Batman Meets Mr. Halloween

Rutland, Vermont

Tom Fagan was known as "Mr. Halloween" and was a fan of superhero comics. In 1960 he merged his two passions by giving his hometown of Rutland a superhero-theme Halloween parade. Tom made friends in the comics industry, and the parade soon became known for its elaborate superhero costumes and visiting celebrities. It was referenced in over two dozen comic books. Tom himself made an appearance in a 1971 issue of Batman, dressed as a paunchy, bespectacled version of the Caped Crusader greeting Batman at a costume party.

Tom died in 2018, and in 2023 the town unveiled a statue in his honor, based on that cartoon panel. Carved from a 12-ton, 10-foot-high block of Vermont marble by Italian sculptor Alessandro Lombardo, the bas-relief sculpture features a somewhat rumpled Fagan-Batman shaking hands with the DC Superhero, while a crowd of Halloween parade-goers cheers in the background.