( Scans under the cut... )

“The first shock came when I was told that the book had been canceled. Eager to embrace influences from Cabaret to the Theater of Cruelty, the Joker was to have been dressed in the conical bra worn by Madonna for her ‘Open Your Heart’ video. Warner Bros. objected to my portrayal on the grounds that it would encourage the widespread belief that Jack Nicholson, the feted actor lined up to play the Joker in an upcoming $40 million Batman movie, was a transvestite.

I wrote a long, impassioned letter to Jenette Kahn, and after some tense negotiations, we managed to keep the Joker in high heels at least, and Arkham Asylum went back on the schedule. I was sure that Nicholson would have loved it even more if he could have played the Clown Prince of Crime in a dress, but in the end, it was Heath Ledger who immortalized the [transvestite] Joker in 2008’s The Dark Knight, vindicating my foresight.” — Grant Morrison

( April Fool! )

"Joker looks at Bruce thinking, ‘Ahh, I could work with this.’ Bruce is so closed off, and he’s so fascinated by, ‘Why is Joker like that? Why is he walking with a smile? What’s going on in his world?’ And when Joker encounters Brucie he says, he pats him on the head, ‘Hello, Brucie,’ because he knows him already, and it’s kind of like that project where you’re trying to teach your kid how to read, or you’ve gotta open their mind so they can see what you see, until they figure out that code, and then the world expands, and that’s kind of what [Joker] does to Bruce." -- Art Baltazar

( Scans under the cut... )

Harry Bauer has made a series of videos called 'Batman and Joker Are Friends' based off the 'Frog and Toad' series. In the latest installment Batman doesn't want anyone to see him in his bathing suit which causes trouble when the rest of the rogues' gallery arrives.

( Video under the cut... )

"The original first draft of the script included the character of Robin as Batman's sidekick. Robin appeared in a few scenes at the beginning then remained at Police Headquarters for the bulk of the book, where he spent his time studying plans and histories of the house, in order to find a way in to help his mentor. Dave McKean, however, felt that he had already compromised his artistic integrity sufficiently by drawing Batman and refused point blank to bend over for the Boy Wonder — so after one brave but ridiculous attempt to put him in a trenchcoat, I wisely removed him from the script." - Grant Morrison

( April Fool! )