Jokers Past and Present

Just thought I'd give credit to Batman's most excellent nemesis. The Joker. What a complete freak! What a lovable psycho!

It all started when this twisted version of a clown came into being in the comic books.



Then there was the ultra campy version of the Joker in the 60's WHAM!-POW!-KONK! Batman and Robin tv show. Cesar Romero was the actor playing the Joker in those days. You could tell he was having a ball with the part. And Romero had an insane laugh, man.

Little Known Fact: Cesar Romero refused to shave his mustache off for the part, even though in the comic books, the Joker never had one. He demanded that he be allowed to keep it, as part of his contract. As a result, the makeup artists had to use the white paint over his mustache.

Jack Nicholson did a fantastic, manic job as the Joker in Tim Burton's Batman. Here's a few choice quotes from Jack in the movie:

You IDIOT! You made me. Remember? You dropped me into that vat of chemicals. That wasn't easy to get over, and don't think that I didn't try.

Now comes the part where I relieve you, the little people, of the burden of your failed and useless lives. But, as my plastic surgeon always said: if you gotta go, go with a smile.

Batman... Batman... Can somebody tell me what kind of a world we live in, where a man dressed up as a *bat* gets all of my press? This town needs an enema!

"Winged freak terrorizes"? Wait'll they get a load of ME!

Never rub another man's rhubard.

Next up is Heath Ledger. A talented actor who died too young from an accidental overdose of sleeping pills. Heath said in an interview that the role of playing such a homicidal maniac like the Joker took it's toll on him. He implied, at least it is my perception, that the role of Joker kept him awake at nights.

I now offer you a clip of the new Batman movie coming in July. Enjoy!