A marble sculpture inspired by DC’s Batman and DC comic book creators will be unveiled along the Rutland Halloween Parade route on October 25.
Italian sculptor Alessandro Lombardo has completed work on the larger-than-life sculpture designed by Chinese artist Jiannan Wu, using a 12-ton block of marble donated by Vermont Quarries.
The sculpture features The Caped Crusader and Rutland Halloween Parade organizer Tom Fagan, whose connections with comic book artists helped make the parade famous across the country. Comic book creators attended the parade and huge parties that followed in the early ’70s, and incorporated Fagan and the City of Rutland into numerous story lines in more than two dozen comic books.
The public is invited to celebrate the unveiling of the sculpture that features Fagan dressed as Batman, who stands face to face with the DC Super Hero on West Street, just west of Cottage Street on October 25th at noon.
Organizers are finally excited to have Batman along the parade route as the sculpture was expected to be completed in time for the 2022 Halloween parade, but cold weather and the pandemic slowed the carving.
“We can’t wait to unveil the result of Alessandro and Jiannan’s efforts,” organizers said. “It is a powerful, fun piece of art with deep connections to the parade’s history, and Batman’s role in it.”
Batman first appeared in Detective Comics #27 on March 30, 1939, and has stood as a symbol of determination, courage, and justice to generations of fans for over 80 years. He has influenced every area of modern entertainment, appearing in countless DC comic books, Saturday morning cartoons, multiple television series, video games, theme parks and experiences, toys, collectibles, and apparel and lifestyle products, as well as blockbuster animated and live-action films. Batman continues to be one of the most popular DC Super Heroes ever created.
The piece has been funded by lead donors Captain Credit Union and Heritage Family Credit Union and Green Mountain Power, Asplundh Tree Expert Company, Davey Tree Expert Company, Downtown Rutland Partnership, Four Seasons Sotheby’s International Realty, PEGTV, Channels 1075, 1085 & 1095, Rob and Colleen Mitchell, Russ and Renee Marsan, Rutland Blooms, Sara and Greg McClallen, Steve and Jane Costello, and TPW Management.
The Rutland Sculpture Trail was started in 2017 by the Carving Studio and Sculpture Center, Green Mountain Power, MKF Properties, and Vermont Quarries to create art and interest in downtown, generate community pride, and highlight local and regional history. The Batman sculpture will join 10 pieces already carved and installed in downtown Rutland, with several others in various stages of planning and development.
