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Bob Kane (born '''Robert Kahn''', October 24 , 1915 – November 3 , 1998 ) was an American Comic Book Artist and Writer credited as the creator of the DC Comics superhero Batman . In later years, Kane acknowledged his studio writer Bill Finger as "a contributing force" in the character's creation.1 Comics historian Ron Goulart , in ''Comic Book Encyclopedia'', refers to Batman as the "creation of artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger". Goulart, Ron , ''Comic Book Encyclopedia'' ( Harper Entertainment , New York, 2004) ISBN 0-06-053816-3 BIOGRAPHY Early life and career A High School friend of fellow cartoonist and future The Spirit creator Will Eisner ,2 Robert Kahn legally changed his name to Bob Kane at age 18.3 He entered comics in 1936, freelancing original material to editor Jerry Iger 's Comic Book ''Wow, What A Magazine!''. The following year, Kane began working at Iger's subsequent studio, Eisner & Iger , one of the first comic book "packagers" that produced comics on demand for Publishers entering the new Medium during its late-1930s and 1940s Golden Age . Among his work there was the Funny Animal feature "Peter Pupp", published in the U.K. comic magazine ''Wags'' and later reprinted in Fiction House 's '' Jumbo Comics ''; and for two of the companies that would later merge to form DC Comics, the Humor features "Ginger Snap" in '' More Fun Comics '', "Oscar the Gumshoe" for '' Detective Comics '', and "Professor Doolittle" for '' Adventure Comics ''. For that last title he went to on to do his first adventure strip, "Rusty and his Pals". Batman In early 1939, DC's success with the seminal superhero ' movie portrayal of the Swashbuckler Zorro , Leonardo Da Vinci 's diagram of the Ornithopter , a flying machine with huge bat-like wings; and the 1930 film '' The Bat Whispers '', based on Mary Rinehart 's mystery novel ''The Circular Staircase''.Daniels, Ibid. , page 20 Bill Finger joined Bob Kane's nascent studio in 1938. An aspiring writer and part-time shoe salesperson, he had met Kane at a party, and Kane later offered him a job Ghost Writing the strips ''Rusty'' and ''Clip Carson''.Walker, Brian. ''The Comics Since 1945'' (Harry N. Abrams), pp. 10-12 Steranko, Jim . ''The Steranko History of Comics'' (Supergraphics, Reading, Pa., 1970; ISBN 0-517-50188-0), p. 44 He recalled that Kane Finger said he offered such suggestions as giving the character a cowl and scalloped cape instead of wings; adding gloves; leaving the mask's eyeholes blank to connote mystery; and removing the bright red sections of the original costume, suggesting instead a gray-and-black color scheme. Finger additionally said his suggestions were influenced by Lee Falk 's popular '' The Phantom '', a Syndicated Newspaper Comic Strip character with which Kane was familiar as well. Finger, who said he also devised the character's civilian name, Bruce Wayne , wrote the first Batman story, while Kane provided art. Kane, who had already submitted the proposal for Batman at DC, and held a contract, is the only person given official company credit for Batman's creation. According to Kane, The character debuted in ''Detective Comics'' #27 (May 1939) and proved a breakout hit. Within a year, Kane hired art assistants Jerry Robinson (initially as an Inker ) and George Roussos . Shortly afterward, when DC wanted more Batman stories than Kane's studio could deliver, the company assigned Dick Sprang and other in-house pencilers as " Ghost Artists ", drawing uncredited under Kane's supervision. Future ''Justice League'' writer Gardner Fox wrote some early scripts, including the two-part story "The Monk" that introduced some of The Batman's first "Bat-" equipment.Kane, Andrae,page 103 Ibid. , and Daniels, page 29 In 1943, Kane left the Batman comic books to focus on penciling the daily ''Batman'' newspaper and Murray Boltinoff at DC. They didn't know I was working on Batman for Bob. ... So I was busy. Between the two, I never had a dull year, which is the compensation I got for being Bob's ghost, for keeping myself anonymous". Robin Bill Finger recalled that, Kane, who had previously created a sidekick for Peter Pupp, proposed adding a boy named Mercury who would have worn a "super-costume".''Comic Book Interview Super Special: Batman'' (Fictioneer Press, 1989 Robinson suggested a normal human, along with the name ", came to live with Bruce Wayne as his young Ward in ''Detective Comics'' #38 (April 1940) and would inspire many similar sidekicks throughout the Golden Age of comic books. The Joker Batman's archnemesis the Joker was introduced near that same time, in ''Batman'' #1 (Spring 1940). Credit for that character's creation is disputed. Robinson has said he created the character.Per many sources, including ''The Comics Journal'' #271 (Oct. 2005): Jerry Robinson interview (online excerpts posted Oct. 15, 2005) Kane's position is that Robinson, whose original Joker playing card was on public display in the exhibition "Masters of American Comics" at the Jewish Museum in New York City , New York , from Sept. 16, 2006 to Jan. 28, 2007, and the William Breman Jewish Heritage Museum in Atlanta , Georgia from Oct. 24, 2004 to Aug. 28, 2005, has countered that: Later life and career As Kane's comic work tapered off in the 1960s, Kane parlayed his Batman status into minor celebrity. He enjoyed a post-comic book career in '', with a second volume ''Batman and Me, The Saga Continues'', in 1996. He was set to have a cameo in the 1989 movie '' Batman '' as the newspaper artist who prepares the drawing of the "Bat-man" for Alexander Knox, but scheduling conflicts prevented this. Kane's trademark square signature can still be seen clearly on the drawing. Kane died on November 3, 1998, leaving behind wife, Elizabeth Sanders (Kane), an actress who appeared in three Batman films, a daughter, and grandson. 4 Kane is interred in Forest Lawn Memorial Park (Hollywood Hills) in Los Angeles, California . QUOTES
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