Batch cmd closes with ascii art?

I'm trying to make a ascii skull in batch, yet the cmd doesn't show my art OR text when opened

start cmd.exe @echo off color a cls echo ^_________-----_____^ echo ^____------ __ ----_^ echo^___---- ___------ \^ echo ^----________ ---- \^ echo ^ -----__ | _____)^ echo ^__- / \^ echo ^_______----- ___-- \ /)\^ echo ^------_______ ---____ \__/ /^ echo ^-----__ \ -- _ /\^ echo ^--__--__ \_____/ \_/\^ echo ^----| / |^ echo ^| |___________|^ echo ^| | ((_(_)| )_)^ echo ^| \_((_(_)|/(_)^ echo ^\ (^ echo ^\_____________)^ echo !OVER-PRICED COMPUTER ALERT! echo !TERMINATE! 

yet again, when I open my file NOTHING shows up. any help?

1 Answer

You hadn't escaped command character i.e. " | " with " ^ " in your script.

Here is the corrected & modified version of your script

@echo off color a cls echo _________-----_____ echo ____------ __ ----_ echo ___---- ___------ \ echo ----________ ---- \ echo -----__ ^| _____) echo __- / \ echo _______----- ___-- \ /)\ echo ------_______ ---____ \__/ / echo -----__ \ -- _ /\ echo --__--__ \_____/ \_/\ echo ---^| / ^| echo ^| ^|___________^| echo ^| ^| ((_(_)^| )_) echo ^| \_((_(_)^|/(_) echo \ ( echo \_____________) echo !OVER-PRICED COMPUTER ALERT! echo !TERMINATE! pause>nul 

Removed start cmd.exe as pointed out by @DanielB and made it to pause with no comment by adding pause>nul