Happy #BatmanDay 2016
Looking thru my sketches on #TOYSREVILART Facebook, to find any Batman images I’d done in the recent past, to use for this BATMAN DAY themed blog-post, and realising I don’t draw enough of Batman, if at all! Well, at least not so much for the past decade? Here’s one from 2011, reimagining him as a one-armed(ish) martial artist ala the good old days of Shaw Bros kung-fu films.
My memories of the Dark Knight detective pulsed with Frank Miller x David Mazzucchelli’s “Batman: Year One” comicbook series from 1987, as well fascinated with Tim Burton’s Batman” 1989 film - with most everything pre-2000 still keeping me interested in the lore … perhaps then I was still continuing collecting weekly comicbooks, and feature film adaptations were still a “fresh notion”.
Seeing Michael Keaton’s “Bruce Wayne” don the black suit (with yellow emblem), in his Anton Furst-designed Batmobile, my geek-loving-world had turned “reality”, and I felt triumphant! Somehow as if my dedication (along with others) helped made it all happened!
(I’ve never imagined that Batman would pick up and use a gun! In the comicbooks he had always been against use of guns, but in the recent movies, he willingly wields a rifle, starting in BvS…)
Through the years, perhaps the media representation has dulled my appreciating for the fictional character, so much so the media depictions - animated films/tv-series, video games and silver screen versions - have replaced my connection with the comicbooks (which I has since stopped due to lack of personal financial ability), with a more benign Batman-schtick that no longer sticks, and frankly has become a utter mass “product”, moreso than the decades before, IMHO.
Sure the recent hoopla provided by the Snyder films gave it a little boost, but frankly - like tons of other hype out there - gives you a “high”, followed by ignormity, to be quickly covered up by hype from another.
Sure, the fictional character IS a commodity, made for consumerism and commerce. And admittedly, being able to see multiple incarnations of the character made thru aesthetics and redesigns, continue to be fascinating!
September 17th is designated BATMAN DAY, with this annual event started/introduced by DC Comics (who own “Batman”) to honor the iconic character's 75th anniversary. “Batman Day” is only in it’s third year now.
(Statues from XM Studios)
The variations of black suit versus grey suit, Xtreme-sports suit or full-on anti-superman Armor, plus multiple versions of the Batmobile, has become what the character is about NOW. His tragic past a flashback to be glossed over, trite in comparison to this generation, probably. The actors have become more important than the character, and as well the sub-characters get rebooted and re-imagined.
All of which I am, very frankly, quite happy with! Speeding down the asphalt of media-saturated generations, with attempts at keeping this 75 year old property alive and renewed, much appreciated, even if some results are not sat in full comfort with myself, I have my back issues to flip thru, and DVDs to rewatch, so I am good.
(Above: Jason Freeny x Mighty Jaxx’s XXRAY dissected version of Batman
Below: Armored versus old skool greys)
Or maybe there has been so much depictions of the character through the years, I no longer felt I needed to “give my take” on Batman, to draw him in my “own way”, my version of his pointed years and cowl - which frankly, has been this FIRST thing I draw, even now - which shows (A) Batman is visually all about his Bat-ears, and (B) his scrowling face. LOL
I no longer feel I need to “draw” to pay tribute to him, but for a blogpost and of reposting an old drawing.
Featured here are depictions of Batman as “collectibles” seen at last weekend’s STGCC2016 (Sept 10-11, 2016)! More images to be posted soon :)
Cheers
Andy
(Above: BvS Batman from Kids Logic)
(Additional exclusive event photography by Thero Dennis)
