Batman OnStar Magazine Ad

Below is an awesome painting of Batman that was an ad in a May 2000 magazine for the OnStar automobile emergency service. The suit is screen-accurate, based on the one from Batman Forever. I just don't make the connection between pushing a button on your dash to call for help and "becoming Batman." They also did a series of TV commercials that were very memorable (and better than "Batman and Robin"). You can view a compilation of all of them on this Youtube video.

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on it again once it opens to view it full-size.)

"Criminals, beware... I'll squeeze your gonads until they burst like rotten figs!"

Below is the cardboard box top for the plastic figures of Batman and the Joker that held candy, that came out in 1989. I ate the candy and saved the toys; it would been too weird to do it the other way around.

Is it wise to accept pill-shaped candy from Jack Nicholson's Joker?

1989 John Haymes Newton interview

From the 1989 issue #6 of "Comics Scene," (a magazine from the same publishers as "Starlog"), comes this interview with the first actor to portray Superboy in the 1988 TV series, John Haymes Newton. Although a little wooden, Newton did a good job of wearing the suit, and portraying both facets of the Kryptonian, with his young Clark less nerdy than in Reeve's portrayal. Of course, he ended up not continuing in the role past the first season, to be replaced by Gerard Christopher, who enthusiastically took up the cape and ran with it (or should I say flew with it).

(Click on images to enlarge. You may have
to click again to view full-size.)

Bonus: Below, from the same issue, is a short piece on the "Swamp Thing" sequel with the waterlogged Dick Durock, who went on to portray the plant man in the TV series. Say what you will about the campiness of the movie, the costume was a significant improvement over the visible-seam-and-zippered first version.

1989 Family Channel Batman ad

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This full-page ad, published in a fall 1989 cable trade magazine, is a very nice rendition of Adam West's campy Caped Crusader.

June 1989 "Time" article on Batman movie

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"Time" magazine article on Batman from June 19, 1989.

It's very hard to believe that it was twenty years ago last Tuesday, June 23rd, Tim Burton's breakthrough Batman movie opened. It just doesn't seem like that long to me. But it has been, and I've seen nothing online commemorating that in my (admittedly limited) web browsing. It was looking through stuff to post on my "Held Over!" blog, posted the first Batman movie ad, then realised: "Holy Coincidence, Batman!" I was only off one day in posting it 20 years after it premiered! So, here are a few items from the old scrapbooks. starting off with the most mainstream of venues, "Time" magazine.

A couple of articles from the local WV newspaper where I lived at the time it came out...

This was only lucky dude in the clipping below, but the car had no engine! I wonder what he ever did with it... probably sold it to some collector or museum. What good is a Batmobile if you can't hop in and tool around town after dark?

Below, from USA Today, a trio of Jokers yuk it up in line waiting for the movie to open.

Here's the newspaper ad I posted over on "Held Over!"

Below you'll see one of the press kit publicity photos for the movie.