We all know that in his letters he references all sorts of pop cultural reference. The Mikado, the exorcist, the black power movement, The Most Dangerous game ETC. I was thinking about this last night, and one thing kept coming up in my mind. I wonder if the zodiac was inspired by comics, particularly the Eward Nigma aka Riddler from Batman. Some of the things that Zodiac did are exactly like the Riddler. Both confess a superior intelligence, both are constantly trying to make the police look incompetent, both demand the attention of police, they both make puzzles that were both solvable and unsolvable, both love to to taunt their victims and the public at large. So I wonder as silly as this sounds he zodiac was inspired by this character. Any other pop culture things you can think of tht may apply, let me know.

About a week after Zodiac first called himself, Zodiac in his letter, a comic ran in the SF Chron caled the ‘Zodiac Gang’ which made some people think he was involved with the paper or the comic or the details. Also, Z called himself ‘REd Phantom’ in a letter, there was a comic book by that name. Lastly, there is an FBI page that is redacted that mentions ‘The Zodiac & the Riddler’ or ‘The Joker & The Riddler’ (sorry I dont recall which), and apparently, it is a questioned Zodiac correspondence. I have tried unsuccessfully to get it.

EDIT: As far as Zodiac’s pop influences, some people also think he was into Charlie Chan & The Beatles

Thanks for the response, good to see I wasn’t off the mark on this one.

We all know that in his letters he references all sorts of pop cultural reference. The Mikado, the exorcist, the black power movement, The Most Dangerous game ETC. I was thinking about this last night, and one thing kept coming up in my mind. I wonder if the zodiac was inspired by comics, particularly the Eward Nigma aka Riddler from Batman. Some of the things that Zodiac did are exactly like the Riddler. Both confess a superior intelligence, both are constantly trying to make the police look incompetent, both demand the attention of police, they both make puzzles that were both solvable and unsolvable, both love to to taunt their victims and the public at large. So I wonder as silly as this sounds he zodiac was inspired by this character. Any other pop culture things you can think of tht may apply, let me know.

Wasn’t there a poster on this site a while back who thought that Steve Ditko, the original artist of Spider-Man, was the Zodiac?

We all know that in his letters he references all sorts of pop cultural reference. The Mikado, the exorcist, the black power movement, The Most Dangerous game ETC. I was thinking about this last night, and one thing kept coming up in my mind. I wonder if the zodiac was inspired by comics, particularly the Eward Nigma aka Riddler from Batman. Some of the things that Zodiac did are exactly like the Riddler. Both confess a superior intelligence, both are constantly trying to make the police look incompetent, both demand the attention of police, they both make puzzles that were both solvable and unsolvable, both love to to taunt their victims and the public at large. So I wonder as silly as this sounds he zodiac was inspired by this character. Any other pop culture things you can think of tht may apply, let me know.

Wasn’t there a poster on this site a while back who thought that Steve Ditko, the original artist of Spider-Man, was the Zodiac?

I don’t recall but hopefully someone else might. I’d be interested in seeing someone’s theory on that. The reason being that there is, I think, something all very supervillain about the whole Zodiac construct. That and it would be teeming with zynchronicity and a lot of it visual.

We all know that in his letters he references all sorts of pop cultural reference. The Mikado, the exorcist, the black power movement, The Most Dangerous game ETC. I was thinking about this last night, and one thing kept coming up in my mind. I wonder if the zodiac was inspired by comics, particularly the Eward Nigma aka Riddler from Batman. Some of the things that Zodiac did are exactly like the Riddler. Both confess a superior intelligence, both are constantly trying to make the police look incompetent, both demand the attention of police, they both make puzzles that were both solvable and unsolvable, both love to to taunt their victims and the public at large. So I wonder as silly as this sounds he zodiac was inspired by this character. Any other pop culture things you can think of tht may apply, let me know.

Wasn’t there a poster on this site a while back who thought that Steve Ditko, the original artist of Spider-Man, was the Zodiac?

I don’t recall but hopefully someone else might. I’d be interested in seeing someone’s theory on that. The reason being that there is, I think, something all very supervillain about the whole Zodiac construct. That and it would be teeming with zynchronicity and a lot of it visual.

He certainly does have a supervillian quality about him, that’s what made me think of him being a fan of comic books.

There was some discussion on the old forum about the late artist Spain Rodriguez being a possible Zodiac influence.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spain_Rodriguez

I don’t see that connection at all. Z never assaulted anyone with a General Electric Banana (unless QT says differently of course), and "The Trashman" series was too late.
But WDIK.

I think that detective story magazines may have been an influence. News back then was not 24/7 like it is today and there was a limited time on the evening news to cover much crime on a more national level. Today there are at least a half a dozen true crime shows on TV at any one time. The internet is full of true crime from every nook and cranny of the world. Not so back in Zodiac’s time, so I think he may have read the magazines and maybe even gotten an idea or two from them.

We all know that in his letters he references all sorts of pop cultural reference. The Mikado, the exorcist, the black power movement, The Most Dangerous game ETC. I was thinking about this last night, and one thing kept coming up in my mind. I wonder if the zodiac was inspired by comics, particularly the Eward Nigma aka Riddler from Batman. Some of the things that Zodiac did are exactly like the Riddler. Both confess a superior intelligence, both are constantly trying to make the police look incompetent, both demand the attention of police, they both make puzzles that were both solvable and unsolvable, both love to to taunt their victims and the public at large. So I wonder as silly as this sounds he zodiac was inspired by this character. Any other pop culture things you can think of tht may apply, let me know.

About a week after Zodiac first called himself, Zodiac in his letter, a comic ran in the SF Chron caled the ‘Zodiac Gang’ which made some people think he was involved with the paper or the comic or the details. Also, Z called himself ‘REd Phantom’ in a letter, there was a comic book by that name. Lastly, there is an FBI page that is redacted that mentions ‘The Zodiac & the Riddler’ or ‘The Joker & The Riddler’ (sorry I dont recall which), and apparently, it is a questioned Zodiac correspondence. I have tried unsuccessfully to get it.

EDIT: As far as Zodiac’s pop influences, some people also think he was into Charlie Chan & The Beatles

That is very interesting..Morf, do you have any additional info or pics about the ‘Zodiac Gang’ and this comic? Thx,

QT

QUICKTRADER, here you go-
http://www.zodiackiller.com/discus/mess … 1153863999

Hmmm. Speaking of Zodiac in the comics, I just came across a Marvel comic with a Zodiac reference:

http://bronzeagebabies.blogspot.ca/2011 … ouble.html

What is weird, imo, is the issue date: Feb 1974.

As I asked on the Tom Voigt site, would the Feb issue only be released in Feb, or would it be released in Jan.

The correlation between the Zodiac and comic books really is interesting. And since Tahoe’s find (the 1952 Tim Holt comic book showing the wheel of death) I can’t stop making all the same comparisons as everyone else… taunting the police, trying to create fear in a major metropolitan, connection with newspapers, the ciphers, his costume at Lake Berryessa, etc. The parallels are undeniable.
So I started reading comics for the first time in my life, driven with that idea that the Zodiac was influenced by them. This is what I found. (This may have already been discussed/posted, but I couldn’t seem to find it. So forgive me if it’s redundant. )

In 1952 Tim Holt’s comic showing “Lady doom and the death wheel” was published by Magazine Enterprises or ME (you can see the ME in the top left corner.

In 1955 Magazine Enterprises (ME) published four issues of “The Avenger” from Feb – Sept.

Then in Sept. 1963, Marvel Comics published the first “The Avengers” issue.

Also in 1963, Marvel Comics published “Sgt. Fury and his Howling Commandos” This issue introduces the character Nick Fury, who later becomes the leader of Marvel’s super-spy agency, S.H.I.E.L.D..

Stay with me, I’ve almost made the connection….

June1968, Marvel Comics publishes, “Nick Fury, Agent of SHIELD : Who is Scorpio?” http://www.comicbookdb.com/issue.php?ID=44872 In this issue, the super villain Scorpio first appeared, who as fate would have it, was Nick Fury’s brother, Jake Fury. Jake Fury joined a criminal organization called Zodiac.

Oct. 1968, Marvel Comics publishes, “Nick Fury, Agent of SHIELD : What ever happened to Scorpio?”
“At some point, Jake Fury became a criminal leader and was invited to join other such criminals in forming the original Zodiac as Scorpio. Jake Fury used various cover identities as well, including that of racing car champion Count Julio Scarlotti. He also became the first man on Earth to hold the weapon called the Zodiac Key. The Key originated in another dimension, one whose existence depended on the intense conflict between the forces of good and evil and in which neither side entirely and permanently defeats the other. The Key was sent to Earth by the Brotherhood, believing that the struggle between good and evil there was more intense than in their own world, and the Key appeared to Jacob Fury, drawn to him by his great potential for doing evil, motivated by his intense hatred of his brother and of the society and governmental system that Nick Fury worked to protect.”

Jan. 1970, Marvel Comics publishes “Avengers” #72 issue, where the Zodiac cartel / group with all twelve of them, not just Scorpio, first debuts. And this time Taurus (Cornelius Van Lunt) is the group leader. (and then later I guess it changes to everyone gets a chance to lead according to the calendar and their sign.. who knows, its getting to nerdy). Each of the twelve leaders of Zodiac was born under the sign of the zodiac after whom he or she was named and was based in a different American city. San Francisco was ran under the Aquarius sign. Coincidentally the song, The Age of Aquarius by the Fifth Dimension came out in May of 1969.

More on Marvel.com: http://marvel.com/universe/Zodiac_(Cartel )#ixzz2s6THze4b
The point is this,
1. The connection between Tim Holt comics and the Avenger via ME comics. (1952- 1955)
2. between the Avengers and Marvel Comics. (1963)
3. between Marvel Comics and Nick Fury (1963)
4. between Nick Fury and Scorpio (June and Oct. 1968)
5. between Scorpio and Zodiac (June and Oct. 1968)

NErdy I know, but you can connect Tim Holt’s comic to the Zodiac Cartel…

Nice work, your Dude-ness!!

G

(Although you did leave out Kevin Bacon.)