Batman’s Bronx Roots

By Kristopher Charles

Few people associate Batman with the Bronx, but the masked crusader was conceived on a bench in Poe Park, in the shadow of the home of one of America’s most well known writers.

The “Living In Sequence” exhibit at Poe Park showcases some of the original Batman artwork by creators Bob Kane and Bill Finger. Among the pieces are more than a dozen works featuring Batman and associated figures like Robin, Batgirl and the Joker.

Lucy Aponte, 67, the community associate and event manager at the Poe Park center, said the event was originally slated to end March 9th but was extended to the 30th due to demand. She was thrilled to learn that creators of Batman and Robin, Bob Kane and Bill Singer sat on benches on Poe Park dreaming up this character.

“I used to play here as a little kid,” she said. “I used to love reading Batman and Robin.” She explained that Batman was originally supposed to be a bird inspired by ‘The Raven’. “Then it kind of morphed into a bat,” Aponte said. “The character of the Joker was inspired by the eerie stories of Edgar Allen Poe, which is why that character is so eerie and so evil.”

Most people don’t know this history, Aponte said. “People are amazed to hear that. People in the Bronx are not given this information to give them a sense of pride of all the rich art and culture that exists in this borough,” Aponte said.

In regards to Poe Cottage, Aponte explained, “Some people ask ‘What is that house? Why is it there?’ They don’t know that it was the home of Edgar Allen Poe, one of the most famous writers of all time. People develop a sense of pride and say, ‘Wow, there’s a lot of good stuff that comes from the Bronx,’” said Aponte.

The visitor’s center stands in the shadow of Poe Cottage which is just steps away.

Laura Alvarez, an artist, is the event assistant for the Living in Sequence exhibition. She was tickled by the idea that Batman was conceived in Poe Park. “I had no idea whatsoever and he’s one of my favorite heroes of all time. It’s really cool that I’m working in the same place he was conceived.”

The “Living in Sequence” exhibition also showcased artwork from local artists as well as well know artists from the “Golden Age” of the comic book era. It also showed a mini-series called “Justice Woman” produced by a local artist.

The exhibition runs until March 30th and is one of a series of events being held at Poe Park. More information about upcoming events can be found one the Park’s Department website: http://www.nycgovparks.org/.