Tales of the two Riddler's on Television
Frank Gorshin and John Astin


First of all, Frank's Resume as the Riddler

Batman 66 Movie
1st Season of Batman (Numerous Appearences)
Token Appearance in 3rd Season - Ring Around the Riddler (1967)
Challenge of the Super Heroes 1979
And, countless appearances ...


Then, John's Resume as the Riddler

Batman's Anniversary
A Riddling Controversy


I have talked to Frank Gorshin once and I had asked him why you did not do the Riddler in the 2nd Season of Batman and he said to me there is a lot of reasons and he wanted to do something else and not to be typecast as the Riddler. The problem is that he just completed one Season of Batman and done the Batman 66 Movie as well and already known by the Comic Book Circles as the Riddler.

He and the Producers at Batman, Adam West Series were at odds with each other and did not want to share details with it because it was a personal thing for him. But, as we talked I told him that I clearly enjoyed his laugh, mannerisms, and did a splendid job as the Prince of Puzzlers and the Master of Conundrums so well he was appreciated by my honesty and well being. We talked for 20-30 minutes back in late 80's and manged to get his autograph then.

I was so happy to had a chance to meet him in person and he was very sincere and kind to me and I told him that I was a huge fan of his work on the Batman TV Show and he asked me some questions about it and he and I had fun discussing it.

He was so good and I admired him for being so candid at times and I've remembered it like it was yesterday.


Frank Gorshin as the Riddler





The top picture was a promo for the movie and the bottom one is one of my favorites from the television series.


To me, he is the Riddler and I was so disappointed in not having him appear in the 2nd Season that left me in a frustration of not seeing one of my favorite character that made him a household name that's everyone knows. His laughs and giggles are so legendary that I just can't sometimes to get that image out of my mind. Every Show that he appeared in the 1st Season were all winners and there is not a bad one in the bunch. I just find him sinister, very crafty, and every inch as one of Batman's deadliest enemies.

I was just in awe of his appearance in the Batman Movie and I consider the way he laughed when he sends one of his trademark Missiles in the Sky was awesome. I will never ever forget that.

I just can go on and on about him and he certainly deseved to be the best of the best.

His Grade: A+


John Astin as the Riddler





The top picture with his trademark cane.


When, it's time for Frank's turn to do the show - he backed out for personal reasons and that's made the producers upset and I really don't know the whole truth of why he (Frank) did not appear in the 2nd Season of Batman. So, they had to do something quick and totally did a 360 and hired Maurice Evans to be the Puzzler in the two shows below. That's was one of my low points of watching Batman in the 2nd Season.

The Duo Is Slumming (1966)
The Puzzles Are Coming (1966)

Thinking fast, and with Frank out of the equation they went with John Astin who is widely popular on television as Gomez Addams on the Addams Family to appear as the Prince Puzzler in these two shows below.

Batman's Anniversary
A Riddling Controversy

And, those shows took on a different approach and he made it more a flair of his own and with his trademarked cane he took on the role quite admirably and unlike Frank's his laughter and giggles were sorely missing and made this role more Shakespeare-Like and I was taken by surprise by all this. It was okay by Producers Stand Point - and they managed to get a Riddler Appearance in the 2nd Season and I was kind of surprised that they did not asked him back. The reason why that the Producers of Addams Family did want that and that's spells the end of that idea.

I just had a hard time dealing with John's role as the Riddler and he did the best that he could do and furthermore that I had to realize that he was rushed into the role in the last minutes because Batman's Producers was scrambling like mad to make it work. When, I talked to Adam West one time and he said to me that the two shows that John Astin did was so done poorly that he and Burt Ward did not like it one time. I'm not quite sure of all that but, it was pretty obvious about it and with Television Schedule back then they did a rush job on it.

John did an exceptional job with it - but he made it somewhat boring and with his mustache did no justice with it and having said that; they didn't ask Cesar Romero to shave his trademarked mustache off when he did the Joker.

It would be tandemount for his role as Gomez Addams on the Addams Family.


His Grade B

So the Puzzler was intended to replace the Riddler? I will have to watch those episodes.

I'm going to take a couple days off and do Number 36 and it's going to be a 1-2 days thing and thinking about doing two a week so that I can get it done by end of September and/or early October. This will be my last list of 50 characters that I will ever do.

The thing about Eartha Kitt as Catwoman though was that acting cat-like or feline was central to Eartha's whole stage/screen persona and singing style. She actively went out of her way to be feline in appearance and mannerisms, long before the Batman TV show ever existed. She was also a huge star by 1967 and I believe her role in Batman pre-dated her outspoken criticism of the Vietnam War and her fall from grace as an A-list American celebrity by about a year.

So yeah, for the producers of the TV show, when they were looking for a new Catwoman they no doubt thought, "who do we know that's a popular actress and has feline characteristics or tendancies" and naturally they thought of Eartha. The real wonder is that she hadn't been the producers' #1 choice all along.

Hey, don't worry Mecha, and don't spend a lot of time on it. I was just saying that Eartha was a fairly obvious choice to play Catwoman, regardless of whether she suited the role or not.

I used to love the Herculoids! That's a beloved part of my childhood, from the reruns in the late 70's. I even caught a couple of episodes on Boomerang or the Cartoon Network about 10 years ago. When my kids are a little older, I'll have to watch if with them...if their mother approves.

Zandor - Leader of the Herculoids





Smart, Resourceful, Brave, and Fearless that's best describe the Protector of Quasar - the Home Planet of the Herculoids from invaders that wants the rich deposits of materials and most importantly he wants to keep it primitive and intact from the ever waves of invaders.


Tara - Zandor's Wife





Working with her husband Zandor and to protect Quasar at all costs and usually works with Igoo and Zok on many missions.


Dorno - The Only Son of Zandor and Tara





Loyal to both Zandor and Tara his Parents and usually seen with Tundro and occasionally seen with Igoo and often both Gloop and Gleek are with him too.


Big Three of the Herculoids - Protector of Quasar





All of them are quite efficient of firing "energy rocks" from the slingshots that they made on Planet Quasar - of the three the most impressive one of all is Tara - Zandor's Wife because she can fire those rocks riding on Zok from all angles and that why I'm impressed by her skills and tenacity.