1939 (FORMERLY KNOWN AS GOTHAM 1919-1939)

In 2018, the independent publisher, Giant Panda King, published a coffee table book that provoked a certain organization to hinder its circulation. But why? Why was its distribution hindered? Did it have anything to do with the era showcased in the story? (1919 to 1939) Or did the story in question denigrate a specific type of person? (A story that mixes fact with fiction)





Well, with the benefit of hindsight, I'd say none of these things hindered the book's publication. If anything, the creator's innovative approach of amalgamating real-life people and events with fictitious characters and locations can only be defined as a stroke of genius. That said, however, the one thing the creator failed to acknowledge was that he wasn't allowed to utilize the fictitious characters and locations copyrighted by the well-known comic book publisher, DC Comics, which would eventually impede his book's release. A book, I hasten to add, that's now called '1939' (formerly known as 'Gotham 1919-1939'), and according to its synopsis, it's an unauthorized detailed account of Gotham City's history during the period between the end of World War I and the start of World War II.

The book was created by the Australian filmmaker, Russall S. Beattie, who cleverly crafted a narrative that tries to capture the historical and cultural impact a figure like Batman - yes, I said Batman - would have had if he existed during the aforementioned time frame. His book also explores significant real-life events that occurred between these two periods, such as the stock market crash, the enforcement of prohibition, and the rise of the celebrity gangster, with each event complemented by an array of stunning pictures (pictures like these 👇).

Batgirl (Barbara Gordon)

Batman (Bruce Wayne)

Catwoman (Selina Kyle)

Clayface (Basil Karlo)

Mister Freeze (Victor Fries)

Harley Quinn (Harleen Quinzel)

Joker (Real Name Unknown)

Killer Croc (Waylon Jones)

Nightwing (Dick Grayson)

Robin (Damian Wayne)

Robin (Tim Drake)

Scarecrow (Jonathan Crane)

Two-Face (Harvey Dent)

Ventriloquist (Arnold Wesker) and Scarface

'1939' (formerly known as 'Gotham 1919-1939') is a 239-page hardcover coffee table book created by Russall S. Beattie and published by Giant Panda King. For further information, please feel free to check out the official Website, Instagram, and Twitter pages. Or if you prefer, click here to see if you can pick up a copy via eBay.