NEWSLETTER

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In 1996, Chip Kidd released a beautiful book that showed off his Batman collection called Batman Collected. Now, thirteen years later, he’s published a new volume, Bat-Manga!. It’s almost a sequel to his other Batbook except that all the Batman artifacts are Japanese and the majority of the content is Japanese Batman comics from the 60s. Kidd is also the world’s most renowned book designer. He was kind enough to let me bother him at his office, which is full of beautiful objects.

Vice: Where did the fascination with Batman start?
Chip Kidd: Like a lot of people in my age range, it started with the TV show. For a brief shining moment it was as big as Harry Potter is now.

What do you think makes people hold on to childhood interests through adulthood?
There’s a certain segment of our generation, even more so now, with a sense that you don’t have to throw it away. In some ways it’s Peter Pan-ish with a constructive mode. You see people who work in comics who grew up with comics. In the 40s there was a stigma about—not to say that they didn’t love it but it was something you did because you couldn’t get legitimate work. Now you get people like J.J. Abrams or Joss Whedon who make viable, vibrant careers out of fandom.

What drives people to collect?
I’m sure there are many different reasons. I enjoy it. It enables you to grasp on to your childhood and your past. It’s an attempt to not let that go. It’s a preservation.

Do you find it hard to feel the level of excitement you did when you were little?
In some ways yes and in some ways no. When I saw the trailer for Monsters vs. Aliens I was insanely excited, and then I saw it and I was insanely excited watching it. You’re interviewing me on June 2. Tomorrow a new Batman & Robin title will debut from DC Comics written by Grant Morrison and drawn by Frank Quitely. I am insanely excited about that.

Yayyyy! Those guys are so good.
I did the logo for those. I’m so excited it’s ridiculous.

The Frank Miller/Jim Lee Batman disappointed me.
It was very, very strange.

Tell me about Bat-Manga!.
It’s an act of preservation for me as a Batman fan. Batman Collected came out in 1996, and I’d been putting it together for two years before that. There is a Japanese section in there but it’s just the toys. For a long time that’s all I thought existed. The Batman show went global in 1966 and was a hit in Japan and they made these toys and that was that. Then ten years ago I became aware of the comics through David Mazzucchelli. He did an extended stay there on a cartoonist’s fellowship. He came back and said, “Did you know that this happened? When I went over there and they found out I had drawn Batman, they went out of their way to say, ‘We had our own Japanese Batman in 1966.’” He didn’t get around to actually seeing it but he became aware of it. The other thing was I grew up watching the 8 Man cartoons. It turned out that it was the same guy, Jiro Kuwata.

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Comments

	ghostfingers, on Jul 24, 2009 wrote: there’s no crying in baseball or batman. suck it up. robin is a puss. don’t be like robin.
Anonymous, on Jul 22, 2009 wrote: I agree the Frank Miller and Jim Lee Batman was totally odd... i couldnt get into it
Anonymous, on Jul 22, 2009 wrote: urgh. typical. the japanese have totally butchered it
Anonymous, on Jul 22, 2009 wrote: "What drives people to collect? " good question.
Anonymous, on Jul 21, 2009 wrote: i didn’t know there was a japanese batman but if he is anything like japanese spiderman then i must see it immediately.
	skidmarx, on Jul 21, 2009 wrote: i’ve never seen batman with club foot. that’s sad. and look at his face. bummer.
	badmandan, on Jul 21, 2009 wrote: that batman doll looks like he has had his arms and legs broken by some supervillan. doesnt look to happy about the whole thing either.
	joe bananas, on Jul 21, 2009 wrote: i want to see the japanese batman, surely he would be all tricked out with smallest utility belt ever seen.
Anonymous, on Jul 21, 2009 wrote: i think the batman robin thing is just honest bro love. plus if its just the tip it doesnt count.
Anonymous, on Jul 21, 2009 wrote: that looks like one sad batman he has there, i dont see a "pow" or a "zok" coming from him.
Anonymous, on Jul 21, 2009 wrote: i’d like to ask him some things about his desk, too, like how do you get anything done there with shit all over it?
Anonymous, on Jul 21, 2009 wrote: Chip Kidd has the best alter ego name ever. Are you sure he isn’t hiding something? This would be quite a cover. Middle-aged Batman superfan but in reality he’s fighting crime and swine flu.
	megabreath, on Jul 21, 2009 wrote: let me say i’m guilty of this too but i think it’s funny that most guys will say batman is their favorite super hero since he is a normal guy with no super powers but they are also quick to get uneasy when the batman/robin gay thing comes up. they will probably agree it’s hinted at somewhere but shrug it off like it’s no big deal.
Anonymous, on Jul 21, 2009 wrote: Don’t say that! I am about to start the Frank Miller Dark Knight Returns. I’ve only heard great things until now.
	poozer, on Jul 21, 2009 wrote: plus the old batman bad guys were so much more bone-tingly perverse.
Anonymous, on Jul 21, 2009 wrote: The old Batman show with Adam West was awesome. I used to watch it everyday after school, and I’m in my 20s, not my 50s. Sure the stunts pale in comparison to today’s, but the POWs and BAMs more than made up for it.
Anonymous, on Jul 21, 2009 wrote: the urge to collect things comes from a fear of dying? fuck. ive got some thinking to do
Anonymous, on Jul 21, 2009 wrote: I want that target so bad