The Autographs of Bob KaneRobert Kahn must have known that great things were ahead of him. At 18, he legally changed his name to something more easily remembered. "Bob Kane" would actually have been a great name for a comic book superhero's secret identity. Kane created one of the most innovative characters in comic book history, and one that ranks among the most well known American pop culture icons - Batman! Bob Kane had a desire to be an artist from an early age. He sold some of his drawings while still in school. Upon graduation from high school he went to work for Max Fleischer Studios whose most well known characters were Popeye and Betty Boop. His first foray into the comics industry was in 1936 as a contributor to "Wow, What A Magazine." In 1937, he went to work for Eisner & Iger, a company that produced comics on demand for publishers. Kane's big character there was a funny animal (a genre of comics popular at the time) called "Peter Pupp." Kane began working at DC Comics in 1939, the same year Superman was introduced. Superman was a big hit and and the entire industry rode the wave. DC Comics was looking for other superheroes, and Kane gave them Batman.  Unlike the creators of Superman, Jerome Siegel and Joseph Shuster, Kane kept his copyright to the Batman character. This was a very smart move, uncommon for the times. In 1943, Kane ceased working on Batman comic books, and began penciling the daily Batman newspaper comic strip. In 1946, DC quit producing the strip and Kane returned to the Batman comic books, but he never told DC that he had hired ghost artists to do his work for him. If Kane was a good artist, he was a great businessman. And just as the name Batman will be around forever, so will his creator's name. Bob Kane died on November 3, 1998. Bob Kane autographs are plentiful, but demand is high. Though the supply is huge at this time, it will eventually shrink when most autographs end up in permanent collections. A Bob Kane signed photo retails at about $250, a signature in the $50 - $75 range. Kane signed many thousands of comic book covers his lifetime, and they sell at a wide range of prices points, averaging at around $100. A very nice collectible is a signed limited edition (of 1000) of Batman and Me (1989). With a little shopping these can still be found at around $125 - $150. These shot up in price after Kane's death, but have since settled down to where they are good buys with some investment potential. Kane's autograph is more drawing than signature. It is an easy forgery, so be careful. In the years preceding his death, Kane signed many limited edition lithographs. These sell at a much cheaper price today than they did almost two decades ago. You can find these on eBay with COA's from reputable sources. These are also very good buys, and they look great framed. Return to Collecting Celebrity Autographs from Bob Kane
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Robert Kahn (Bob Kane) was born on October 24, in New York City.