H.P. Lovecraft and Batman

[Mr_Millions]

I'm not sure if this question can even be answered, but here goes:

Is Arkham Asylum a reference to H.P. Lovecraft's Arkham (New York, I believe)?
I've been assuming it is.

Are there other (any) references to Lovecraft in Batman? I notice that the Batman comics started in 1939, 2 year's after Lovecraft's death and co-inciding with the publication of a compilation of Lovecraft's work. That said, I don't know when Arkham Asylum made its first appearance, nor do I know anything of Bob Kane's tastes in literature. I do know that many of the character's he created or that would come to inhabit his world would be right at home in Lovecraft's mad universe.

At the very least, I know that the WB Animation crew has a fondness in their heart for the Master of the Weird.

[TimTwoFace]

I know little about that story, but I do know that this is officially where the name "Arkham" came from.

-Tim

[King_of_doom]

wow!i didnt no this until now.

[Mr_Millions]

I know little about that story, but I do know that this is officially where the name "Arkham" came from.

-Tim

Cool, thanks. ToonZone has the most knowledgable people...

and it saves me having to do my own research...

[Xada-Hgla]

I'm not sure if this question can even be answered, but here goes:

Is Arkham Asylum a reference to H.P. Lovecraft's Arkham (New York, I believe)?
I've been assuming it is.Well first, it's actually Arkham, Massachussets, but yes, Arkham Asylum is in reference to H.P. Lovecraft's Arkham. As the story goes, Batman creator Bob Kane met H.P. Lovecraft on a train sometime in 1935. Kane was apparently so impressed with Lovecraft during that meeting, that he decided to name Arkham Asylum in homage to the writer after Lovecraft's death.


Are there other (any) references to Lovecraft in Batman? I notice that the Batman comics started in 1939, 2 year's after Lovecraft's death and co-inciding with the publication of a compilation of Lovecraft's work. That said, I don't know when Arkham Asylum made its first appearance, nor do I know anything of Bob Kane's tastes in literature. I do know that many of the character's he created or that would come to inhabit his world would be right at home in Lovecraft's mad universe.
Well, that's the only one that jumps out at me (I'm not a big fan of the Batman comic series myself... :o ), but on a somewhat related note, I believe that a JLA episode a while back involved Cthulhu, Gugs, and Y'golonac (Elements of the Lovecraftian universe which were either created by Lovecraft, or directly inspired by him)

[Mr_Millions]

Thank's Xada. You're my new best friend.

It truly is a small world after all...

I need to finish reading my book of Lovecraft stories...

[Sharklady]

> I believe that a JLA episode a while back involved Cthulhu, Gugs, and Y'golonac... <

And I recall a 'Superman' episode where the bad guy was a Cthulhuian squid-headed chaos-breeder. Supes had to appeal to Dr. Strange to help him defeat it.

I have no idea whether any such thing ever happened in the Superman comics.

[Anthonynotes]

> I believe that a JLA episode a while back involved Cthulhu, Gugs, and Y'golonac... <

And I recall a 'Superman' episode where the bad guy was a Cthulhuian squid-headed chaos-breeder. Supes had to appeal to Dr. Strange to help him defeat it.

I have no idea whether any such thing ever happened in the Superman comics.

That'd be Dr. Fate of course (Strange is a Marvel mystical-type).

Don't recall anything like that happening in the comics as what was in the episode, though sure Superman must've fought something similar at some point...

[Sharklady]

> That'd be Dr. Fate of course (Strange is a Marvel mystical-type). <

Opps!

Well, I can't be the only one who's ever got them confused- they have similar types of names and MOs.

[Anthonynotes]

> That'd be Dr. Fate of course (Strange is a Marvel mystical-type). <

Opps!

Well, I can't be the only one who's ever got them confused- they have similar types of names and MOs.

Perhaps so...there's also that "Amalgam" version of the two characters, "Dr. Strangefate"... ("Amalgam" was a mid-90's series of specials from DC and Marvel about a world where the two universes' characters had "merged" together)...