My love of Batman comes primarily from the Batman television series, which ran from 1966-1968. It’s where my love of Batman was born.

I remember, as a kid, watching and obsessing over the pop, campy fun of Batman and Robin fighting bright characterizations of Gotham City’s worst foes. I watched the 1966 Batman movie countless times as it aired on cable, and watched the television episodes each and every day as it re-aired on The Family Channel. The show is something that I have grown up with. So, to me it was quite surprising to look towards the other fans of Batman and see that they don’t share the same love for the series that I do, and that most fans like their Batman dark, brooding, and surrounded by a negative version of Gotham City. That’s why it serves as a great pleasure to see that Sequart Research & Literacy Organization has collected a group of 14 essays in a book called Gotham City 14 Miles showcasing the reasons why the television series is important.

The essays, written by top writers including one of my favorite comic scribes Chuck Dixon, focuses its energy on the Batman craze of the sixties, the role of women, camp, all of the celebrity appearances, and the series’ long-lasting effects on pop culture.

Comics legend, Mark Waid, had the following to say about Gotham City 14 Miles:

And honestly, I’m in complete compliance with Mr. Waid. If you’re interested, make sure to tell your local comic shop or bookstore that you want a copy, because you can pick them up at both types of stores. I suggest the comic shop, though, and tell them to use Diamond order code OCT101262 to order the book.

The book is 300 pages, and retails for $22.95, and for more information, you can check out their Facebook page, and the official site from Sequart, which has a sample chapter from the book in PDF that you can download.