Gorshin Gets Rid of Skin-Tight Riddler Costume
It’s perfectly natural for actors to take issue with their costumes from time to time, and the same applied to Frank Gorshin. Just like Batman and Robin, DC Comics depicts Riddler in a tight-fitting leotard. But Gorshin was not having it. He complained about the tight-fitting look enough that ABC tailored him a trademark green question mark-covered suit.
His new costume came with a bowler hat. They didn’t want to lose him. Gorshin’s portrayal became so popular with audiences that the comic book series began increasing Riddler’s appearances. In editions prior to the late ‘60s, DC Comics’ Riddler had been a minor character.
The Caped Crusader Will Return No More
Nearly all of the original cast have passed away, except for one. Burt Ward is the last surviving cast member of the original 1966 "Batman" television series, where he played Batman's trusty sidekick, Robin. He is currently living in Los Angeles with his wife, Tracy Posner.
Having outlived all of his co-stars, including Adam West, who passed away in 2017 at the age of 88 from complications of leukemia, Ward has bid farewell to them all. Despite his loss, Ward continues to hold dear the memories and experiences he shared with his fellow cast members and the many fans who continue to cherish the series to this day.
The Reruns
Batmania peaked and plummeted, and in 1968 ABC pulled the series from its time slot. All was not lost, however. In the fall of 1969, bat fans could still tune into the Dynamic Duo on syndication. Reruns aired well into the early 1970s. But then, Batman was nowhere to be found.
VCRs had not yet been invented, and no TV stations aired them. The 1966 series came back to life on TV in 1989, syndicated again, finally, to promote a new Batman movie. Michael Keaton’s Batman would both animate Batman nostalgia and inject some excitement back into the Caped Crusader.
Mr. Zero
Mr. Zero was the original name of the villain who later became Mr. Freeze in the Batman comic series. Before a failed experiment altered his physiology, Mr. Zero was a scientist who specialized in cryogenics. After the accident, Mr. Zero blamed Batman for his transformation and dedicated himself to seeking revenge against the Caped Crusader.
Although Batman was attempting to save Mr. Zero during the experiment, he ultimately failed, and Mr. Zero's hatred for Batman grew. Mr. Freeze's character is one of the most complex villains in the Batman universe, driven by his love for his wife and his desire to cure her illness, which he blames on Batman.
Gotham Looks a Lot Like. . .
There are plenty of similarities that one can draw between Batman's fictional world and the real world that we live in. After all, Gotham City does look a lot like New York City. But if you look closely at the Giant Lighted Lucite Map of Gotham City found in Batman’s Batcave, you will notice that Gotham bears a strong resemblance to St. Louis.
This is because the map of the Dynamic Duo’s city is a map of St. Louis flipped in reverse. Looking at it, you’ll see St. Louis clearly marked, as well as sites like Lafayette Park and Tower Grove Park; you just have to be dyslexic to read it.