Who REALY created Batman?

[mrbarbar]

Hi

We all know the stories of ‘honest’ Bob Kane never giving credit to his many ghost artists. Even more shocking was his treatment of writer Bill Finger who was responsible for creating many of the characters in the Batman universe and shaping Batman himself into the character that he is today. Bill Finger was never credited for his work on Batman. I discovered this web site over the weekend and it made me think. Bob Kane’s story of how he created Batman changed a lot over the years, but most notably he says he was inspired by Leonardo Da Vinci’s Flying Man. Is it possible that Bob Kane actually seen the work of artist Frank D. Foster II and stole the idea? Click onto the site and read the evidence for yourselves. It certainly makes for a compelling read, and if true, it’s another sad tale of comic book artists not being given credit were credit is due.

http://www.originalbatman.com/

 

[joke]

Of course people will appreciate your input on this matter, alas there are already multiple threads about this subject.

 

[mrbarbar]

Indeed there is. However I wanted to know if anybody else knew of this particular take on the subject and if anybody knew about artist Frank D. Foster II creating a character called Batman in 1932, seven years before Kane’s version made his debut?

 

[BatScot]

alas there are already multiple threads about this subject.

Oh... this one is different!

 

[mrbarbar]

Indeed it is BatScot. Bob Kane’s Limelight hogging shenanigans are well known, however I have never heard of Frank D. Foster II. The whole story was brought to my attention a couple of days ago when I was reading an article about it in the British based magazine “Comics International”. Has anyone else heard of this version of Batman?

 

[BatScot]

“Could the assumptions of more than 60 years be wrong?”

Those assumptions have been wrong before in the case of Kane and Batman, so the possibility cannot be summarily dismissed.

But possibility does not prove appropriation, and while circumstantial evidence raises interesting questions, ultimately some unequivocal connection must be established that links Kane to the Foster documents.

It is also interesting to note that Foster’s ‘Batman’ is actually closer in appearance to Bill Finger’s ‘Batman’ than to Kane’s, and it is difficult for me to reconcile the problem of Kane going from Foster’s concept to the ‘domino-masked’ version he suggested to Finger, if in fact Kane had seen Foster’s rendition, which seems unlikely given the concept Kane himself had in mind.

However, it seems probable—though by no means a certainty—that the ‘Batman’ name was known throughout the industry at an earlier date than previous suspected.

Is it possible that ‘Batman’ was suggested to Kane as a better name than ‘Birdman’?

Well that’s pure speculation… but given Kane’s history in the origin of Batman, even a coincidence must be considered:

"The possibility of two men in 5,000 years of history arriving at the same character who’s a hero of the night, with the same name of Batman, at the same time, at the same place on the earth, is zero."

... this sure as hell beats the Da Vinci Code!

 

[mrbarbar]

What I found of particular interest was Frank D. Foster II had rejected the name "Nightwing" in favour of "Batman". Da Vinci code indeed!!…..

 

[Brian Braddock]

So we meet again, Mr. BarBar..........


Well, what can I say? Hmmm....'Curiouser and curiouser' comes to mind.

http://www.originalbatman.com/ certainly puts forth an interesting and convincing arguement.

Of course, the implications (if true) are immense - it's like saying that Walt Disney didnt create Mickey Mouse or something ( the episode of the Simpsons where it's found that Itchy & Scratchy's creator stole the idea from another artist has just popped into my head - lol)

It's such a shame that both Bob Kane (as well as Bill Finger!) and Frank D.Foster aren't still alive today - they could've had the mother of all debates about it.

Obviously, there will be those who will regard the mere notion that Bob Kane stole the Batman idea to be 'sacrilidge' and will not be open to even consider the idea in the slightest. So as word of this thread spreads, put on an asbestos suit and get ready for the flaming. (Only joking - everyone on this site is level-headed and totally tolerant of other peoples ideas ).

My initial instinct is that (if true) the man should receive the righfull recognition that may be owed to him, no matter our reverance for Bob Kane.

It certainly would make a good article in Wizard.

 

[mrbarbar]

Nice name SUPERBENITEZ!!!
I’m not sure how widely known this whole story is, but as I say, I only found out about it yesterday. I do consider myself to know a lot about the early days of comic book creation. A great book to read is “Men of Tomorrow: Geeks, Gangsters, and the Birth of the Comic Book” by Gerard Jones. It examines the origins of Batman in great detail, but I’m sure Frank D. Foster II is NEVER mentioned. Interesting Stuff!!

 

[BatScot]

Da Vinci code indeed!!…..

So dark the con of Man.

 

[mrbarbar]

Indeed BatScot. Or should it read "So dark the con of Batman"???

 

[trustyside-kick]

Kane created the character but Finger changed up the suit I believe and named him Bruce Wayne and named the city Gotham.

If I made an error in anywhere on my post please feel free to correct me with all the correct information. But from reading different things as well as some people's posts in other threads that is what I know/say.

 

[BatScot]

Indeed BatScot. Or should it read "So dark the con of Batman"???

LOL... very good, but poor ole bats is an innocent party to all this duplicitousness; it's his begetors that are under the gun

 

[batmaluco]

If this is indeed true, looks like that Kane and DC Comics have been "Fingering" people since ever.

 

[mrbarbar]

What DC comics incorrectly appropriating credit?? Jerry Seigel & Joe Shuster would turn in their graves at the thought of it!!

 

[ChrisBaleBatman]

I don't get it.......so.....Kane and Finger didn't create Batman now?

 

[rorscha]

honest bob kane created batman,shame on you for defacating on the great mans memory,i have the making of batman the movie and on page one theres a picture of bob wearing a sailors hat with a caption beneath that reads,bob kane,sailor and creator of batman.

 

[The Batman]

considering there was ANOTHER character named Batman, and countless heroes similar to Batman, whats the point of this? None, really.

 

[Brian Braddock]

considering there was ANOTHER character named Batman, and countless heroes similar to Batman, whats the point of this? None, really.

Thats your opinion, my friend. There are others on this board who would kindly disagree.

Surely you want to know where you came from, eh?

 

[The Batman]

I know where Batman came from. and i know there was already a character named Batman, that was NOT this character.

This ranks up there with the claim that stan lee had nothing to do with spider-man, and lee falk saying batman copied off batman.

Thats not to say Kane couldnt have stolen this. He's well known to be a copy cat, a hack who uses others to do his dirty work. i'm just saying that just because the characters name is batman, dosent mean that kane copied his idea.

 

[Brian Braddock]

This was the most interesting part of the article for me:-

'Among all the creatures and characters created in man's imagination. there has never been a known "Batman" like hero prior to Frank Foster's Batman. The closest resemblance might be vampires IE Dracula Etc. But Dracula was a very different kind of character. It is a stretch of the mind (to say the least) to imagine that DaVinci's winged man was the predecessor of Batman. The resemblance is remote at best. Batman is not supernatural or evil. He has no special powers. Neither does he have wings. He is a regular human who does heroic deeds at night in a Bat-like costume. That was Frank Foster's unique creative concept. And that is the character that Batman still is today.

The chance that another artist conceived of the same identical kind of character and who was at the same exact location on Earth at the same moment in history and had the same exact name is an unrelated coincidence is beyond feasibility. It is inconceivable.'​

 

[ChrisBaleBatman]

I created Batman!!

 

[The Batman]

The Batman as we know it, was created by Bob Kane and Bill Finger. Simple as that.

 

[Brian Braddock]

So we meet again, Mr. BarBar..........


Well, what can I say? Hmmm....'Curiouser and curiouser' comes to mind.

http://www.originalbatman.com/ certainly puts forth an interesting and convincing arguement.

Of course, the implications (if true) are immense - it's like saying that Walt Disney didnt create Mickey Mouse or something ( the episode of the Simpsons where it's found that Itchy & Scratchy's creator stole the idea from another artist has just popped into my head - lol)

It's such a shame that both Bob Kane (as well as Bill Finger!) and Frank D.Foster aren't still alive today - they could've had the mother of all debates about it.

Obviously, there will be those who will regard the mere notion that Bob Kane stole the Batman idea to be 'sacrilidge' and will not be open to even consider the idea in the slightest. So as word of this thread spreads, put on an asbestos suit and get ready for the flaming. (Only joking - everyone on this site is level-headed and totally tolerant of other peoples ideas ).

My initial instinct is that (if true) the man should receive the righfull recognition that may be owed to him, no matter our reverance for Bob Kane.

It certainly would make a good article in Wizard.

 

[ChrisBaleBatman]

Yup, THE BATMAN is right.