Since his creation in 1939, Batman has become one of the most popular characters in fiction. From his humble roots in dime comic books, he grew to become a serial hero, a frequent guest star on the Superman radio show, and then the star of his own explosively successful TV series, spawning a nationwide epidemic of Batmania. After Batman became a movie star, his thrilling exploits were no longer kid stuff-he was now a multinational conglomerate's biggest corporate asset. Billion Dollar Batman reveals the stories behind the story of one of the most lucrative and profitable media creations in history. Includes profiles of the people who guided Batman from Bright Knight to Dark Knight and revealing behind-the-scenes information about Batman serials, TV shows and films. Illustrated with photos of the actors who have brought Batman to life for seven decades.

First introduced in a 1938 comic book, Superman has since become an iconic character in American entertainment. This complete history covers Superman's appearances in film and television, from the 1941 introduction of the first Superman cartoon to the 2006 live-action film Superman Returns. The book includes several rarely seen photographs of the actors who have brought Superman to life for over seven decades, including Clayton "Bud" Collyer, Kirk Alyn, George Reeves and Christopher Reeve. Multiple appendices provide a complete listing of Superman-related books and websites, along with a comprehensive list of the cast and characters featured in Superman films, television shows, and radio programs since 1941.