On June 2, 1998, I created a small website via my WebTV. The name of it was “JettD60s BATMAN 5 Page.” The purpose of it was, well, I really didn’t know it’s purpose at the time. I simply knew I wanted one of these new “websites” of my own, the topic of it to be Batman, and I feared that the Batman film franchise had ended a year earlier (1997) with BATMAN & ROBIN. Thus, its focus would be the cinematic endeavors of The Dark Knight.
Within a year, the site had a new name, “Batman On Film,” and a definite purpose: The lobbying of Warner Bros. to continue the Batman film series and to make sure the films were good.
Twenty years and five live-action Batman films (THE DARK KNIGHT TRILOGY, BATMAN v SUPERMAN, JUSTICE LEAGUE) later, BOF is still here and…I’m still lobbying Warner Bros. for good Batman movies. (I also seem to be banging the drum louder than ever after Batman’s appearance in JUSTICE LEAGUE — but that’s an entirely different conversation!)
With that said, the reason I wrote this article is not to sing my own praises. No, I wanted to mark this milestone in BOF history — which I did — and I wanted to thank the people who have contributed to the site over the years, past and present.
So, a BIG thanks to the following folks, in no particular order: Paul Wares, Gregg Bray, Sean Gerber, Mark Hughes, Ryan Hoss, John Bierly, Chris Clow, Robert Reineke, Ryan Lower, Pete Verra, Justin Kowalski, Rick Shew, AND anyone who has written an article for BOF, been on a podcast, and/or helped out BOF in any capacity — no matter how big or small — the last two decades.
To Christopher Nolan, Emma Thomas, and the great Michael Uslan, I am honored to have met you all through BOF, and thankful more than I can say for the support.
To the people at Warner Bros. who I’ve met and got to work with over the years — especially D.O. and A.C.H. — thank you very much! Though you both included me in a lot of cool Batman on film stuff (set visits, junkets, premieres, etc.), being able to call you both a friend means more to me.
To F.J.D. — I love ‘ya no matter what how much of an A-hole you pretend to be!
To all the folks at DC Comics and Warner Bros. Home Video (especially Gary M.) — I am very thankful for the comics and the videos you all send me so I can preach the word of Batman with other mediums besides live-action films.
Also, I want to say to all the loyal BOF’ers out there that I appreciate you all very much! Without y’all, there would be no BOF.
And finally, thanks to my lovely wife “Announcer Rachel” for supporting me all these years…and not running away from me as fast as she could almost 19 years ago when I told her I run a Batman site!
Batman On Film. Authoritative. Definitive. The Daggum ORIGINAL! – Bill “Jett” Ramey