Batman's roots in Zorro?

[Khadaji]

Recently I read that the creator of Batman got his inspiration from Zorro? Can anyone tell me if this is true?

[Airblairxxx]

Did you read about this in one of those "Bathroom Reader" books? 'Cuz I did.

I'm not on the can right now so I can't properly verify this, but I do recall that Zorro provided a template for Batman, in that both are members of the upper class who secretly fight evil in their society. Specifically, one of the elements cited by Bob Kane, creator of Batman, was the notion of a secret identity; this concept was widely used by other superhero creators.

[Menocchio]

I think it's been acknowledged.

So much that in comic canon, Bruce Wayne and parents were on their way home from a Zorro movie when they were mugged and the parents killed.

[Leaper]

Well, if it makes any difference, a Zorro movie is popularly shown as being the film that Thomas, Martha, and little Bruce Wayne saw right before the Big Tragedy <tm>.

[RealityChuck]

"The Mark of Zorro," to be precise.

Superman had a secret identity before Batman. As did the Shadow, and, from the movies, the Bat (http://tinyurl.com/exvxs). The film was much more influential than Zorro; Kane specifically said it was where he got the idea for the costume:

I recalled seeing a movie around 1926 called "The Bat," in which the villain wore a bat-like costume which was quite awsome. The main difference was that I changed my character into a hero. (from Steranko's History of Comics, p 44)

Bill Finger (the forgotten man where Batman is concerned) says the original conception had red tights, no gloves, and a domino mask; the only thing that made him bat-like were two wings. Finger suggested the ears, and cowl. He claims his influences were The Shadow, Doc Savage, and The Phantom. He also mentions Dick Tracy, Barney Google (!), Flash Gordon, and Citizen Kane.

No mention of Zorro. In addition, Batman appeared in several adventures before his origin was revealed (in the first story, "The Case of the Chemical Syndicate," he just shows up as though he'd been fighting crime for awhile). Possibly "The Mark of Zorro" was added at that point, but there's no mention of Zorro as an influence in Steranko's book.

[Exapno Mapcase]

I think it's been acknowledged.

So much that in comic canon, Bruce Wayne and parents were on their way home from a Zorro movie when they were mugged and the parents killed.
From what era is this canon? The first origin story was in Detective 33 in 1940. A full rewrite was done in 1948 as Batman 47. I don't remember the Zorro movie reference in either.

Is this something recent?

[Hey, It's That Guy!]

It's been established as canon for decades, but I'm not sure exactly when it was added. It's pretty common for origin stories to get embellished over the years -- I know the background of Jor-El and planet Krypton wasn't added to the Superman mythos until some years later.

[carlotta]

A bit of a hijack, but I want to mention that

The Scarlet Pimpernel (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0451527623/qid=1131160566/sr=8-2/ref=pd_bbs_2/103-3908334-8111865?v=glance&s=books&n=507846) (1903)

has occasionally been mentioned as the first "secret identity" hero (usually this is metioned on the back of the book, so maybe not too reliable)

the movie (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00016XNQQ/103-3908334-8111865?v=glance&n=130&n=507846&s=dvd&v=glance) is better IMHO.

[lissener]

A bit of a hijack, but I want to mention that

The Scarlet Pimpernel (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0451527623/qid=1131160566/sr=8-2/ref=pd_bbs_2/103-3908334-8111865?v=glance&s=books&n=507846) (1903)

has occasionally been mentioned as the first "secret identity" hero (usually this is metioned on the back of the book, so maybe not too reliable)

the movie (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00016XNQQ/103-3908334-8111865?v=glance&n=130&n=507846&s=dvd&v=glance) is better IMHO.Judex (http://www.coolfrenchcomics.com/judex.htm) is also often credited as the first "caped crusader."

He was a crimefighter who wore a mask and a cape and had a secret underground lair.

[Peter Morris]

Spring Heeled Jack was earlier than either of them.
(Originally a masked villain, later a hero)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spring_Heeled_Jack

Looks very Batman-like, doesn't he?

[Julius Henry]

From what era is this canon? The first origin story was in Detective 33 in 1940. A full rewrite was done in 1948 as Batman 47. I don't remember the Zorro movie reference in either.

Is this something recent?

I believe this appears in Frank Miller and David Mazzucchelli's Batman: Year One. I don't know if it originated there, but it wouldn't have been much earlier than that.

[Fish]

A bit of a hijack, but I want to mention that The Scarlet Pimpernel (1903) has occasionally been mentioned as the first "secret identity" hero (usually this is metioned on the back of the book, so maybe not too reliable)
Not only did the Scarlet Pimpernel have a secret identity, he was an idle upper-class dandy by day with plenty of wealth and time, as was Don Diego and Bruce Wayne.

By the time of Zorro's first appearance in 1919, the Scarlet Pimpernel had already had two books and one movie (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Scarlet_Pimpernel).

Even if Batman didn't take Zorro directly as a conscious inspiration, the idea of the rich playboy with the secret identity was a popular theme at the time.