MICHAEL KEATON as the BATMAN?!

OK, This is a totally hilarious piece of original Bat-History right here. A Bat-Blog Fan, who wishes to remain anonymous ( we respect that ), sent us this copy of a petition some very serious people ( I think in Canada ) started back in the late 1980's when they heard the news that Michael Keaton was chosen as the Actor to play the role of "Batman" in the upcoming 1989 BATMAN Movie. 

Now, how funny is this? The irony of course is that Mr. Keaton totally blew everybody away with his performance & turned out to be a really good Dark Knight!

It Reads:

"It has recently been announced that the Actor MICHAEL KEATON has been chosen to play the BATMAN in the big budget film being directed by TIM ( BEETLEJUICE ) BURTON for release in 1989 ( the 50th Anniversary of the BATMAN ). If the Producers of this movie are truly committed to leaving the camp image of the 60's TV Show behind and presenting to the world the DEFINITIVE DARK KNIGHT DETECTIVE they can't allow MICHAEL KEATON to play this role!! Don't get me wrong,  KEATON is a fine comedy actor who has done exemplary in the past in such films as BEETLEJUICE, MR. MOM, NIGHT SHIFT, etc.. but he's defiantly not the sort of imposing figure needed to define the ultimate creature of the night, the BATMAN! Help us to stop this ridiculous decision before filming starts in December/--88 Sign the petition below and let's bring the folks at Warner Brothers Films to their senses!

We, the undersigned, strongly insist that the decision to cast MICHAEL KEATON as the BATMAN is a major mistake and must be reversed before filming starts on BATMAN: THE MOVIE!!"

Cool JACK NICHOLSON JOKER ART BUST STATUE - Painted by Lee From The UK

Here's a fun post sharing some pictures sent to us all the way from the UK! This is a JACK NICHOLSON JOKER Art Bust Statue painted by a Bat-Blog Fan named Lee. Like I said he lives in England and also likes to be creative every now & then. Well, he recently painted this "Mike Hill Sculpt" of the Joker and it's pretty amazing! The detailing is really nice. He said he, "added that fake flower later", and I think it really accents the piece nicely, great job Lee!

PHOTOS - 1989 BATMAN MOVIE BATMOBILE CAR - Wacky Wallpaper Wednesday!

Do you enjoy changing the background on your PC? Well, pretty much every week you can visit the BAT-BLOG.COM for "Wacky Wallpaper Wednesday!" I gotta say, we're really proud of the pics shown this week mainly because they were submitted by our Bat-Friend, Rich Behrle. He was recently at an event in the Parking Lot of the Topanga Mall, in California. There, he saw this 1989 BATMAN Movie Batmobile. This car is beautiful and it's also one of my personal favorites! Now, if you're searching for other images please be sure to click the button down below for all the recent BATMAN Wallpapers we have posted for the last few months OR you can also check out our Bat-Blog Archives, located on the left-side of this page, near the middle. ( Thank You Rich Behrle! )

Contest - BATMAN CITY Website Giving Away 3 Batman Trading Card Sets!

Our Friends over at the BATMAN CITY website are having a contest right now where you can win, not one, but three BATMAN Trading Card Sets! The Sets include: Topps BATMAN The Movie - Series 2 (1989), Topps BATMAN RETURNS (1992), and Topps BATMAN FOREVER Ultra (1995). Just to be clear, the BAT-BLOG isn't running this contest, ha! For more information, Click HERE!

VIDEO - 1989 BATMAN MOVIE - Interview with Actor Robert Wuhl

Here's an interesting video of an Interview with Robert Wuhl. Of course he was the Actor who played Ace Newspaper Reporter, Alexander Knox in the 1989 BATMAN Movie. I've always liked this guy & he was a great character in the film. Check it out!

HOT TOYS DX08 1989 BATMAN Movie 1/6th Scale BATMAN - Michael Keaton Figure

HOT TOYS just released the Official Promo Photos for the Brand-New 1989 BATMAN Movie Figures & here is Actor Michael Keaton as BATMAN! Wow! This Figure is extremely detailed & just a joy to look at... I want it, NOW! The Specs include:

• It's approx. 11.8 Inches Tall. ( Yes, Practically a "12-inch Figure" ).
• New "Batman Body" with 30 Points of Articulation
• Head Sculpt with 3 Interchangeable Facial Expressions
• Parallel Eyeball Rolling System ( PERS )
• 7 - Interchangeable Hands ( All Gloved )
  

Costume, Accessories, and Weapons Include:

• Bat-Suit with Cape
• Utility-Belt
• Black Boots
• Gauntlets
• Batarang!
• Grapple Gun
• 2 - Ninja Stars
• 3 - Smoke Capsules
• Timer Bomb w/ Remote
• Light-Up Figure Stand Base
  

HOT TOYS DX08 1989 BATMAN Movie 1/6th Scale JOKER - Jack Nicholson Figure

HOT TOYS has finally released Official Promo Photos for the Brand-New 2011 HOT TOYS DX08 BATMAN 1989 Movie 1/6th Scale Figures and here is THE JOKER!! Of course we're talking about the "Jack Nicholson" version and oh man, look at the face... it's JACK!! The details to this thing are totally insane and the pictures speak for themselves, but check this out:

• It's approx. 11.8 Inches Tall. ( Yes, Practically a "12-inch Figure" ).
  
• Body has 30+ Points of Articulation
• Parallel Eyeball Rolling System ( PERS )
• Eight (8) Pieces of Interchangeable Hands ( All Gloved )
• Detailed Clothing with Extra Jacket & Hat
  

Accessories Include:

• 1 - Hand Gun ( Super-Long Barrel )
  
• 1 - Hand Gun with "BANG" Flag!
  
• 1 - Chattering Teeth
• 1 - Orange MegaPhone
• 1 - Walkie Talkie
• 1 - Joker Playing Card
• 1 - Remote Control
• 1 - Gas Mask
• 1 - Walking Cane
• 4 - Piles of Money
• Light-Up Figure Stand Base with "JOKER" & Movie Logo

THE BOY WHO LOVED BATMAN Book Signing Event on August 20th with Michael Uslan

This Saturday, on August 20th, Michael Uslan will be holding a BATMAN Event at Ashbury Park, the Famous Boardwalk in New Jersey, to promote his new memoir book, "THE BOY WHO LOVED BATMAN". Of course we're talking about the Executive Producer of all the recent Batman Films so this should be pretty cool! There will be a Book Signing, Lectures, Drinks, & they'll show the original 1989 BATMAN Movie on the Beach! Plus, the entire thing will be free! Well, you might have to pay for your own drinks, ha! But there is no admission cost.



Plus, There will also be five original Batmobile Cars from Gotham City Supercars sprinkled all over the Boardwalk. Down below is the basic schedule for the event. Then, there's a photo of our good friend, Bat-Chick, she's standing next to an original promo poster she spotted on the Boardwalk in NJ.

The schedule includes:

Noon - 1:30PM: The day starts off at 12 PM at The Sundry Times, Asbury's Beach Shop and News Stand, where fans will have their first opportunity to meet Michael Uslan LIVE and in person to purchase their own copy of "The Boy Who Loved Batman" and have it signed.



2:00PM - 4:00PM: Located at the top of the First Avenue Pavilion on the AP Boardwalk, Watermark is an upscale lounge where there will be a very special discussion and Q & A. There, Michael takes questions in this intimate insider look behind this amazing career.



6:00PM - 8:00PM: The next stop is The Beach Bar, located off of the 5th Avenue Boardwalk on the Oceanside deck adjacent to the world famous Convention Hall. Here, you can take a small break & enjoy specialty beverages while you take in the unbelievable view.



8:30PM - 10:30PM: Finally, you will finish this amazing day with a very special screening of the Classic 1989 BATMAN Movie on the Beach with a special introduction from Michael. Yes, Re-live all of the thrilling action and adventure in this epic film experience... like you never have before!

New HOT TOYS 1989 BATMAN Movie BATMOBILE CAR!

OMG! Check out these pics from the 2011 Comic Con! HOT TOYS presented their new line of figures & while everybody was drooling over the brand-new JACK NICHOLSON JOKER they whipped this baby out!! Here is the 1989 Batmobile Car from the film we all love. Plus, it's scaled to fit these large dolls, I mean "figures", which are normally about 13" or 14" tall. The details are crazy & if this is just a prototype then I bet the actual toy is gonna be even better!! Remember, once we get a official release date & price we'll let you know. But I gotta warn you, ya better start saving your money right now, ha!

Michael Uslan ( Batman Movie Producer ) To Speak at Ball State University

On March 21st, 2011, Michael Uslan will be a Special Guest Speaker at Ball State University in Muncie, Indiana. The event is FREE & if you're a film buff ( or Batman Fan ) you need to go! Of course Michael Uslan is the Executive Movie Producer responsible for bringing us the 1989 Tim Burton BATMAN movie & 2008's The Dark Knight. His speech will mainly be about his journey of creating his career to bringing Batman successfully to the big screen. He shares the principles that allowed him to persevere despite repeated rejection and encourages people to reach for their dreams and believe in themselves. It should be pretty interesting. Now, shown here is a Promo Video made by some College Students for the event.

Pete Arico's JACK NICHOLSON JOKER Sculpture Bust Statue - 1989 BATMAN Movie

Check out this amazing "JACK NICHOLSON JOKER" Sculpture Bust! It's crazy-good!! This pic was sent in by a Bat-Blog Fan named Pete Arico and this is one of his first statues he made! Pete is trying to get into the Sculpture Business & is a totally Self-Taught Artist. Well, it only took me 1 micro-second to recognize that this is Jack Nicholson from the 1989 BATMAN Movie...So, that's a great start! This piece really captures the essence of the character, from the costume, all the way to that famous smile. Thanks for sharing this cool pic Pete & keep up the good work!

HOT TOYS Announces New 1989 BATMAN Movie Figures - Jack Nicholson JOKER & Michael Keaton

YES! I have some really great toy news to share & I am totally excited! HOT TOYS just announced the other day that they finally got the rights from Jack Nicholson to make the 1989 BATMAN Movie JOKER Figure so now they're going full steam on the project. Toy Collectors around the world already know the insane quality of these dolls, I mean Figures, and are drooling in anticipation! They're obviously going to make a BATMAN Figure ( Michael Keaton version ) but let's all hope they also produce a "BOB The Goon"!

Video - Vintage 1989 BATMAN VHS Movie TV Commercial Ad

This is just great! I don't remember this ad specifically, but it's still nostalgic. Plus, you got a free pin! It's funny that VHS tape movies cost $20 back then & are now often $1 or less used.

Nick Spots JACK NICHOLSON JOKER STATUE in Times Square!

OMG! A Good Bat-Blog Citizen named Nick just sent us this incredibly awesome photo. He was visiting Planet Hollywood in Times Square in New York City where they have a HUGE Jack Nicholson JOKER Statue! WOW! The thing looks even larger than life-size ( as it should be ). Also, the face sculpt looks exactly like "Jack", that's very cool. Thank you to Nick for sharing the wonderful pic. I need to ask you to try & steal this thing for me. But then the problem would be, after you got it, you would probably want to keep it for yourself, ha ha!

Brand-New MICHAEL KEATON - 1989 BATMAN MOVIE - BUST STATUE for 2010

In honor of DC Comics' 75th Anniversary, Michael Keaton's quintessential portrayal of Batman is presented in art bust form by DC Direct. From the ground-breaking, 1989 Warner Bros blockbuster movie BATMAN, Michael Keaton as Batman is poised for action as he prepares to throw his trademark Batarang. With a Gothic-inspired base, the design is reminiscent of the architectural vision of designer Anton Furst's Academy Award-winning Gotham City. The MICHAEL KEATON AS BATMAN BUST is hand-painted, cold-cast in porcelain, measures approximately 5.75" high x 5.5" wide x 4.5" deep and is packaged in a 4-color box. The retail price will be about $ 80.00 US & it goes on sale September 15th, 2010. Remember, you can pre-order it & save 20% off by clicking the link button down below:

FAIL - Hey Jack! Please Sign Your Joker Photo!

I'm not quite sure if this photo is real or shopped but if it is an actual real-life pic then it is completely hilarious! Here's some guy holding out a pen & 8 X 10 photograph to Actor Jack Nicholson & asking for an autograph. The guy must not know anything about the different characters in the movies because it's NOT the "1989 Batman Movie" version of the Joker, that Jack played, in the photo, but it's the later Dark Knight movie "Heath Ledger" version. What?! Does he think that all Jokers are the same? I totally love the expression on Jack's face...like he's looking at a total moron & can't believe it, ha ha!

Video: Vintage TV News Footage of 1989 Batman Movie VHS Release

OK, it keeps freaking me out a little bit that the 1989 Batman Movie was 20 years ago. I feel so old now! Here is some old Local TV News Footage from back then talking about the release of the Warner Bros BATMAN VHS Video Tape in Retail Stores. The moment was almost as hyped-up as the original movie premiere, ha ha! In fact, at the time, it did set a record for fastest time for a movie to become available in stores ( 4 months ).

Fans Go Bat-Crazy Over Tim Burton's 1989 Batman Movie!

Ya' know, a lot of younger Batman Fans today totally forget ( or don't even know about ) how people back in 1989 went totally bat-crazy over Tim Burton's 1st Batman movie! I mean, it was almost equal to the craziness stirred-up by the 1977 Star Wars movie. People dressed-up like the characters, there were lines of people that went around the block, people camped-out for tickets for days, some theaters even dropped another movie so they could show "Batman" on more than one screen...it was crazy! Well, here's a funny vintage newspaper story I found on a website called "Fantastic Flashbacks". It shows a few Batman Movie Fans wearing THE JOKER make-up & costumes ( Jack Nicholson version ) at an opening in California. Now I plan to feature some more of this kind of news coverage from the past so if any readers have something similar then please let me know. In the mean time, if you're interested in visiting the "Fantastic Flashbacks" blog then do so by clicking HERE!

Batman & Joker Halloween Costume Ideas

Lately I have been sort of obsessed with "Vintage Halloween Photos" featuring kids or adults dressed-up as their favorite Batman characters. I don't know, since the holiday is coming up I thought it would be an interesting idea. Anyway, I have been asking readers to send in their photos & the response has been wonderful! I have a lot of them so far but want even more so if you have some cool pics like this then please send them in. Now, to talk about these 2 photos. The 1st one is a friend named John. I met him at MySpace & he's a pretty cool guy. Last year he dressed-up as the Joker ( The Dark Knight movie version ) for Halloween with this awesome costume he made hunting through Thrift Stores. His Joker make-up & green hair look great too. The next photo, with Batman, is our friend Christopher. I kinda-sorta know him over at Facebook. He was kind enough to send this very cool photo of him dressed in his "1989 Batman Movie" costume. He says he wears it sometimes to charity events to help raise money for certain causes. Wow, that's really really awesome! I love when people do that. When people think about others in need instead of their own BS then it's a big step towards making the world a better place. Thanks to both John & Chris for sharing these 2 "Joker & Batman" Halloween Costume photos...you both ROCK!

THE ART OF TIM BURTON Limited Edition Hard Cover Book

Tim Burton directed the 1989 Batman movie & a lot of that movie's style was his own unique vision. For that reason a lot of Batman Fans also like his other films: Edward Scissorhands, The Nightmare Before Christmas, Pee-Wee's Big Adventure, Beetlejuice, Mars Attacks, & Charlie and The Chocolate factory, among others. He's about to come out with a live-action film of Alice in Wonderland that looks pretty cool! Well, he's also known as a serious graphic artist & dabbles in the fine arts every now & then. So, for that reason, he's gonna publish a book that will be coming out later called THE ART OF TIM BURTON. It's gonna be a hardback with over 400 pages & 1000+ illustrations. There will also be a Special Limited-Edition Copy too. This project was just announced directly from him & the details are sort of vague, for now. But be sure to stay tuned to the Bat-Blog because when we get more information we'll be one of the 1st places to let you know! Personally, I love his artwork & this book will probably be a "must-have" item. My birthday is coming up in January ( hint, hint ).