Batman Classic TV Series - CATWOMAN Bust!

Batman Classic TV Series - Julie Newmar Catwoman Mini-Bust - DST 2015

I'm pretty obsessed with the mini-bust format. In the early 2000s and throughout the 2010s, these were everywhere. Bowen Designs, Gentle Giant, DC Direct, and Diamond Select seemingly had releases every month. Plus several companies came to the game late like Monogram and Eaglemoss and produced some great pieces. But unfortunately, since 2019 almost all production seems to have ceased - with the exception of Diamond Select who was still occasionally releasing Star Wars and Gargoyles busts until just a couple years ago. My favorite character to collect in this format was Catwoman. I believe I have 12 different mini-busts representing a variety of her incarnations over the years (surprisingly there were never Pfeiffer or Golden/Silver Age representations - two glaring omissions). I excitedly bought this Julie Newmar Batman '66 bust when it came out 11 years ago, but was pretty disappointed in the paint quality. The difference between the paint masters and the production version was simple, but impactful. The solicitation photos looked decently like Julie Newmar (not great, but close enough). 

Batman '66 Comics - WONDER WOMAN!

Batman '66 Comic Retro Series 11 - Wonder Woman - McFarlane Toys 2025

Between 2013 and 2016, a big trend in DC Comics publishing was Batman '66 comics featuring the likenesses of Adam West and Burt Ward. It started with a core title of 30 issues and was followed by a wacky assortment of various 6-issue team-up mini-series like Archie, Green Hornet, Man from U.N.C.L.E., Steed and Mrs. Peel, and Legion of Super-Heroes. These stories effectively added a ton of non-canonical characters to the wider Batman '66 universe (like Two-Face, Poison Ivy, and Harley Quinn, among many others). An additional source of characters came from a variant cover theme in the Summer of 2014 where eighteen DC titles had Batman '66 variants drawn by Mike Allred. This cover series is where we saw Wonder Woman in Batman '66 style for the first time. (The later Batman '66 Meets Wonder Woman '77 comic series doesn't count because it was drawn to resemble Lynda Carter). It's amazing that those covers inspired a toy ten years later. Let's check out Wonder Woman '66 below!

Batman '66 Comics - BATGIRL!

Batman '66 Comic Retro Series 11 - Batgirl (BTAS) - McFarlane Toys 2025

When I think about fun color variations to the Batman '66 Batgirl mold, I can admit this release wasn't one of them. I would have much preferred a more unique color combination for a re-release; like the New52 version with purple and black, or a Steph Brown blonde version (or a re-issue of the Yvonne Craig version to pair with the new Batgirl Cycle). But instead, we got a Batman the Animated Series repaint. Without the cartoony Bruce Timm sculpt to go along with it, this looks almost identical to the recent The New Adventures of Batman figure except a slightly darker palette and blue gloves and boots (and differently painted eyes). It sounds like some significant differences, but in person they are just way too similar for my tastes. Of course, that doesn't mean I can resist a Batgirl toy when I see her on the shelf... it only means I am unmotivated to open her and delay her review for almost a year. I'm still holding out hope for a Poison Ivy in this line, but that looks unlikely. Let's check out Batgirl below!

The New Batman Adventures - BATGIRL '66!

The New Batman Adventures - Batgirl (Platinum Edition) - McFarlane 2024

McFarlane Toys' Platinum Editions are a double-edged sword. On one hand, you can get really cool variants of your favorite characters. Oftentimes it's just a subtle repaint that isn't necessarily crucial for your collection but adds nice variety if you want to hunt one down. But on the flip side, if you do want to hunt one down, these chases can be extremely hard to come by. Interestingly, the Platinum variants that I have no interest in seem to show up everywhere. But on the scarce occasions when I want one, I usually have to resort to eBay and overpay. I received some insider information that this current TNBA wave won't be carried in many (if any) stores, but is readily available on most online shops right now. I ordered several but got no chases so I had to buy her directly from a reseller. I never would have imagined a Batgirl from The New Batman Adventures in a Batgirl '66 Yvonne Craig deco, but it's a really cool variant that I'm now obsessed with. Let's check her out below!

The New Adventures of Batman - BATGIRL!

Batman '66: The New Adventures of Batman - Batgirl (Platinum) - McFarlane 2024

I have a love-hate relationship with McFarlane Toys' "Platinum Edition" chase figures. On one hand, I love variety and the chance to get a cool character in an alternate deco. On the other hand, however, it seems like every time I really want one of these variants, they are torturously elusive. This Batgirl figure from The New Adventures of Batman subline of the popular Batman '66 series is a simple paint redeco in her 1st Appearance (Carmine Infantino) comic look. There has always been debate on whether Barbara Gordon was a comic or television character first. In truth, both versions were likely developed at the same time - with the comic debut in January of 1967 and the television debut in September 1967. So having a black-suited variant of Batgirl in this line completes the trifecta of her costumes from the late 60s (Comic Black in Jan '67, TV Purple in Sept '67, and Cartoon Gray in Sept '68). I spent two whole days last week hitting eight Gamestops and driving over 150 miles until I found her.

The New Adventures of Batman - BATGIRL!

Batman '66: The New Adventures of Batman (1977) - Batgirl - McFarlane 2024

I'm a huge fan of Filmation animation. I know everyone thinks Masters of the Universe (1983) is the epitome of Filmation's library (and maybe it is), but I personally love their earlier stuff even more: Teen Titans (1967), Space Sentinels (1977), Blackstar (1981), and Super7 (1978) are among my favorites. But there was always something special about their two contributions to Batman lore: The Adventures of Batman (1968) and The New Adventures of Batman (1977). The live-action Batman '66 show had ended in March of 1968 and Filmation picked up the torch and ran with it. By the '77 series they even got Adam West and Burt Ward to provide the voices. Melendy Britt (She-Ra) voiced Batgirl. This figure is a dream for me. It merges my love of Batgirl, action figures, and classic animation. At this stage in my toy collecting, my biggest joys come from filling in the very few obscure gaps I have left. So this figure has been high on my wishlist for a while. And she's perfect. Let's check out Batgirl below!

Batman '66 Comics - BATGIRL!

DC Comics Batman '66 (Comic Series) - Batgirl - McFarlane Toys 2023

This figure is giving me all the feels. When I was a kid in the 80s watching non-stop syndicated episodes of Batman on the Family Channel, there was nothing quite as exciting as seeing that 3rd Season re-edited opening sequence with Batgirl inserted into the animation. That was the indicator that she would appear in that episode and it was a highlight of my TV watching in those days. I love almost all iterations of Barbara Gordon, but there's something special about those bright complimentary colors and campy episodes that always makes this version stand out from the rest. As toy collectors, we've all heard the stories about Yvonne Craig's estate being very strict with the use of her likeness, so merchandise of Batgirl '66 is pretty scarce. But thankfully there was a Batman '66 comic in 2013 that technically used generic likenesses and therefore provides a licensing loophole. (You'll note that packaging has the comic logo in place of the TV logo that the other characters have). Let's check out Batgirl below!

Batman Classic TV Series - CATWOMAN!

Batman Classic TV Series - Catwoman (Julie Newmar) - McFarlane Toys 2022

As much crap as I want to give Todd McFarlane about his gender politics, I can't deny that his toy company has given me a ton of figures that I adore. Just in the last twelve months, I have picked up eighteen female figures from McFarlane toys and I only had negative critiques for two of them. The rest have been truly great.. including Carrie Kelley Robin, Eartha Kitt Catwoman, Batwoman Beyond, and Three Jokers Batgirl among them. This new Julie Newmar Catwoman is just one more example of a figure I have been wishing for since I started my adult collecting hobby. This specific portrayal of Catwoman is what launched a niche villainess to a household name. I have yet to experience a Halloween without seeing at least one Catwoman costume... often from people who have never read her comics or seen her on screen. She has just become a cultural icon, and I credit Julie Newmar with catapulting the character to that level. An action figure of this quality has been a long time coming. Let's check her out below!

Mezco 5 Points - CATWOMAN!

Mezco 5 Points - Batman Classic TV Series Box Set - Catwoman - Mezco 2022

In the next 30 days I'm predicting the announcement of a Julie Newmar Catwoman from McFarlane Toys. And based on the Eartha Kitt figure we already got in that line, I'm expecting this to be the pinnacle Julie Newmar Catwoman toy. In the meantime, I would say that high honor belongs to the recent Mezco 5 Points Catwoman from the Batman Classic TV Series box set. This collection has an intimidating price point at $139, but I find it's very much worth the price. Included are seven 1:12 scale figures (six of which have alternate heads), a great Batmobile, and a detailed cardboard diorama of the Batcave (interior) and Wayne Manor (exterior). I picked up the whole set plus an extra Catwoman on eBay to display both heads. This figure easily has the best Julie Newmar likeness so far, although not perfect. But I have a hunch she has a face that's hard to capture. We should see how McFarlane fares soon enough. I'm very excited. Let's check out Catwoman below!

Hallmark Batman '66 - BATGIRL Ornament!

Batman Classic TV Series - Batgirl Limited Edition Ornament - Hallmark 2019

I often find myself speculating why Yvonne Craig Batgirl merchandise is so elusive. We've heard tales that her estate is very restrictive with likeness rights, but it makes me wonder why even when we do get product, it usually only vaguely looks like her. I personally think this Batgirl Hallmark ornament is stunning. The costume details, especially the treatment of the different purple fabric sculpts, is perfection. But the face, although beautiful, is pretty generic. The only Yvonne Batgirl product I've seen that actually looks like her is the Tweeterhead statue, but that's way over my budget. The rest of my collection is just vaguely reminiscent of the actress. It's possible Yvonne just had one of those faces that doesn't translate well when sculpted, but my suspicious side makes me think they might be intentionally/legally generic. If we ever get a McFarlane figure we will see. In the meantime, this Hallmark ornament from 2019 is the best looking Yvonne Batgirl in my collection. Let's check her out below!

Hallmark - EARTHA KITT CATWOMAN Ornament!

Batman Classic TV Series - Eartha Kitt Catwoman LE Ornament - Hallmark 2021

I had a really frustrating couple days this past Fall trying to get the new Eartha Kitt Catwoman ornament. From the moment she was announced the April before, I put the release date (October 16th 2021) on my calendar and blocked my morning to go pick her up. Back in 2016 I casually walked into a Hallmark one afternoon during lunch and picked up the Julie Newmar (I didn't even know she was coming!) Then in 2019 I took note of the Batgirl ornament release date and went in the morning to pick her up - no issues. But something happened in 2021. I showed up to one of the bigger Hallmark stores in my area right around opening time, only to find out they had opened an hour early (completely undocumented online) and there was apparently a line of 25 people waiting for the doors to open. In the next hour I check three more stores and got the same story. I gave up and paid scalper prices on eBay and called it a day. Luckily this is likely the last lady in the series. Let's check her out below!

Batman Classic TV Series - CATWOMAN Bust!

Batman Classic TV Series - Eartha Kitt Catwoman Mini-Bust - DST 2017

The curious case of the missing review. I bought this Eartha Kitt Catwoman Bust when she was released five years ago. I photographed her and have distinct memories of editing the photos. I even found three 'unused' photos still on my camera, proving these memories. But when I created the post for the new McFarlane figure earlier this week, I discovered that I apparently never actually created a review. And a quick glance at eBay let me know that she sells for a ton of money now and therefore turnaround pics are a good thing to have on record (since she would be a significant investment for a collector). It looks like a similar situation happened with the Julie Newmar bust, but Eartha seemed more urgent since the McFarlane figure has me so excited. These Diamond Select busts aren't the greatest thing ever. The likenesses are there, but somehow a little off. But I love collecting mini-busts, especially Catwoman ones, and my collection would be incomplete without these. Let's check her out below!

Batman Classic TV Series - CATWOMAN!

Batman Classic TV Series - Catwoman (Eartha Kitt) - McFarlane Toys 2022

A few times a year an action figure pops up in the toy aisles that shocks me by its very existence. Since 2013 there has been a surprising amount of Batman '66 product made: Mattel, Funko, Hallmark, DST,  Mezco, and now McFarlane. The female characters have been predictably scarce, but none so much as Miss Eartha Kitt as Catwoman. I realize that she only appeared in five episodes of the show, and all in the final third season. Yet somehow she made a huge impact on me as a child. Sure, I loved Julie Newmar and Lee Meriwether in the role, but I tend to think that Eartha had the most fun with it. She took those previous purring performances and ramped it up by 100. I thought she was great. And I am beyond thrilled to finally have a traditional action figure of her in my collection. And honestly, I'm glad we never got a Mattel Eartha because those bodies were too tall and lanky, and the faces were hit or miss. But this McFarlane figure is near perfection. Let's check her out below!

Batman Universe Busts - CATWOMAN '66!

Batman Universe Busts #28 - Catwoman '66 - HeroCollector/Eaglemoss 2019

Every time I see an image of a 1966 Catwoman I get overwhelmed by nostalgia. Whether it's Julie Newmar, Earth Kitt, or Lee Meriwether, there is something about the costume that sweeps me back to my childhood in the early 80s. I grew up without air conditioning or cable, and during the hot summer months my siblings and I would block out the shades, haul out the electric fans, make tons of juice pops, and settle in for long marathons of Godzilla movies, Star Trek the Animated Series, and the 1966 Batman show (all of which were in constant Summer rotation on our weird local stations). This was my first exposure to Catwoman and I was instantly entranced by her. I've loved almost every iteration of the character since, in both comics and movies, but I think I will always hold this version as the gold standard. It's only a shame that the likeness to the actresses are so consistently off-base. The merchandise doesn't look bad per say, but they certainly don't resemble Julie, Eartha, or Lee. Let's check out Catwoman below!

Pin-Mates SPIDER-LADIES and BAT-LADIES!

Pinmates - An Assortment of Marvel and DC Characters - Bif Bang Pow! 2017

I'm kind of obsessed with these Pin-Mate figures from Bif Bang Pow! Throughout my childhood my home was littered with Fisher-Price Little People. My siblings and I had a ton. We had really old wooden ones and more modern plastic ones. But they were all in the simple peg-style of the time (not like the chubby vinyl things the line has morphed into now). And when we wanted to add more characters to our playsets, we would decorate one-piece wooden clothespins with markers and crayons to add to our ranks. When I first saw these PinMates, I half loved them and half hated them. But after I picked up a few and they continued to roll out cool characters, I'm definitely a fan. I have a handful of Bat-Ladies and Spider-Ladies, and now I want more. I've skipped a few cool movie-based characters (like Gamora, Nebula, Mantis, Hela, and Suicide Squad Harley Quinn) because I dig the retro and comic styles a lot more. But now I want Silk, Anya Corazon, Huntress, Poison Ivy, and a ton of others. Let's check them out below!

Funko Pop 8-Bit - BATGIRLS!

POP! 8-Bit: #02 Batgirl (Comic) & #21 Batgirl (Classic TV) B&N Exc - Funko 2018

I told myself I wasn't going to post a lot of full photo reviews for Funko Pops anymore. I find that they only get a small fraction of the page views that my other posts get and it's just easier to post a few simple pics on Instagram when I pick up the occasional Pop. However, these 8-Bit Pops are such an interesting shift in style that I felt a full series of turnaround photos would be appreciated. I've been buying the Jakks Pacific 8-Bit World of Nintendo figures for a few years so I'm already hooked on that style (FYI, Jakks showed off an 8-Bit Goomba and Bowser at Toy Fair). I think these Batgirl figures are especially cool because they look just like the original Pop Batgirls, just pixelated. It's also interesting that they are composed of solid plastic which makes them insanely heavy compared to the typical hollow vinyl figure. I'm curious to see what future characters they make in 8-Bit, but I wouldn't be surprised if these were the only two that make it into my collection. Let's check them out below!

Batman Classic TV Series - BATGIRL Bust!

Batman Classic TV Series - Yvonne Craig Batgirl Mini-Bust - Diamond Select 2016

There is something so spectacular about the bright purple and yellow Batgirl from the classic 1960's Batman show. I have fuzzy memories of what my first exposure to Batgirl really was. It was either random Super Friends merchandise (like coloring books or lunch boxes), back issues of Batman Family or Brave and Bold, or the lovely Yvonne Craig in syndication on TV. I tend to think the show was the actual first glimpse, but they all happened around the same time in the mid-80s for me who know knows really. As an adult, the purple look is definitely my most nostalgic though, and that exclusive feeling is amplified by the overall lack of Yvonne Batgirl merchandise. I first saw this mini-bust in the DST booth at NYTF several years ago (I was allowed to take photos of her, but I was asked not to share them online). And I've been pining for her ever since. I actually got her as a Christmas present last year, but I didn't open her till last week. I don't know why the hell I waited, but she's worth it. Let's check her out!

3.75" Batman Classic TV Series - CATWOMAN!

Batman Classic TV Series Action Figures - Julie Newmar Catwoman - Funko 2017

It's hard for me to make a simple declarative statement about who my favorite comic character is. But more often than not my gut reaction will be to respond with "Catwoman." As a kid I think the theme of a cat-person who stole things and talked in purrs was too intriguing to ignore. I didn't hurt that I was one of those kids that was always pretending to be some kind of wild animal. My first exposure to Catwoman was from the old '66 Batman show (in syndication in the 80s). I honestly can't remember if my very first impression came from Julie Newmar, Eartha Kitt, or Lee Meriwether, but collectively they painted my first memories of her. We have several Julie Newmar products already, but my hopes are high that this line will give us the first Kitt and Meriwether figures. (Plus I have always wanted a green variant like the cover of Batman #197). I've only seen these at TRU and FYE so far, and luckily I've been able to snag both chases in stores. I can't wait for more!  Let's check out Catwoman below!

3.75" Batman Classic TV Series - BATGIRL!

Batman Classic TV Series Action Figures - Yvonne Craig Batgirl - Funko 2017

My absolute favorite reveal from NY Toy Fair 2017 was the Batman '66 3.75" action figures from Funko. Beyond the fact that I just love this nostalgic property, the character choices of the first wave blew my mind. With any other line, I would have expected an assortment of the heavy hitters. The fact that Joker, Riddler, and Penguin were absent, but characters like Bookworm and King Tut were present in all their glory makes me think there are definitely a few more waves coming out. Egghead, Mad Hatter, False Face, Marsha Queen of Diamonds - they're all fair game at this rate. These figures are more articulated than the similarly-scaled ReAction figures, but they kind of have the same feel. The character likenesses are more like caricatures than true representations, but there's no doubt who they all are, especially in the case of the Otto Preminger Mister Freeze and the Eli Wallach chase. Makes me very excited for variant Riddlers and Catwomen in the future. Let's check out Batgirl below!

Funko POP! Batman Classic TV Series BATGIRL!

POP! Heroes #186 - Batman: Classic TV Series - Batgirl - Funko 2017

One thing that Funko has proven to me over the years is that just because some time may pass, it doesn't mean they won't complete a line. When the Batman '66 Catwoman came out back in 2013, I was immediately excited for a Batgirl in wave two. I have a great fondness for the purple and yellow Yvonne Craig Batgirl from my childhood, and there are far too few representations of this look in plastic. Every year at Toy Fair I was excited to see if they would unveil this figure, but she was never there. But at the same time, I never closed the book on the idea of her being released. And sure enough, a mere four years later we get this fantastic Classic TV Batgirl to add to our collections. They did a spectacular job taking the older "squat" body style and making it look both modern and classic. The fact that she has three distinct tones of purple on her makes her really pop (pun intended). And I'm expecially glad they included the glittered body to match Catwoman. Let's check out the Batman Classic TV Series Batgirl POP below!