Batman Unmasked by Will Brooker;

Author:Will Brooker; [Brooker;, Will]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781623560195
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Published: 2001-09-15T05:00:00+00:00

(iii) Merchandise and spin-offs

‘I dig, Bats-Man, I dig! Yeah! Yeah! YEAH!’ cries the ‘Boy Wonderful’ in Mad’s parody ‘Bats-Man’ of 1966. Bats-Man has just allowed his sidekick to share some of the profits of their adventures, and they walk off down a high street lined with billboards and neon: ‘Bat Cut, $2.25’, ‘Batcave: Dance the Batusi’, ‘Bat Toys’, ‘Bat Bar and Grill’, even what looks like a sign for Halal ‘Bat Meat’.134

The effects Batman had on both the adult- and child-oriented culture of 1966 must have far exceeded Dozier’s most optimistic predictions. Batmania, according to Adam West’s autobiography, was born on the first evening of broadcast, as West overheard two supermarket customers tell a checkout girl to hurry it up so they could get back in time for the show’s debut. Within a week, West was being recognised purely by his distinctive walk; fans shouted ‘Batman’ after him even when he disguised himself in ski clothes and goggles.

Sales of the comic book quintupled and potential licensees who had failed to tie in with us earlier were running to DC or Fox with pens drawn, checkbooks open, wanting to do gum cards or soundtrack albums or model kits.135

DC and Fox must have snapped up those deals, as gum cards, soundtrack albums and model kits were on sale within the year, along with thousands136 of other merchandising tie-ins, from toy Batmobiles to vinyl Batcaves to lunchboxes, figurines, roller skates, horns, night lights, baseball caps and toothbrushes. Batman was the hottest product since sliced bread; and indeed, the Bond company did market Batman sliced bread in 1966.137 By June of that year, the New York Times reports, DC Comics was forced to sue five companies, including Woolworth’s, for their infringement of copyright in selling Batman ‘knock-offs’.138 The only craze that had come close to Batman was the Davy Crockett fad from ten years previously, ‘spinning off popular songs, a movie, and … a television serial. As Life reported in April, America suffered from a serious inventory shortage of coonskin caps.’139 Van Hise reports, though, that Batmania was far bigger than the Davy Crockett merchandising boom. ‘Kids wanted the hats, cups, costumes, and the dolls.’140 The New York Times confirms that ‘having a [Batman] shirt had become a status symbol. Children who didn’t have them boasted that they did.’141

As vividly illustrated by Chip Kidd’s Batman Collected, Batman spin-offs were indeed almost exclusively aimed at the younger fans. Kidd’s double spreads of colour photography offer a glimpse at the range of 1966 merchandise; a miniature Batman ‘parachute figure’ alongside a Batphone ‘hotline’ in authentic red plastic and a colouring book adorned with ‘Zap! Crunch!’142 A kids’ Bat-armoury could have included the Batman periscope – ‘Holy Scope! Use for Fighting the Forces of Evil’ – the Batman dart-launcher, and a water pistol in the shape of a doubled-over Caped Crusader.143 Hidden among the Batman candy cigarettes and the Batman bicycle ornament we even see the ‘Photo Rings’ which may have inspired Mel Ramos’ painting.144

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