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Wednesday, March 17, 2010

Comic influences



No, this isn't about humor. It's about silent actors/characters who have influenced comics. I was surprised to find that silent film still has this kind of influence on popular culture, though most people don't know it.

The character of Superman was based on two wildly popular performers of silent cinema. Harold Lloyd - more specifically, his "Glasses" character - was the inspiration for the character of Clark Kent. The physique of Superman was modeled on the astoundingly fit Douglas Fairbanks.

Silent and sound actor Jack Holt provided the features for Dick Tracy.

ZaSu Pitts was lampooned by voice talent Mae Questel in the character of Olive Oyl; Pitts's nervous, "oh dear" mannerisms were used to great effect.

One of the most surprising, for me, is Conrad Veidt, as Gwynplaine from The Man Who Laughs. This sympathetic 17th-century character, who has had his mouth deliberately carved into a permanent smile by his father's enemies and who is forced to work in a traveling show, provided the look for a famous villain. Let's see - who could that villain have been?

Take a look above.

In case you still don't know - and I admit, the image could show more of his face - the character is the Joker, from the Batman series.