Bob Kane his first adventure strip, "Rusty and his Pals". In early 1939, DC's success with the seminal superhero Superman in "Action Comics" prompted editors to scramble for more such heroes. In response, Bob Kane conceived "the Bat-Man." Kane said his influences for the character included actor Douglas Fairbanks' film portrayal of the swashbuckler Zorro; Leonardo da Vinci's diagram of the ornithopter, a flying machine with huge bat-like wings; and the 1930 film "The Bat Whispers", based on Mary Rinehart's mystery novel "The Circular Staircase" (1908). Bill Finger joined Bob Kane's nascent studio in 1938. An aspiring writer and part-time shoe salesperson,
Excalibur (comic book) Excalibur (comic book) Excalibur is the name of several comic book titles featuring the team Excalibur and published by Marvel Comics, beginning with the original "Excalibur" comic book series which debuted in 1988. "Excalibur"<nowiki>'</nowiki>s original creative team, writer Chris Claremont and artist/co-writer Alan Davis, incorporated elements of two Marvel properties: the X-Men and Captain Britain. The resulting superhero team Excalibur first gathered together in "Excalibur Special Edition" #1 (1988) and were soon featured in a monthly series. Davis left with "Excalibur" #24 (1990) and Claremont with "Excalibur" #34 (1991), leaving a number of various plot points unresolved before his departure.