Posts: 1631 Location: Rockville, IA Joined: 24.06.05
I was doing a quick eBay search for Batman coloring books when I came across this particular edition published by Golden Books in 1989.
The first one shown below was being sold by a Chicago resident and has the typical look, including both American and Canadian prices. As this was published in 1989, I do find the costume style and overall look of The Penguin and Catwoman - as well as the fact that this is a painting - reminiscent of '60s merchandise. But I suppose it's still not overly strange for a generic comic style representation in the '80s.
The second version, however, is being sold from the United Kingdom and has a glaring problem. Where's Batman's chest emblem? This type of thing is characteristic of bootleg merchandise, which is much more common in areas like Mexico, Argentina, or the Philippines. And if that was truly the case, it wouldn't still include the official, trademarked Batman and Golden Books logos. It's obviously a United Kingdom format, with the respective spelling of "Colouring," but I can't recall ever seeing an official Batman item modified in this nature for overseas.
In addition, another coloring book with a very similar style cover was released that same year, and its UK version was no different art-wise. I?d show the UK image, but it was overwritten somehow. The use of ?Colouring? instead of ?Coloring? was basically the only difference.
I do notice that the American edition?s chest emblem is very small and flat, almost as if it were simply tacked on. Maybe they decided to modify the emblem and forgot to replace it on the UK format?
RE: Strange 1989 Coloring Book -
Posted on 28-01-2007 03:27
I think that symbol-less cover image is art taken from one of the covers of the four-part story that ran in the late '80s where Batman accidentally ran around for a few nights with his shirt on backwards.
Seriously, I really like seeing weird junk like this for some reason. The way things get changed for different markets, or when they're ripped off, of even when somebody just screwed up. It's interesting, and usually amusing.
Posts: 1631 Location: Rockville, IA Joined: 24.06.05
Drunken Fist wrote:
I think that symbol-less cover image is art taken from one of the covers of the four-part story that ran in the late '80s where Batman accidentally ran around for a few nights with his shirt on backwards.
Really? How the hell did that happen, and do you know the specific cover? I'd like to see.
This kinda reminds me of the classic Neal Adams piece from Batman #251 where Batman's running in a field. He's had his Utlility Belt stolen by The Joker, but the piece has been used for merchandise and usually they forget to add his belt back on, like for this 1974 jigsaw puzzle canister. Of course, it's not near as noticeable or ridiculous as forgetting the chest emblem...
Drunken Fist wrote:
Seriously, I really like seeing weird junk like this for some reason. The way things get changed for different markets, or when they're ripped off, of even when somebody just screwed up. It's interesting, and usually amusing.
Indeed. I don't find too many items like this that aren't just bootlegs, so I just had to make a post about it. I didn't think I'd get such a precise answer so quickly.
RE: Strange 1989 Coloring Book -
Posted on 28-01-2007 16:42
Drunken Fist wrote:
I think that symbol-less cover image is art taken from one of the covers of the four-part story that ran in the late '80s where Batman accidentally ran around for a few nights with his shirt on backwards.
Really? How the hell did that happen, and do you know the specific cover? I'd like to see.
Uh, I gotta apologize here. There's no such story, that was just a little joke I made. I thought you'd know I was just messing around. There are so many Batman stories, literally thousands, that I was making a joke that, desperate for ideas, the creators had crafted an entire story arc around Batman putting his shirt on backwards. I forgot to put the winking smiley at the end of that sentence when I typed it; it would have been more apparent if it had that on there.
Caleson wrote:This kinda reminds me of the classic Neal Adams piece from Batman #251 where Batman's running in a field. He's had his Utlility Belt stolen by The Joker, but the piece has been used for merchandise and usually they forget to add his belt back on, like for this 1974 jigsaw puzzle canister. Of course, it's not near as noticeable or ridiculous as forgetting the chest emblem...
Yeah, that's one of the most famous pieces of Batman art, particularly from that era. I've often seen the belt-less version turn up. When the first volume of the Neal Adams hardcovers was published a few years ago, Adams himself touched up that image for the cover, adding the belt, recoloring it and everything. Now, that version of the art is what is normally used when it turns up. The "director's cut" version of that image, if you will. (And I'm for real this time. )
Caleson wrote:
Drunken Fist wrote:
Seriously, I really like seeing weird junk like this for some reason. The way things get changed for different markets, or when they're ripped off, of even when somebody just screwed up. It's interesting, and usually amusing.
Indeed. I don't find too many items like this that aren't just bootlegs, so I just had to make a post about it. I didn't think I'd get such a precise answer so quickly.
Drunken Fist wrote:
There are so many Batman stories, literally thousands, that I was making a joke that, desperate for ideas, the creators had crafted an entire story arc around Batman putting his shirt on backwards.
Sometimes the writers really did have to stretch, and had to dial back Batman's detective/crimefighting abilities so that the story didn't end too quickly (even during his more serious 1970s/80s period). My favorite "dumb Batman" stories were when they had two seperate stories that included Batman having his car stolen by regular street punks a couple of months apart (Batman #247 and Detective #434).
Having his shirt on backwards doesn't always seem like much of a stretch. :p
Posts: 1631 Location: Rockville, IA Joined: 24.06.05
Drunken Fist wrote:
Uh, I gotta apologize here. There's no such story, that was just a little joke I made.
God. I came home from work last night and it finally dawned on me that you were joking. I guess all the little specifics you gave made it seem real, then I actually decided to think about what you said. I just decided not to say anything else and hope you'd take my original reply as sarcastic. I got a good laugh out of it though. That's pretty damn funny.
RE: Strange 1989 Coloring Book -
Posted on 29-01-2007 11:45
Posts: 726 Location: The Shadow Of St Albans Abbey Joined: 28.07.06
Caleson wrote:The second version, however, is being sold from the United Kingdom and has a glaring problem. Where's Batman's chest emblem? This type of thing is characteristic of bootleg merchandise, which is much more common in areas like Mexico, Argentina, or the Philippines. And if that was truly the case, it wouldn't still include the official, trademarked Batman and Golden Books logos. It's obviously a United Kingdom format, with the respective spelling of "Colouring," but I can't recall ever seeing an official Batman item modified in this nature for overseas.
Although it might be listed in the UK (and have colour spelt the English way), it's got a price on it of $2.49 (unless I've got bad eyes & it just looks like that from a distance). If it was an official UK item then that wouldn't be the price. It's much more likely is one of the aforementioned countries bootlegs.
Round about 89 and the period either side of Keaton's 1st film, I remember comic fairs were everywhere and they were overloaded with cheap tat like this (it was actually a lot of fun, I used to come home with BAGS of stuff - which I've largely lost in various moves since then). DC must've been selling shedloads of stuff at that time, as that era's comics still fill 2nd hand racks at basement prices. I remember you scanned a pic of Blind Justice into a recent thread Cale, and that particular issue is about the most commonly available older comic even today. You could be forgiven for thinking it's rubbish (which it isn't!) Such was the Dark Knight's pull at the time, every Tom, Dick & Harry must've wanted a piece of the action and unofficial stuff (which I suspect this colouring book is) was all over the place.
I agree, stuff like this is great to look at and chat about.
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