Yvonne Craig, TV's Batgirl, Dies At 78

Above, Yvonne Craig as Batgirl.

This is stunning news.

CNN reported that Yvonne Craig, who played Barbara Gordon/Batgirl on television's Batman series of the 1960s, died August 17.

They wrote:

(CNN) Before Lynda Carter's Wonder Woman, before Joanna Cameron's Isis, before Scarlett Johannsson's Black Widow, Yvonne Craig was a pioneer of female superheroes on screen. 

As an actress, she originated the role of Batgirl in the 1960s "Batman" television series. As a trained dancer, she did her own stunts. 

Craig died this week after a long two-year battle with breast cancer. She was 78.

Jim Nolt said that he invited Craig to the Superman Celebration of last summer, but she declined the invitation. Now we know why, unfortunately.

I was fortunate to meet Craig at Noel Neill's 85th birthday luncheon in 2005.

To read more, go here.

Batgirl!

From Wikipedia:

Yvonne Joyce Craig is an American ballet dancer and actress best known for her role as Batgirl from the 1960s TV series Batman, and as the Orion Marta in the Star Trek: The Original Series episode “Whom Gods Destroy”.

Yvonne Craig's website: http://www.yvonnecraig.com/

Adam West's "Batman" Coming To DVD

The show premiered in January 1966 in ABC-TV. It featured a who's who of guest stars playing guest villains. For the first two seasons, two episodes a week (actually two-parter cliffhangers) were shown. It was a pop-culture phenomenon with bright colors and wacky camera angles.

The show was Batman, starring Adam West as Bruce Wayne/Batman and Burt Ward as Dick Grayson/Robin.

I can remember to this day the night my grandfather was over for dinner, which was only a few weeks before his death on February 12, 1966, and seeing Batman for the first time. As soon as the cartoon opening began with Batman and Robin running towards the camera with Neal Hefti's catchy theme (I have the original soundtrack album that I played to death), my grandfather started laughing like crazy. He was a fan of the Adventures of Superman that starred George Reeves, so this campy show must've taken him by surprise.

Above, Adam "Batman" West at the 2012 Comikaze Expo. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Later that summer, a feature-length motion picture of the show was released. We saw it at the Centinela Drive-In Theater. The second feature was Our Man Flint with James Coburn.

The last season of Batman saw the introduction of Batgirl (Yvonne Craig) and the show was cut to one night per week. It was cancelled due to sagging ratings by ABC, but another network was interested in renewing it. That didn't happen as the sets at 20th Century-Fox were already demolished. Too bad.

Above, Yvonne "Batgirl" Craig and Armand in 2005.

Word has gotten out that the Batman television show will finally be released on DVD (the movie version has been out on DVD for quite a while). It's about time.

Yvonne Craig At Upcoming L.A. Comic Book and Science Fiction Convention

A mailer from the Los Angeles Comic Book and Science Fiction Convention showed up and they have an excellent line-up of stars scheduled for their upcoming August 18 show at the Shrine Auditorium Expo Center.

The original Batgirl, Yvonne Craig, will be appearing along with other stars from Star Trek (the original series) including Gary Lockwood, Sally Kellerman, Antoinette Bower, Joanne Linville and Jack Donner.  Craig appeared in the "Whom Gods Destroy" episode as Marta.

Plus, there will be a 50th anniversary (has it really been that long?) tribute to the original Outer Limits anthology series of the 1960s. Stars scheduled to appear include Joanna Frank, Joey E. Tata, Jacqueline Scott, Peter Mark Richman, Michael Forest and Barbara Luna.

The Shrine Auditorium Expo Center is at 700 West 32nd Street, Los Angeles. Show hours are 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.  Admission is $10.00 (children under 5 are admitted free).

Above, Yvonne Craig and Armand in 2005.

The Los Angeles Comic Book and Science Fiction Convention organizers have been putting on great shows since 1977.

For more information, go to www.comicbookscifi.com.

Yvonne Craig, The Original Batgirl

Above, Yvonne Craig as Barbara Gordon and her alter ego, Batgirl.

Yvonne Craig, The Original Batgirl

by Armand Vaquer

One of the nicest dividends in getting involved in Superman (or any cinema) fandom is the opportunity to meet various celebrites, past and present.

One such opportunity came in November 2005 at Noel Neill's (she's the original Lois Lane, in case you forgot) 85th birthday party (below) at the Beverly Garland Holiday Inn, in Studio City, California.



Noel's party was sort of like a mini-superhero gathering. Lou Ferrigno, the original Incredible Hulk was there, as were Jack Larson (Jimmy Olsen of the Adventures of Superman) and Yvonne Craig, the original Batgirl from the Batman television series starring Adam West and Burt Ward. Patti Andrews, of the famous Andrews Sisters, was also in attendance.

Batgirl was debuted in Detective Comics #359 (cover date January 1967). Barbara Gordon, the daughter of Gotham City's police Commissioner Jim Gordon, took on the guise as Batgirl. William Dozier, the producer of the television series, asked DC Comics for a new female character to use in the show. So editor Julius Schwartz and artist Carmine Infantino created the Barbara Gordon Batgirl.

Batgirl was introduced in Batman's final season in 1967 with Craig as Barbara Gordon/Batgirl. Although the show was campy, Craig's version of Batgirl remains to this day a fan favorite.

Craig starred in several films, which included roles with Elvis Presley in It Happened At The World's Fair and Kissin' Cousins and In Like Flint (the sequel to Our Man Flint, both with James Coburn) as a Russian Ballet dancer.

Above, a swimsuit shot of Craig from the 1960s.

Along with Batman, she also appeared in other television series such as McHale's Navy, The Man From U.N.C.L.E., The Big Valley and Wild, Wild West, amongst others. She appeared covered in green make-up in an episode of Star Trek.

When her acting career slowed down, Craig co-produced industrial shows and worked in real estate.

Now 72, Craig runs her own website where fans may obtain autographed photos and read about her career with a 1960s feel.