Detective Comics#38 (May 1940), the debut of Robin. Art by Bob Kane and Robinson.

Jerry Robinson, (1922-2011): American comic book artist, died 7 December, aged 89; widely acknowledged as the creator of Batman’s nemesis The Joker, he was a staunch advocate of creators’ rights.

Robinson was a former president of the National Cartoonists Society (1967-69) and the Association of American Editorial Cartoonists (1973-75). In 1974, he produced a comprehensive study of the history of newspaper strips, The Comics. Robinson was inducted into the Comic Book Hall of Fame in 2004.

[Thanks to Steve Green for the story.]

Update 12/09/2011: Amended prior statement about shared credit for Joker based on additional info from Steve Green.