In the ’60s, Batman had convenient labels for just about everything
Never underestimate the power of humorous signage. Mel Brooks knew it. The Simpsons knew it. Looney Tunes knew it. Zucker-Abrahams-Zucker knew it. And, perhaps most keenly of all, the creative team of the 1966-1968 Batman series on ABC damned well knew it. Of course, unlike those other Hollywood mirth-makers, the people behind Batman were making a stealth comedy in the guise of an ostensibly serious superhero show. That called for a slightly different approach to the problem, one that matched the personality of the show’s straight-laced, literal-minded title character. The solution? Have Batman give virtually everything in his possession a big, obvious label, as if Bruce Wayne devoted most of his time between adventures to making neat little signs for all his various gadgets and paraphernalia. Canadian Bat-fan and Tumblr user Aaron Reynolds has been keeping track of these and has turned his findings into “A Collection Of Bat-Labels,” a daffily entertaining collection of screenshots from the LBJ-era series.The pictures, also posted to his Twitter account, prove that Mr. Wayne is nothing if not thorough in his labeling.