.::BATMAN-ON-FILM.COM -- "Someone SPECIAL has a birthday coming!" (4/15/08)::.

(EDITOR'S NOTE: When it comes to "Batman On Film" -- and all that encompasses -- there's probably no one I respect or trust more than Paul Wares. Make sure you visit PJW's website at NAMELESSPRODUCTIONS.COM.)

Someone special has a birthday coming up…

No I don’t mean BOF -- although, ten glorious years is something to cheer about. No, I mean someone else’s birthday.

If you are a hardcore Batman fan like me (of course you are, why else would you be here?) you will know that next year is a very important one for our beloved Dark Knight. In May 2009 Batman will be 70 years old, that’s 70 years of being in continuous print. An enormous achievement, only bettered by one other fictional character and that’s the Daddy of all Superheroes, Superman. It’s a 70 year legacy that’s spawned, countless merchandise, animation, TV shows and of course film. Not to mention the reason you’re reading this website.

Of course 2009 will also be the 20th Anniversary of the 1989 film BATMAN, which in its own way also had a massive impact. Yes I know Batman had appeared on film before, but not in a huge summer blockbuster and not with the same bang. Batman’s arrival on the big screen was nothing short of a phenomenon.

Like it or loathe it, BATMAN was hugely important to the entire comic book movie genre. Without it, there would be no Spider-Man or X-men movies and there certainly wouldn’t have been a BATMAN BEGINS.

So yeah, 2009 is a big year for our boy and I don’t know about you, but I feel like celebrating!

With that in mind I’m putting a call out to all of fandom; let’s do something, anything to show our appreciation. It doesn’t matter how small or how big, if you have an idea for something, I’d like to hear from you.

Personally, I would like to see a bunch of mini-conventions and fan get-togethers all over the world. I certainly am going to try and organise some kind of BATMAN ’89 celebration here in the UK, can you help?

I will also be releasing my B89 fan film and am considering putting together a documentary on what the summer of ’89 meant as a Batfan. Are you a fan that has an interesting story to tell about your memories of B89, are you a collector that has an original Bat-suit tucked away in the basement or did you work on the crew of BATMAN?

If so, I want to hear from you! (Email me at PAUL@NAMELESS.FSNET.COM.UK.)

I plan on doing everything I can to make 2009 the year of the Bat. Who’s with me?

- Paul J. Wares, BOF UK Editor