In celebration of the 50th anniversary of Batman, which first debuted on January 12, 1966. DCN has reached out to a few industry professionals and asked them to share their memories of the show.
Our next guest has one of the greatest jobs in fandom. Mark Racop is the owner of Fiberglass Freaks, the only officially licensed builder of ’66 Batmobile replicas!
Read what Mark had to say about Batman below:
As 1966 Batfans the world over celebrate the fiftieth anniversary of the debut of the TV show, it’s a time to reflect on this most incredible event. I didn’t get to see the show until February 15th, 1967, well into its second year, but when I did, what an indelible impression was made! I was only two-years-old in 1967, when I saw my first episode, but I remember it like it was yesterday. The color, the action, the music, but most of all, that magnificent car captured my imagination forever. When Batman and Robin slid down the Batpoles and rushed to the Batmobile I was hooked. The bubble windshields, the fins, the flamethrower out the back were awesome–and then the car peeled out of the Batcave! My heart was racing as the car was racing out of the side of a mountain, crossing the folding barricade, and making the hairpin turn. My life would never be the same.
Who would ever have thought a crazy kid with a dream would build one 1966 Batmobile replica, let alone twenty-two? Who would ever have thought DC Comics would license that same crazy kid? And why? Why do I own Fiberglass Freaks? All because I saw “Joker’s Last Laugh” when I was two-years-old. Thanks so much, Dozier, Semple, Barris, West, and Ward! What a ride!
To the Batmobile!
Mark Racop, Owner, Fiberglass Freaks
602 Erie Avenue, Logansport, IN 46947
We at DCN would like to thank Mark for taking the time to share his memories of Batman with us!
Bat fact: The famous scene of the Batmobile rocketing from the Batcave was filmed at Bronson Cavern in Hollywood Hills. A problem run into when filming the scene was that the Batmobile was just about the same width as the cave entrance. To keep from ripping the fenders off , they undercranked the cameras so it could come out slowly and then later sped up the film to give the illusion of speed.
So, who will our next guest be?
Guess you’ll just have to tune in……..
……To find out!
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