Pop Culture from an Alternate Dimension

       The first live-action adaptation of Batman was a 15 chapter serial in 1943. It did so well that another one was made a few years later. Superman had a popular serial in 1948 and a sequel two years later. The producer of these serials was Sam Katzman, who knew how to make movies cheaply and turn a profit. What if, instead of a sequel, he decided to put the heroes together in a serial to get more people watching. Around that time Superman, Batman and Robin palled around with each on the covers of World's Finest comics but not in the stories inside. However, starting in 1945 Batman and Robin did join Superman on his radio show so it would have been a treat for the kids (and some adults) of time to see them fighting together on the screen. Fun fact for fans of The Flash: an actor named Wally West is in the serial "Atom Man vs Superman". You can see what the original serials looked like here: Batman And Robin (1949) Episode 1 Batman Takes Over Atom Man vs Superman ...

       The 1988 movie Who Framed Roger Rabbit (based on the novel Who Censored Roger Rabbit ) had a world where Baby Herman and Roger Rabbit starred in Maroon Cartoons. The character was popular enough that Disney made a new short with the duo that showed before Honey, I Shrunk the Kids . Dark Horse made a spoof of serials called Monarch of the Moon  that showed American flying hero Yellow Jacket versus Japanese villainess Dragonfly. Now that I had the cartoon and serial I needed the main feature. I chose Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid , which not only stars Steve Martin but has Humphrey Bogart, Ingrid Bergman and many more stars of the Golden Age.      Put these all together and you have a 1940s movie-going experience from a past similar to our own,   Tummy Trouble - Roger Rabbit Short [HD] - YouTube Monarch of the Moon Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid (1982) Original Trailer [HD] - YouTube