(RIGHT CLICK THE IMAGE TO SAVE THIS EPISODE TO YOUR COMPUTER)

Aired February 22/23, 1967

 

 

Julie Newmar makes her final bow as the Catwoman in an episode many fans remember fondly.  Catwoman decides to follow the straight and narrow as she enters college.  But the theft of a statue of Batman from the college and a found beanie cap are all the clues Batman needs to figure out Catwoman is up to something.  

 

Joining John to discuss this episode and Julie Newmar's legacy as the Catwoman is View from the Longbox's Michael Bailey.

 

Comment on the episode here or write thebatcavepodcast@gmail.com



 


Michael Bailey has an illness.  While most people would call his comic book collecting a hobby he knows what it really is - a hopeless addiction.  Luckily he has harnessed this personality defect into a weekly Internet radio show.  Mike is a DC guy but likes Marvel just fine.  He prefers the super-hero genre but frankly as long as it is a solid read he’ll try just about any sort of comic.

 

Mike is a Pieces, (his birthday is February 29th as a matter of fact) enjoys cold weather and enjoys a variety of hobbies that rarely involve the outdoors.

 

Currently Mike lives in the Fortress of Baileytude, which is carved into the side of a mountain above scenic Fayetteville, GA.  Somehow he has lucked into having a beautiful wife named Rachel, who is very much an enabler and, for some reason, puts up with his dumb ass.  Together they own a small poodle named Boo, the cutest six pounds of evil you will ever see.  His day job is acting like a department manager for a big box office supply store.

Direct download: The_Batcave_Podcast_-_Episode_42.mp3
Category:Podcast Episode -- posted at: 7:46am EDT
Comments[0]

(RIGHT CLICK THE IMAGE TO SAVE THIS EPISODE TO YOUR COMPUTER)

Aired Febraury 15/16, 1967

 

 

The Joker returns to Gotham City with a scheme to take over one of the major financial institutions of the metropolis.  And he's engaged the services of a group of unusual goons to help him - a group of robots.  These robots are stronger and faster than the Dynamic Duo, but they're also mute, save for Mister Glee.  This gives Josie, the moll, more of a role in this episode.  And as all this is going on, Batman schemes to thwart Joker, but his plan backfires and he finds that he's placed Bruce Wayne in financial and mental jeopardy.

 

Joining John to discuss this episode is longtime Batman 66 fan. Robert Long. 

 

Comment on the episode here or write thebatcavepodcast@gmail.com



 


Robert Long is a full time grapgic designer and independent filmmaker.  As a first generation Batman syndication kid, he manages the 1966-68 Batman Television Series Group on Facebook.  He has had the pleasure to meet and work with Adam West and Julie Newmar with various projects in the past.  Visit Robert's production company - Smash or Trash Independent Filmmakingto learn more about it.

Direct download: The_Batcave_Podcast_-_Episode_41.mp3
Category:Podcast Episode -- posted at: 4:41am EDT
Comments[0]

(RIGHT CLICK THE IMAGE TO SAVE THIS EPISODE TO YOUR COMPUTER)

Aired Febraury 8/9, 1967

 

 

The Riddler is back in town and he needs $3,000,000 in order to acquire a device that will give him absolute control over Gotham City.  Can Batman and Robin solve his baffling clues in time?  Will they realize the Riddler's looking a little different this time around?  The whole thing is heading for an explosive climax as John Astin takes on the role of the Prince of Puzzlers.

 

Joining John to talk about John Astin's performance and how it differs from Frank Gorshin's Riddler portrayal is Gotham City 14 Miles editor, Jim Beard.

 

Comment on the episode here or write thebatcavepodcast@gmail.com



 


A native of Toledo, Ohio, Jim Beard was introduced to comic books at an early age by his father, who passed on to him a love for the medium and the pulp characters who preceded it. After decades of reading, collecting and dissecting comics, Jim became a published writer when he sold a story to DC Comics in 2002. Since that time he's written official Star Wars and Ghostbusters comic stories and contributed articles and essays to several volumes of comic book history.

 

His prose work includes GOTHAM CITY 14 MILES, a book of essays on the 1966 Batman TV series; SGT. JANUS, SPIRIT-BREAKER, a collection of pulp ghost stories featuring an Edwardian occult detective; MONSTER EARTH, a giant monster anthology; and CAPTAIN ACTION: RIDDLE OF THE GLOWING MEN, the first pulp prose novel based on the classic 1960s action figure.

Currently, Jim provides regular content for Marvel.com, the official Marvel Comics website, and is a regular columnist for Toledo Free Press.

 

Websites

http://www.facebook.com/thebeardjimbeard

http://www.sgtjanus.blogspot.com

Direct download: The_Batcave_Podcast_-_Episode_40.mp3
Category:Podcast Episode -- posted at: 6:03pm EDT
Comments[0]

(RIGHT CLICK THE IMAGE TO SAVE THIS EPISODE TO YOUR COMPUTER)

Aired January 26 and February 1/2, 1967

 

 

It's another three part adventure story as The Penguin and Marsha, Queen of Diamonds team up with a scheme that could only happen in Gotham City.  For some fans, this is another example of where the show has been failing in its second season, but as John and his guest discuss, there are a number of elements that elevate this story if one looks closely enough.  In some respects, it has the markings of a first season episode and at the same time, it's got some of the goofiest bits you would find in the third season episode.

 

Joining John to discuss this episode is professional photographer and co-moderator of the batman66 discussion board, Ben Bentley.

 

Comment on the episode here or write thebatcavepodcast@gmail.com



 


"Ben Bentley is an internationally published music photographer and Bat-Fan based in the United Kingdom. When Ben isn't behind the camera, you can find him sharing his lifelong love of Adam West's TV Batman as a co-moderator over at the 1966 Batman Message Board (66batman.com). Having traveled to California several times to attend conventions and hang out with Bat-friends, Ben has been lucky enough to try on one of Adam's original screen worn Cowls, meet several surviving cast members from the show and even run up and down the steps of Gotham City Police Headquarters in his own Adam West Batsuit. 

 

You can keep up to date with Ben's photographic work over on his blog...http://www.benbentleyphoto.tumblr.com or why not come and join Scott, Ben and the gang at the internet's longest standing 1966 TV Batman message board... http://www.66batman.com

Direct download: The_Batcave_Podcast_-_Episode_39.mp3
Category:Podcast Episode -- posted at: 8:00pm EDT
Comments[0]

(RIGHT CLICK THE IMAGE TO SAVE THIS EPISODE TO YOUR COMPUTER)

Aired January 19 & 25, 1967

 

 

The Catwoman is back in Gotham City and she's training a protege in the form of sing Lesley Gore as Pussycat.  Catwoman's scheme is to get Batman and Robin under her control with a new drug she's designed.  With their help, she's hoping to rob the Gotham Mint.   How does this episode fair compared to other Catwoman episodes?  What did John and his guest think of the inclusion of not one, but two performances by Lesley Gore?  Just how ironic was it that Robin was hitting on Pussycat? 

 

Joining John to discuss this episode is Dan Greenfield, creator and author of the 13th Dimension website.

 

This episode is dedicated to the memory of Lesley Gore.

 

Comment on the episode here or write thebatcavepodcast@gmail.com



 


Dan Greenfield is the editor and co-creator of 13thDimension.com, a website devoted primarily to comics and pop culture, past and present. To him, the basic food groups are Batman, Planet of the Apes, Star Trek (the Original Series), James Bond, the Beatles and the Stones. But if he had to he'd be able to subsist on Batman alone. Channel 11 in New York was his favorite syndicated channel as a kid -- you can guess why -- followed closely by Channel 5. Channel 9 didn't really enter into it unless he was home sick and there wasn't much else on. He's married to his remarkably patient wife Wendy and his best sidekick is his son, Sam. They have two cats,Lex and Zod.
 
Links
Direct download: The_Batcave_Podcast_-_Episode_38.mp3
Category:Podcast Episode -- posted at: 5:16am EDT
Comments[0]

(RIGHT CLICK THE IMAGE TO SAVE THIS EPISODE TO YOUR COMPUTER)

 

 

 

The Joker sneaks The Penguin into Gotham City to help him with his latest scheme, a series of crimes dictated by the astrological signs of the Zodiac.  It starts with the Aries, the Ram and ends with Capricorn, the Goat.  What or who is the final target in this scheme?  What role or roles does the lovely Venus have in this scheme?  Does this episode hold up as an anniversary story, celebrating one year of Batmania?  

 

The answer to these questions and more will be answered in this double length episode as John is joined by Gotham City 14 Miles editor Jim Beard, writer Glenn Greenberg, and independent filmmaker and lifelong Batman fan, Robert Long.

Comment on the episode here or write thebatcavepodcast@gmail.com. Take a moment to rate the episode by using our star system at the bottom of this entry.



 


Glenn Greenberg is an award-winning editor and writer. He worked extensively for Marvel Comics and DC Comics on such properties as Spider-Man, the Hulk, Superman, Star Trek, Star-Lord, the Silver Surfer, Thor, Iron Man, and Dracula, as well as Web-based tie-in projects for the film Superman Returns and the weekly comic-book series 52. His work has also appeared in such publications as TIME Magazine For Kids, Scholastic News, Time Out New York, Back Issue, and Smoke. Glenn has also written several works of prose Star Trek fiction for Simon and Schuster, and is now making the jump to The X-Files for an upcoming fiction anthology that will be published by IDW. He avidly covers all aspects of popular culture on his blog, “Glenn Greenberg’s Grumblings” (http://glenngreenbergsgrumblings.blogspot.com), and welcomes anyone and everyone to check it out.    

 

Robert Long is a full time grapgic designer and independent filmmaker.  As a first generation Batman syndication kid, he manages the 1966-68 Batman Television Series Group on Facebook.  He has had the pleasure to meet and work with Adam West and Julie Newmar with various projects in the past.  Visit Robert's production company - Smash or Trash Independent Filmmaking to learn more about it. 

  

A native of Toledo, Ohio, Jim Beard was introduced to comic books at an early age by his father, who passed on to him a love for the medium and the pulp characters who preceded it. After decades of reading, collecting and dissecting comics, Jim became a published writer when he sold a story to DC Comics in 2002. Since that time he's written official Star Wars and Ghostbusters comic stories and contributed articles and essays to several volumes of comic book history.

His prose work includes GOTHAM CITY 14 MILES, a book of essays on the 1966 Batman TV series; SGT. JANUS, SPIRIT-BREAKER, a collection of pulp ghost stories featuring an Edwardian occult detective; MONSTER EARTH, a giant monster anthology; and CAPTAIN ACTION: RIDDLE OF THE GLOWING MEN, the first pulp prose novel based on the classic 1960s action figure.

Currently, Jim provides regular content for Marvel.com, the official Marvel Comics website, and is a regular columnist for Toledo Free Press.

Websites:

http://www.facebook.com/thebeardjimbeard

http://www.sgtjanus.blogspot.com

Direct download: The_Batcave_Podcast_-_Episode_37.mp3
Category:Podcast Episode -- posted at: 6:31pm EDT
Comments[0]

(RIGHT CLICK THE IMAGE TO SAVE THIS EPISODE TO YOUR COMPUTER)

Aired January 4/5, 1967

 

 

The Mad Hatter is back in Gotham City with a new scheme to get Batman's cowl.  But will he want it once it's irradiated and turned pink?  And will he be able to use his planned deathtrap, a water tower, before the end of the first episode, or will it be another afterthought as in his last outing?  These questions will be answered on an all new Batcave Podcast!

 

Joining John to discuss this episode is Dan Greenfield, creator and author of the 13th Dimension website.

 

Comment on the episode here or write thebatcavepodcast@gmail.com



 


Dan Greenfield is the editor and co-creator of 13thDimension.com, a website devoted primarily to comics and pop culture, past and present. To him, the basic food groups are Batman, Planet of the Apes, Star Trek (the Original Series), James Bond, the Beatles and the Stones. But if he had to he'd be able to subsist on Batman alone. Channel 11 in New York was his favorite syndicated channel as a kid -- you can guess why -- followed closely by Channel 5. Channel 9 didn't really enter into it unless he was home sick and there wasn't much else on. He's married to his remarkably patient wife Wendy and his best sidekick is his son, Sam. They have two cats,Lex and Zod.
 
Links
Direct download: The_Batcave_Podcast_-_Episode_36.mp3
Category:Podcast Episode -- posted at: 8:32pm EDT
Comments[0]

(RIGHT CLICK THE IMAGE TO SAVE THIS EPISODE TO YOUR COMPUTER)

Aired December 28/29, 1966

 

That European criminal, The Sandman, is in Gotham City with a scheme to rob the millions of heiress J. Pauline Spaghetti. But he needs someone to run interference with Batman and Robin while he lays out his plan.  Who better than the Catwoman?

 

But is this story as exciting as it sounds?  Is it as well executed as earlier Catwoman stories?  These questions and more will be answered in this podcast review.

 

Joining John to talk about first of several villain team-ups the series would feature is author Robert Greenberger.

 

Comment on the episode here or write thebatcavepodcast@gmail.com.




 


Robert Greenberger (born July 24, 1958) is a writer and editor.

Greenberger was born in Brooklyn in New York City, the son of Edwin L. Greenberger and Joan Greenberger. A lifelong fan of comic books, comic strips, science fiction and Star Trek, he drifted towards writing and editing, encouraged by his father and inspired by Superman’s alter ego, Clark Kent.

While at SUNY-Binghamton, Greenberger wrote and edited for the college newspaper, Pipe Dream, moving from general assignment writer to Arts Editor, Managing Editor and ultimately Editor-in-Chief.  He served an internship at Gannett’s Binghamton Sun-Bulletin as a feature writer and reviewer.

 

Upon graduation, he worked for Starlog Press as Managing Editor ofFangoria.  He was also an Associate Editor for Starlog and while there, created Comics Scene, the first nationally distributed magazine to focus on comic books, comic strips and animation.  The magazine lasted 11 issues before its first cancellation at which time Greenberger went to work on their sports magazines.

 

In 1984, he joined DC Comics as an Assistant Editor, working with Len Wein and Marv Wolfman on DC’s Golden Anniversary projects Who’s WhoandCrisis on Infinite Earths.  He went on to act as assistant editor to numerous titles for each editor until he was promoted to editor.  During his tenure, his titles included Star Trek, Suicide Squad, Warlord, Doom Patrol, Lois Lane, Action Comics Weekly, Time Masters, Secret Origins, The Hacker Files and others.

 

By 1990, he had given up editing to become the company’s Editorial Coordinator, helping grow the Editorial Administration department.  When he left the company, he was Manager-Editorial Operations.

In March 2000, he left DC to become a Producer for Gist Communications, television news and listings web site. After ten months there, he learned some new skills and got out before the dotcom bubble burst.

In January 2001, he joined Marvel Comics as Director-Publishing Operations.  During his year with the company, he oversaw editorial schedules, Production, Manufacturing, the Print Library, and other departments.

 

In January 2002, he left Marvel and rejoined DC in May 2002 as a Senior Editor-Collected Editions.  He helped grow that department, introducing new formats and improving the editions’ editorial content. He also managed DC’s ElfQuest publishing program.

He left DC in January 2006, becoming a freelance writer and editor.  His clients included Weekly World News, Platinum Studios, scifi.com, DC and Marvel. By June, he was offered the post of Managing Editor at Weekly World News where he helped transition the newspaper from being produced jointly in Florida and New York to just NYC.

When the paper folded in August 2007, he resumed his freelance career which continues to this date.  Along the way, he helped revitalize Famous Monsters of Filmland and served as News Editor at ComicMix from August through December 2008.

 

He is a member of the Science Fiction Writers of America and theInternational Association of Media Tie-In Writers.  He served on the final Nebula Short Fiction Jury.

Direct download: The_Batcave_Podcast_-_Episode_35.mp3
Category:Podcast Episode -- posted at: 6:46pm EDT
Comments[0]

(RIGHT CLICK THE IMAGE TO SAVE THIS EPISODE TO YOUR COMPUTER)

Aired December 21/22, 1966

 

Maurice Evans is the new guest villain, The Puzzler.  Without even knowing the history of this story, one can see that this should have been a Riddler episode and there are many who feel the character is a poor replacement.  But as you'll see in this podcast, there is a lot to recommend Puzzler as a worthy adversary for the dynamic duo and as one of the better villains created solely for the series.  

 

Of course, that's not to say this episode doesn't have its problems, that include determining if this is an established villain in the Batman 66 universe or someone entirely new, the proper definition of monopoly, and a crazed Santa Claus.

 

Joining John to time out the beats of this story is author, musician, and podcaster Keith R.A. DeCandido.

 

 

Comment on the episode here or write thebatcavepodcast@gmail.com




 


Keith R.A. DeCandido is a writer, editor, musician, podcaster, curator, voice actor, and probably some other stuff, too, but he can't remember due to lack of sleep. In 2009, he received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the International Association of Media Tie-in Writers, which means he never needs to achieve anything ever again.

He has written tie-in fiction in prose and comics form for more than twenty different universes ranging from TV shows (Star Trek,Farscape, Supernatural, Leverage, and many more) to movies (Cars, Serenity, Resident Evil, Kung Fu Panda), to games (World of Warcraft, Dungeons & Dragons, StarCraft, Command and Conquer) to comic books (Spider-Man, X-Men, Hulk, Silver Surfer). He is the author of the acclaimed Precinct series of fantasy police procedurals including Dragon Precinct, Unicorn Precinct, and Goblin Precinct, with 2013 seeing the release of Gryphon Precinct and Tales from Dragon Precinct, as well as a comic book and audios of all four novels.

Other recent work includes writing the monthly Farscape comic book with series creator Rockne S. O'Bannon; the SCPD novel The Case of the Claw, a novel about cops in a city filled with superheroes; the Leverage novel The Zoo Job; the comic book miniseries The Fallen; the short-story collection Ragnarok and Roll: Tales of Cassie Zukav, Weirdness Magnet, urban fantasy stories taking place in Key West; and short stories in the anthologies Apocalypse 13, Bad-Ass Faeries: It's Elemental, Defending the Future: Best Laid Plans, Liar Liar, More Tales of Zorro, Star Trek: Seven Deadly Sins, and Tales from the House Band Vols. 1 & 2. He has also contributed to several shard worlds: Steven Savile's Viral (the novella -30-), Aaron Rosenberg & David Niall Wilson's The Scattered Earth (the novel Guilt in Innocence), and Jonathan Maberry's V-Wars (the story "The Ballad of Big Charlie").

Keith is also a longtime editor. He was the supervising editor of the Marvel novels published by Penguin Putnam from 1994-2000 and the monthly series of Star Trek eBook originals published by Simon & Schuster from 2000-2008. His anthology credits range from Imaginings and Liar Liar to the Doctor Who: Short Trips anthology The Quality of Leadership to the Star Trek anthologies New Frontier: No Limits, Tales from the Captain's Table, and Tales of the Dominion War. Currently he edits for clients both personal and corporate via KRADitorial.

Keith is a musician, once the percussionist for the Don't Quit Your Day Job Players (musical guests of Dragon*Con in 1998), currently the percussionist of sometime D*C filk guests the Boogie Knights. His work can be heard on the DQYDJP CDs TKB and Blues Spoken Here and the BK CDs Many a Sleepless Knight and Wasted Days, Wasted Knights.

Of late, Keith has become a serious podcaster -- he's part of the staff of The Chronic Rift, a pop-culture podcast, and has his own 'cast, Dead Kitchen Radio. He also provides voices for the audio dramas The Dome, Gypsy Cove, and the Parsec Award-winning HG World.

On top of all this, Keith is a black belt in Kenshikai karate and a devoted fan of the New York Yankees (in fact, he co-edited the 2013 Yankees Annual for Lindy's Magazines). He lives in New York City with a couple of humans and several animals. Find out less as his cheerfully retro web site of DeCandido.net, which provides links to his Facebook page, his Twitter feed, his blog, his podcasts, and many and varied other things that probably sound cooler than they actually are.
Direct download: The_Batcave_Podcast_-_Episode_34.mp3
Category:Podcast Episode -- posted at: 5:52am EDT
Comments[0]

(RIGHT CLICK THE IMAGE TO SAVE THIS EPISODE TO YOUR COMPUTER)

Aired December 14/15, 1966

 

The Catwoman proves she has more than one life when she returns to Gotham City with a new scheme.  But for once, she's not pussyfooting around by having a feline themed scheme.  She plans to ransom the voices of England's premiere musical duo Chad & Jeremy.  Can Batman and Robin stop her before an international incident brews?

 

Joining John to talk about how the Catwoman character has changed since her premiere last season as well as the impact having Chad & Jeremy on Batman had on the show is Gotham City 14 Miles editor, Jim Beard.

 

Comment on the episode here or write thebatcavepodcast@gmail.com




 


A native of Toledo, Ohio, Jim Beard was introduced to comic books at an early age by his father, who passed on to him a love for the medium and the pulp characters who preceded it. After decades of reading, collecting and dissecting comics, Jim became a published writer when he sold a story to DC Comics in 2002. Since that time he's written official Star Wars and Ghostbusters comic stories and contributed articles and essays to several volumes of comic book history.

 

His prose work includes GOTHAM CITY 14 MILES, a book of essays on the 1966 Batman TV series; SGT. JANUS, SPIRIT-BREAKER, a collection of pulp ghost stories featuring an Edwardian occult detective; MONSTER EARTH, a giant monster anthology; and CAPTAIN ACTION: RIDDLE OF THE GLOWING MEN, the first pulp prose novel based on the classic 1960s action figure.

Currently, Jim provides regular content for Marvel.com, the official Marvel Comics website, and is a regular columnist for Toledo Free Press.

 

Websites

http://www.facebook.com/thebeardjimbeard

http://www.sgtjanus.blogspot.com

Direct download: The_Batcave_Podcast_-_Episode_33.mp3
Category:Podcast Episode -- posted at: 3:34pm EDT
Comments[0]