Although, Bob Kane's much debated autobiography Batman and Me published in 1989 would paint himself as the sole creator of the Joker. Then again, Kane also claims in that same book he met Marilyn Monroe and sketched her on the beach with some very dubious looking "sketches". Which look as though they had been done in pen and ink.
However, the real credit behind the creation of the Joker goes to the man you see below. Jerry Robinson.
He also helped create some of Batman's most memorable supporting cast such as Robin the Boy Wonder, Alfred Pennyworth and Harvy "Two-Face" Dent.
You can definitely tell when Jerry Robinson took over penciling duties for Bob Kane in 1943 because the quality of the artwork immediately improved. However, fans wouldn't know this because customary at the time only Bob Kane's signature would appear on the title page.
Robinson was also a crucial supporter of Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster in their long struggle with DC Comics to win full recognition and compensation as the creators of Superman. Which with the help of other artists and writers won that for them. He went on to Cartoonists & Writers Syndicate/CartoonArts International in 1978 which as of 2010 has more than 550 artists from over 75 countries.
Rest in peace Jerry Robinson and thank you for your contributions in comic art.
No comments:
Post a Comment