How TV and Radio Influenced Superman and Batman

As comic book fans we like to think that the comic book creators created all of our favorite characters and had all of the influence on any changes thater were made in the series. For the most part that is true. But when writers for other media get involved when they make it a series in their own industry they make some changes that influence the comic books too. Here are some ways that the World's Finest Team has been influenced by Radio and Television.

First up is Jimmy Olsen. Many think that Jimmy was created in the comic book. However, it is thanks to the Adventures of Superman radio series that we have
to thank for his creation. Superman needed someone to talk to when he was thinking about his latest adventure. If not he would be doing a lot of thinking or talking to himself. So they created Jimmy to be his friend who he could confide in. When the character became popular on radio the writers of the comic books turned an office boy, that they used in the books but hadn't named, into Jimmy Olsen Cub Reporter. He became a fixture in the comic books and in nearly every TV and movie that was about Superman. Jimmy even proved popular enough to support his own long running comic book series. He had every type of transformation you can think of in that series. From a giant turtle man to werewolf to Kandor's superhero Flamebird and his most famous transformation Elastic Lad.

It seems odd to me that while Jimmy is usually shown with flaming red hair it is rare when a red headed actor is cast in the part. Most have had dark hair like Jack Larson who played him on the TV version of the Adventures of Superman. Thankfully on Smallville Aaron Ashmore plays him and he has red hair.

Another influence on Superman still came from the radio series. Superman needed a contact at the police station. The answer was Inspector Henderson. His connection continued in television and the comic books. For many he is more known from the TV show where he was play with quiet strength by actor Robert Shane. His last appearance on TV was in the recurring part of Reggie, the blind news vendor, on another DC superhero series, "The Flash." The character of Inspector Henderson was even a supporting character in the DC comic book "Black Lightning." In the Adventures of Superman series the character played the same role as the character was designed for on radio and did some actual police work. Unlike our next character.


Chief O'Hara was created for the 1966 Batman TV series. He was played by Stafford Repp as a comic foil to Batman and straight man to Comissioner Gordon. The Comissioner and the Chief were usually seen in the office calling Batman and Robin on the Batphone when a crime was comitted. Later the Chief would show up in the end with more police to take in the villains that the dynamic duo captured.
Chief O'Hara did turn up in the comic books but not often. His best known were in Batman #301 from 1978 titled "The Only Man Batman Ever Killed!" and the Batman mini-series Dark Victory where died as the first victim of the Hangman killings. He has also made brief appearances in World's Finest, Detective comics and Swamp Thing.


In the Batman series the character of Aunt Harriet had already appeared two years earlier when the character Alfred Pennyworth died. The character on the show was played by Madge Blake. Not much was added to the character from the TV show. However, we were were told her last name was Cooper and she was a widow.

Two years after he died it was revealed that he had been revived by a mad scientist. Now lets step back a second to 1943. Alfred arrives at Wayne Manor as the clean shaven, overweight Butler who accidentally discovers that Bruce and Dick are Batman and Robin. He was introduced as to bring comedy to the series. At times he solved crimes but completely by accident. In 1964 he died while saving Batman and Robin from being crushed by a boulder.
Now jump back to 1966. Alfred is now the supervillain the Outsider and trying to kill Batman and Robin. Eventually his memory comes back and he has no memory of being the Outsider. Only now he has a mustache and much thiner. He looks more like his TV counter-part on the TV series played by actor Alan Napier.
That name had an influence on the Batman movie. When they revealed that the real name of the Joker was Jack NAPIER.

Soon another character form the Batman TV show will make his long over due appearance in the comic books. Will he be here for the long run. Who knows at this point?