IMAGE: Marilyn Monroe as she’s drawn on the cover of the comic book biography put out by Bluewater Productions in 2013 as part of their TRIBUTE line of comics. Used with permission.

Marilyn Monroe was a pop culture phenomenon. In the realm of comics, Monroe inspired Miss Mizzou just as she was gaining popularity as a star in 1952. In addition to Miss Mizzou she is said to have inspired at least two other comic characters.

Bob Kane, the creator of Batman, claims that he created the reporter character Vicki Vale based off of meeting Marilyn Monroe back in 1948. You can listen to him recount the story in the documentary “Batman and Me.” It’s hard to believe this story given Kane’s exaggerations over the years, but Terrance Canote’s blog post has a pretty good cross examination of the claim.

Posthumously Marilyn Monroe also inspired the comic character Miss Buxley. She was created by Mizzou Alum Mort Walker in 1971 as a secretary for General Halftrack in the comic strip Beetle Bailey. I mention the character in my Miss Mizzou book, and Mort Walker mentions the character in the quote he gave in relation to my book.

Beyond these characters, Marilyn Monroe herself has appeared in many comics over the years. This Marilyn Monroe character page gives a pretty good rundown of her comic appearances stretching as far back as 1954. As that page states, she is most often used in comics in a cameo role or as an homage to her classic poses, and not as a featured character. The exception to this is of course biography comics featuring Monroe, such as the Bluewater Marilyn Monroe comic from 2013.

IMAGE: The cover and a few pages of the Marilyn Monroe comic put out by Bluewater Productions in 2013 as part of their TRIBUTE line of comics. Used with permission.

What did Monroe herself think of comics? Besides this photo of her glancing at James Thurber drawings inside Costello’s Bar in New York, I haven’t been able to find anything connecting her personally to comics within her lifetime.