Excellent things from my childhood: The Batman Batbook

When I was a little 80s baby, growing up in Massachusetts, Channel 27 (now a Univision affiliate) out of Worcester had the best early evening program line-up. You had Lost In Space, Vegas, and Batman. I tuned Vegas out most of the time, and watched Lost In Space here and there, but I always tried to catch my man Adam West and his cowl and cape every night after dinner.

And, to my luck, it was around this time that author Joel Eisner released the amazingly thorough The Official Batman Batbook. More encyclopedia than anything, the Batbook listed every episode, cast member, plot synopsis, original air date, trivia, and fact from the three seasons the series lasted; if you had any question about Batman, an answer was most likely found between the front and back cover of this book. There was even a list of every "Holy Bat Word" used by Burt Ward's Robin. My personal favorites, in no particular order: 

"Holy Purple Cannibals" 

"Holy Knit One, Purl Two"

"Holy Chutzpah"

Also included were interviews with different producers and cast members that gave readers an inside look at the show's creation, from the initial thought of adding a laugh-track to let people know that the show was supposed to be a comedy, to the up-and-down relationships shared between actors and crew. Mostly little tidbits, but items that brought the show to a new level of surrealism, especially to an eight-year-old boy flipping through the pages.

Looking online, I saw that Eisner released a "new and improved" revised version of The Official Batman Batbook this year (can you say cashing in on The Dark Knight?). Honestly, I don't know how revised this could be. I mean, the show has been off the air for 40 years. A good chunk of the cast members are dead. Plus, this new version is $32 on Amazon. You can get used copies of the old version for $2. 

If you're into the old Batman show, you should check this book out. It'll tell you all you need to know and more about the series. Reading my copy today, 30-years-old, I'm brought back to the spare room of my parents' home, adjusting the rabbit ears, watching Batman through the static, hoping my Mom and Dad somehow forgot about my bedtime once the show ended. Ah, the memories.