Neal's BATMAN TOYS and ACTION FIGURE Collection Photos!

Here are some wonderful photos sent in by a Bat-Blog Fan named Neal who has some extremelty cool BATMAN items in his Toy Collection. Shown here are just 3 shelves of his stuff & it makes me wonder what other cool stuff he has, ha! But I really like this collection & love how it's all displayed, looks cool! ( Be sure to click on these small pics for larger, more detailed versions ).



There are some 13" Dolls, Misc Action Figures, Hot Wheels Batmobiles, & even some Vintage Toys like the 60's Vinyl Hand Puppet & Ideal Bat-Helmet Mask. Oh yeah, and the last photo should make you drool for days because it mainly features those beautiful MEGO 8" Dolls from the 1970's, plus a few more modern-day Custom Figures. ( Thank you for sharing this Neal, great stuff! ) If any other readers want to share their pics then please send us an email. That offer is always OPEN because the Bat-Blog is all about the joys of Bat-Collecting!!

Photo of New BATMAN THE BRAVE AND THE BOLD McDonald's Happy Meal Toys

Here's a quick post to share this photo sent in by our good buddy "Batmobilly". The BATMAN: THE BRAVE AND THE BOLD McDonald's Happy Meal Toys came out the other day & I've been so busy the last few days that I have not been able to go see what they look like. Now, when you buy a Kid's Meal there you get 3 small figures or maybe 2 small figures & a vehicle. Here are the ones Batmobilly got: The Penguin, Batman, & the Batmobile!! I think these are pretty cool & I seriously plan on hitting this restaurant tonight. Oh yeah, as a side-note: If you don't want to gag-down their food ( ha ha ) THEY DO SELL the toys separately. Just ask them. In fact, if you can find a cool Restaurant Manager he will build a complete set for you. But personally, I love their Cheeseburgers so I usually get the food, ha ha!

BATMAN THE ANIMATED SERIES - Vintage Easter Chocolate Candy Boxes From The UK

This is a very quick post to share some extremely cool Batman Collectibles from the UK. These wonderful pics were kindly send in by a good friend named Kevin who is lucky enough to live near there. What are they? These are beautiful display boxes for Batman Easter Candy ( Milk Chocolate Eggs with Fruit-Flavored Gum ). One is in the shape of the Dark Knight's head & his eyes are die-cut open so some happy kid can see the goodies inside. The next one is more of a "box shape" with a great scene of Batman and Robin in Gotham City. Both of these boxes came out during the existence of the "Animated Series" cartoon on TV so that explains the cool graphics. I have a few of these UK items in my collection & they're different ( They would be added here if they were not so deep in storage right now ). So, that makes me wonder how many variations they made. But that's what is so great about being a Batman Toy Collector. There seems to be a TON of stuff out there to find & you can stay busy for 2 lifetimes, ha! ( Thanks Kevin for sending in these photos ).

Should Ralph McQuarrie Be Angry About Unlicensed Stormtrooper Helmets?

A UK man is selling unlicensed Stormtrooper helmets and costumes he made the original molds. Lucas is  angry, but should McQuarrie be angrier that the man is implying he has a right to the designs?

In 1976 prop maker Andrew Ainsworth of Shepperton Design Studios created the original Stormtrooper helmets and armour for the first Star Wars movie, A New Hope. All these years later, Andrew produces genuine, authentic replicas using the original moulds, as close as it is possible to get to the original film props. - http://originalstormtrooper.com/

Ralph McQuarrie designed most of the concept art for the first three Star Wars films and his art is legendary. Andrew Ainsworth says that he got some vague descriptions of what Lucas and McQuarrie wanted and expanded that into a functional design. He also says he never got paid for the work.
What Ainsworth is saying is that he designed and created the Star Wars helmets. But, McQuarrie did all the original designs, not Andrew. The difference is if the helmets molds are artistic or mechanical. His lawyers say he is not violating any artistic copyrights and there are no copyrights on mechanical design.

For reference, here are two  three concept drawings Mr. McQuarrie did for Star Wars stormtroopers.






In Andrew's notes he described McQuarrie's brilliantly thought out vision of the troopers.

"The concept drawings from Ralph McQuarrie suggested that the Stormtrooper was a futuristic being that had evolved through continuous genetic modification, and perhaps able to operate in adverse pungent climatic conditions." Ainsworth said, "The helmet would therefore be able to filter noxious gases and the armour be so flexible that it could have actually grown on the character that way - much the same as an armadillo has natural armour."

Yes, there's a difference between his designs and the final product, but not enough to claim he created them as original works.

Should McQuarrie be angry about Andrew taking credit for his hard work?

Update: John Scoleri pointed out the second image was a piece of very well-rendered fan art

Wacky Silly Funny BATMAN HUMOR - Ha Ha!

To brighten your day I thought I would post a few BATMAN-related Humor photos & Pictures. Now, don't thank me because most of these have been sent in by Bat-Blog Fans who totally ROCK! I've always said that if my blog is any good at all then it's because of the readership. For some reason a lot of people have really embraced the spirit of this site that I have tried to create from the very start & that is that the BAT-BLOG.COM is all about the love of the character & the joys of collecting. So, to everybody who has contributed stuff and to everyone who enjoys the site, Thank You.

Joe's BATMAN AND JOKER TATTOO ART Photos

A Bat-Blog Fan named Joe was kind enough the other day to send some wonderful photos of his recent BATMAN and JOKER Tattoos & they're AWESOME! Just check out the pics. The 1st image is his Joker and Batman Tattoo that looks like a Playing Card. The coloring looks great & the image is sharp, nice! The 2nd one is on his back. It's the Classic Bat-Symbol Logo... lookin' good! Thanks Joe for sharing these pictures, I appreciate that. I want to invite any other people who have had some bat-ink done to please do the same.

BATMAN THE ANIMATED SERIES 2-Disc CD Set on eBay

Just a quick note: To raise funds to help keep the BAT-BLOG.COM going my Sister is selling a MINT ( Sealed in Shrink-Wrap ) BATMAN THE ANIMATED SERIES 2-Disc CD Set on eBay. This CD Set features the theme music & soundtrack from the classic TV cartoon. It has over 2 1/2 hours of music! So, if you have been looking for this RARE item then just click HERE!

THE JOKER and HARLEY QUINN Artwork by Mark Dos Santos

I can't remember how I came across the ART of Mark Dos Santos website but I'm glad I did! His artwork is pretty cool & as an example look at this parody of an old "Saturday Evening Post" Magazine Cover featuring The Joker & Harley Quinn. It's titled "The Gotham Evening Post", hilarious! To check out more of his amazing graphics just click HERE!

The New LOONEY TUNES SHOW - Daffy Duck as The Dark Knight!

A friend caught this image off his TV while watching a commercial for the brand-new LOONEY TUNES SHOW. Yes, they're bringing back Bugs Bunny, Porky Pig, Elmer Fudd, Tweety, & all the Gang! Now this is an image of Daffy Duck as Batman... COOL!! The new show is going to air on the Cartoon Network on Tuesday, May 3rd at 8:00pm/7c.

BATMAN BAT-SYMBOL GRAPHICS Wacky Wallpaper Wednesday!

OK, Every week we post a few FREE Brand-New BATMAN WALLPAPERS here at the Bat-Blog, it's called "Wacky Wallpaper Wednesday"! This week I was really struggling with what to post. Then, out of the corner of my eye, I saw how these 2 random backgrounds totally mirrored each other. OK, I know it's dumb, ha ha! but look at the size & angle of the Bat-Symbol in each of these pictures... they're almost the same! Now, the 1st one is a photo sent in by a Batman Fan who, one day, cooked a Bat-Biscuit! Hey, you gotta admit it looks pretty neat & is very creative. He did a great job on it! Now, the next wallpaper background is a CGI-rendered image of a young Bruce Wayne in the alleyway with his murdered parents. The looming shadow of the BAT symbolizes his future. Anyways, we hope you enjoy these. Please be sure to come back next week and we promise we won't be so weird, ha!

New BATMAN STATUE CONTEST at the BAT-BLOG.COM

Look at the photo up above and you'll see why we're excited here at the Bat-Blog! You see that beautiful Batman Statue? Yes, the one where the Dark Knight is shown near a Gargoyle that is probably on the rooftop of some building in Gotham City! Well, we're happy to say that we're giving everybody a chance to win this awesome piece of ART! Yes, you heard that right. You can WIN THIS BABY!



All you have to do is email us your complete name and address with "BAT-BLOG BATMAN STATUE CONTEST" in the title! I guess I should also add that the statue is in ultra-mint condition and will arrive inside it's original box ( not shown here ) & was made by DC Direct. Also, this contest is in no way connected to DC Comics, Warner Bros, DC Direct, or any other of their companies. This is just one Toy Collector sharing the fun of the character with another. But you better hurry because the sweepstakes ends on May 5th, 2011. On that night, at midnight, we will pick a winner that will be announced the very next day ( May 6th ).



Now, we're able to have this contest because of an extremely generous donation by a Bat-Blog Fan known as THE BATFAN! He loves Batman & wanted to share his joy with other Bat-Blog Readers ( Thank You BATFAN ). So, be sure to enter today & please remember to tell all your friends about BAT-BLOG.COM every chance you get!

CONTEST RULES:

1. The contest is open to the general public as well as anyone currently reading the BAT-BLOG on a daily basis. Employees of the Bat-Blog and employees' immediate family members and persons with whom such employees are domiciled are excluded from this contest.
   
   
2. The prize is not redeemable in cash and must be accepted as awarded.
   
   
3. Decisions of the contest judges are final - no substitutions will be available.
   
   
4. By claiming the prize, the winner authorizes the use, without additional compensation of his or her name and/or likeness and/or voice/photograph and municipality of residence for promotion and/or advertising purposes in any manner and in any medium (including without limitation, radio broadcasts, newspapers and other publications and in television or film releases, slides, videotape, distribution over the internet and picture date storage) which Bat-Blog may deem appropriate.
   
   
5. In accepting the prize, the winner, and any reader(s), acknowledges that the Bat-Blog may not be held liable for any loss, damages or injury associated with accepting or using this prize.
   
   
6. The person whose name is drawn as being the winner of the specific prize will be required to send us their correct mailing information before the prize is awarded to them. Postage to be paid, free of charge, by the Bat-blog.
   
   
7. Detailed contest rules applicable to this contest, including contest entry dates, how to enter, and prize value, number and any restrictions applicable to these prizes are available upon request by reading these Contest Rules, ha ha!
   
   
8. The Bat-Blog retains the rights, in its absolute and sole discretion, to make substitutions of equivalent kind or approximate value in the event of the unavailability of any prize or component of the prize for any reason whatsoever.
   
   
9. This contest is subject to all federal, provincial and municipal laws.
   
   
10. The Bat-Blog reserves the right to withdraw or terminate this contest at any time without prior notice.
    
    
11. Approximate value of prize varies.
    
    
12. Contest open to loyal Bat-Blog Readers only.
    
    
13. One entry per person, per household.

Visit the Bizarre Breathtaking Interiors of 'Doctor Who's' T.A.R.D.I.S.

BBC has some concept art of the interior designs of Doctor Who's T.A.R.D.I.S. and they are breathtaking. Some are impossibly large, but there are some really nice close up details.

"Doctor Who is a British science fiction television programme produced by the BBC. The programme depicts the adventures of a mysterious and eccentric billionare known as the Doctor who travels through time and space in his time machine, the TARDIS (an acronym for Time And Relative Dimension(s) In Space), which normally appears from the exterior to be a blue 1950s British police box. With his companions, he explores time and space, faces a variety of foes and saves civilizations, helping people and righting wrongs." - Wikipedia

Matt Savage's design of the T.A.R.D.I.S. control room.

An alternate view of Matt Savage's T.A.R.D.I.S. control room. Notice how the lights seem to come from inside the walls of the ship.

R.S. Williams design for the T.A.R.D.I.S. monitor. I love the 50's style

Another vision of the T.A.R.D.I.S. control room showing Amy Pond and the Doctor.

There are a ton of artists for Doctor Who, but, here are some of the highlights from iMDB:

• Bryan Hitch concept artist (13 episodes, 2005)
• Dan Walker concept artist (14 episodes, 2005-2010)
• Richard Shaun Williams concept artist (2 episodes, 2010)
• Ian Bunting design assistant (12 episodes, 2006-2007)
• Sarah Payne design assistant (2 episodes, 2008)
• Al Roberts design assistant (23 episodes, 2006-2008)
• Matthew Savage design assistant (6 episodes, 2005-2006)
• Rob Dicks design assistant (7 episodes, 2006-2007)
• Dan Martin design assistant (7 episodes, 2011)
• Peter McKinstry design assistant / concept artist (31 episodes, 2006-2010)
• Ben Austin design assistant / set designer (8 episodes, 2005-2010)
• Shaun Williams storyboard artist (27 episodes, 2006-2008)

Do these concept paintings capture the spirit of Doctor Who?
Image Source: BBC

1970s Video Shows Steven Spielberg On Storyboarding 'Close Encounters of the Third Kind'

Back in 1978, a young Steven Spielberg talked about his approach to storyboarding. At the time, he drew all the original storyboards for his films, like Jaws and Close Encounters of the Third Kind using stick figures and had professional artists finish them up.

This allowed him to control the concept and compositions. He talked about his staff illustrator George Jensen (Close Encounters of the Third Kind, Terminator 2: Judgement Day, Dune) and how they worked together.  He even talks about an ending for Close Encounters that he had to cut because of time.

Would you have liked to watch Spielberg work on his storyboards?

1966 BATMAN TV Show - Uncle Sam PSA Propaganda P osters

While surfing through the evil eBay the other day I came across a Graphic Artist selling these BATMAN "I Want You" PSA POSTERS ( Public Service Announcement ). Of course they're all a parody of the classic UNCLE SAM Army Enlistment Propaganda Posters from World War II, but they feature characters from the 1966 BATMAN TV Show! I think they look pretty cool! We get to see Batman ( Adam West ), Robin The Boy Wonder ( Burt Ward ), and Batgirl ( Yvonne Craig ). The funny thing is that the Batgirl Poster says, "I want you to return all your books to Gotham City Public Library". You see, in the television series Batgirl was also Barbara Gordon, who was a Librarian in Gotham, ha ha!

BATMAN YEAR ONE - WALLPAPERS David Mazzucchelli Art

The last few days I've been sort of both excited and nervous about the next DC UNIVERSE Animated Movie, BATMAN: YEAR ONE. I mean, it's such an important Graphic Novel Book that we gotta hope they don't screw-up the animation version, ha ha! Well, to celebrate I created a few BATMAN: YEAR ONE WALLPAPERS that use some artwork from the vintage comic books that were drawn by David Mazzucchelli, the original Artist for the series. One of the Producers of the film, Bruce Timm, has sworn that the story in the movie is totally super-accurate to the source material, so I guess we'll have to wait and see. I think it's gonna be awesome and I can't wait!

Photos of New - BATMAN THE BRAVE AND THE BOLD McDonald's Happy Meal Toys - Due Around April 29th

The Bat-Blog was one of the very 1st websites to announce that the next Happy Meal Toys at McDonalds were going to be "Batman: The Brave and The Bold". Well, here are the photos of what the toys are going to look like! There are a TON of them to collect! Be sure to click on the pic up above for a larger version. ( Thanks for sending the photo Batmobilly! )



Here's the deal, with each meal you get 3 toys. Yes, you read that right, THREE toys, ha! There will be 8 waves of 3 toys each, making that 24 toys total! It also breaks down as 4 vehicles & 20 figures, whew! Now, we're not quite sure of their size just yet but I'm guessing they'll be way smaller than regular McDonald's Happy Meal Toys. But either way these look extremely cool! Oh yeah, these should be coming out around April 29th, 2011.

'Hanna' Storyboards Show What it Takes to Kill Eric Bana

It takes a lot to kill Eric Bana. He's been shot at as the Hulk, he fought against hundreds in Troy and he just keeps making movies. These storyboards show how to get the best of him by none other than his daughter Hanna. It's just a training excercise, but its pretty intense.

Hanna (2011) is directed by Joe Wright and stars Saoirse Ronan, Cate Blanchett and Eric Bana
The movie synopsis: "A 16-year-old who was raised by her father to be the perfect assassin is dispatched on a mission across Europe, tracked by a ruthless intelligence agent and her operatives."

Click on the link below to see work by storyboard artists David Allcock and Simon Duric.

Via JoBlo

YEAH IT'S THAT BAD - Podcast Reviews 1997 BATMAN AND ROBIN Movie

"Yeah, It's That Bad" is a movie podcast that reviews films which are considered to be awful remakes, box office bombs, useless sequels and other critically hated films. Well, recently they did their take on Joel Schumacher's 1997 BATMAN AND ROBIN movie. You know it, the one that starred Arnold Schwarzenegger, George Clooney, Chris O'Donnell, Uma Thurman, and Alicia Silverstone. So, is this movie bad? To give you a hint I noticed the other day that you can buy it used on Amazon for 6 cents, no joke! But YITB's Movie Review is still fun to listen too, just click HERE!

Decorating Tips For Batman Fans - The BAT-MIRROR!

Ladies and Gentlemen, for your viewing pleasure, here is THE BAT-MIRROR designed by Stanislav Katz in 2008. This HUGE Batman-Inspired Wall Mirror is carefully hand-molded from plaster & done in a neo-rococo style. It comes in Black, White, Gold, or any Custom Color. I could see this thing in a New York Loft or Wayne Manor's Bat-Cave. It's... so... beautiful!

VIDEO - BATMAN BAT-BOAT Radio Remote Control - 1966 Movie Version

Here's a short, but sweet, video of a fan-made Radio Remote Control BAT-BOAT from the 1966 Batman movie. It's AWESOME!!

New BATMAN AND ROBIN Comic Book Wallpapers

Hey Kids, it's "Wacky Wallpaper Wednesday", on Thursday! Every week we post a few Free BATMAN Desktop Backgrounds & yesterday I was so excited about "Batman: Year One" Animated Movie News that I completely forgot. Yes, I'm a total idiot, ha!



OK, now check this out, the 1st wallpaper shown here is one I made using some recent comic book graphics, it's pretty straight forward. The fun part is that it looks like the Dynamic Duo is rushing right at you! Plus, the artwork is pretty nice.



The 2nd one was submitted by a Bat-Blog Fan who drew this on his computer. One technique he used to make this image extremely AWESOME is that the characters are in sharp focus while the background is slightly blurred, a very cool visual effect! It gives the idea of fast movement and action... very nice! Now, I feel really bad but I lost the email from this person. So, at the moment I'm kind of unable to give the Artist credit & I apologize ( Hey, if you're the guy who drew this then please contact me again. Because of some problems with my server I lost your message, thanks. Oh yeah, this art is really really great!! )

New - PATRICK GLEASON Batman Black and White Statue

DC Direct just announced another BATMAN BLACK & WHITE STATUE. This one is designed by PATRICK GLEASON and sculpted by PHIL RAMIREZ.



Patrick Gleason's concept on this statue was inspired by his current work on BATMAN AND ROBIN.



Cold-cast in porcelain, the statue measures approximately 7 3/4” high x 5” wide x 3 1/4” deep, is painted in monochromatic tones, features a Bat-logo-shaped base and will go on sale around December 14th, 2011. Suggested Retail Price: $80.00.