To The Batpoles! Batman 1966

In the wake of Adam West's not-so-recent passing, we felt compelled to do a "thanks for the memories, Adam" episode. But, well, every episode functions as that, so this time, we present the memories of many other bat-fans who grew up watching Adam & co. in syndication (and, in two cases, on Wednesday and Thursday nights in the '60s!). Not coincidentally, our guests are now working in comics themselves.... With one exception: our mom, Joann! Tim interviewed her while visiting home last month, to hear her memories of our Bat-fandom, and how her sewing skills helped to augment that fandom! 11:43 Ken Holtzhouser 14:16 Dale Lazarov, writer and art director of Sticky Graphic Novels Chicago, IL 19:54 Dylan Maconis, Outfoxed Karl Kesel, writer and inker of various Marvel and DC comics Helioscope Studio, Portland, OR 30:50 Cat Farris, The Last Diplomat Helioscope Studio, Portland, OR 37:00 Christopher Jones, artist on many titles including The Batman Strikes, Batman '66 #7 (False Face), Dr. Who Minneap

This time we convene in the place where the batmania started (for us): Centerville, Iowa! This is the town where we lived when we first fell in love with the show. We happen to be here just as we’ve finished watching season two, and we take the opportunity to compare the first two seasons. (Few would argue that there wasn’t a dropoff in quality as the series progressed, notably in the writing and the type of humor presented...or, does it just seem that way because the Lorenzo Semple take on the concept is our favorite?) Taking the slide in quality as a given, we have to ask: Was this slide inevitable, or could it have been avoided? What were the reasons for the slide? What’s the best attitude to take as we advance, trepidatiously, into season three? Also, Ric Napoli’s very interesting take on the Batman theme (and on our podcast!); a look back at our 1977 auto show meetup with Adam West (which cowl was he wearing??); and a Bat-mailbag overflowing with your thought-provoking missives! Paul in blue shirt. Sis

Though it's not the fault of Eli Wallach, his turn as Mr. Freeze ends the second season on a weak note. Of course, there are a few strong points, such as Batman's phone chat with Bruce Wayne, and yet another perfect Gotham City Police slogan from Commissioner Gordon. We discuss how Wallach ended up in the role, the reasons this arc doesn't pass the English Major test (including the reference to Rabelais), the over-dependence on stock footage, Robin's difficulties this time around, and more. Plus: The Tallulah Bankhead/George Raft connection, and your mail!  

If you thought our Black Widow episode was a total camping trip, our take on season two’s final Joker appearance may be even more so! Intentionally or not, Caesar Romero’s take this time has plenty of gay overtones. At the same time, the Joker is somehow more emotional and human this time. But has he become less intelligent? But the arc’s stated subject is pop art, and its opinion is: it sucks. But Stanford Sherman’s don’t-know-don’t-care attitude about pop art (and sniggering at critics’ reception toward it) is part of what makes this arc so hilarious. Also, what does this episode say about the real mission of Batman and Robin? Plus, in the Bat Research Lab, the Legends of the Superheroes cowl mystery continues; the surprising answer to the question “Just who is Mother Machree, anyway?”; and Tim’s upcoming visit to the William Dozier archives (scroll down the left-side menu for the link to "Scripts Television", and send us your wish list by August 2!) Also, the Voivod version of the Batman theme, and yo

Tallulah Bankhead, nearing the end of her career, appeared on Batman as the Black Widow in March 1967, in an episode that seems to be running on the theme of “bad judgement”. Did writer Robert Mintz have the bad judgement to pun on Bankhead’s name? (Probably not.) How was Bankhead’s judgement in life? What does Tim judge to have been his favorite part of the usual formula for each arc? We also touch on some ways in which this late season two arc differs from early season one — but characters talking to the camera isn’t one of them. ALSO: Further findings on the Legends of the Superheroes cowl, the De Maskers’ version of the Batman theme, and your mail! Tell us which scripts you'd be interested in from the Dozier Archive Holdings! (Scroll down the left-side menu to "Scripts Television")  

In 1966, the Batman TV show was big in numerous countries, including Tim’s adopted home of Japan, where it led to the licensed creation of a series of Japanese Batman comics. While the purpose of the comics (written and drawn by Jiro Kuwata) was to cash in on the show’s popularity, the stories are based on Batman comics of the early ‘60s and before, though often greatly decompressed, with added elements, and sometimes just freeform weirdness. In this episode, manga translator Kumar Sivasubramanian joins Tim and Paul to dig into the series — its influences, how it compares to the show and to the source-material comics, and a comparison of the 2008 Chip Kidd art book on the topic vs. the subsequent full publication of the ‘60s series in English — which is more worth your time? ALSO: The Sheena and the Rokkets version of the theme, a plot glitch in “Batman’s Satisfaction” that we somehow missed, and your mail! Which Batman scripts should we get to talk about?

   This episode, we first must tip our hats to our favorite caped crusader, Adam West, who passed away June 9 at 88. What was that magic touch he had as an actor? Would the show even have been the show without him? Then it’s onward with King Tut’s Coup and Batman’s Waterloo. Do these two episodes make up the best King Tut arc so far? If so, in what ways? Was Robin’s part in this arc intentionally minimized? Is the cheapening of the production starting to show through that much more? PLUS: The Flaming Lips’ version of the theme, and your mail!  GIVING PROPS TO RECYCLED PROPS The cage as it appeared in Fine Finny Fiends... ...and in Batman's Waterloo (sans umbrella)  The "Mardi Gras faces" in The Joker is Wild... ... and in the Royal Oil Boiling Room (in particular, the one at the top of the shot)  The costume change lever in its natural habitat (left) and at the Pyramid Club (below)                

It’s the showdown of the century… Bruce Lee vs Burt Ward! Or at least, that seems to have been how some young viewers — and Lee himself — saw this arc! As the Green Hornet and Kato visit Gotham, we dig into Lee’s seeming obsession with Ward. So why did the Hornet appear on Batman? Does the Hornet bring his own tone, or get his tone changed for him by Batman? Paul notes how different the Hornet looks with Batman cinematography. Meanwhile, Roger C. Carmel’s character Colonel Gumm, dismissed by most juvenile viewers, turns out to have plenty to offer us as adults. PLUS: an update on that Adam West appearance on The Floppy Show (and the weird cowl he wore there), the versions of femininity on view in Batman, and your mail! A History of the Notorious Purple Top  Minstrel's Moll, Octavia (Leslie Perkins) Joker's moll, Josie Miller (Phyllis Douglas) Dr. Cassandra (Ida Lupino)   Edward G Robinson's Planet of the Apes makeup test Adam West (and AJ Drew) on The Floppy Show -- November 4, 1977!

In September 1966, William Dozier’s Greenway Productions debuted its new series The Green Hornet. Originally a radio series beginning in 1936, the Green Hornet has also appeared in movie serials and comic books, and a 2011 movie. In this episode, we look at the character’s history, how the TV series came to be and the mark it left on the property (particularly on how the Hornet’s assistant Kato is portrayed), and the two principals, Van Williams and Bruce Lee. How did the show affect the trajectory of the Batman series? Why did the show only last one season? Also, the history of the theme music and Billy May’s jazzy score, and guest commentator Ken Holtzhouser tells us about the time he interviewed Van Williams! 1966 Batman movie cast interviews Green Hornet test episode

Catwoman goes to college, but says she can’t go straight without “the love of a good man.” And yet, she keeps trying to kill that good man! Even so, the sexual tension between bat and cat gives us a surprisingly long, natural-seeming conversation between the two to close out Julie Newmar’s final bat-appearance. In this episode, we also discuss the broadcast order of the Catwoman episodes, vs how they might actually fit together; the seemingly endless reduplication of Batman (and Bruce Wayne, and even Alfred) in various ways, and self-referential humor about “people in strange costumes”; more Borscht Belt humor from Stanley Ralph Ross; sloppy forensic science in Gotham City; Batman’s attempts to encourage Robin; and much more. Plus, the Link Wray version of the Batman theme, and your mail on The Impurrrfect Script!

“The Joker’s Last Laugh” arc is Lorenzo Semple Jr.’s last writing for “Batman”, a teleplay from a story written by crime novelist Peter Rabe. But that story originally featured Two-Face! (Read the treatment here. Thanks to High C for providing!) The Joker version contains at least one vestige of the Twofaceiness of the original story, and also shows Semple seeming to comment on the sitcom that the series had become. Other topics include: how we, too, were driven crazy by laugh tracks; the history of the Jokemobile; the Iggy Pop version of the Batman theme (NOTE: has a few f-bombs in it); and of course, your mail!  

 Analyzing draft scripts has proven to be a fascinating way to watch the Batman ’66 creative process happening, so this time we’re digging into Stanley Ralph Ross and Lee Orgel’s first draft of The Purrfect Crime/Better Luck Next Time. Among the questions explored: Why does Batman never say “Boy Wonder”? Why can Gordon not say “Batman” when he’s on the Batphone with Bruce not in costume? How did Lorenzo Semple help Ross clarify points in the story? What is the importance of making Robin smarter? What character assumptions of season one are abandoned in season two?  And as last time, we include some comments received from listeners about the draft. Also: An Adam West TV appearance on a show that dominated our early childhoods, even before Batman did! Hear our discussion of "Batman '66: The Lost Episode"

We’re celebrating two years! Batman is celebrating… well, we’re not sure how many. But there’s a new Riddler in town, and he’s got a mustache! The question mark on the Riddler’s costume is appropriate, given how many questions are raised by this arc: John Astin isn’t necessarily inferior to Frank Gorshin, but how do their performances differ? How might Gorshin have handled this script? Why didn’t Gorshin appear in the 2nd season? How do three intersecting cuts of a pie give one seven pieces? Why was the charity money for Batman’s anniversary put in, of all things, a golden calf? Is sodium dichloride really used to seed clouds? Also, we look at a couple of new contributions by Nelson Riddle in this arc, the uncredited cast member who had bit parts in several all-time classic films, and much more. Plus, the Well Paid Scientists' version of the Batman theme, and a bagful of Batmail, including yet another burning question: Why is the character of Batman such a good fit for humorous takes? (Scroll down for st

On this week’s episode of “Bewitched”… wait, this is “Batman”?? What has become of our beloved played-serious-for-humor show? The tone now feels like a full-on sitcom, and the Dynamic Duo have been reduced to Penguin’s playthings, on the excuse that they have to “keep an eye on him” but can’t arrest him JUST YET… Oh, and by the way, there’s a hand puppet in this arc. Still, there’s plenty of interest to talk about in the Penguin-Marsha three-parter: Its reflexivity in presenting the making of a film in a film; how the people on screen can’t see anything we can’t see, even that film crew that’s just ten feet away from them; the way this arc is simultaneously moving ever more aggressively away from the normal formula, and giving us things we haven’t seen since Hi Diddle Riddle! We also get into the background of the Dance of Seven Veils and the “Scene 12” milk bath, and ask the question: if the show is becoming more like a sitcom, does that mean it's MORE or LESS campy? Plus, another overflowing Bat-Mailbag

Ever since the ’66 series was finally released on home video, the bat-gods have continued to favor us with cool new stuff featuring Adam West as Batman. Now here comes the big, colorful, and informative Batman: A Celebration of the Classic TV Series, by Bob Garcia and Joe Desris, filled not just with production stills and backstage shots, but a great writeup built on interviews with cast and crew - many of them done for Cinefantastique 25 years ago with folks who are no longer with us. In this episode, Tim and Paul dig into this book, asking questions like, what does this book tell us about how the show was conceived and made? Does the writeup seem to spin a bit positive? Does all the backstage info augment our bat-dreams, or spoil them? PLUS: Bat-mail on the nature of camp and on a certain cameo appearance in Batman '43, and the Brian Setzer Orchestra's version of the Batman theme! Bob Kane, newsboy!

Lesley Gore assists Catwoman, and does a show-stopping performance — as in, bringing the story to a screeching halt — with her “California Nights.” She also administers “cataphrenic” to local-police-respecting Robin, making him into a cop-shoving, cliche-spouting hood! We talk about how Julie Newmar's portrayal (and Stanley Ralph Ross's writing) of Catwoman has changed since her season one appearance, Burt Ward’s punishment for complaining about his workload, more Gotham City Police incompetence, the show’s mucking with the formula (this podcast’s name is never spoken in this arc!) and more. PLUS: The Maxwell Davis version of the Batman theme, and a sampling of your voluminous bat-mail! AND! Help us discuss this draft of The Purr-fect Crime in a future episode! Write up your comments (or record them as an MP3 file up to one minute long) and send them to us (batpoles at deconstructingcomics dot com) by March 15, 2017!  

In 1943, Columbia released a 15-episode Batman serial to movie theaters. This was during a time when the government was asking Hollywood to tailor its movies to the message the government wanted to send to the public about the war effort, which often resulted in racist images of the Axis Powers, especially Japan. In this episode, Tim and Paul look at all aspects of the serials, and compare and contrast them with the 1966 series. 14:00 the cast 34:18 the serial format 45:44 the story 1:01:29 the (often racist) portrayal of Japan, and the government's request for Hollywood's support in wartime messaging to the public 1:20:04 cinematography & techniques (and, why does the action in silent movies always run too fast?) 1:30:30 how the serial added to the Batman mythos 1:34:46 issues with the film quality that cause some confusion 1:37:25 changes in the English language since then 1:45:12 the music 1:47:50 the serial’s influence on the ’66 series 1:58:45 did this serial meet the government’s expectations? 2:

“The Zodiac Crimes” -- that three-parter with Joker AND Penguin! -- is a favorite arc from our childhood that seared itself into our memories — maybe more than we realized! In this episode we look at why this arc stuck with us, and whether it still stands up. What we didn’t appreciate about Zodiac as kids was the campiness, from Penguin using “cologne” to Venus acting as a “sexually-available woman.” Why does Venus seem to contain several characters, and is that good or bad? Also, Paul psychoanalyzes the giant clam, and we look at who and what is flaming in this episode — including, perhaps, Batman’s cape! Plus, the Sensational Bat-Boys version of the Hefti theme, the first installment of “Bat-Research Lab” and your mail!

When Mad Hatter’s foppishness is now complete with lisp; when Batman is wearing a pink cowl; when Bruce and Dick are afraid Alfred is going to reveal their “secret” to Aunt Harriet, you know it’s the campiest Batman arc ever! Perhaps too campy; David Wayne’s portrayal of the Hatter is now so over-the-top, the character seems to be in on the joke. We ask: at this point, has Batman killed camp? Other burning bat-questions: How much does plausibility matter in comedy? With this mid-season two arc pushing every possibly boundary, how far is too far? Are those bat-skeletons being signified by a marimba, or a xylophone? Why can’t Batman remove radioactive headwear even in the privacy of his own Batcave? We also beg to differ with other commentators’ complaints about this arc, and find some surprising skeletons in the supporting cast’s closets! This episode's theme: The Jean Hale role that caught the Bat-producers' eyes!

We've reached our 50th episode, and reached the point the series was at exactly 50 years ago! So we take a pause this episode, first to discuss the series itself and how it's progressed (or deteriorated!) by this point. Then, at last, we discuss that script we obtained several months ago: Hickery Dickery Doc, by Jay Thompson, extensively revised by Charles Hoffman to become the Impractical Joker arc. This script was written when only the pilot Riddler arc had been filmed; what does it tell us about the choices that were made in defining this version of Batman? Is it better or worse than what was filmed? Why was it severely revised, rather than discarded? Plus, Kazombie's Wurlitzer 145B Band Organ version of Neal Hefti's Batman theme, and your mail! Shooting Schedules: Ring Around the Riddler The Wail of the Siren