Batman (60's)!--Revealing: Secret TRUTHS About the "*POW*" Words!!

[@MikeB071]

My favorite when I was watching Batman as a kid was Biff!

[@ChrisHansonCanada]

Those colorful words would look good as framed paintings. If I could choose one for a painting, it would be the orange "KAPOW!" with the green background that appears at the 5:25 mark.

[@philliphayes3641]

Thank you , Rick ! I was so young when Batman debuted on T.V. that my dad had to read the words POW ! and KERPLUNK !! out loud to me , and it was something I'll never forget.

[@derekllewellyn6663]

Do you know what I just see gaslight theater Soopers spoof spoke show 45th anniversary celebration party years documenty biography VIP tickets tour guide Legends batman gatmam Batman

[@sallyn2393]

Holy exclamation point, Rick‼️‼️‼️This was so fun! Loved all the words, Kapow and Kerplunk were favorites. Great video‼️‼️

[@ricknineg]

Haha I love the enthusiasm

[@williamcohen2447]

To view the whole series and count all of those words simply amazing great work Rick

[@themysteriousunknownrevealed]

The best use for Onomatopoeia ever!

[@MicahThomason]

When I was 8 years old, I wanted a Bat Cave so bad I couldn't stand it. Hell, I still do.

[@archivist17]

Ditto.

[@richardharden4437]

I was five in '66. Batman was all we talked about in the schoolyard. All of us guys had Batman t-shirts. Zlonk! was my favorite overlay.

[@michaelparks6120]

Cool, Rick....I love this kind of stuff 😊

[@cadeevans4623]

Thanks for sharing this Rick pow pow gotta love it classic Batman tv show very interesting info buddy

[@PaulTesta]

The Nora Clavicle episode (S3E19) has no Batfight, and so presumably it had not Batfight words. Rick, thanks for another fun episode!

[@kakylong2]

Rck, That was a lot of work. Thank you. 😊

[@Jared_Wignall]

The violence was quite campy and fit with the show as a whole and the Pow! Bam! and Wham! really helped it look quite a bit like a comic book come to life on TV. Thank you for the video Rick, keep up the great work and have a great weekend. Take care!

[@bejoyful]

What fun topic Rick; only you could think of it; I took for granted these comic sound effects! I remember POW definitely as a 6 year old!

[@ddavenpAZ]

Lol!!! 😂 I really enjoyed this video! I can only imagine the fun you must have had creating this one! Counting the exclamation points? Totally Ricknineg!! Love it!!!! I liked the words because 1. They did enhance the comic book experience and made the fighting scenes less of a violent reality but more (advance apologies for the pun) “comic-al”. 2. The art of words. Every word used had very colorfully artistic font. Some to enhance the action of what the word was representing in that particular scene or some to match the entire storyline, such as “ouch-eth”. All in bold colors to emphasize the overall energy of it’s individual definition. Most importantly to me, 3. They were just too funny not to say out loud! 😂 Great work as usual Rick! ❤🙏👍🏻

[@nickimontie]

I loved those words! I also love Robin's frequent interjections of "Holy (insert word her)"!

[@queenmarynovelwriter5397]

I love how they were always the same stunt men in different costumes.

[@zzzut]

Rick, you are a gem! Where do you find all that great trivia? That’s pure gold to TV buffs. Thanks! ❤

[@ricknineg]

I have my classic TV ways haha

[@zzzut]

@@ricknineg And we love you for it!

[@Pygar2]

Your research deserves a pdf!

[@popculturecurator]

Fantastic video! Truly one of your best. I am a retired English teacher and I loved how so many things were spelled out for the viewers. This was great for kids learning how to read. Thanks again Rick!!!

[@ricknineg]

Oh yes! I can see how this would be extra fun for you. I wonder how many of the words were misspelled haha

[@popculturecurator]

@@ricknineg They incorporate correct spelling then exaggerate it. For example everything having a sign in the batcave telling us what it is. Then they would take real words and exaggerate them for the fight scenes. The same reason why many learned how to read from comics. Love your channel. Been a sub for years. I hope someday I can grow my channel like you've done. Bravo!!

[@williampetersen9915]

Batman was not the only place where those overlays we used. In the 1966 episode of Gilligan's Island titled "Up At Bat," during Gilligan's dream about being a vampire, overlays appear when he's fighting the Skipper and Professor in their Holmes and Watsonesque characters. Actually that was the second Batman reference in the episode. When the Professor says he'll prepare an anti-vampire potion (actually a sedative,) the Skipper jokingly asks him "What college did you go to, Batman U?" Although both shows aired on different networks, I imagine they were responding to the wave of Batmania at the time.

[@randytim512]

KAPOW, CRUNCH....that was fun Rick. Thanks!

[@teresastaggs7923]

I was too young to read so I asked my sister, 5 years older, what that said. I got mad at her because she said that they were not words. I knew they were words because they had letters😅

[@christopherkraft1327]

Hey Rick, I really enjoy these videos filled with interesting fun facts!!! My favorite is ooooff!!! Once again, thank you for all your do!!! 👍👍🙂

[@NarnianRailway]

Initially the overlays were added atop the fight action but switched to colored backgrounds spliced between the action to save cost and time since the same graphics clip could be reused. Amazing! several web pages dedicated to the bat fight words as well as this fabulous video. ... "BAM!!!"

[@brianrebmann5398]

thanks for an interesting video with a cool topic. Keep up the great work

[@alfredodoardi2717]

So cool! I was told, the name for these words, (spelling from memory back in the early 80s) is onamonopia, whatever the word is, it s defined as a word that sounds like the effect its describing. ex) Bang, as in when the trash removal occurs at 4 am. Anyway, that was my second biggest disappointment from the Batman Movies - it's missing. The music, was my biggest. Thanks for the post Rick

[@ivanabear8824]

onomatopeia i think!

[@lazyhomebody1356]

Many, many words are! Bark, knock, cough, zoom, etc

[@luvz2reed]

I wonder if they used the word overlays to help disguise the fight choreography where they're not actually landing punches...

[@williamgunn6415]

Thank you! Rick brings back word out you comic book.

[@m1t2a1]

I was 6, watching that. I had a Batboat to play with in the tub, And a Batmobile that had lots of moving parts, and shot things. Pretty cool utility belt and cape too. Was caught trying to climb the house, and jump to see if the cape could help me fly.

[@ScreenBlaster13]

My favourites were Pow!, Kapow!, Biff!!!, Boff!, Bam, Crunch, and Splaat!

[@ChesterBenjaminLane]

My favorite fight word was Kapow!!

[@dustyhughes1049]

i used to own 1960s Batman and robin movie as a kid(i’m 32 years old and born on March 24 1991)

[@byronbrewer33]

Wow, buddy! Holy Deep Detailed Report! This one is like the baseball stats of Rick vids. And as one who first saw Batmsn in the 66 series, I appreciate it. Fave overlay has to be the simple but elegant POW! Keep them coming. Same Bat Time, Same Bat Channel! 🦇🦇

[@saints093]

I always liked it when BIFF! would come up during a fight scene, I thought that was cool👍🏻

[@Zebra_3]

my faves are the ones w/ something added to the inside of the O.

[@gailwatson4927]

They could not show actual violence and blood on TV back in the 60s so they used the words. Thanks for the facts.

[@ricknineg]

They turned something violent to fun and laughter

[@gailwatson4927]

@@ricknineg I loved Batman and watch every episode.

[@Bigbuddyandblue]

They never used “Oi”!

[@timothyweers8054]

If you also look at during the time of when Batman was originally broadcasted, it was amongst several shows that were violent. Between all the westerns, action adventures, police dramas, etc, this show made it a little less violent. It would look like when they placed these word segments in, would be instead of seeing a really possibly violent fight action which made it where some older children would be able to watch it without all the violence that a regular drama for the time held.

[@BudTheDrummer]

I was always amused at some of the zany words that would come up on the Screen. I think I remember Kersplat!

[@shannonmanley9217]

this was interesting. I never really thought about it much but it is interesting. God Bless and I'll be looking for the next video.

[@tom_k35]

Early on these words would be superimposed overtop the live action. Later, they would get spliced in between the live action. I always assumed this was done for budget reasons

[@masonbricke4568]

Imagine when the show was being developed, someone came up with this idea and had to pitch it to the Producer. How would you sell such a concept? If the "fight words" gimmick were to be used today, in what movie would you see it?

[@lazyhomebody1356]

A Ryan Reynalds movie

[@KennAKALeo]

One of my favorite fight overlays, and I don't know if you counted these as part of the 832 times, is the unworded overlay from "When the Rat's Away the Mice Will Play" (when the henchman, Whitey, hits the stand and the bust falls on his head at the end of the fight), and "Not Yet He Ain't" (when Batman delivers the final knockout blow to the Penguin). These were both first season when they words were animated over the footage (as opposed to seasons 2 & 3, when the words had colored backgrounds and were inserted between bits of the action), and this particular effect was kind of an animated explosion, but there was no word.

[@michaeltaylor1603]

This always appealed to me! Dick Tracy (Warren Betty) got a lot of HATE, but use of primary colors & low key violence made a great film for me. Batman (Nicholson) was a stark contrast! BIFF ! was one of my favs.

[@sandybruce9092]

Way back,in my,college days when we weren’t a,Lowe’s to have televisions in our dorm room, my dorm had a TV Room and twice a week it was filled with as many as could fit just to watch Batman! Thr while,room always read in unison all the words in the screen! Recently I was watching an episode and found myself also reading these words out loud! Fun memories😀😀😀😀😀😀

[@robertwunner5523]

Interesting, thanks for sharing

[@willcarr9401]

I started rewatching the series a few days ago ,and it was a pleasant surprise to learn all this cool trivia....alway loved KA-POW!! .... thanks Rick...

[@MikeOria]

What, no love for ZOWIE! That was always my favorite.

[@MicahThomason]

I think "boff" means something else, nowadays. But, I can't say it on a family-friendly channel.

[@gregbors8364]

I think you mean “boof”

[@MicahThomason]

@@gregbors8364 It might be regional. I'm in Texas and we say "boff". But, hey, I'm willing to entertain some "boofing", as well. 😀

[@sgeorge1701]

I saw these as a kid and I remember laughing so much when they used "Bang-ETH" and "Crunch-ETH" Absolutely hilarious to a kid watching TV with his family!

[@joeyrivful]

Great job Rick this was really interesting. I remember Sock, Biff, Bam, zap.

[@leesalawitch1386]

My favorite fight words are Whack-eth and Bong (as seen when Batgirl swings by in the opening credits). Definitely aimed at adults

[@johnmack85730]

The "words" are called onamonapia. Yes, there is a term for them. Onamonapia: 1. : the naming of a thing or action by imitation of natural sounds (as "buzz" or "hiss") 2. : the use of words whose sound suggests the sense (as for poetic effect)

[@Jeff98177]

They also used animated fight words in the beginning, or overlaid the words on top of the action, but putting the fight words on cards and splicing them into the action was cheaper.

[@leesanna7835]

I forgot where I saw this, but it was basically: "I'm going to hit you so hard, words describing it's impact will appear out of thin air", lol

[@jonathanzuckerman520]

Those words onomatopoeia I would think.

[@Tim-57]

Hey Rick Happy to see Batman again🦇 I think my favourite was Biff! Hope you are well and take care of Yourself 😊

[@biffbamboo]

Holy Onomatopoeia!! And I should know.

[@mordechai-]

Have you done a video on the various "holy ______" that Robin said in all the episodes?

[@coolbear6441]

Some of the sound effects sound like they came from MAD Magazine 🤣🤣

[@jsEMCsquared]

very imformative Batman! KA POW!

[@StormBringer-]

BOFF KAPOW POW WHAMM another good episode.

[@kevinmiller6380]

StormBringer-I'd like to know how they were able to flash those words on the screen?

[@ricknineg]

To the Batpoles…

[@al007italia]

This is part of what I love about your videos, learning bits of trivia about a show I loved, but never thought about until you mentioned them. Now you have me wondering how they handled the overlays in the movie. Did they follow the alphabetical sequence as in the series, or were they more random? Thanks for all the work you do to bring us videos like this.

[@randyc9818]

Did you know about this first episodes they were hand painted on cell. But provided to expensive.

[@markswishereatsstuff2500]

I also enjoy Mad Magazine's Don Martin. His sound effects are hysterical.

[@Susie_Floozie]

Wow, this intensive nerdy wordplay is right up my alley! I always notice a comic book theme, since I've worked as a freelance comics letterer since the '80s. There's an AVENGERS episode called "The Winged Avenger" that had a comic-strip theme with a different spin on the SFX--John Steed whacked the hawk-costumed killer with large placards that read POW! and SPLAT! and BAM! in brightly colored display lettering. Boy, sound effects in dialogue are tricky! I'd often sit at the drawing board making all kinds of weird grunts or yelps, then try to spell out that sound so I could letter it in a word balloon. Now I do it by computer. It's faster, but less fun.

[@kevin10001]

The actual reason for the words on the screen was according to the information I have found is because it was a money saver with the words popping up they didn’t have to film a full fight scene and it would help the transition from hubie kerns Adam’s stuntman in wide shots to Adam in close-ups cause Adam said he would bet on set studying the fights to know where the cut ins would be for him to step in for close-ups

[@vincentcalvelli6452]

Holy vocabulary Rick!

[@blakepace]

Oy. Counting all the overlays and exclamation points in a series? Someone has too much free time. I'm jealous.

[@timothyskidmore1554]

Rotoscoping can be a pretty long process.

[@Robizoid]

It's funny how the words "Oof" and "Thud" were never used until Return to the Batcave: The Misadventures of Adam West & Burt Ward!

[@larrygrebler5054]

As a kid I remember that the bad guys never made words, only Batman and Robin. Even the Green Hornet didn't make any words. So I was really shocked when one time I saw the Penguin make the word "POW". Don't remember the episode though.

[@jons.6216]

No "Newt" and "Mint" like The Simpsons parody?! Haha!

[@tron3entertainment]

I thought "Boff" was something Batman and Catwoman did.

[@wadp5962]

Another good video. I have the Batman series. About a year you mentioned your dog dying. I made a comment offering some advice on how to cope as last summer my favorite cat died suddenly, possibly of cancer, and our dog died a few days later from heart failure. How have you progressed since then? I imagine you still miss your friend. My wife and I do ours. Have you gotten another pet? My wife and I got 3 kittens, who are now not quite a year old. They're lovable mischief makers.

[@ricknineg]

Thanks for remembering. I still miss him but he’s resting now. I feel good!

[@markgordon5387]

I was born in 1969, so I grew up on the reruns.

[@JosephDickersonUX]

HOLY EXPLETIVE BATMAN!

[@archivist17]

These are the stats we needed! 😂

[@beepbeep3000]

I believe that POW! appeared on The Looney Tunes Show (2011-2013). On a Road Runner & Wile E. Coyote segment. Wile always have mishaps while chasing the Road Runner. Very interesting video on the facts of the 1960's Batman TV Series. Hope to see more along the way. Have a nice day/night.

[@timsullivan4687]

It was all about the "PAM!" for me 😁

[@SG-js2qn]

I'm sure you wrote them all down. It would be nice to get a list of them, including a section for those used only once.

[@stormythelowcountrykitty7147]

For the algorithm !!!!!!!!

[@joyousfive]

Swell film !! . We have ALL!!! the seasons on Blue ray DVD!! 👀❤ - So Long !! - 8/20/2023 🤠 Canada

[@MsBackstager]

wowie!!!!

[@puckhogg7162]

What about the 1966 movie? How many words in the movie? What are all of he stats on the movie? Did you count the movie as part of the series?

[@camickelson]

Ker-Splat!

[@zoperxplex]

The interesting thing is that the super duper honesty and decency of Batman and Robin was something extrapolated from the comic book and when the publishers realized how comical that appeared when translated on television they knew their style of juvenile entertainment was past it's prime.

[@dkyrtata6688]

DId some of the repeated words also repeat the overlay?

[@Local1Laborer]

Are their any cast members still alive from the series? I think Robin is still alive and Ursela but maybe that's it.

[@mamas.8259]

😮😮😮😮😮

[@albertwells8503]

I think you’ve got too much time on your hands!!!!

[@jehobden]

I think that the old-sounding words ("Bang-eth", "Ouch-eth") are from the Season 3 episodes with Lord Marmaduke Ffogg and Lady Penelope Peasoup, but they could've been seen with The Archer too. A change Rick didn't mention, but I read about it somewhere: In Season 1 the words were superimposed over the scenes, but after Season 1, they were on their own slides. I think this was done to make them seem less violent, though I'm not sure how that made them less violent.

[@flatfingertuning727]

I was going to ask, but perhaps you already know: what about the distinctions between animated titles versus non-animated? Was that also based on production timing? I suspect non-overlaid shots made editing easier and cheaper.

[@jehobden]

@@flatfingertuning727 That may have been a side benefit of the words on slides.

[@revjim123]

Sorry, not trying to be mean, but you kept saying excamation, it’s exclamation, the L is pronounced. Other than that it’s a great video

[@tdamiano1970]

Funny

[@davef.2329]

😄

[@josephgioielli]

No secret truths. Just a stats video. Misleading title.

[@ChesterBenjaminLane]

My favorite fight word was Bonk!