''Batmania'' is a term coined by Billy Joe (Biljo) White in the early 1960s and the title of his influential
fanzine
A fanzine (blend word, blend of ''fan (person), fan'' and ''magazine'' or ''-zine'') is a non-professional and non-official publication produced by fan (person), enthusiasts of a particular cultural phenomenon (such as a literary or musical genre) ...
dedicated to the
DC comic book character
Batman
Batman is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character was created by artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger, and debuted in Detective Comics 27, the 27th issue of the comic book ''Detective Comics'' on ...
.
The name is "almost certainly" a nod to the then-prominent term "
Beatlemania
Beatlemania was the fanaticism surrounding the English rock band the Beatles in the 1960s. The group's popularity grew in the United Kingdom throughout 1963, propelled by the singles "Please Please Me", "From Me to You" and "She Loves You". By ...
" used to describe the impact of the Beatles in popular culture.
When White first published ''Batmania'', interest in the Batman character was at a low point; however, due to changes credited largely to DC editor
Julie Schwartz
Julius "Julie" Schwartz (; June 19, 1915 – February 8, 2004) was a comic book editor, and a science fiction agent and prominent fan. He was born in The Bronx, New York. He is best known as a longtime editor at DC Comics, where at various ...
, comic sales improved and the character built a wave of popularity that led to the
1966 Batman television show. White and his fanzine were credited with helping to focus the energy of the dedicated fans during this time.
The term "Batmania" was used extensively - and without apparent awareness of White's publication - in the popular press to describe the high level of interest surrounding the premiere of the 1960s TV Show and was revived in media references to levels of interest displayed around the premiere of the
1989 Batman Movie (e.g., ''People'' Magazine, July 1989). The term has become a colloquialism used to describe
fan interest in Batman and merchandise associated with the character.
In addition to White's fanzine, the ''Batmania'' title has specifically been used as the name of several books written by
James Van Hise
James Van Hise (born 1949) is an American popular culture historian and comic book author. He had a long connection with the popular fanzine ''Rocket's Blast Comicollector'' (''RBCC''), and was its editor/publisher from 1974 to 1983. He also had ...
on the history of the Batman character and associated merchandise, a series of
documentaries
A documentary film or documentary is a non-fictional motion-picture intended to "document reality, primarily for the purposes of instruction, education or maintaining a historical record". Bill Nichols has characterized the documentary in term ...
about the 1960s ''
Batman
Batman is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character was created by artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger, and debuted in Detective Comics 27, the 27th issue of the comic book ''Detective Comics'' on ...
'' TV series, an album of music "Inspired By The Batman TV Series" released in 1997, and assorted other Batman-related media projects.
Fanzine
Publication history
First published in July 1964, ''Batmania'' was a
comics fanzine
A fanzine (blend of '' fan'' and ''magazine'' or ''-zine'') is a non-professional and non-official publication produced by enthusiasts of a particular cultural phenomenon (such as a literary or musical genre) for the pleasure of others who share t ...
published by Billy Joe "Biljo" White, produced for "Batmanians" as the unofficial "fanzine for Batman fans."
[ Schelly, Bill, "BATMANIA: First of an On-Going series on the best of the 1960s Fanzines" in ]Roy Thomas
Roy William Thomas Jr."Roy Thomas Checklist" ''Alter Ego'' vol. 3, #50 (July 2005) p. 16 (born November 22, 1940) is an American comic book writer and editor, who was Stan Lee's first successor as editor-in-chief of Marvel Comics. He is possibl ...
(ed.) ''Alter Ego'' Vol. 2 #3; part of ''Comic Book Artist'' #3 (TwoMorrows Publishing
TwoMorrows Publishing is a publisher of magazines about comic books, founded in 1994 by John and Pam Morrow out of their small advertising agency in Raleigh, North Carolina, United States. Its products also include books and DVDs.
List of magaz ...
). Reprinted in Roy Thomas
Roy William Thomas Jr."Roy Thomas Checklist" ''Alter Ego'' vol. 3, #50 (July 2005) p. 16 (born November 22, 1940) is an American comic book writer and editor, who was Stan Lee's first successor as editor-in-chief of Marvel Comics. He is possibl ...
(ed.) ''Alter Ego: The Comic Book Artist Collection'' (TwoMorrows Publishing
TwoMorrows Publishing is a publisher of magazines about comic books, founded in 1994 by John and Pam Morrow out of their small advertising agency in Raleigh, North Carolina, United States. Its products also include books and DVDs.
List of magaz ...
, 2001), pp. 66-69 an
excerpted online
Retrieved July 4, 2008 Appearing under the motto "For Batman, we accept nothing as impossible," White's fanzine was released a year after sales on the two Batman titles – ''
Batman
Batman is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character was created by artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger, and debuted in Detective Comics 27, the 27th issue of the comic book ''Detective Comics'' on ...
'' and ''
Detective Comics
''Detective Comics'' is an American comic book series published by Detective Comics, later shortened to DC Comics. The first volume, published from 1937 to 2011 (and later continued in 2016), is best known for introducing the superhero Batman i ...
'' (
DC Comics
DC Comics, Inc. (doing business as DC) is an American comic book publisher and the flagship unit of DC Entertainment, a subsidiary of Warner Bros. Discovery.
DC Comics is one of the largest and oldest American comic book companies, with thei ...
) – had "dipped alarmingly."
With editor
Julius Schwartz
Julius "Julie" Schwartz (; June 19, 1915 – February 8, 2004) was a comic book editor, and a science fiction agent and prominent fan. He was born in The Bronx, New York. He is best known as a longtime editor at DC Comics, where at various t ...
replacing
Jack Schiff
Jack Schiff (1909 – April 30, 1999) was an American comic book writer and editor best known for his work editing various Batman comic book series for DC Comics from 1942 to 1964. He was the co-creator of Starman, Tommy Tomorrow, and the Wyo ...
, and "assign
nghis favorite writer,
John Broome, to raise the level of the stories, and his most popular artist,
Carmine Infantino
Carmine Michael Infantino (; May 24, 1925 – April 4, 2013) was an American comics artist and editing, editor, primarily for DC Comics, during the late 1950s and early 1960s period known as the Silver Age of Comic Books. Among his character creat ...
, to upgrade the visuals," White's fanzine helped revive interest in the character.
Schwartz returned the character to his roots, removing much of the "gimmickry" and members of the then so-called
Bat-family –
Batwoman
Batwoman is a name used by several characters of DC Comics, both in mainstream continuity and Elseworlds. The best known Batwomen are Batwoman (Kathy Kane), Kathy Kane and Kate Kane.
History
* The first Batwoman (Kathy Kane), Batwoman, Kathy Ka ...
,
Batgirl
Batgirl is the name of several superheroines appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics, depicted as female counterparts and allies to the superhero Batman. Although the character Betty Kane was introduced into publication in ...
(
Betty Kane),
Ace the Bathound
Ace the Bat-Hound is a superhero dog appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. He is commonly featured as the canine crime-fighting partner of Batman and the mentor of Krypto, Streaky and the Dog Star Patrol.
Kevin Hart voices t ...
and
Bat-Mite
Bat-Mite is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. Bat-Mite is an imp similar to the Superman villain Mister Mxyzptlk. Depicted as a small, childlike man in an ill-fitting Batman costume, Bat-Mite possesse ...
in particular – for a "new look" debut of mid-
1964
Events January
* January 1 – The Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland is dissolved.
* January 5 - In the first meeting between leaders of the Roman Catholic and Orthodox churches since the fifteenth century, Pope Paul VI and Patriarch ...
with ''Detective Comics'' #327 (May 1964) and ''Batman'' #164 (June 1964), a mere matter of months before White's fanzine debuted.
The title – "no doubt inspired by the
Beatlemania
Beatlemania was the fanaticism surrounding the English rock band the Beatles in the 1960s. The group's popularity grew in the United Kingdom throughout 1963, propelled by the singles "Please Please Me", "From Me to You" and "She Loves You". By ...
that had swept the U.S. earlier in the year" – released by long-term Batman fan and
firefighter
A firefighter is a first responder and rescuer extensively trained in firefighting, primarily to extinguish hazardous fires that threaten life, property, and the environment as well as to rescue people and in some cases or jurisdictions also ...
White from his home in
Columbia, Missouri
Columbia is a city in the U.S. state of Missouri. It is the county seat of Boone County and home to the University of Missouri. Founded in 1821, it is the principal city of the five-county Columbia metropolitan area. It is Missouri's fourth ...
, swiftly became one of comics
fandom
A fandom is a subculture composed of fans characterized by a feeling of empathy and camaraderie with others who share a common interest. Fans typically are interested in even minor details of the objects of their fandom and spend a significant ...
's most important
fanzines
A fanzine (blend word, blend of ''fan (person), fan'' and ''magazine'' or ''-zine'') is a non-professional and non-official publication produced by fan (person), enthusiasts of a particular cultural phenomenon (such as a literary or musical genre) ...
.
[ Bails, Jerry G., "America's Four-color Pastime..." in ''the guidebook to COMICS FANDOM'' (]Bill Spicer
Bill Spicer (born October 1, 1937) is an editor and publisher who spearheaded the 1960s movement away from commercial comics, opening the gateway to underground, alternative, and independent comics, notably with his publication '' Graphic Story Mag ...
, Summer 1965
Events January–February
* January 14 – The Prime Minister of Northern Ireland and the Taoiseach of the Republic of Ireland meet for the first time in 43 years.
* January 20
** Lyndon B. Johnson is Second inauguration of Lyndo ...
) White was himself an "aspiring artist showing considerable potential," who had once written to Batman-creator
Bob Kane
Robert Kane (born Robert Kahn ; October 24, 1915 – November 3, 1998) was an American comic book writer, animator and artist who co-created Batman (with Bill Finger) and most early related characters for DC comics. He was inducted into the comi ...
and produced a regular cartoon during
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
called "The New Bunch."
Involved in comics fandom from its earliest days, White contributed to issues of ''Komix Illustrated'', ''Masquerader'', ''
Star-Studded Comics
''Star Studded Comics'' is the name of three comics-related publications, including a comic from the Golden Age of Comics, a comics fanzine, and a modern comic homage to the previous.
Cambridge House Publishers title
The first publication to us ...
'' and ''
Alter Ego
An alter ego (Latin for "other I", " doppelgänger") means an alternate self, which is believed to be distinct from a person's normal or true original personality. Finding one's alter ego will require finding one's other self, one with a differen ...
'' (''A/E''), among others. (When
Roy Thomas
Roy William Thomas Jr."Roy Thomas Checklist" ''Alter Ego'' vol. 3, #50 (July 2005) p. 16 (born November 22, 1940) is an American comic book writer and editor, who was Stan Lee's first successor as editor-in-chief of Marvel Comics. He is possibl ...
took over ''A/E'', White "served as art editor".)
''Batmania'' had the tacit approval of DC, after White sent a copy of his first issue to renowned fan-friendly editor
Julius Schwartz
Julius "Julie" Schwartz (; June 19, 1915 – February 8, 2004) was a comic book editor, and a science fiction agent and prominent fan. He was born in The Bronx, New York. He is best known as a longtime editor at DC Comics, where at various t ...
, who liked it, and even gave it a plug in the pages of ''Batman'' #169, causing the membership of the fledgling "Batmanians" group to grow "nearly 1,000-strong".
The first issue, published in 1964,
was in such demand that White:
:"kept printing up more and more copies, until the ditto masters gave out – and I still couldn't satisfy all the requests. It convinced me more than ever that there was a large body of fans who enjoyed the adventures of Batman and Robin as much as I did."
Content
The pages of the fanzine provided, wrote fan historian
Bill Schelly
William Carl Schelly (November 2, 1951 – September 12, 2019) was an Eisner Award-winning author who chronicled the history of comic books and comic book fandom, and wrote biographies of comic book creators, including Otto Binder, L.B. Cole, J ...
for
Roy Thomas
Roy William Thomas Jr."Roy Thomas Checklist" ''Alter Ego'' vol. 3, #50 (July 2005) p. 16 (born November 22, 1940) is an American comic book writer and editor, who was Stan Lee's first successor as editor-in-chief of Marvel Comics. He is possibl ...
' ''Alter Ego'' revival from
TwoMorrows Publishing
TwoMorrows Publishing is a publisher of magazines about comic books, founded in 1994 by John and Pam Morrow out of their small advertising agency in Raleigh, North Carolina, United States. Its products also include books and DVDs.
List of magaz ...
:
:"features which both entertained and educated readers on aspects of the Dynamic Duo's career in the late 1930s. (The 25 annuals and giants of the 1960s generally reached only a few years into Batman's past for their reprints.) Beginning in issue #2, the first of two landmark articles called "Batman before Robin" appeared, recounting what Batman was like in the year before he adopted Dick Grayson as his ward."
As the 1960s reprints of
Golden Age
The term Golden Age comes from Greek mythology, particularly the ''Works and Days'' of Hesiod, and is part of the description of temporal decline of the state of peoples through five Ages of Man, Ages, Gold being the first and the one during ...
Batman stories did not stretch back to his very beginnings, these articles were crucial in educating new Batman fans about the history of the character - including his (short-lived) early tendencies to both use a gun and kill various of his foes. ''Batmania'' also provided a forum for fans to hold forth on topics related to the character in a section called "The Batmanians Speak."
Fan Richard Kyle, who coined the phrase "graphic story"/"
graphic novel
A graphic novel is a long-form, fictional work of sequential art. The term ''graphic novel'' is often applied broadly, including fiction, non-fiction, and anthologized work, though this practice is highly contested by comic scholars and industry ...
" was one who debated the pros and cons of the "new look" (including the iconic yellow-encircled Bat logo on the costume's chest), alongside key fellow fandom individuals such as Ron Foss - and in the first annual Batmania poll, 90% of respondents said that they preferred the new look.
''Batmania'' also included advertisements and checklists, occasional non-Batman features, and revealed to fandom the existence of
Rutland, Vermont Rutland, Vermont may refer to:
*Rutland (city), Vermont
* Rutland (town), Vermont
*Rutland County, Vermont
*West Rutland, Vermont
West Rutland is a town in Rutland County, Vermont, United States. The population was 2,214 at the 2020 census. The t ...
's Halloween Parade, which
Tom Fagan The Rutland Halloween Parade is an annual event held on (or around) Halloween in the city of Rutland, Vermont, since 1960. The parade has a strong superhero theme and has been the setting for a number of fictional comic book adventures. Local off ...
led in Batman-garb; the parade — and Fagan — would later feature in several in-comics storylines, most notably in those written by long-term fan
Roy Thomas
Roy William Thomas Jr."Roy Thomas Checklist" ''Alter Ego'' vol. 3, #50 (July 2005) p. 16 (born November 22, 1940) is an American comic book writer and editor, who was Stan Lee's first successor as editor-in-chief of Marvel Comics. He is possibl ...
.
Batman creation controversy
Schelly writes that one "key reason for the formation of comics fandom was to provide collectors with data about their favorite comic books. Who were the artists? The writers? For the most part, no one knew, until the information was gradually ferreted out by tenacious fans."
Bill Finger
Milton "Bill" Finger (February 8, 1914 – January 18, 1974) was an American comic strip, comic book, film and television writer who was the co-creator (with Bob Kane) of the DC Comics character Batman. Despite making major (sometimes, signatu ...
's rare appearance at the
1965
Events January–February
* January 14 – The Prime Minister of Northern Ireland and the Taoiseach of the Republic of Ireland meet for the first time in 43 years.
* January 20
** Lyndon B. Johnson is Second inauguration of Lyndo ...
New York Comicon began to shed light on his immense contributions to the character of Batman, and his role in scripting – and co-creating – most of the key aspects of the strip, including the character itself. This appearance led
Jerry Bails
Jerry Gwin Bails (June 26, 1933 – November 23, 2006) was an American popular culturist. Known as the "Father of Comic Book Fandom," he was one of the first to approach the comic book field as a subject worthy of academic study, and was a primar ...
to write in ''
CAPA-alpha CAPA-alpha (sometimes abbreviated to K-a) was the first amateur press association (APA) devoted to comic books, started by Jerry Bails (the "father of comics fandom") in the United States in 1964.
History
In October 1964 Bails released the first ...
'' #12 (Sep 1965) about "The Silent Legend Behind the Batman!", namely Finger.
Describing Kane's hiring of Finger and likely becoming the first source to state that Finger "put words in the mouth of the Guardian of Gotham," Bails attributed the status of co-creator of Batman to Finger.
This led to a "lengthy retort" from
Bob Kane
Robert Kane (born Robert Kahn ; October 24, 1915 – November 3, 1998) was an American comic book writer, animator and artist who co-created Batman (with Bill Finger) and most early related characters for DC comics. He was inducted into the comi ...
himself appearing in the ''Batmania'' fanzine, "written just days after seeing the Bails piece," but unprinted until the 1967 ''Batmania Annual'' (issue #17), publication delayed because Finger had communicated to Tom Fagan that he and Kane were intending to talk things through prior to the letter's publication.
Bob Kane's creation assertion
Kane's 6-page letter (reprinted by Roy Thomas in the pages of ''Alter Ego'', as published by
TwoMorrows Publishing
TwoMorrows Publishing is a publisher of magazines about comic books, founded in 1994 by John and Pam Morrow out of their small advertising agency in Raleigh, North Carolina, United States. Its products also include books and DVDs.
List of magaz ...
)
["The Bob Kane Letter" in ]Roy Thomas
Roy William Thomas Jr."Roy Thomas Checklist" ''Alter Ego'' vol. 3, #50 (July 2005) p. 16 (born November 22, 1940) is an American comic book writer and editor, who was Stan Lee's first successor as editor-in-chief of Marvel Comics. He is possibl ...
(ed.) ''Alter Ego: The Comic Book Artist Collection'' (TwoMorrows Publishing
TwoMorrows Publishing is a publisher of magazines about comic books, founded in 1994 by John and Pam Morrow out of their small advertising agency in Raleigh, North Carolina, United States. Its products also include books and DVDs.
List of magaz ...
, 2001), pp. 70-72 was written on September 14, 1965, and after congratulating White on ''Batmania'' aims to rebut the various "myths" surrounding the creation of Batman.
Opening his attempts to "explode the myths" about the creation of Batman, Kane writes:
:"I, Bob Kane, am the sole creator of "Batman." I created "Batman" in 1939 . . . and I signed the first strip.."
The letter sparked a debate among comics fandom over the contributions made by Kane, Finger and
Jerry Robinson
Sherrill David Robinson (January 1, 1922 – December 7, 2011), known as Jerry Robinson, was an American comic book artist known for his work on DC Comics' Batman line of comics during the 1940s. He is best known as the co-creator of Robin and ...
(among others), a debate that continues to the present day. The letter itself, while much less charitable towards Finger than Kane would later be, appears carefully worded to rebut "the impression that ''he''
inger
Inger may refer to:
People
* Inger (given name), a list of people
* Inger, the main character of Hans Christian Andersen's fairy tale ''The Girl Who Trod on a Loaf''
* Robert F. Inger (1920–2019), American herpetologist
* Stella Inger, America ...
and not myself
ane
Ane or ane may refer to:
* Āne, a village in Latvia
* Ane, Netherlands, a village in Overijssel, Netherlands, also
** Battle of Ane (1227), a battle fought near the village
* -ane, a suffix in organic chemistry, or specifically
** Alkanes, whi ...
created the "Batman," as well as Robin
etc. rather than to address Bails' issue of co-creatorship.
Part of Kane's logic hinges on Finger's signature/by-line not appearing on the strip, even though such anonymity and relinquishing of credit was commonplace in the comics industry of the 1930s and 1940s.
Kane further threatens legal action against Jerry Bails, asserting that, while Finger "was influential . . . in shaping up the strip", the idea was conceived solely by him prior to bringing Finger in to script the work, and therefore was created solely by him.
''Batmania'' – and other forums – have since debated whether the "influential" assistance of Finger was deserving of more credit than Kane was – at the time – willing to apportion him.
TV News
''Batmania'' was perfectly poised to receive the news in 1965 that a television series was being produced about Batman, and "January 12th, 1966, fans across the country gathered at their TVs" to watch the first episode of the
Adam West and
Burt Ward
Burt Ward (born Bert John Gervis Jr. , July 6, 1945) is an American actor, animal welfare activist and businessman. He played Dick Grayson's Robin, the sidekick of Batman (played by Adam West), in the television series ''Batman'' (1966–1968), ...
-starring ''
Batman
Batman is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character was created by artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger, and debuted in Detective Comics 27, the 27th issue of the comic book ''Detective Comics'' on ...
'' series.
Soon after:
Circulation
''Batmania'' eventually rose to a circulation of c. 1000 copies, all produced on a
mimeograph
A mimeograph machine (often abbreviated to mimeo, sometimes called a stencil duplicator) is a low-cost duplicating machine that works by forcing ink through a stencil onto paper. The process is called mimeography, and a copy made by the pro ...
machine by White, and purchased by Batmanians from all over the world "in such Far Eastern countries as Australia, Thailand, and India, through England and Italy and so on," while "''Batmania'' material...
asreprinted in both England and Italy."
After "the 1967 ''Batmania Annual'' (#17), White ceased publication to take a well-deserved break," although the fanzine and name did not cease.
Moving "from mimeograph to professional photo-offset printing," it was continued by Rich Morrissey for a further six issues until
1978
Events January
* January 1 – Air India Flight 855, a Boeing 747 passenger jet, crashes off the coast of Bombay, killing 213.
* January 5 – Bülent Ecevit, of Republican People's Party, CHP, forms the new government of Turkey (42nd go ...
, before DC "withdrew its permission to use the title," whereupon "it ran still more issues under the name ''Behind the Clock'' (sic), an allusion to the entrance to the Batcave."
''Beyond the Clock'' was edited by J. R. Sams, and co-edited by Morrissey.
Legacy
With ''Batmanias''
's first issue cited by "the father of comics fandom"
Jerry Bails
Jerry Gwin Bails (June 26, 1933 – November 23, 2006) was an American popular culturist. Known as the "Father of Comic Book Fandom," he was one of the first to approach the comic book field as a subject worthy of academic study, and was a primar ...
as one of the "major events" in comics fandom,
Schelly concurred 30+ years later, writing that:
Books
The title ''Batmania'' was used in the late 1980s and early 1990s in a series of three books written by
James Van Hise
James Van Hise (born 1949) is an American popular culture historian and comic book author. He had a long connection with the popular fanzine ''Rocket's Blast Comicollector'' (''RBCC''), and was its editor/publisher from 1974 to 1983. He also had ...
which detailed the history of the Batman character.
The first volume was released in
1989
File:1989 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The Cypress Street Viaduct, Cypress structure collapses as a result of the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake, killing motorists below; The proposal document for the World Wide Web is submitted; The Exxo ...
to tie-in with the release of
Tim Burton
Timothy Walter Burton (born August 25, 1958) is an American filmmaker and animator. He is known for his gothic fantasy and horror films such as ''Beetlejuice'' (1988), ''Edward Scissorhands'' (1990), ''The Nightmare Before Christmas'' (1993), ...
's ''
Batman
Batman is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character was created by artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger, and debuted in Detective Comics 27, the 27th issue of the comic book ''Detective Comics'' on ...
'' film, and featured interviews, articles about the then-upcoming revival/reunion of the 1966 ''
Batman
Batman is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character was created by artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger, and debuted in Detective Comics 27, the 27th issue of the comic book ''Detective Comics'' on ...
'' TV series cast in syndication repeats and newly filmed material, articles on the
Batmobile
The Batmobile is the fictional car driven by the superhero Batman. Housed in the Batcave, which it accesses through a hidden entrance, the Batmobile is both a heavily armored tactical assault vehicle and a personalized custom-built pursuit a ...
and pages on various Batman-related collectibles. It was edited by Hal Schuster (formerly of
New Media Publishing
New Media Distribution/Irjax Enterprises was a comic book distributor and publisher active from the mid-1970s to the mid-1980s. In 1978, the company's legal actions against the dominant distributor of the era, Sea Gate Distributors, widened the fi ...
), as one of many books published by him on popular culture under various book imprints.
A second volume followed three years later, just prior to the release of ''
Batman Returns
''Batman Returns'' is a 1992 American superhero film directed by Tim Burton and written by Daniel Waters. Based on the DC Comics character Batman, it is the sequel to '' Batman'' (1989) and the second installment in the 1989–1997 ''Batm ...
'', similarly featuring articles and interviews, as well as details on the
Batman serials of the 1940s, the comics, the TV series and the 1989 film.
A third volume, collecting material from the first two books, was published in 1995.
*''Batmania'' (Pioneer Books, Inc., 1989)
*''Batmania II'' (Pioneer Books, Inc., 1992)
*''Batmania III'' (Pioneer Books, Inc., 1995)
Documentaries
The late-1980s/early 1990s revivals/reunions of cast members from the 1966 ''
Batman
Batman is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character was created by artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger, and debuted in Detective Comics 27, the 27th issue of the comic book ''Detective Comics'' on ...
'' TV series (itself in large part inspired by the big screen reappearance of the caped crusader in Tim Burton's 1989 film) spawned several documentaries, two of which were released on VHS using variations of the series' "Holy" catchphrase and the term "Batmania". These served both as retrospectives on Batman (and mostly the TV series) as well as acting as trailers for the upcoming films.
A separate "Batmania"-entitled VHS documentary was released by
Anchor Bay in September, 1989 for much the same purpose.
"Batmania" entitled VHS releases include:
*''Batmania from comics to screen: The real story of the super hero'' (
Anchor Bay, Sep 1989, directed by James Gordon)
*''Holy Batmania!'' (United American Video, Nov 1989)
*''Holy Batmania 2!'' (United American Video, 1992)
In 2004,
Image Entertainment
RLJ Entertainment (formerly Image Entertainment) is an American film production company and home video distributor, distributing film and television productions in North America, with approximately 3,200 exclusive DVD titles and approximately 340 ...
released a
DVD
The DVD (common abbreviation for Digital Video Disc or Digital Versatile Disc) is a digital optical disc data storage format. It was invented and developed in 1995 and first released on November 1, 1996, in Japan. The medium can store any kin ...
entitled ''Holy Batmania!'', which included four documentaries: on the 1966 show, on
Adam West, on
Cesar Romero
Cesar Julio Romero Jr. (February 15, 1907 – January 1, 1994) was an American actor and activist. He was active in film, radio, and television for almost sixty years.
His wide range of screen roles included Latin lovers, historical figures in c ...
and on
Julie Newmar
Julie Newmar (born Julia Chalene Newmeyer, August 16, 1933) is an American actress, dancer, and singer, known for a variety of stage, screen, and television roles. She is also a writer, lingerie designer, and real-estate mogul. She won the Tony ...
. Culled largely from the earlier VHS releases (minus material retrospectively having clearance problems - most notably that featuring
Yvonne Craig
Yvonne Joyce Craig (May 16, 1937 – August 17, 2015) was an American actress and ballerina, who was renowned for her role as Batgirl in the 1960s television series '' Batman''. Other notable roles in her career include Dorothy Johnson in the 19 ...
's
Batgirl
Batgirl is the name of several superheroines appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics, depicted as female counterparts and allies to the superhero Batman. Although the character Betty Kane was introduced into publication in ...
character), the re-release was designed in part to tie-into the hype and Bat-releases surrounding the then-upcoming ''
Batman Begins
''Batman Begins'' is a 2005 superhero film directed by Christopher Nolan and written by Nolan and David S. Goyer. The film is based on the DC Comics character Batman, it stars Christian Bale as Bruce Wayne / Batman, with Michael Caine, Liam ...
'' movie.
Album
In July 1997, in part to tie in with the theatrical release of the live-action ''
Batman and Robin'' film, and in part the debut of ''
The New Batman/Superman Adventures
''The New Batman/Superman Adventures'' is a name given to a package series that combined '' Superman: The Animated Series'' with '' Batman: The Animated Series'' and ''The New Batman Adventures'' produced by Warner Bros. Animation. It aired from ...
'' TV series,
Varèse Sarabande
Varèse Sarabande is an American record label, owned by Concord Music Group and distributed by Universal Music Group, which specializes in film scores and original cast recordings. It aims to reissue rare or unavailable albums, as well as newer r ...
released an album entitled ''Batmania'', featuring "Songs Inspired By The Batman TV Series," consisting in large part of songs by various cast members.
Burt Ward
Burt Ward (born Bert John Gervis Jr. , July 6, 1945) is an American actor, animal welfare activist and businessman. He played Dick Grayson's Robin, the sidekick of Batman (played by Adam West), in the television series ''Batman'' (1966–1968), ...
's "Boy Wonder, I Love You" (a collaboration with
Frank Zappa
Frank Vincent Zappa (December 21, 1940 – December 4, 1993) was an American musician, composer, and bandleader. His work is characterized by wikt:nonconformity, nonconformity, Free improvisation, free-form improvisation, sound experimen ...
) was notable by its absence.
Track listing
# "Batman Theme" –
Neal Hefti
Neal Paul Hefti (October 29, 1922 – October 11, 2008) was an American jazz trumpeter, composer, and arranger. He wrote music for ''The Odd Couple'' movie and TV series and for the ''Batman'' TV series.
He began arranging professionally in his ...
# "The Story Of Batman" –
Adam West
# "The Capture" –
Burgess Meredith
Oliver Burgess Meredith (November 16, 1907 – September 9, 1997) was an American actor and filmmaker whose career encompassed theater, film, and television.
Active for more than six decades, Meredith has been called "a virtuosic actor" and "on ...
# "Batman To The Rescue" –
LaVern Baker
Delores LaVern Baker (November 11, 1929 – March 10, 1997) was an American R&B singer who had several hit records on the pop chart in the 1950s and early 1960s. Her most successful records were "Tweedle Dee" (1955), " Jim Dandy" (1956), and "I ...
# "Batman Theme" –
Al Hirt
Alois Maxwell "Al" Hirt (November 7, 1922 – April 27, 1999) was an American trumpeter and bandleader. He is best remembered for his million-selling recordings of "Java" and the accompanying album '' Honey in the Horn'' (1963), and for the them ...
# "Ratman And Bobin In The Clipper Caper" –
The Brothers Four
The Brothers Four is an American folk singing group, founded in 1957 in Seattle, Washington, and known for their 1960 hit song "Greenfields."
History
Bob Flick, John Paine, Mike Kirkland, and Dick Foley met at the University of Washington, wher ...
# "Batman A Go Go" – Combo Kings
# "Miranda" –
Adam West
# "That Man" –
Peggy Lee
Norma Deloris Egstrom (May 26, 1920 – January 21, 2002), known professionally as Peggy Lee, was an American jazz and popular music singer, songwriter, composer, and actress, over a career spanning seven decades. From her beginning as a vocalis ...
# "Batman Theme" – Davie Allan & The Arrows
# "The Joker Is Wild" – Jan & Dean
# "The Riddler" –
Frank Gorshin
Frank John Gorshin Jr. (April 5, 1933 – May 17, 2005) was an American actor, comedian and impressionist. He made many guest appearances on ''The Ed Sullivan Show'' and ''Tonight Starring Steve Allen''.
As an actor, he played the Riddler on the ...
# "The Escape" –
Burgess Meredith
Oliver Burgess Meredith (November 16, 1907 – September 9, 1997) was an American actor and filmmaker whose career encompassed theater, film, and television.
Active for more than six decades, Meredith has been called "a virtuosic actor" and "on ...
# "Batman And Robin" –
Adam West
# "Batman Theme" –
Joel McNeely
Joel McNeely (born March 28, 1959) is an American composer, arranger, musician, lyricist, and record producer. A protégé of composer Jerry Goldsmith, he is best known for his film and television scores. He won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outst ...
/
Royal Scottish National Orchestra
The Royal Scottish National Orchestra (RSNO) ( gd, Orcastra Nàiseanta Rìoghail na h-Alba) is a British orchestra, based in Glasgow, Scotland. It is one of the five National performing arts companies of Scotland, national performing arts compa ...
and Chorus
References
External links
Read or download complete issues of the ''Batmania'' fanzine at ComicBookPlus.com
{{authority control
Batman in other media
Batman (TV series)
Batman (1989 film series)
Comics zines
Defunct science fiction magazines published in the United States
Magazines about comics
Magazines established in 1964
Magazines disestablished in 1978
Science fiction magazines established in the 1960s
Science fiction fanzines