Iconic Characters Codexery

Joker (character)

Batman's archenemy, a murderous psychopath with a warped sense of humor.

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The Joker is a supervillain who first appeared in Batman #1 (April 1940) as a serial killer and jewel thief modeled after a joker playing card.[1] The character is widely considered Batman's greatest enemy and is known by nicknames including the Clown Prince of Crime.[2]

Making and release

Bill Finger, Bob Kane, and Jerry Robinson are credited with creating the Joker, though each gave different accounts of the character's conception.[3] Finger showed the others an image of actor Conrad Veidt in character as Gwynplaine from the 1928 film The Man Who Laughs as inspiration for the Joker's appearance.[3] Robinson produced a sketch of a joker playing card, which he said served as the character's concept.[4][3] The Joker debuted in Batman #1 (April 1940), about a year after Batman's debut in Detective Comics #27 (May 1939).[1]

According to Robinson, the name "Joker" was conceived first, and then he visualized a playing card from a deck he frequently carried.[5] Kane disputed Robinson's account, asserting that Robinson's sketch was created only after Finger had already presented the Gwynplaine image to Kane.[6]

What the cited sources add

A 2008 Comic Book Resources article by Eason notes that the Joker was revived and revised in 1973 by writer Dennis O'Neil and artist Neal Adams after a four-year disappearance.[7][8] The same source states that O'Neil's 1973 run introduced the idea of the Joker being legally insane, explaining why he is sent to Arkham Asylum instead of prison.[7][9] Eason's 2008 article notes that the eight-issue storyline in Detective Comics #471–476, penned by Steve Englehart and illustrated by Marshall Rogers, established the Joker's character for many years through narratives that highlighted his insanity.[7][10]

References

  1. Wikipedia, "Joker (character)" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Manning 2011, p. 21 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
  2. Wikipedia, "Joker (character)" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Ching, "The 10 Greatest Batman Villains of All Time!", Newsarama, October 10, 2013; Wales, "50 Greatest Batman Villains", GamesRadar, July 18, 2012; Phillips, "Rogue's Gallery: The Joker", IGN, January 31, 2008; Murphy, "The Joker: The True Evil of Batman's Greatest Foe", Den of Geek, April 26, 2015; Phillips, "Rogue's Gallery: The Joker", IGN, January 31, 2008 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
  3. Wikipedia, "Joker (character)" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Eason, "Dark Knight Flashback: The Joker, Part I", Comic Book Resources, July 11, 2008; O'Neal, "R.I.P. Jerry Robinson, creator of the Joker", The A.V. Club, December 8, 2011 (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org
  4. Wikipedia, "Joker (character)" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Eason, "Dark Knight Flashback: The Joker, Part I", Comic Book Resources, July 11, 2008; "Jerry Robinson", The Daily Telegraph, December 12, 2011 (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org
  5. Wikipedia, "Joker (character)" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Anders, "R.I.P. Jerry Robinson, Creator of Batman's Nemesis, the Joker", io9, August 12, 2011 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
  6. Wikipedia, "Joker (character)" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: O'Neal, "R.I.P. Jerry Robinson, creator of the Joker", The A.V. Club, December 8, 2011; Seifert, ""He Made Batman, No One Else. Kane Had Nothing To Do With It. Bill Did It All" – Carmine Infantino on Bill Finger", Bleeding Cool, August 12, 2013 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
  7. Eason, "Dark Knight Flashback: The Joker, Part II", Comic Book Resources, July 16, 2008. facts only, no text reused. comicbookresources.com
  8. Wikipedia, "Joker (character)" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Eason, "Dark Knight Flashback: The Joker, Part I", Comic Book Resources, July 11, 2008 (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org
  9. Wikipedia, "Joker (character)" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Pearson, "The Many Lives of the Batman: Critical Approaches to a Superhero and His Media", Routledge, 1991, p. 18; "Joker Panel Interview: Steve Englehart on The Laughing Fish", The Ongoing Adventures of Rocket Llama, August 9, 2009; Phillips, "Why So Serious?: The Many Looks of Joker (Page 2)", IGN, December 8, 2008 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
  10. Wikipedia, "Joker (character)" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Manning 2011, p. 21; Eason, "Dark Knight Flashback: The Joker, Part II", Comic Book Resources, July 16, 2008 (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org

Each numbered sentence above was checked against the source it cites before publication. Sentences citing Wikipedia adapt text from the English Wikipedia article Joker (character) (contributors), used under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is available under the same licence. Other sources were used for facts only; no text or images are copied from them.

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Sources

Compiled from Wikipedia and the sources listed below. Text from Wikipedia is available under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is adapted from it.

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