Pop Goes the Joker is an episode of season 2 of Batman. It premiered on March 22, 1967.
Synopsis for "Pop Goes the Joker"
At Bernie Park's Art Procurers, Alfred Pennyworth is looking for a painting by the artist Oliver Muzzy when the Joker shows up, armed with paint guns, angrily decrying how "ugly" the artworks displayed at the gallery are. Alfred sneaks away to call Aunt Harriet just as the Joker sprays his paint guns all over the works of art. Having gotten the hint of "the Laughing Man", Bruce and Dick race to the art gallery as Batman and Robin.
Upon arriving, Batman and Robin fight the Joker along with his two henchmen, but the damage, along with Batman's shirt, has already been done. Bernie Park mourns the vandalized paintings, but Muzzy silences him and praises the Joker, admitting that he has been trying to paint modern art for years, but was never successful. He shares a 50-50 "co-authorship" with the Joker, who paints a J on Batman's stained shirt and leaves. With Joker having increased the value of the paintings, Batman and Robin decide not to go after him. At police headquarters, they discuss putting extra guards at all the many art galleries in city and return to the Batcave where Alfred wipes off the stain. Batman receives a call from Commissioner Gordon telling him that the Joker has entered the Gotham City International Art Contest and decides to go there as Bruce Wayne, who is in the same social circles as Baby Jane Towser, a young socialite who is organizing the contest.
At the contest, the Joker is pitted against five famous artists, Pablo Pinkus, Vincent Van Gauche, Jackson Potluck and Leonardo da Vinski. All four create ridiculous paintings, but Joker keeps his canvas (titled "Death of a Mauve Bat") blank while miming painting movements. He explains that it was intentional, because "the bat is dead", therefore it is symbolic of "the emptiness of modern art". As a reward, the Joker opens up his own art institute for millionaires and Bruce decides to sign up.
While Alfred and Robin track his movements, Bruce, along with Baby Jane and three other women. Today's lesson is a still-life sculpture and Joker walks around giving criticisms on each student. Mrs. Putney is making a fruit tree out of steel, Mrs. Van Dormer is making something on a coat rack with pink sticky modeling clay, Mrs. Runcilmeyer is making a fruit bowl out of barbed wire, Baby Jane is sculpting Joker's face with a blowtorch on gold metal and Bruce is trying to recreate the bowl with his own clay, something the Joker disgustedly dismisses as something the even a three-year-old can do better than. To prove his point, he smooshes one piece of the clay and puts it on top of the sculpture. "That is about the level of a three year old," Bruce sarcastically replies. Insulted, the Joker orders his henchmen into the room and holds them at gunpoint, announcing that ransom notes have been sent to their families. His objective is obtain each and every one of their renaissance art collections. Commissioner Gordon calls Robin, who heads down to Joker's studio, where a fight breaks out. Unfortunately, it ends with Robin getting punched face first into Mrs. Van Dormer's modeling clay.
In another part of the studio, Robin is tied down to a mobile which is attached to a multitude of blades that will chop him up into pieces, and Bruce can only watch as he struggles to free himself…
Appearing in "Pop Goes the Joker"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
Antagonists:
Other Characters:
- Baby Jane Towser (First appearance)
- Bernie Park (First appearance)
- Jackson Potluck (Single appearance)
- Leonardo Da Vinski (Single appearance)
- Mrs. Putney (First appearance)
- Oliver Muzzy (Single appearance)
- Pablo Pincus (Single appearance)
- Vincent Van Gauche (Single appearance)
Locations:
- Gotham City
- Bernie Park's Artistic Procurers
- Gotham City Art Center
- Gotham City Museum (Mentioned only)
- Gotham City Police Headquarters
- Joker Art Institute
- Wayne Manor
Items:
- Batcomputer
- Batphone
- Batpoles
- Batradarscope
- Gotham City Art News
- Joker's Paint Guns
- Shakespeare Bust
- The Mobile
- Utility Belt
Vehicles:
Notes
- The scene in which the Joker and his henchmen use paint to deface the paintings at the art gallery likely inspired the scene in the 1989 movie Batman in which the Joker and his gang vandalize the paintings at the Flugelheim Museum in a very similar fashion.
Trivia
- No trivia.
See Also
- Images from Batman (1966 TV Series) Episode: Pop Goes the Joker
- Episodes of Batman (1966 TV Series)
- Images from Batman (1966 TV Series)
- Gallery for the Batman (1966 TV Series) series
Recommended Media
- None.
Links and References
- None.
Footnotes