Batman is one of the most recognizable characters in pop culture of all time, boasting worldwide recognition and a costume as iconic as the hero himself. However, what many fans don’t realize is that the Dark Knight nearly had a completely different look. Considering how drastically his original design strayed from what we now know and love, it’s safe to say we should all be thankful it never made it to the comic pages.
...[Drake] casts serious doubt on Bob Kane’s commonly accepted status as Batman’s visual creator...
Most people assume that Batman’s original design was the one featured in his debut comic, Detective Comics #27 (1939), created by Bill Finger and Bob Kane. This official version introduced the Dark Knight in his now-iconic black and grey color scheme, complete with a cape, cowl, and the signature Bat symbol on his chest. The look still resembles his modern-day costumes, although the 1939 version also included the bold choice of purple gloves.
While fans have long accepted this as Batman’s original look, a resurfaced sketch by artist Bob Kane reveals that the Dark Knight almost looked completely different, and not in a good way. The reveal also comes with a bit of controversy that even some of the most devoted fans may not know.
Batman’s Original Design Looked Nothing Like the Hero Fans Know Today
A Blonde Bruce Wayne and a Costume Closer to Robin Than Batman
The resurfaced sketch by Kane looks nothing like the Dark Knight we know and love today. In fact, it looks more like a Flash Gordon with wings than a design for Batman. Kane’s original version does include Batman’s signature yellow utility belt and a black, batwing-like cape, but that’s where the similarities end. The sketch shows what is apparently meant to be Bruce Wayne in a skintight red bodysuit with black briefs worn over it, swinging through the air on a grappling line. However, the differences between this early design and the version that made it to the comics don’t stop there.
Perhaps the most jarring detail is that this sketch depicts Bruce as blonde, a change that will likely make most Batman fans cringe, given that he has been consistently portrayed with raven-black hair throughout his decades-long history in comics and live-action adaptations. Additionally, this version of the Caped Crusader forgoes the character-defining cowl in favor of a simple domino mask. Combined with the bright color scheme and boyish haircut, the design looks less like Batman and more like a rejected prototype for Robin.
Bob Kane’s Role in Batman’s Creation Isn’t What Fans Think
Arnold Drake Reveals the Truth About Kane, Moldoff, and a Ghost Artist Controversy
While some fans might find Kane’s sketch shocking as a proposed design for the Dark Knight, they may be even more surprised to learn about the controversy surrounding Bob Kane and his role in the character’s creation. More specifically, many are unaware that crediting Kane as the artistic talent behind Batman is actually inaccurate. Legendary comic writer Arnold Drake brought attention to this during a at a comic convention, where he shared revealing details about Kane’s true artistic involvement.
Batman’s Creators itted His First Appearance Was Plagiarism
Bob Kane and Bill Finger crossed the line from simple inspiration to blatant plagiarism when creating the “original” character of Batman.
During the discussion, Drake explained, “Bob [Kane] had gotten to the point where he never drew anything. Never drew anything on the Batman comics, anyway. [Sheldon] Moldoff was ghosting them all and when he didn’t, someone else did.” For clarification, Drake’s reference to Moldoff “ghosting them all” means that Moldoff served as one of Kane’s primary ghost artists, or uncredited collaborators, responsible for drawing Batman. This statement casts serious doubt on Kane’s commonly accepted status as Batman’s visual creator and instead points to Moldoff as the one who brought much of the character to life on the page.
This revelation will likely come as a shock to longtime fans who have always credited Kane with Batman’s original comic book appearances. At the same time, it helps explain why the version of Batman that debuted in Detective Comics looks so different from the red-suited, blonde figure in Kane’s resurfaced sketch. Discovering that one of pop culture’s most celebrated creators may not deserve full credit for his most famous work challenges a long-standing narrative. For those interested in reading Drake’s full comments about Bob Kane, Batman, and a wild story involving clown painting fraud, his full statement is included below.
“Bob [Kane] had gotten to the point where he never drew anything. Never drew anything on the Batman comics, anyway. [Sheldon] Moldoff was ghosting them all and when he didn’t, someone else did. The only thing I think Bob ever drew was when we’d be out somewhere, in a restaurant or someplace, and a pretty girl would come over to him and say, ‘Are you really the man who draws Batman?’ Then he could whip out a little sketch for her, a big sketch if she was wearing something low-cut and would bend over to watch him draw.
"One day I’m over at his house to discuss this newspaper strip idea we had and he’s talking about who we might get to draw it. I was going to write it and we were going to get someone else to draw it. I’m not sure what Bob was going to do on it except sign his name. I said to him, 'Bob, isn’t it disappointing to you that you don’t draw any more? You were once such a great artist.’ He wasn’t but you had to talk to Bob that way.
"He said, 'Oh, no. Let me show you something.’ He took me into a little room in his house. It was his studio. I didn’t even know he still had a studio. It was all set up with easels and things and there were paintings, paintings of clowns. You know the kind. Like the ones Red Skelton used to do. Just these insipid portraits of clowns, all signed very large, 'Bob Kane.’ He was so proud of them. He said, 'These are the paintings that are going to make me in the world of art. Batman was a big deal in one world and these paintings will soon be in every gallery in the world.’ He thought the Louvre was going to take down the Mona Lisa to put up his clown paintings. I didn’t have the heart to tell him.
"So a few months later, I’m up at DC and I ran into Eddie Herron. Eddie was another writer up there and we got to talking and Bob’s name came up. Eddie said, 'Did you hear? Bob’s getting sued by one of his ghost artists.’
"I said, 'How is that possible? Shelly Moldoff’s suing Bob? But they had a clear deal. Shelly knew he wasn’t going to get credit or anything…’
"Eddie said, 'No, not Shelly.’ Bob was being sued by the person who’d painted the clowns for him…” — Arnold Drake, from a discussion at a comic con, as related by Mark Evanier in "News From ME" online, March 15, 2007.
Source: PBA Galleries
