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: The Movie Comic Book: The Movie Comic Book: The Movie is a 2004 direct-to-DVD mockumentary starring and directed by Mark Hamill. The story revolves around comic book fan Don Swan and his battle against a fictional film studio which is about to announce a film based on his favorite superhero, Commander Courage. Cameo appearances in the movie include Kevin Smith (filmmaker and comic book writer), Hugh Hefner (originator of "Playboy"), Stan Lee of Marvel Comics, Lloyd Kaufman (filmmaker and president of Troma Films), actor Bruce Campbell (star of the "Evil Dead" franchise), Peter David (comic book writer), Paul Dini (comic book and