I Didn't Choose The Super Hero Life. The Super Hero Life Chose Me.

I LOVE super heroes. I think about them often throughout my day and have since I discovered them. I enjoy reading comic books. I enjoy watching their shows both live action and animated on tv. I enjoy them in movies, on merchandising and their action figures and statues.

I'm a bit of a super hero junkie. I always have been, and at this point I guess I always will be. Now I'm sure there's plenty of people who feel as I do, but I don't write about them. I write about me. In this post I'd like to talk about what I enjoy about them, which ones in particular I enjoy and try to explain WHY they're so important to me.

I was born in 1976. A year before Richard Donner's SUPERMAN changed the Summer Blockbuster and brought some respect to the genre I love. Up until then, super heroes on the big screen had been old black and white serials in the 40's or the 1966 big screen adaptation of the hugely popular Adam West Batman television series.

The fantastic Hot Toys Superman 12 inch figure.

In the comics, DC and Marvel started the bicentennial year off by making history in their first crossover event. Superman vs. Spider-Man: The Battle Of The Century. It was an oversized tabloid sized book that I'm really proud to own. Crossovers between the two rival companies have happened a few more times over the years, but that was a huge deal for geeks in 76.

Seems a bit one sided when you think about it...

On television there were reruns of the aforementioned Batman series and the 1967 Spider-Man animated series. That's where our story begins, with a young teen mother rocking her newborn to sleep to the catchy theme song. It could have wired my infant brain wrong. Who knows? Perhaps the fact that I have the lyrics memorized and have for as long as I can remember might prove that to be true.

Action is his reward!

Whatever the reason, Spidey was my first favorite hero. While my favorites have shifted over the years I always go back to that lovable everyman, Peter Parker. When I was in elementary school I remember waking up at 5:55 a.m. to turn on the VCR to record the 1967 series in reruns on channel 57. I loved every moment. My mom would then record the 1981 series for me which would play while I was still in school. My Mom was and is, pretty cool.

Somewhere about 1986 I finally picked up my first super hero comic book. I had been reading the Transformers comics since early in 1985, but I remember wanting to branch off and try something else. Marvel Tales #186 reprinted an earlier 60's Spidey story that featured the first appearance of the Shocker. I devoured it. Within weeks I was buying up as many Spidey comics as I could get my hands on. This of course spilled over into buying other heroes and the rest as they say is history.

The first super hero comic I ever read.

In the movies, Christopher Reeve's iconic portrayal of the Man Of Steel in 1977's Superman was a favorite of mine. When John Byrne revamped the hero in a new Superman #1 in the mid-eighties, it was the perfect time for me to jump on board. From there I was reading Batman, just in time for Michael Keaton and Jack Nicholson's Batman in 1989 to really reinvigorate the genre.

Hot Toys even more stunning Nicholson Joker!

I didn't have any friends who read comics. Hell who am I kidding? I didn't have any friends at all. Back then super heroes were NOT cool like they are now. In my early teens I got my first job working for Frank Link at the local and still excellent shop, Comic Universe located in Folsom, PA. I worked there for 2 years and had first crack at many excellent vintage books, Frank was cool with layaway, so I ended up getting key books I still own like the first appearances of Batgirl, Poison Ivy and Mr. Freeze. I've walked away from comic books a few times over the years, but I always return to reading at least a few. Right now I get my fix at my friend Tom's shop down the street. It's called Effin Comics. Tom's a good guy, and I enjoy hanging around and shooting the shit when I get the chance.

Me. Age 16. At Comic Universe.

Why do I love comics? I guess like many women and their Soap Opera's I love the serialized form of the stories. I won't bore you with my favorite writers or runs of books, but feel free to ask if that sort of thing actually interests you.

Comic heroes in the movies and tv have never been better than they are now. If you're a young fan you have no idea how lucky you are to have the DC animated universe. The Marvel cinematic universe and shows like The Flash and Gotham. I mean right now comic heroes rule TV and the movies. I never thought I'd see that day.

So about those questions. So which ones do I enjoy? Mostly I enjoy who I consider the Big 3. The Icons. Superman, Batman and Spider-Man. I adore the obscure ones like the Metal Men and the Creature Commandos too, but let's talk about those three.

Superman was the first and greatest. Let's be clear on this. Without Superman there would be no costumed heroes. The ultimate American immigrant story. Stranger comes to America and makes a difference. Sure this immigrant is an alien, but he's the shining example of what we all should hope to be. A selfless individual who can take anything he wants, but because of his values and upbringing, he chooses to live a humble life. The Man Of Steel could have any woman he wanted but only loves the original take no nonsense reporter, Lois Lane. He could be friends with anyone, but his best pals are the nerdy photographer Jimmy, who seems to admire the mild-mannered Clark Kent more than anyone else in Clark's world and Lana Lang, the girl who cared little for Superman but always loved Clark Kent. I've always liked that. Superman's pals are the two people who like Clark while no one else notices him. There's a good lesson about friendship for all of us in that.

Vintage Slurpee cup.

Superman to me is all about decency, restraint, and being something greater than yourself. That's another very important point. I think we spend so much time trying to do what feels good in the moment, that we forget we all have the potential to inspire others. To set an example. To be good and honest and decent. As corny as it may sound, no matter how bleak things have gotten, I always try to set a good example when I can. It's important. It can inspire others and after your gone, that legacy can go on. Wolverine, Punisher and Batman may be more gritty and cool, but when something really bad happens, it would be Superman we'd all wish would be real.

Loving that 70's Lois Lane!

Speaking of Gotham's Dark Knight Detective, Batman is pretty cool. Most everyone would agree to that. Where Superman represents our hero wish, the desire to swoop in dramatically and shield others from harm, Batman is all about our other fantasy. Vengeance. At one time or another every kid or adult wants to make some bully or someone who robbed you or assaulted a friend or loved one pay dearly. That's Batman. The desire to swoop in and scare the bad guys. While Superman is the god living among men, Batman is the pinnacle of human perfection and discipline. While we know we can never be Superman, Batman might be attainable with enough money and training.

It's entirely debatable on whether Batman or Superman is the better hero. What really cannot be debated is who has the better villains. Batman's Rogues gallery is quite possibly one of the most important reasons his popularity endures. Only The Flash and Spider-Man have villains that could hope to match the Caped Crusaders'.

Wallopin' websnappers! Did someone say Spider-Man? The third in the holy trinity of costumed adventurers, while Superman and Batman were born in the late 1930's, Spidey didn't come along intil the early 60's. He's such a no-brainer that I can't believe it took him so long to arrive.

Where Superman was the dream, and Batman was a slight possibility, Peter Parker was the reality. Despite all of teenage Peter's amazing powers, most of us still wouldn't have traded our lives for his. All great heroes are born in tragedy, but Spidey always seems haunted by the specter of death. From the death of his parents, to the death of his beloved uncle, to the death of his first love, Gwen, no matter how hard he tries, Spider-Man is constantly reminded he can't always save everyone. Always broke. Always living paycheck to paycheck, his personal life a shambles, and hounded by the police no matter how hard he tries to be the hero, Spider-Man was always the hero we could most identify with.

His boss was the king of the jerks. His secret identity made relationships next to impossible. Are you sure you'd want to be Spider-Man? Still, in most ways the Web-Slinger is the noblest hero of them all. Peter's greatest power was his stubborn refusal to give up. No matter how bleak, no matter how battered, the Amazing Spider-Man was amazing because he always got back up. Fighting off the best of the worst villains while sick, tired, heartbroken and deeply depressed.

Why are super heroes so important to me? That's easy. When I had no friends they were there. They kept me company for countless hours and inspired me. Inspired me to write and draw, but far more importantly, they inspired me to try to always do the right thing. To defend the little guy. To speak out against authority. For better or worse they inspired a strong sense of justice. I don't always believe in the justice system, but I believe in true natural justice. Sometimes some people have a talent or maybe just the bravery to stand up and face the bullies and small little evils of every day life. It's our duty to do just that, and I learned that from super heroes.

The Author, trying to inspirational...

In conclusion, I love super heroes because I've always felt it was the world I truly belonged in. Where good guys did the right thing and bad guys at least had the decency to wear colorful costumes like badges of honor. Unlike the "Real" world, the evils of the comic book world had the decency to be seen from a distance. In general super villains just wanted to boast and get some much needed respect. Sure they went about it wrong, but they weren't rapists or child molesters. Electro wouldn't break into someones house and steal their kids Christmas presents, he just wanted to rob banks. The Riddler just wanted to prove his superiority and makes the cops look stupid, He wasn't a killer. In recent years, in our rush to make the comic book world more realistic and gritty, these rules don't seem to apply. What a pity really. The world could use more Riddler's and less terrorists, don't you think?

The author as Dr. Octopus for Halloween,

Paul Poole
December 30th, 2015

My Christmas Story

This blog post is dedicated to my Mother and Nate Paro. The two biggest fans of Christmas I know.

My First Christmas

Hello and Merry Christmas to everyone reading this. It's been a while since my last post, but that's mostly because Christmas was coming, and things have been busy. That said I couldn't let the season go by without adding my thoughts on this, my second favorite time of the year. This blog may seem a bitch of a jumble, A hodge podge, a mishmash, but then again that's what Christmas is to me.

Christmas is hard not to like although heaven knows some people try awfully hard to hate it. I'm not even talking about the atheists and whatnot. No, I mean the everyday Grinch's who love to ramble on about how commercial it is. How it's just about buying presents, etc. To that I say Bah Humbug! Much like any other holiday, you get out of it what you put into it.

Next Generation Christmas Fan

That being said, this post isn't about anyone elses Christmas. It's about mine. Paul's rules of Christmas as it were.

#1 Real Trees only. Fake trees are fine for other people but not for me.
#2 Colored lights only. That's not to say that white lights don't have their place. They do. That's not to say they aren't pretty. They are. I think it often boils down to what you grew up with. For me, bulbs must be colorful and size C6 or above if they're going on my tree.
#3 Tradition. Tradition. Tradition. In fact it's the one time of year where I'm a slave to traditions! I HAVE to watch the George C. Scott version of A Christmas Carol right before I go to bed on Christmas Eve. I like to have sausage patties and Quiche for breakfast Christmas morning. Why? I don't know. That's just what Mom did.

Back In The Day

Mom. If anyone I know knows how to keep Christmas in their heart it's my Mom. She's a nut for it. As a child she taught me all about Christmas. We weren't a religious family, but the nativity was still important. In fact that could be the foundation for my own thoughts of religion. It's not necessarily for me, but I respect it and defend it when under attack.

Mom loved setting up the decorations. The Nativity. The village. The tree. Everything else. We walked around the neighborhood and looked at the lights. We watched the specials on tv.  We got terribly depressed as soon as it was over. People often think that when you're a kid, Christmas is all about getting gifts. As you grow older it (hopefully) becomes all about giving. In our house getting and giving was fun, but it was really all about Christmas itself. The decor. The traditions. The music!

My Favorite Decoration!

Speaking of music, when it comes to Christmas music, Bing Crosby will always be the king of Christmas in my mind. The White Christmas album has no equal. From holiday standards like White Christmas to quirky favorites like Christmas in Killarney, Bing is King. Some of my favorite Christmas songs are Holly Jolly Christmas by Burl Ives. Jingle Bells by Bing Crosby and the Andrews Sisters, I Heard The Bells On Christmas Day and Good King Wenceslaus. I have little interest in the countless pop and country remakes of classic tunes that clog the radio stations now.

Back in the old days before VHS, you got your TV guide and went through it to see when the specials were on. When A Charlie Brown Christmas was on you HAD to watch it or else you wouldn't have a chance again until the following year. VHS, DVD, Blu-Ray and streaming services have spoiled us in that now the kids can watch any time. Back then it was a family event.

My favorite Christmas movies are A Christmas Story, The George C. Scott version of A Christmas Carol, National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation and It's A Wonderful Life.

My favorite Christmas specials are A Year Without A Santa Claus, "The Night Of The Meek" episode of Twilight Zone. The "Santa 85" episode of Amazing Stories. Christmas Eve On Sesame Street. How The Grinch Stole Christmas. Also the Pinky And The Brain Christmas Special. I sure wish that last one would would be released on DVD.

Also back in the old days you got that Sears Christmas Catalog in the mail and tirelessly flipped through it, dog-earing pages with the new toys you so desperately wanted. I can still smell that catalog smell and it makes me nostalgic for my youth. Big splashy displays of Transformers, Star Wars, G.I. Joe, Strawberry Shortcake and Cabbage Patch Kids among so many less remembered toys would fill page after page.

How does the modern Christmas hold up to the one of my youth? In some ways it does just fine. Most of the products and characters that made my Christmas' magical are still around and doing fine. The failing marks come from the retailers and the customers who let them stomp the joy out of December 25th. Everything from black friday starting on Thanksgiving to stores staying open ever later on Christmas eve, the chasing of the almighty dollar is making it harder and harder to spend the important times with family.

What it's all about these days.

The grocery store I work for now stays open until 6 p.m. on Christmas Eve. I recently remembered a quote from Charles Dickens A Christmas Carol. In it, Scrooge's nephew Fred comes to his uncle's business to invite him to Christmas dinner. Scrooge states, "And be good enough to leave me alone during business hours"
Fred replies, "Seven O' Clock on Christmas Eve? That's not business hours, that's drudgery for the sake of it, and an insult to all men of goodwill".
Hear, hear Fred. Have we gotten to the point that in the pursuit of just a few sales here and there that we're willing to come within an hour of Ebenezer Scrooge's terrible holiday practices? Shameful.

Making The Best Out Of Working Christmas Eve

Still, Christmas endures.  If you're religious it's religious. If you're not it's about the season of giving.  It's about family, be it the one you were born into, or the one you choose for yourself. It's about selfless giving and love. We could all use a bit more of that.

A Couple Of The Best Gifts I Could Get

Like I said earlier, you get out of it what you put into it. Just put as much into it as you can, and you'll be amazed what you can get out of it.

 Even if you have to work, friends can make all the difference in the world!

Merry Christmas friends. Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night. Be good to one another, and God Bless us all, Everyone.

- Paul Poole
December 26th, 2015

Raiders Of The Lost Ark is way more romantic than Titanic.

The Author. Sadly no Harrison Ford...

Hello again folks! Thanks for checking this out. I continue to be overwhelmed with the positive responses I've gotten from this blog. I really love all the comments on Facebook, here on the blog itself and of course in person.

This time around I continue to try to make every post a bit different then the last. If you saw the title. I boldy stated that Raiders Of The Lost Ark is way more romantic than Titanic. Of course this is just my opinion, but since it's my blog, I plan on explaining why.

You all know Titanic. It's a huge success story. Well, the movie, not the actual ship. That was a bit of a disaster. Anyways, I won't jump to the usual MAN trope by just knocking the film. All the supporting actors are fantastic. The historical aspects...excellent. There are so many wonderful and moving scenes, sadly broken up by Jack Dawson and Rose.

While slightly a tangent, was James Cameron convinced we'd forget the main characters names? I mean come on. Jack. Rose. Jack. Rose. JACK. ROOOOOSE. Ok I got it. Anyone care to play the Titanic drinking game? Any time the romantic leads call one another by name you take a shot. I guarantee you'll be on ice before that 'berg hits.

So back to the point, young punk meets unhappy rich girl, it's like the oldest story in the book. Adults disapprove. Over the course of half a dozen interactions and one back seat banging, they have a love that will last forever, even longer than Jack's frozen corpse on the bottom of the north atlantic.

Shall we bring this back to Dr, Henry Jones Jr? Yes please! Now I've watched hundreds of movies, and I've seen Raiders Of The Lost Ark more times than I can count. Great picture. One of the all time best and a true blueprint for a smart summer action movie that just reaffirms how much fun movies can be.

Let's get to the romance, shall we? I'll recap. Indy had a romance with the young daughter of one of his mentors when he himself was a much younger man. It ended badly as many young relationships do, but when they meet again, both older and wiser it quickly becomes clear that they never got over one another.

Thrown into an adventure in Egypt of biblical proportions (literally biblical!), Indy and Marion Ravenwood quickly fall back into the love they once shared. Retrieving the formerly lost Ark Of The Covenant, they're on the run from the Nazi's who want the Ark badly and outnumbering our heroes on a massive scale, Indy risks his life saving Marion several times, but to be fair, she does the same for him. She's as spunky and heroic a female lead as you could hope for, and Indy's equal in many ways.

Indiana Jones and Marion Ravenwood have a history. Good and bad, but a history. They didn't just meet. They also both come from similar backgrounds. Both are adventurers. Both are the children of academics. They've both traveled far and wide. They have something in common. In contrast, Jack and Rose are teenagers who fight against class rules because they're horny for one another. I mean let's be honest. Jack offers Rose an escape. Rose offers Jack...well, I'm still not really sure.

Our Autographed photo of Marion herself, Karen Allen, from the films climax.

At one point they're passengers on a shady vessel, attempting to get the Ark out of Egypt by water. Unfortunately for them, a Nazi U-Boat surfaces and threatens to blow the ship out of the water. The Germans board the ship, find Marion and the Ark, but can't find Jones. After they load the captive heroine and the Ark on the submarine and prepare to submerge, the captain of the cargo ship asks one of his men if anyones seen Jones. The man replies in the negative before informing his Captain that he's found him. The Captain asks where, The man points to the sub.

Here it is folks. A real love story. As John Williams' classic score kicks in a waterlogged Indiana Jones who has swam a considerable distance in open water from the ship to the U-Boat, climbs aboard to the cheers of the men back on Captain Katanga's ship. He fires off a lopsided salute and enters the submarine.

Now let's stop a moment here. In fact let's run through this one point at a time.

#1 Indy who comes across as a pretty practical and intelligent man jumps into open water and swims a distance that would be problematic for anyone who wasn't a strong swimmer.

#2 Indy climbs aboard a German submarine that is preparing to dive. There's no guarantee he won't drown before he gets inside.

#3 Indy enters this fairly cramped submersible with no real plan. How will he hide from the crew once inside. Are their even places to hide once on board?

#4 If he's found it's certain death for him. He has nothing to offer the Germans. These are the Nazi's. Not known for compassion and mercy.

Now maybe you're thinking here, "Hey man, you're reading too much into it. He could have been going for the Ark".

You're wrong. You know you are. It's proven later when Indy's willing to destroy the Ark if they'll release Marion.

Indiana Jones jumps headlong into certain doom to attempt to save this woman he loves. In the midst of Nazi's, sword wielding mobs of Egyptians, and the seat of God's power on Earth, Raiders becomes a story about a man and a woman fighting against incredible odds to help one another come out alive on the other side, Everything else becomes secondary.

So this is why I feel that Raiders Of The Lost Ark is a better romance than Titanic. Your mileage may vary of course. That being said, that scene in Titanic where the band keeps playing as the ships going down? Pretty damn great. Definitely get the lump in the throat at that part.

Until next time,

- Paul

That time Dawn and I met Karen Allen. Like my sweet Indy shirt??

Friendsgiving!

The Author...and Friends!

Hello again friends! This post doesn't have anything to do with toys or collecting. This may make some of you happy, and it may make some of you unhappy.

Still here? Ok then! A few days ago Dawn and I hosted our second annual Friendsgiving Dinner. What is Friendsgiving you may ask? It's like Thanksgiving where you get to pick your own family!

Let's be honest, many of us spend holidays with at least one family member or inlaw that is basically a chore to be around. Some people have many. Now let me preface this by saying I don't hate anyone I spend any holidays with, but if some of these people weren't related to you by either blood or marriage, you would never be friends with them.

The older I get, the more honest I get and the more my time becomes precious to me. On the other hand I do love holiday traditions, so not celebrating with these people is not going to happen.

So last year, I had a coupon from Giant Food Stores, my Evil Employer, for one free turkey. I didn't want it to go to waste, and my mother-in-law, who I should point out IS someone I would gladly celebrate holidays with, already had a turkey. So what to do with a turkey? Dawn and I decided to make a Thanksgiving Dinner for our close friends. The Official Poole Family Friendsgiving was born!

The First Friendsgiving!

(Tara, Stacie, Dana, Alex, Peyton, Nate and Sam. Not pictured: Dawn and Matt)

So about a week before Thanksgiving we prepare a Turkey with all the traditional sides, and we gather some of our closest friends and share a meal and some good and non-awkward conversations! It was so much fun we just did it again for the second time. This will most definitely be a tradition for us.

Growing up I'd watch all the holiday specials and holiday themed episodes of my favorite shows, and one thing I always noticed was that on each holiday friends would always stop by. Now to be fair, this was most likely done so that all the cast would have a role. For example, the classic Cheers episode where all the gang ended up at Carla's house. I always thought these gatherings seemed so warm and so much fun. On the holidays, why wouldn't you want to spend time with the people who you normally would choose to spend time with?

Speaking of holidays, Nate Paro gets this and hosts his annual Natemas Party.

In the real world, it was never really like this. You'd leave school or work and go shut in with the family. You'd answer boring questions about school or work from aunts, uncles and grandparents who were just making polite conversation.

On Christmas you'd open that bright shiny whatever that you and your best friend kept talking about for months, only to not be able to have your friend over to share in that joy. It always seemed like a shame to me.

This is why I love to work on Christmas Eve. Just not too late. I enjoy seeing co-workers. Many times they are like a family that we spend more time with than our real family, so sharing in some holiday cheer with them seems natural,

 See? Christmas Eve at work can be fun!

The Author with friends Devin and Leah.

This is why I love my annual Halloween Party. This is why I now love Friendsgiving. So many people have just one day with family, now thanks to me, some of you have a chance to have two. One with our traditional family, and one with our non-traditional one.

So now with Thanksgiving just two days away, let me give thanks to my family who continues to love me, even though I'm a bit of a black sheep who doesn't call as often as I should. Thanks to my wife's family who accept me into their homes even though I can swing from loud-mouthed and opinionated one minute to quiet and moody the next. Thanks to my friends that are family, the most fiercely loyal people I know. You know who you are, Thanks to my immediate family, Dawn and Clark, who love me and straddle all three groups.

I am a blessed man, and I am SO very thankful.

Happy Thanksgiving!

- Paul

Second Friendsgiving!
(Devin, Dawn, Clark, Stacie, Tara and Rich. Not pictured: Tim)

Atomic Batteries To Power! Turbines To Speed! The Greatest Car There Will Ever Be!

 The Author and Wife.

Hello again! If you're reading this, you must be bored. However an audience is an audience so let me get started before you change your mind. This post is about the 1966 Batmobile and the love I have for it, the love I have for Adam West's Batman series, and why no other Batmobile will ever compare in my mind.

The sad inspiration for this post was the recent passing of car customizing legend George Barris on November 5th, 2015. Now I could write at length at how Barris built this classic vehicle from a 1955 Lincoln Futura concept car. I could talk about the short time he'd had to build it, and the countless toy reproductions that have been made over the years, but this blog is about MY thoughts and perspectives on the things that are important for me. Someone else could probably talk about the specs on the car much better than I. I won't even bother, If you're so inclined, there's tons of information out there on the internet about it.

Kenner's Super Powers Batmobile. Clearly inspired by the 66 Batmobile.

This is about THE Batmobile and me. I think when I was little, the first Batmobile I was familiar with was probably the one from the Super Friends cartoon and his appearances on Scooby-Doo. I'm sure it wasn't for long though, as I remember afternoon showings of the 60's series from an early age. Specifically I vividly remember the cliffhanger from the time the Dynamic Duo battled the Bookworm. Roddy McDowall had Robin tied to an enormous clapper inside a bell in a clock tower. That doesn't have anything to do with the Batmobile, but it has much to do with my earliest memories of a show I love so I figured I'd mention it.

 Figures Toy Company's 60's Batman figures.

Now the thing about the 60's Batman series; it isn't for everyone. I can love it and accept that. However if you really haven't ever watched it and just like to blather on about what you may have heard from other people, you really should go back and watch season one. It was pretty damned close to the comics of the time. Actually better in some respects. Also one should respect that it made Joker, Riddler, Penguin, Catwoman and to some degree Mr. Freeze, household names. In fact if it wasn't for the series, it's very possible Batman comics would have been cancelled and even if they weren't you wouldn't know who the Riddler and Mr. Freeze are today.

But that car, Man, that car! When that long, black, sleek finned and red pinstriped piece of rolling art comes onto the screen, even the scoffers sit up and take notice. The shiny black paint job, The distinctive pin-striping that makes it pop. Those double bubble windshields so iconic, that they were the standard on Batmobiles until Tim Burton's Batman in 1989 took them away,

Don't get me wrong, it made sense that they went away. In 1989 Joker's henchmen were shooting the hell out of that car! In fact that 89 car is my second favorite. It kept the single turbine in the back, It kept the fins. It even kept the shiny black color. In fact the two cars aren't all that far apart.

Mattel's 66 Batmobile vs. DC Collectibles Batman: The Animated Series Batmobile.

Still. I miss the world of the 1960's Batman and Robin, Crime fighting was deadly serious to them to be sure, but the villains sure got to have their fun. Certainly they tried to kill the Caped Crusaders in every episode, but to just gun them down? Where's the style, the class, the FUN in that?

The 66 Batmobile didn't need some fancy armored cocoon. It had an anti-theft deterrent button. It was labelled an ignition button, so crooks trying to steak it would be surprised when rear mounted rockets would launch fireworks and loud sirens to scare them off and attract unwanted attention. Hey, whatever works, right?

That wasn't all. It had a portable crime lab in the trunk! It could connect to the Batcomputer back in the Batcave, which is pretty amazing seeing as this was years before wireless internet. It had the Batphone, years before people had car or cell phones. Batman kicked ass and was a genius and Adam West didn't need Morgan Freeman to invent his tech for him.

Need to turn around in a hurry? No easy task in a car that size, but pull the emergency reverse turn lever and two Bat parachutes would come out to slow it down and then turn that sucker around. Eject those chutes, and a Bat Chute Retrieval Team in a panel van would swing by and pick them up!

Parachutes!

Therein lies the charm of Adam West's Batman. It's all in the exposed cockpit. See, Batman and Robin wanted the citizenry to see them. To trust them. Was Adam West's Batman a little crazy? Yeah a bit, but so was Gotham City. Good crazy. The villains wanted to get rich sure, but mostly they just wanted attention. To prove their superiority to the ultimate authority figure.

Clark on the phone with Commissioner Gordon.

In a world full of horrible serial killers and shady corporations, maybe an overweight Egyptology professor who thinks he's the reincarnation of King Tut isn't such a bad thing. Maybe an egotistical genius whose biggest EGGcentricity is dressing in egg white and yolk yellow, would be a welcome sight. Maybe leaving clues to all your crimes in advance is something that should be encouraged in a world of sick psychopaths. We wish we'd had the Penguin or Mad Hatter. What we got was Charlie Manson and the Zodiac killer.

Someday's you just can't get rid of a bomb!

In the rush to make Batman sooooo dark and brooding, maybe we lost something. Something that comes back every time we see that car. Some people see Adam West's Batman and love it. Some think it's everything that's wrong with the publics perception of comics. No one sees that car though and doesn't smile. It's timeless. It's classy. It's The Batmobile.

Dawn and I, in the dream car!

I have been, I am and I always shall be...

The Author

Well hello there and welcome to my first "Blog" post. When I decided to write this, I knew I had to decide whether or not I wanted to tell you about myself first or write about collecting. I went back and forth on this thought quite a bit until it hit me. I'll do both. To talk about myself without talking about my passions isn't really talking about me at all.

I'm sure I'll touch on many of the things I love in greater detail in future writings, but for now I'll just jump right in with a Paul primer so to speak. Here goes.

I was born in July of 1976. Right in the aftermath of this country's Bicentennial celebrations. I remember nothing about it. In fact my earliest memories are always foggy and sometimes influenced by the stories my mother always told me growing up. For example, the earliest stories I was told about myself involved my moms love of the 1967 Spider-Man cartoon. Apparently while pregnant with me she'd rock in the rocking chair and hum along to the now famous catchy theme song. Just as Spidey had, "Radioactive blood", there must have been something in our blood as I inherited a lifelong love of Spider-Man.

My oldest toy? a 1977 Spider-Man doll from the Mego company. Yes. My mom bought me this while I was one. I still have it. the seams repaired by Mom when they began to come apart. Mom's no seamstress, but she did her best, and after 35 years it's still holding together.

The Spidey referenced above.

What story came next? Now I guess it's time to "Put on makeup". "It's time to light the lights". Yes apparently I was crazy about the Muppets. Mom and Uncle Chip both fondly talk about me getting really close to the old tv set and when the large monsters came out I'd start backing away. The Muppet Show and Sesame Street needed toys and the Sesame Street Fisher Price Little People answered my need perfectly. I ADORED them and took them everywhere. I still have a picture of me sitting on a picnic table at my paternal grandparents with all of them lined up beside me.

Lucky me! I found the picture! Ignore the huge collar!

My Kermit Cake.

The next story they laugh at has to do with me playing in the kitchen while Mom was watching tv. As all parents know, when things get quiet it's time to see whats up. Mom found me standing on a chair at the gas stove melting my precious Muppets in a pot. I'm told I was in tears, crying that I'd just wanted to make them dinner. I was so distraught, my Mom and Dad had to go out the next day and find me replacements.

Not my originals but these are in my collection.

This would be a great time to mention how truly blessed I've always been to have such understanding parents. I'm not sure why they were so understanding, but I know others who weren't as fortunate as me. In fact this understanding really included most of my family.

At this point in the late 70's I discovered what every other kid of that time did. STAR. WARS. I loved them sure, but I have no big fond memory of those toys, and I find it interesting that Star Wars holds no big place in my collection.

Now we move to Kindergarten. Breakfast with Santa. After pancakes I got to go sit on the big guys lap. He asked me what I wanted, and my answer was simple and direct, MONSTERS, The Remco toy company had released a line of 3 and 3/4" figures of the classic Universal Monsters. Frankenstein's Monster, Dracula. The Mummy, The Phantom of the Opera and The Creature From The Black Lagoon. They also made a carrying case that opened up into a mad scientists lab playset.

My collection of Remco's Mini Monsters.

Christmas morning arrived and they were all there. It's a fond memory, Christmas of 1981 was a good one.

1984 brought The Transformers and Comic Books. The floodgates were open and I'd found my home. The 1980's rolled on. G.I. Joe. C.O.P.S. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Marvel's Secret Wars. DC's Super Powers Collection. it was like NERDVANA,

Some of my collection of Kenner's Super Powers line.

So there I was surrounded with so many great characters. Cartoons were great but comic books were total crack. Things were great right?

Well, not exactly. I didn't have any friends. No really. None. I don't relate this for sympathy, I tell this to you for understanding. See, I'm lucky to have many friends these days. Making friends is easy. Back then it was not. Back in those days super heroes were NOT cool. You couldn't go to Target and buy a Hulk shirt. There really weren't any. So when I discovered a blue t-shirt with The THING from the Fantastic Four at Comic Universe in my size I had to have it. Mom bought it for me. I proudly wore it to school. I knew the other kids would love the charging image of rocky Ben Grimm shouting, "It's Clobberin' Time!!". They didn't. In fact I never wore it to school again.

My heart broke a thousand times back then. School was truly a horrible experience. Whatever, it's all in the past. It made me who I am, and I really wouldn't change a thing. That being said, after 8 hours of hell, I arrived home to my Fortress Of Solitude. My room. The many long boxes of comics. The shelves of books and figures. I can still see the 2 Spider-Man posters. One McFarlane. One Romita Sr.. A John Byrne She-Hulk. A huge Marvel Universe poster with almost every hero on it.

Here's the McFarlane Spidey poster. I recently reaquired one of these!

This brings us to the real point. Before High School and my first real friends. Before Dawn and Stacie. Before Paul Martin. Before Mike, Christin, and Steve at Comic Universe. Before the Arby's Crew. Before Sarah at Papa John's. Before I grew into adulthood and went out and got my ass kicked repeatedly by the world. Before being repeatedly betrayed by people I thought were my friends, I had Oscar, Frankenstein, Fozzie, Spidey, Batman, Superman, etc. They were my friends when I had none, and I just won't turn my back on them because I love them,

There I said it. I love Plastic Man. I love Uncle Scrooge. I love Spider-Man. I love the Garbage Pail Kids. I love them for making my childhood a great one despite a less than fun time at Ridley Middle School.

I clearly love Scrooge McDuck.

 I also love my Mom for walking me and pushing my sister in her stroller all the way to Rios Pharmacy to buy me some Garbage Pail Kids. After the long trek she just decided to buy me an entire unopened box. THAT is a good memory.

Mom, Dad and my sister Dawn.

I love my Uncle Chip for listening to me talk about a newfound love for comics, Teaching me that it was the Sub-Mariner when I pronounced it Sub-Mareener. For taking me to his room and pulling out an old toolbox, He opened it up and inside were no tools. It was where he'd stashed his absolute favorite comics. The ones he wouldn't let my Grandmother throw away. His collection of Magnus Robot Fighters, only missing three issues. Now only missing one as I've added to the collection. As good as those were, the crown jewel and possibly my favorite possession, a copy of Amazing Spider-Man #14. The first appearance of The Green Goblin. Yes, THAT Green Goblin. Years later I stood in line to have the author, Stan Lee, yes THAT Stan Lee sign it, I'm only the second owner.

Bask in its greatness!

I collect things because they make me happy. I collect things because they remind me of innocent and magical times. I collect things because I feel loyal to the characters. It's a way to see and spend time with old friends again. I collect things because they remind me of the love I have for my Mom and Uncle who sparked a fire in me for these things that mean so much to me. I collect because I have to. I want to. I don't know how to stop and I really don't want to.

Our house is full of things we love. All my stuff and Dawn's horror stuff, Star Wars stuff and Scooby Doo stuff. I once said to our son, "Son, one day all of this will be yours." As soon as I had said it the enormity of that hit me and I added, "and I'm really sorry about that".

On the other hand, maybe he's heading down the right path..

I hope he finds some enjoyment in it, if not I'm sorry for the burden it'll be selling it all off. Except that Amazing Spider-Man #14. That had better stay in the family.

In closing I know I've dragged on interminably. If you actually stuck with this, you're either really bored, really curious, or a really loyal and loving friend. Either way I thank you.

Collect something. you might enjoy it! If all you ever collect is friends, much like me,
it'll be the best collection you can have.

The best collection I have. My true and loyal friends, Dawn, Jess, Devin, Awahl, JP, Dave, Rich, Tim, Stacie, Allie and Tara.

Paul D. Poole
November 11 2015