Colouring Book Theatre : Batman and Robin

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Today's colouring book is another one I had as a kid, Batman and Robin Battle the Joker in "Comedy of Tears" I borrowed the cover image from Rob Kelly's Treasury Comics website because this tabloid sized volume is too big for my scanner.

While the cover is a 60's image by Carmine Infantino (which also graced the Mego Batman box) the insides reflect the Batman of the mid seventies, Robin looks to be about 18.

Whitman did a nice job marrying the modern art style while making the content just a little reminiscent of the Adam West series.

I must say as a kid, I really dug this book, probably why I still have it as an adult. Most of the colouring is by yours truly but I'll explain that later.

The story starts out with the Joker escaping from Arkham Asylum and decides to think outside the box, instead of making people laugh, he'll make them cry. Bruce Wayne is wearing the loudest jacket he can find, no second guessing the decade here.

The Joker, who is drawn to look like an eery combination of Phyllis Diller and that "Madame" puppet, embarks on a series of seemingly meaningless crimes that make people cry, like stealing this kid's report card and swiping some schlub's petition.





Of course, the Joker wants the signatures on those documents to commit crimes which leads into his first encounter with the Dynamic Duo. Note the Joker's green nose, this is another strange colouring job by the previously mentioned Michael C. He was a menace, I remember snapping about this.






In the end, the Dynamic Duo get the best of the Joker by duping him into accepting a cheque as ransom for Robin. The dynamic duo get all dressed up to pick him up for his trip back to the asylum. Life is swell in Gotham city.





Got a colouring book you'd like to guest review? Drop me a line!
Seriously, I'm running out of stuff here, I'm down to my daughter's "My Little Pony" book.

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[The Toyroom]

Cool! I think I had the giant Shazam coloring book from Whitman...

Do you have the normal-sized Batman coloring books from the same time period, Brian? I seem to recall ones with Batman facing the Minstrel (from the '60s TV series). Not sure if my memory is correct or if I'm amalgamizing.

[BlackKnight]

Thats Great Stuff !
They don't have coloring books like this today,.. most comicbook related coloring books that I have scene, are like 25 pages, with only a few great ones to color. The rest of the book is filled with endless Puzzels, & mazes & what have you. With that being said, .. I have been coping my sons coloring books for him, so he can always color that picture.

[toys2cool]

that looks awesome man,but blue lips on the Batman

[ShadowAvenger]

I still have my copy of the oversized Batman coloring book. Unfortunately, it's in tatters because I could never find a suitable place to store it plus I took the back cover off shortly when I got it.

[HardyGirl]

I have a giant Wonder Woman book that's too big for my scanner too. Funny thing is that an ex-co-worker found it (along w/ a bunch of other stuff) sitting in the street for the garbage man to take. It's only got a few pages colored in. I like shrinking down some of the pics on the copier at work for my kids during cartoon and comics week.

[ctc]

Hmmmm....

Y'know.... I can remember tons of Batman and Spiderman colouring books when I was a kid. Nowadays; not so much. I know this 'cos my folks told me.

Interesting story: years ago a freind of mine told me to get some cheap colouring books to use for practice with the airbrush. Good idea. Now that my folks are retired they've got back into drawing and painting; and are using the same trick. But there isn't a lot of variety to what's available. (Gary's looking for Superman ones.)

Don C.

[Earth 2 Chris]

Anthony,

I have the coloring book with the Minstrel. I believe that one has Batman and Robin dropping out of the sky in front of Catwoman's Cat-car on the cover. I have serveral Batman coloring books from that era, although I think that one and a few others were actually first released in the 60s during Bat-mania.

I've never seen the interior of this before. Besides the odd take of the Joker (dead-on description there Brain), it seems to have some nice artwork.

My favorite Batman coloring book is a cool "sequel" to the famous "Laughing Fish" comic story. Joker does indeed open a restaruant chain of "Joker burgers" just like he threatened in that famous comic (and the BTAS episode that adapted it). The Dick Giordano cover has Batman and Robin outside a jail cell that contains the Joker in a straightjacket(!) laughing maniacally.

Chris

[megoscott]

I had one of these giant Batman books---it might have been this one, the cover is very familiar. I recall only one panel--it had Batman in the ocean, holding his head out of the water. I remember it vividly because my grandfather colored it in and did a surprisingly good job...he showed me how to use a light touch with the crayon so the color came out smooth.

[monkey tennis]

What was the 'Big Bonus on Back Cover'

[palitoy]

I had one of these giant Batman books---it might have been this one, the cover is very familiar. I recall only one panel--it had Batman in the ocean, holding his head out of the water. I remember it vividly because my grandfather colored it in and did a surprisingly good job...he showed me how to use a light touch with the crayon so the color came out smooth.

[megoscott]

That's the one! Thank you, masked man!