Bat Boy is a fictional creature who made numerous appearances in the American

supermarket tabloid Tabloid journalism is a popular style of largely sensationalist journalism, which takes its name from the tabloid newspaper format: a small-sized newspaper also known as a half broadsheet. The size became associated with sensationalism, an ...

Weekly World News The ''Weekly World News'' is a tabloid formerly published in a newspaper format reporting mostly fictional "news" stories in the United States from 1979 to 2007. The paper was renowned for its outlandish cover stories often based on supernatur ...

,'' 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 An off-Broadway theatre is any professional theatre venue in New York City with a seating capacity between 100 and 499, inclusive. These theatres are smaller than Broadway theatres, but larger than off-off-Broadway theatres, which seat fewer tha ...

musical, '' Bat Boy: The Musical''.

History

'' 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 Humans (''Homo sapiens'') or modern humans are the most common and widespread species of primate, and the last surviving species of the genus ''Homo''. They are Hominidae, great apes characterized by their Prehistory of nakedness and clothing ...

and half

bat Bats are flying mammals of the order Chiroptera (). With their forelimbs adapted as wings, they are the only mammals capable of true and sustained flight. Bats are more agile in flight than most birds, flying with their very long spread-out ...

". His pursuers, according to ''Weekly World News'', are scientists and

United States government The Federal Government of the United States of America (U.S. federal government or U.S. government) is the Federation#Federal governments, national government of the United States. The U.S. federal government is composed of three distinct ...

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. (Seeker of Obscure Supernaturals), crossed paths with him in several stories. Bat Boy was created by former ''Weekly World News'' editor

Dick Kulpa Richard Allen Kulpa (January 12, 1953 – January 3, 2021) was an American cartoonist best known for his work for ''Cracked'' and ''Weekly World News''. Early career Born in Loves Park, Illinois, Kulpa got his start in the cartooning business o ...

. Writer

Bob Lind Robert Neale Lind (born November 25, 1942) is an American playwright, novelist, and singer-songwriter who helped define the 1960s folk rock movement in the U.S. and UK. Lind is well known for his transatlantic hit record, " Elusive Butterfly", w ...

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 A mascot is any human, animal, or object thought to bring luck, or anything used to represent a group with a common public identity, such as a school, sports team, university society, society, military unit, or brand, brand name. Mascots are als ...

of sorts.

In popular culture

''Adventures of Batboy'' cartoon

Cartoonist A cartoonist is a visual artist who specializes in both drawing and writing cartoons (individual images) or comics (sequential images). Cartoonists differ from comics writers or comics illustrators/artists in that they produce both the litera ...

Peter Bagge Peter Bagge (pronounced , as in ''bag''; born December 11, 1957) is an American cartoonist whose best-known work includes the comics ''Neat Stuff'' and ''Hate (comics), Hate''. His stories often use black humor and exaggerated cartooning to drama ...

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 The president of the United States (POTUS) is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president directs the Federal government of the United States#Executive branch, executive branch of the Federal government of t ...

(and King), has placed ''Weekly World News'' columnist Ed Anger under arrest and saying goodbyes to

Beyoncé Beyoncé Giselle Knowles-Carter ( ; born September 4, 1981) is an American singer, songwriter, actress, and businesswoman. With a career spanning over three decades, she has established herself as one of the most Cultural impact of Beyoncé, ...

, a half

sasquatch Bigfoot (), also commonly referred to as Sasquatch (), is a large, hairy Mythic humanoids, mythical creature said to inhabit forests in North America, particularly in the Pacific Northwest.Example definitions include: *"A large, hairy, manlike ...

(with whom he was romantically involved), 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 Timothy Francis Robbins (born October 16, 1958) is an American actor. He is best known for portraying Andy Dufresne in the film '' The Shawshank Redemption ''(1994), and Jacob Singer in '' Jacob's Ladder'' (1990), as well as winning an Academy ...

' Actors Gang Theatre on

Halloween Halloween, or Hallowe'en (less commonly known as Allhalloween, All Hallows' Eve, or All Saints' Eve), is a celebration geography of Halloween, observed in many countries on 31 October, the eve of the Western Christianity, Western Christian f ...

, 1997 and has since been produced

Off Broadway An off-Broadway theatre is any professional theatre venue in New York City with a seating capacity between 100 and 499, inclusive. These theatres are smaller than Broadway theatres, but larger than off-off-Broadway theatres, which seat fewer tha ...

, 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 Brian Flemming is an American film director, playwright and activist. His films include '' Hang Your Dog in the Wind'', '' Nothing So Strange'', and '' The God Who Wasn't There''. His musicals include '' Bat Boy: The Musical'', which won the L ...

and

Keythe Farley Keythe Farley is an American actor. Keythe is a graduate of UCLA and is an active member of the Actors' Gang and Evidence Room theatre companies. Keythe has written for, produced or voice-directed episodes of ''Rugrats'', ''As Told by Ginger'' an ...

References

Sources

Bibliography

* "Bat Boy Found in West Virginia Cave!" by Bill Creighton, Weekly World News
June 23, 1992
pp 46–47. Reprinte
July 6, 1999
pp. 46–47. Reprinte
June 20, 2005
pp. 58–59. * "Bat Boy Escapes!" by Dack Kennedy
October 6, 1992
p. 5. * "U.S. Govt. to Blame for Letting Bat Boy Escape!" by Ed Anger
October 6, 1992
p. 17. * "New Wave of Bat Boy Sightings" anonymous
December 8, 1992
pp. 4–5. * "Bat Boy Attacks Girl, 10!" by Joe Berger
March 9, 1993
pp. 4–5. * "Bat Boy on the Loose!" Weekly World News Special 76-Page Collector's Edition
May 1993
pp. 38–39. * "'I've Captured Bat Boy'" by Jack Alexander
July 27, 1993
p. 29. * "FBI Captures Bat Boy!" by Conrad Morse
August 31, 1993
pp. 24–25. * "Bat Boy Saga Heats Up" Anonymous
January 4–11, 1994
p. 51. * "Bat Boy Dead, Claims U.S. Govt." by Nick Mann
January 31, 1995
p. 46. * "Escaped Bat Boy Sighted in Texas!" by Global News Service
April 11, 1995
p. 3. * "New Jersey Lovebirds Getting Married – Thanks to Elvis and Bat Boy" by Tanya Broder
February 20, 1996
p. 39. * "Bat Boy Captured!" by Joe Berger
September 16, 1997
pp. 8–9. * "Bat Boy Is Learning How to Talk!" by Mike Foster
March 24, 1998
p. 13. * "Second Bat Child Captured in West Virginia, Confirms Researcher," by Alex Morgan
September 15, 1998
p. 25. * "Half-Human Half-Bat Locked Up in Secret Medical Lab!" by Kevin Creed
August 31, 1999
p. 13. * "Bat Boy on the Loose!" by Wolf Landrum
September 7, 1999
pp. 36–37. * "Bat Child Attacks Girl" by Ernst Craven
September 19, 2000
pp 40–41. * "'I Will Hunt Down Bat Boy and Kill Him!'" by Rex Wolfe
October 9, 2001
p. 20. * "Stay Tuned—Something BIG Is Brewing for Bat Boy" by Ernst Craven
October 30, 2001
p. 8. * "Pentagon Mum on Bat Boy Whereabouts" by Mary Kingston
November 6, 2001
p. 7. * "It's a Bird... It's a Plane... No – It's Bat Boy... Training with the U.S. Army!" by Andi Cretel
November 20, 2001
p. 45. * "Bat Boy Meets with Bush at

Camp David Camp David is a country retreat for the president of the United States. It lies in the wooded hills of Catoctin Mountain Park, in Frederick County, Maryland, near the towns of Thurmont, Maryland, Thurmont and Emmitsburg, Maryland, Emmitsburg, a ...

" by Tomaso Focata
November 27, 2001
p. 9. * "Bat Boy Bites

Santa Claus Santa Claus (also known as Saint Nicholas, Saint Nick, Father Christmas, Kris Kringle or Santa) is a legendary figure originating in Western Christian culture who is said to bring gifts during the late evening and overnight hours on Chris ...

!" by Brett Anniston
December 18, 2001
p. 10. * "Bat Boy Storms

Afghanistan Afghanistan, officially the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central Asia and South Asia. It is bordered by Pakistan to the Durand Line, east and south, Iran to the Afghanistan–Iran borde ...

with U.S. Marines" by Alicia Bousch
December 25, 2001
pp. 18–19. * "'Bring Us the Head of Bat Boy!'" by Lois Castini
January 8, 2002
p. 8. * "Batty-Mitzvah" by Anonymous
January 15, 2002
p. 69. * Letters to the Editor by Hans Schrierst of

William Morris Agency The William Morris Agency (WMA) was a Hollywood-based talent agency. It represented some of the best-known 20th-century entertainers in film, television, and music. During its 109-year tenure it came to be regarded as the "first great talent ...

and Alfred E. Newman of

Mad Magazine ''Mad'' (stylized in all caps) is an American humor magazine which was launched in 1952 and currently published by DC Comics, a unit of the DC Entertainment subsidiary of Warner Bros. Discovery. ''Mad'' was founded by editor Harvey Kurtzman an ...

, January 9, 2002. * "Bat Boy Behind Bars!" by Miguel Figueroa
February 19, 2002
p. 42. * "Bat Boy Escapes Terrorists: Now He's on the Lam in South America!" by Joan Ryan
February 26, 2002
pp. 42–43. * "FBI Warns: Don't Be Fooled by This Bat Boy Impersonator!" by Vincenzo Sardi
March 5, 2002
pp. 2–3. * "Bat Boy Saves Washington from 'Dirty Bomb' Disaster... & You Won't Believe How!" by Miguel Figueroa
April 30, 2002
pp. 12–13. * "Yes, Jacob, There Is a Bat Boy," Sound Off
July 23, 2002
p. 4. * Sound Off! Letter to the Editor by Joseph B.
August 20, 2002
p. 4. * Sound Off! Letter to the Editor by "Draff" and "Unicorn,
August 27, 2002
p. 4. * "Half Bat—Half Amazing" by Anonymous
September 10, 2002
p. 42. * "Mutant Fruit" by Rick Kirk
October 8, 2002
p. 16. * "Bat Boy Is Missing!" by Miguel Figueroa
October 15, 2002
p. 9. * "Bat Boy Sightings!" Anonymous
November 19, 2002
p. 6-7. * Sound Off! Letter to the Editor by Blake S.
December 3, 2002
p. 4. * "Police Seek Hero Mystery Boy in Capture of Child Molestor" by Mike Foster
December 17, 2002
p. 5. * Sound Off! Letter to the Editor from Worried
December 24, 2002
p. 4. * "Bat Boy Steals Car—And Goes on Three State Joy Ride!" by Wayne Diaz
January 14, 2003
pp. 6–7. * "Bat Boy Still on the Lam!" by Brett Anniston
January 21, 2003
p. 37. * "Bat Boy Still on the Lam" by Mike Foster
January 28, 2003
p. 37. * "Bat Boy Abandons Stolen Car - & Vanishes" by Mike Foster
February 4, 2003
pp. 30–31. * Weirdo Letter of the Week by Amanda W.
February 18, 2003
p. 4. * "Is J.Lo Seeing Bat Boy Behind

Ben Ben is frequently used as a shortened version of the given names Benjamin, Benedict, Bennett, Benson or Ebenezer, and is also a given name in its own right. Ben meaning "son of" is also found in Arabic as ''Ben'' (dialectal Arabic) or ''bin ...

's Back?" by Martha S.
February 25, 2003
p. 4. * Sound Off! Letter to the Editor by Anonymous
March 4, 2003
p. 4. * Newsmakers letter from Anthony and Elizabeth M.
April 1, 2003
p. 2. * Sound Off! Letter to the Editor by Albert P.
April 15, 2003
p. 4. * "Bat Boy Goes International!" by Dick Kulpo
April 15, 2003
p. 4. * "Bat Boy Goes to War!" by Larry Mulder
April 22, 2003
pp. 24–25. * "Thank God We Sent Bat Boy Into Iraq" by Martin T.
May 6, 2003
p. 4. * Sound Off! Letter to the Editor by Sandra M.
June 3, 2003
p. 4. * Letter of the Week by Beth L.
July 15, 2003
p. 4. * Sound Off! Letter to the Editor by Dr. Natalie P.
July 29, 2003
p. 4. * "Bat Boy to Fly Space Shuttle" by Deuce Collins
September 23, 2003
pp. 30–31. * Sound Off! Letter to the Editor form Andy H.
September 30, 2003
p. 4. * Bat Boy Mask
October 28, 2003
p. 72. * "Bat Boy Xmas Card!
December 2, 2003
p. 12. * "Freaks, Geeks & Weirdos" by Kay Callahan
December 2, 2003
p. 26. * Sound Off! Letter to the Editor by Harvey P. of Cleveland, Ohio
December 23, 2003
p. 4. * "Bat Boy Led U.S. Troops to

Saddam Saddam Hussein (28 April 1937 – 30 December 2006) was an Iraqi politician and revolutionary who served as the fifth president of Iraq from 1979 until his overthrow in 2003 during the U.S. invasion of Iraq. He previously served as the vi ...

... Gotcha!" by Mike Foster
January 13, 2004
pp. 24–25. * "The Bat Got the Rat" by Steven H.
February 3, 2004
p. 4. * Sound Off! Letter to the Editor by Clark D.
February 17, 2004
p. 4. * "New Adventures of Bat Boy!" by

March 2, 2004
p. 9. (introduction to weekly Bat Boy comic strip) * "Bat Boy: He's 50% Bat—100% Amazing" by Kate McClare
March 8, 2004
p. 9. * "U.S. Plans to Clone Army of Bat Boys to Fight Terrorism!" by Ian Merkins
March 15, 2004
p. 9. * Sound Off! Letters to the Editor by Gary G. and Bernie Q.
March 22, 2004
p. 4. * Sound Off! Letter to the Editor from Anthony L.
March 29, 2004
p. 4. * "Bat Boy to Be Knighted" by Michael Chiron
April 5, 2004
p. 8. * Sound Off! Letter to the Editor by Ray L. Winder
May 3, 2004
p. 4. * "Dynamic Duo! Bat Boy Lobbying Hard for Kerry's No. 2 Spot." by Nick Mann
May 31, 2004
pp. 2–3. * "Bat Boy to Try Out for ''

American Idol ''American Idol'' is an American Music competition, singing competition television series created by Simon Fuller, produced by Fremantle (company), Fremantle North America and 19 Entertainment, and distributed by Fremantle North America. It a ...

''" by Paul Chiron
June 21, 2004
p. 8. * Sound Off! Letter to the Editor by Staci M.
June 28, 2004
p. 4. * "

Britney Britney Jean Spears (born December 2, 1981) is an American singer. Often referred to as the " Princess of Pop", she has sold over 150 million records worldwide, making her one of the world's best-selling music artists. An influential figur ...

Is My Bride!" by Will Shivers
July 12, 2004
p. 9. * "Fat Britney Fan Goes on Hunger Strike Over Reports She Married Bat Boy" by Brett Anniston
August 2, 2004
p. 37. * "'I Can Cure Bat Boy!'" by Michael Forsyth
September 20, 2004
pp. 8–9. * "Terrorists Kidnap Bat Boy!" by Nikki Long
October 11, 2004
p. 9. * "Bat Boy Musical Knocks 'Em Dead in London" by Norv Keener
November 8, 2004
p. 9. * "My Neighbor's Kid Looks Like Bat Boy—Can You Help Him?" by Mary Guevara
December 6, 2004
p. 4.; reprinte
December 27, 2004
p. 4. * "Dating Service for Freaks" by Darren Davenport
January 3, 2005
pp. 26–27. * "Are

James Carville Chester James Carville Jr. (born October 25, 1944) is an American political consultant, author and occasional actor who has strategized for candidates for public office in the United States and in at least 23 nations abroad. A Democrat, he is a ...

& Bat Boy Kin?" by Mike Foster
January 17, 2005
pp. 8–9. * "Kid Saving Up for Plastic Surgery—to Look Like Bat Boy!" Anonymous
April 25, 2005
p. 15. * "Happy Birthday, America!
July 4, 2005
pp. 30–31. * "Bat Boy to Join the Cast of ''

Deadwood Deadwood may refer to: Places Canada * Deadwood, Alberta * Deadwood, British Columbia * Deadwood River, a tributary of the Dease River in northern British Columbia United States * Deadwood, California (disambiguation), several communit ...

''!" by Mark Miller
July 18, 2005
pp. 4–5. * "Miss Adventure's Male Bag" by Drew Sullivan (letter attributed to Jeremy Lovett)
December 5, 2005
p. 18. * "Daemon Rushes to Save Boy-Bat Trapped in Cave" by Dick Siegel
December 12, 2005
p. 40-41. * "Are Boy-Bat and Bat Boy Fraternal Twins Separated at Birth?" by Sammy Robin
January 2, 2006
p. 4. * "Bat Boy in the Belfry" by

Robert Greenberger Robert Greenberger (born July 24, 1958) is an American writer and editor known for his work on ''Comics Scene'', ''Starlog'', ''Weekly World News'', the novelization of the film ''Hellboy II: The Golden Army#Novelization, Hellboy II'', and for ...

April 10, 2006
pp 12–13. * "Protect Bat Boy at All Costs" by Robert Greenberger
April 17, 2006
pp. 12–13. * Sound Off! Letters to the Editor by Richard Graysonne and Charlie Kane
May 1, 2006
p. 47.; reprinte
June 19, 2006
p. 47. * Sound Off! Letters to the Editor from K. Bates and Matt Tell
May 8, 2006
p. 47. * "Candidate Visits Bat Boy's Home! Romney Promises to Protect Spelunkers from Monsters" by D. Patrick
March 26, 2007
p. 7. * "Police Arrest 'Bat Boy': Elusive Creature Sighted in Upstate New York," by Dick Siegel
June 11, 2007
p. 4. * "Kids' Letters to Bat Boy" by Dick Siegel
August 6, 2007
p. 12. {{DEFAULTSORT:Bat Boy (Character) Fictional characters introduced in 1992 Fictional characters from West Virginia Fictional bats Fictional children Fictional human–animal hybrids