mentions the Batman character from time to time but it really is more about Mr. West himself. It's kind of wacky too, ha! For a list of ALL the free books they're gonna have be sure to click HERE! Also, while you're there, you can click on a book's cover & then read a sample of it online ( Read some of the "Adam West" one to get an idea of it ).

BATMAN ARTIST - JIM APARO - TREASURY COMICS - Original Comic Book Cover Art!

As a little kid back in the 1970's I became an obsessed comic book collector & one of my very most favorite things in the entire world were "Treasury Comics". They were put out by both DC Comics & Marvel ( I was more of a "DC Guy" ). If you have never seen or experienced these beautiful books then your life is completely sad, ha! Treasury Comics were basically reprints of classic stories but sold in a giant-size format. I mean, these babies were HUGE! It was almost like reading a newspaper, ha! I totally loved them & still have about 15 or 20 of them stored away in the very very back of my closet, in protective plastic bags of course.



Which, gets me to the reason for this post. The other day, while trolling on eBay, I came across a guy selling the Original Comic Book Art for the Cover to the 1975 BATMAN Treasury Comics Limited-Collectors-Edition #C37. The Artist back then was Jim Aparo!! I have always been a HUGE Aparo Fan & totally love his artwork. Now, as you can imagine, this baby is out of my price range, but I would kill to have it, ha! To own an actual piece of your childhood history like that, is what gives Collectors a reason to live. Oh well, I guess I can just drool over the photo posted up above ( Please click on it for a larger, more beautiful, picture ). The later photos show the actual product ( front & back ) and also a few advertisements that showed-up in comic books back in the day. By the way, if your a big fan of treasurys, or just wanna learn more, then please let me suggest TREASURYCOMICS.COM, it's a great reference site!

Batman Video - History of the Batmobile Car in Comics, TV, and Movies

Check out this Educational "Batman History" Video created by WATCHMOJO. It covers the evolution of the Batmobile Car in the Comic Books, TV Shows, and Movies.

BATMAN MEMORABILIA From Around the Globe!

I don't know what my fascination is with "Foreign Batman items" but that sort of stuff is really cool! Plus it's very hard to find. Here's some great examples: The 1st photo shows a JAPANESE POTATO CHIP BAG with a 1989 BATMAN movie promotion. Now, how wacky is that! Speaking of "Japanese", right now my heart goes out to all the people of Japan. The recent events there are such a tragedy. Let's hope things get better soon. The next pic features a 1980's German-Language BATMAN Comic Book... from Germany ( Duh!, ha! ). The the last group of photos are vintage Batman items from Australia. These Australian comics are from the 1970's. So, what do you think? Is this stuff kinda cool!? Hey, I got a question, Do YOU have any foreign bat-items you would like to share? If so, then please send us some pics today. Remember, the Bat-Blog is all about sharing information about the joys of collecting.

THE BRAVE AND THE OLD - New Batman Fan Website

No, the word "old" in the title was not misspelled. I'm talking about a brand-new website, created by a comic book reading Dad, that is dedicated to seeking out kid-friendly comic books that families can read together. I think that Parents who love comics might find this site interesting. It's called THE BRAVE AND THE OLD. Here's a link to check it out, just click HERE!

New BATMAN T-SHIRTS Over At SUPERHERO STUFF

The other night I was kinda bored & decided to check out what kind of new Batman Merchandise there was out there. My main focus was some kind of cool T-Shirt or other clothing. One website that I totally love to buy from is called SUPERHERO STUFF. They have great service & an awesome variety. While there I saw they had a bunch of brand-new T-Shirts & here's the one I think I'm going to buy. It has a graphic on the front of a Silver-Age Comic Book Cover that features artwork by Carmine Infantino. Actually, it's Detective Comics # 380. I don't know, I think it's pretty cool. What do you think? Oh, if you're wondering where their website is I placed a link down below, check it out sometime.

Garrey's Awesome BATMAN COMIC BOOK, TOY, & MEMORABILIA Collection!

The Bat-Blog recently received a whole bunch of really great photos from a Bat-Fan named Garrey. This is his room where he displays some of his Batman Collection. He's got a lot of Vintage Comic Books, New Graphic Novels, DVD Movies, Action Figures, Collectible Toys, Movie Posters, etc... I couldn't post ALL the photos he sent so I just condensed them down to a few of the best ones. He really has a lot of neat Batman items! Now, you know I totally love all this kinda stuff ( especially the toys ) but I gotta say that the BAT'S MOTEL sign is really funny! If I remember right, he said he got it at BIG LOTS during the Halloween Season. It's not really a "Batman item" but it does totally fit into the collection. Plus, I like the humor. Thank you Garrey for sharing your personal photos with us, I appreciate that a lot & know that many people will enjoy seeing these pics. It's always cool to see what other people have so if YOU ( Bat-Blog Reader ) have anything to share then please send us your pictures today!

BATMAN ARTIST - NORM BREYFOGLE at NORTH EAST COMIC CON ( Boston ) in March!

The Legendary BATMAN Comic Book Artist NORM BREYFOGLE will be a Special Guest at the NORTH EAST COMIC CON in Boston, Massachusetts on March 7th, 2010. So, if you live nearby, then this is your chance to meet him & maybe get a drawing or sketch of the Dark Knight. Now, another reason I mention this Boston Comic Book Convention is that they will also be giving away, as a door prize, an Original 1940's Golden Age Copy of BATMAN #1!! WOW! That would be extremely cool to win! I mean, I have wanted that iconic issue since I was about 12 years old, ha ha! For more information about this show be sure to visit their site by clicking HERE!

Justin's BATMAN TRADE PAPERBACK BOOK Collection!

We just received an email from a Bat-Blog Fan named Justin & it was loaded with a bunch of cool pics! Justin said that he has been a Fan of the Dark Knight since age 5 & he is now 19. The thing he really enjoys is collecting the Batman Trade Paperback Books ( Graphic Novels ), Hardback Books, & Comic Books. Here are some photos he sent of his collection. Because of space limitations I couldn't publish them all but these do give you a really good idea of what an awesome library he has. On a side-note, I like how he has a Post-It Note attached to the shelf, near the Batman books, that reads, "DO NOT TOUCH!", that's funny! Thanks Justin for sending in these photos & sharing your collection with us. You have some great stuff! As always, I want to invite all Bat-Blog Readers to share your pics of anything Batman-related. It can be a Vintage Toy Collection, a photo of you meeting Adam West, your recent Bat-Birthday Party, whatever!

New 2010 VINTAGE DC COMICS Calendar with BATMAN Detective Comics

You might remember, last year, Asgard Press came out with a special 2009 VINTAGE DC SUPER HEROES Calendar. I remember seeing it & thought it was pretty cool! It featured many Golden Age Comic Book Covers of Superman, Batman, Captain Marvel, Flash, Wonder Woman, etc... Well, this year they have a brand-new one called the 2010 VINTAGE DC COMICS Calendar. It's basically the same thing, but with different artwork. Plus, the general theme with this one is the special 75th Anniversary of the DC Comics company ( DC published their 1st comic book in 1935 ). Plus, I like that DETECTIVE COMICS is on the cover, ha ha! For more info be sure to click HERE!

Vintage Advertising: THE JOKER & Hostess Fruit Pies!

Oh Man, People just go totally crazy for Hostess Fruit Pies, ha ha! OK, does everybody remember these wonderful Vintage Ads that were inside comic books in the 1970's & 1980's? I know that when I was a little kid I used to really love them. The pies were great too. My favorite was Cherry & if they didn't have that then Apple would be an acceptable choice. Anyway, these old advertisements are fun to read. Just click on it for a larger, more readable, version. Also, be sure to check the BAT-ARCHIVES for many more that have been posted in the past. The archives are located on the left side, toward the middle of the page. It's also a great way to read almost 3000 other posts!