Why an a n Why now thology and ? The comics medium has grown leaps and bounds since it’s life started
in the early days of print media, beginning as a way to spread religion to the illiterate – moving into the 17th and 18th centuries, artists and cartoonists started to use their creativity to make social and political commentary through the works of William Hogarth, Franz Hogenburg, James Gilray and many more. Blasting into the 20th century comics had enveloped the world as the go to medium for not only political satire, but also serialised narratives enjoyed on cheap newsprint paper and disposed of and recycled for war bonds. It was during that century that we saw the rise of comics publishing juggernauts such as Marvel, DC, Darkhorse and more. Although there was another print revolution happening behind the scenes, a slow dull roar that built, and built until it exploded into the independent comics and zine culture of the mid-20th century. Print media had matured to the point where anyone with two pennies to rub together could draw a comic, pack it up, and go to their local print shop and use their Xerox machine to create fully printed, stapled or saddle stitched issues of comics – a publisher or a team of people were no longer necessary for artists to get their ideas off the ground and into the hands of readers, self-published comics had been born. The self-publishing scene gave rise to some of the greatest talents working in the industry today, the self-publishing and indie comics scenes would look incredibly different if it wasn’t for a place to sell your newly created masterpiece. Back in the day you had two options: the local independent comics shop and comic book conventions. Conventions have been a fantastic venue for getting your own work seen by readers, editors, and fellow creators for decades, flash forward to 2020, when the ominous COVID-19 virus rocked the world into lockdowns, restrictions, and general economic and social chaos. 2020 and 2021 we’re tough years for creators and convention guests alike with cancelled and postponed shows every other month, these were remedied by online comic cons, a bigger push on comics getting funded via crowdfunding campaigns and a more digitally connected community. At Portsmouth comic con we understand the value that conventions bring to the comics community, for both creators and guests alike. With the launch of Portsmouth comic con coming back after a two year hiatus we decided that we have a duty to highlight the talent that not only exhibits at our event, but also the content from the wider community we have.
Comics My most memorable comic con moment happened at New York Comic Con 2016. Or maybe it was 2017 - I'm not sure. Either way, it started in a manic fashion. I was flying in to JFK from Heathrow, and being whisked straight to the Javitz Centre where, if I could make it on time, I was scheduled to be a guest on the Vertigo panel in Hall B, talking about my new series Red Thorn. I got off the plane, having not slept in 29 hours, and raced across the city in a yellow cab. I was met at the junction of 38th Street and 10th Avenue by Tracy Martin, DC's Talent Relations manager, who handed me a lanyard pass, and I ran straight to the convention hall, dragging my suitcase behind me. I opened the door to the hall just as Shelly Bond looked at her powerpoint and said into the mic, 'And this is the cover of Red Thorn #1. I don't suppose Dave Baillie made it on time?' But that's not the memorable moment. The panel itself was a blur, and I remember sitting down after doing my bit and realising I was had just shared a stage with genuine comics legends Darwyn Cooke and Gilbert Hernandez. There were also up-and-coming red hot creators like Tom King and Mitch Gerads, and two of my favourite novelists Holly Black and Lauren Beukes. It was totally bewildering. But that's not the memorable moment either.
Afterwards, I retired to the DC Comics Green Room, which looked out over the convention floor. It had coffee, food and a clean bathroom. (If you've ever been to a convention that holds a hundred thousand people, you'll know how rare and valuable a clean bathroom is!) I queued for the toilet behind two other gentlemen, and it took me a moment to realise that they were Jim Lee and Frank Miller. The most prestigious toilet queue I had ever joined. But that's not the memorable moment I'm talking about, either. Later that evening, I dragged my jetlagged self to a bar in Hell's Kitchen, where a bunch of people, some from the Vertigo panel, were hanging out. I was talking to Lauren Beukes. (Lauren's written some great books - I really recommend Zoo City and Shining Girls, which is being made into a TV show for Apple, starring Elizabeth Moss.) I asked her how she found writing comics as opposed to novels, and she told me she enjoyed it, but that she sometimes got fed up of 'not just being able to tell the story.' She then said something that I was to think about repeatedly for the next few years. 'I mean, writing prose is obviously the purest way of telling a story.' I could tell from her face that my face'd had some sort of involuntary response. And this - this is my memorable moment. I just couldn't believe that what I thought was a fundamental, universal truth was being disputed. Nothing, nothing is more pure than comics. Surely everyone just knows that? I listened to Lauren's argument, that as a writer you're only responsible for the script - the instructions that are communicated to the artist, and then the copy - the captions and dialogue. She said that she thought this extra layer of obfuscation leads to ambiguity, putting noise in your signal. But isn't that just like describing a scene to a reader in one of your (amazing) novels, I argued (somewhat disingenuously), and hoping they see it just like you do? And what if you are both writer and artist, I asked? Surely then the story you're telling is being piped directly into the brain of the reader, exactly as you intend? For me comics are the purest way to tell a story. There's no need to worry about first, second or third person perspective, or past, future or present tense - although these are all available to you, if you choose to employ them. But you don't need to. You just...
Write the story. Or draw the story. You simply put it on the page. And then you put that page in front of someone else. What could be more pure than that? Comics make my brain light up, like no other form of art. I also love painting, music, prose, radio dramas and origami theatre but none of that makes me feel the way comics do. When a story rattles along, and the art is sublime, the letters dance across the page and the colour palette is perfectly balanced, it doesn't matter if I'm holding a pamphlet, a bound book, a tablet or a piece of original art - my brain crackles and my heart sings. For me, and I bet pretty much everyone else who works in the industry, comics is the purest form of storytelling. There's no quicker way to get that neural hit of narrative - it's right there, slapping you in the face. In Scott McCloud's (must-read) book Understanding Comics, he explains how he answers that frequently asked question, 'How do I break into comics?' You get a piece of paper, he tells us, and then fold it in half. Fold it in half again and then write and draw on each side. Give that to someone and, congratulations - you're in comics. There's nothing purer than that!
-David Baillie London
Illustration
Artwork by Lucy Dobson Instagram: sundaysloth_art Facebook: LucyAmberDesigns
Artwork by Koahri Twitter: @Koahri1 Discord: Xenome#2443
Artwork by Paige Yarka Instagram: @leottaart
Artwork by Jonathan Scott INstagram: @jjscottillustration Website: jjscottillustration.co.uk
Annie Heard annieheardart@gmail.com Insta: @annieheardart
Ventsislava Neykova Venineikova@abv.bg www.artstation.com/vensislava
Art by Jada Sinclair jadaannesinc@gmail.com Insta: @sincryart
Dominic Taylor Dorange9123@gmail.com Insta @ddartwint
Ventsislava Neykova Venineikova@abv.bg www.artstation.com/vensislava
Annie Heard annieheardart@gmail.com Insta: @annieheardart
Art by Stevie Hunt Instagram: Violentartist.UK
Art by Stevie Hunt Instagram: Violentartist.UK
Art by Stevie Hunt Instagram: Violentartist.UK
Cosplay
David Brindle
David Brindle
Portsmouth comic con’s International art trail: BANGKOK Portsmouth Comic Con’s international initiative for 2022 focused on shining a light on comics and artist hailing from the land of smiles itself, Thailand – specifically Bangkok Thailand. Our journey began with a sit down interview with comics scholar Nicolas Verstappen, who built his credentials in his home country of Belgium, where he spent many years making comics an area of study before relocating to Bangkok.He had always been interested in teaching, and since he was now on the job hunt he looked for work at local universities. Verstappen’s enormous talent and wealth of knowledge didn’t go unnoticed at Chulalongkorn University where he was offered a position in their prodigious Communication Arts faculty. Now Nicolas Verstappen is the author of “The art of Thai comics: a century of Strips and Stripes”(River Books, 2021), what could be considered the go to written authority on the 9th art in Thailand. It was with Nicolas Verstappen’s aid that we organised Portsmouth Comic Con’s International Initiative 2022 – an art show that showcases 16 Bangkok based artists across 20 poster sights throughout the city of Portsmouth! To find out more about these artists and the state of the comic industry in Thailand please read below.
Meet the artists
Ping Sasinan
Vanabud Chaiprakorb
NARSID
Paul limgenco
Arty Nicharee
Nirut chamsuwan
Sasi t
Namsai khaobor
kawakhwan
applesoda
Wichawin Temeeyapradit
Super fah jellyfish
Sketchman boris
Ployjaploen Paopanlerd (Bamie)
Supasin Kreecharoen
MPP511
Jeen Lawsuriyont
Nirut Chamsuwan Nirut Chamsuwan spent his formative years in the United States before establishing Nirut Chamsuwan Studios in Thailand. Based in Bangkok, Nirut freelances as an artist specializing in illustration, graphic design and portraiture, and nurtures a love for comic books and sequential storytelling that has informed his artwork since youth. While studying architecture at the Savannah College of Art and Design, Nirut would often joke that the primary reason for following such a course was to learn how to do backgrounds for comic book panels. World-building and attention to detail have since become integral parts of his artwork. After a long break from sequential art developing curricula and media to facilitate English language instruction in Thailand, Nirut is returning to the medium he loves and is currently illustrating New Camelot, a revival of an Arthurian reimagining with writer Brian Fitzgerald.
“I wanted to present a piece that both showcased variety as well as the various processes involved in the production of comics on the visual side, from pencils to inks to color and so forth. I’d done a number of black and white comics and usually leaned on very bold blacks to balance the absence of color, and black and white line work is pretty much what I specialize in. The color elements are both digital and by hand, and I hope the piece celebrates the myriad of techniques that can be showcased in the unique medium that is comic books. “The artwork featured is mostly from Run, a series I developed as a gateway to English language reading for Thai students, and New Camelot, a new take on Arthurian legend to be released later this year.”
Paul Limgenco I’m happy to say that I’ve been painting comics and covers or years. Working remotely from Thailand has its challenges versus working from home in Toronto. My experience working on “Neon Black”, and anthologies like “Elseworlds” and “Cauldron Magazine” has definitely improved my sequential work and I’m always looking for more. Currently, I have no big projects in the pipeline but my commission list keeps my paint coursing! Of course, you can see more of my work on Instagram at @paul_limgenco. Thanks for reading up on me!
“Fatal Attractions” Acrylic on Strathmore Magneto is showing that he’s one of the strongest mutants ever by winning a fight against somebody who doesn’t usually lose, Wolverine. This painting is based on the X-Men story, Fatal Attractions. This painting was a private commission.
Jeen Lawsuriyont I am Jeen ,a graphic design student who is currently studying in the last term at Commde, Chulalongkorn. I mostly express my works through the black and white illustrations. ‘After sleeping’ is the condition of the narcoleptic people after they have stepped into the sleep state. It expresses the visual of the feeling, which most patients face every time they lie down in their bed. This illustration gets inspired from the personal narcoleptic patients’ interview, ‘Sinking into the water’, which is the visual they gave.
I have grown up with the comic since it has been famous in the form of publication. In my opinion, the comic industry is a part of Thai people. We have grown up with them and they have influenced Thai children’s perspective. Nowadays there are more spaces to express their works, so it builds up many new artists. However it still gets less value from the perspective that comics are for children, people still consume with the mass styles in the society. I wish most people would give the acceptance for more diversity in the future.
Hirunkorn “Fah” Nikornsaen AKA superfah jellyfish Hirunkorn Nikornsaen also known as Superfah Jellyfish, Fah, and Skye. An illustrator, a tattoo artist, and a graphic designer who loves Guinness and enjoys going to the sports bar. Punk and independent but also wears pink.
painted these 2 illustrations during the start of summer in Thailand. The weather is getting hot and vitamins from fresh fruits are the lifesaver. I wanted to paint an illustration that could reflect summer vibes from my experience. Bold, vibrant, and fun. It’s going to be awesome if these illustrations are exhibited near any fruit cart in Bangkok. Not only art in public but it will become live installation art that the audience can interact with. How cool is that!! The idea about ‘Blessed’ and ‘Cursed’ is so simple. I just feel like I painted one better than the other one. But I still love both of them.
I was born in 1989 and grew up with Japanese manga such as Doraemon, Chibi Maruko, And Crayon shin chan. And these manga inspired Thai people who were born in the late 80s and 90s in many ways. Such as art, fashion, vibes. But I also love reading Thai comics such as 'Noo Hin' from Banlue publications. It’s the story of an Isaan girl named Noo Hin. I’ve learned so many things about Isaan culture by reading this comic.
Supasin Kreecharoen Supasin Kreecharoen is a multidisciplinary designer based in Bangkok, Thailand. His work is mostly influenced by Thai politics. Supasin is currently working as a graphic designer in Pheu Thai political party. This artwork is a part of the comic name “Sovereign School”. A fictional webcomic that inspired from the history of Siam in the 1930s. It aims to reflect a lesson from history during the transition period from an absolute monarchy to a constitutional monarchy. By using a school as a metaphor for a state, in which social class metaphor into a different classroom/program.
In my opinion, the number of comic artists is gaining since the coming of the webcomic and other online platforms where an artist can produce their work to the public with much less cost and production time. The size of the market and platform that is gaining up also affected the variety of comic genres. Some of the genre which was in a niche market like boy’s love or girl’s love become more visible to the mass audience and gained more social acceptance.
Ping Sasinan Ouroborus is a surreal sci-fi fantasy comic that explores the nuance in our sense of self morality and death. Through the journey to regain her life, Nisha, a dead astronaut, invites us to consider the conflict in the meaning we have for ourselves. With the help of a strange human-bird monster, she finds a way that might wake her up from an eternal slumber. However, she first needs to escape the Soul Collector and the impending death she brings.
‘The Ouroboros That Is Life’ is an artwork that represents the core of my comic, which is the struggle between the urge to be immortalized, and the cruel nature of the universe that would inevitably destroy itself. Even the brightest star would expire, what would it say about us? The comic industry in Thailand is quite small, and I am fairly new to the scene; however I have hope in the new generation that we would be able to bring new and interesting perspective to the world.
Vanabud Chaiprakorb I am Vanabud Chaiprakorb but you can call me Lychee for short. I am currently studying in the last term at Commde Chula and aspire to become an illustrator in the near future! Once city people’s window view is filled with tall architecture and the urbanizing city, the alternative way in order to replicate the relaxation of nature is undeniably a simple poster sticking in front of our working table.
Kai Hua Ror is one of my favorite childhood comics, it inspires a lot of Thai to start drawing. I believe comics could communicate even the hardest and the most controversial topic in the simplest way and easiest to appeal to. As technologies advance forward and people say publication is dying, we are able to finally see the importance of the physical sensation the comics and prints have given us. I am currently working on my senior project about Urbanization and the execution is a graphic novel. Though still in the production process, I would love my novel to empathise with readers while being able to build up my identifiable style of illustration.
Narsid Narsid is an illustrator based in Bangkok whose work mainly talks about myth, legends, and religious iconography, utilizing them as a medium to speak about the human psyche.
Miʿrāj ( )جارعملاis a collage of painted images and motifs inspired by the spiritual journey of the same name by Prophet Muhammad, where he ascended into heaven and received his divine revelation from god. From a more secular perspective, one could interpret that we human beings took a similar journey every night in the form of dreams. Within this realm of slumber, theoretically, is the closest place for us mortal to grasp a glimpse of the divine.
Arty Nicharee Arty is an experienced artist, visual designer and illustrator with a demonstrated history of working in the illustration industry. Graduated from Communication design, Chulalongkorn University. She has a strong passion for illustration, animation and comics. After doing internships and working on illustration projects, she has built an assorted portfolio and is determined to explore more on the visual narrative field. An experimental comic about the perspective of a gardener who has witnessed death while taking care of their flowers.
Nowadays the comic industry in Thailand is blooming into something intriguing, as there are many young artists who are not afraid to be themselves and eager to explore the visual language. If there happens to be more space for the artists to expose their work to the public aside from the digital world, the comic industry will become more flourishing than ever before.
Sasi T Sasi Tanyanurak, or Tee in short. A Bangkok-based freelance artist and designer. She makes a few things like books, zines, prints, and such. She enjoys exploring varied fields of creativity. Feel free to go through all her works via her contacts given below. This is a part from Tee’s illustrations under the concept of Halloween. The artist wanted to try looking for another perspective of Halloween aside from its stereotype. Here, in this artwork, are the witches enjoying the silence and solemnity of the night.
For Tee, her thoughts on the comics industry in her own country are quite not on the bright side. Since the political issues in Thailand are still recurring, causing the relations between the newer and older generations to be on a downside. The society is focused on the country’s war, ignoring the other problems that are out of sight, including the lack of support for young artists. In Thailand, the Arts-related occupations are already been looked down on. With creativity only, a creator can’t reach the point where they can be called successful.
For Tee, she only wishes that things will be more peaceful enough for everyone to enjoy consuming or creating arts, so as comics.
Namsai Khaobor Namsai Khaobor / 1995, Thailand. Namsai studied animation filmmaking in France for two years before pursuing her career as an independent artist and illustrator. She is now making images and telling stories from Chiangmai, her hometown. Her work is inspired by mundanity of life, nature and poetry in many forms. Excerpt from ‘Darkness and Silence but It’s Pink’, Namsai’s first selfpublished comic. It is an atmospheric tale of the author’s time during one strange summer in her life. It also touches on youth, homesickness and inner peace.
The comics industry in Thailand is small. Thai society hasn’t paid much attention to the medium or valued it. To me, an artist, making comics is not a career but cherished work that might not be able to pay bills. On the bright side, I now see so many young artists expressing themselves with comics alongside the more established ones that have inspired me to make art. I believe there is a lot of room to hope for the future. Room for fresh perspectives, experiments and persisting aspirations to bring Thai comics to light.
Kawakhwan Khwan, an Illustrator, Graphic Designer, Visual storyteller, Game designer, Motion designer, currently studying in Commde, Chulalongkorn, Thailand. She does almost everything in the design field, experimenting with lots of art, at least now she knows that she also likes drawing comics. “Drawing the Flow” – During your lifetime, to create is to find what inspired you to tell your story.
As a graphic design student and interested in the comics and visual design industry in Thailand, I see a ton of creative art and storytelling that is made by Thai people. However, not many Thai artists are being supported and recognized on a global platform. And some Thai creators fear to tell their stories due to selfcensoring, cultural reasons, and other opinions on the work. I used to have the same issue until I saw that we all can write stories that express ourselves to others, that’s the way to make others understand, and comics are also a universal graphic language that connects the reader with the creator.
Sketchman Boris Hello my name is Boris, I named myself Sketchman Boris because I love the energy of sketchy drawings but deep inside it’s also an excuse to not spend too much time on one illustration. For me comics are a democratic medium which gives the author full creative control. This cartoon is one of the many I post on my instagram account @comicsbyboris, usually every monday.
My goal is to become an independent cartoonist and comic artist as in I want to be able to make a living by telling my own stories and also drawing for other amazing writers. I am working on a lot of projects please check out my website: www.sketchmanboris.com I love Bangkok, it’s definitely a very good city for artists because it’s cheap. At first I was surprised that there weren’t more artists here.Then, I came to understand that most Artists are solitary creatures and need to be summoned, which is what I am trying to do with my meetups, and our art magazine BKK UNZINE. When it comes to the comic book market, here people are mostly into Manga imported from Japan as they grew up with Anime shows in the mainstream media.
Ployjaploen Paopanlerd (Bamie) I graduated from the international Program in Communication Design, Faculty of Architecture, Chulalongkorn University. I currently work as a freelance illustrator ‘Ignorance’ is inspired by the three wise monkeys which represent the phrase “turning the blind eye”. The way that these girls are helping one another cover their eyes, ear, and mouth shows how people in society often agree to avoid the unpleasant truth.
Recently, my comic “10 things I hate about Maohai” is published by Salmon books, this comic is based on the true story of my evil Basenji dog named Maohai who can cause all kinds of disasters that other ordinary dogs are not capable of.
MPP511 a freelancer artist and motion graphic editor, who which the peace to the world, therefore no one have to go through trauma anymore.
A part of my final project. expressed trauma and suffering of school bullying’s victim.. There are a lot of thai artist I know that are talented and should be recognized. Unfortunately most of them are barely gain enough to live if they keep follow they dream. If only people with power in Thailand provide support and encourage art and listen to the citizens…
Wichawin Temeeyapradit
Midnight Sun is an artwork made on the phenomenon of Midnight Sun itself. This unusual phenomenon opposes the common sense that the sun is a representation of daytime. Being an embodiment of contradiction, the figure of the character mutates to reveal various textures.
The comic industry in Thailand is evolving from the use of traditional books migrating toward the use of digital material and social media platforms. Still, the mainstream media is still rather unsupported for local creators compared to other media such as video production. But this does not mean that the future of the comic industry in Thailand is dim, as people are starting to engage and support the comic industry more now than ever.
Applesoda Comics have always been a crucial part of my life since I was young. The comic section in the bookstore was always my favourite place to visit. I remember growing up reading comics in the newspaper, as well as those $0.15 comic books that were sold in the convenience store. At the time, there were not many choices, varieties, and well-known comic writers or opportunities for people who wanted to create comics. We looked down on those comic writers with the perception that it was a poor-paying job in turn for a lot of sweat and tears.
However, in our time the comic scene has gotten to a much better place. There are many new publishers dedicated to comics and social media is one of the best places for new generation artists to showcase their works. There are more art styles, genres, storytelling techniques, artists and audiences compared to 10 years ago. I believe that Thailand’s comic industry has the potential to rise to the global scale.
Batman/ Dracula: The fan film that no one has seen. the caped crusader through the lenses of Warhol. Batman on the big screen may seem commonplace now, with a new live action interpretation of Bruce Wayne coming roughly every 10 years or so – but around the mid-century, seeing Batman on the silver screen was something of a dream for young fans. Before we were treated to the campy delight of Batman 66’ staring Adam West and Burt Ward, the only live action Batman to speak of was Lewis Wilson in 1946 from a brief 15-episode theatrical series simply titled “The Batman” which ran for roughly 30 minutes a pop.
Wilson’s Batman features a much more outwardly authentic camp about it over the 60’s series, the camp here isn’t played up for laughs – it takes it’s self fairly seriously, and that’s why the camp sticks the landing. There’s no high technology and Wayne Tech gadgets to speak of this Bruce Wayne is a simple billionaire armed with a cotton unitard and a sense of justice, the grounded (for the time) approach in Batman 1946 works well for the action scenes – for a piece of cheaper media from that era, it really feels as if Wilson is clobbering these no-good criminals. But there is still something to be desired from Batman 1946, even for the camp connoisseurs such as your humble writer, the iconic Batmobile is nowhere to be seen throughout the 15-part run, instead replaced with the sports car of its day – a Rolls Royce, probably – the footage unsurprisingly hasn’t been kept in great condition, but my point is, it’s a regular car.
The first episode of the theatrical serial features an alloriginal villain, never seen before, or since. Dr.Daka: a scientist under the then American enemy, the Japanese imperial army. His portrayal is very “of the time” so if war time anti-Japanese propaganda is something you’re sensitive to – you may want to go into Batman 1946 with that in mind. Coming out of the war torn 1940’s the live action Batman content dried up in favour of the comics of the source material. The batman comics of the early 1950’s to the 1960’s tended to veer away from the gritty, street detective narrative that Batman had liberally enjoyed up unto this point – this is due to Fredric Wertham’s comic code which presented many mainstream publishers from publishing content with too much violence, suggestive themes or sexual content (and all of these were interpreted through a critically conservative lens) this meant, in short: The Dark Knight was out, and the All-American, perfect role model was in, in a big bad way. This is when we started to see the more camp, psychedelic Batman that inspired the Adam West portrayal.
Although…
There was one more, albeit unofficial, live action batman that pre-dates Adam West: enter Batman/ Dracula by Andy Warhol. That’s correct, THAT Andy Warhol, as in Campbell soup cans, Andy suit, David Bowie song, Andy Warhol.
Airing to selected audiences in private in July of 1964 was the Warhol directed, black and white film Batman/ Dracula. Very little is known about the plot of the picture, besides that both Bruce Wayne/ Batman and Count Dracula were played by the same actor, a Mr. Jack Smith. We also know the rough locations of filming for the project, The beaches of Long Island and the high rises of New York city – unsurprising when you consider Warhol was a New York native. The film bares scant visual resemblance to the Batman of 1946, despite the source material and “fairly” accurate Batman suit the films couldn’t appear more different. The roughly 37 minutes of the allegedly 2-hour film that is accessible via the internet archives is practically unintelligible and considering Andy Warhol’s approach and methodology with his solo film projects it’s difficult to determine whether this is the intended state of the film or a result of unfinished prints, poor conservation, and lack of concern. Warhol never formally spoke to press about this unofficial Batman film – he was most likely advised against it, although his approach to art lent on the justification of “once I have altered the image, it is now my art rather than the original idea” – This most likely wouldn’t hold up against strict copywrite around a character such as Batman.
Warhol’s attraction to Batman should surprise anyone who is in common with his work. Warhol always lent on making the everyday, mass produced media and iconography into something to consider in a different light, and Batman is rife for interpretation through a pop-art gaze The film has achieved something of a mythic status among fans and collectors alike, despite efforts to recover more of the picture, getting our mits on a fully constructed print of the film would be next to impossible. The most likely assumption we can make is that there may be more footage out there, but in an individual’s private collection. The key concept of Bruce Wayne having a tussle with ol’ Vlad himself must be one that’s preoccupied the minds of many a fan because this idea was revisited in another unofficial Batman film: Batman fights Dracula, a Filipino film from 1967. And again, in an official capacity with the animated film The Batman vs. Dracula, directed by Michael Goguen.