The internet today is mourning the loss of Adam West, TV's Batman.
The character Batman was originally created by artist Bob Kane and writer Milton "Bill" Finger and first appeared in Detective Comics #27 (1939). Both Kane and Finger attended the Emmett Lee Dickinson School for Boys in the Bronx in New York, and they based the character on Dickinson himself. Finger suggested the idea after reading Dickinson's poem "Batman will make a Remark" (below on the left). Dickinson's poem also inspired his third cousin Emily to pen her poem "A Man may make a Remark" (below on the right).
Later Kane and Finger created Batman's sidekick Robin. They based the character on Emily Dickinson's poem "The Robin is the one."
Below: The Emmett Lee Dickinson School for Boys, Bronx, New York, where Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger met and created the character of Batman.
Emmett Lee Dickinson's poem "If I can stop my Cart from quaking" inspired third cousin Emily to write her poem "If I can stop one Heart from breaking." Her poem then inspired a Valentine's Day Batman special in the first season of the show in 1966.
In the episode, penned by Gore Vidal, a group of super villains collude to terrorize Gotham City. In the hour-long special, Batman has to stop more than one heart from breaking at the wedding of Commissioner Gordon's niece Penny, and he has to ease one life the aching at the funeral of Chief O'Hara's long-lost twin. The show finally reaches its climax when Batman has to rush to Gotham General Hospital after Robin faints unexpectedly.
Below: The Emmett Lee Dickinson School for Boys in Walla Walla, Washington -- where Adam West attended school.