CHICAGO—In early 1939, the success of the Superman comic book hero prompted editors of National Comics Publications to request more superheroes. So, when ambitious freelance illustrator Bob Kane came up with the idea of a superhero to rival Superman, he envisaged a Batman wearing a red suit and boots, two stiff black wings, and a black mask. He thought that red and black would be a good combination.
Kane’s former schoolmate Bill Finger, came up with an alternative vision. He thought the costume was too bright and suggested removing the red sections of the original costume, giving the character a cape instead of wings, and adding gloves.
Finger believed that the character should look more like a bat, so he suggested putting a hood on him, taking the eye holes out, and using slits for the eyes to make him look more mysterious. Finger also came up with the name of Bruce Wayne for Batman’s secret identity, as well as the idea for the joker based on Victor Hugo’s “The Man Who Laughs.”
A New Play
While those who read Batman comics in the early days believed that Kane was the sole creator of the Caped Crusader, playwright Mark Pracht has brought the real story to the stage in the fascinating premiere of “The Mark of Kane” at City Lit Theater in Chicago.Here we learn that Finger garnered no credit for being a co-creator and ended up as an unknown ghostwriter working for Kane. Moreover, while Kane became wealthy and famous, dying at 83 in 1998, Finger remained poor and unknown onto his death at 59 in 1974.
Conflicted Creators
Directed by Terry McCabe, the story unfolds in a series of flashbacks as writers Sheldon Moldoff (David Valenta), Jerry Robinson (Lee Kanne), and Arnold Drake (Adam Bitterman), who knew both Kane and Finger, are being interviewed by historian Jim Steranko (Michael Sherwin) at a Comic-Con event.The relationship of the two featured characters is set against what appears to be frames of a comic book that is projected on a screen by G. “Max” Maxin IV. It provides a backdrop for the exploration of the personalities and events that led to Batman and which flashes back in time from 1939 to 2006.
We learn that the two men are totally opposite in motivation and character. Bob Kane is a fast talker who is more of a salesman than a talented artist, and Bill Finger is a dreamer and voracious reader who lives in a fantasy world. The two actors are riveting in their characterizations at the center of the play.
Josh Zagoren is compelling as Kane, an arrogant man determined to succeed at any cost, and Todd Wojcik is captivating as Finger, portraying him as a weak man with such honesty that we can’t help but sympathize with him.
As “The Mark of Kane” unravels, we wonder why Kane received all the credit for the creation of Batman, and why Finger allowed himself to be so unfairly used. The psychological explanation, which goes into each man’s childhood and family life, is the most intriguing aspect of the production.
“In 1939, two young friends huddled in a Bronx apartment and created a legend, a hero who represents an enduring chapter in the tale of the American comic book. One, Bob Kane, would profit from that legend for years to come, and the other would be all but forgotten. This is the legacy of the mark of Kane.”
