BATMAN COLLECTED (First edition 1996) Chip Kidd (Hardcover no dustjacket)

Since 1939, the Batman mythology has shaped the American imagination. And from the 1940s onward, Batman's ever-growing popularity has spawned thousands of toys, gadgets and other collectibles - plastic figurines, nightlights, wristwatches, windup toys, clothing, food products, costumes and more. Chip Kidd, acclaimed book designer and passionate Batman collector, brings these objects to life in Batman Collected, his tribute to the power of the Batman legend. Drawing on Kidd's own collection as well as the DC Comics archives, the book features works by Andy Warhol, Carmine Infantino, Bob Kane, Frank Miller, David Mazzucchelli and other notable artists. Batman Collected is a gallery of dramatic full-color photos of the rarest Batman memorabilia accompanied by Kidd's absorbing text detailing the mysterious fascination of Batman collecting. Geoff Spear's extreme closeup photography and chiaroscuro lighting give the material an aura of dark menace, and Kidd's striking design will surprise fans, collectors and Batophiles of all ages. It's all here: from the 1940s movie posters, radio scripts and figurines to the explosion of toys and merchandise connected with the 1960s TV show to the sketches and art for the Dark Knight revival of the 1980s and the authenticity and noirish elegance of the contemporary Batman movies and animated series. Collectors will thrill to the sight of rare Japanese Batman games and windup robots, British pulp novels, Topps trading cards, Aurora models, Mego figurines and much more. Fans of graphic design will be mesmerized by Kidd's tour of his obsession.
Since 1939, the Batman mythology, with its overtones of dark menace and crusading justice, has shaped the American imagination. It has also spawned an enormous consumer industry, from gadgets to clothing and collectibles. Drawn from the author's private collection and from the archives of DC Comics, this gallery of color photos showcases the artwork of Andy Warhol and other notable illustrators and the rarest Batman memorabilia, including posters, figurines, toys, and merchandise tied into the comic books, 1960s TV series, blockbuster movies, and current animated television show. 9 x 12. (Bulfinch) 276pp. HC