So how much work did Bob Kane actually do?

[ciorac]

Okay. Time to bring this thread back around.

 

I got super busy and forgot to call Shelly Moldoff until today. We had a nice long chat to catch up on what has been happening with him over the past couple of years since we have seen each other.

 

He told me he is officially retired now and does not do commissions anymore. He's 86 and just isn't up to it any longer. He said he went out to San Diego this year for the first time in many years to launch the postage stamp set that came out.

 

I told him about the discussion that had been going on about Bob Kane on these boards and the ascertions that were being made about Bob having minimal input or involvement in the creation of Batman.

 

If any of you know Shelly, you know that he is a very honest man, a kind man, and one I hold in high esteem.

 

In short, here is what he said:

 

"Bill Finger was an important cog in helping Bob develop Batman into the popular character he became. Jerry Robinson played a large role, we all did. Bob gave Bill Finger the chance and opportunity to become a successful writer in comics, and Bill made a lot of money because of his start with Bob. But I was there from the very beginning, the man who created Batman was Bob Kane....no question about it."

 

"Bob was not a nice man, he lied to us in later years, stole from us in some ways, but the credit was his and only his. Yes, he could have given Bill some credit after what Bill added to the character, but that was not his way. I worked for Bob Kane for over 20 years, I knew him better than just about anybody, and that was just not his way. But Batman was his creation"

 

Shelly was very clear about this, as he always has been. He has no axe to grind, no stake in the game, no agenda. He just told it like it was. That is about as credible as it gets.

 

He also reminisced about how he played a role in the creation of Hawkman, Flash and Green Lantern, as he drew the first appearances, giving life to them. The only credit he ever took for creation though was on Hawkman.

[G.A.tor]

hello all...

outstanding contribution...thank you!

rick

[ciorac]

hello all...

outstanding contribution...thank you!

rick

 

Thanks Rick. It was nice to reconnect with Shelly tonight. It still makes me feel a wave of nostalgia when I talk to him. I was holding my Flash #1 while we chatted, envisioning him drawing the cover. So cool.

[G.A.tor]

hello all...

outstanding contribution...thank you!

rick

 

Thanks Rick. It was nice to reconnect with Shelly tonight. It still makes me feel a wave of nostalgia when I talk to him. I was holding my Flash #1 while we chatted, envisioning him drawing the cover. So cool.

hello all...

I hate being jealous

rick

[innocuous]

He also reminisced about how he played a role in the creation of Hawkman, Flash and Green Lantern, as he drew the first appearances, giving life to them. The only credit he ever took for creation though was on Hawkman.

 

Did he provide any other details about Flash and Green Lantern? Who did the first art for Flash, Shelly or Harry Lampert?

 

(This is why I love the CGC boards.)

[Zonker]

He also reminisced about how he played a role in the creation of Hawkman, Flash and Green Lantern, as he drew the first appearances, giving life to them. The only credit he ever took for creation though was on Hawkman.

 

Did he provide any other details about Flash and Green Lantern? Who did the first art for Flash, Shelly or Harry Lampert?

 

(This is why I love the CGC boards.)

 

A related question... how was it that Shelly created Hawkman, when the earliest Hawkman strips in Flash Comics have been credited to someone named Dennis Neville?

[comicartfan]

hello all...

outstanding contribution...thank you!

rick

 

Thanks Rick. It was nice to reconnect with Shelly tonight. It still makes me feel a wave of nostalgia when I talk to him. I was holding my Flash #1 while we chatted, envisioning him drawing the cover. So cool.

 

Thank you for following up on this and my request to get a piece by Shelly. I am disappointed he is retired, but I can certaintly understand. I guess I'll just have to shop around and see if I can't find something of his he had done.....

 

And if you could PM me an address, I would love to send him a letter....

 

thanks again

MIke

[ciorac]

hello all...

outstanding contribution...thank you!

rick

 

Thanks Rick. It was nice to reconnect with Shelly tonight. It still makes me feel a wave of nostalgia when I talk to him. I was holding my Flash #1 while we chatted, envisioning him drawing the cover. So cool.

 

Thank you for following up on this and my request to get a piece by Shelly. I am disappointed he is retired, but I can certaintly understand. I guess I'll just have to shop around and see if I can't find something of his he had done.....

 

And if you could PM me an address, I would love to send him a letter....

 

thanks again

MIke

 

PM sent.

[ciorac]

He also reminisced about how he played a role in the creation of Hawkman, Flash and Green Lantern, as he drew the first appearances, giving life to them. The only credit he ever took for creation though was on Hawkman.

 

Did he provide any other details about Flash and Green Lantern? Who did the first art for Flash, Shelly or Harry Lampert?

 

(This is why I love the CGC boards.)

 

Shelly was the cover artist on Flash #1 and All-American #16 not the interiors. He was the interior artist on Hawkman

[innocuous]

He also reminisced about how he played a role in the creation of Hawkman, Flash and Green Lantern, as he drew the first appearances, giving life to them. The only credit he ever took for creation though was on Hawkman.

 

Did he provide any other details about Flash and Green Lantern? Who did the first art for Flash, Shelly or Harry Lampert?

 

(This is why I love the CGC boards.)

 

Shelly was the cover artist on Flash #1 and All-American #16 not the interiors. He was the interior artist on Hawkman

 

I guess my question is, who initially created the costume? Reading the Guide, it appears to be credited to Harry for Flash.

[ciorac]

He also reminisced about how he played a role in the creation of Hawkman, Flash and Green Lantern, as he drew the first appearances, giving life to them. The only credit he ever took for creation though was on Hawkman.

 

Did he provide any other details about Flash and Green Lantern? Who did the first art for Flash, Shelly or Harry Lampert?

 

(This is why I love the CGC boards.)

 

A related question... how was it that Shelly created Hawkman, when the earliest Hawkman strips in Flash Comics have been credited to someone named Dennis Neville?

 

Shoot him off a letter and ask him. I'll PM you the address. Somewhere around here I have "Man and Hawkman", it tells the whole tale. I'll try and dig it up, but it may have gone in Katrina.

 

He would appreciate the letter though.

[The Black Hand ®]

Okay. Time to bring this thread back around.

 

 

 

I told him about the discussion that had been going on about Bob Kane on these boards and the ascertions that were being made about Bob having minimal input or involvement in the creation of Batman.

 

If any of you know Shelly, you know that he is a very honest man, a kind man, and one I hold in high esteem.

 

In short, here is what he said:

 

"Bill Finger was an important cog in helping Bob develop Batman into the popular character he became. Jerry Robinson played a large role, we all did. Bob gave Bill Finger the chance and opportunity to become a successful writer in comics, and Bill made a lot of money because of his start with Bob. But I was there from the very beginning, the man who created Batman was Bob Kane....no question about it."

 

"Bob was not a nice man, he lied to us in later years, stole from us in some ways, but the credit was his and only his. Yes, he could have given Bill some credit after what Bill added to the character, but that was not his way. I worked for Bob Kane for over 20 years, I knew him better than just about anybody, and that was just not his way. But Batman was his creation"

 

Shelly was very clear about this, as he always has been. He has no axe to grind, no stake in the game, no agenda. He just told it like it was. That is about as credible as it gets.

 

He also reminisced about how he played a role in the creation of Hawkman, Flash and Green Lantern, as he drew the first appearances, giving life to them. The only credit he ever took for creation though was on Hawkman.

 

 

That goes a long way for me. Like it or not, Bob Kane created Batman. Not everyone can be a likeable, nice guy type. Sometimes you need some jerks to get things moving.

[ciorac]

Okay. Time to bring this thread back around.

 

 

 

I told him about the discussion that had been going on about Bob Kane on these boards and the ascertions that were being made about Bob having minimal input or involvement in the creation of Batman.

 

If any of you know Shelly, you know that he is a very honest man, a kind man, and one I hold in high esteem.

 

In short, here is what he said:

 

"Bill Finger was an important cog in helping Bob develop Batman into the popular character he became. Jerry Robinson played a large role, we all did. Bob gave Bill Finger the chance and opportunity to become a successful writer in comics, and Bill made a lot of money because of his start with Bob. But I was there from the very beginning, the man who created Batman was Bob Kane....no question about it."

 

"Bob was not a nice man, he lied to us in later years, stole from us in some ways, but the credit was his and only his. Yes, he could have given Bill some credit after what Bill added to the character, but that was not his way. I worked for Bob Kane for over 20 years, I knew him better than just about anybody, and that was just not his way. But Batman was his creation"

 

Shelly was very clear about this, as he always has been. He has no axe to grind, no stake in the game, no agenda. He just told it like it was. That is about as credible as it gets.

 

He also reminisced about how he played a role in the creation of Hawkman, Flash and Green Lantern, as he drew the first appearances, giving life to them. The only credit he ever took for creation though was on Hawkman.

 

 

That goes a long way for me. Like it or not, Bob Kane created Batman. Not everyone can be a likeable, nice guy type. Sometimes you need some jerks to get things moving.

 

Ain't that the truth! Donald Trump, Art Modell, all kinds of candidates!

[Mr. Indicia-migration]

That's a reach. I guess every Tarzan panel where he swings on a vine is a swipe candidate too?

 

I've said in this thread that ALL golden age artists swiped. Big deal.

 

I don't make a big deal out of it. Ed wanted to see the panels and I had them available.

 

However, I'll nicely disagree. Some examples posted are reaches for sure but this one is fairly clear-cut in my mind: from the arm position to the same use of transportation to the legs placement, little doubt is left as far as I'm concerned.

 

 

 

The image is from the January 17, 1937 Flash Gordon Sunday page.

 

In early 1939 Kane could have had it from a Sunday comics section - or perhaps he had a copy of King Comics #19 on hand (cover dated October 1937), which reprinted it.