Hanna Barbera Horror

Hanna Barbera's adventure, fantasy, sci-fi, and superhero cartoons often explored horror movie subjects, although in a generally safe, kid-friendly way.  Let's enjoy a few highlights for Halloween!

Frankenstein Jr. - The Shocking Electrical Monster

"Frankenstein Jr. in:  The Shocking Electrical Monster"

Frankenstein Jr. - The Shocking Electrical Monster
Orignal airdate:  September 10, 1966

A vampiric mad scientist named Dr. Shock turns his lab assistant Igor into a giant electrical monster.  The monster then goes on a Godzilla-like rampage through the ocean and city before kid scientist Buzz Conroy and his giant robot Frankenstein Jr. save the day.  This has some great looking horror movie visuals with the mad scientist, his lab, and the monster.  The scariest part however is the fact that Buzz's Dad lets him ride around on the back of a flying robot.  Think about it... would you let a child  ride on top of a moving car?  Or a bus?  Or a train?  Well this is actually more like riding on top of a flying plane, and with no seat-belts, or straps, or anything.  Face it, that kid would be DEAD.

Dr. Shock and The Shocking Electrical Monster Plot Their Wave of Violence

UNSAFE AT ANY SPEED (Part 1)

More exciting screencaps from this episode await you below!

Space Ghost - Creature King

"Space Ghost in: Creature King"

Space Ghost - Creature King
Orignal airdate:  September 24, 1966

This one has another crazy looking mad scientist, named "Creature King."  Space Ghost's sidekicks Jan, Jace, and Blip crash land on a planet, and are soon attacked by a giant red SPACE APE. They escape the mad monkey, but then find themselves captured by SPACE BATS!  They then find themselves CHAINED UP IN THE DUNGEON of Creature King, an alien mad scientist with a menagerie of weird alien monsters.

A Menagerie of Weird Alien Monsters.

Teenage Sidekicks in Bondage

More exciting screencaps from this episode await you below!

Dino Boy in the Lost Valley - The Vampire Men

"Dino Boy in the Lost Valley in: The Vampire Men"

Dino Boy in the Lost Valley - The Vampire Men
Orignal airdate:  December 3, 1966

Dino Boy (a kid trapped in a "Land of the Lost" style valley where cavemen, dinosaurs, and weird monsters exist) decides to build a homemade kite and then strap himself to it an fly around for fun.   Naturally he crashes in to a mountain, because of course he does.  Safety tip: DO NOT STRAP YOURSELF TO A KITE AND FLY AROUND LIKE AN IDIOT.  However, the story does not end with him dying on the mountain with broken bones and a cracked skull.  Because the mountain is full of caves populated with VAMPIRE MEN.  Half-men, half-bats!  So they take them to their Vampire King to kill him and eat him, I guess.  But then Dino Boy's caveman buddy Ugh shows up and "bats" the bat-people with his big wood club.

Vampire Men Out for Blood!

UNSAFE AT ANY SPEED (Part 2)

More exciting screencaps from this episode await you below!

Space Ghost - The Haunted Space Station

"Space Ghost in: The Haunted Space Station"

Space Ghost - The Haunted Space Station
Orignal airdate:  September 26, 1981

Now we jump forward from the 1960s to the 1980s for the relaunched version of Space Ghost.  Space Ghost and his crew get a distress call from a space station and go to investigate.  The space station is shaped like a GIANT SPIDER WEB!  Seriously, if you design your space station to look like a spider-web, you're pretty much begging for trouble, like being attacked by a GIANT SPACE SPIDER, or something.  But in this case, the station has been attacked by a SPACE VAMPIRE, who has turned the crew of the station into ASTRO ZOMBIES!  And if that sounds familiar, it's because I reviewed and episode of "Buck Rogers" earlier this month called "Space Vampire," that basically had the same plot.

Grizzled Face of an Astro Zombie

These people have only been Astro Zombies for ONE day, yet they are already dressed in rags!  Man, Zombies are TOUGH on clothes.

More exciting screencaps from this episode await you below!

The Super Powers Team: Galactic Guardians - The Fear

The Super Powers Team: Galactic Guardians - The Fear

The Super Powers Team: Galactic Guardians - The Fear
Orignal airdate:  October 2, 1985

The Scarecrow stumbles upon Batman's greatest fear when he tries to flee down Crime Alley, the MURDER site of Bruce Wayne's parents.  Batman usually uses his iron will to resist Scarecrow's Fear Rays, but in Crime Alley he breaks down in TERROR.  This was the first time the murder of the Waynes was shown outside of the comic books, and it is remarkably intense and mature for an episode of The Super Friends.  The episode is filled with rain, lightning, SKULLS, and shadows.  It's probably the best episode of the Super Friends ever, and it was written by Alan Burnett who would later go on to produce Batman: The Animated Series, and you can definitely see the roots of that series start to develop here.

The walls close in on Wonder Woman, as seen through the mouth of a skull!

UNSAFE AT ANY SPEED (Part 3)  Oh, man, now even Batman and Robin are getting in on the act, "Ghost Riding" on top of Wonder Woman's Invisible Jet!  At least Robin is holding on for dear life!  Batman is standing upright, not holding on to anything!  Dudes, in real life, you would both be DEAD.  Seriously, you two are supposed to be role models to little kids for Pete's sake!  FOR SHAME.

More exciting screencaps from this episode await you below!

More screencaps after the break...

Batman, Episodes 27 and 28 - "The Curse of Tut" and "The Pharaoh's in a Rut"

Batman, Episodes 27 and 28 - "The Curse of Tut" and "The Pharaoh's in a Rut"

50 years ago...
The 27th and 28th episodes of the Batman TV series aired on ABC TV.   Episode 27, "The Curse of Tut," aired on April 13, 1966.  Episode 28, "The Pharaoh's in a Rut," aired on April 14, 1966.

A Crowd Gathers Around Khnum in Gotham Central Park

These were the first episodes to feature Victor Buono as Professor William McElroy, aka King Tut.  Unlike all of the previous villains, King Tut was the first to be created specifically for the TV series.  Professor William McElroy was an Egyptologist who came to believe he was the reincarnation of King Tut after being struck in the head, and then went on a spree of ancient Egypt themed crimes.  There are some fun action scenes in this episode.  One stunt has Bruce Wayne being strapped to a runaway gurney as it races downhill towards a cliff.  Batman and Robin also get in to sword fights with the Egyptian themed villains.  It's also the second time on the series where Batman dances the Batusi.

Batman and Robin in Nefertiti's Crosshairs

Robin's catchphrases in these episodes included "holy hurricane," holy hieroglyphics," "holy whiskers," "holy asp," "holy skyrocket," and "holy taxidermy."

The Mummy's Eyes

More screencaps after the break...

Bat-Music #27 - Combo Kings - Batman A Go Go

Bat-Music #27 - Combo Kings - Batman A Go Go

Combo Kings... I know pretty much nothing about this band.  There was a band known as "The Combo Kings," or "Pervis Herder and The Combo Kings" in the early 1960s that put out a couple of singles. I think this is the same band.  Honestly, I don't know.  But in 1966, the single we'll be listening to today was released.  It's "Do the Slow Fizz" by Combo Kings, with the b-side "Batman A Go Go."  Both tracks are danceable, funky slabs of Philly Soul.  Slow Fizz is the superior track, but Batman A Go Go has that Batman novelty value that makes the record memorable to this day.  Let's check them out...

Combo Kings - Batman A Go Go


Combo Kings - Do the Slow Fizz

Bat-Music #26 - Seeds of Euphoria - Let's Send Batman to Viet Nam

Bat-Music #26 - Seeds of Euphoria - Let's Send Batman to Viet Nam

"Send Batman to Viet Nam" was a popular meme (or whatever the 1960s version of a meme was) in the Vietnam Era, appearing on pins and buttons alongside other images and phrases like the peace symbol, "make love, not war," "draft beer, not students," and "war is not healthy for children and other living things."  It became a song in 1967 when the Seeds of Euphoria recorded "Let's Send Batman to Viet Nam."  This is a folk song, but it's hard to tell if it is an anti-war protest folk, or just a novelty song trying to cash-in on two subjects looming large in the culture at the time.  The same record label released "Conscientious Objector," a song that condemned conscientious objectors and war protestors, so I'm thinking "Let's Send Batman to Viet Nam" might be more of the same.  Give it a listen and tell me what you think, is this song pro or anti the Vietnam War?
 
Seeds of Euphoria - Let's Send Batman to Viet Nam

Bat-Music #25 - The Musical Stylings of Burgess Meredith

Bat-Music #25 - The Musical Stylings of Burgess Meredith

In previous installments of Bat-Music, we've looked at the records that Batman stars Adam West, Frank Gorshin, and Burt Ward made to cash in on their new-found Batman fame.  Today, we'll be looking at "The Penguin" actor Burgess Meredith's attempt.  While he was primarily an actor, Meredith did have a few records under his belt prior to the 1966 Batman TV series.  His records tended to feature a combination of singing and spoken word and included such titles as "Songs and Stories of the Gold Rush,"  "Burgess Meredith Sings Songs From How The West Was Won," and "Burgess Meredith Reads Ray Bradbury." 

A Selection of Burgess Meredith's Vinyl Records

Here's "At the Miners' Ball," a track from Songs and Stories of the Gold Rush:

Burgess Meredith - At the Miners' Ball


For his obligatory musical cash-in on the popularity of Batman, Meredith recorded a two-sided single in his persona as The Penguin: "The Capture," and "The Escape."  Both tracks feature the same music, with Meredith sing-speaking over the music William Shatner style, spinning a story of the Penguin's Capture by the Batman, and his subsequent escape.

Burgess Meredith - The Capture


Burgess Meredith - The Escape

NECA 1/4 Scale Burt Ward Robin Action Figure

NECA 1/4 Scale Burt Ward Robin Action Figure

A few years ago, I reviewed NECA's giant 18 inch 1/4 scale Adam West Batman action figure.  Well, it's been a while, but I finally got around to picking up his partner in crimefighting, NECA's 1/4 scale Robin action figure.

Burt Ward Hero Pose

Like NECA's Adam West figure, this giant-sized action figure of Burt Ward as Robin is almost perfect, and I really love it.  A few of his joints are kind of stiff, just like the Adam West figure's were, but that can probably be fixed with by heating it up with some boiling water or hot air from a hair dryer.  Most of the details of the packaging, accessories, and the figure itself are pretty much the same as the Adam West figure, so I'll urge you to read that review for the details.  The main difference is that this figure is about an inch shorter, since of course Burt Ward was not as tall as Adam West.

On Display at Misfit Robot Daydream Headquarters (aka My Living Room)

 Aside from that, I'm just going to let my photos do the talking, so let's check them out:

Under the Batsignal

More photos after the break...

Batman, Episodes 25 and 26 - "The Joker Trumps an Ace" and "Batman Sets the Pace"

Batman, Episodes 25 and 26 - "The Joker Trumps an Ace" and "Batman Sets the Pace"

50 years ago...
The 25th and 26th episodes of the Batman TV series aired on ABC TV.   Episode 25, "The Joker Trumps an Ace," aired on April 6, 1966.  Episode 26, "Batman Sets the Pace," aired on April 7, 1966.   These were the third pair of episodes to feature Cesar Romero as The Joker.

Batman and Robin Are on the Lookout for Criminal Activities at the Golf Course

The Joker goes on a seemingly nonsensical crime spree, stealing things like a woman's hairpin, and a hole from a golf course. However, the random seeming crimes are really part of a diabolical scheme to defeat Batman once and for all... by forcing him to sign a bogus check.

The Joker and Jill (His Latest Moll)

Robin's catchphrases in these episodes included "holy Taj Mahal" and "holy Golden Gate."

The Joker tells riddles and leaves clues in these episodes, making it seem like they were originally intended for Frank Gorshin as The Riddler.  But the comic book story these episodes were based on *("A Hairpin, a Hoe, a Hacksaw, a Hole In the Ground!" from  Batman #53) was in fact a Joker story.

"A Hairpin, a Hoe, a Hacksaw, a Hole In the Ground!" from  Batman #53

More screencaps after the break...

Bat-Music #21 - Al Hirt - Batman Theme

Bat-Music #21 - Al Hirt - Batman Theme

Trumpet player and bandleader Al Hirt is famous for performing the theme song to Batman's sister show Green Hornet, but he also brought his signature trumpet playing to the Batman theme on his 1966 album "The Horn Meets the Hornet."  The Horn Meets the Hornet saw Hirt reacting to the success of his Green Hornet theme as a single by releasing a whole album of TV theme songs.  In addition to the Green Hornet and Batman, the album also features the themes from Get Smart, The Monkees, Tarzan, and more.

Note: I couldn't find an upload of Al Hirt's Batman theme on YouTube.  However, the entire album, featuring the Green Hornet, Batman and more, is on YouTube.  The whole thing is worth a listen, and it's only 26 minutes long, so it won't take up much of your time.  The Batman Theme begins at 12:03.  If you just want to cut to the chase, here's a link https://youtu.be/hNC-0vr1A2o?t=12m3s that begins with Batman.

Al Hirt - The Horn Meets the Hornet

Bat-Music #20 - The Camps - The Ballad of Batman

Bat-Music #20 - The Camps - The Ballad of Batman

"The Ballad of Batman" by The Camps is a rarity in that it's a song inspired by the Batman TV show that was released in 1965... one year before the show aired for the first time in 1966.

The story goes that the band's record producer got wind of the show while it was in production, and had the band record "The Ballad of Batman" and its B-side "Batmobile" to submit to the television producers as possible theme songs for the show.

Thankfully the TV show went with Neal Hefti's classic Batman theme instead.  Otherwise we'd all be singing "we're behind the wheel, of the Batmobile, it's fun-fun-fun to drive it everyday," instead of "na-na-na-na na-na-na-na Batman," and that just wouldn't be the same.

The Camps, who also went by The Campers,  were Sonny Curtis on vocals and guitar and Jerry Allison on drums, although the duo was perhaps better known as members of "The Crickets," yeah those Crickets, as in "Buddy Holly and...," so even though their Batman theme never made it to TV, they still had a pretty decent day job to fall back on.  In fact, Jerry Allison played drums with the band for 60 years, from it's inception in the 1950s until earlier this year, when the Crickets played their final gig on February 6th, 2016.
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The Camps - The Ballad of Batman


The Camps - Batmobile

Bat-Music #18 - The Musical Stylings of Burt Ward

Bat-Music #18 - The Musical Stylings of Burt Ward

In 1966, the popularity of the Batman TV show had turned Robin actor Burt Ward in to the nation's latest teen idol.  Eager to cash in on his stardom, MGM signed Ward to a record deal.  The plan was to released two singles, and then a full length album.  Then in one of the weirdest pairings in musical history, they hired Frank Zappa to spearhead the project.

"Holy Odd Couple, Batman!"  Burt Ward's image as Robin was squeaky-clean, law-abiding, and all-American.  Zappa meanwhile was the king of the long haired freaks, about as far removed from wholesome Robin as you can get.  I believe this was before the release of Zappa's first album, so the people at MGM probably didn't know quite who it was they had signed to help guide their newest star to the top of the pop charts.

The biggest obstacle preventing Ward from becoming a music star wasn't Zappa writing music that was too weird, though.  It was that Burt Ward flat out could not sing.  After a few disastrous recordings with Burt singing, followed by a failed stint with a vocal coach, Zappa just had Ward talk over a musical background, William Shatner style.

One single would eventually be released, the Zappa-penned "Boy Wonder, I Love You," in which "Boy Wonder" reads from a weird letter from a fan (actually based on several pieces of fan mail Ward actually received), and a cover of Nat King Cole's "Orange Colored Sky" (a song that was also performed by Adam West).  One other song, "Teenage Bill of Rights," as well as several instrumental tracks that Ward had yet to record vocals for, were completed before MGM pulled the plug on the sessions.  These other tracks have never officially been released, but they are widely available as bootlegs.

Burt Ward - Boy Wonder, I Love You


Burt Ward - Orange Colored Sky

Bat-Music #17 - The Liverpool Scene - Batpoem

Bat-Music #17 - The Liverpool Scene - Batpoem

Adam West tackled plenty of tricky foes back in his days as the caped crusader, but none quite like this, where the Batman theme backs up spoken word poetry pitting Batman against birth control pills, LSD, and the Vietnam War.  "Batpoem" is off of the 1968 Liverpool Scene album "The Amazing Adventures of the Liverpool Scene."

The Liverpool Scene - Batpoem

Batman, Episodes 23 and 24 - "The Ring of Wax," and "Give 'Em the Axe" (1966)

Batman, Episodes 23 and 24 - "The Ring of Wax," and "Give 'Em the Axe" (1966)

50 years ago...
The 23rd and 24th episode of the Batman TV series aired on ABC TV.   Episode 23, "The Ring of Wax," aired on March, 30, 1966.  Episode 24, "Give 'Em the Axe," aired on March 31, 1966.

Batman Looks to the Skies

 
These were the third pair of episodes to feature Frank Gorshin as The Riddler.

The Riddler Celebrates His Victory

The Riddler concocts a "universal solvent wax" as part of a scheme to steal "The Lost Treasure of the Incas." This adventure takes Batman and Robin to a spooky wax museum, a candle factory full of boiling wax, and a room full of medieval torture instruments.  This episode also feature Linda Gaye Scott as The Riddler's moll "Moth."  Moth wears a skintight purple jumpsuit that looks a bit like a preview of Batgirl's costume in season 3.

The Lawmen Visit the Library

Robin's catchphrases in these episodes include "holy mucilage" and "holy paraffin."

Batman Worries About Robin's Safety

More screencaps after the break...