My Batman story begins with a crime. I was in third grade. I went to the barber shop in West Hartford Center where there were comic books to read while you waited.
I had never seen any superhero comic before and I started reading a Batman story. It was great but I didn't have enough time to finish it. So, when my haircut was done, I took it home with me.
I swear that it never occurred to me that this was an unsanctioned activity, but when I got home, my mother acted as if I just declared myself to be the penguin. I had to bring the comic book back to the barber shop and apologize.
But, I took Batman with me in other ways, like getting the comic for myself. Batman was a possibility; you could become somebody like him, or become Robin and ditch your overbearing parents.
Listen to the full interview with Chip Kidd:
GUESTS:
- Glen Weldon, author of The Caped Crusade: of Batman and the Rise of Nerd Culture
- Mitch Hallock, creator of Connecticut's Terrificon
- Mark Racop, owner of Fiberglass Freaks
- Chip Kidd, Batman writer and graphic designer
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Tianna Duquette, Betsy Kaplan, Chion Wolf and Greg Hill contributed to this show, which originally aired on March 23, 2016.