Who is Oswald Chesterfield Cobblepot?

Oswald Chesterfied Cobblepot is the real name of the Batman supervillain, the Penguin. He is considered one of the favorite and most enduring villainous characters in the Batman universe.

The Penguin is an eccentric criminal mastermind, known as much for his love of ornithology and trick umbrellas as for his already shady business dealings. Gotham City's popular Iceberg Lounge serves as Penguin's front for a number of illegal financial dealings. The Penguin is a wily foe whose umbrellas conceal a variety of deadly weapons and gadgets.

It is said that the Penguin began carrying the umbrella as a small boy at the insistence of an over-protective mother after the lad's father died of pneumonia. The Penguin's mother ran a bird shop and he took a liking to them. He then studied ornithology in college.

The Penguin made his first appearance in Detective Comics #58 in December, 1941, and was created by cartoonists Bob Kane and Bill Finger.

As Batman gained fame in both television and the movies, so did the Penguin. Perhaps the character's most famous portrayal was by the esteemed Hollywood actor Burgess Meredith in the Batman television series of the 1960s. Danny DeVito brought an updated version of the Penguin to the big screen with his portrayal in the 1992 film "Batman Returns". Robin Taylor currently plays him on the television series "Gotham".