Batman Toys
by David Krell
david@davidkrell.com
In James Van Hise’s compendium Batmania, Ron Magid lends his view of the 1960’s Batman television series in the segment ’60s Silliness.
What made this show so much better than most of its contemporaries? For a start, the marvelously broad performances. Superb sets. Brilliant camerawork. And, of course, witty dialogue. But outweighing all of these major attributes put together was the simple, over-riding fact that the Batman series took place in its own weird little campy microcosm: a tacky world of bad one-liners, ludicrous puns, garish wardrobes and psychedelic, off-kilter settings. Dropped squarely (pun intended) into the minds of all this hip kitsch were Batman and Robin -- the world’s straightest heroes.
Batman’s brilliant thematic devices also helped to set it apart from the run-of-the-mill TV crowd by giving the show and unforgettable Batlook. Any scenes featuring the villains were always photographed at crazy angles, and each villain had his own particular color-code: for example, the Mad Hatter’s color was lilac, while the Riddler’s was green. The elaborate fight scenes, besides being extremely well-edited action sequences, also featured hilarious comic book blurbs such as OUCH! and POW!, which would fly out from the bloody fray and head right into the camera. Certainly the most clever of these devices were Batman and Robin’s obligatory climb up the side of a building. This was actually accomplished by placing building and camera horizontally, while the Dynamic Duo crawled along on their knees.
With the show’s success came a narrow window of merchandising opportunity. Batman lasted two-and-a-half years.
Cynthia Boris Liljeblad, author of the 1996 book TV Toys and the Shows That Inspired Them appreciates the appeal of Batman collectibles.
The appeal of Batman is a two-part thing. The primary interest in the Batman toys is still from the comic book collectors. The show complemented the comic book’s look, using bright colors and tilted angles for filming. Of course, the Batmobile is also a huge item among collectors and it is probably the biggest icon from the show. Everyone recognizes the Batmobile.
The ubiquitous Batmobile was actually a revived Futura with extreme modifications thanks to George Barris, custom car designer extraordinaire.
In this case, I wanted to use the Futura because it already had the double bubbles. All I had to do was remove a part of the central section and keep the fore and aft. Then I put in the arches, lights and everything else. Using the Futura enabled me to save a lot of time and I only had three weeks to build the car! Barris states in Batmania.
Aurora produced the toy version of the Batmobile. The box art is not particularly thrilling but the car detail is good, Liljeblad opines.
Corgi also marketed a Batmobile. Liljeblad points out a caveat for collectors. Corgi continually re-released Batman versions, so collectors may want to check the date before purchasing to ensure the item bought is the item is sought.
Mattel put out a Switch and Go race track for those who enjoy the Batmobile’s fantastic appeal. In this version, an air pump energizes the Batmobile. Also included were miniaturized villain figures.
Collectors can recreate Gotham City with Remco’s magic magnetic playset. The playset has character figures and vehicles. Liljeblad says, A heavy duty magnet wand came with the set. You were supposed to run the magnet under the table to make the people and cars move by magic. Of course, if you wanted to have an effective fight scene you’d need three friends and more magnets.
Ideal also produced a quite elaborate playset. A Batcave entrance in the playset is marked Sanctuary.
On Batman, when trouble approaches Gotham City, Police Commissioner Gordon contacts Batman and Robin via the Batphone. The Batphone gives a direct communications link from Commissioner Gordon’s office to stately Wayne Manor where the alter egos of the Dynamic Duo -- Bruce Wayne and Dick Grayson -- reside with their butler, Alfred Pennyworth and Bruce’s Aunt Harriet.
Marx marketed a similar phone, the Batman Hot Line. Liljeblad describes it as an eight-inch, red, battery-operated plastic phone with ten available phrases when you pick up the phone.
Whenever the Dynamic Duo were in a precarious situation, they invariably turned to their utility belts for the necessary devices to diffuse the danger.
Ideal’s utility belt contains standard Batstuff for the collector -- Batarang, handcuffs, flashlight, Bat pistol, radio, rope, grappling hook, and grenades. According to the packaging, the belt was adjustable up to a 32-inch waist.
Hasbro produced an art kit. This product was a paint-by-number (oil paint) and colored pencil set. Liljeblad describes the artwork on the box as ‘unusually nice.’
In addition, Hasbro produced a board game. The game’s object is to assist Batman and Robin in capturing arch-rival Joker. Other items include Aladdin’s lunch box, Remco’s Batman helicopter, and Soaky’s plastic Batman and Robin bubble bath figures.
Ideal produced a cardboard puppet stage with Batman, Robin, and Joker puppets.
Aurora made model kids of Batman and Robin. The Batman model surrounds with an old tree, stump, bats, a batarang, and an owl.
Most Batman merchandising does not have the likenesses of Adam West and Burt Ward, the actors who portrayed Batman and Robin.