Adam West as BATMAN

My all-time favorite and the most-wanted unreleased-on-DVD television show is the 1966 Batman TV Series, and we, the old-school fans of the campy 60s television show are painstakingly waiting for the corporate greed of Fox, DC Comics, Warner Bros., and the Dozier estate to get on with the negotiations already, for crying out loud! Tick-Tock… I want to relive my fond childhood memories, so what’s taking so long?

BATMAN and Robin

Adam West: “Lookwell” was sadly never made, but “Batman,” of course was on the air for 120 glorious episodes. Yet, because it’s never been released on DVD, legions of fans, young and old, haven’t been able to enjoy it, some for the first time and some to relive those great memories. Do you have any idea when we might see “Batman” come out on DVD?

But of course, you’re right. People want “Batman” released on DVD and I think it will happen. “Batman: The Movie” is available and it’s always sold really well. But it seems most people have seen that.

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ETA: I’d like to pay tribute to Actor Michael Gough who played Bruce Wayne’s Butler: Alfred Pennyworth, in the four Batman movies. He passed away on March 18th, 2011 at the age of 94. R.I.P. Alfred.

Holy Bat-Bling, Batman! Three days after a SUPERMAN 1938, Action Comics No. 1 became the first comic to sell for $1 Million Dollars, a May 1939 Detective Comics No. 27 sells for a record crushing $1,075,500.00! That’s 75 grand more in the same C8.0 Grade, Very Fine condition. This is unprecedented! The first appearance of “THE BATMAN,” Bob Kane’s masterpiece, outdoes the man-of-steal! People may laugh about collecting, but this vintage Golden Age original comic is pop-couture fine art and will only increase in value. It looks like the economy is turning around.

THE BATMAN: 1939, Detective Comics No. 27

A rare copy of D.C. Comics: June, 1938 Action Comics No. 1 featuring the classic Joe Shuster cover art of Superman (C8.0 Grade, Very Fine condition), sold on February 22, 2010 for a record breaking $1 Million Dollars in New York to a private collector. Supposedly, there are only 100 copies of Action Comics No. 1 believed to be in existence, and only a handful have been rated in high condition. The 1938 comic with the 1st appearance of Superman originally cost .10¢, not bad eh!

SUPERMAN: 1938, Action Comics No. 1

It is a healthy hobby collecting your positive childhood memories; I know it has brought me great joy in hunting for rare and hard to find vintage toys & collectibles that I had or wanted as a child. So whatever it is that you collect, I’m passing on the advice that I received from America’s foremost Superman collector Danny Fuchs “be selective,” it can get out of hand.

I have always been intrigued by comic book art and illustrations; the use of color, shading and graphic qualities have inspired my own art and design. Even to this day, unique vintage toy packaging, with its illustrated quirky vibrant style, still grabs my attention just as it did when I was a young boy. But what really captivated me as a kid, was the 1970s reruns of the 1966 BATMAN Television Series in Technicolor with the MTV style camera work… way ahead of its time. Too bad the 60s series is still not available on DVD yet.

On a much lighter pop-culture, entertainment note. As one of the most iconic and recognized villains in popular media. The Joker has been portrayed by Cesar Romero in the 1966 Batman television series, Jack Nicholson in Tim Burton’s Batman, and Heath Ledger in Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight. Mark Hamill (AKA: Luke Skywalker) provided the funny but sinister voice for the character in BATMAN: The Animated Series.

Jack Nicholson as The Joker

On the absence of Heath Ledger who won an Oscar for his portrayal of the The Joker “clown prince of crime” in the mega blockbuster The Dark Knight, who will fill the void of the other villainous characters in the rogues gallery for Warner Bros. in the next BATMAN movie, The Dark Knight Rises.

Heath Ledger as The Joker

Heath’s nailed the dark role of The Joker, but his makeup or lack their of in my opinion made the whole character work. Local Mount Sinai, NY’s resident and Oscar nominated, award-winning makeup artist John Caglione Jr. was the artist behind the freakish face paint. Check out the other films John Caglione Jr. has worked on at www.johncaglionejr.com.