BATMAN THOUGHT FACTORY ORIGINAL POSTER ART by DREW STRUZAN

As a young boy growing up in the 1970's, I had this poster hanging up in my bedroom for many years. I would often gaze upon it with wonderment thinking to myself, "If Batman really did exist, this is what he would look like, patrolling the fog laden and rain slicked rooftops of Gotham City by twilight." This remarkable image really etched an indelible and timeless impression upon my mind. It is NOSTALGIC in every sense of the word.

In 1977, Thought Factory, in association with Bill Wallen, partnered to create a series of superhero posters that featured such famous characters as Superman, Batman, Spider-Man, Wonder Woman, Captain America, among others. The posters showcased the superheroes in a much more realistic and dramatic dominant pose, accompanied by a more classic comic book line art panel below the main figure. They proved to be wildly popular among comic book fans throughout the later 1970's and the 1980's. The various posters were created by an elite group of superbly talented artists including Drew Struzan, Ron Kiss, Joe Garnett and others. These pieces are some of the most impressive and unforgettable images ever created of these timeless characters and represent a very unique and significant historical aspect of superhero pop culture.

Original artwork for Batman poster by the legendary Hollywood movie poster artist Drew Struzan. Rendered in mixed media, which includes airbrush, acrylic and color pencils and measures a WHOPPING 33.5" x 22.25" on sturdy art board. The piece is in very fine condition with little overall wear. There are a few thin creases in the artwork that are tough to see, with these small creases actually being visible in the final printed version of the poster and did not occur after the artwork's initial use. This artwork comes out from Bill Wallen's personal collection and is signed by Struzan with his early stylized gestalt "S" logo in the lower left corner. The lower panel is likewise mixed media original art, inspired by the work of the legendary Neal Adams.

This towering figure of The Batman is SUPER SPECIAL indeed and ranks as one of the most ICONIC images of the Capped Crusader ever created and published during his 85+ years of existence that spans comic books, newspaper strips, feature films, TV shows, toys and a mixed multitude of other media mediums. Ever since his inaugural introduction in Detective Comics #27 (DC Comics/ May, 19939), Bob Kane's creation has ascended to the rarified plateau of a true and important part of authentic Americana.

I would like to thank fellow Bat-aficionado David Bixler for offering me this piece.