In memory of the lovely Yvonne Craig

Yvonne Craig, a ballet dancer who turned to acting in the early 1960s, and best known for her role as Batgirl on the "Batman" television series, passed away on Monday, August 17, at the age of 78. You can read a more complete death announcement by clicking here.

Craig may have moved on, but she lives on in those fun episodes of "Batman"; her appearances opposite Evil Presley in "It Happened at the World's Fair" and "Kissin' Cousins; and her many guest appearances on television series during the 1960 and 1970s. And in photos like the ones that will make this a Picture Perfect Wednesday, despite the sad news of Craig's passing.

Happy National Ice Cream Day!

Today is the 30th annual National Ice Cream Day.

In 1984, US President Ronald Reagan issued one of the most important proclamations of his presidency: He declared the month of July National Ice Cream Month. He further designated that all Americans should celebrate ice cream with "appropriate ceremonies and activities" on National Ice Cream Day, which he designated as July 15.

Since then, America has observed National Ice Cream day on the third Sunday of every July. I've drafted Yvonne Craig and a couple of friends to remind everyone to do their patriotic duty and enjoy some tasty frozen treats on this most momentous day.

Remembering when these characters were in comic books worth reading....

Ghost Rider racing Batgirl, by Bud Budiansky

Ghost Rider, by Dave Simon

The Batman Family, by Alan Davis

Dr. Doom & Catwoman: Caught in the Act,
by John Byrne

Batgirl & Spider-Woman, by John Byrne

The Batman Family, by John Byrne

Picture Perfect Wednesday:NananananananaBATMAN!

Yesterday, it was 45 years ago that the "Batman" TV show debuted on ABC, with Adam West as Batman, Burt Ward as Robin. Yvonne Craig later joined the heroic line-up as Batgirl. Legendary iconic television performances as recurring villains were provided by Cesar Romero (as The Joker), Frank Gorshin (as The Riddler), Burgess Meredith (as The Penguin) and Julie Newmar and Eartha Kitt (as Catwoman, at various points).

The new Batgirl (secretly Commissioner Gordon's daugther, Barbara) was created by DC Comics editor Julie Schwartz and artist Carmine Infantino at the request of the show's producer, William Dozier, for its third season. Dozier envisioned Batgirl in her own spin-off series, a plan that never came to be.

The failure of the spin-off series to materialize doesn't change the fact that version of Batgirl remains the coolest version. Within the next month or so, I'll be reviewing the book reprinting her comic book adventures from the 1960s and 1970s, but in the meantime, here are some recent portrayals of her.

For more pictures from the classic Batman television show, check out this post at Cinema Steve.