What’s old is new again, and that has never been truer for a certain Caped Crusader. With the decades-long legal battle involving the classic ABC live-action Batman TV show finally resolved, the toy world is on the verge of full-blown Bat-Mania! With new offerings from Hot Toys, Mattel, and a slew of others, there will soon be an abundance of show-related memorabilia on store shelves. But instead of concentrating on the new stuff, lets take a look at what was available to collectors back in the halcyon days of 1966, when Bat-Mania first struck.
ABC’s Batman debuted on January 12, 1966, and ran in prime time until March 14, 1968. The show’s colorful, high-camp approach to the Dynamic Duo proved an instant success with viewers, who loved every tongue-in-cheek minute and celebrity cameo. In the space of two years, 120 episodes and a feature film were produced. At the height of its popularity, the show was airing twice a week and everywhere you looked there was Bat-Swag — the Dynamic Duo and company appeared on magazines, posters, record albums, and, of course, toys!
Making the case for things being way cooler back in the “good ol’ days,” I give you the BATPHONE! Are you calling Batman? Is he calling you? Hey, don’t let me be the one to tell you how to play with your stuff! It could be Commissioner Gordon with information on the Joker’s jailbreak, or just Aunt Harriet calling to tell you to come in for lunch. Either way, adventure’s on line one — will you accept the charges? (Note: $2.99 first minute, .99 cents each additional minute — your adventure may vary.)
Why can’t little Johnny sleep? Possibly because he has this soulless abomination staring at him. Seriously, I’ve witnessed car accidents less horrific than this thing. It’s meant to be a nightlight, but there’s no way you’d want to be alone in the dark with this. Don’t believe me?
Egads! There’s a fine line between cute and “it’s gonna cut your skin off and wear it dancing out in the moonlight.” This guy just crossed that line.
Mom made you wear your nice pants to church, but at least you could top them off with this beauty. That’s right, what appears to be 12 pounds worth of cast medal is somehow supposed to hold your pants up. And a note to you husky lads — no need to be self-conscious. The Bat-Buckle fits ALL belts! Strap in, tubby.
Next up, IDEAL’s 23-Piece Batman and Robin Set. Ah, yes — remember back in the day when the Batcave was called “Sanctuary Mountain?” Yeah, me neither, but this set is pretty cool anyway. So what do ya get for your $5.19? Well, let’s see…
Brainstorm? Koltar? Mouseman?
Hey, say what you will, it’s still a deeper selection of characters than we get from Club Infinite Earths…
The desire on the part of toy manufacturers to picture Batman using a firearm was often too strong to resist. An opportunistic toy company with some cheap molds could easily slap a picture of the Caped Crusader’s face on any old gun and make a few quick bucks. Of course you couldn’t get away with that now, but remember: while Batman was well known in the 1960s, a parent could be forgiven for forgetting the minutia of the character, specifically his staunch anti-handgun stance. This was back in the days before licensor approval, when it was possible to get away with plastering the image of Bats gleefully firing a machine gun on the side of your product.
This Japanese offering is fanciful as it is bizarre. Research shows that “bizarre” was their general take on the character back in the 1960s, and can be forgiven. Still, the image is pretty intense, especially for a kid’s toy. Some offerings were more benign — who could take issue with Lincoln International’s stylish mock-goth water pistol? Dig that batty hand-grip!
But for every inoffensive water pistol you get one of these:
I mean, here Batman is selling flippin’ pencils! Why does he need a firearm? And more importantly, how does he twist his body like that? Also, is it me or is he using the gun for cover while he and Robin run away from someone? That seems less than heroic, but what do I know? I dig the pic at the top of the card — whoever drew it was channeling their inner Frank Miller…
Here, Bruce shows kids how to unwind after a day of blowing criminals away — with a nice relaxing smoke! And don’t worry about stunting your growth, future Robins. Odds are you won’t live long enough to care. Of course, the final word on Bat-guns is and always will be this:
Go ahead — pull his trigger.
Only in the Swingin’ Sixties could Batman team up with James Bond. You say it didn’t happen? Well, Corgi says otherwise.
It’s obvious who the stars of this little affair are. Hey, the Dynamic Duo like to spread out a little — the Men from U.N.C.L.E. will just have to carpool. Nice trailer hitch, Bruce, I’m sure the guys at the campground were very impressed.
Looking more like the cover of a Tijuana Bible than a legitimate product is this extremely rare VIEWMASTER set. Created using images from the show, the reels featured Julie Newmar as Catwoman from the episodes “The Purr-fect Crime” and “Better Luck Next Time.”
Ah, Jock Mahoney — he always brought his A-game, didn’t he?
Joining the race for space, the BATMAN Space Probe. Quick, somebody get Grant Morrison on the phone so he can retcon this into the latest issue of Batman.
“Uses water as fuel,” huh? Don’t let the oil companies know, or you’ll end up in a shallow grave on the outskirts of Gotham. Also, how many pet gerbils were stuck inside this thing? Hey, it’s no crueler than making them run in a wheel that never gets anywhere.
The 1966 Aurora model was a choice item to display on your Bat-shelf. While not a figure per se, it was still an excellent representation of Bats in “action” … swinging from a tree branch. What the Hell is he doing, playing RING AROUND THE ROSIE? Color the owl unimpressed. The Robin model is at least doing something — pulling the switch down at the Big House, it seems.
Holy Bar-B-Que, Batman!
Let’s face it — a blue bath towel and a Halloween mask just don’t make it as a crime-fighting uniform. If you want to strike fear into the hearts of criminals, you gotta shell out for professional gear.
YES! Go Batman All The Way or Go Home! Lest you question this item’s authenticity, two words for ya: regulation helmet. They had it all covered back then, man! Of course, there’s the obligatory “Bat Gun” but its inclusion is balanced out by the inclusion of a Batarang, Batcuffs, 2-way radio (because the old one-way radios were fairly limited), and a flashlight. $6.06 American and it’s all yours, Future Crime Fighter!
Whoa — the Future? Unkind.
Anyway, only chumps got to the scene of the crime on foot. After all, you’re not just pretending to be Batman, you’re pretending to be his billionaire counterpart Bruce Wayne as well. It simply won’t do to show up on the scene of the Riddler’s latest heist on your Big Wheel — you’re gonna need to do better. Bat-better.
Hope you’re headin’ downhill, kid, because otherwise I don’t see that thing moving. No doubt our little Dark Knight-in-training is going to get hungry pushing that stupid undersized car around all day. Fortunately, he won’t have to eat with his hands.
Safe — Sanitary, unlike your other non-Bat-related cutlery. Holy Chow Time, indeed, Robin. But what will we eat? Well, how about some delicious, nutritious WHITE BREAD?
You’re gonna want to fill up on that because everything else is desert.
Banana marshmallow? Ugh! I’m gonna need something to get that taste out of my mouth…
Oh, boy, I think I’m ready for some Bat-Insulin…
Be back here next week — same Bat-Time, same Bat-Channel — for Part Two! If ya can’t wait until then, dig my previous Bat-Articles!:
Almost all photographs courtesy of The Batcave Trophy Room! Check out Jon’s amazing site for some of the coolest Bat-Stuff on the Web!: http://batcavetrophyroom.blogspot.com/
Jason R Mink IS The Man In The Ant Hill! 03/02/13
