New BATMAN: THE BRAVE AND THE BOLD Action Figures From Mattel

At the recent 2010 San Diego Comic Con the Mattel Toy Company released a ton of information ( & beautiful photos ) of all the cool new Batman toys coming out for the rest of the year, 2010. But, they even shared pics of new action figures for 2011! Here's the news on the BATMAN: THE BRAVE AND THE BOLD toy line. Shown here a few new mini-figures, a ton of new action figures, & a totally brand-new line of toys called "Total Armor" ( the last photo ). Now, please keep in mind that these are just the "Brave & The Bold" toys. There will also be some special Batmobile Hot Wheels, Imaginext Toys, & other Action Figures that we will be posting later. So please be sure to visit the Bat-Blog again to see them all!!

1966 BATMAN TV Show Tribute Artwork by Steve Willaredt

A friend turned me on to this website the other day Called BATTLE ROYALE WITH CHEEZE & I have to admit that I'm very impressed with it so far. Basically, it's the online artwork portfolio of a Graphic Artist named Steve Willaredt and it looks like he has been doing a tribute to the old 1960's BATMAN TV Series. He's doing some very funny caricatures of the characters from the show & they really look like the actual actors. In fact, the art is pretty cool! As an example I'm showing just a few here but please be sure to visit his site to see the rest, click HERE!

VIDEO - SUPERMAN / BATMAN: APOCALYPSE Exclusive Clip

Warner Bros just released BATMAN: UNDER THE RED HOOD but their next DC Universe animated feature is already starting to get some hype, it's called SUPERMAN/BATMAN: APOCALYPSE. The animation looks pretty decent...check it out!

A Look Back at BATMAN: DIGITAL JUSTICE by Pepe Moreno

Back in 1990 DC Comics published a one-shot Batman Graphic Novel, written & drawn by Pepe Moreno, called BATMAN: DIGITAL JUSTICE. I remember when it came out & it was a very big deal. I bought it & have totally loved it all these years. The main thing about it was that the artwork was totally created on a computer and, at that time, it was extreme state of the art. I mean, it was groundbreaking! Now, by today's standards, the art may seem kind of cheesy ( no offense to the artist ) but back then it just blew everyone's mind!! Plus, the artwork was really great especially if you consider that it was drawn with the earliest of computer graphic programs. It must have been painstaking to draw between computer crashes, ha! The other cool thing was that the story was really good too. So, all around, it was just a very wonderful Batman book. Over the years it has been translated into many different languages ( the pic up above shows the Spanish version cover ). The sketch of Batman, up above, was the original mock-up drawing for the cover. Obviously the story was set in the far far future. It was actually way after the death of our modern-day Batman. Parts of it were almost sort of like the TRON movie, but not really. It dealt with a deadly "Joker computer virus" that was threatening the future Gotham City. Anyways, it's a book I highly recommend. Another thing, if you have already read this novel & you're a fan of it then you might be happy to know that the artist Pepe Moreno has been posting a lot of personal sketches from this classic book on his art blog. They're really great to see & they're a very interesting piece of bat-history. Here's a link to check it out, just click HERE!

PUG DOG SINGS BATMAN - Funny Humor Video

OK, I finally got around to posting this "PUG SINGS BATMAN" Video here at the Bat-Blog. The reason I didn't before is because it is so viral I know people are going to see it anyway ( it's everywhere ). But now I'm posting for the few who have not heard of it yet. It's pretty funny!

Blazing Godzilla Concept Art Goes Old School

The art below was released at San Diego Comic-Con on a t-shirt. The best part about it is that fans could view their shirt in a webcam to watch trails of fire coming from their chest.



One thing is for sure, it's a lot more faithful than the 1998 Godzilla film.



Concept artists unknown.
[Image credit: Legendary Pictures / Toho Kingdom]

Vintage 1960's BATMAN TOYS Advertising!

OK, as a Major Batman Toy Collector I'm usually obsessed with finding good reference material showing the older vintage toys & items. Scanning through old store catalogs, newspaper ( and comic book ) ads, & wholesale pamplets you can discover a treasure trove of items you have never seen before. Shown up above are 2 great examples. One is an old ad for a Batman Yo-Yo from the 1960's called the BAT-YO! It was manufactured by the PLAY-MORS Toy Company. It looks like they used some Carmine Infantino-inspired artwork, cool! The next picture is another ad, this one is from an old 60's comic book ( exact issue unknown ) showing a special "Life-Size Batman poster" you could order...for one dollar, ha ha! Now, I've seen the actual poster before & it's really nice. Sadly, I have not found it for my personal collection just yet but someday IT WILL BE MINE!!

New BATMAN CONVERSE Shoes and Sneakers - Gotham City Style!

DC Comics announced recently that they have teamed-up with Converse Shoes to bring a new series of sneakers with graphics of their comic book characters. Well, a few pair have the Dark Knight himself, the Batman! Check out the pics up above & start drooling! Also, if you're interested in finding a store location, or seeing all the other shoes they have, then check out this LINK.

DC Universe Batman Action Figure of the Gray Ghost!

Oh yeah, at this year's 2010 San Diego Comic Con there was a lot of news about brand-new Batman toys & action figures that will be coming out later this year but my favorite thing is the fact that Mattel, in their DC Universe line, will be coming out with "The Gray Ghost"! He was a character created during the TV run of Batman: The Animated Series & appeared in an episode called "Beware the Gray Ghost". It's one of my all time favorites! It was a really great story but the cool thing was that they got Adam West to do the voice acting for that character. It was really a big deal at the time. You know, to sort of have West come back to the "Batman world". Basically, the Gray Ghost was an old time TV series that a young Bruce Wayne, as a small child, loved to watch with his Father & it inspired him deeply. In fact, after becoming Batman, he used his memory of the floor design to the "Gray Ghost's Lair" to design the total look of the Batcave. In other words, the Gray Ghost was Batman's childhood hero. The story had some interesting angles like showing the life of the "Gray Ghost" actor in modern times & how he was always broke & having a hard time paying the rent. He thought he was a has-been, but all the while he never knew how important he was to so many people who grew up watching his show. It was a very heartwarming side-story, sort of a cautionary tale. Anyways, just check out the photo of the figure, it's AWESOME! Also, for fun I posted this video down below of a Fox TV promo for the "Beware the Gray Ghost" episode.

Is A New Superhero Show UNION DUES Coming to TV?

Based on an ad posted to ConceptArt.org and a discussion in a forum one of the most popular superhero podcasts may be coming to TV.

I listen to the "Escape Pod" podcast and one of my favorites is the superhero series called "Union Dues" which follows the trials of a world inhabited by superheros. It's one of the most realistic worlds ever created. I ran into an ad on the forums looking for artists.

We recently acquired the TV rights for Union Dues, a superhero series by Jeffrey DeRego. I am a producer who just finished the television series Monk, and my partner is Exec Prod of visual effects at the Toronto based Intelligent Creatures.
We are currently putting together a pitch for Union Dues, and are seeking new concept artists with a passion for superhero characterizations. Pencil art, 3d work, etc. This is intended as a live-action series, and you will be credited with your work in the presentation.
A little about the project:
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Union Dues is a superhero story series combining the morally gray world of Watchmen, the ensemble melodrama and overlapping story lines of Lost, and the superhero action of X-men.
Created by Jeffrey R. DeRego, the Union Dues literary podcasts have already generated a base of nearly ONE MILLION fans and have gained critical acclaim amongst the independent literary community.
---------
A new website is currently being built, but a bit more about the project, including our press release, can be found here.
http://www.1-800-go-union.com/

To contact us, please email mail[at]1-800-go-union[dot]com

I haven't heard anything since, but it's exciting to think about. I'd love to talk to someone involved in the project. Apparently, Darren Bell hired concept artists who’ve worked on Farscape and "Fallout."

BATMAN DESKTOP BACKGROUNDS - Wacky Wallpaper Wednesday!

At the last minute I just realized it's Wednesday & that means "Wacky Wallpaper Wednesday", Whew! So here's 2 brand-new desktop backgrounds I made using some fun Batman graphics. The 1st one is a comic strip drawing showing the Dynamic Duo having a problem with their dinner at a restaurant, ha ha! The next one is an image from that "Mortal Kombat vs DC Universe" Video Game. What ever happened to that? It sort of died. I never really cared for the MK franchise but this game was pretty cool. Please feel free to check out the BAT-BLOG ARCHIVES for many more wallpapers. It's located on the left-side of this page, near the middle.

BATMAN BEYOND The COMPLETE SERIES is Coming To DVD!

I know that Fans of BATMAN BEYOND are going to be completely happy about this news, I know I'm totally spazzing-out! Later this year Warner Bros will be releasing a special 9-Disc DVD Boxed Gift Set titled "BATMAN BEYOND, THE COMPLETE SERIES". It's gonna have all 52 episodes, brand new bonus content, & a booklet with images from the DC Archives. This is just like the recent BATMAN: THE ANIMATED SERIES set ( which was extremely beautiful ) & will only be out for a limited time. The release date looks like it will be around November 25th & it will retail for approx. $99.98. Hey, I know what I want for Christmas this year!

VIDEO - The Making of IRON MAN vs BATMAN, The Interactive Stop Motion Movie

People who have been reading the Bat-Blog for awhile might remember a video we posted recently called "IRON MAN vs BATMAN - INTERACTIVE STOP MOTION". It's a very cool fan-made animated movie made with some high-end digital equipment & some wonderful HOT TOYS figures. The animation is really well done & the best thing is the story is pretty funny! Well, here's a "Making Of..." documentary explaining some of the techniques used.

Look Out For The BATMAN BRAVE AND THE BOLD 2010 Hot Wheels Car!

Just a quick post to let people know that the "Batman: The Brave and The Bold" 2010 Hot Wheels Car is starting to surface in retail stores right now. In fact, my friend Doug sent these pics to me recently ( Thanks Doug! ). So, keep an eye out for it on your next trip to Target, Wal-Mart, etc. I love this car, it's...so...beautiful!

VIDEO - CBS NEWS Reports on BATMAN THE BRAVE AND THE BOLD at 2010 SDCC

Here's a CBS News video on the BATMAN: THE BRAVE AND THE BOLD panel at this year's 2010 San Diego Comic Con. We get to hear from Producers James Tucker and Michael Jelenic plus some of the amazing voice acting talent of Diedrich Bader ( Batman ) and John Di Maggio ( Aquaman ). The sad news is that, after the 3rd season is over, there won't be anymore episodes. But, once the show starts back up pretty soon there will be 28 more episodes so we'll still get to enjoy the show for quite awhile. Plus, even though Warner Bros is letting this series go ( which I don't know why, because it's very successful & many people love it ), there are rumors of a brand-new Batman cartoon that will be CGI. So, that's cool!

5 Life Lessons Learned from STREET FIGHTER: LEGEND OF CHUN LI Storyboards

The producers of Street Fighter: the Legend of Chun Li released a bunch of storyboards on their blog by artist Ted Boonthanakit and they tell an amazing story through his smooth visuals. They also teach important lessons about life. Here are five of them:

1. If you're being shot at on a roof, always head for the top loader.

2. To toss someone from a kitchen island always grab under the jacket.

3. The best way for a woman to jump a fence is to do a "Nadia Comaneci" vault.
4. Remember that guys with blades on their hands can slice through a chain-link fence.
5. If you're going to do a upper-cut to the jaw make a profound connection.

 That's one to grow on.

Are there any more lessons we can learn from Street Fighter: Legend of Chun Li?

Superman's Spiky Concept Sketches

James Carson's Superman concept sketches are awesome with the spiky costume design. It seems like a lot of artists got a chance to work on Tim Burton's proposed Superman film, but James Carson's sketches are some of my favorites.


Superman appears with a reimagined costume enhanced by Kryptonian armor. The costume is black instead of blue and red because they felt the old colors were effeminate.


Superman bonds with Kryptonian robot, The Eradicator.


A closer look at Superman's Eradicator costume.


The reimagined "Fortress of Solitude."


Superman fights the bizarre alien Doomsday.

See more at http://www.jamescarsondesign.com/

New BATMAN DC Universe PRODUCTS By Funko Toys!!

There's a toy company I really love named Funko & they're mainly known for making Wacky Wobblers ( Character-Related Bobblehead Nodders ). Well, they now have the license to do DC Comics Comic Book characters. Yes!! Now, the Bat-Blog reported about most of these new toys awhile back but we finally got some actual photos instead of prototype pics! Plus, some extra news. First the pics: Shown here are the "Batman Computer Sitter" figure, it's sa-weet! Look for it around August, 2010. The next item is the "Batman Wacky Wobbler Bobble-Car". Basically it's a bobble-head inside a Batmobile car...very cool! ( There will also be 2 color variations, one black, another blue ). Now the new stuff: The next few photos are their Funko-Force 2.0 Vinyl Figures. Shown here is Batgirl & 2 different Batman variations. OK, they look the same in these pics but one of the Batman figures have metallic paint. OK, the very last picture is totally amazing! Here are the 1st seven figures that will come out. We have Batgirl, Batman, Robin, Green Lantern ( what's he doing in there? Ha! ), Penguin, Joker, & The Riddler! Oh man, all this stuff is totally cool. Is Funko trying to torture me?! Well, what do you think about these new pieces of bat-merchandise?

Batman BAT-MITE Pop Art Painting by Javier Hernandez

BAT-MITE! OK, I just saw this painting the other night & I have to sort of show it off...mainly because it's done by done by my good buddy Javier Hernandez and it's pretty cool. He did it as a donation for the Shel Dorf Artist Fund. Shel Dorf recently died & he was responsible for creating the San Diego Comic Con some 40 years ago. Now, you might have heard of Javier before. He does an indy comic book called "El Muerto", it's cool. Check out his website, right HERE!

THE WAYNE MANOR - Holy Rock and Roll History, Batman!

Here's a wacky piece of Bat-History that I never knew about. Back in the mid-1960's there was a nightclub in Sunnyvale, California named The WAYNE MANOR. The club was decorated like the Batcave with Batman-themed wall murals. Plus, the wait staff all dressed-up like Batgirl or Catwoman, MEOW. It only lasted a little over a year but it must have been really really great! I was only 3 years old at the time it was open but I know I would have loved it, ha! To check out this very interesting story ( and see many more pictures ) be sure to click this LINK.