Check out this amazing photo! It belongs to a guy in New Jersey named Gene. His story is, "Back in February of 1967, my dad took me and my younger brother Michael over to the Old Armory in West Orange, NJ, where they used to have great Hot Rods and Stock Car Shows. My Dad took this lone photo of us in front of one of the five original BATMAN TV 1966 Batmobiles!" WOW!!! Gene strongly believes the Custom Car he saw in 1967 was the #4 Batmobile ( the vehicle used for all the drag racing scenes ) because of the elaborate seat belt harnesses he and his brother recall seeing in the interior. Also, CHECK OUT the awesome life-size cardboard cutouts of Adam & Burt to the far right!!! This is a Classic Childhood Photograph! I wanna thank BatDave for bringing it to our attention & especially thank Gene for sharing his wonderful childhood memory... great stuff!
Hey, a friend told me about this Bat-Video & I'm wondering how I could have missed it. OMG, it's AWESOME! Basically it's all about the 1966 Batmobile, the real Batman TV & Movie Car! The cool thing is that it's origin story is being told by none other than George Barris, the car's creator! It's pretty cool, check it out!!
Last Saturday our friend BatDave went to cover an event for a local Newspaper he works for. It was called "Hot Rods and Harleys"! They have it every year in historic downtown Rahway, NJ. This all-day festival spotlights Bikes, Bands, Babes, Beer, Classic Cars, Food and Family Fun! ( Sounds like a good time to me, ha! ).
BatDave took his Girlfriend, BatChick, & another friend. The cool thing was that they didn't know Batman's Car was gonna be there! They turned the corner, when, KA-POW! Sitting right there was one of the coolest 1966 Replica-Batmobiles they have ever seen! The car is owned by Louie and Anna Marie and they really have outdone themselves. The attention to detail is completely insane! Just check out all the photos & be prepared to drool. Needless to say BatDave and his Crew had a wonderful time, ha! ( Thanks to BatDave for sharing his photos and story ).
Here are some photos sent in by a Bat-Blog Reader who is collecting the Hot Wheels "2010 Mexico Convention" Cars ( Thanks Cam ). Basically, there was an event held in Mexico by Toy Collectors & Mattel sent some of their Designers who brought a ton of Exclusive Promo-Batmobile Cars. Here's a "Brave and The Bold" car with Mexican flag graphics, a VW Drag Bus with a mural painted on the side to create the illusion that the van is actually the 1966 Batmobile ( that one is pretty cool because it's kinda weird ), and, finally, another Chrome '66 Batmobile. It's crazy now how many different variations we have seen. In fact, here's a post we did awhile back with other Mexican Convention Batmobiles... Just click HERE!
Here are a few brand-new items for Batman "Batmobile Collectors" to keep an eye out for. Recently, in Mexico, they had a major Hot Wheels Car Collector Convention. Now the cool thing for this event was that Mattel made a few special cars that were EXCLUSIVE to the show. They made a few new versions of the 1966 George Barris Batmobile. By "versions", I mean, different colors. Shown here are: Red, Blue, White, & even Chrome. Now I'm not sure if they made even more than that but after doing some research these were the only ones I heard about. If anyone knows about another variation then please let us know. Most of these were sold on a "Blisterpack Card" but the "White Batmobile" came inside a bag with a header card.Now, I'm not sure how many of each they made but these are usually very limited.
Remember that post we did recently of when our friend "Burlyman" went to see George Barris & his 1966 Batman TV Batmobile Car in Burbank, CA? ( Here's a link to check it out, click HERE! ) Well, he also shot some super-excellent video!! I always love seeing this Classic Custom Car, it's so cool! Plus, it's really great to see George Barris again. He looks like he's in very good health, that's nice. Thanks to Burlyman for sending this video clip, YOU ROCK, Sir!
I think it's actually been awhile since we posted a Batman Tattoo but as soon as I saw this one I knew we had to feature it here. I contacted the owner & he was kind enough to allow us to post it. His name is Steve & this beautiful piece of art was done by a Tattoo Artist named Matthew Ward. It's a wacky-crazy graphic of Batman in his 1966 Batmobile "George Barris" Car with missiles shooting out of the back!! I say "wacky-crazy" because it's sort of done in the vintage 1960's "Rat-Fink Style". See how Batman is wayyyy bigger than the car & the gearshift knob is really huge? Plus, the tires are smokin' like crazy! This is really great &, as a tattoo, totally original... I love it! Thanks to both Steve & Matthew for allowing us to post it. You guys did an awesome job on it & I know many Batman Fans are going to completely love seeing it! One last thing, if any other Bat-Blog Readers have recently got some ink done then please shoot us a pic, our email button is always on the top right-hand side of this page.
OK, now how awesome is this?! Awhile back the Bat-Blog we reported that George Barris was going to be at a public event in Burbank, CA with his '66 TV Batmobile Car. It was to promote the new Chevrolet Camaro he designed. Which would have been so cool to see but the great thing is that we got some really nice pics from the event! Yes! A Loyal Bat-Blog Reader named Dave, who lives in New York & is a part of The Bat Squad ( a group of Cosplayers who are totally into Batman ), has a friend named "Burlyman" who lives in California. So, Dave asked his friend to get some photos while he was there, that's AWESOME! Now, the pics are really good & a few of them have been made into "1966 Batmobile Wallpaper Backgrounds" you can use to brighten your desktop ( the first 3 photos ). When I say "good" I mean he got some great shots from every angle! One of them even shows the interior, it's always cool to see the inside...it always makes me want to drive it, ha! Plus, there's some nice shots of the King of Kustom himself, George Barris. What a trill this must have been! I wanna thank both Dave & the "Burleyman" for sending these wonderful photos...you guys ROCK! Hey, wait a second, I just realized... there's NO pics of the Chevrolet Camaro! Ha Ha, I guess "Burleyman" was so excited about the Batmobile that he didn't care about the other car, that's funny! But I can't blame him, if you're a Batman Fan your brain sort of totally short-circuits when you get near this car. I know that personally I probably would have cried like a little girl.
OK, I know I'm on sort of a "Batman-inspired Art Kick" recently but we have been getting a ton of cool submissions from Bat-Blog Fans. Plus, I can't help it that my readers are smart, creative, talented people ( ha! ). Here's a great example of that creativity in action. This Pop Art Painting was done by our good friend Chris Mason. It shows "The Joker stealing the '66 Batmobile". You know the car, it's the George Barris Custom, otherwise known as the 1966 TV Show version, a total fan favorite! It's done in that famous Ed "Big Daddy" Roth style that was originated in the Hot Rod Culture of the 1960's. Just think about those old vintage "Weird-O's" toys & model kits. Then you'll know what I'm sayin'! But regardless, the artwork here is just totally great! Actually, I mean to say... completely beautiful! The pictures shown here sort of explain their selves but basically you have a close-up detail shot ( the 1st pic ), a nice picture showing the work in progress, then some photographic proof of Chris actually doing the painting ( in case you don't believe us, ha ha! ), & finally the completed work. Now the last graphic, showing the final artwork, it's BIG enough ( if you click on it ) to be made into a Wallpaper Background for your PC. Yes, that's a bonus! Not only do you get some beautiful eye-candy to look at but you also receive a souvenir of the special moment. Yeah, the Bat-Blog is pretty awesome, I know ( just kidding ). Actually if you'd like to see more of Chris' work you can visit his Facebook page by clicking HERE! The only problem is I think you have to be a member to sign-in to see it but it's all worth it. Plus, if you're a member ( or become a member ) you should join the Bat-Blog while you're there, our link is the button down below. Please join us!
This weekend will mark the historical delivery of the first Barris Kustom 2010 Chevrolet Camaro "Spirit" to a Chevrolet dealership in the USA. This long awaited American automobile industry event will be held Saturday, April 10th, at Community Chevrolet in Burbank, California. George Barris, "King of the Auto Kustomizers" and American icon, will drive the 1st car into the dealership himself immediately following the 2010 Annual Burbank on Parade. George Barris and the new Barris Camaro "Spirit" are a major feature in this year's parade. Along with other unique kustom cars, the famed Barris 1966 BATMAN TV Show Batmobile will also be on display. Yeah, you read that right! If you go to this event you can see one of the original '66 Batmobiles in person! ( Now, something to keep in mind is that George Barris will ONLY be available for autographs between 1:00 pm to 3:00 pm ). Awesome! So, if any Bat-Blog Readers go to this thing then please send us some pictures!!
Here's a very cool ( totally brand-new ) Batman Toy that you need to keep your eyes peeled for. Mattel has finally released the HOT WHEELS ELITE 1966 TV Series Batmobile Car in 1:43 Scale. Now, the "Elite version" means that it is hyper-realistic in it's detailing, like every tiny little detail imaginable. I mean, the Bat-Phone's Receiver has a little spiral-cord, ha ha! The next thing would be it's size. OK, if you remember the Classic Corgi Batmobiles from the 1960's & 70's then this car is approx. the same size as that. It measures about 5 1/4" long & 2" wide. One last thing, it's going to be limited to 10,000 pieces & it comes with a Special Display Stand Base. Plus, I have not hit retail stores recently so I'm not quite sure what the actual retail price is, sorry. Please stay tuned for more details.
Here's a pretty cool Tribute Video from a 60's Batman TV Show Fan. It's main focus is on footage of one of the very best Batmobile cars out there, the one designed by George Barris for the 1966 Batman TV Show!
OK Everybody, here's your chance to win a beautiful 1966 Batman TV Show Batmobile Replica Car. No, this is NOT one of the Bat-Blog's famous contests, ha ha! This post is about a current auction being held over at the CHARITY BUZZ website where they are auctioning off a few items to support the "Life Project For Africa" charity. The car was donated by AA Limousine Service. This amazing '66 Batmobile Replica Car is fitted with a flame thrower, custom leather seats and rims, Pioneer Navigation System, and much more! All proceeds from the auction will benefit "Life Project for Africa", dedicated to saving lives and giving hope to the poor in Africa. To bid on this item, & for more information, be sure to click HERE!
I have a good friend named Billy who collects Batman Toys & Memorabilia but his main focus is on the Batmobile Cars. I mean, he's totally crazy about the Batmobile! The neat thing though is that he has an amazing collection. We were talking yesterday about some of the new stuff coming out. There's a new Batmobile Toy Car being made for the Batman: The Brave and The Bold series. It's smaller than the 1st one they made & is pretty cool. There are some new 1:50 Scale Diecast Batmobiles being made by Mattel that are starting to pop-up around the retail stores. They are extremely super-cool ( in my opinion, ha ha ). And then there is the car I am featuring in this post. The photos up above show a new 1966 Batmobile TV Series Toy that is modeled after the Classic George Barris design. It's 1:87 HO Scale, which is smaller than the regular Hot Wheels size, & measures approx. 1 1/2" long. It's a tiny little car that is very detailed & kinda cute. If you have ever surfed the Hot Wheels toy isle then you might have seen these before. They sell them in small little "window boxes". Now Billy told me the reason he has had a hard time finding them ( besides the greedy idiot scalpers stalking the delivery trucks ) is that there's a rumor that there is only 1 Batmobile per case! Now, to me, this seems like total market manipulation by Mattel. Come on, you know THEY know this car will be the most popular. My guess is that latter they will flood the market with them. But who cares about all that. It's a really cool toy & one that all Batman Fans should try to get. Just don't pay the "scalper prices" on internet auctions. Some vultures are trying to sell them to losers for $30 ( they retail in stores for $1.00 ). I say, just be patient & you'll find one. During "new release time" all the scalpers end up buying them all & not being able to sell them because ALL the other scalpers have them too ( because their greedy minds lack any honor or originality, they end up cloning each other ). So, what happens is there are all these scalpers "eating their own product". Go look on "internet auctions" for items they were popular a year ago or just a few months ago. You can almost buy them for "under retail price". Like I said, CLONES. Whew! OK, sorry to vent but as a Vintage Toy Dealer for 20+ years I have learned that these Scalpers are nothing but greedy vultures...who make me sick to my stomach. The only way to stop them is to NOT buy their product. They're just in it for the greed & their fantasies revolve around screwing collectors. So, Please stop helping them, ha ha!
Awhile back, here at the Bat-Blog, we featured a humor photo of this funny "1966 Batmobile-Inspired" Smart Car. It's totally customized to look like the 1966 Batmobile originally designed by George Barris for the 60's Batman TV Show. Well, our good friend Mike sent us some amazing pics of this crazy thing! The car was recently shown at a Car Show & with these photos we get many more angles of this masterpiece of ART! Oh yeah, I guess I gotta say that I totally love that Catwoman Model, MEOW! Thanks Mike for sending the great pics, YOU ROCK!!
Recently, a bicycle company called NIRVE hired Barris Kustoms to design a special edition bat-bike called The BATT-KRUISER! Now of course we're talking about the designer George Barris who created the famous 1966 Batmobile Car for the Batman TV Series. If you check out the details you can see the inspiration here. Mainly the black paint job with the red pin-striping....AWESOME! It costs around $370 dollars which isn't too bad for the great quality. Be sure to click on the above photo for a larger, more detailed, version. Also, for more information, be sure to check out Nirve's website by clicking on this word: '66BAT-BIKE!
A few posts back we presented a Model Kit Artist named Jim who had made a Custom 1966 Batmobile Car. It was sort of small & cute. I guess the keyword is CUTE because it was done in a very over-exaggerated way. It sort of reminded me of those models I used to get as a little kid in the 1970's. The front tires were really small & the back ones were way too big. The main characteristic is that everything was extremely out of proportion & kinda crazy wacky coo-coo! I loved that style & this Custom Model Kit sort of brings that back but with the 1966 Batmobile. Now, to get back on track, we showed Jim's previous Batmobile Car he made & now here's a newer one that is even bigger! ( Look at the 1st photo, that tiny one was the one we showed last time ). It's a large scale version of the small one and, believe it or not, even more awesome! Just take some time to study the sharp photos up above & you'll see what I'm talking about. This baby is a work of ART, a True Masterpiece! The details are insane & I love all the wacky proportions. It's just really fun & clever. Plus, please take a look at the last photo in the stack & you'll see a Custom Batman Action Figure that's really funny! Thanks Jim for sending these wonderful photos. Also, please keep us updated on future bat-projects...you do great stuff!
Yesterday, a very good friend to the Bat-Blog named "BatJoe", got to see the original 1966 Batman Batmobile Car with his kids at a "Cruising The Drag" Annual Car Show in Great Falls, Montana! The 2 pieces of photographic proof show "BatJoe" with his kids next to the car & another one where he is IN the car! Now, I know from personal experience that once you sit in an original Batmobile that you never NEVER want to get out! He said that when the kids saw the car they totally freaked out, ha ha! That's awesome!! I would have loved to have seen the expression on their faces. I bet their eyes popped outta their heads, ha ha! It sounds like everyone had a great time. Thank you very much BatJoe for allowing us to share these pics, they're very very cool. As always, I gotta remind readers that if they have any fun "Batman Experience" photos to share then please do! Our wacky e-mail button is always on the top right-hand side of this page, thanks!
