The number of reasons that someone would want to meet Batman could fill an entire DC Comics omnibus. But to condense that lifelong passion for the Dark Knight into fifty measly words? That’s practically heresy.
Videos by ComicBook.com
But that’s exactly what Batman fans were tasked to do back in 1988, when cameras were rolling for Tim Burton’s Batman movie. As ComicsAlliance unearthed earlier this week, Warner Bros. held a special contest that modern fans could only dream about during the film’s production. In a November, 1988 issue of Starlog magazine, Warner Bros. announced a special opportunity for fans to be flown out to Batman’s set in England and have a small role in the movie. And what did they have to do to earn such a privilege?
Just explain why they wanted to meet Batman—in 50 words or less. That’s no easy task, mind you. In fact, I doubt even Batman would struggle to explain why he’s so awesome in under fifty words. However, one contestant rose from the shadows to conquer the nigh-impossible task in the coolest way imaginable.
Andrew Seward Duncan, of Riverdale, GA slammed the competition by writing an epic piece of Batman poetry. Clocking in at an impressive 44 words, Duncan wrote this compelling ode to The Caped Crusader.
I would like to believe
that there exists
a man consumed
by an obsessionto exact a price from that which took
his humanityA lost soul amongst shadows.
A demon amongst men.
A bane to all that is evil.“Hello again. Beware… forever.”
Duncan certainly seemed to share Batman’s thirst for justice, didn’t he? But I’m sure it stood out amongst the countless “Because his suit is awesome,” letters thrown into mix. Interestingly, the last line in Duncan’s poem wasn’t even written by Duncan. As the below image shows, “Hello again. Beware…forever,” is a quote from The Dark Knight himself in Batman #400, a special anniversary issue celebrating everything we love about Batman (and coming in at way more than 50 words).
Duncan, who grew up to be a professional props master and designer, wrote about the experience on his blog several years ago, saying that he wrote poem on a self-made “aged sheet of paper,’ that he then cut to look like a Batarang. He wrote that the entire experience took him about two or three hours to complete, which makes his victory all the more obvious.
As promised, Warner Bros. flew Duncan (and his father) out to Pinewood Studios in London, where they met with the film’s producer, took a tour of the entire set, and even sat in the Batmobile.
Duncan and his dad were then put into costume and were made extra for Batman’s climactic parade scene, where the Joker poisons Gotham with his Smilex laughing gas. And according to Duncan, you can spot him amongst the fleeing Gothamites.
As he put it:
Julian Wall, one of the ADs, came and asked me if I wanted to do a stunt. The stunt was running down the street, tripping and falling down then getting scooped up by two other guys who’d help me continue to run away from the Joker. I think I did it as many as four times, and with gloves on it wasn’t too bad…all the extras were telling me that I should get paid for doing a stunt…it was neat….and I can spot it in the movie!
If only the film’s makers let Duncan recite his poetry to Tim Burton or Michael Uslan while he was there. Who knows? Maybe a portion of it could have wound up in the film. Surely, any line from his entry sure would have made more sense than, “Have you ever danced with the devil in the pale moonlight?”
