Batman Newspaper Strip - Introduction
October 25-30, 1943
Introductions
With Batman and Robin appearing in three different comic books and a successful movie serial that was running throughout the country, it only made sense that a daily newspaper strip would soon follow. Newspaper comics were hugely popular at the time. It was much easier to get hold of a newspaper for kids as dad and mom were reading the periodicals as well. Newspapers pretty much had something for everyone where comic books were one note for many people.
Batman's first run as a newspaper strip started on October 25, 1943 and lasted until November 2, 1946. There would be four other strips that would follow. A brief run in 1953. A strip inspired by the 1966 TV show that ran from 1966-1973. Batman and Robin appeared as part of the cast of a World's Greatest Superheroes strip inspired by The Super Friends that ran from 1978-1984. And then finally, Batman had his own strip from 1989-1991 based on the popularity of the Tim Burton film.
For the first week of the strip's run in 1943, Batman was introduced to the general audience with a series of strips that featured Batman and Robin's background and looks at Alfred, Commissioner Gordon and Batman's arsenal of weapons in his war on crime.
What's most interesting to note here is that Alfred, as depicted here, is the one we know today. He is thin with the mustache. In the comics, he is still the chubby, cartoonish character. He won't come to look like our Alfred until January 1944 when he returns from a "health farm". So, once again, the comics are behind the times when it comes to how other media portrays, or perhaps better portrays, elements of the Batman universe.
I will be looking at the comic strips, but I plan on doing them based on a whole run of a story rather than doing day by day strip review. Doing the latter would take up so much more time.
And what's next for tomorrow? We're off to the World's Finest Comic! Stay tuned, Citizens!
