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,
Comic Book Artist The first several issues of "Comic Book Artist" were collected into three trade paperback volumes that also include new material. In 2002, after 25 issues, the magazine and editor-owner Cooke – who is also a book designer and layout artist – left TwoMorrows for a new publisher, Top Shelf Productions, in Atlanta, Georgia. "Comic Book Artist" volume two debuted in July 2003 with a redesigned format, square binding, and a color section, "Comic Book Artist Classic," that continued the thematic focus of volume one. Top Shelf published six issues of "Comic Book Artist" volume two, but have not released a