Little Lulu

Little Lulu first appeared in 1935 in the Saturday Evening Post as the main character in a series of single panel cartoons. She was created by Marjorie Henderson Buell, one of the few female cartoonists in the comic book and cartoon business.

For ten years Little Lulu Moppet graced the pages of the Saturday Evening Post, and quickly became a public favorite. She also starred in twenty-six theatrical animated short films from 1943 to 1948. A large selection of Little Lulu merchandise was available in the 1940s such as coloring books, greeting cards, games, toys and figurines.

Little Lulu was so popular that she was used in Pepsi magazine ads and was the spokesperson, or “spokestoon” for Kleenex brand tissues in the 1940s and 1950s. One could see Little Lulu on tissue boxes, magazine ads, and on New York City billboards and buses.

After her long run in the Saturday Evening Post, Little Lulu crossed over to a syndicated daily comic strip that ran in newspapers throughout the country from 1950 to 1969. Adding to her popularity was the television syndication of her short animated films in 1963.

In the 1970s ABC aired two Little Lulu specials on its Saturday Morning ABC Weekend Special. There was even a Japanese anime television series called Little Lulu and Her Little Friends, which is now a very rare collector’s item.

Lulu was also the star of her own comic book. The Dell Comics’ book was named Marge’s Little Lulu before the name was shortened to Little Lulu in 1972. The comic book was sold internationally, and people all over the world enjoyed seeing Little Lulu, her best friend Tubby and her other friends get into mischief. The comic book changed companies a few times, and continued to be published until 1984.

Recently in 2004, Dark Horse Comics secured the rights to the Little Lulu comic books, and is still in the process of reprinting and publishing the eighteen volumes today.

Little Lulu is going on her 73rd year of making people laugh. For a little girl, Lulu has certainly made a big impression in the world of comics and cartoons. Her cute curls and smarmy attitude are sure to keep entertaining people for years to come.

To create your own Little Lulu adventures, check out our website. We have collectible Little Lulu and Tubby Vinyl Figures, and even a reproduction Little Lulu Cartoon Movie Poster.

Headlines & Tidbits from the 30s, 40s, 50s, 60s, 70s & 80s

American Experience:

1945 – July 28 - Due to heavy fog a US Army B-25 bomber crashed into the 79th floor on the north side of the Empire State Building. It left a hole 18 feet wide and 20 feet tall and killed 14 people.

1956 - “In God We Trust” was adopted as the U.S. national motto.

1958 – The US Postal Service increased the cost of a first class mail stamp to 4 cents after 26 years at 3 cents.

1960 - Republican National convention selects Richard Nixon as the candidate for president

1971 – Apollo 15 astronauts David R Scott and James B Irwin were the first people to ride on the moon in a vehicle. (LRV Lunar Rover Vehicle)

Movies & TV:

1940 – Bugs Bunny made his first appearance in “A Wild Hare.”

1943 – “Girl Crazy,” last Judy Garland-Mickey Rooney movie released

1950 – Walt Disney’s “Treasure Island” was released.

1951 – “Alice in Wonderland” was released.

1952 – “The Guiding Light” made the transition from radio to CBS Television

1957 - Jerry Lee Lewis makes his 1st TV appearance on the Steve Allen Show

1965 - Beatles movie “Help” premieres in London, attended by queen Elizabeth

1974 – The last showing of “Dinah’s Place” aired on NBC.

1974 – Jim Hartz became the new co-host of the “Today Show,” working with Barbara Walters.

1981 – Music Video Television (MTV) first aired. The very first video played was “Video Killed The Radio Star” by the Buggles.

Music & Radio:

1942 – Peggy Lee recorded “Why don’t You Do Right” with the Benny Goodman Band.

1942 –Live from New York, the first broadcast of “Stage Door Canteen” on CBS radio took place. Volunteering their time for the war effort, celebrities entertained the servicemen of World War II.

1954 – “Sh-Boom” (Life Could Be A Dream) by The Crew Cuts was the #1 song on the Billboard chart.

1960 – Chubby Checker introduces the world to “The Twist.”

1960 - Itsy Bitsy Teenie Weenie Yellow Polkadot Bikini by Brian Hyland was at the top of the charts.

1966 – The Beatles’ “Yesterday… & Today,” album goes stays at #1 for 5 weeks

1974 – “Annie’s Song” by John Denver reached #1 on the Billboard singles chart.

The Arts:

1938 - “Dennis the Menace,” the comic strip 1st appears

1940 – John F. Kennedy’s first book “Why England Slept” was published. He was 23 years old.

1984 – “Peanuts” by Charles Schultz became the first comic strip to grace the pages of 2,000 newspapers.

Celebrity Headlines:

1973 – Farrah Fawcett married Lee Majors, the “Six Million Dollar Man.”

1976 – John Lennon was given permanent residency in the US after a long legal battle.

1981 – England’s Prince Charles married Lady Diana Spencer at St. Paul’s Cathedral.

Sports:

1981 – The Major League Baseball players’ strike over the issue of free agent compensation came to an end after seven weeks.

Technology & Inventions:

1933 – The first singing telegram was delivered.

1935 - 1st Penguin book is published, starting the paperback era

1987 - Ben & Jerry’s & Jerry Garcia agree on a new flavor called Cherry Garcia

Automobile News:

1941 – “Parade” Magazine introduces the Jeep to the American public in an article detailing the Army’s extensive use of this multi-purpose little truck.

Famous Birthdays:

1938 - Peter Jennings, news anchor (ABC Evening News)

1941 – Paul Anka, singer

1942 – Jerry Garcia, The Grateful Dead

1945 - Rick Wright, Pink Floyd keyboardist

1947 - Arnold Schwarzenegger, actor

Buffalo Rock Soda-Birmingham Alabama

“Taste the Difference”

The Buffalo Rock Company was started 1901 when the owner of the Alabama Grocery Company, Sid Lee, and a local chemist invented Buffalo Rock Ginger Ale. Their intent had been to create a tonic using ginger that would relieve stomach ailments, but instead they developed a drink that when drunk cold, was a relief from the southern heat. With the drink’s success, there was a shift from the grocery business to the making and distribution of soft drinks and in 1927 they changed their name to the Buffalo Rock Company. For 30 years, their primary products were Buffalo Rock Ginger Ale, Mission Orange, Mission Grape and B-1.

James C. Lee took the helm after his father’s passing, and in 1951 the company bought the Birmingham Pepsi-Cola franchise and began bottling Dr Pepper and 7-Up in addition to their other products. This made Buffalo Rock the first bottler to produce three major soda brands in one plant. They added Grapico in 1981, and Dr. Wham in 2005.

It was the Buffalo Rock Company that introduced the 3-liter bottle in 1984. First used for Pepsi-Cola, it is still available on today’s store shelves. This innovative company also introduced the 20-pak mini-case for 12-ounce cans and 12- and 20-ounce bottles.

Today the Buffalo Rock Co. is among the largest single-family owned Pepsi-Cola bottlers in the US, operating 14 distribution centers in Alabama, Georgia and Florida.

Buffalo Rock Company
111 Oxmoor Road
Birmingham, Alabama

Do you have an experience to share in regard to this 100-plus year-old soda company? Please blog-in and share it with us.

Memories of Canobie Lake Park

In the early 1900’s, The Hudson, Pelham & Salem Railways (HP&S) opened Canobie Lake Park as a pleasure resort to increase the excitement of the expanding trolley lines into Salem and the surrounding Greater Lowell, Lawrence, Haverhill and Nashua communities.

The expanding automobile ownership of the 1920’s drastically reduced trolley use along with revenues. The Town of Salem no longer supported the prospect of continued line operation and the last trolley rolled out of town in 1929, at which time, Canobie Lake Park went out of business.

A few years later a private party purchased the park, erected the Yankee Cannonball rollercoaster and Canobie became known as an entertainment destination hosting names such as Guy Lombardo (my mother frequented the Ballroom during his visits), Duke Ellington, Harry James, Jimmy Dorsey, Frank Sinatra and later, Sonny & Cher and Aerosmith. (Yup, saw Steven and the boys there, early 70’s??) A few owners and many improvements later, Canobie Lake Park continues to delight young and old alike.

When I look back at these pictures, I only wish I had more. These pictures were taken by a friend when I was around 21 or 22 but I had been going to Canobie Lake Park since I was around 4. For the first 12 years of my life I was fortunate enough to have a gorgeous view of the lake, not the amusement park, from my back yard. My earliest memories include walking to the shore of the lake with my Dad to watch the speedboat races on Sunday afternoons and attending my first Fourth of July fireworks display at the amusement park. I clearly remember scurrying up my Mother’s shoulder to hide in her neck after the first loud explosion, with my “blankie” tightly clutched in my small hands. I’m sure we left before the conclusion of the show.

Additional lake memories include attempting to fish, (I never caught a thing), walking out onto the frozen, snow covered lake with friends only to rush back to the shore when you heard the cracking sound of the expanding ice, and of course ice skating. The lake is where I learned how to ice skate. First on those double runners that strapped to your boots and later on a pair of real figure skates I received for Christmas one year, after my infatuation with Peggy Fleming took hold. Unfortunately, you were not allowed to swim in the lake as it is the water supply for the Town of Salem. I’m sure many people have swum in the lake over the years but my mother threatened me with jail time if I did.

After the fireworks fiasco, my parents figured I would appreciate the lighter activities offered, such as the amusement rides. The Carousel (still running since 1902), Crazy Cups, Dodgems and the Caterpillar with the cover that came over your head half way through the ride, were a few of my favorites growing up. As the years went by, the larger, faster rides became more tempting, but nothing came close to the one thing I went to Canobie for day after day during summer vacation from school. Rollerskating.

At the back of the park along the shore was the skating rink. It was a round rink with wooden floors. The back side of the building facing the lake had benches lined up against large screen windows. You could sit on the benches to lace up your skates (as opposed to Roller Blades), or just hang out there sipping on a soda, gazing out over the lake or laughing with your friends. I remember one whole summer where my entire neighborhood was hooked on skating at Canobie. Each parent would take turns driving or picking us up and it seemed like we would have 10 kids in the car at one time. (No seatbelts were used back then). It was the best time ever. It was soooo hot some days. We would skate from the time the park opened until around 3 or 4 in the afternoon. Canobie had an in-ground swimming pool back then so we would bring our bathing suits and wash the sweat away with a refreshing swim. By the time we were done swimming, our parents would pick us up on their way home from work. The whole ride home we were making plans for tomorrow when we would repeat the activities of the day all over again.
Sadly, both have since closed. The skating rink is used for storage (such a waste!), and the pool has been removed to make room for a newer and larger main entrance.

Time spent at the Lake and Amusement Park continued throughout my life until around the late 90’s. The company I worked for during the 80’s and 90’s held their summer company outing there each year. I started attending these outings with my friends and work buddies (see pictures). Once my nephew was around 3 years old I started taking him to Canobie during these outings. We would hang out in the Kiddie Area all day. He loved it and I loved taking him. At 24, he still has fond memories of our time there together.

Once I had children of my own, Canobie became a summertime ritual for my family. I took my children on the same rides my parents had once taken me. The park is much larger now and many rides have been retired and replaced by larger ones that promise more fun and thrills. Then one day, and it seemed to happen overnight, I did not attend Canobie with my children anymore. They asked me to drop them off at the entrance gate with their friends. I remember driving away from the entrance one day with a lump in my throat, not because I was dropping my babies off alone some place where they might get hurt or come across someone creepy, but because they would never experience the musty smell of the wood floor and the refreshing dip in the pool after a long, hot day of real, old-fashioned fun.

Ice Cream Party!

Did you know that July is National Ice Cream Month? Now that summer is in full swing you may want to think about having an ice cream party! There’s no better way to entertain family and friends during the summer season. Here at Retroplanet.com, we have a wonderful assortment of accessories to help you make any ice cream party a great one.

We have beautiful stainless steel or glass banana split dishes that you can fill to overflowing with your favorite ice cream flavors. We also offer a variety of other sundae dishes in different sizes. There’s even a glass Fun-Dae ice cream cone-shaped dish. And to blend up those frosty drinks, we offer 4 different sturdy mixers, like the Hamilton Beach 2-speed models. We sell vintage-looking soda glasses with metal stands to serve your frappe or milkshake in. And we also offer several different styles of straw dispensers to keep straws within easy reach.

If you’d like to give your party a particular theme, take a look at our wide selection of party supplies, like paper cups, plates, napkins, party hats, glasses and party favors.

And don’t forget that we also offer ice cream and soda signs, a reproduction light-up Dairy Queen clock, blank vintage style menu covers and a variety of stool designs to help you decorate for your party or to give your kitchen that old-fashioned soda fountain look.

Blog-in and share your ice cream party ideas here!

Gumby, 53 Years of Entertaining America

In 1955 Art Clokey made a short animated film called Gumbasia, with shapes of clay moving to music playing in the background. The film was created using stop-motion animation, a technique that when used with clay figures is called claymation. The clay object is placed on a set, and a film frame is taken. The camera is then stopped, the character is moved into another position and filmed, and the process continues until enough film frames are taken to complete the animated story.

Movie producers saw the film, and Clokey was asked to create a claymation character for children’s television. After many trials to see which form worked best with the animation technique, Gumby was born in 1956. According to Gumby.com, Gumby’s optimal height was 7 inches tall, and his body was created from simple geometric shapes. This form allowed Gumby to be cut from a large slab of clay, and duplicate forms were easily made. This is very important because during the filming the lights heat up the Gumby doll and he becomes misshapen from the continuous bending of his body and needs to be replaced often.

Gumby’s final shape includes an asymmetrical bump on his head. According to npr.org, this shape was inspired by Art Clokey’s father who had a very unruly head of hair and a large cowlick that stuck up on one side of his head. Gumby’s green color reflects Clokey’s love of nature and the environment, and his desire for Gumby to symbolize that. (Gumby.com)

After the finalization of Gumby’s form, pilot shows featuring Gumby were made. In 1956, the short films were shown on Howdy Doody. In 1957, Gumby was given his own show, The Gumby Show, on NBC. Each episode contained three animated short films; in between which the host of the show would entertain the audience from “The Fun Shop.” Gumby enjoyed many adventures with his faithful sidekick Pokey. In the 1960s, new friends came along. His dog Nopey, and his friends Prickle, a yellow dinosaur, and Goo, a blue mermaid joined the show. Sometimes Gumby and friends would run into his enemies, The Blockheads. Gumby’s parents Gumbo and Gumba were even added to the show.

At this time, Gumby merchandise was very popular. There were bendable Gumby and Pokey dolls, costumes, puppets, candy, toys, pencil toppers, key chains and much more. By the late 60s, Gumby’s popularity had waned, and the show went into syndication.

Gumby made a comeback in the 1980’s largely due to the Saturday Night Live skit with Eddie Murphy playing a disgruntled Gumby. A new series called Gumby Adventures came out, showing the old Gumby episodes along with brand new ones by Clokey. New merchandise as well as episodes on videotape could be purchased.

Since then, Gumby has appeared on television commercials and even enjoyed a year as the spokescharacter for the Library of Congress in 1994. In 1995, Gumby starred in his own feature film, Gumby: The Movie. Gumby episodes can now be bought on DVD, and he even has his own video game!

In 2005, Gumby’s 50th birthday celebration took place. A year later the Center for Puppetry Arts showed an exhibition called “GUMBY: Art Clokey the first fifty years.” It ran until March of 2007, and can still be viewed at www.TDAExhibitions.com.

For over 50 years, Gumby has educated and entertained children and adults alike. Generations have grown up watching Gumby and his friends, and now grandparents can share Gumby with their grandchildren. A lovable character, he remains in the hearts of people all around the world.

Check out our website for a great selection of Gumby collectibles and memorabilia. Have fun creating your own adventures with Gumby, Pokey, and the other claymation characters!

Retro Party Favor and Gift Ideas

Looking for party favor ideas for your next celebration? Look no further -
Retro Party Favors are the best! Not only are they unique, they bring back memories and a feeling of nostalgia. Here are a few ideas to get you started, so let your imagination run wild and have fun while you create your own retro party favor gifts!

For a child’s birthday party, what can be more cool than handing out the toys you played with as a kid? Remember the Balsa Wood Airplanes? Or the fun of playing with Jacks or Marbles? The old fashioned Paddleball game is still a favorite with children and adults alike. And who could forget the challenging hand-held pinball games and the famous Slinky!

 

 

A very cool classic Chevy car carton filled with old fashioned candy is another great idea.

 

 

Planning a theme party, a margarita night, or a retro shindig? Pass out these cool sunglasses and let the fun begin! The best part is that they liven up any gathering and are perfect party gifts for the guests to bring home with them.

 

Vintage style steel bottle openers can be given out at almost any occasion. Guests will love the classic steel design, and they look great with any decor. They make the perfect favor gifts for a 21st birthday party, or a summer celebration.

 

A great idea for reunions or milestone birthdays are books and magnets highlighting your special anniversary, reunion, or birthday year.

 

One of the best ideas for party favors are retro magnets with humorous modern quotes. These make wonderful gifts for bridal showers, baby showers, or any occasion and always let your guests leave with a hearty laugh. For an even more unique gift, wrap the magnet in tulle fabric or use a small gift bag, add some chocolates, tie with a ribbon, and voila!

In the heat of the summer, a luau or tiki party is the way to go. A great way to bring fun to your party and give guests a cool gift is to serve tropical drinks in Tiki Mugs or shot glasses that the guests can bring home with them. Another idea is to decorate with tiki candles, and then hand them out at the end of the party. And if you want to really give your guests a cool party favor, check out this Dancing Hula Dashboard Doll. She’s tropically retro and always fun to watch!

Check out the RetroPlanet website for even more Retro Party Favor ideas. Be sure to send us a picture or comment if you want to share your creations with us!

Route 66 from Chicago to Los Angeles

Also known as “The Mother Road” and the “Will Rogers highway”, Route 66 was a national roadway that extended from the eastern region of the United States to the west coast. Its purpose was to connect both rural and urban streets to a major roadway system. The idea for a road extending from Chicago, Illinois to Los Angeles, California was originally proposed by Cyrus Avery of Tulsa, Oklahoma and John Woodruff of Springfield, Missouri, two businessmen that foresaw the increase in sales and business that could occur with better access to more remote regions of the country. There were already cross-country highways in existence at the time, but they were laid out on straighter courses, causing them to bypass small towns along the way. The two businessman lobbied for this new, meandering highway, and in 1926 the government agreed to take existing roads and build connections where needed to link smaller communities with big cities. They designated the new roadway “Route 66”. Conveniently, the new highway passed directly by Cyrus Avery’s filling station and restaurant.

The Great Depression hit soon after construction on the new highway began, but work was halted only for a brief time. Thousands of out-of-work men were hired to pave the road that stretched more than 2,300 miles. It was fully completed in 1938. The newly constructed Route 66 played a major role during WWII, allowing the transport of troops and equipment to California, where many military bases and wartime factories were built. After the war, many men that had been trained in California decided to leave their less temperate home states and settle in California permanently.

With the advent of postwar prosperity, there was an economic boom as diners and motels sprang up along Route 66. There were unique places to eat along the way with names like the The Cozy Dog Drive In, The Steak and Shake and the Pig Hip Restaurant. At first, auto camps and cabin camps were created on the roadsides for weary travelers. The freestanding cabins and cottages later evolved into motels with names like the Will Rogers Motor Court, the Wagon Wheel Motel and the Wigwam Motel. The first McDonald’s restaurant was erected along Route 66 in San Bernardino, California in 1945. Today it houses the McDonald’s Route 66 Museum.

The original Route 66 passed through eight states and three time zones. The eight states were Illinois, Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico, Arizona and California. Unfortunately, Americans decided they needed a more direct route for faster and more efficient transportation. As a result, most of Route 66 was bypassed by a modern four-lane highway in 1970. Interstate 40 bypassed the last remaining portion in 1984 and all references to Route 66 disappeared from official road maps. Today there are numerous websites, museums and books devoted to maintaining the memory of the road as it was. There are many places along the former Route 66 that are still standing and some are still in business. A few of these are:

• Route 66 Museum in Clinton, Oklahoma.
• The restored Metro Diner in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
• Phillips 66 Gas Station in McLean, Texas that was built in the 1920’s, and was restored in 1993.
• The midpoint sign in Adrian, Texas (Los Angeles and Chicago are both 1139 miles in opposite directions from the sign).
• The Cadillac Ranch in Amarillo, Texas (10 Caddys, from 1957 to 1963 models) were buried nose first by an Amarillo tycoon by the name of Stanley Marsh III.
• Zia Motel in Grants, New Mexico (opened in the 1930’s and is still operating today).
• Texaco Station on the corner of Route 66 and First Street, Tucumcari, New Mexico that is the only gas station to have operated continuously from the opening of the highway to the present.
• Powerhouse Route 66 Museum & Visitor Center is a restored powerhouse, Kingman Arizona.
• Beautifully restored Shangri La Hotel in Santa Monica, California, at the end of Route 66.
Route 66 will always be remembered as a symbol of the growth and renewal following two of the most difficult times in the country’s history—the Great Depression and World War II. It brought about enormous economic growth and became a symbol of the free-spiritedness and optimism people were feeling as they moved from times of crisis to those of prosperity.

Headlines & Tidbits from the 30s, 40s, 50s, 60s, 70s & 80s

American Experience:

1933 – Wiley Post is the first airplane pilot to fly solo around the world. 7days, 19hrs

1962 - House passes bill requiring equal pay for equal work regardless of sex

1964 – Jimmy Hoffa, President of International Brotherhood of Teamsters convicted of fraud & conspiracy and sentenced to 15 years in prison.

1969 – Neil Armstrong & Edwin (Buzz) Aldrin become the first men on the Moon!

1983 - Dick Smith completes the first solo helicopter flight around the world

Movies & TV:

1950 - “Arthur Murray Party” premieres on ABC TV

1955 – The Seven Year Itch starring Marilyn Monroe and Tom Ewell was in theaters

1957 – Jack Paar becomes the new host of “The Tonight Show”

1958 – CBS airs a documentary on upheaval in the Middle East called “Kuwait Middle East Oil Prize”

1958 – Brigitte Bardot stars in La Parisienne

Music & Radio:

1935 - “Gang Busters” first broadcast on NBC radio

1940 – The first Singles Record Chart is published by Billboard. The #1 spot went to Tommy Dorsey’s “I’ll Never Smile Again”

1964 – The Beatles’ “A Hard Day’s Night” album goes #1 & stays #1 for 14 weeks

1964 - Jan & Dean’s “Surf City” is the first surfin’ record to go #1

1965 - Bob Dylan’s “Like a Rolling Stone” is released

1966 - Supremes release “You Can’t Hurry Love”

1969 - Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young gave their first performance at Fillmore East, NY

1970 – The Carpenters’ (They Long to Be) Close to You” reaches #1

The Arts:

1975 - “A Chorus Line,” premieres. It is the longest running Broadway show with 6,137 shows.

1976 - “Guys & Dolls” opens at Broadway Theater in New York

Celebrity Headlines:

1968 - Jane Asher ends her engagement to Paul McCartney on live TV

1969 - Aretha Franklin arrested for disturbing the peace in Detroit

1973 - Bruce Lee, martial artist and actor (Enter the Dragon) dies at 32

1984 - Vanessa Williams, the first Black Miss America, is asked to resign due to indecent photographs published in Penthouse magazine

Sports:

1989 - Mike Tyson KOs Carl Williams in 1:33 for heavyweight boxing title

Technology & Inventions:

1938 – Freeze-dried instant coffee invented by Nescafe

Famous Birthdays:

1938: Natalie Wood, actress (Gypsy, Rebel Without A Cause), is born Natasha Gurdin

1940 - Don Imus, radio disc jockey (WNBC)

1943 - Jim McCarty member of the Yardbirds

1943 - Mick Jagger of the Rolling Stones

1947 - Cat Stevens, singer-songwriter is born Steven Demetre Georgiou. Now known as Yusuf Islam

1947 - Don Henley, vocalist and drummer for the Eagles and solo artist

1948 - Garry Trudeau, creator of the political cartoon Doonesbury

1951 - Lynda Carter, actress (Wonder Woman) and Miss World USA, 1973

1952 - Robin Williams, actor and comedian

1956 - Paul Cook, drummer for the Sex Pistols

1956 - Dorothy Hamill, figure skater and Olympic Gold Medalist

Batman

The Bat-Man, as he is originally known, was created by artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger in 1939. Batman was first seen in the pages of the DC comic book Detective Comics in May of 1939. The story was called “The Case of the Chemical Syndicate.” Batman became such a popular character; he was given a starring role in his own comic book Batman in the spring of 1940.

The first drawings of Batman showed a man with wings wearing a red and black costume and sporting a simple domino mask. Before publication, Batman’s costume went through a transformation. His mask was changed to a cowl to cover more of his face, showing only his mouth, slits for his eyes and pointy ears. His wings morphed into a cape that looks like bat wings when Batman is in motion. The costume became dark gray with black accents to convey an ominous feeling. Sometimes it was shown as dark gray with a blue cape, gloves and boots. His ever-present utility belt was drawn in yellow, and carried all the gadgets Batman needs to outwit his enemies and escape into the night.

The story of how Batman became Bruce Wayne’s alter ego is very well known. As a child, Bruce Wayne saw his parents murdered, and he swore that he would spend his life trying to avenge his parents’ death by declaring war on criminals in Gotham City.

As an adult, Bruce is depicted as an irresponsible billionaire bachelor who inherited Wayne Enterprises and family real estate investments, and lives alone except for his butler Alfred Pennyworth. Because Bruce has no superhuman powers, he has to rely on his mind and body to defeat evil. He trains his very intelligent mind to function at the highest level and his detective skills and knowledge of science and technology are always in peak form. Bruce also works out his body to achieve physical prowess and uses the power of his threatening Bat image to win battles.

In the 1940’s Batman comics were dark and menacing, with such characters as The Joker and Catwoman as his main adversaries. Robin, Batman’s trusty sidekick, was created in 1940 to give Batman someone to talk to and solve crimes with. The introduction of Robin in the Batman comic book doubled sales and started a trend to give superheroes kid sidekicks.

By the 1950’s Batman’s image had softened. This was due largely in part to criticism of the comics industry for the violence in the stories, which allegedly were leading children to commit crimes and act out their fantasies.

In 1964 the campy television series Batman (starring Adam West) was introduced to the world. A 1966 film Batman starring Adam West was released and the success of the show and the movie vastly increased sales of the comic book, but by 1968 the show was cancelled and the campy direction the comic book had taken wore thin. Once again, the Batman comic book returned to its dark and menacing roots. Although fans loved this change, comic book sales kept falling throughout the 1970s and 1980s.

In 1989 the phenomenal success of the film Batman led to a resurgence of interest in the Batman comic strips. The film directed by Tim Burton and starring Michael Keaton, was the top-grossing movie of the year.
Since this film, there have been four sequels. Batman Returns (Keaton, 1992), Batman Forever (Val Kilmer, 1995), Batman & Robin (George Clooney, 1997) and Batman Begins. (Christian Bale, 2006)

Due to the popularity of the Batman movies, an animated television series Batman: The Animated Series ran from 1992 through 1997 and an animated feature length film, Batman: Mask of the Phantasm (1993) was shown.

The newest Batman film, The Dark Knight, starring Christian Bale as Batman and Heath Ledger as The Joker is scheduled to be released on July 18, 2008.

For almost forty years Batman has been entertaining people all over the world. Be it in the form of comic strip books, television series, animated television series and movies, or blockbuster films, Batman lives on. He is an American pop culture phenomenon that symbolizes the need we have to believe in superheroes and the prevalence of good over evil.

Celebrate your inner superhero and pay tribute to one of the all-time greatest characters with collectible signs depicting Batman comic strip panels, posters and memorabilia available at our website.