With her mysterious personality, street smarts, and killer sense of style, Catwoman has become one of the most loved comic book characters of all time. The sometimes archenemy, sometimes lover of Batman has had more make-overs then one can count, and in honor of Halloween, I thought it would be fun to go over some of my favorite Catwoman incarnations.
N°1 JULIE NEWMAR
BATMAN TV SERIES (1966-1967)
With long blonde hair flowing behind her, Julie Newmar was the first actress to portray the cat burglar on-screen, and remains to be many people's favorite incarnation of the character. With her hourglass figure, outfitted splendidly in a purple bodysuit Newmar herself created, she stole and seduces Batman in 13 episodes, making her one of the most promient villains in the show. Of the experience, Newmar says: "It's an honor --- it really is -- that something stays for so long with people in the sweet depths of their feelings."
N°2 EARTHA KITT
BATMAN TV SERIES (1967-1968)
When Julie Newmar's Catwoman in the 60s BATMAN series needed to be replaced, producers thought of Eartha Kitt: "She was a cat woman before we ever cast her as Catwoman. She had a cat-like style. Her eyes were cat-like and her singing was like a meow" (says producer Charles FitzSimons). Eartha's Catwoman had a slick ponytail, distinctive voice, and a cat mask that perfectly accentuated her razor-sharp cheekbones. Though she only starred in a few episodes, she brought such an original take on the role that it became one of the most iconic and most loved portrayals of the character yet.
N°3 MICHELLE PFEIFFER
BATMAN RETURNS (1992)
Michelle Pfeiffer's broken-down secretary whose near death experience awoke the cat inside of her is my personal favorite version of Catwoman. Michelle's Catwoman prowls around in a skin-tight black vinyl catsuit, and smokey eyes with a bright red lipstick. When she isn't doing backflips and blowing up buildings, she quips one liner's such as "Life's a bitch, now so am I" before disappearing into the night.
And since I can't resist, here are some gorgeous illustrations of Batman's feline foe:
L-to-R: Catwoman by Jace Wallace, a very Audrey Hepburn-esque Catwoman by Adam Hughes, and high fashion Catwoman by Jillian Tamaki.
Who's your favorite Catwoman?
♥, Kailey