Hot on the heels of the successful hit Batman television show starring Adam West and Burt Ward that resulted in what can only be described as “Batmania,” the Batman newspaper strips debuted in 1966. Written by longtime Batman editor Whitney Ellsworth, with art by DC Comics giants Shelly Moldoff, Joe Giella, and Carmine Infantino, the newspaper strip was a huge success.
The first volume, reprinting all B&W dailies and color Sundays from 1966 and 1967, features an all-star list of Batman and Robin characters, including Catwoman, the Penguin, the Joker, Poison Ivy, and Batgirl! The 11 x 8.5” hardcover designed and edited by Dean Mullaney will feature a dust jacket cover by Pete Poplaski, and will be 256 pages, including an introduction by Joe Desris.
“Ellsworth and the artists perfectly captured the flavor of the television show,” Mullaney says. ‘It’s a tremendous amount of fun, both as nostalgia and as a unique creation of its time.”
Created in 1939 by Bob Kane, Batman has become an icon, a catalyst, and one of the most revered comic book properties of all time. With countless series, animated television shows, video games, and feature films under his utility belt, Batman perches on the top of American pop culture.