One Great Bat-Time!

Yes, that's me and Yvonne "Batgirl" Craig, during one of the many memorable moments from this weekend's Screaming Tiki Comic and Pop Culture Convention in nearby Niles, Ohio at the Eastwood Expo Center.

I am going to really let my geek flag fly today. This was my first-ever con (a fact that amazes long-time friend Brad who still maintains that I have done much weirder things) and I was literally a kid in a celebrity candy shop all day Saturday.

Some observations:

• Julie Newmar is wild! I could not tell whether she was in character or just a character in general. Unlike the other stars, she sat on her table and beckoned fans over. She even dared them. Here's the original Catwoman with Eric and me.


PURR-FECTLY PHOTOGENIC.

• Brad and I got to sit in the perfect recreation of the TV Batmobile. For $20, we also got a nice 8-by-10 of the moment that we pretended to drive the streets of Gotham City in search of evil-doers.


ATOMIC BATTERIES TO POWER! TURBINES TO SPEED!

• Adam West is funny and polite and accessible, which means he is everything that his manager Fred is not. Fred was the one person at the con who seemed to rub absolutely everyone the wrong way. Fans told me of how he interrupted conversations, of how he was rude to those taking pictures (including The Vindicator photographer), of his general kill-joy nature in general. But I will still always cherish the fun times with Adam.


WILD, WILD WEST

• The biggest bargain at the con was at Tiny Titans booth where genius artist Art Balthazar would do a drawing of you as any superhero for $1! He did me as the Incredible Mark Hulk, Eric as Batman and Brad as Kid Flash.


MARK SMASH!

Here are some other images from the day (many shot by Mary who, oddly, was not photographed at the event).


DANGER! DANGER! BRAD AND MARK MEET THE ROBOT!


BRAD MEETS MALACHI "FALSE FACE" THRONE ... OR DOES HE?


BRAD MEETS YVONNE "MARTA" CRAIG ... SECURING A STAR TREK AUTOGRAPH FOR HIS WIFE KATHY


ADAM TRIES TO KEEP UP WITH JULIE DURING A PANEL DISCUSSION

Actually, I have a snippet of video from the panel. Here, Julie has just complimented Adam as the best Batman ever and he returns the compliment...



More later,


Mark