The Museum Visit: Part 2

The dinosaurs were as anxious to get to the children's museum and see the Batman collection as we were.

We saw some dinosaurs first.

I even had a wax one made as a souvenir. 

The Gus Grissom Liberty capsule.

Charles was shot out of a canon.

Brian showed off his super strength. 

Photos were taken.

We played with some of the interactive displays.

Charles found some Star Wars figures.

We found a pair of our vans on display.

Then we finally found the Guinness book of world records Batman collection!

Yep that was it.

I have to admit is was pretty disapointing when three collectors come to view a record collection and find the display smaller than what they have on display in their homes.

There was a tiny picture of it in the display. That's something I guess.

We discussed it a minute and thought "It is what it is" and got on to the business at hand...

Selfies.

Then photo documenting it.

There was a little bit of  "Got it. Got it. Need it. Got it" that was said.

Spiderman was jealous of all the attention the small display got.

To be continued.

 

A Hoosier, Montanan and a Texan wrote a blog

Under the Giant Penny Started in July 2009 by two grown men who had fond memories of their childhood and used Batman as a sort of talisman to transport them back to those memories. They added a third to the group in 2013.  

So a Hoosier, Montanan and a Texan wrote a blog and grew friendships. We had never met in person. Only emails and phone calls but Batman drove us forward.

I group emailed Brian and Charles earlier this week about a new Batman toy that was out and said I missed our blog and hearing from them regularly. Google wouldn’t let me into any of my blogs and Brian A. said he had the same troubles but Charles could still get in!  A few emails later and we all had our access back!

Now what to post?

There is a new Batman movie out with merchandise that I am sure we all a piece of plus I want to hear their thoughts on the new movie but that just doesn’t feel right for this post that wakes the blog up again.

Then getting ready for work I saw these stickers.

Bat-weekend 2017!

2017 had a Bat-related news event. Fellow Hoosier Kevin Silva sold his Guinness Book of World records Batman collection to The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis. This collection had a whopping 3,252-pieces and the museum said that they would display it!

So emails were sent and phone calls placed and before we knew it a weekend adventure was planned! Labor Day weekend was picked and I would host what would be called “Batman-Weekend”.

My wife was very kind and allowed me to host my guests but that meant we had to have a new living room. (Bargains must be made when opportunity arises) So goodbye garage and hello construction. That meant I had to enlist my kids for help and they rallied to our cause.

Once the new living room was done work had to focus on the Bat-room.

A Batman collection on display gathers dust way faster than you would think and I wanted it tip top shape for my friends so the boys helped me yet again.

Keepsake stickers were made and an Itinerary was prepared to make our guest stay as pleasant as possible.

This was an epic weekend and this would be one epic post if I crammed it all here and now. My fear of doing that and then never getting back to the blog has made me decide to make this a "to be continued post". That way I can force myself back into the habit of posting again and using my need to complete a story to do it.

So hang in there “Same Beat-Time Same Bat-Channel!”

The Bat - Gasmask

Scan of a 1966 trading card.
No. 8 of 11 Batman Vs. the Riddler Cards

Shake Me to Wake Me

It has been a while since we have had any posting activity on UTGP.  Lives change. Time commitments with family and work takes precedents over fun side projects. Legitimate and real excuses and we thank those of you for continuing to visit the site even though it is pretty stale from nonuse.

All the contributors still communicate regularly and often we would speak of needing to post something or mention an idea for a post but they never came to fruition.

Time does change and sometimes an event helps to move things along, wakes you up, stirs you to action.

I was staining my house one Saturday when my phone chirped.
It was from Charles.

My response was truly what I was thinking at that moment.



It was truly out of the blue for me.

I didn't know the man personally and as a matter of fact I have intentionally avoided reading much about Adam West because I liked Batman, his Batman.

I have found that when I have seen actors in interviews I found them to be empty shells, like a record player waiting for the next record to drop so they would have something to say or have a likable personality and I didn't want to be disappointed with him. So I kept him on TV at a distance so I could continue to see him as I did when I was a kid.

Adam West portrayed my Batman. I am glad that he was on TV during my childhood.

This will be shocking to many fans my age but I never bought "The Killing Joke" or "The Dark Knight Returns" because they weren't my Batman.

My Batman wasn't a vigilante. My Batman was “A duly deputized agent of the law.” My Batman wasn't dark. My Batman operated in broad daylight, he paid the parking meter when parking the Batmobile and repeatedly taught Robin to be a good citizen.

So I held out on the "Dark" Batman for a good while. Here is one example.

When Tim Burton's Batman movie had merchandise start to hit the shelves I really wanted a shirt. So as flyer after flyer and ad after ad came out I could not find a Batman shirt. When I say that I mean "my Batman" shirt. There were all kinds of black shirts but the Batsymbol was all wrong. My doggedness finally paid off because I found one that was a gray shirt with the correct Adam West Batsymbol on it. I wore it to the midnight premiere. and just about every other day

I also set my VCR to record all the original episodes that were airing then in anticipation of the new movies release. Not just because they aired to early for me to watch them but because we were expecting our first child and my kids weren't gonna watch a corrupt version of Batman or some lame Power Ranger they were gonna watch Adam West.

And they did and all three of them liked his Batman just as much as I did.

As an adult I could see the campiness and noticed the double entendres but as a kid it showed me that good triumphs over evil. To do right, stay right and fight for right. I learned to always be learning because you never knew when an obscure fact would come in handy. I developed a love for solving puzzles and riddles and sought to instill in myself the art of keeping calm and to think calmly under intensely stressful situations.

Oh and I learned to escape from being tied up. This has not come into play yet in my adult life other than when doing a magic trick but when I was younger my brothers and I tied each other up often.

I could go on and on. I had a wonderful childhood and Adam West's Batman played a big part in it and in making me who I am today. So thank you Mr. West and may you rest in peace.

Art Studio and Toy Collection Tour

It's been quite awhile since I've posted anything and I thought I'd change that.  I'm planning on blogging again once a week but thought I'd kick things off with a tour of my studio/collection room.  The overwhelming majority of my Batman collection is packed away in storage.  I don't have a lot of display space so I tend to rotate things in and out depending on my mood.  Here's what I have set up, currently.  With this being Batman's 75th year, I thought I'd go heavy on the Batman items and cut down on the amount of Star Wars items I have displayed. 

So, here... we... go...

This is the Southwest corner of the room where I have my main art desk.  This is where I do the majority of my drawing and painting.  This corner also houses my Batman 1966 TV collection.  I couldn't be happier that this stuff is FINALLY being produced.  This is an assortment of all fairly new items since it's only been a year or two that this stuff has been coming out.

A little bit closer look at the TV '66 stuff.

Funko's bobble heads and set of bendys.  Bendys are SO 60's/early 70's retro.  I love 'em!

Figures Toy Company's new Batman 8" TV "Megos."  These are the Megos that SO MANY of us wanted as kids.  That's not to say that we didn't love the Batman Megos that we had.

Hot Toys 12" Batman and Robin.  Another "dream come true."

Funko's Pop Heroes.

NECA's 18" Adam West Batman.  This is a huge hunk of plastic that has incredible shelf presence.  I LOVE these Quarter-Scale figures that NECA is doing.

Mattel's Heroes, Villains, and Batmobile.  How COOL is it to finally have a 66 Batmobile with Action Figures?!!  Anyone that is a '66 fan and doesn't appreciate this set is being a bit too picky, IMO.  These are such great TOYS!

Here's a bit of the Keaton Batman Universe that resides in the same corner.  This is Hot Toy's 1989 Sixth Scale Batmobile.  This thing is MASSIVE.  It takes an industrial shelf to hold it.  So, this is where it's staying.

Hot Toys 1989 Batman and Joker.

A view over the right top corner of my art desk.  There's a TV for videos and gaming on breaks... and a few toys and collectibles hanging out on shelves.

A small shelf over my desk.  Kotobukiya's sixth-scale Batman statue is on the right.  Amazing piece of sculpture.  Check out that cape!!

A few 1989 Batman items over the TV.  Boxed Toy Biz vehicles and a loose Kenner Batwing.

This is a bulletin board behind the door of the room.  This is where I pin up odds and ends.  A lot of new figures end up here until I can find them a permanent place for display or storage.

This is the East Wall.  This is the side of the room with my Mac where I do mostly design, art tweaking, and photo stuff.

A few blue and gray 70's classic-looking Batman items.  The two goofy looking figures in the boxes are Sofubis... a Japanese style of toy from the 1970s.  LOVE those Mego inspired boxes.

More Bat-stuff.

Figures Toy Company's new Removable cowl Batman reproduction in front of the real mccoys from Mego.

An assortment of Batman Megos.  The Alfred, Batgirl, and loose Batman are new reproductions.

A couple of maquettes.  The Batman is from the recent Batman: Year One animated film.  The Superman is based on the old Fleischer animated shorts.

A few of the Batman Animated Series maquettes that DC Direct produced.  A few of my favorite Bat-items, actually.

Misc. Stuff.  I've had the large TNBA Batman bust for years and years.  He's been a collection room staple.

Here's a little surviving Star Wars collection in the Northwest corner of the room near my Mac.  I won't dwell on this stuff since this is a Batman blog.

Another Quarter-Scale figure from NECA.  This one is based on Batman's appearance in the recent Arkham Origins video game.  This one is HUGE but also a fun toy.  He's a lot of fun to pose because he has a great deal of articulation.

And finally, this is NECA's Quarter Scale Michael Keaton Batman.  Another favorite!  Behind him are a few classic Kenner figures from the first Tim Burton film.  What a great summer that was!!

I hope you've enjoyed my little tour.  If you have any questions about an item or items... or if you'd like to see a blog post with more detail about an item, post it in the comments below.

Thanks!  Brian A