The Joker has been an iconic figure in the Batman comic books and on screen for the past 8 decades. The 2019 film, aptly named, Joker has seen an unprecedented resurgence in the character’s popularity. The movie became the highest-grossing R-rated movie of all time and the first one to exceed 1 billion at the box office. So, what is the origin and history of the Joker?
The Joker first appeared in the DC comic book story Batman 1 on April 25th, 1940. Unlike many of the gangster-style criminals, his creators Bill Finger, Bob Cane, and Jerry Robinson wanted to produce a supervillain. It was time for our black-clad hero to have an arch-nemesis. The writers derived their inspiration for the iconic look from playing cards and Conrad Veidt’s character in the movie “The Man Who Laughs”.
Conrad Veidt – The Man Who Laughs
From the beginning, the villain’s trademark was mirth and malevolence. He would use violence and chaos to torment Gotham and the world. However, as the age of comic book readers declined so did the level of violence.
A catalyst for this reduction was due to a court ruling in Georgia. It conceded that the level of violence, prevalently shown in the comics, was responsible for an increase in delinquent behavior. This saw the character develop into a silly and nonserious character. His popularity dropped and for a few years and the writers of the comic books rarely included him.
History Of The Joker
The Joker of the Comic Books
As previously stated, after the Joker’s first appearance in Batman 1, he was destined to forever have a place as Batman’s arch-nemesis. He was originally portrayed as a homicidal maniac. Then, as the ages of the comic book readers went down, the violence did too. After his initial dark entrance, the writers tried to portray him as a petty jokester. The last time he killed someone was in 1942, up until Issue #251 in 1973.
Batman, The Killing Joke – Buy Now
The comic books also brought the character’s origin into question. The original comic book never explained where the villain came from. A popular idea, that was adopted by writers, was the story of a thief named Red Hood. He fell into a vat of acid trying to escape from Batman. While he did survive, he emerged from the acid both insane and disfigured. This resulted in the classic evil clown look that we all know and, depending on our level of psychosis, have come to love.
His violence returned in the 1970s where writers allowed him to start killing again after a 30-year hiatus. Although, his real debut was in 1988 with The Killing Joke. He crippled the Commissioner’s daughter Barbara, also known as Batgirl. Later that year, the writers released A Death in the Family. In this edition, our favorite psychopath beats Robin with a crowbar, then kills him in an explosion. The most interesting and disturbing part? The readers were invited to vote on the outcome before the comic was published. Surprisingly, the majority voted for it.
Transition To The Screen
Batman transitioned from comic books to the screen in 1966. Cesar Romero played the Joker. Unlike the sinister Joker, Romero portrayed Batman’s nemesis as theatrical and nonserious. Although popular for a while, his audience tired of the silliness and the show stopped airing in 1968.
The next on-screen appearance of the Joker was in 1989 with Batman, directed by Tim Burton. He convinced Jack Nicholson to play the character of the Joker. The actor paid homage to the theatrical element from Romero’s performance. Although, he did spice it up with an entirely new level of psychotic behavior. Batman fans had not witnessed this on-screen before. He was hugely popular and his performance went unrivaled until 2008 with the Heath Ledger Joker. The Australian heart-throb presented to us an anarchist, who was simultaneously controlled and unhinged. These two performances saw a surge in Joker Halloween Costumes.
The most popular portrayal of this disturbing, yet fascinating character is the Joaquin Phoenix Joker in 2019. The movie delves into an untold narrative of the origin story. Here Joker starts out as Arthur, whose greatest joy is to make people laugh. By day he works as a clown for hire and by night dreams of becoming a successful comedian. Unfortunately, he suffers from a laughing disorder and people do not find him funny.
It appears his luck might change when Murray Franklin (played by Robert De Niro) asks him to appear on his show. Arthur idolized Franklin and saw him as a father figure. He sees Franklin mock him on television before his appearance. He finds himself devastated and broken. It’s at this moment that he “becomes” Joker. The idea behind the film is society disconnects and ignores people that need our help. We see problems, not individuals.
Development Through The Ages
It is safe to conclude that the Joker has gone on a journey. He was first introduced as a maniac in the Batman comic book series. Then, within only two short years, he had transitioned into a childish and illogical villain. In recent times, writers have revisited the anti-hero’s origins. This is evident in the shift we see from Cesar Romero’s Joker in the 1960s to Jack Nicholson’s Joker in 1989. His performance is of a deranged lunatic with no morals and a sick sense of humor.
Recent portrayals showcase a psychological depth to the character that had not yet been explored. The climax being the 2019 version where Joaquin Phoenix’s Joker kills his mother with a pillow. The character is devolving into what I believe he was intended to be. At the end of the film, we see no longer see Arthur the man. Instead, we are introduced to Joker, the embodiment of frustration, disappointment, and purpose. It is hard not to sympathize with this character and fail to see the parallels in our society today.
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