RIP Jerry Robinson
December 9, 2011 in Art by Kanike
A new friend on Facebook, Amy Methven, made a really awesome tribute to Jerry Robinson and she allowed me to share it here. The following post is her art together with an explanation of the pictures used. Thanks for letting me post it here, Amy!
Today, 08/12/11 Jerry Robinson died. For those of you who don’t know who Jerry Robinson is; he was an American comic book artist known for his work on DC Comics’ Batman line of comics during the 1940s. He is best known as the creator of the Joker. The image of the Joker card shown above is Robinson’s first concept sketch for the Joker, which makes several appearances throughout the comics, and cartoons as part of the Joker’s lair.On this card I’ve made, I’ve tried to include every design of the Joker as he has changed over the years. I can’t believe the Joker is 70 years old! So, starting from the top left corner clockwise, I will state which version of the Joker is here. Just to show I’m a complete nerd.
Top Left Corner: Cesar Romero, played the Joker in the 1960s television series,
Middle very top: Heath Ledger, played the Joker in the 2008 film, ‘The Dark Knight’.
Top Right Corner: Jack Nickolson, played the Joker in the 1989 film; ‘Batman’
Middle Right 1; The Joker as seen in the early 2000 cartoon series Batman,
Middle far right; the Joker as seen in the Batman Animated series of the 90s as seen in series 4 after redesign.
Below middle right: The Joker as seen in the video games Arkham Asylum and Arkham city made in 2008/09 and 2011.
Bottom Right: The Joker as seen in the 90s animated series and the first full length animated batman movie ‘Mask of the Phantasm’
Bottom Middle: Scot Mcclure as the Joker from the Internet series, ‘The Joker Blogs’
Bottom Left Corner: The Joker as seen in Batman Beyond, Return of the Joker 2006
Middle: The Joker as seen in the Batman comics of the 1940s, the first appearance of the Joker to the public.
The final two below Cesar Romeo are two redesigned of the Joker within the Comics through the 50s and 60s.
If there is any version I’ve missed that you think should be on here, or if I’ve got any information wrong please let me know.
Nice piece of art Ms. Methven. Very nicely composed. Beautiful!
You are amazing, Amy.
Do have two corrections though.
1) Jack Nicholson’s last name is misspelled as “Nickolson”.
2) I think you missed a Joker. Directly to the right of and parallel to the playing card design’s lips, there’s a faintish one between the B:AA/B:AC one and the two cartoon ones from Adventures of Batman and Robin (the redesign of B:TAS’s Joker) and the design from The Batman. Looks to me like that Joker is from the late eighties-early nineties, couldn’t tell you what comic.
Confused as to why some of the more recent Jokers aren’t on here, the variant from Batman: RIP for example (VERY unique looking Joker) and the variant from Killing Joke spring to mind.
Beautiful work of art. Rest in peace, Jerry, and thanks for all the laughs.