Atomic batteries to power. Turbines to speed! Celebrate the world's greatest detective with Spy Vibe's Batman image archive on Pinterest. You'll find vintage toys and covers, trading cards, Japanese records, Chip Kidd designs, and art by Andy Warhol, Ryan Heshka, Richard Sala, and many others. Enter the image Batcave here. Related posts: 1966 Valentines cards, Saturday Morning Cartoons: Marine Boy, Saturday Morning Cartoons: Bird Man, Richard Sala interview, Win Scott Eckert interview, Johnny Sokko and His Flying Robot, Gigantor, Spies Robots Monsters,Birdman, Beware the Batman w Shane Glines, Robert Valley's Wonder Woman, Boris and Natasha, Mod Wonder Woman, Kevin Dart on Powerpuff Girls.
Recent Spy Vibe posts: Batman Valentines cards, Saturday Cartoons: Marine Boy, Mary Quant, Patrick Macnee, Gloria Steinem and Denny O'Neil on MOD Wonder Woman, Win Scott Eckert interview, Siegel and Shuster's SPY, David McCallum: Son of Batman, Jon Gilbert talks Fleming, Barbarella TV series, Meet the Beatles 50th, Wonderwall comes to Blu-ray, Batman Strips, 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, 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.
Holy heartthrob! Spy Vibe returns to those elementary school days, when friendships were solidified over valentines cards and candy hearts. February brought a crop of card-packs to stationary stores around the country, luring young buyers with designs based on the pop icons of the day. In 1966, kids were in the throes of Batmania. Sales of the Batman comic book had dwindled to an all-time low by the mid-1960s. But the Adam West TV show conquered the airwaves, reinvigorated DC publishing, and became a merchandising phenomenon. Children were soon brushing their teeth with Bat-brushes, waking up to Bat-alarm clocks, and carrying their peanut butter sandwiches to school in Bat-lunch boxes. Valentines Day quickly fell under the Bat-spell. The TV series made its debut on January 12th, 1966. By February 14th -one month later- little shoppers found cards designed by Doubl Glo and Hallmark. The Doubl Glo set sold for .59 and included envelops and a "special card for teacher." Thanks to cartoonist Mark Anderson for posting these (and more!) on his site. Spy Vibers might also want to check out our post yesterday about Saturday Morning Cartoons and the official DVD release of Marine Boy here and our New Years post about cards from Cold War Russia here. Enjoy!
Recent Spy Vibe posts: Saturday Cartoons: Marine Boy, Mary Quant, Patrick Macnee, Gloria Steinem and Denny O'Neil on MOD Wonder Woman, Win Scott Eckert interview, Siegel and Shuster's SPY, David McCallum: Son of Batman, Jon Gilbert talks Fleming, Barbarella TV series, Meet the Beatles 50th, Wonderwall comes to Blu-ray, Batman Strips, 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, 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.
Spy Vibe goes back to the days of Saturday morning cartoons, when we camped out in living rooms with bowls of cereal for hours of animated pop adventures. If your vibe is vintage superheroes, there are a number of DVD sets available that collect 1960s Filmation, Hanna-Barbera, and Marvel series like Superman, Batman, Spider-Man, Mighty Thor, Aquaman, The Flash and Hawkman, and later series like the New Adventures of Batman and Super Friends: Legendary Super Powers starring Adam West. You can see documentary featurettes about many of these cartoons on YouTube.
My earliest memories of Saturday morning cartoons are the first wave of Japanese anime: Marine Boy, Gigantor, Astro Boy, and Speed Racer. Although limited by today's standards, I loved the Japanese imports for their use of dynamic depth-staging, James Bond-style gadgets, sense of danger, and exciting action. These stories were often rooted in Space-Age technology and Cold War intrigue. My favorite was Marine Boy (1968-1969), one of the first color cartoons to be dubbed for the US market. Like many of its contemporaries, the cartoon tapped a then-current fascination with undersea exploration.
Marine science and scuba diving captured popular imagination in the late 1950s and 1960s with shows like Sea Hunt (1958-1961), Flipper (1964-1967), Jacques Cousteau (1968-1976), and Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea (1964-1968). Just as fans were thrilled by James Bond's mini-breather in Thunderball (1965), and by Gerry Anderson's Stingray (1964-1965), kids tuning into Marine Boy on Saturday mornings got their own hi-tech wish fulfillment for deep sea adventure.
Below is a model kit of the Submarine P1-0 from Marine Boy. The design was reminiscent of the "Flying Sub" in Irwin Allen's Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea and the "Spindrift" ship in Allen's Land of the Giants (1968-1970). The general form was inspired by real breakthroughs in undersea exploration (see National Geographic April 1964 and Time Magazine March 1960 below).
Marine Boy centered around a young hero who aided the Ocean Patrol in its fight against a weekly rogue's gallery of diabolical masterminds and mechanized terrors. Marine Boy was outfitted for adventure by his father, Dr. Mariner. His arsenal of gadgetry included an indestructible suit, propulsion boots, electric boomerang, radio helmet, retractable flippers, dolphin whistle, and "oxy-gum" to enable the boy to breath under water. The show was unique in that it was produced in Japan, but apparently for first-release run in North America. Canadian actress Corinne Orr provided Marin Boy's voice, as well as voices for other programs like Ultraman and Speed Racer. Marine Boy was out of print for years, but was finally resurrected by Warner Archives. Season One came out in June 2013 and the second season just appeared on the Warner site here.
Season One description from Amazon: "It's Marine Boy! The original "American anime"
classic is here, at last! Produced in Japan but intended for first run in the
US, Marine Boy was one of the first color cartoons to come from Japan, soon to
be sharing syndicated screen space with the likes of Kimba the White Lion and
Speed Racer (with whom it shares a number of voice actors). Teenage Marine Boy
battles evil on and under the seas on behalf of the Ocean Patrol, aided by the
amazing inventions of his father, Dr. Mariner and the brilliant Professor
Fumble. Joining Marine Boy in his mission are his white dolphin, Splasher,
young mermaid Neptina, and fellow Ocean Patrol agents Bullton and Piper. Adding
complication to the mission are the effort of to CliCli prove himself a
miniature Marine Boy. So break out your Oxy-Gum and get ready to dive into the
amazing aquatic animated adventures found on this 3-Disc, 26-Episode
Collection."
Recent Spy Vibe posts: Mary Quant, Patrick Macnee, Gloria Steinem and Denny O'Neil on MOD Wonder Woman, Win Scott Eckert interview, Siegel and Shuster's SPY, David McCallum: Son of Batman, Jon Gilbert talks Fleming, Barbarella TV series, Meet the Beatles 50th, Wonderwall comes to Blu-ray, Batman Strips, 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, 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.
Mary Quant, fashion designer for Swinging London, turned 80 yesterday. Quant was one of the first designers to develop the Mini Skirt and her slim youthful creations defined the look for the decade. Arriving in Britain during the sexual revolution, with the newly available birth control pill, the rising hemline was a statement of rebellion. The design spread like wildfire and similar work by designers like Andre Courreges, Pierre Cardin, and Yves St. Laurent popped up around the continent. UK viewers saw one of the earliest appearances of the Mini Skirt designed for Diana Rigg by John Bates on The Avengers.
Quant's Mini was featured in a series of stamps honoring iconic British designs, which included the red phone booth, spitfire airplane, double-decker bus, and the mini cooper. Asked at the time about her own Mini Cooper, she said, "The Mini car went exactly with the Mini Skirt… It was optimistic, exuberant, young, flirty. It was exactly right." Mini Cooper offered a limited edition of 2,000 Mary Quant motor cars in 1988. Career profile from British Pathe here. Image of Mini Dress worn by dancer Kathy Gale (not of Avengers fame) on the Steve Allen Comedy Hour (1967) from the NY Daily News. Happy Birthday, Mary!
Recent Spy Vibe posts: Patrick Macnee, Gloria Steinem and Denny O'Neil on MOD Wonder Woman, Win Scott Eckert interview, Siegel and Shuster's SPY, David McCallum: Son of Batman, Jon Gilbert talks Fleming, Barbarella TV series, Meet the Beatles 50th, Wonderwall comes to Blu-ray, Batman Strips, 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, 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.
