"Batman & Robin" Superhero sensations "Burt & Tracy Ward" feature story

Magazine ®

“Pet Super Heroes”

Burt & Tracy ory t S Ward! Cover lusive c x E

editor’s letter Who’s your superhero ?

A super hero is a figure especially in a comic strip or cartoon, endowed with superhuman powers. They are usually portrayed as fighting crime or evil. The Merriam-Webster dictionary gives the definition as “a fictional hero” having extraordinary or superhuman powers; or an exceptionally skilled “successful person.” Some of the better known super heroes and heroines of our time include the cartoon figures many of us grew up with like: Batman & Robin, Superman, Wonder Woman etc. But we all encounter super heroes every day of our lives. Super heroes come in all shapes and sizes, all ages, all races, all religions and sexes . Everyone needs a super hero in their lives perhaps to save “their”day! Our pets can be super heroes too as they are always there for us and many would put their lives on the line without a second thought if an archenemy appeared. So.. “Thank you” to all our everyday Super Heroes! They make every day a Super day!

Barbara

Barbara@lickmagazine.com

Love

®

Publisher/CD/ED/CRO

Barbara Jayne

Barbara has 30 years experience in Publishing, Advertising and Media working with notable entities from Andy Warhol’s “Interview Magazine” to Conde Nast’s “Self Magazine” and her own digital pet publication “Lick Magazine”.

Production Director/ Contributor

Contributor

Mark Finley

Beverly Houwing

Mark is a multi-media artist currently exploring photocollage. Mark’s compositions reference pop culture and the idols of a generation.

Dudley, his dog, is Mark’s “muse”. finley1616@gmail.com

Beverly Houwing is an award winning photographer whose work appears in magazines and galleries.

She is also a graphic designer.

Editor

Denise Fleck

Denise Fleck is The Pet Safety Crusader having taught 20K humans animal life-saving skills. Author of more than a dozen books, learn more about her at www.PetSafetyCrusader.com and...check her out in the pages of LICK Magazine!

Social Media

Nikki McFarling

Nikki is the founder of the podcast “Livey and Opinioned”. She loves to write short stories and poetry but is also a master at social media helping many Hollywood VIPs, including LICK, keep their latest happenings current.!

“We Are All

The Dynamic Duo.. to life in real living breathing flesh and blood action figures.

The dynamic duo of “Batman and Robin” (Adam West and Burt Ward) were cartoon figured caped crusaders brought to life. They always “saved the day!”

They were the comic strip come to life! Good always triumphed over evil! The good guys always did the rescuing and peace prevailed in the city.

A few years ago my good friend Jack from WPET Pet talk radio told me that Burt Ward the --original Robin of “Batman

Many moons ago I was eating my spinach and watching cartoons like Popeye and Betty Boop! They were colorful and fun animated characters and they always seemed to get into a heap of trouble but redeemed every situation with their sense of goodness and right prevailing over evil.

These wonderful cartoon characters were always part of a tale that had a positive message and a happy ending.

Batman and Robin which came on the tv scene in the 1960’s took the medium of the cartoon illustration and brought it

Burt & Tracy at the Hollywood Christmas Parade.

cover story

Super Heroes” real life super heroes!

by Barbara Jayne

and Robin” iconic fame-- lived in California and would be perfect as the cover of “Lick.”

Robin apparently was still in the rescuing business except these days he was rescuing beings of the four legged variety.

And yes he was still as famous and memorable as ever as “Robin” eternally alive in re-run mode somewhere.

I picked up the phone and called Burt and his wife Tracy and they were down to earth and friendly .. just as wonderful as you would expect cartoon super heroes and heroines to be.

Burt at Fight Evil Gala

Robin, ( I mean Burt ), told me he was going to school and selling real estate when he was in his late teens.

He had the opportunity of trying out for the part of Robin at the ripe age of 19. Burt went on the audition in the blind not really expecting to land the role and not knowing much about the character or part! Well, “just when you least expect it” ..that’s when things seem to come to be.

Burt was picked over 1100 other actors for the Robin role.

The producers picked both Burt Ward and Adam West not

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Gentle

“Our life’s cause, ...Is to help every dog live the happiest, longest life possible, and to make every person on earth realize that every one of us can be a superhero. We’re all superheroes if we do whatever we can to help animals or anyone in need. We’re very busy, but it’s a privilege to show that we can make a difference - and that’s what life is all about.”

— Tracy Ward

Giants

necessarily for their exquisite acting ability but because both men exhibited in their natural personalities the traits of their Super Hero characters. Adam and Burt really were The real “Batman and Robin!”

Adam and Burt together were a force to be reckoned with.

Everyone had a good laugh with and at this duo. And Every kid in the world saw their show and wanted to be a Super Hero too! Adam West was taught early on to be honest and not take himself too seriously. He led his life and career in the same way and so did Burt.

Victor Paul (Burt’s stunt man) always seemed to be off having coffee with Adam West at the worst times! It seemed like all the dangerous stunts ended up with Burt doing his own stunts! Burt was constantly in the emergency hospital.

He was thinking he was just an unlucky guy.. Burt was blown off tables and singed a bit.

Bob Kane and Bill Silver from D.C. Comics created the original Batman character which was sweetened by a cast of over 250 guest stars and people who wanted to do the show including: Ann Baxter, Jim Brolin, Rob Reiner, Vincent Price and so many others..

Batman and Robin also had 3 Catwomen to deal with over the course of the series! That’s 27 in cat lives!!

Julie Newmar, Eartha Kitt, Lee Meriwether were some of the sexy cat women in Burt and Adam’s on screen lives. Then of course there were the equally famous villains like Burgess Meredith, Cesar Romero, Frank Gorshin and more..

When he rode with Batman he rode in the lower side car. Adam would push a button and the side car would disengage careening away into the pier and splash! into the water with Burt inside or another time right into a chicken coop! Everyone thought it was very funny.. except maybe Burt! He was often left white knuckled and screaming!

Executive producer William Dozier thought Burt was as close to the character of “Robin” as they could have imagined.

Lee Meriwether (Catwoman) with Burt Ward.

First came the successful series then the movie followed.

The series was 34 episodes and the movie was utilized to sell the series overseas!

And of course this was the 1960’s love era so that meant a lot of freer love on-screen and off for both of our superheroes!

The director was actually a bit worried about the bulge in Burt’s tights and gave Burt special “medical pills” to shrink the manly superhero size that was in his “private parts area”. Burt of course quit the pulls Lickity split and started to discreetly use his caped crusader cape to cover the prominent family jewels. Oh the life of a prominent Super Hero!

This is “Arrow” a Great Dane (adopted from Gentle Giants) with Anne Carlson’s daughter Boothe.

Well, Burt almost lost the family jewels again when he met Tracy whose prominent VIP dad wanted Burt in all his caped crusader fabulousness to say goodbye to his daughter perhaps thinking that being entangled with a Super Hero was just not the role he envisioned for his special girl. But

Burt & Tracy at the Hollywood Christmas Parade.

Burt stood his ground and Love prevailed and Burt and Tracy have lasted over 25 years and are going strong.

Burt and Tracy are wonderful giving souls and make up there own Super Hero team embodied in their “Gentle Giants Animal Rescue” in Norco, California that has rescued more than 15,000 animals including many Great Danes and larger size dogs since its inception.

Plus, if that wasn’t enough.. Burt and Tracy are also the proprietors of “Gentle Giants” Dog food and products brand.

(Burt was recently on the “Ellen” show talking all about it!)

This amazing brand with its special ingredients appears to enhance the longevity of large breed dogs allowing many of the dogs on their Gentle Giants dog food diet to live healthfully into their twenties!

And Burt and Tracy are coming out with more exciting extensions to their product line in 2020.. so stay tuned for Gentle Giants for your cats too!!

At the end of the day, Burt Ward may have played a Super Hero on both big and small screens but he is also a real life Super Hero in how he and his wife Tracy live their lives. They are everyday Super Heroes making everyone’s lives both pet and human a kinder Gentler place.

Latest update: Burt and Tracy were just photographed for the upcoming Hollywood Christmas parade.. and Burt has an exciting “New Super Hero “show coming out for 2020!

Details coming soon!

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Food for Cats!

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