In Search of "My Batman"...

Here's an update of a post from 2008...

Okay, I know Christopher Nolan Batman series is a top-notch film trilogy. It's got a talented cast, superb acting, incredible stunts, sate of the art effects, impeccable production values, and drama of epic proportions. Now having seen all three, you may ask "Did I enjoy them?" Well, let's just say I survived them. 

Let me start by saying I am a Batman fan from way back. I've been buying, collecting and reading Batman (and various other DC) comics since about 1972 - when I was 8 years old.

I have a collection of hundreds of Batman toys and trinkets. I grew up on the old BATMAN TV series (Aunt Harriet! Batgirl! Lola Lasagna!), the wooden Filmation cartoons of the late 60s and of course the various corny but fun incarnations of SUPERFRIENDS throughout the 70s and 80s.

Also along the way there was the ridiculous 1966 feature with much of the TV cast, the newer (and improved) Filmation series from the late 70s (even though that show brought us the dreaded Bat-Mite!)

and the various odd projects like LEGENDS OF THE SUPER-HEROES (yikes!) and the infamous guest spot on THE NEW SCOOBY-DOO MOVIES.

While Batman continued to be marketed to us 70s kids in every shape and form from Underoos to Ben Cooper Halloween costumes, some of the best Batman comics ever were be published by National Peroidical Publications, aka DC Comics. 

Great runs like the sophisticated and gothic Denny O'Neill/Neal Adams issues which introduced the darkly seductive Talia (as seen in THE DARK NIGHT RISES) and the bold Steve Englehart/Marshall Rogers run in DETECTIVE COMICS (#469-476) which brought us the sexy and sultry Silver St. Cloud, were among the best and definitive interpretations. There was also some later good stuff in the early 80s from teams like Doug Moench/Don Newton and Mike W. Barr/Alan Davis. These were all "my Batman".

Along the way, there was some pretty dreadful stuff too, like most of WORLD'S FINEST and many BRAVE & THE BOLD outtings. Then came Frank Miller. 

Miller's THE DARK KNIGHT RETURNS and BATMAN: YEAR ONE (issues 404-407 of the BATMAN monthly) changed everything. These two grim and gritty bookend miniseries told the last and first Batman stories, setting the new standard for storytelling about the caped crusader and leaving other creators to fill in what happens in between. 

At the time, I thought both Miller's writing and artwork were refreshing and unique- but by the time he returned for a sequel, 2001's miserable and offensive THE DARK KNIGHT STRIKES AGAIN - I loathed both him and his style. His most recent Batman maxi-series (did it ever conclude??), ALL-STAR BATMAN AND ROBIN THE BOY WONDER is pretty to look at (thanks to Jim Lee), but was not on my "must buy" list. Again, not "my Batman".

Tim Burton's BATMAN hit theaters in 1989, I was in fanboy heaven. Despite the miscasting of Michael (MR. MOM) Keaton as Bruce Wayne, there was finally a Batman that wasn't silly, corny and campy - though looking back, it might be after all. Then the dreadful Prince soundtrack kicked in. Ugh. But I liked it because there were lots of cool toys and other merchandise that I could buy and finally the Batman that I was reading about in the DC Universe kinda sorta existed elsewhere now.

Burton's sequel BATMAN RETURNS was a bit better, thanks to the Catwoman subplot...

and the great Siouxsie and the Banshees song "Face to Face" over the closing credits.

The less said about Joel Schumacher's BATMAN & ROBIN, BATMAN FOREVER and Pitof's (what the fuck kind of name is that?) ludicrous CATWOMAN the better. None of these were "my Batman" or "my Catwoman" - they were closer to being "My Little Pony".

Bruce Timm and Paul Dini's BATMAN: THE ANIMATED SERIES and all it's various sequels were a lot closer to the Batman that I knew and loved, though I was not a fan of the futuristic and unneeded BATMAN BEYOND.

Another animated series called THE BATMAN ran from 2004-2006. I only saw a few episodes here and there. Looked okay, was a bit too Manga-oriented for my tastes.

Christopher Nolan's BATMAN BEGINS was a vast improvement upon the the Burton and Schumacher films - borrowing some elements from the O'Neill/Adams run. I was not and still am not impressed by the tank-like Batmobile. aka the Tumbler Definitely not "my Batmobile". I have only seen it BATMAN BEGINS once, and don't plan on watching it again any time soon, the same for the uber-popular sequel THE DARK KNIGHT. 

While die-hard fans of the 1960s ABC series wait for Fox and Warners Bros. to come to terms about releasing the show on DVD, Fox has released the 1966 theatrical film on blu-ray utilizing a deceptive DARK KNIGHT-themed advertising campaign. One wonders who might buy this expecting to see a grim and gritty Adam West.

The recent THE BRAVE AND THE BOLD animated series was pleasant and unxpected a return to "my Batman" - with great guest stars like Plastic Man, Captain Marvel, Wonder Woman, the Doom Patrol and the new Blue Beetle. The stories were smart, fun and placed the character firmly in a universe of super-powered friends and enemies that felt like the DC Universe I grew up loving.

As THE DARK NIGHT RISES continues it juggernaut across movie theater screens across the world, I wonder if there will ever be a film that lives up to the expectations that I have for "my Batman"...and will I ever see Aunt Harriet again?

The Douglas Michael Show with Wendi McLendon-Covey

Here's a little interview I did with acclaimed BRIDESMAIDS star Wendi McLendon-Covey back in 2009.

Doug: Wendi McLendon-Covey is one of the funniest and talented women working in Hollywood today. Her role on RENO:911 won her a legion of fans - and she continues to entertain and charm audiences with her comic timing and sex appeal in film and on TV. Hello Wendi, first of I all - thank you for being the first guest on THE DOUGLAS MICHAEL SHOW! 

Wendi: Thank you for having me! The pleasure is all mine.

D: Recently you've done guest appearances on comedies like THE OFFICE and KATH & KIM. If you could be in any other sitcom from TV history - which one would it be and who would you want to play?

W: When I was in elementary school, I wanted to play “Sonny” on the show BOSOM BUDDIES. She wasn’t necessarily funny, but she was gorgeous and she got to play the love interest of Tom Hanks! I had such a crush on him! And I also thought it would have been fun to play Lucy Ricardo, Gidget, and Louise Jefferson.

 D: I’d love to see you as Weezie! LOL! Most women comics site legends like Carol Burnett or Lily Tomlin as their main influence. Who influenced you?

W: Of course I love those two women, and I used to drive my family crazy with my “Edith Ann” impression after I saw Lily Tomlin play that character on SESAME STREET. But I was also heavily influenced by Bill Cosby, Steve Martin, and Flip Wilson. I used to listen to their comedy albums over and over until the records warped.

D: Believe or not, I had all those albums too. Great, classic stand-up. You've been a member of The Groundlings for a few years - it's amazing how many of my favorite comic performers have been a part of that troupe! I've always heard it was an intense process to make your way through the program. (It sounds like a religious cult). Any advice for the young comic who'd want to try out?

W: It’s very much like a religious cult in that we are made to shave our heads and wear robes. And yes, the process is intense because the goal is to teach you to improvise, and then to use your improvisational skills as a means to write sketch comedy. It can be frustrating in the same way that learning a foreign language can be frustrating, especially when you have a teacher that refuses to speak to you in English while you’re learning. In the end, you learn more from a teacher that doesn’t coddle you. And with improv you get a better result from LISTENING and responding accordingly rather than looking for places to insert punchlines. 

D: Speaking of cults: LOVESPRING INTERNATIONAL was a funny, funny show. I know so many people who loved it – it’s got quite a growing cult following. The cast was perfection and it was so giddily over the top - I don't think the people at Lifetime understood it. Was it as much fun to make as it was to watch? Have you heard anything about a dvd release of the series?

W: Thank you! That was one of the most rewarding professional experiences of my life because it was so collaborative. And we had a dream team of improvisors – Sam Pancake, Jane Lynch, Jack Plotnick, Jennifer Elise Cox – it was so much fun to go to work everyday. But you’re right: Lifetime loved it at first, then they lost confidence in it. I don’t know that it will ever be released on DVD, but I think you can still watch entire episodes on Hulu.

D: Is there a chance we'll see you again on Lifetime - maybe in a dramatic role as Judith Light's blind daughter or something?

W: From your lips to God’s ears, my darling! Then I’ll know I’ve made it. Judith Light is a force of nature. I bought Pro-Active after watching her in those infomercials! She moved me to tears with her sensitivity towards the acne afflicted. I’m not even kidding.

D: Judith is pretty awesome. I hope you do get to work with her! One of my favorite TV shows of all-time (as readers of my blog may know) was SUPERFRIENDS - I was delighted to find out that you were also a fan! Any memories you care to share?
W: I was always scared by the episodes that featured giant, room-sized computers, because I knew that one day I’d have to learn how to use one. It really vexed me. And I didn’t like the Wonder Twins; their eyes were the same color as their skin, their voices were irritating, and they didn’t seem to take things as seriously as the other Superfriends. I mean, they were defending THE WORLD!
D: I never thought about that eye thing. The curse of cheap Hanna-Barbera animation! Well, thank you so much for being my guest - and taking the time to answer my silly questions. I look forward to seeing much more of you in the years to come!
W: Thank YOU for wanting to hear my silly answers to your silly questions!

Rima, the Jungle Girl

BACK ISSUE magazine just ran a great article on RIMA, THE JUNGLE GIRL, similar to this piece I posted back in March. Here it is again, cause I did it first. 

Comic book fans were treated to a one-page reappearance of Rima, the Jungle Girl in the pages of THE FIRST WAVE a six-issue DC Comics miniseries. THE FIRST WAVE by writer Brian Azzarello and artist Rags Morales is set in an alternate universe that brings together "the first wave" of pulp fiction heroes (Doc Savage, The Avenger and The Spirit) with such DC stalwarts as Batman, The Black Canary and The Blackhawks. Coming along for the ride is the aforementioned Rima, the Jungle Girl.

But who EXACTLY is this Jungle Girl and where did she come from?

Look no further than the 1904 romantic novel, The Green Mansions by W.H. Hudson based on a South American legend about a lost tribe of mountain-dwelling caucasians.

In the novel, Rima is called "the Daughter of the Didi" and considered an evil spirit who has magical powers. She is eventually burned alive by the tribesmen. Yikes! Luckily the character lived on after the novel.

Rima first came back to life in a 1951 CLASSICS ILLUSTRATED adaptation of the novel.

The character was depicted as a beautiful blonde. Not sure if she made it out alive.

A MGM film adaptation of GREEN MANSIONS followed in 1959.

The film was directed by Mel Ferrar.

Beautiful, dark-haired screen goddess Audrey Hepburn was cast as Rima in the film.

Anthony Perkins was cast as her lover.

The film is not as fondly remembered as Hepburn's other work.

Though it was translated into French.

 

Out of print for many years, the film is now available on dvd through the Warner Archive Collection.

Rima turned up next as the star of her own DC Comics series, RIMA THE JUNGLE GIRL in the 1970s.

The series ran for only seven issues, but is well-remembered by fans of the jungle adventure genre.

The series began in May 1974.

The book featured art by the talented Nestor Redodno.

And was graced with gorgeous covers by legendary Joe Kubert.

Rima never interacted with any other characters in the DC Universe in comics.

The series ended in May of 1975, and we thought we saw the last of Rima.

That was until 1977, when Rima showed up on TV!

Yes, Rima joined the cast of Hanna-Barbera's ALL-NEW SUPERFRIENDS HOUR!

Rima appeared alongside new created-for-TV and much-maligned heroes like Apache Chief and Black Vulcan.

But Rima also got to co-star with some of the A-Listers in various episodes - like Wonder Woman and Batman!

And, now over 20 years later Rima will once again be part of a storyline involving Batman!

I'm truly looking forward to the next exciting issue of THE FIRST WAVE and the further exploits of Rima, the Jungle Girl!