“The first time I saw the car shoot fire out the back, I said ‘I’ve got to have one of those.'”
John Risner’s painstakingly detailed replica of the 1966-era Batmobile took him and his sons nine years to complete. Risner will be accompanying the Warner Bros. and DC Comics-licensed replica car as it makes the journey to the 2017 Shreveport World of Wheels, Jan. 27-29, at Shreveport Convention Center. Risner lives in Houston, and takes the car to auto shows and charity events across much of the U.S.
“If there’s a good opportunity to display the car properly, we like to take advantage of that, especially if it benefits charity,” Risner said. He will be on the show floor during the 2017 World of Wheels to field questions from fans. Risner’s car does have the ability to shoot fire out the back. It’s also got a set of parachutes for brakes (emblazoned with the Batman logo, of course) and all of the features of the original prop car, which Risner first fell in love with as a child watching Batman serials on a neighbor’s color television. He built a model of the car when he was 10 and later, as a teen, attempted unsuccessfully to convince his father to let him turn the family Oldsmobile into a Batmobile.
Risner occasionally gives in to the urge to take the Batmobile out for a random drive around town.
“In particular, I like to drive through a McDonald’s or something like that,” he said. “You place your order and pull forward, and it’s like: ‘It’s the Batmobile!'”
Adult tickets to Shreveport World of Wheels are $14, children ages 6 to 12 are $6 and children 5 and under are free. Advance discount tickets may be purchased at O’Reilly Auto Parts. Follow the Shreveport World of Wheels Facebook page for more announcements about autos, celebrities, wrestlers and others scheduled to appear at the show.
For more information on visiting Shreveport-Bossier, or to browse hotel rates and plan your visit, head to www.Shreveport-Bossier.org.
