Creativity Quote by Bob Kane

A deliciously self-aware contradiction sits at the center of Bob Kane's line: he wants to "explode the myths" and then promises "the real truth about the legend". The phrasing admits what every long-running franchise eventually becomes - not a single story but a contested pileup of stories, publicity, legal paperwork, and fan devotion. Kane isn't offering demystification so much as a bid to control which myth wins.

The intent is both confessional and strategic. By framing Batman as "the legend", Kane elevates the character to folklore status, then positions himself as the authorized historian of that folklore. "Myths about myself" nods to the fact that Kane's own authorship has always been part of the Batman narrative, with credit disputes and ghosted labor (most famously Bill Finger) lurking behind the cape. The promise of "real truth" functions like a seal of authenticity - a creator claiming access to the origin story's holy relics.

Context matters: Kane is speaking from late-career authority, when creators were being re-litigated in public and in courts, and when comics were shedding their disposable-kid-stuff image. Batman had become a cultural asset, not just a character; protecting the "truth" around him is also protecting legacy, revenue, and moral ownership.

The line works because it doesn't hide the paradox. It sells candor while keeping the mystique intact: even the act of debunking becomes another chapter in the mythology machine.