The Golden Age of Batman 19391956蝙蝠侠19391956黄金时代.pptVIP

* Victoria M. Horace Greeley High School Golden Age of Batman (1939-1956):A Reflection of American Society What does the evolution of “Batman” reveal about American society? Inspirations for Batman Scarlet Pimpernel – one of the first masked vigilantes The Scarlet Pimpernel was an anonymous hero who rescued aristocrats from the guillotine during the French revolution The Mask of Zorro (1920) Fairbanks played wealthy Diego and his masked alter ego, Zorro Zorro had a secret cave behind a grandfather clock in Diego’s living room Leonardo da Vinci Kane claims to have developed aspects of Batman’s costume from da Vinci’s sketches of a flying machine Leonardo da Vincis Flying Machine- ca. 1485 Douglas Fairbanks in the Mask of Zorro (1920) The Great Depression The depression, which caused feelings of hopelessness and despair, lead many American to turn to fictional super heroes as a sign of hope Batman’s dark persona is a reflection of the gloomy outlook of American society at this time During the Depression most people didn’t have money to spare on entertainment However, at just 10 cents an issue, comic books were an affordable medium of entertainment Gotham City The name “Gotham City” was first used in Detective Comics #48 in February, 1941 It is the universal city, it represents all modern cities It is modeled after such cities as Chicago, New York, Boston, Philadelphia, and Pittsburg Batman editor Danny O’Neil describes Gotham as “New York below Fourteenth Street after eleven o’clock at night” A reflection of the crime and grittiness of the Depression Era Batman: The Ultimate Example of Good Work Ethics Batman is a super hero without any super powers He relies upon intense training, discipline, his arsenal of “toys”, and intellect to fight crime Represents American work ethic Theoretically any individual has the ability to become like Batman through hard work and dedication The belief, embodied by Batman, that hard work brings about success and greatness gav