I used to the love Batman when I was a kid - the original TV series I mean. They'd play the repeats on a 70s Saturday morning - once the hedonistic time slot for all things children and anarchy, like the fabulously-formative, memory-drenching TISWAS.
Anyway, those Batman fight scenes, with their Roy Lichtenstein, onomatopoeic pop art references were DYNAMITE! to a seven years old's hungry brain. Well to mine anyway!
So, I searched up the old Batman videos as I was trying to find inspiration for a new superhero poem I was writing for children and found this brilliant article on Fast Company's website: in 2016, to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the 1966 Batman series, they'd compiled every BLOOP! ZLONK! and KER-SPLOOSH! in one handy GIF.
This inspired me to write a very silly poem called, Bedtime at Batman's. It could be fun for children to perform and has some giggle opportunities for call and return - especially in the final stanza.
The poem is simple. It's about about the normality of being a superhero that we all forget ... like taking off your costume and getting ready for bed.
Well even superheroes have to sleep ...
Bedtime at Batman’s
THWACK! ZAP! SPLAAT! WHAP!
Batman’s moonlit fight
OWW! ZIP! OUCH! RIP!
He’s stuck inside his tights
KLUNK! ZONK! THUNK! KLONK!
Batman’s nightly drama
UGGH! CRAAAK! PLOP! WHACK!
To put on his pyjamas
ARGH! YOW! EEK! POW!
Batman takes a stumble
THUD! BANG! AWK! CLANG
He wobbles and he tumbles
WAH! GAH! BOO! HOO!
“Why’s my bedtime cursed?”
BIFF! WHAM! BLOOP! BAM!
“JUST TAKE YOUR PANTS OFF FIRST !!!”
And if the video above is too fast for you, I've listed every onomatopoeic word here. I'm sure children would love to use these super sound words in their own poems.
Here’s a list in alphabetical order:
AIEEE!
AIIEEE!
ARRRGH!
AWK!
AWKKKKKK!
BAM!
BANG!
BANG-ETH!
BAP!
BIFF!
BLOOP!
BLURP!
BOFF!
BONK!
CLANK!
CLANGE!
CLANK-EST!
CLASH!
CLUNK!
CLUNK-ETH!
CRAAACK!
CRASH!
CRRAAACK!
CRUNCH!
CRUNCH-ETH!
EEE-YOW!
FLRBBBBB!
GLIPP!
GLURPP!
KAPOW!
KAYO!
KER-PLOP!
KER-SPLOOSH!
KLONK!
KRUNCH!
OOOFF!
OOOOFF!
OUCH!
OUCH-ETH!
OWWW!
OW-ETH!
PAM!
PLOP!
POW!
POWIE!
QUNCKKK!
RAKKK!
RIP!
SLOSH!
SOCK!
SPLAAT!
SPLATT!
SPLOOSH!
SWAAP!
SWISH!
SWOOSH!
THUNK!
THWACK!
THWACKEL!
THWAPE!
THWAPP!
TOUCHÉ!
UGGH!
URKK!
URKKK!
VRONK!
WHACK!
WHACK-ETH!
WHAM-ETH!
WHAMM!
WHAMMM!
WHAP!
ZAM!
ZAMM!
ZAMMM!
ZAP!
ZAP-ETH
ZGRUPPP!
ZLONK!
ZLOPP!
ZLOTT!
ZOK!
ZOWIE!
ZWAPP!
Z-ZWAP!
Z-Z-Z-Z-WAP!
ZZZZZWAP!
FYI I also discovered the brilliant Written Sound Onomatopoeia Dictionary
And never forget ...
Lichtenstein's Onomatopoeia is also a great inspiration for a children's art project. Below you can see some of the work we did, led by the incredible Sally Newton, check out her wonderful website as mural creator ... and her Sally Wilford site too ...
Oh yes, how could I forget? We've represented Poetry, Art and TV.... but what about music? We'll let my musical my hero play us out ... well after this final flurry of Batman mayhem ...
Batman Fight Scenes
Prince - Batdance