Batfink

                                                               

 

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The cartoon was produced at Hal Seeger Studios, in New York City, and at Bill Ackerman Productions in Midland Park, New Jersey. It was syndicated by Screen Gems and continued to air on local stations throughout the 1980s. Nickelodeon briefly aired episodes of Batfink on its Weinerville and Nick in the Afternoon series in the 1990s. In September 2006, it returned to the U.S. as part of "Cartoons Without a Clue", Boomerang's mystery lineup on weekends.

Batfink (Frank Buxton) is a superpowered anthropomorphic gray bat in a yellow costume with a big red "B" on the chest and red gauntlets and boots. He uses his super-sonic sonar radar and metallic black wings to fight crime. In the last episode of the series ("Batfink: This Is Your Life"), it's revealed that he got his powers from being born in an abandoned plutonium mine and that he'd lost his natural wings as a child while saving his mother's life after escaped convicts blew up their mountaintop cave. This incident is what motivated him to become a crimefighter.

Karate (Len Maxwell) is a gi-clad martial arts expert and Batfink's oafish oriental sidekick who drives the Battillac. He is somewhat oversized and isn't very bright, but is strong enough to help Batfink out of any situation. He carries a wide variety of objects and gadgets in his "utility sleeve" (which is a takeoff of Batman's utility belt), but he often has trouble finding what he needs in it.

Karate's name, besides being that of a martial art, is also a takeoff of Kato, The Green Hornet's sidekick, while his hulking size is inspired by the James Bond villain Oddjob. His voice is a caricature inspired by Don Adams as Maxwell Smart of the Get Smart series which was popular at the time. Karate on occasion has even uttered the catch phrase, "Sorry about that, Batfink."

The Chief (Len Maxwell) is Batfink's contact on the local police force and informs Batfink of all the latest crimes via a direct video link to Batfink's split-level cave ("The hotline! Batfink here.").

Super-sonic sonar radar

Batfink's super-sonic sonar radar played upon his being a bat. Bats use echolocation to detect their prey and home in on it. Batfink's radar was the superpower version of this and usually took the form of the letters "BEEP" (sometimes "BEEP BEEP") emanating from his mouth and then flying wherever he needed them to go, accompanied by a distinctive beeping noise.

"My super-sonic sonar radar will help me!"

The "BEEP"s acted as people: they were able to see, be scared, evade capture and report back to Batfink on what they had seen. In one episode, the "BEEP" even gets beaten up after being ambushed from behind a tree. The "BEEP"s also get confused, misdirected and lost and Batfink has to rely on other means to find out what Hugo A-Go-Go (or some other major villain) has been up to. Once, when the "BEEP" was sent to investigate Queenie Bee and her swarm of villainous bees, it returned with the letters "EEP" swollen with bee stings. When Karate asked Batfink, "How come they just stung the EEP?" he replied, "Because a bee would never harm another B. But a B will tell on another bee — Queenie Bee is in THERE!"

Metallic wings

Batfink's main defense were his metallic wings, which he was able to curl around himself as a protective shield against most attacks, thereby spawning the most famous catchphrase of the show:

"Your bullets cannot harm me — my wings are like a shield of steel!"

(He claimed in some episodes that his wings were stainless steel, but in other episodes he explicitly stated that they were not, since he always carried a can of spot remover to keep them polished.)

He could also use his wings as offensive weapons; in one episode, he used one of his wings as a sword during a duel. His wings would also help him fly at enormous speeds and were often used to help him escape certain death or cut through bonds when he had been captured (he can break out of regular ropes but not rubber ones). In the episode "Ebenezer the Freezer," Batfink had automatic retrorockets built into his wings, but not in any other episode.

Sometimes, however, his wings hindered him; when in water, he would sink because of the weight of his metal wings. Powerful magnets were also a problem for him.

The Battillac

Batfink rides in a customized pink Volkswagen Beetle-like car with scalloped rear fins called the "Battillac" that is outfitted with a sun roof and lots of barriers and shields. In this way, when the car falls into a valley or gets shocked by a sound wave, it remains intact. Then, Batfink says something like, "It's a good thing the Battillac is equipped with a thermo-nuclear plutonium insulated blast shield!" and Karate says, "It's also good it was a small bomb." A humorous feature of this expression is that in most of the events that occur a thermo-nuclear plutonium insulation of any sort would not have any realistic use whatsoever and may actually have caused more harm than protection. As soon as a crime is acknowledged Batfink says, "Karate, the Battillac!"

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                                                          Copyright(C) 2007 - 2020. All rights reserved

 

 

Genre Animated series
Created by Hal Seeger
Voices of Frank Buxton
Len Maxwell
Narrated by Len Maxwell
Counrty of origin United States
No. of episodes 100
Running Time) Approx 5 mins per cartoon
Original Run 21 April 1966 – 4 October 1967
Language English

 

Title Airdate
"Pink Pearl of Persia" 21 April 1966 (1966-04-21)
"The Short Circuit Case" 21 April 1966 (1966-04-21)
"Ebenezer The Freezer" 20 Jan. 1967
"The Sonic Boomer" 20 Jan. 1967
"Big Ears Ernie" 20 Jan. 1967
"Batfink on the Rocks" 20 Jan. 1967
"Manhole Manny" 20 Jan. 1967
"The Mad Movie Maker" 20 Jan. 1967
"Nuts of the Round Table" 20 Jan. 1967
"Skinny Minnie" 20 Jan. 1967
"Fatman Strikes Again" 20 Jan. 1967
"The Kitchy Koo Kaper" 20 Jan. 1967
"The Dirty Sinker" 20 Jan. 1967
"Gluey Louie" 3 March 1967 (1967-03-03)
"Brother Goose" 20 Jan. 1967
"The Chocolate-Covered Diamond" 20 Jan. 1967
"Crime College" 1 March 1967 (1967-03-01)
"Myron the Magician" 20 Jan. 1967
"Brain Washday" 6 Feb. 1967
"MPFTBRM" 31 Jan. 1967
"Gloves on the Go-Go" 3 March 1967 (1967-03-03)
"Sporty Morty" 13 March 1967 (1967-03-13)
"Go Fly a Bat" 31 Jan. 1967
"Ringading Brothers" 1 March 1967 (1967-03-01)
"Out Out Darn Spot" 3 March 1967 (1967-03-03)
"Goo-Goo A-Go-Go" 1 March 1967 (1967-03-01)
"Crimes in Rhymes" 7 April 1967 (1967-04-07)
"Stupidman" 30 March 1967 (1967-03-30)
"A Living Doll" 31 Jan. 1967
"Bat Patrol" 13 March 1967 (1967-03-13)
"Dig That Crazy Mountain" 20 Jan. 1967
"Spin the Batfink" 6 Feb. 1967
"Greasy Gus" 23 March 1967 (1967-03-23)
"The Mark of Zero" 13 March 1967 (1967-03-13)
"Swami Salami" 18 April 1967 (1967-04-18)
"The Human Pretzel" 24 April 1967 (1967-04-24)
"Jumping Jewelry" 30 March 1967 (1967-03-30)
"Roz the Schnozz" 24 April 1967 (1967-04-24)
"Karate's Case" 7 April 1967 (1967-04-07)
"The Wishbone Boner" 1 May 1967 (1967-05-01)
"Hugo for Mayor" 18 April 1967 (1967-04-18)
"The Indian Taker" 23 March 1967 (1967-03-23)
"The Devilish Device" 29 May 1967 (1967-05-29)
"Goldstinger" 30 March 1967 (1967-03-30)
"The Shady Shadow" 18 April 1967 (1967-04-18)
"Party Marty" 1 March 1967 (1967-03-01)
"The Beep Bopper" 7 April 1967 (1967-04-07)
"The Super Trap" 12 May 1967 (1967-05-12)
"Bride and Doom" 1 May 1967 (1967-05-01)
"Topsy Turvy" 24 April 1967 (1967-04-24)
"The Rotten Rainmaker" 8 June 1967 (1967-06-08)
"Gypsy James" 29 May 1967 (1967-05-29)
"The Kooky Chameleon" 19 May 1967 (1967-05-19)
"Beanstalk Jack" 12 May 1967 (1967-05-12)
"The Time Stopper" 19 May 1967 (1967-05-19)
"The Kangarobot" 1 May 1967 (1967-05-01)
"Presto-Chango-Hugo" 8 June 1967 (1967-06-08)
"Curly the Cannonball" 30 June 1967 (1967-06-30)
"Robber Hood" 12 May 1967 (1967-05-12)
"Slow Down! Speed Up!" 1 June 1967 (1967-06-01)
"Sandman Sam" 21 June 1967 (1967-06-21)
"Yo-Yo A-Go-Go" 14 June 1967 (1967-06-14)
"Hugo's Hoke" 1 June 1967 (1967-06-01)
"Backwards Box" 1 June 1967 (1967-06-01)
"The Great Escapo" 14 June 1967 (1967-06-14)
"Watch My Smoke" 30 June 1967 (1967-06-30)
"Daniel Boom" 21 June 1967 (1967-06-21)
"Queenie Bee" 29 May 1967 (1967-05-29)
"The Thief from Baghdad" 26 June 1967 (1967-06-26)
"The Mean Green Midget" 12 July 1967 (1967-07-12)
"Double Double Crossers" 8 June 1967 (1967-06-08)
"The Baffling Bluffs of Hugo A-Go-Go" 15 Aug. 1967
"Napoleon Blownapart" 14 June 1967 (1967-06-14)
"The Atom Boom" 12 July 1967 (1967-07-12)
"Magneto the Magnificent" 26 July 1967 (1967-07-26)
"Hugo the Crimefighter" 21 June 1967 (1967-06-21)
"The Trojan Horse Thief" 12 July 1967 (1967-07-12)
"The Zap Sap" 12 Sep. 1967
"Unhappy Birthday" 26 June 1967 (1967-06-26)
"Buster the Ruster" 26 July 1967 (1967-07-26)
"Karate's Day Off" 14 Sep. 1967
"Mike the Mimic" 28 Sep. 1967
"Cinderobber" 3 Aug. 1967
"Bouncey Bouncey Batfink" 26 June 1967 (1967-06-26)
"The Bomber Bird" 3 August 1967 (1967-08-03)
"The Copycat Bat" 30 June 1967 (1967-06-30)
"Old King Cruel" 12 Sep. 1967
"Victor the Predictor" 14 Sep. 1967
"Goldyunlocks and the Three Baers" 26 July 1967 (1967-07-26)
"Jerkules" 14 Sep. 1967
"Hugo Here, Hugo There" 15 Aug. 1967
"Bowl Brummel" 4 Oct. 1967
"Fleiderfink" 15 Aug. 1967
"Blankenstein" 3 Aug. 1967
"Whip Van Winkle" 28 Sep. 1967
"Tough Macduff" 4 Oct. 1967
"Judy Jitsu" 28 Sep. 1967
"Ego A-Go-Go" 12 Sep. 1967
"Father Time Bomb" 4 Oct. 1967
"Batfink — This Is Your Life" 4 Oct. 1967

 

 

 

 

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