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SCMP Reporter

Batman celebrates his 80th birthday this year – the Gotham City superhero first appeared in DC Comics in March 1939 – and an exhibition of memorabilia opened on Thursday in Hong Kong to mark the anniversary.
Although many of us grew up watching him and his sidekick Robin BAM-ing and POW-ing their way out of many sticky situations, just how much do we know about the Caped Crusader and his impact on pop culture?
Here are five obscure facts about the winged wonder.
Andy Warhol made the first Batman movie


Yea, Andy Warhol (best known for his silk screen paintings of Campbell’s soup cans) was, apparently, a Batman fan and made a two-hour black-and-white film called Batman Dracula as a “homage” to the superhero – without the permission of DC Comics.
Edited clips of the film can be found on YouTube, and the American contemporary artist’s portrayal of Batman is closer to a vampire than the rubber suited action hero we are familiar today.

There are at least three Asian Batmans
Wang Baixi is part of the Chinese Justice League (from DC Comics’ New Super-Man series, which was first published in 2016). He was recruited by the Ministry of Self-Reliance, the branch of China’s government overseeing its state-approved superheroes.
The Chinese Batman has been described as a tech genius who is a skilled fighter and designs his own gadgets and vehicle.

According to one thread on Stack Exchange, a Q&A website on a wide range of subjects including science fiction and fantasy, there is Jiro Osamu, known as the Batman of Japan, and Heino Okata who went by the code name “Most Excellent Super-Bat”.
These are not to be confused with Batman Ninja, an animated feature by Warner Bros featuring Batman from Gotham City who was sent back in time to feudal Japan during a battle in Arkham Asylum.
A university course on Batman
You’ve read it right. The University of Victoria in Canada once offered a course called “The Science of Batman” (2012-13). According to Quora, it “explores such themes as using Batman as a metaphor for both physiological and psychological human conditioning, adapting exercise and preparation for achieving personal goals and the science behind injuries and the recovery process.
“The idea of exploring limitations of humanity while using pop culture and comic book heroes as a reference point is actually a very interesting one that could be applied in a variety of different fields, from marketing to sports management.”
Ahem.

Batman: Hong Kong
While it is widely known that part of The Dark Knight, directed by Christopher Nolan, was filmed in Hong Kong, there is a DC Comics title called Batman: Hong Kong, which was published in August 2003. In this story, a series of murders leads Batman (Bruce Wayne) to Hong Kong, with his butler/valet Alfred in tow.


Batman briefly dated Superman’s girlfriend
When TV series The New Batman Adventures crosses over with Superman: The Animated Series, Bruce develops romantic feelings for Lois Lane, much to Superman’s annoyance. Lane later discovers Bruce is Batman and breaks off the relationship, but keeps his secret.
In fact Batman/Bruce has had so many love interests, major and minor, throughout the past 80 years that a separate page has to be set up on his fan site to accommodate all of them.


Batman’s 80th Anniversary, UG2 Atrium and on L3, The One, 100 Nathan Rd, Tsim Sha Tsui. Until September 22


Who is Hikari, the Japanese director behind Beef and Brendan Fraser-starrer Rental Family?

Meet Genesis Rodriguez, who plays Isabel De Leon in Netflix’s The Night Agent

Meet Isabel May, who plays Sidney Prescott’s daughter, Tatum, in Scream 7

What to know about Hong Kong’s Isabella Wei, who plays Posy Li in Netflix’s Bridgerton

American cinema

Holy birthday, Batman. Five things you never knew about Caped Crusader, who’s turning 80

Batman greets his fans in Shanghai. Photo: AP

Cover of Batman: Hong Kong (2003)

Batman Ninja

Andy Warhol dresses up as Batman with Nico as Robin

Many people recognise Batman from the original TV series. Here are five things you probably never knew about the superhero.

Marvel’s Shang-Chi: five reasons Tony Leung’s casting is huge – Hong Kong actor to play villain The Mandarin

Tony Leung Chiu-wai’s casting in Marvel’s Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings makes him the first Hong Kong actor to take a lead role in a Marvel film.

Monster Hunt 2.

Canadian actor Simu Liu (R) and director Destin Daniel Cretton speak on stage for the Marvel panel in Hall H of the Convention Center during Comic Con in San Diego, California on July 20, 2019. (Photo by Chris Delmas / AFP)

Ben Kingsley as The Mandarin in a still from Iron Man 3. Photo: Zade Rosenthal/Marvel

Don Lee, left, and Angelina Jolie participate in the Marvel Studios panel on day three of Comic-Con International on Saturday, July 20, 2019, in San Diego. (Photo by Chris Pizzello/Invision/AP)

Film still of The Grandmaster starring Tony Leung by Cinematographer Philippe Le Sourd and writer Wong Kar Wai . Daily Features, Arts & Entertainment, 18FEB2014

Actor on playing the white villain in Hong Kong film, and how he spotted a ‘bad guy’ niche to fill

Philippe Joly plays Russian boss Mogilov in Abduction opposite Andy On. Photo: courtesy of Philippe Joly

French actor Philippe Joly, photographed in Wan Chai for an interview on his career as an actor who always plays the villain. 03JUL19 [FEATURES] SCMP / Tory Ho

Hong Kong-based actor Philippe Joly as Joey in sci-fi movie "Variant" due for release Jan 2020

Hong Kong based actor Philippe Joly plays main villain Mick/Mr. M in "Ultimate Code" due for release Q3 2019

Andy Lau (front) in a scene from White Storm 2: Drug Lords

Multilingual French-Russian actor Philippe Joly looked for a niche to fill in Hong Kong film, and quickly realised he had the face of a “bad guy” rather than a romantic lead. Since then he’s “died a lot”, he says. Photo: Tory Ho

From Suzie Wong to Batman – how Hollywood studios have used Hong Kong’s distinctive cityscape to bring a splash of colour to the silver screen

The Pearl, a fictional skyscraper, is the world's tallest skyscraper at 3,500 feet tall in the movie Skyscraper, set in Hong Kong. Photo: Handout

Scarlett Johansson plays The Major in "Ghost in the Shell." (Paramount Pictures)

In the Mood for Love (2000). Maggie Cheung Man-yuk(L) and Tony Leung Chiu-wai. SCMP Pictures (UNDATED HANDOUT)

Heath Ledger and Maggie Gyllenhaal in The Dark Knight (2008).

Nancy Kwan stars as Suzie and William Holden stars as artist Robert Lomay in "The world of Suzie Wong"

No online rights, This image may be republished, JENNIFER EHLE as Dr. Ally Hextall and DEMETRI MARTIN as Dr. David Eisenberg in the thriller ÃâCONTAGION,Ãâ a Warner Bros. Pictures release., A still of Contagion, starring Jennifer Ehle (left) and Demetri Martin

Batman swoops past Two International Finance Centre in a still from The Dark Knight (2008). Photo: Handout

Lifestyle

Entertainment

Batman first appeared in 1939 in DC Comics, and has since appeared in countless comics, on TV, in films and video games
From Andy Warhol to Japan’s Most Excellent Super-Bat, here are five obscure facts about the superhero


Batman first appeared in 1939 in DC Comics, and has since appeared in comics, on TV, in films and video games. From Andy Andy Warhol to Japan’s Most Excellent Super-Bat, here are five obscure facts about the superhero.


Fame and celebrity

Cinema