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,
Paul Friedrich (comic artist) Paul Friedrich (comic artist) Paul Friedrich is an American comics artist native from Raleigh, North Carolina. He is the creator of the popular characters Onion Head Monster and Hubie the Dead Cow (among many others). He is also the creator of HellCar comics, DVD, unconference, and empire. In 2007 Friedrich was nominated for an Eisner Award for his book, "Onion Head Monster Attacks". The book was nominated in the Best Humor Publication category. He lost to Bob Burden's "Flaming Carrot". Friedrich also designed the album covers, poster art and logo for all the CDs released by Monty Warren & the