Batman Anime circa 1960 (plus "Batboy and Rubin")

No other title can really describe this inspired bit of animation from the under-appreciated kids' cartoon Batman: The Brave and the Bold. What other big-budget show would have the gumption to: 1) introduce Bat-Mite as a recurring character and 2) then use him as a way of exploring different incarnations of Batman?

In this case, that means they made an animated version of "Bat-Boy and Rubin", the classic Mad magazine parody written by Harvey Kurtzman and Will Elder, and -- AND --  an animated version of Jiro Kurwata's 1960s Japanese manga interpretation of the Caped Crusader (which features his Lord Death Man villain character).

It's pretty remarkable, and a lot of fun to watch (while it lasts) on YouTube:   

Batman as jazz

For years I've kicked at the theory that comics and jazz represent America's only unique, indigenous art forms. This point was made back in the 1970s, and has been repeated and rebutted countless times since along the lines of "Comics appeared in Europe years before they turned up on North American shores!" and "The roots of jazz are in Africa, not New Orleans!" etc. et al into boring infinitude. I know. Because I was a part of many of these conversations.

Yet, no matter how many times I talked about it with my comics-savvy colleagues (just imagine these conversations, for a moment) I always walked away with a different idea: That comic books and jazz have more in common than we give them credit for.



My jazzbo father Dad would probably wretch, but I finally got around to writing about it on the Globe and Mail's new Books site. My essay is called "Batman and jazz," and doubles as a sort-of book review of the sensational Bat-Manga! The Secret History of Batman in Japan.

Please buy it! And read my piece! And if you feel the need, rip me one!