There are so many comic book characters that have been created over the years that it’s hard not to think that some of them are based on real people. The thought has crossed my mind during my years of reading comics, but I’ve never actually done the research to figure it out.
Thanks to Youtubers Matthew Santoro and VSauce3, who did do the research, we have a great video breakdown that lists off 10 comic book characters whose creation was inspired by real people. Check out the video. I’ve listed them off in text form below.
#1 – The Joker – Conrad Viedt (1928) #2 – John Constantine – Sting #3 – Tintin – Danish Boy Scout Palle Huld #4 – The Hellfire Club – Various actors who Jack Kirby and Stan Lee were familiar with #5 – Magneto and Professor X – Malcolm X and Martin Luther King Jr. #6 – Iron Man – Howard Hughes #7 – Lucifer Morningstar – David Bowie #8 – Harley Quinn – Arleen Sorkin (Days of Our Lives) #9 – J. Jonah Jameson – Stan Lee #10 – Darkseid – Adolf Hitler
HARTFORD – After the movie version of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone was released in 2001, author J.K. Rowling also released a book called Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them.
It was a different kind of book, penned under the name Newt Scamander, a “magiczoologist”, and purporting to be Harry Potter’s exact copy from the series, a required textbook from his first year at Hogwarts. It was a fun book to write, according to Rowling, who thought the topic of magical creatures would have widespread interest, and provide further information on beings touched upon in the previous seven-part book series.
On September 12, 2013, Warner Bros., who produced the eight-part Harry Potter film series, and Rowling announced that a new Pottermore trilogy would be produced, beginning with a film inspired by Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them. The film, featuring Rowling herself as the screenwriter, will feature Newt Scamander as the main character, set in New York 70 years before Harry’s story starts, and following his many escapades with a variety of magical creatures.
“Although it will be set in the worldwide community of witches and wizards where I was so happy for 17 years, ‘Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them’ is neither a prequel nor a sequel to the ‘Harry Potter’ series but an extension of the wizarding world,” Rowling explained of the trilogy.
New information has been released that British actor Eddie Redmayne (The Theory of Everything) is the studio’s first choice for Newt Scamander. Director David Yates, who also directed the last four of the previous Harry Potter movies, is said to be considering a few other actors for the part, such as Nicholas Hoult (Warm Bodies) but Redmayne, according to sources, is the frontrunner.
Besides Scamander, there are four other main roles — two American girls and two American boys — that the studio is currently looking to cast.
The first of this new Pottermore trilogy is expected to be released in theaters on November 18, 2016.
A new series of Have I Got News for You begins tonight – and it’s set to be a magical occasion.
That’s because the boy wonder and former wizard – Harry Potter star Daniel Radcliffe – is chancing his arm as the show’s guest presenter.
Ever present team captains Ian Hislop and Paul Merton will be casting their eyes over recent events, which may or may not include Jeremy Clarkson, who is still penned in to be a presenter later on in the new series.
In this episode guests on the panel include Diane Morgan, who is best known to TV viewers for playing Philomena Cunk on Charlie Brooker’s Weekly Wipe, and writer and satirist Armando Iannucci – the man behind In The Thick Of It.
J.K. Rowling, seen here at a fundraiser for her children’s charity, Lumos, gave “Harry Potter” fans a glimmer of hope for an eighth book during an appearance on “Today.” Reuters
“Harry Potter” fans, brace yourselves. J.K. Rowling appeared Friday on NBC’s “Today” show, where she was asked about the possibility of writing an eighth installment in the “Harry Potter” series. While most viewers expected the answer to be a hard “no” after she had previously announced the series’ end, Rowling’s response shocked fans of the seven-book series.
“I have always said, never say never,” she quipped. “I’ve always said I’m not going to say ‘I definitely won’t’ because I don’t see why I should say that. You know, it’s my world and I might choose to step back into it. I’m stepping back into that world, writing the script for ‘Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them.’”
Unfortunately, it seems her comment was nothing more than a joke. She quickly cleared up any confusion, saying Potter fans shouldn’t expect any updates on Harry, Ron or Hermione anytime soon. “I don’t think that’s going to happen,” Rowling admitted. The best-selling author then shared a laugh with host Matt Lauer about the likelihood that her words would be twisted, making it appear like she’d make a major announcement.
“But even as I answer that, I know that someone’s cutting this on YouTube to make it as though I gave you hope,” she noted.
It appears Rowling’s fans will have to hold out to get their magic fix from the English author. As Rowling shared on “Today,” she is currently in the process of writing the script for “Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them,” which will be a trilogy. According to reports, the film will feature creatures from the “Harry Potter” books, though it remains unclear which, if any, well-known wizards will cameo.
The films will follow a character named Newt Scamander on his wild adventures while writing the book on which the film is based. Though some aspects of the film may seem familiar to Potter fans, it has been reported that “Fantastic Beasts” takes place a full 70 years before any of the “Harry Potter” books and films. According to VC Post, David Heyman has signed on to produce the movies. It remains unclear who else will be a part of Rowling’s latest project.
There are some things that are difficult to get over: a bad breakup, when your best friend leaves for a gap year and of course Harry Potter. And to be perfectly frank, most fans have no intention of letting their love for JK Rowling’s universe ever wane: it’s very much a big life shaper.
Chances are, if genies existed you would only need one wish and that would be to give up your muggle tendencies so that when you ran into brick walls at Kings Cross Station, you wouldn’t break your neck and looking like an idiot.
Despite the frustrating tendency of shops to sell boring pots and pans, you would love to be able to cook your meals in a cauldron; you’ve ditched “normal people” pens for a quill and ink and if you’ve probably already requested an owl for your next birthday gift.
You constantly check the news for a glimpse of some new Harry Potter information or secrets, and you know in your heart that you will always belong to the Potter community and share some very particular feelings…
20. The Pain Of Not Being Able To Discover The Series For The First Time Again
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You wish that you could steal Hermione’s Time Turner and go back to a time where you didn’t know who had put Harry’s name into the Goblet Of Fire or that Sirius was the good guy all along and you want to fall so madly, deeply in love with it all again that you wish Gilderoy Lockhart was around to wipe your memory.
You’ll still shed a tear whenever you walk into the Great Hall in London at the Warner Brother Studios but it will never be as intense as the first time that you go and you see that curtain rise…
19. You Follow The Cast, Just To See How They’re Doing
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You’re completely in love with Emma Watson and the fact that she is playing Belle in the live action film of Disney’s Beauty And the Beast has given you something to look forward to.
Unfortunately for the cast, it doesn’t really matter what roles they take on as they’ll never truly be able to escape their Harry Potter characters in your mind.
Instead of saying “oh Alan Rickman is getting better looking with age” you’ll say “Why is Professor Snape so fit? Is he married? Do you reckon I have a chance?”
Ob…viously.
18. Your Only Argument With Your Boss Is About Your Browsing History
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“Listen, I know I’m on company time here but I promise you that I’m having a bad day and spending ten minutes on Pottermore really will make me more productive because it makes me happy and when I’m happy, I work better.”
You also need to look up spells that you’ve forgotten the name of and Harry Potter cocktails you’ll be making over the weekend because Pottermore has sorted you into Hufflepuff house for the third time in a row and you really want to be in Slytherin.
17. You Wish There Was Something That You Didn’t Know About The Series
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You know everything from Hagrid’s family tree to how old the dragons were in the Triwizard Tournament and you’re desperate to know more and be completely amazed and fall in love with the idea of it all over again.
You’re praying for some sort of spin-off: anything from Neville Longbottom being the Chosen One to Dumbledore’s earlier years that would reveal a lot more about the character’s lives and their pasts.
16. You Honestly Don’t Mind Getting Socks At Christmas Anymore
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You used to despise getting the same boring gifts every year and having to fake a smile on your face and get completely excited about another pair of cheesy Christmas socks that always seem to have a naked Santa on.
Now, you embrace those socks as you interpret the gift as an act of true love; the person giving them to you wants you to be a free soul, which makes it entirely appropriate to celebrate them giving you a sock like Dobby.
And then you remember that he is dead and start crying hopelessly into your turkey dinner.
15. You Explore Public Restrooms… Just In Case
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There isn’t a bathroom out there creepy enough to keep you away from it because chances are, the one restroom that you ignore will reveal the Chamber of Secrets.
Then you’ll have to live your entire life knowing that you could have been down there taking a selfie with the basilisk skeleton and someone else has beaten you to it because you didn’t want to spend any more time than necessary in the smelly hovel.
14. You Secretly Think That One Day Your Spell Will Work
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Wherever you go into a room and turn the lights on you mutter “Lumos” in the hope it was your magical powers that have eliminated the darkness and not you turning the dimmer switch to ‘on’.
Similarly, when you’re having a particularly lazy day and the chocolate that you want is all the way downstairs and you just don’t have the motivation to get out your bed, you’re hoping that shouting “accio chocolate” will actually count for something some day and you won’t even regret all of the weight that you put on.
13. The Bitterness Of Actually Being A Muggle
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You really can’t believe someone would create a world so wonderful and fantastic that you long for it to be real and you’re so underwhelmed at your own life because driving to work is never going to be cooler than getting there through the Floo network or flushing yourself down a toilet.
You’ll never get to experience what it’s really like to fly on a broomstick and you want Beaky to be your friend instead of your rubbish, non flying Scottish terrier than won’t even touch the dead ferrets you throw at him. Ungrateful so and so.
12. You Don’t Understand Why Felix Felicis Hasn’t Been Made Yet
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J.K.Rowling has presented the world with completely genius ideas and no one has even created them?
Did no-one learn anything from the Half Blood Prince? Ron only played exceptionally well because he thought he had drank it but he didn’t, so the idea of thinking that you’re lucky will in fact give you luck.
Shops would make a fortune, especially if it tasted nice. You could use some luck for that job interview that you have next week or more importantly, for that date that you’re so excited about going on and are hoping that it goes well, screw the job.
11. Knowing Deep Down That Nothing Will Ever Be The “Next Harry Potter”
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You grew up with Harry Potter and you remember going to see the Philosopher’s Stone with your parents thinking about what this new movie was going to be like and then you had your mind blown for the full 152 minutes that it was on screen for.
You were so excited when the next book had a release date and staying out until midnight in order to buy it or watch the movie was a liberating and an exciting experience for you and your friends.
Every big movie franchise is now being compared to the ‘next Harry Potter’ and it will just never live up to the high standards that Harry Potter has already set; therefore it needs to receive an Outstanding review if you’re going to skip your usual 9pm bedtime.
10. You Sing The Potter Puppet Pals Song When Sober… And Drunk
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“Ron! Ron! Ron WEASLLLLEEEYYYY!”
It was the highlight of your high school existence when that hilarious little musical number came out and it is your go to karaoke song that no one seems to have listed so you go for the acoustic version and you absolutely nail it.
9. You’re Happy With Being Sorted Into Any House Apart From Hufflepuff
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Only joking, you adore how loving and sincere Hufflepuffs are and that’s nice for them, and all, but you know in your heart however, that you are not a Hufflepuff. You want to be brave or loyal or intelligent, you don’t want to be yellow.
And no matter how times you take the same quizzes over and over again hoping for a genuine place in Gryffindor house, you’ll always remember the first time that you answered everything honestly and got Hufflepuff.
8. You’ll Never Go To A Bookstore At Midnight Again
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You used to get so excited at the thought of queueing up outside your local bookshop with hundreds of other Harry Potter fans counting down until Midnight like it was Hogmanay and just exploding with emotions of happiness, anxiety and tiredness.
You were so happy about staying up all night long to read the book so you could know what happens, regardless of your 9am exam the next day; you needed to sort out your priorities – jokes, Harry Potter was the priority.
It’s going to be a very rare occasion that you ever venture to a midnight opening for a book that doesn’t involve Harry, Ron and Hermione.
7. Being Utterly Disgusted By The IDea Of A Reboot
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How could they? With the Harry Potter studios in London and Harry Potter World in Orlando they would need to get rid of the current worlds in order to replace it so it fits with the reboot, surely?
Harry Potter will not be rebooted for a very long time, probably not in your children’s generation or if ever, but the only reboot that will be acceptable to you is if Emma Watson takes on the role of McGonagall, Tom Felton is Lucius Malfoy and Alan Rickman as Snape. No-one will ever be able to replace Rickman.
6. Quidditch Should Be An Olympic Sport
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If table tennis is an Olympic sport then Quidditch should be too and oh, how everyone would cheer. If anything muggle Quidditch is harder than wizard Quidditch as you have to still ride a broom but run at the same time. It takes a lot of fitness and accuracy in order to be successful, like most other sports so why not throw it into the Olympics games?
It also integrates both genders, which is something a little different from keeping the sexes divided at the Games because let’s face it, we all want to find ourselves a Keeper.
5. You Live In The Library Hoping To Get Granger Smart
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For some reason it just isn’t working despite the long hours that you’re putting in and you hair is getting bushier and bushier just like Hermione’s.
No-one is staring at you from across the bookcases in a romantic way like Krum did and you’re gutted that no libraries have any restricted sections because that would just be too much for a wannabe wizard to handle.
4. You Pretend Your Angry Texts Are Howlers
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For real.
Some people really get under your skin and being a muggle, you’re unable to send them a letter which will shout in their faces in front of whoever is around them and then explode in a fit of rage as soon as your ‘angry voice’ has finished everything that you have to say.
So your text is pretty much always written in capital letters and ends with *Your phone starts to explode* and *drops mic* at the end of every message, just so they understand how upset you are and are the universal trademarks of a Howler.
3. The Constant Need To Know What Your Patronus Would Be
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Who are you? You know that you’re only defined based on whatever animal your patronus is and until you know for sure what which animal will be chasing away those dementors, you’re finding it difficult to sleep at night.
You also find it offensive when someone says that your Patronus would be a giraffe. Like, what does a giraffe do?
You’d also like to know what your animagus would be and you’re so upset that none of it is real. Sad times.
2. When People Judge The Theme Of Your Tattoos And Wedding
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“Oh let me see your tattoo. ‘I open at the close’. What does that mean? Oh, it’s from Harry Potter? That’s a bit sad isn’t it?” You shut your dirty mouth.
No, it isn’t sad and surely it’s better to get something you love inked onto your body forever than something you got on a whim and now you deeply regret it.
As far as wedding themes go, having a Hogwarts inspired one sounds incredible and at the end of the day, it’s your wedding so why are you trying to keep everyone else happy? If you want to pose on a broomstick holding a quaffle then you pose the hell out of that picture.
1. You Can’t Wait To Introduce Your Children To The Series
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Even if you don’t have children just yet, you’re so excited at the thought of sitting down together, watching the first film and then seeing the magic in their eyes for the first time. Bedtime stories will consist of the first four books because you can’t listen to them cry when Sirius falls behind the veil.
However, if they say that they don’t like Harry Potter then feel free to send them away to their aunt’s house or in the cupboard under the stairs.
JK. Rowling’s story is well-known by now: A British woman living on welfare after a run of hardships, including her mother’s death and the end of her marriage, takes a train and thinks of a story about a boy wizard. Thus, Harry Potter was born, and the rest is quite literally history.
Seven books and eight films in the Potter franchise later, however, Joanne Rowling remains a cultural force. She’s written new books like The Casual Vacancy and The Cuckoo’s Calling, the latter under a pseudonym, and launched the immersive Potter fan site, Pottermore. Yet perhaps most impressive has been Rowling’s continued work in the worlds of activism and charity.
Harry Potter was a treasure. It’s what’s come afterward that’s truly magical.
She’s promoted LGBTQ visibility. “Dumbledore is gay.” Eight years ago, Rowling stunned fans with three simple words. They suddenly made one of the biggest characters in Harry Potter one of the few queer characters in children’s literature.
It wasn’t just a verbal swish of her wand, either. In the years since, Rowling has continued to promote and support the headmaster’s sexual orientation. When a fan told the author they couldn’t “see him in that way,” her response was simply perfect: “Maybe because gay people just look like… people?”
Albus Dumbledore wasn’t alone at Hogwarts’ GSA meetings, either. Rowling told fans last December that there were LGBTQ students roaming the school of magic’s halls throughout its history.
She gave up her billionaire status through her charitable donations. Rowling became the first female novelist to hit $1 billion thanks to her Harry Potter fortune — and yet she quickly knocked herself out of the coveted bracket. Thanks to giving $160 million to charity (and, it must be noted, taxes), she dropped off the list in 2012.
“You have a moral responsibility when you’ve been given far more than you need, to do wise things with it and give intelligently,” she once said, according to Mother Nature Network. This likely comes from her pre-Harry Potter days of living on state benefits. Now that she has enough to affect change, she’s putting her funds to good use.
She’s worked for orphans worldwide. A huge part of her charity work has focused on eliminating the institutionalization of parentless children in the world. Her organization Lumos, named for an illumination spell in Harry Potter and of which she is lifetime president, aims to end this pandemic by 2050.
In an op-ed she wrote for the Guardian, Rowling explained why orphanages are such an important cause for her:
It was a black-and-white photograph in a newspaper. It showed a small boy, locked in a caged bed in a residential institution. His hands clutched what appeared to be chicken wire containing him, and his expression was agonised.
Lumos exists, Rowling said, because of that photograph. “Part of our work in Lumos is to shed light on the lives of those millions of children separated from their families for reasons of poverty, disability and discrimination,” she wrote. “Cut off from society, institutionalised children return to the world with their chances of a happy, healthy life greatly impaired.”
The organization works in countries like Bulgaria and the Czech Republic to great effect. In the former, institutionalization has decreased by 54% since Lumos began work. There’s more to be done, but Rowling remains committed.
Harry Potter was a treasure, but what came after was truly magical.
That’s what’s truly incredible about Rowling: She didn’t let the end of Harry Potter’s story be the end of her own. She continues to challenge herself by writing new stories, even under new noms de plume. Most importantly, she has never stopped giving back. For a Muggle, she’s truly magical.
New information has been released that British actor Eddie Redmayne (The Theory of Everything) is the studio’s first choice for Newt Scamander. Director David Yates, who also directed the last four of the previous Harry Potter movies, is said to be considering a few other actors for the part, such as Nicholas Hoult (Warm Bodies) but Redmayne, according to sources, is the frontrunner.
