Bat Lessons: Recent Episodes
Phantasm FM
Few know about the first appearance of the Dark Knight in cinema. Fewer still know just how much of an impact it had on the batman universe. The Batman 1943 Serial is the genesis of the Batcave and of Alfred. Join us as we dive deep on the history and story of this important moment in the story of Batman.
https://www.amazon.com/Continued-Next-Week-History-Picture/dp/0806106336/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internment_of_Japanese_Americans
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ozawa_v._United_States
https://blogs.iu.edu/establishingshot/2017/04/27/saturday-kiddie-matinees-in-the-20th-century/
https://archive.org/details/batman-1943-chapters-1-7
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0035665/
https://www.polygon.com/22981669/batman-movie-1943-serial-war-propaganda
https://batman-on-film.com/batman-films/batman-batman-robin-1940s-serials/
https://videofileblog.com/2022/09/19/batman-1943-movie-serial/
Threads (https://www.threads.net/@batlessons)
TikTok (https://www.tiktok.com/@batlessons)
Bat Lessons (https://www.youtube.com/@batlessons)
Bat Lessons Clips (https://www.youtube.com/@BatLessonsClips)
Head on over to https://batlessons.com for all things Bat Lessons. Send us a letter or voice recording, find us on threads, read full transcripts and find show notes.
Podcast Artwork by Sergio R. M. Duarte (https://www.instagram.com/sergiormduarte/)
Podcast Music by Renzo Calma (https://www.instagram.com/renzocalm)
Motion Graphics by r2ktalha (https://www.fiverr.com/share/AEpWpY)
00:00 Intro
01:52 Serials
16:56 WW2
17:38 Internment
23:31 Batman (1943)
43:43 The Radium Age
55:26 Dr Daka
58:38 Batman
01:00:00 Robin
01:01:22 Linda Page
01:02:19 Alfred Beagle
01:03:11 Closing Thoughts
On this very special edition of Bat Edition, we drive cross country and learn the history of Six Flags and Batman: The Ride and Mr. Freeze. Then, after spending a day at Six Flags St. Louis we give you our thoughts on the rides and their theming.
Check out the video of us experiencing the park! https://youtu.be/qIpUlm53G2k
Threads (https://www.threads.net/@batlessons)
TikTok (https://www.tiktok.com/@batlessons)
Bat Lessons on Youtube (https://www.youtube.com/@batlessons)
Bat Lessons Clips on Youtube (https://www.youtube.com/@BatLessonsClips)
Head on over to https://batlessons.com for all things Bat Lessons. Send us a letter or voice recording, find us on threads, read full transcripts and find show notes.
Podcast Artwork by Sergio R. M. Duarte (https://www.instagram.com/sergiormduarte/)
Podcast Music by Renzo Calma (https://www.instagram.com/renzocalm)
Motion Graphics by r2ktalha (https://www.fiverr.com/share/AEpWpY)
Few supporting characters appear more in Batman stories than Alfred Pennyworth. Across comics, tv shows, movies and more, Alfred always stands by Batman's side. You probably know him as the loyal, skilled, and caring father figure that shaped Bruce into who he would become. But few know the story behind his creation. On this episode of bat lessons we uncover his early history in comics and newspaper strips and then discover the surprising way Alfred is inspired by the same source material as archer, the lion king, clue, 007, john wick, black butler, and more. You don't want to miss it.
- Serial Shooting Script (Archive.org)
- Batman: The Dailies (Amazon)
- Pewter Status (Youtube)
- Batman #16 (DCU Infinite)
- Jeeves & Wooster (Youtube)
- Dr Conary Interview (Youtube)
- Military Batman (Wikipedia)
Head on over to https://batlessons.com for all things Bat Lessons. Send us a letter or voice recording, find us on threads, read full transcripts and find show notes.
Podcast Artwork by Sergio R . M. Duarte
Podcast Music by Renzo Calma
Motion Graphics by r2ktalha
00:00 Intro
01:57 First Appearance?
02:34 Who Created Alfred?
08:24 Daily Comic Strip History
16:39 Alfred’s Inker
19:29 Daily Strip Alfred
34:44 Batman #16
48:52 Story Thoughts
49:35 Alfred’s Inspiration
On this guestless edition of Bat Lessons, we cover the first appearance of Tweedledee and Tweedledum. Then we fall down the rabbit hole on Lewis Carroll, and the creation of Alice in Wonderland.
- Detective Comics 74 (DCU Infinite)
- Don Cameron (wikipedia)
- Lewis Carroll (wikipedia)
- Annotated Alice (amazon)
- Enantiomorphs (wikipedia)
- Thalidomide (wikipedia)
Head on over to https://batlessons.com for all things Bat Lessons. Send us a letter or voice recording, find us on threads, read full transcripts and find show notes.
Podcast Artwork by Sergio R . M. Duarte
Podcast Music by Renzo Calma
Motion Graphics by r2ktalha
00:00 Intro
02:43 Detective 74
22:17 Story Thoughts
25:34 Alice in Wonderland
29:39 Lewis Carroll
38:27 Tweedledum and Tweedledee
50:44 Closing Thoughts
Very special guest Sasha from Casually comics comes along for a chat about the malevolent Mad Hatter and crack photographer Vicki Vale!
- 75 Years of Batman (Kindle)
- Mad as a Hatter (Wikipedia)
- Mad Gasser of Mattoon (Wikipedia)
- Creators of the Super Heroes (Amazon)
- Torchy Blane (Wikipedia)
- Casually Comics (Youtube)
Head on over to https://batlessons.com for all things Bat Lessons. Send us a letter or voice recording, find us on threads, read full transcripts and find show notes.
Podcast Artwork by Sergio R . M. Duarte
Podcast Music by Renzo Calma
We’re joined by special guest Jameson from A Comic Book A Day to go over the first appearance of the duke of duplicity, Two Face!!
- Geroge Russous (Blog Post)
- Detective #66 (DC Universe Infinite)
- Batman: The Complete History (Amazon)
- Creators of the Super Heroes (Amazon)
- History of Comics (Amazon)
- The Shadow: Face of Doom (Amazon)
- The Bat Strikes Again (Amazon)
Head on over to https://batlessons.com for all things Bat Lessons. Send us a letter or voice recording, find us on mastodon or youtube, read full transcripts and find show notes.
Podcast Artwork by Sergio R . M. Duarte
Podcast Music by Renzo Calma
Motion Graphics by r2ktalha
We’re joined by special guest Sal from ComicPOP to go over the first appearance of the pompous waddling master of foul play, the Penguin!
- Detective Comics #58 (DCU Infinite)
- Creators of the Super Heroes (Amazon)
- Steranko History of Comics (Amazon)
- Jerry Robinsion: Ambassador Of Comics (Amazon)
- ComicPOP (YouTube)
Head on over to https://batlessons.com for all things Bat Lessons. Send us a letter or voice recording, find us on mastodon or youtube, read full transcripts and find show notes.
Podcast Artwork by Sergio R . M. Duarte
Podcast Music by Renzo Calma
Motion Graphics by r2ktalha
Brian and Alex Discuss Clayface in person! A brief overview of various iterations of clayface, and a read of the very first appearance of Clayface. A fun episode!
- Silver Age Origin: Detective Comics #304 (DCU Infinite)
- Clayface Hero: Detective Comics Rebirth (Amazon)
- Batman Beyond: Disappearing Inque (wiki)
- Lon Chaney: The Phantom of the Opera (wiki)
- Lon Chaney: The Wolf Man (IMDB)
- New 52 Origin: Dark Knight #24 (DCU Infinite)
- First Appearance: Detective Comics #40 (DCU Infinite)
Head on over to https://batlessons.com for all things Bat Lessons. Send us a letter or voice recording, find us on mastodon or youtube, read full transcripts and find show notes.
Podcast Artwork by Sergio R. M. Duarte
Podcast Music by Renzo Calma
On This Bonus Episode, we're thrilled to have Dr. Jennifer Conary joining us! We discuss Dickens (to contextualize episode 20 and Batman: Noel) and victorian genre fiction in the vein of Batman. You don't want to miss it!
- Dr. Jennifer Conary
- Reynolds Reimagned
- A Christmas Carol
Head on over to https://batlessons.com for all things Bat Lessons. Send us a letter or voice recording, find us on mastodon or youtube, read full transcripts and find show notes.
Podcast Artwork by Sergio R. M. Duarte
Podcast Music by Renzo Calma
On this very special Christmas episode, we cover a retelling of “A Christmas Carol” that has become a modern classic in its own right: Batman Noel. In standard Bat Lessons fashion we go way too deep, and cover the history of the original novella and bring in a Charles Dickens expert to school us.
- Dr. Jennifer Conary
- Reynolds Reimagned
- A Christmas Carol
- Lee Bermejo Interview
- Batman Noel
Head on over to https://batlessons.com for all things Bat Lessons. Send us a letter or voice recording, find us on mastodon or youtube, read full transcripts and find show notes.
Podcast Artwork by Sergio R. M. Duarte
Podcast Music by Renzo Calma
Batman tracks down the infamous serial killer: Jack the Ripper! Brian and Alex continue their Victorian era arc, chatting about the history behind the murderer. We also cover the acclaimed graphic novel “Gotham by Gaslight” where Batman crosses his path. Finally, we cover the story of the creation of the comic book itself.
- Gotham By Gaslight (Paperback)
- The Enduring Mystery of Jack The Ripper (Video)
- Mike Mignola Interview (Video)
- Mike Mignola’s Genius For Simplification (Video)
- Batman On Film: Brian Augustyn (Video)
- Gotham by Gaslight Video Game Footage (Video)
Head on over to https://batlessons.com for all things Bat Lessons. Send us a letter or voice recording, find us on mastodon or youtube, read full transcripts and find show notes.
Podcast Artwork by Sergio R. M. Duarte
Podcast Music by Renzo Calma
We travel back to Victorian England to take a look at the terror of London, Spring-Heeled Jack! Who is this mysterious figure, and did they inspire Batman?
- Institute of Fiscal Studies Report
- Mike Dash on the Two-Penny Hangover
- 5 Reasons Why The Victorian Era Was Utter Insanity (Video)
- Gruesome Victorian Medicine (Video)
- History and Sewage: The Great Stink (Video)
- The Strange World Of Ghost Hunting (Video)
- Destroying Artifacts for Profit Is Nothing New (Video)
- The Great Moon Hoax (Smithsonian)
- Monstrum Spring Heeled Jack Video
- JS Mackley on the Spring-Heeled Jack Library
- The Spring-Heeled Jack Library
Head on over to https://batlessons.com for all things Bat Lessons. Send us a letter or voice recording, find us on mastodon or youtube, read full transcripts and find show notes.
Podcast Artwork by Sergio R. M. Duarte
Podcast Music by Renzo Calma
Motion Graphics by r2ktalha
The Golden Age Catwoman: was she always an integral part of the Batman Universe? We learn together about her introduction and how the character evolved with time.
- Catwoman Fan Blog
- Creators of the Superheroes (Book - Thom Andrae)
- Batman #1 (DC Universe Infinite)
- Batman The Golden Age (Book)
Head on over to https://batlessons.com for all things Bat Lessons. Send us a letter or voice recording, find us on mastodon or youtube, read full transcripts and find show notes.
Podcast Artwork by Sergio R. M. Duarte
Podcast Music by Renzo Calma
Motion Graphics by r2ktalha
Today we cover Alex's favorite single issue of Batman: Detective Comics 567. "The Night Of Thanks, But No Thanks!" by Harlan Ellison. This is a great comic with a unique backstory!
- Detective 567 (Reprint)
- Detective 567 (DC Universe Infinite)
- Dreams With Sharp Teeth
- Steve Shives on Harlan Ellison
- Daisy X Machina on Harlan Ellison
- Mark Evanier’s Harlan Story
Head on over to https://batlessons.com for all things Bat Lessons. Send us a letter or voice recording, find us on mastodon or youtube, read full transcripts and find show notes.
Podcast Artwork by Sergio R. M. Duarte
Podcast Music by Renzo Calma
Was the Joker plagiarized? Brian and Alex dive deep on possible inspirations for the clown prince of crime.
- The Shadow Reprint (Batman Issue)
- Charon's obol (Wikipeda - Coins on Eyes)
- The Laughing Corpse (Radio Drama)
- The Dead Smile (Novel)
- Risus Sardonicus and The Joker (Blog)
- Batman #1 (DC Universe Infinite)
- Batman The Golden Age (Book)
Head on over to batlessons.com for all things Bat Lessons. Send us a letter or voice recording, find us on mastodon or youtube, read full transcripts and find show notes.
Podcast Artwork by Sergio R. M. Duarte
Podcast Music by Renzo Calma
We're joined by special guest Steve Shives to take a look at the first batch of comic book covers featuring Batman.
- Steve Shives (Youtube)
- Tier List (Wikipedia)
- S Tier (Wikipedia)
- Fill Out Your Own Copy Of The Tier List
Head on over to batlessons.com for all things Bat Lessons. Send us a letter or voice recording, find us on mastodon or youtube, read full transcripts and find show notes.
Podcast Artwork by Sergio R. M. Duarte
Podcast Music by Renzo Calma
The clown prince of crime, THE JOKER! We cover what the creators said about his inception, some of the inspirations, and the first Joker story.
- Creators of the Superheroes (Book - Thom Andrae)
- Bob Kane Omega Salty
- The Man Who Laughs: The Forgotten Classic (video)
- Batman #1 (DC Universe Infinite)
- Batman The Golden Age (Book)
- Broadcast Signal Intrusion (Wikipedia)
- Locked Room Plot (Wikipedia)
- War of The Worlds Radio Drama (Wikipedia)
Head on over to batlessons.com for all things Bat Lessons. Send us a letter or voice recording, find us on mastodon or youtube, read full transcripts and find show notes.
Podcast Artwork by Sergio R. M. Duarte
Podcast Music by Renzo Calma
Introducing the Boy Wonder.
- Interview with Jerry Robinson (Blog)
- Interview with Jerry Robinson (Video)
- Interview with Jerry Robinson (Radio)
- Creators of the Superheroes (Book - Thom Andrae)
- Sherlock Holmes (Wikipedia)
- Robin Hood By NC Wyeth (Illustrations)
- Detective Comics #38 (DC Universe Infinite)
- Batman The Golden Age (Book)
Head on over to batlessons.com for all things Bat Lessons. Send us a letter or voice recording, find us on mastodon or youtube, read full transcripts and find show notes.
Podcast Artwork by Sergio R. M. Duarte
Podcast Music by Renzo Calma
Brian goes a little too deep covering more origin stories for Batman. Everything from 1989 to 2022 and some awful Golden age stories to boot.
- DC Universe Infinite
- Batman Year One
- Batman The Animated Series
- Mask of the Phantasm
- Batman Forever
- Batman Begins
- Earth One
- The Dark Knight Returns (Film)
- Zero Year
- Flashpoint
- Teen Titans Go! To The Movies
- Gotham (TV)
- Batman vs Robin
- Batman vs Superman
- Joker (2019)
- The Batman (2022)
- The Many Killers Of The Waynes (Youtube)
You can find an archive of all episodes at batlessons.com
Send your comments, questions and corrections to contact@batlessons.com or tweet at us @batlessons
Podcast Artwork by Sergio R. M. Duarte
Podcast Music by Renzo Calma
A look back on the first year of Bat Lessons. We read letters and comments from listeners, set the record straight on some errors, and delve into some hallmark Bat Lessons tidbits.
- Bat Lessons On Youtube
- USPS General Delivery
- Post Chaise (Wikiepdia)
- Rural Free Delivery (Wikipedia)
- Golden Age Comics Never Reprinted (blog)
- The Dennis O’Neil Bat Bible
- The Animated Series Bat Bible
You can find an archive of all episodes at batlessons.com
Send your comments, questions and corrections to contact@batlessons.com or tweet at us @batlessons
Podcast Artwork by Sergio R. M. Duarte
Podcast Music by Renzo Calma
A quick survey of every single retelling of the Batman origin, from 1939 to 1989.
- DC Universe Infinite
- Batman The Golden Age (Book)
- Super Powers Team: Galactic Guardians (wiki)
- Super Powers Team Ep. 4 (Youtube)
- Batman Shaman
- Batman: Year One
- Batman (1989)
You can find an archive of all episodes at batlessons.com
Send your comments, questions and corrections to contact@batlessons.com or tweet at us @batlessons
Podcast Artwork by Sergio R. M. Duarte
Podcast Music by Renzo Calma
We continue the conversation on the Matt Reeves directed Batman movie starring Robert Pattinson.
- The Batman Blu-Ray
- Matt Reeves Dolby Interview, Cinematography
- Matt Reeves Dolby Interview, Audio
- Before The Batman (Prequel Novel)
You can find an archive of all episodes at batlessons.com
Send your comments, questions and corrections to contact@batlessons.com or tweet at us @batlessons
Podcast Artwork by Sergio R. M. Duarte
Podcast Music by Renzo Calma
We dive deep on the Matt Reeves directed Robert Pattinson starring batman movie.
- The Batman Blu-Ray
- Matt Reeves Dolby Interview, Cinematography
- Matt Reeves Dolby Interview, Audio
- Before The Batman (Prequel Novel)
You can find an archive of all episodes at batlessons.com
Send your comments, questions and corrections to contact@batlessons.com or tweet at us @batlessons
Podcast Artwork by Sergio R. M. Duarte
Podcast Music by Renzo Calma
All things spooky and creepy golden age Batman! Including a lengthy segment on Dracula, the origins of World’s Finest, and the first appearance of the Scarecrow
- The Darkest Knight By Thom Andrae (Essay)
- Dracula By Bram Stoker (Novel)
- Great Books: Dracula (Lecture)
- Young Indiana Jones: Masks Of Evil (Television Episode)
- Bram Stoker’s Dracula (Movie, 1992)
- Dracula (Movie, 1931)
- Bela Lugosi Dracula Stare (Video Clip)
- Dracula Movies Comparison (Video)
- Superman Day (Video Clip)
- World’s Finest #3 (Comic)
You can find an archive of all episodes at batlessons.com
Send your comments, questions and corrections to contact@batlessons.com or tweet at us @batlessons
Podcast Artwork by Sergio R. M. Duarte
Podcast Music by Renzo Calma
We discuss Gardner Fox, Shelly Moldoff, The Utility Belt, Batarang, Bat-Plane and more!
- Gardner Fox (Wikipedia)
- The Creators Of Batman (Book)
- Batman The Golden Age (Book)
- Sheldon Moldoff (Wikipedia)
- Fantasia (Blu-Ray)
- Ultimate Spider-Man (Book)
You can find an archive of all episodes at batlessons.com
Send your comments, questions and corrections to contact@batlessons.com or tweet at us @batlessons
Podcast Artwork by Sergio R. M. Duarte
Podcast Music by Renzo Calma
This month we’re talking to Marc Tyler Nobleman. Marc is the author of 86 books ranging from colorful and funny children's fiction about chupacabras to incredibly moving all ages non-fiction about reconciliation after World War 2. Marc dedicated years of his life to fighting for the legacy of Bill Finger, the now credited co-creator of Batman. In September 2015 due in no small part to Marc’s work, DC Comics agreed to include Bill as a creator of Batman wherever that credit is shown. We’re super honored to have him on the show.
- Where to Find Marc Online
- Bill The Boy Wonder
- Batman and Bill
You can find an archive of all episodes at batlessons.com
Send your comments, questions and corrections to contact@batlessons.com or tweet at us @batlessons
Podcast Artwork by Sergio R. M. Duarte
Podcast Music by Renzo Calma
Alex and Brian talk about inspirations for Batman, the creation of Batman, and credit for that creation. Then we read Detective Comics #27 together and talk about inspiration for that story specifically.
- Bill The Boy Wonder (Book)
- Batman and Me (Book)
- Zorro Theme Song (video)
- The Shadow Radio Catchphrase (video)
- DC Universe Infinite
- Batman The Golden Age (Book)
- Dial B For Blog (wayback machine)
You can find an archive of all episodes at batlessons.com
Send your comments, questions and corrections to contact@batlessons.com or tweet at us @batlessons
Podcast Artwork by Sergio R. M. Duarte
Podcast Music by Renzo Calma
This month we discuss all of the history that leads up to Batman’s creation. What’s a Comic? When was the first Comic created? Where did superheroes come from? Join us as we set the stage for Batman’s inception.
- Understanding Comics (Book)
- Papyrus Making Video
- Paper Making Video
- Woodcut
- Printing Press Documentary
- Literacy Data
- What is Historiography? (Video)
- Newspaper Printing (Video)
- Joseph Pulitzer
- The Yellow Kid
- William Randolph Hearst
- American Comics (Book)
- Malcolm Wheeler-Nicholson
- Why Does Superman Hate Cars? (Video)
You can find an archive of all episodes at batlessons.com
Send your comments, questions and corrections to contact@batlessons.com or tweet at us @batlessons
Podcast Artwork by Sergio R. M. Duarte
Podcast Music by Renzo Calma
Brian and Alex introduce themselves, and talk about what the show is going to be. Why bother talking about the history of Batman? And how much are we signing up for? Clearly the topic is big… but how big?
- Quillow
- Intelligent Lighting
- Richard Feynman
- Riverside
- Batman Live
You can find an archive of all episodes at batlessons.com. Send your comments, questions and corrections to contact@batlessons.com or tweet at us @batlessons
Podcast Artwork by Sergio R. M. Duarte
Podcast Music by Renzo Calma
Stay tuned for the first episode of Bat Lessons, The Batman History Podcast.
Trailer Voice Over by Rob Milton
Podcast Artwork by Sergio R. M. Duarte
Podcast Music by Renzo Calma