A Question about The Joker?

Is it just me that is getting really annoyed with everyone banging on about Heath Ledger as The Joker, they do not seem to realise that The Joker existed before then. There were comics, he went sane and called himself Joseph Kerr, he killed Robin (Jason Todd), he found his Harley Quinn, on tv there was Cesar Romero. Annoys me now to know that some people do not know who Cesar Romero is without having to google his name.