CRIVENS! COMICS & STUFF!: TOPPS 1966 BATMAN CARDS

Friday, 1 August 2014

TOPPS 1966 BATMAN CARDS - PART ONE...

Images copyright DC COMICS and TOPPS

Remember the TOPPS BATMAN cards from the '60s? The cards came with a vile piece of 'confectionery' (which I immediately discarded), and were released on the back of the popular TV series of the time. There were three sets of cards in all, and the originals are highly collectable in certain quarters, commanding quite tidy prices from Batman aficionados.

Topps re-released the cards in a deluxe boxed edition in 1989, to coincide with the TIM BURTON/MICHAEL KEATON movie, and they're also highly regarded by collectors. They're almost identical to the originals (might be slightly larger and on better card stock, though I'm not sure), the main difference being that the copyright is accredited to DC COMICS, rather than NATIONAL PERIODICAL PUBLICATIONS, Inc. (as they were then known).

Incidentally, it amazes me that the deluxe edition came out 25 years ago, which is a longer period of time than the one between them and the originals. It just doesn't feel like it to me.

Anyway, have a look at the first half dozen, and if you'd like to see more, let me know in the comments section.

4 comments:

david_b said...: LOVED, LOVED, LOVED these as a kid.. I had a dozen in a huge box of cards someone 'handed me down' around 1970, and that 2nd card of Robin was always my all-time fav (next to the Bat-Signal one with Robin pointing..).

I did pick up the reissued set from '89 and they simply awesome.; 1 August 2014 at 14:55
Kid said...: Nice to know that you've enjoyed seeing them again, DB. Nostalgia's the name of the game.; 1 August 2014 at 15:18
John Pitt said...: Now you're talking! I had all 3 sets in full, plus a further 2 sets from the TV series and/or film. I handed them down to my brother, who has still got them to this day and says he could never part with them.
I have downloaded images of all the sets from oldbubblegumcards.com. It's not the same as having the cards, but it's a close second.
I may try and find a reissue '89 set on eBay though.; 1 August 2014 at 15:24
Kid said...: I saw a set going for around £25 (I think) a couple or so months back, JP. They shouldn't be too hard to acquire, I wouldn't imagine.; 1 August 2014 at 15:58

About the artist:

From 1985 to 2000 A.D. (little joke there), I contributed to a variety of high profile comics and magazines for various companies.

For IPC/FLEETWAY/EGMONT, I freelanced as a lettering and logo artist on various weekly comics and monthly magazines, and also as a resize comic artist and spot illustrator on pocket books, summer specials and annuals.

For MARVEL U.K., BLACK LIBRARY, REDAN and USBORNE BOOKS, I again freelanced as a lettering artist, also working as a restoration artist for MARVEL U.S., restoring and re-creating certain pages of JACK KIRBY art for their MARVEL MASTERWORKS editions.

I also lettered the MARVELMAN sample pages submitted to MARVEL U.S. when they were considering acquiring the character, which - as we all now know - they DID.

Supplied comic strips, cartoons and illustrated advertisements for local business campaigns and newspaper publication on a professional basis since the age of 16. Did my first paid art job for publication at 14 or 15 for Lanarkshire Education Board.

Have also made TV appearances as a collector of memorabilia.

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Just some of the titles I worked on are:

2000 A.D. * JUDGE DREDD MEGAZINE * DICEMAN * SONIC The COMIC * JUDGE DREDD, LAWMAN Of The FUTURE * CRISIS * REVOLVER * EAGLE * TIGER * BATTLE ACTION-FORCE * BUSTER * WHIZZER & CHIPS * WHOOPEE * NIPPER * SCHOOL FUN * ACE VENTURA, PET DETECTIVE * The REAL GHOSTBUSTERS * DOCTOR WHO MAGAZINE * COUNT DUCKULA * RUGRATS * The TRANSFORMERS * DEATH'S HEAD * THUNDERCATS * GALAXY RANGERS * DRAGON'S CLAWS * SINDY * MARVEL MASTERWORKS * The TROLLS * LOADED * INFERNO * WARHAMMER * ROSE BLACK.

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Images remain the property of their respective copyright owners and are used here only for the purpose of review, promotion, and nostalgia.

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