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Bob Kane

Bob Kane (October 24, 1915November 3, 1998) was the creator of "Batman".

He was born Robert Kahn but legally changed his name to the familiar "Kane" at age 18. An eager young artist, Kane came to the burgeoning comics world in 1936 with his own book that led to various assignments in the following years - until the character "Superman" burst onto the scene and generated enormous sales numbers. In turn, Kane along with writer Bill Finger developed another costumed crime-fighter - the Bat-Man (original spelling). Bob Kane, however, was the one who proposed the idea to his editors, and so he was the only one of the pair to receive official credit.

The character found quick success after its first appearance in Detective Comics 27, leading to Kane's continued employment at National (today DC Comics) for several years.

His major contributions to "Batman" were in the 1940s, with several "ghost pencilers" assisting him (like Jerry Robinson who also created the "Joker"). However, due to editorial policy, Bob Kane received the only byline on Batman comics, regardless of whether he was involved in the specific issue. This practice continued well into the 60s, before the comics stopped featuring any byline. It was not until the 1970s that other creators began receiving credit for Batman stories. Interestingly, Kane's name has been featured on nearly every Batman story, unlike the names of the creators of Superman, Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster, who had to win a lengthy court case against DC Comics.

As his comic work tapered off later in his career, Kane took to showing his work at art galleries. He died in 1998 and was interred in Forest Lawn - Hollywood Hills Cemetery in Los Angeles.

Last updated: 05-09-2005 20:52:49