1 The Basics
1.1   Who is The Joker?
1.2   What is The Joker's identity?
1.3   Why is he called the Joker?
1.4   Why does the Joker have green hair?
1.5   Why is the Joker always smiling?
1.6   How old is the Joker?
1.7   Does the Joker have any identifying marks?
1.8   Does the Joker have/use any trademark icons?

2 A Bit of History
2.1   Who created the Joker?
2.2   How was the Joker brought about?
2.3   How popular is the Joker?
2.4   When did the first Joker comic come out?
2.5   How often does the Joker appear in the Batman books?
2.6   What was the best Joker story?

3 The Joker and the Batman
3.1   What was the first Batman/Joker encounter?
3.2   Why does the Joker hate Batman?
3.3   Does the Joker really want to get rid of Batman?
3.4   Does the Joker play a lot of pranks on Batman?

4 Ordinary Questions
4.1   Is the Joker a clown?
4.2   Is the Joker a "GOODIE" or a "BADIE"?
4.3   Why is the Joker bad?
4.4   Was the Joker always bad?
4.5   Did the Joker come form a bad family?
4.6   Is the Joker really sneaky?
4.7   Is the Joker actually funny?
4.8   How come the Joker is so insane?
4.9   What is the Joker's job?
4.10  What are/is with the Joker's toys?
4.11  Does he usually wear the same things?
4.12  Does the Joker have any pets?
4.13  Does the Joker have a number one gal?
4.14  What kind of company does the Joker keep?
4.15  Is the Joker more powerful than the other Batman villains?
4.16  What are the Joker's good and bad qualities?
4.17  Does the Joker have a special hideout or stomping grounds?
4.18  What's with the Joker fish?
4.19  How does The Joker keep getting out of the Arkham Asylum?

5 Unanswered Questions
5.1   What's with the giant card in the Batcave?
5.2   What is the Joker's favorite food?

6 This is Important Info on this FAQ
6.1   Who is responsible for this FAQ?
6.2   Why do the questions in this FAQ sound so childish?
6.3   What can I do with this FAQ?
6.4   Who can I send my congratulations/whinges/gripes/complaints to regarding this FAQ?

1 The Basics

1.1 Who is The Joker?
     The Joker is a villain from the DC Comic series BATMAN. The Joker is Batman's oldest nemesis. His name comes from the fact that he appears as a clown. His noted features are bleached white skin, green hair and often a long pointy nose and exaggerated chin. He has a penchant for very bad jokes and uses them liberally in his crimes. Most notably, the Joker is homicidally insane. A fact he likes to brag about. By far, he is Batman's biggest worry as the Joker also has a knack for getting out of the Arkham Asylum for the Criminally Insane, the Joker's usual location of incarceration.

1.2 What is The Joker's identity?
     Truly, the answer to this question is: Who Knows? To this day the origins of the Joker remain a mystery, even unto himself. One of the best Joker stories ever written, "The Killing Joke" by Alan Moore, tells a great identity flashback which reveals that The Joker is in fact a failed stand-up comedian whose family died and was driven insane by it. However, at the end, The Joker tells us that he doesn't remember properly what happened to him. That it is very hard to try and remember. And when he does remember, that he remembers it differently every time (thus completely shattering this, and every other "origin" story in existence).

1.3 Why is he called the Joker?
     Well, ask Bob Kane. No, seriously, it's to do with the fact that he appears as a clown.

1.4 Why does the Joker have green hair?
     This is a scar brought on by his swim in a vat of chemicals. The chemicals permanently colored his hair green.

1.5 Why is the Joker always smiling?
     This is a defect brought on partly because of the scarring caused by the acid that created him. Partly because his insanity gives him a shield to smile behind.

1.6 How old is the Joker?
     He is always portrayed as a kind of ageless character. I place him between 35 and 45 years old.

1.7 Does the Joker have any identifying marks?
     Yes. The scars left from the acid include pale skin, green hair, and a ghoulish smile. OK?

1.8 Does the Joker have/use any trademark icons?
     His costume. Cane. Hat. Flower that squirts acid. Bad jokes. Joker cards. I think that pretty much sums it up. His biggest calling card, though, has to be the Joker smile. When he kills his victims, he is in the habit of using chemicals that cause his victims to smile grotesquely. When rigor mortis sets in, they stay with that horrid smile. This practice has been used since his first appearance.

2 A Bit of History

2.1 Who created the Joker?
     Unlike a lot of characters that are created by new, up and coming (and well established) comic book artists, the Joker is one of the original characters created by Bob Kane so many years ago.

2.2 How was the Joker brought about?
     As far as I know, Bob Kane saw a (German?) film called "The Man Who Laughs"(?). The main character carried a deck of cards with him. The Joker is based on the Joker on that deck of cards.

2.3 How popular is the Joker?
     I haven't seen any polls, but he is generally one of the most popular characters produced by DC.

2.4 When did the first Joker comic come out?
     The Joker first appeared in DC's Batman #1. However, the joker did get a series devoted to him. I do not know the dates for this series (write in and help me out please!).

2.5 How often does the Joker appear in the Batman books?
     Often. He is one of the most popular characters in the adventures of Batman. He has appeared in most books, series, films and incarnations. Indeed, even in the Elseworlds book: "Dark Joker: The Wild". Appearances even include the DC/Marvel crossover.

2.6 What was the best Joker story?
     Well, this is in the eye of the beholder. Although a lot of people swear by Alan Moore's "The Killing Joke". There is also a collection called "The Greatest Joker Stories Ever Told" spanning a lot of the early work, but once again, whether these are the greatest is up to the reader to decide.

3 The Joker and the Batman

3.1 What was the first Batman/Joker encounter?
     This was in Batman #1. As for the story of their first encounter, it's a toss up between the Batman fight at the chemical factory that created the Joker or, if you follow the film, they met when cold-blooded Jack Napier met the child Bruce Wayne at the time of his parents' murder.

3.2 Why does the Joker hate Batman?
     Actually, I don't think he does. I think the Joker gets some perverted pleasure out of seeing Batman suffer. If anything, he enjoys being near Batman the most.

3.3 Does the Joker really want to get rid of Batman?
     The Joker always says he wants to kill Batman, but many of us fans know that he really only uses Batman for entertainment. A lot of people are sure that he would never kill Batman if he is given time to think about it because most of his life revolves around driving Batman insane.

3.4 Does the Joker play a lot of pranks on Batman?
     Yes, that's the point of the Joker.

4 Ordinary Questions

4.1 Is the Joker a clown?
     Well, sure, he looks like one. And he is known as the Clown Prince of Crime. But tell me, how many clowns do you know that are homicidal maniacs? Hmmm? You tell me...

4.2 Is the Joker a "GOODIE" or a "BADDIE"?
     The Joker is most definitely a baddie.

4.3 Why is the Joker bad?
     Because he is insane. It drives him to do things that are terribly cruel. And generally illegal.

4.4 Was the Joker always bad?
     Well, most stories say that before he went insane the Joker was a decent man. Although in "The Man Behind the Red Hood" (Detective Comics #168), the reason the Joker got into so much trouble in the first place was his attempt at stealing $1,000,000 to retire on.

4.5 Did the Joker come form a bad family?
     According to issue #3 of the original SUPER POWER series by Jack Kirby, the Joker was often the victim of his parents insideous partical jokes, even as an infant.

4.6 Is the Joker really sneaky?
     Well...yes and no. He has been described by some people as an extrovert. He plans his schemes carefully but the crime itself is usually designed for as many people to see as possible.

4.7 Is the Joker actually funny?
     Well, that depends on what you think is funny. Generally his jokes are pretty bad and a lot of his jokes are used to inflict pain on others. For example, I'm sure The Joker would not be content just asking why the chicken crossed the road without actually tossing the chicken on the nearest city-bound freeway.

4.8 How come the Joker is so insane?
     No one actually knows. It is, no doubt, the same thing that turned this man into the Joker. The most popular story is in Alan Moore's "The Killing Joke" when the Joker says he had one bad day. Not bad enough that his wife with expectant child died, but he is framed for a series of robberies and dropped into a vat of acid. Truly, this is a good way to go nuts. (Again I stress that in this story, the Joker doesn't know if this story is true or not).

4.9 What is the Joker's job?
     Well, he's a repeat offender. According to Alan Moore's "The Killing Joke", he was a stand up comedian before he became the Joker. In "The Man Behind the Red Hood" (Detective Comics #168), he was a lab worker before the transformation. So, you can pull the strings together and deduce that he was by profession, a lab technician, with ambitions of becoming a stand-up.

4.10 What are/is with the Joker's toys?
     As a clown, the Joker is a very into gags and tricks. He has always had weird toys. Flowers with acid. Guns with "BANG" flags in them. All that kind of stuff. There are two commonly occurring nasties though. One is explosives in all forms and sizes, from the humblest stick of dynamite to the most destructive nuclear warheads. The other is the trademark poison he uses to both kill his victims and contort their faces into horrid grins. Later on, this poison is identified as Smylex and appears in UNLIMITED forms (gas, consumables, two part agents...). This poison has been used since his first appearance.

4.11 Does he usually wear the same things?
     Generally, yes. The trademark purple tux. Green bow and yellow shirt. Hat, coat and white gloves. In different places, his hat switches between purple and grey, as does his coat. But not always. Plenty of times he has changed his dress but he always comes back, and is identified with, the aforementioned attire.

4.12 Does the Joker have any pets?
     In the animated Joker series, the Joker and Harley keep laughing hyenas (of course!).

4.13 Does the Joker have a number one gal?
     Depends on which incarnation. In the animated Batman series, (and as of 1999 in the DCU) it is/was Harley Quinn. In "Batman: The Movie", it was Vicki Vale.

4.14 What kind of company does the Joker keep?
     Usually, he goes around with "goons-fer-hire". In the animated Batman series, the Joker spends a lot of time with Harley Quinn. He does at times deal with the other criminals, but (and I'm sure somebody said it somewhere) the others think that the Joker is not exactly "one of the guys".

4.15 Is the Joker more powerful than the other Batman villains?
     No, not really. In a lot of places, he is portrayed as a weakling. His strength is in his determination to finish his job, even if it means personally endangering himself. Certainly, his is one of the stronger characters in the DC Universe. Many other criminals get the feeling that he is not one of them.

4.16 What are the Joker's good and bad qualities?
     His determination at whatever he sets his mind to (good and bad). (Joke.) The Joker is insane. This is not good, but it does make for an interesting story. He tends to get carried away with what he is doing and that is usually the means to his downfall. But for a man that sick, he is terribly clever.

4.17 Does the Joker have a special hideout or stomping grounds?
     I think the most common place the Joker is to be found is the Arkham Asylum for the Criminally Insane. However, because he is never out for too long he seems to have to organise himself all over again every time he gets out. Generally, depictions of the Joker place him in a type of lair, usually on a throne. He has however set up shop in defunct printing plants, playing card factory, and carnivals.

4.18 What's with the Joker fish?
     "The Laughing Fish" (Detective Comics #475) was one of the stranger Joker stories. In a plan to make money, the Joker gets hold of a chemical which he dumps into the sea. This chemical changes the fishes to have faces resembling his own. He then goes to the Patents office and tries to secure the rights to fish because they are using his face. The way he saw it, every fish the fishermen caught that had his face on it, a percentage of the sale should go to the Joker. However, the Batman had other plans...
    As a matter of interest, in "A Death In The Family", the Joker says that one of the things he has in common with the Iranians is a love of fish! Further more, in Legends of the DC Universe #26-7, the Joker causes a lot of trouble to Aquaman and the citizens of Atlantis when they start complaining about the deformed fish in their oceans...fish with grotesquely exaggerated smiles...

4.19 How does The Joker keep getting out of the Arkham Asylum?
     In a lot of the comics, they like to just disregard how he does it. But sometimes they do show. He's been known to do many things varying from the subtle, like trading places with a body double, to down right blatant, like making a big hole with a good helping of TNT. He has been known to get constant help from the 'outside' as well. There is usually some kind of gang/followers ready to greet him when he comes out. And, since the introduction of Harley Quinn, she had played HER part in helping him get out on many occasions.

5 Unanswered Questions

5.1 What's with the giant card in the Batcave?
     While this question remains unanswered till confirmed, Joshua Primeaux tells us that the Joker tried to drop it on Batman. The Joker, typically, failed.
     Jason Ozubko also points out that the large cars appears in the Batman Beyond: The Return of the Joker film. It appears in the Joker’s lair in the final confrontation in the flashback, hanging from the rook of the Arkham Asylum.

5.2 What is the Joker's favourite food?
     I don't know. Please write in and tell me. (According to an obscure line in "A Death In The Family", it MAY actually be fish...)

6 This is Really Important Info on this FAQ

6.1 Who is responsible for this FAQ?
     This FAQ was compiled by Martin R. LiSanti. Special thanks go out to David, one of the internet's renown authorities on The Bat.

6.2 Why do the questions in this FAQ sound so childish?
     Because in compiling it, I asked a bunch of (mostly) eight year olds what they wanted to know about the Joker.

6.3 What can I do with this FAQ?
     You may read it. Enjoy it. If you want to pass it around, I'd like to know where it's going, though I'm not going to stop you. All I ask is that due recognition is given and that the FAQ is kept whole.