Jerry Robinson R.I.P.

[TruerToTheCore]

Los Angeles (CNN) -- Cartoonist Jerry Robinson, who worked on the earliest Batman comics and claimed credit for creating the super-villian The Joker, died Thursday at the age of 89, his family confirmed.

"Batman has lost another father," said Batman movie producer Michael Uslan said. "Farewell to my dear, dear friend, mentor, and idol, Jerry Robinson."

Robinson, in a panel discussion at New York Comic Con in 2009, said he was a 17-year-old creative writing student at Columbia University when he was hired as a writer and illustrator at DC Comics.

Although he was initially just assisting Batman creator Bob Kane and Bill Finger, his chance to create The Joker came in 1940 when the demand for more Batman stories overloaded Finger.

MORE: http://edition.cnn.com/2011/12/08/showbiz/jerry-robinson-obit/index.html

 

[RoughNTumble]

how can you tell who wrote the earlier batman comics? the only credit I remember when I was reading them was bob kane

 

[theMan-Bat]

DC has been officially crediting Bill Finger as the writer of the original Batman comics and Jerry Robinson as one of the artists and inkers since DC began reprinting them in The Greatest Batman Stories Ever Told and The Greatest Joker Stories Ever Told books in 1988 and the Batman Archives volumes in the '90s and the recent Batman Chronicles volumes and even Bob Kane himself finally credited Bill Finger as co-creating Batman, Robin, Joker, etc. and credited Bill Finger as the original writer of Batman in his autobiography Batman & Me (1990).

 

[Motown Marvel]

aw man, what a bummer!

 

[redfirebird2008]

Sad to hear this, especially with all the activity surrounding TDKR right now. Rest in peace, Jerry. You left a great legacy that people will continue enjoying forever.

 

[Kurosawa]

Terrible loss to the comics world, but what a great legacy and body of work that Mr. Robinson left behind. He was also instrumental, along with Neal Adams, in settling (for then) Siegel and Shuster's situation for DC. Jerry was as good a man as he was an artist.

 

[Shazam]

I use to collect those old 100 page specials in the 70's. I loved reading the reprints from the 40's. I especially loved Robinson's art....I liked Simon and Kirby's art and Robinson's was the closest to that. I forgave that he made Batman's cape too short! LOL! t:

R.I.P.

 

[theMan-Bat]

Jerry Robinson began finishing the art and inking from Bob Kane's penciled layouts with Detective Comics #36 (January, 1940) "Professor Hugo Strange," written by Bill Finger.

Jerry Robinson polished a gem with his contributions to Batman. He, along with Sheldon Moldoff (still alive at 91 years old) and George Roussos (died in 2000 of a heart attack at 84 years old), made Bob Kane's Batman art look more professional. In Comics Interview #31 (1986) George Roussos said, "Jerry was always behind - he was always whiting out things and reinking them. Bob's stuff was so sketchy, Jerry had to do a lot of work. My work was quite easy. I used to erase Bob's backgrounds and put my own in. I'd put big moons in and make the shadows large and full. I did shadows for effect." George Roussos drew and inked the background art on Batman beginning with Batman #2 (Summer, 1940) "The Joker Meets the Cat-Woman," written by Bill Finger, until Detective Comics #83 (January, 1944) "Accidentally on Purpose," written by Don Cameron.
Jerry Robinson said he contributed tremendously to the creation of Robin the Boy Wonder. He suggested adapting Robin Hood's costume, the name Robin, and he added the "R" monogram on Bob Kane's sketch of Robin as counterpoint to the bat on Batman's costume.

In Comics Interview #31 (1986), Jerry Robinson said, "People in the field immediately noticed the resemblance of the name, Robin, to my own name, Robinson. I remember receiving a lot of teasing about it and it bothered me at the time. When you're 17 or 18 and desperately trying to appear older, you don't want to be known as 'The Boy Wonder.'"
Jerry Robinson was not the sole creator of the Joker, but he did contribute to the creation of the Joker. He created a drawing of a playing card with a Joker that looked like a court jester. Bill Finger used these Joker cards as the Joker's calling card which the Joker would leave after he killed someone.

Jerry Robinson was hired away from Bob Kane's studio by DC and they allowed him to fully draw and ink Batman stories and covers all himself by Batman #14 (December, 1942) "The Case Batman Failed To Solve!!!," written by Don Cameron. Jerry Robinson left Batman after Batman #34 (April, 1946) "Tired Tracks."
In 1975 Neal Adams begin a campaign to get Warner Brothers/DC to credit Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster as the creators of Superman and give them a financial compensation. On December 1st, 1975, Neal Adams appeared on Tom Snyder's Tomorrow Show on NBC and publicly shamed Warner Brothers. Jerry Robinson negotiated with Warner Brothers to give Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster creater credits on all Superman comic books, films and TV series, and a pension and full medical benefits and, on December 23rd, 1975, Warner Brothers began giving $20,000 a year for both Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster, payment of medical and law bills, and having all Superman stories from that point on (including the movies and TV series) accompanied by the words, "Superman created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster." The deal was announced to the public by Walter Cronkite on CBS News in 1975.
Neal Adams with Joe Shuster and Jerry Siegel, and Jerry Robinson.

 

[Assassin]

aww man if i knew he was still alive before i would have found a way to meet him. RIP

 

[Cosmic]

I'll never forget the day I found a compendium of early Batman stories at the library when I was in grade school. It was like discovering a whole new world. It made me appreciate the efforts of these original artists and writers more. It makes me smile every time I think about it. RIP and thanks for the memories.

 

[Cain]

This has been the saddest few weeks for me as a lifelong comic book fan. Robinson, Simon, Barreto. Man I sure as hell wish whoever was born in their place when they died brings the world as much joy with god given talent as those 3 did.