BATMAN NEWS

In a flurry of Bat-activity last summer, which saw the release of new comics and toys based on the 1960s Batman TV series, fans at Comic-Con were hoping to hear the Batphone ringing with news about the show's release on DVD and Blu-Ray. Well, the convention came and went and the Batphone never rang. Fast-forward six months and DenofGeek has just reported that such an announcement might be coming after all. The original series, which ran from 1966-1968, has been tied up in legal battles for decades and has never been released on home video. Apparently Conan O'Brien leaked the news on Twitter. Bleeding Cool posted today that a DVD-set is due in the fall, but has not confirmed a Hi-Def release. DC Comics posted a confirmation by end of the day. More news as it arrives, but hoping we'll see the Caped Crusaders in their Pop-Art glory on Blu-Ray soon. Image: original Batman and Robin costumes worn by Adam West and Burt Ward designed by Jan Kemp.

Related news: Chip Kidd has reported that Jiro Kuwata's Batman manga series has finally been printed in Japan in a multi-volume book-set with slipcase. Readers can find it on Amazon Japan here. Fans of the recent Cartoon Network series, Beware the Batman, are still waiting to hear if the series will continue this winter. A 2-DVD set of the first 13 episodes will be released on Feb 18th. Spy Vibe recently interviewed series designer Shane Glines here. Mini-interview with Powerpuff Girls designer/art director Kevin Dart (Yuki 7) here. Images: Jiro Kuwata's Batman manga. More related links below.

Related posts: Batman 66: The TV Stories Book, Batman in Swinging London, Julie Newmar, Batman 66 posters, new comic and Adam West Sings!, Shane Glines Interview, Adam West spy ad, Spy Vibe visits the Batcave, James Bond & Batman Robots, Andy Warhol Batman, Man From UNCLE & Batman Manga. Spy Vibers might also want to check out Jeff Parker's comic, King's Watch, which unites classic King Features characters The Phantom, Mandrake, and Flash Gordon. Photos from Spy Vibe's image archive on Pinterest.

Recent Spy Vibe posts: David Bowie at 67, Kevin Dart talks Ringo & Powerpuff Girls, Sherlock Exhibit, Fu Manchu history panel, Andy Warhol box set, Six-Million Dollar Man, Striped Light Nude, Buckminster Fuller, Dylan at Newport, Jane and Serge, The Goldfinger Variations, Mod Tales Interview, Pete Seeger nominated for Grammy,Kraftwerk returns to US, Beatles BBC on Fresh Air, Steranko S.H.I.E.L.D. Artist Editions, David Tennant's Ian Fleming audio books, Atomic Art, Modern Architecture LP, Julius Shulman, Shane Glines Batman, The Prisoner and Captain Scarlet, Diego Fortunato and Verner Panton, Saturday Morning Cartoons, Assassination Bureau on DVD, new Young Bond series, new Hercule Poirot novel, Early Beatles image archive, Julie Newmar, Erno Goldfinger, Hitchcock tribute.

Recent Ian Fleming posts on Spy Vibe: Ian Fleming Letters, Erno Goldfinger, Ian Fleming Music Series links: Noel Coward, Whispering Jack Smith, Hawaiian Guitar, Joe Fingers Carr, new Ian Fleming Catalog, Jon Gilbert interview, Double 007 Designs, Bond audio book reissues, discovery of one of Ian Fleming's WWII Commandos, James Bond book covers, Ian Fleming's Playboy interview for Kindle, Spy Vibe's discovery of a rare Ian Fleming serialization, rare View to a Kill, Fleming's Royal gold typewriter, Ian Fleming's memorial address, Spy Vibe's Ian Fleming image archive. 

BATMAN 66 TV STORIES

Fans of the original 1966-1968 Batman were treated this year to a wonderful new comic series based on the show by Jeff Parker, as well as a host of retro-styled merchandise. The Pop Art sensibility of the 1960s Caped Crusader was featured in many Spy Vibe posts covering art, new releases, an interview with Batman designer Shane Glines, Andy Warhol's Batman, and our extensive image archive on Pinterest. With so much Batmania, we can almost forgive the fact that the show has never been released on DVD (yet!). In the meantime, we have cool comics to quench our Bat-thirst. DC Comics will release Batman 66: The TV Stories on January 14th. The book compiles stories that were adapted into episodes for Adam West's TV show. More below. Original Batman costume images from Chip Kidd's excellent series about DC Comics history and featured on our Pinterest site. The costumes were designed by Jan Kemp for: Batman (Adam West), Robin (Burt Ward), and Batgirl (Yvonne Craig).

From Bud Plant books: "Batman 66: The TV Stories: For the first time, DC Comics collects Batman stories originally published between 1948 and 1966 that were adapted into specific episodes of the classic Batman TV series! And this presents a Who's Who of the best writers AND artists of Batman! Starring The Joker, The Penguin, The Riddler and Mr. Freeze (here called “Mr. Zero”), and featuring the debut of Batgirl. These stories have never been collected together before.

Additional artists here include Jack Burnley, George Roussos, Joe Giella, and Charles Paris. New cover by Amanda Conner & Paul Mounts. Look again at the credits line and you'll find here are collected stories and art by the premier creators of Batman, from the Riddler story of 1948, with the story by Bill Finger (the co-creator of Batman) and artwork by the great Dick Sprang, with Charles Paris, and a cover by the unheralded but excellent Win Mortimer.

And here is an outstanding final story to this collection, "The Million Dollar Debut of Batgirl," written in 1967 by Gardner Fox and drawn by the superb team of Carmine Infantino and Syd Greene…with a cover by Infantino and Anderson, who most collectors consider the premier Batman artists of the Silver Age. Ten complete stories, collected from Batman #53, 73, 121, 140, 169 and 171, and Detective #230, 346 and 359. Introduction by Michael Uslan."

Batman 66: The TV Stories at Amazon and Previews.  Related posts: Batman in Swinging London, Julie Newmar, Batman 66 posters, new comic and Adam West Sings!, Shane Glines Interview, Adam West spy ad, Spy Vibe visits the Batcave, James Bond & Batman Robots, Andy Warhol Batman, Man From UNCLE & Batman Manga. Spy Vibers might also want to check out Jeff Parker's comic, King's Watch, which unites classic King Features characters The Phantom, Mandrake, and Flash Gordon. Collage below from Spy Vibe's image archive on Pinterest. 

Recent Spy Vibe posts: David Bowie at 67, Kevin Dart talks Ringo & Powerpuff Girls, Sherlock Exhibit, Fu Manchu history panel, Andy Warhol box set, Six-Million Dollar Man, Striped Light Nude, Buckminster Fuller, Dylan at Newport, Jane and Serge, The Goldfinger Variations, Mod Tales Interview, Pete Seeger nominated for Grammy,Kraftwerk returns to US, Beatles BBC on Fresh Air, Steranko S.H.I.E.L.D. Artist Editions, David Tennant's Ian Fleming audio books, Atomic Art, Modern Architecture LP, Julius Shulman, Shane Glines Batman, The Prisoner and Captain Scarlet, Diego Fortunato and Verner Panton, Saturday Morning Cartoons, Assassination Bureau on DVD, new Young Bond series, new Hercule Poirot novel, Early Beatles image archive, Julie Newmar, Erno Goldfinger, Hitchcock tribute.

Recent Ian Fleming posts on Spy Vibe: Ian Fleming Letters, Erno Goldfinger, Ian Fleming Music Series links: Noel Coward, Whispering Jack Smith, Hawaiian Guitar, Joe Fingers Carr, new Ian Fleming Catalog, Jon Gilbert interview, Double 007 Designs, Bond audio book reissues, discovery of one of Ian Fleming's WWII Commandos, James Bond book covers, Ian Fleming's Playboy interview for Kindle, Spy Vibe's discovery of a rare Ian Fleming serialization, rare View to a Kill, Fleming's Royal gold typewriter, Ian Fleming's memorial address, Spy Vibe's Ian Fleming image archive.