Coinciding with his regular comic book series, Batman has periodically stretched his adventures into daily and Sunday comic strips. Dating back to the early 1940s, Batman has been in three major and two minor comic strip runs in U.S. newspapers.
The first comic strip, initially called Batman and Robin then later shortened to Batman, began in October 1943 and ended in November 1946. It was written by Bob Kane with stories by Bill Finger, Don Cameron, Jack Schiff, and Alvin Schwartz and art provided by Dick Sprang, Jack Burnley, and Charles Paris. It was published as a daily and a Sunday strip, distributed by McClure Syndicate. It has been reprinted in deluxe format by DC Comics and Kitchen Sink Press in three daily strip volumes and one for Sunday strips.
Batman with Robin the Boy Wonder began in May 1966, with the Sunday strip ending in July 1969 and the daily running until 1974. The strip is credited to Bob Kane and ghostwritten by others, including Whitney Ellsworth, E. Nelson Bridwell, and E.M. Stout with art provided by the likes of Sheldon Moldoff, Joe Giella, and Al Plastino. It started out campy like the TV show, including celebrity “guests” like comedian Jack Benny. Later, it became more serious, with appearances by Batgirl, Superman, Aquaman, and Green Arrow. It was reprinted by the Library of American Comics as a three-volume collection, titled Batman – Silver Age Newspaper Comics.
Batman appeared next in The World’s Greatest Superheroes, which ran from April 1978 to February 1985. Originally a team title, Batman and Robin appeared alongside Superman, Wonder Woman, the Flash, and Black Lightning. The strip changed several times, becoming The World’s Greatest Superheroes Present Superman, then Superman, and finally, The Superman Sunday Special. It was written by Martin Pasko, Paul Levitz, Gerry Conway, and a few others. George Tuska handled much of the penciling with Vince Colletta on inks, then later art was rendered by José Delbo, Bob Smith, Frank McLaughlin, and Sal Trapani. It was syndicated by the Chicago Tribune/New York News Syndicate.
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