The (not-so) Dark Knight

Batman Bubblegum in the 60s

The grim realization that I haven’t posted in weeks!

Therefore, I figured I’d post a few of my Batman trading cards that I collected in 1966. There was a game we played at school called ‘Flick’, which required someone to line five or six of their bubblegum cards face out, along a wall. Usually cards they had duplicates of, or ones they wanted to swap. Kids would line up, and in turn flick their own cards at them and try and knock them over. If they succeeded, they got their own card back, plus whatever cards they’d knocked down. Anyway, this is how I gained a lot of mine which explains the tatty nature of a few of them.

There were three sets that were published around this time. Batman series #1, had a black bat on the front and a short story related to the Illustration on the back of the card.

Batman series #2 had a red bat on the front, plus a short story on the back and part of a puzzle that created a complete picture once the entire set had been acquired. Series #3 had a similar puzzle and story on the reverse, and a blue bat on the front. They were all published in 1966 by Topps, and were beautifully painted by Norman Saunders (1907-1989), who was also responsible for illustrating the famous Mars Attacks cards.

Using radar, Batman located the sub that "Tiger-Shark" used as a hideout. Landing on its deck as the ship tried to keep the hatch open. His fishy foe shot himself out of a torpedo tube but Batman netted him anyway.

The Caped Crusader had been held captive in a deserted castle by members of a large crime syndicate. Overpowering the guards that had been watching him, Batman swiped a motorcycle and raced full-speed up a rising draw-bridge to make his escape.

This pristine looking card is from the Batman 1966 Deluxe Reissue Edition 1989.

This looks like one that had been in a fair few games of ‘Flick’, and below, my favourite card of all, an alluring and innocent-looking portrait of the Catwoman. I liked this so much, I scanned it and extended the width in Photoshop so that it would fit the matted frame I have in my studio. It’s just a printout, but it accompanies an original portrait of my friend, Manko by the ever-brilliant artist, Simon Davis, and a 20” high statue of Black Canary that I was given by the folks at DC.

instagram links @manko.sebastian and @simon_davis_painter

Here’s a selection of the variety of bubblegum trading cards that ended up in Flick games across the UK around that time. I need to add here that no-one bought them for the slab of hideous pink gum inside… no-one!