It’s been revealed that the highly accomplished designer, H.R. Giger, well known for his sci-fi creatures in the Alien films, also did a few designs for 1995’s Batman Forever. Ultimately, his designs were turned down and Joel Schumacher went with Barbara Ling’s design.
H.R. Giger’s Batmobile is distinctly his style: a slightly unsettling mix of biology and technology (not unsimilar to his work on Alien). It’s probably something that belongs more in a sci-fi horror film than a Batman comic book movie. It’s not that difficult to imagine that the design was inspired by a pair of scissors. The real question is why? Either way, we’re all shocked that Schumacher missed the opportunity to make a bad film even worse. I mean this Gigermobile fits right in there with the Batnipples.
H.R. Giger was contacted in 1994 to design a Batmobile for Batman Forever. His unique “X” shaped design was to include articulated front legs/mandibles, retractable fins, and gatling gun emplacements on each of the four pods on the sides of the vehicle. The design also combined side and forward intake ports with organic spines and a central pod connecting the four legs.
Below you can see some of H.R. Giger’s Batmobile…
Ah yes, scissors. The first thing you think about when you hear Batman. Giger was such a one-trick (or more like one-dick) pony.
In an effort to gain readership you bash a legend’s car design? Have fun with that. Obviously the writer doesn’t understand design so I’ll give him/her a few pointers: You can use anything for inspiration to design something. A toothbrush, a donut, a lamp. Every artist knows the first design is a step-off point, so Giger’s approach here is brilliant. You can see his thought process and the 3D modeler did an excellent job to bring it closer to life. Design is a evolution of work through countless hours of tweaking, nothing is perfect the first try. The further it is from the norm, the more challenging it is to pull it back from reality, and it seems here Giger was given all the freedom he wanted. Is it bad? That’s your interpretation. The first time I saw the Tumbler I was confused not amused, I’ll admit. The storytelling and seeing its design process from other articles got me to love it.
its Giger. He’s a genius so obviously he’s going to design something unlike anything anyone has seen before. It’s why his work was so great for alien but inappropriate for Batman.
Oh God, that is awful
Looks like a giant scissor. NO!
pure shit
Thankfully, it was never used; hell, the batnipples were disturbing enough.
Bettter than the batman and Robin one
No ways. The Batman and Robin one isn’t great but this looks like a giant penis. Lol.
Jarid Norman
Yeah too much like the Engeneers ship from alien
No
Crystal Marie Hersey
It’ s terrific. Just nerdy people never want to try something different. Never touch rtheir comfort zone.
Well they look like Giger’s work.
If you hire an artist with a distinct style that’s what your gonna get.
I don’t think you they’re terrible, far from it.
Its’ not Giger works that was bad, it’s your childish batmobile that wasn’t enough for an Artist like Giger. It’s like calling Leonardo Da Vinci and ask him to design the wheel for your hamster, or ask Fellini to film the birthday of your Uncle.
Ginger has been dead 3 years now. Easy to badmouth someone not around to defend themselves. The design itself is solid and creative, just inappropriate for the overly campy “Batman Forever.” I could easily see this working for a Batman Arkham project, or a new Batman vs Predator mini-series.
You should change the title of the article to “You Won’t believe how dumb the Art Directors for Batman were.” because this shows more of a bad art direction choice rather than Giger doing something bad. You hire Giger to do surreal bio-mechanical designs that no one else would think of, you don’t hire him to design a bat-mobile – unless you want the design to be a surreal bio-mechanical design that no one else would think of. Or you’re just a huge fanboy of Giger and this was your chance to get him to draw you a bat-mobile.
how is that terrible? this article is terrable
Wow like-minded comments. Seems legit. These designs are bad ass, but it doesn’t fit with the atrocity that was that early Batman franchise. It seemed to have the umbilical chord still attached from the campy 60’s Adam West Batman. Tim Burton did a good job, but unfortunately it still had that late 80’s flair attached and didn’t fully understand the character. I think no one really does. Nolan had some nice instances of it, but frankly the best Batman story will always be between pages in a comic or graphic novel.
You mean awesome right. This could have made the Ben Affleck movies at least slightly tolerable.
I was expecting a massive cock on wheels, tbh.
h.r. giger IS a dick lover
I sence some kind of pattern here…
That’s the stupidest looking thing I’ve ever seen and I’ve seen Batman & Robin. It looks like something The Grinch would drive on his way to mess up in Who’ville.
HG Giger should stick to drawing vaginas and penises.
Egads! Where’s the retractable mandibles?
Thank GOD that wasn’t accepted! That is TOTALLY horrendous!!