Holy Batmania (1989)

[Silver Nemesis]

I remember seeing this video in shops in the nineties, but I don't think I ever watched it until now. It's a straightforward retrospective on the sixties TV show produced at the height of the 1989 Burton movie hype.

[The Dark Knight]

There have been three instances of Batmania.

B66
B89
TDK

B66 was it, even long after it finished airing. Very accessible to younger viewers and plenty for aware adults to enjoy as well. B66 was so well known it was seen as a ball and chain around the franchise, before it was cut off by Tim Burton's darker approach. But nonetheless, the '66 legacy is still felt in various media today. I'd love to see a live action film with the adventurous spirit the show had even if it wasn't as campy.

B89 by all accounts was Beatlemania for Batman. The logo everywhere with people starving hungry to fall in love with the character after a prolonged absence. Then the film actually delivered on the hype. The 90s period with Burton, Schumacher and the animated series is my favorite run in Batman history. Call it nostalgia, call it what you want, but that period can't be topped for me.

TDK wasn't as big as the other two, but it was still big, and the closest thing we've had since B89 mania. Ledger's death took the movie to another level which was attracted a healthy level of hype beforehand. The Joker card at the end of Begins was the start of it all, really. The viral marketing was fresh at the time and it felt like Batman was a big cultural player again.

To be honest I'm not sure when the next Batmania period will happen, or if it even will. These things are special and the stars need to align. But the more I think about it, a rest period can end up being a good thing to help create the right environment for both the talent and the audience.

[thecolorsblend]

B89 by all accounts was Beatlemania for Batman

I lived through that period. It's where my Batman fandom and comic book fandom both started. Trust me, 1989 was everything you heard about. I would argue it was bigger than 2008 because B89 was a HUGE pop cultural event. Truly massive.