"Some Batty Comments"

Although I don't buy much in the way of "toys" these days, I did in fact make one recent small purchase; a "Hotwheels Die-Cast of The Batmobile" from the Batman Begins flick. Found it for three bucks and it has a tiny, little die-cast "Batman" with it. I sort of hated to even buy the thing. I mean, it's so horrendous-looking. The first time I saw previews for that movie and saw the vehicle I knew at an instant that within a week it'd be selling across the country as a remote-control car. I'm surprized the back wheels don't flip over the front and it starts spinning like a top!

Probably, such a car is a more reasonable vehicle for The Batman to have. Perhaps I'm just spoiled to all the other cars from the flicks that began in 1989, to think it should have more style. Or maybe it's just because I'm so tired of these movie producers thinking the character has to rely on so many gimmicks instead of his detective skills (which is what the character is supposed to be all about), but that car just looks like an armored hummer to me.

But I do have samples of the vehicles used in the OTHER flicks in my "Batmobile Collection", so...

In fact, I have something like 50 different Batmobiles dating from the 1960's to current. Things like an Aurora 60's Batmobile plastic model, a scarce foreign-made battery-operated (RED colored) tin one from the early 1970's, Corgi, Hot Wheels and Husky versions, the 1975 Mego one, the 1974 Hamway version, the 1970's plastic Duncan one with brightly colored Batman & Robin figures seated in it, a full set of the Corgi seven different versions from each decade from the 1930's to 2000 in 1:43rd. scale, the 1:32nd. scale die-cast of the Batmobile from the 1950's, plus many more including a huge remote control version, and even a "Batmobile telephone" of the 1989 movie version.

I've always loved that particular car, having seen more than one of the several originals that were built for the 1960's t.v. show at both car shows and the Guiness Museum in Gatlenbury, Tennessee. It's one of those dream cars I've always liked to have one of for real! My others being a '61 Jaguar, or "The Monkeemobile", or "The Black Beauty" (from "The Green Hornet" t.v. show), or "The Red Baron", or even a 1963 red & white Cheve Impala coup with a 283 / 4-barrel, white-walls and twin rear antenni (like I had as a teenager).

But I guess I'll just have to settle for my Ford Taurus. At least it gets me to work!

And...on the local scene...this is the weekend of the annual "Concave", or, "UpperSouthCon" as it's called, and it takes place just a couple of miles from where I live. I'd like to go to it, but honestly, this convention is only an excuse for a bunch of over-aged SF fanboys/girls to smooze with their clique-group of buddies, and it's far from being worth the $30. or $35. bucks (or whatever ungodly admission fee they're charging these days; dunt know since it's been like 9 years since I've attended one) just to go into the dealer's room (really the only part of the con' that interests me) to make a few purchases. For what that's worth, I could always drive the 35 miles to a comic shop and still come out waaaayyyy ahead money-wise, and besides, isn't that a little unreal to charge anyone anything at all if they only want to buy something at one? Looks like they'd just let you in for free for that since you're there to spend money anyway with their dealers.

That, and I have an ex-wife that I've tried to avoid for the past 26 years that's into that sorta thing these days and when I did attend the last one, she was set up AS a dealer in costuming. So you can see why I avoid this convention.