Few supporting characters appear more in Batman stories than Alfred Pennyworth. Across comics, tv shows, movies and more, Alfred always stands by Batman's side. You probably know him as the loyal, skilled, and caring father figure that shaped Bruce into who he would become. But few know the story behind his creation. On this episode of bat lessons …

On this guestless edition of Bat Lessons, we cover the first appearance of Tweedledee and Tweedledum. Then we fall down the rabbit hole on Lewis Carroll, and the creation of Alice in Wonderland. Detective Comics 74 (DCU Infinite) Don Cameron (wikipedia) Lewis Carroll (wikipedia) Annotated Alice (amazon) Enantiomorphs (wikipedia) Thalidomide (wikipe…

Very special guest Sasha from Casually comics comes along for a chat about the malevolent Mad Hatter and crack photographer Vicki Vale! 75 Years of Batman (Kindle) Mad as a Hatter (Wikipedia) Mad Gasser of Mattoon (Wikipedia) Creators of the Super Heroes (Amazon) Torchy Blane (Wikipedia) Casually Comics (Youtube) Head on over to https://batlessons.…

We’re joined by special guest Jameson from A Comic Book A Day to go over the first appearance of the duke of duplicity, Two Face!! Geroge Russous (Blog Post) Detective #66 (DC Universe Infinite) Batman: The Complete History (Amazon) Creators of the Super Heroes (Amazon) History of Comics (Amazon) The Shadow: Face of Doom (Amazon) The Bat Strikes Ag…

We’re joined by special guest Sal from ComicPOP to go over the first appearance of the pompous waddling master of foul play, the Penguin! Detective Comics #58 (DCU Infinite) Creators of the Super Heroes (Amazon) Steranko History of Comics (Amazon) Jerry Robinsion: Ambassador Of Comics (Amazon) ComicPOP (YouTube) Head on over to https://batlessons.c…

Brian and Alex Discuss Clayface in person! A brief overview of various iterations of clayface, and a read of the very first appearance of Clayface. A fun episode! Silver Age Origin: Detective Comics #304 (DCU Infinite) Clayface Hero: Detective Comics Rebirth (Amazon) Batman Beyond: Disappearing Inque (wiki) Lon Chaney: The Phantom of the Opera (wik…

On This Bonus Episode, we're thrilled to have Dr. Jennifer Conary joining us! We discuss Dickens (to contextualize episode 20 and Batman: Noel) and victorian genre fiction in the vein of Batman. You don't want to miss it! Dr. Jennifer Conary Reynolds Reimagned A Christmas Carol Head on over to https://batlessons.com for all things Bat Lessons. Send…

On this very special Christmas episode, we cover a retelling of “A Christmas Carol” that has become a modern classic in its own right: Batman Noel. In standard Bat Lessons fashion we go way too deep, and cover the history of the original novella and bring in a Charles Dickens expert to school us. Dr. Jennifer Conary Reynolds Reimagned A Christmas C…

Batman tracks down the infamous serial killer: Jack the Ripper! Brian and Alex continue their Victorian era arc, chatting about the history behind the murderer. We also cover the acclaimed graphic novel “Gotham by Gaslight” where Batman crosses his path. Finally, we cover the story of the creation of the comic book itself. Gotham By Gaslight (Paper…

We travel back to Victorian England to take a look at the terror of London, Spring-Heeled Jack! Who is this mysterious figure, and did they inspire Batman? Institute of Fiscal Studies Report Mike Dash on the Two-Penny Hangover 5 Reasons Why The Victorian Era Was Utter Insanity (Video) Gruesome Victorian Medicine (Video) History and Sewage: The Grea…

The Golden Age Catwoman: was she always an integral part of the Batman Universe? We learn together about her introduction and how the character evolved with time. Catwoman Fan Blog Creators of the Superheroes (Book - Thom Andrae) Batman #1 (DC Universe Infinite) Batman The Golden Age (Book) Head on over to https://batlessons.com for all things Bat …

Today we cover Alex's favorite single issue of Batman: Detective Comics 567. "The Night Of Thanks, But No Thanks!" by Harlan Ellison. This is a great comic with a unique backstory! Detective 567 (Reprint) Detective 567 (DC Universe Infinite) Dreams With Sharp Teeth Steve Shives on Harlan Ellison Daisy X Machina on Harlan Ellison Mark Evanier’s Harl…

Was the Joker plagiarized? Brian and Alex dive deep on possible inspirations for the clown prince of crime. The Shadow Reprint (Batman Issue) Charon's obol (Wikipeda - Coins on Eyes) The Laughing Corpse (Radio Drama) The Dead Smile (Novel) Risus Sardonicus and The Joker (Blog) Batman #1 (DC Universe Infinite) Batman The Golden Age (Book) Head on ov…

We're joined by special guest Steve Shives to take a look at the first batch of comic book covers featuring Batman. Steve Shives (Youtube) Tier List (Wikipedia) S Tier (Wikipedia) Fill Out Your Own Copy Of The Tier List Head on over to batlessons.com for all things Bat Lessons. Send us a letter or voice recording, find us on mastodon or youtube, re…

The clown prince of crime, THE JOKER! We cover what the creators said about his inception, some of the inspirations, and the first Joker story. Creators of the Superheroes (Book - Thom Andrae) Bob Kane Omega Salty The Man Who Laughs: The Forgotten Classic (video) Batman #1 (DC Universe Infinite) Batman The Golden Age (Book) Broadcast Signal Intrusi…

Introducing the Boy Wonder. Interview with Jerry Robinson (Blog) Interview with Jerry Robinson (Video) Interview with Jerry Robinson (Radio) Creators of the Superheroes (Book - Thom Andrae) Sherlock Holmes (Wikipedia) Robin Hood By NC Wyeth (Illustrations) Detective Comics #38 (DC Universe Infinite) Batman The Golden Age (Book) Head on over to batl…

Brian goes a little too deep covering more origin stories for Batman. Everything from 1989 to 2022 and some awful Golden age stories to boot. DC Universe Infinite Batman Year One Batman The Animated Series Mask of the Phantasm Batman Forever Batman Begins Earth One The Dark Knight Returns (Film) Zero Year Flashpoint Teen Titans Go! To The Movies Go…

A look back on the first year of Bat Lessons. We read letters and comments from listeners, set the record straight on some errors, and delve into some hallmark Bat Lessons tidbits. Bat Lessons On Youtube USPS General Delivery Post Chaise (Wikiepdia) Rural Free Delivery (Wikipedia) Golden Age Comics Never Reprinted (blog) The Dennis O’Neil Bat Bible…

A quick survey of every single retelling of the Batman origin, from 1939 to 1989. DC Universe Infinite Batman The Golden Age (Book) Super Powers Team: Galactic Guardians (wiki) Super Powers Team Ep. 4 (Youtube) Batman Shaman Batman: Year One Batman (1989) You can find an archive of all episodes at batlessons.com Send your comments, questions and co…

We continue the conversation on the Matt Reeves directed Batman movie starring Robert Pattinson. The Batman Blu-Ray Matt Reeves Dolby Interview, Cinematography Matt Reeves Dolby Interview, Audio Before The Batman (Prequel Novel) You can find an archive of all episodes at batlessons.com Send your comments, questions and corrections to contact@batles…

We dive deep on the Matt Reeves directed Robert Pattinson starring batman movie. The Batman Blu-Ray Matt Reeves Dolby Interview, Cinematography Matt Reeves Dolby Interview, Audio Before The Batman (Prequel Novel) You can find an archive of all episodes at batlessons.com Send your comments, questions and corrections to contact@batlessons.com or twee…

All things spooky and creepy golden age Batman! Including a lengthy segment on Dracula, the origins of World’s Finest, and the first appearance of the Scarecrow The Darkest Knight By Thom Andrae (Essay) Dracula By Bram Stoker (Novel) Great Books: Dracula (Lecture) Young Indiana Jones: Masks Of Evil (Television Episode) Bram Stoker’s Dracula (Movie,…

We discuss Gardner Fox, Shelly Moldoff, The Utility Belt, Batarang, Bat-Plane and more! Gardner Fox (Wikipedia) The Creators Of Batman (Book) Batman The Golden Age (Book) Sheldon Moldoff (Wikipedia) Fantasia (Blu-Ray) Ultimate Spider-Man (Book) You can find an archive of all episodes at batlessons.com Send your comments, questions and corrections t…

This month we’re talking to Marc Tyler Nobleman. Marc is the author of 86 books ranging from colorful and funny children's fiction about chupacabras to incredibly moving all ages non-fiction about reconciliation after World War 2. Marc dedicated years of his life to fighting for the legacy of Bill Finger, the now credited co-creator of Batman. In S…

Alex and Brian talk about inspirations for Batman, the creation of Batman, and credit for that creation. Then we read Detective Comics #27 together and talk about inspiration for that story specifically. Bill The Boy Wonder (Book) Batman and Me (Book) Zorro Theme Song (video) The Shadow Radio Catchphrase (video) DC Universe Infinite Batman The Gold…

This month we discuss all of the history that leads up to Batman’s creation. What’s a Comic? When was the first Comic created? Where did superheroes come from? Join us as we set the stage for Batman’s inception. Understanding Comics (Book) Papyrus Making Video Paper Making Video Woodcut Printing Press Documentary Literacy Data What is Historiograph…

Brian and Alex introduce themselves, and talk about what the show is going to be. Why bother talking about the history of Batman? And how much are we signing up for? Clearly the topic is big… but how big? Quillow Intelligent Lighting Richard Feynman Riverside Batman Live You can find an archive of all episodes at batlessons.com. Send your comments,…

Stay tuned for the first episode of Bat Lessons, The Batman History Podcast. Trailer Voice Over by Rob Milton Podcast Artwork by Sergio R. M. Duarte Podcast Music by Renzo CalmaBy Phantasm FM