Bat Boy (character)

Bat Boy is a fictional creature who made numerous appearances in the American supermarket tabloid Weekly World News, beginning with a front page story in 1992. The character became a pop-culture icon. In 1997, the story of Bat Boy was turned into an Off-Broadway musical, Bat Boy: The Musical.

History

Weekly World News is a tabloid newspaper that publishes patently fabricated stories which were purported to be factual. Within the pages of the paper, Bat Boy is described as a creature who is "half human and half bat". His pursuers, according to Weekly World News, are scientists and United States government officials; he is frequently captured, then later makes a daring escape. The original scientist who found him was named Dr. Ron Dillon. Another character, Matthew Daemon, S.O.S., crossed paths with him in several stories.
Bat Boy was created by former Weekly World News editor Dick Kulpa. Writer Bob Lind was assigned the story six weeks later. He debuted as a cover story on June 23, 1992. The original front-page photo of Bat Boy, showing his grotesque screaming face, was the second-best selling issue in the tabloid's history, and he has since evolved into a pop-culture icon. He became the tabloid's de facto mascot of sorts.

In popular culture

''Adventures of Batboy'' cartoon

Cartoonist Peter Bagge originally penned the "Adventures of Batboy" for the Weekly World News. According to the cartoon, Bat Boy is currently hitchhiking with a typical American family after resigning from being the President of the United States, has placed Weekly World News columnist Ed Anger under arrest and saying goodbyes to Beyoncé, a half sasquatch, and Dr. Ron. In the strip, Bat Boy joins a death metal/thrash metal band as their lead singer. Cartoonist Danielle Corsetto, creator of webcomic Girls with Slingshots, took over from Bagge in 2005 and drew the strip until the WWN ceased publication in 2007.

''Bat Boy: The Musical''

A musical based on the Bat Boy character premiered at Tim Robbins' Actors Gang Theatre on Halloween, 1997 and has since been produced Off Broadway, in London's West End, and in scores of productions throughout the world. Music and lyrics are by Laurence O'Keefe, with a book by Brian Flemming and Keythe Farley.