The Great Adventure Batman Exclusives

by Art Cloos

Great Adventure is a theme park located in New Jersey, about an hours drive from New York. It is part of the Six-Flags series of theme parks located across the U.S.   Six-Flags is a Time Warner's affiliated company. As such, you will find many of the Looney Tunes characters walking about (in costume of course) the different parks. You will also find an almost unimaginable variety of Looney Tunes collectibles for sale in the many gift and souvenir shops located throughout the park as well.

As most Batman collectors know, in addition to owning Bugs Bunny, Time Warners also owns Batman. Each Six-Flags features a different Bat-related promotion. Great Adventure features Bat-promotions; Batman: The Ride and the Batman Stunt show.

The Batman Stunt Show opened in 1992. Based loosely on the movie, it's "plot" revolves around showing the audience how movie stunts are performed as Batman saves Vicki Vale from the Joker. The Stunt Show features a Batmobile that performs on command.

The Batman Ride opened opened in 1993. Billed as the Northeast's only inverted outside looping ride it will scare the cape off you. It will also age you considerably as you wait in line to get on the danm thing. It isn't going   to be much of a surprise I'm sure but there can be found a lot of Bat-related collectibles connected to Great Adventure. The Batman Stunt show spawned ride related mugs, glasses, pens, banks, and shirts. All for sale at a specially built Bat-concession stand . In addition to the above found only at Great adventure, you could buy more common bat-products such as the Applause dolls from Batman Returns, callendars etc. Of special interest to collectors of promotional items are two Stunt Show related pieces. One is a Great Adventure pamphlet with a double spread full-colored drawing introducing the stunt show. The 2nd item was a beautiful button reproducing the graphics of the ad. This button was given to park employees at the start of the season. By August most had been given away. I found out about the button by accident and managed to acquire one literally as I was walking through the exit to go home.

Other related collectibles included advertising tie-ins at area supermarkets and of course McDonalds. The Batman ride also generated it's share of collectibles including pens, glasses, mugs. water bottles, and shirts. Of special interest to advertising and promotional collectors are two items. The first was an advertising pack sent out to area teachers. It came in two different style envelopes. One was black with the Gotham Skyline and the Bat-signal; very striking; the other white with the same graphics. Inside is a four page pamphlet with a drawing of Bats swinging across the Gotham skyline on the cover. Inside we find a two page spread of the Stunt show graphics with a seasonal callendar on the back; a really nice piece of work from the promotional department at Six Flags. Bat-graphics also appeared on a letter to teachers that was included in the pack. A second promotional item came via a license show. It is a round disk that has Batman the Ride graphics on it. Spin it and Bats erupts into myriad of colors. An interesting piece to say the least.

Other Six Flags feature additional Bat-related promotions. For example, Six-Flags Astro-World features "Batman: The Escape, where you journey through the Batcave, Artic Park, and Gotham Cold Stotage. The advertising brochure features a pull open full color set of graphics featuring the Bat signal carved into a mountain.

Perhaps other D.S. readers out there have additional information on Astroland Bat-related collectibles and collectibles from other Six Flags across the U.S>

I f so I'd like to hear from you.