After attending the School of Art, Bronx-native Bob Kane (1915–98) trained as an illustrator in the studio of another Cooper alumnus, Max Fleischer, cartoon royalty who created Betty Boop. Kane himself went on to create no less a figure than Gotham City’s own dark knight – Batman. Kane’s creation was, in part, a reflection of his art training: he cited Leonardo da Vinci’s drawings of flying machines with bat wings as one of his inspirations. Co-created with Bill Finger, Batman grew out of DC Comic’s schemes to capitalize on the company’s extraordinary success with Superman. Though both were motivated by their unwavering belief in justice, Batman, whose methods were sometimes more sinister than his older counterpart, presaged the post-war anti-hero. Kane, who was also a painter, continued to work on various Caped Crusader projects throughout his career, including newspaper comic strips and the wildly successful movie franchise.