I didn't think it was possible for my opinion of Bob Kane to sink any lower, but

[Tomato]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fadzZwx85e0

So I'd heard this story before (even read his twitter thread recounting it) but he expands a bit on Kane midway through and I learned some things:

-Bob Kane didn't even create the Batman name, even that was ripped from other comics of the era (I knew he stole art, but I'd have thought Batman was sufficiently basic that even Kane could have had at least that creative).
-Bob got a 50% "agent" cut from both Bill Finger and Jerry Robinson for all their work on Batman, even when Bill Finger was barely making ends meet.

I just... like, my opinion of Bob Kane was already super negative, but dang. I'd want to slap him too.

[GhostMachine]

Oh, Kane was a piece of...word I can't use here.

His deal with DC made him the creator of Batman, when he barely had anything to do with creating the character. Other people, like Finger, Robinson, Moldoff and others, were screwed over and not given proper credit, let alone money.

His tombstone is also over the top and full of lies.

Batman is my favorite DC hero, but I despise Bob Kane. He's the `creator of Batman' about as much as Alice Cooper is the writer of Ice, Ice Baby.

[SickAlice]

I guess I'm reluctant that I never put much stock in it myself. Early on I read and focused on how the superhero comics got their start and much of it was all focused on following whatever trends, in the case of Batman following the trend of The Shadow and in the case of all the above Popeye. Less noted was the marketing to create stars more or less out of selected people working at the time and something I see going on to date, say this artists or writer and their name get's pumped at and slapped over the place. Naturally they and/or their estates cashed on this and like any star they are apt to let it go to their ego. I do give credit where it's due to anyone mind you but that more has to do with the work itself and the quality it encompasses. The title of who did it first tends to be something I never cared about and especially with superhero comics as again it all initially and therefore to date followed trends set before it in one way or another. At least if anything I learned how to filter all that out so my own enjoyment of the art is diluted and instead take from it only what I need to enjoy it. The politics of the industry to me are just footnotes otherwise and something that just never stimulated me.

[HarryTrotter]

It's not that Kane took credit for Batman,it's how long he kept up that pretense. His tombstone credits God as the co-creator of Batman. Not even kidding.

[Tomato]

It's funny you bring that up. So I had heard of this infamous gravestone before, but I had always felt looking it up to be a bit too morbid, and I wanted to afford the man at least the dignity of not mocking his grave.

In light of the above video, I finally had enough contempt for the man to look it up anyway. And MAN I was not expecting it to be as rediculous as it was, despite what I'd heard. I did full on dramatic readings of the thing to my friends who aren't even comic book nerds, it's THAT bad.

[SuperPoweredYank]

That story about Steranko slapping Kane in the face is amazing.