Bob Kane
Bob Kane was an influential American comic book artist and writer, best known for co-creating the iconic character Batman. Born Robert Kahn on October 24, 1916, in New York City, Kane studied art at several prestigious institutions and began his career in the comic industry in the late 1930s. His initial work included comic strips and animation, but it was his collaboration with writer Bill Finger that led to the creation of Batman, who first appeared in Detective Comics in May 1939. Kane's vision for Batman was inspired by a mix of artistic influences and contemporary media. He continued to expand the Batman universe by co-creating Robin and the Joker, and he worked on various Batman comics and adaptations throughout his life.
In addition to his work in comics, Kane contributed to animated television series and enjoyed a resurgence of interest in Batman during the 1960s and again in the late 1980s with the release of significant graphic novels and films. Kane published his autobiography, "Batman and Me," in 1989, detailing his experiences and contributions to the superhero genre. He was married twice and passed away on November 3, 1998, in Los Angeles. Kane's legacy endures as a key figure in the development of comic book culture and the superhero mythos.
Bob Kane
Cartoonist
- Born: October 24, 1916
- Birthplace: New York, New York
- Died: November 3, 1998
- Place of death: Los Angeles, California
Biography
Robert Kahn was born October 24, 1916, in New York City, the son of Herman and Augusta Kahn. His father was an engraver for The New York Daily News. Kahn studied art at the Commercial Art Studio, Cooper Union, and Art Students’ League. When he was eighteen, he legally changed his name to Bob Kane. He was a freelance artist at S. M. Iger’s Studio and Fiction House and was an animator at Fleischer Animated Film Studio from 1936 to 1939, drawing cells for Betty Boop cartoons.
Kane had published his first comic strips, Hiram Hick and Peter Pupp, in 1936 and began drawing Clip Carson and Rusty and His Pals for National Comics in 1938. Inspired by the success of Jerry Siegel and Joe Schuster’s Superman, editor Vincent Sullivan asked Kane to devise a similar hero. During one weekend, Kane collaborated with writer Bill Finger to create a character originally named Bird- Man, whose name was later changed to Batman. Finger provided the name Bruce Wayne for Batman’s alter ego.
Kane said Batman was partly inspired by the drawings of Leonardo Da Vinci, as well as images from the 1930 film The Bat Whispers. The character first appeared in the May, 1939, issue of Detective Comics. The series that went on to become one of the longest-running and most popular comics of all time. A copy of the first issue was sold by Sotheby’s in 1997 for $68,500.
When the editors suggested that Batman have a younger sidekick, Finger and Kane created Robin, a name suggested by inker Jerry Robinson because of the popularity of the Errol Flynn film The Adventures of Robin Hood. Robinson also came up with the idea for Batman’s nemesis, the Joker. When Kane’s editors began demanding more Batman comics, other artists worked on the series, though Kane received sole credit until 1964. Kane also contributed to the Batman newspaper comic strip from 1943 to 1945. The strip was revived in 1966, running through 1971.
Beginning in the 1960’s, Kane devoted more time to painting. He also created the syndicated animated television series Courageous Cat and Minute Mouse in 1961 and the NBC cartoon Cool McCool in 1966. Batman experienced new popularity in the 1960’s with a live-action television incarnation. Batman had been revitalized in 1986 with Frank Miller’s graphic novel The Dark Knight Returns. A popular series of films began in 1989 with Tim Burton’s Batman, in which Kane appears as a newspaper artist. More graphic novels by Miller and others followed.
Kane published his autobiography Batman and Me in 1989, followed by Batman and Me: The Saga Continues in 1996. He was married to his first wife, Beverly, from 1949 to 1957, and married actress Elizabeth Sanders in 1986. She appears in small roles in three Batman movies. Kane died in Los Angeles on November 3, 1998.