In December 1941, a character waddled on the scene of Gotham City. The Penguin debuted 80 years ago this year. I grew up watching reruns of the actor Burgess Meredith playing him. As I loved character actors, The Penguin became one of my favorite characters. A simple, entertaining, yet tricky bird. I like him for one of the same reasons I like Peter Falk’s Columbia. There’s more to him than meets the eye at first glance. The lesson, look for and appreciate, the unexpected. Happy 80th Oswald Chesterfield Cobblepot!