Marc Tyler Nobleman's Blog, page 13

Surprising college students who watched “Batman & Bill”

Professor Justine Wilson is a friend and Batfan who teaches English Literature and College Composition at three New York universities: SUNY College at Old Westbury in Hicksville; St. John’s University in Jamaica; and the New York Fashion Institute of Technology. She also teaches a graphic novel course. 
Justine and I have started a tradition, if twice counts. She shows her students Batman & Bill during one of the first classes of the semester. The next time they meet, without warning, I crash their Zoom for a surprise Q&A. #zoombombing #batzooming #batbombing

It’s so fun to see the reactions of kids who had no idea that Justine knows me. I’m a big fan of surprises in general, but especially with respect to education, and extra-especially with respect to education during a global health crisis (when we are spending more time than usual on screens).
If not for COVID-19, this would not have happened as an ambush. Pre-pandemic, Justine and I were planning an in-person visit, but that would have been announced in advance. 
I have a feeling we will continue this surprise (whether virtually or live). 
So if you’re going to take a class with Professor Wilson, please keep this between us. 
Even better, this blog post never happened.

"Thirty Minutes Over Oregon" illustrator's mom witnessed Pearl Harbor attack

To my surprise, I only now realized that I had not yet shared here a startling behind-the-scenes fact related to Thirty Minutes Over Oregon: the mother of Melissa Iwai, the book's illustrator, was walking the hills of Honolulu on December 7, 1941...and witnessed the bombing of Pearl Harbor.
That infamous attack provoked the also infamous Doolittle Raid in April 1942, which then provoked the lesser-known Lookout Air Raids in September 1942, which are the focus of the book.

I have explained that I requested to work on this book with an illustrator of Japanese descent out of respect for the culture at the center of the story. (I hit the trifecta because Melissa is also super talented and super nice.) 
Also, our collaboration parallels a central theme of the book: reconciliation. Melissa and I never quarreled, and therefore never reconciled, but I mean reconciliation in a broader sense: people of different heritages coming together in harmony.

“The Creators of Batman: Bob, Bill & The Dark Knight”

Bill the Boy Wonder: The Secret Co-Creator of Batman (2012) was the first published biography of Bill Finger. To date, two more have been released (one in Spain in 2014, the other in Brazil in 2019, with an English edition in the works).
The third is the first since mine to be initially published in English—and in England. Due later this year, it is called  The Creators of Batman: Bob, Bill & The Dark Knight , by British writer Rik Worth.

I’ve not yet gone through the prose book in its entirety, but what I have read reveals a strong grasp of the material and some thoughtful insight, such as this (taken from pages 88-89 of a still-being-edited draft):

When looking at history, we reduce people to the events in their lives. It is easy for us to see Finger as an uncredited and unfairly treated creative who struggled to make ends meet. From this, it is easy to assume he was a perpetually unhappy man. But the truth is anecdotes and historical events only ever offer us a small glimpse of how people really felt. We can extract parts of their personality from this evidence, but we can’t fully understand what it is to know them. Likewise, we may be tempted to define Bill Finger by the actions of Bob Kane, but this reduces them both; boiling them down and diminishing the complexity of their relationship and identities to characters neatly fitting into a narrative with an over-arching theme. We want to define a life though some recurring pattern we spot, but a tragic life doesn’t mean the person who lived it spent their days in tragedy. People aren’t all good and they aren’t all bad, neither are they all exuberance or misery or indifference. They’re all these things through the course of their time on earth.

I hope to weigh in more after I’ve read the finished book.
The ninth and final chapter is a humbling look at my efforts to get Bill credit, and yet again my last name and Bill’s predilection for puns align:

Congrats, Rik, and thanks for helping spread word of Bill Finger’s legacy.

Keynote for Pennsylvania School Librarians Conference 2021

On 4/15/21, I had the privilege of delivering the 1.5-hour opening keynote for the Pennsylvania School Librarians Conference…from my basement office. Shoeless.
Such are our times.

Sometimes your work and a conference theme just understand one another.

I’m lucky that my story is so twisty that it holds attention whether shared on stage or by screen. Because we are now all members of Zoom Nation, I tell viewers (AKA audience members) to think of my talk not as yet another yammering head in a box but rather as a very low-budget Netflix film. I don’t know if that makes the experience more palatable for anyone, but I want them to know I empathize. 
The conference organizers kindly shared with me the feedback I received. A sampling by category:
GENERAL
“What a tremendous presentation! Absolutely brought tears to my eyes. We learned some excellent strategies for teaching primary source that we can all incorporate into our lessons.”“What a story! I was a fan of Boys of Steel…but what a change Marc made [for Bill Finger’s] legacy. I will share with my students for years to come.”“I love how he used his investigative skills to uncover the truth. Great speaking skills! I’m playing the recording for my husband.”“Marc is a great storyteller! So inspiring!”“I loved Marc’s tenacity and positive attitude!”“Being able to hear from a terrific author, I didn’t realize how deeply I had been starved of that, and it helped breathe life into my library soul.”“Marc’s depth of knowledge and passion for his writing and books is impeccable.”“This entire presentation was amazing!”“This was so good!”
BRINGING ME TO THEIR SCHOOL
“I just LOVED this keynote! I can’t wait to figure out how to get Marc to present for my school.”“Would love to have Marc speak at my school!”“Fascinating. I would love to host an author visit at my school and feel this is such a great story for all my students to hear.”“I loved Marc’s strategies for conducting research and I hope to be able to have him do a school visit with us in the future.”
TAKEAWAYS ON RESEARCH
“This presenter was a research all-star. I can use his examples of deep research to inspire students to keep digging for information.”“His research experience was incredible. Something students would love to hear about.”“I teach research skills to high school students and one of the most important attributes to be successful is perseverance. Marc’s story is a perfect example of this.”“Marc’s talk is a great public service announcement for the research cycle/process!”“I will share his ideas with the MS and LS librarians. I will use his examples of research and use of primary sources in my instructional classes. Good for advisory groups!”“I would love to use your story to teach students that the internet is not the only resource.”“Demonstrating his perseverance and commitment to finding the truth through primary source research can serve as a great role model for our students.”“Ask questions now—you don’t know if you’ll ever get the chance to again.”
TAKEAWAYS ON OTHER EDUCATIONAL TOPICS
“I have SO many ideas to utilize Marc’s story to teach my students more about intellectual property, the value of personal story, the importance of credit and honesty, and the power of each individual person.”“Marc gave excellent ideas on lessons about truth and history, intellectual property, and the power of research. Even though I teach HS students, I think discussing the stories he uncovered can be a great lesson.”“I already ordered Marc’s book. It can be used to teach copyright, research skills, ask questions you can’t Google, letter writing, and persistence. I will suggest this book to my teachers as a mentor text.”“I would love to share with my students Marc’s story about the importance of proper credit. Such an impactful message!” “I am planning on using his book with a lesson on plagiarism for my elementary students.”“Teaching people to speak up for injustice is part of being a good citizen.”“I had never considered evaluating credit to see if there was an error that needed correction.”
THE POWER OF A SINGLE VOICE
“The idea that there is always truth to be told. That one person CAN make a difference. And that we all need to speak up when the truth is not out.”“The story demonstrated how one person can make a difference in history.”“There is so much from this keynote that can be utilized in my work. This is such a wonderful example of the impact one person can have.”“It was a wonderful message about every voice having power and learning how to use your voice for good.”
“WHAT INFORMATION WAS OF GREATEST VALUE TO YOU?”
“Can I say all of it? I particularly enjoyed Marc’s passion for the project, the way he connected with the community during the course of his research. I’m not sure he realized what a part of the story he has become by inserting himself into the journey as our guide. The narrator is a strong voice that keeps the story alive. We are all stories, and I thank Marc for sharing his and Bill’s.”“This was one of the best keynotes I have heard!”“I was in awe of the entire story.”“Marc had such a passion in his presentation that was infectious.”“A captivating, real-world example of the research process for a book that was relevant to adults and children alike.”“The author’s story was very inspiring.”

“The Nobleman Cause”

I’m only now learning of a lovely article about my work that was published in Comic Book Creator #14 in 2017: “The Nobleman Cause” by Richard J. Arndt.

Belated thank you, Richard!

Virtual visit verdict

Well, a verdict, anyway: thumb’s up (whether the Zoom icon or your actual flesh-and-blood digit). 
In the shell-shocked early months of COVID-19, schools struggled simply to educate their students under difficult new conditions that felt sudden though epidemiologists (among others) knew such a situation was coming. 
Understandably for many schools, booking optional enrichment like author visits was not a priority—or, in some cases, a possibility. 
A year later, as the pandemic still rages, schools in general seem more open to the idea of piping in an author talk via the internet. (Granted, Skype author visits have existed almost as long as Skype has, but commonly as a backup, not the first choice.)
During COVID-19, I’ve had the privilege of speaking with students in a range of locales, from New Mexico to Hong Kong. While I am eager to return to in-person gatherings, I’ve found a lot to love about virtual visits and imagine they’ll remain a part of my portfolio past mass vaccination. 
Feedback on November presentations I gave for Michigan students in grades 1-6 (rescheduled as virtual after the virus torpedoed the originally planned in-person visit) helps explain why:
“Wonderful virtual presentation! Even from a distance, the author was able to connect and engage my class! Fantastic opportunity!”—teacher in New Buffalo, MI“The opportunity to do something different was appreciated.”—teacher at F.C. Reed Middle School, Bridgman, MI“The virtual author visit…was very cool. The students were excited to meet Marc Nobleman and were intrigued by his stories and how much time and effort went into creating his works. Definitely worth the time!”—Principal Patrick Zuccala, Three Oaks Elementary, Three Oaks, MI
Thanks again to the Tri-County Reading Council and a generous grant from the Pokagon Band of Potawatomi Indians for making this experience a (virtual) reality.

"Zack Snyder's Justice League" creator credits

I'm not here to weigh in on this four-hour grimdark Justice League (though I kind of just did) except in three non-spoiler ways:

On one level I think it's great that the voices of fans carry so much weight and helped get this movie made. At the same time I hope if this film is a success, it doesn't further prioritize commerce over art.I was disappointed (but of course not surprised) that we did not get to see a backup team of Lois Lane, Commissioner Gordon, Mera, Iris West, Silas Stone, and the ghost of Steve Trevor, with Alfred as Oracle. As always with DC movies, I'm almost as interested in the creator credits as the film itself. Here they are for ZSJL:


Notes:

BILL FINGER.Similarly, three other names should be in the Wonder Woman credit line: Elizabeth Holloway Marston, Olive Byrne, and H.G. Peter. That's a Finger-level injustice that should be corrected.Aquaman and Cyborg both receive creator credit in comic books that those characters headline, but not here. Aquaman was created by Paul Norris and Mort Weisinger (though for some reason only Norris is in the official credit line). Cyborg was created by Marv Wolfman and George Pérez. All four of those creator names are on the "Special Thanks" list, but I don't know why they weren't credited specifically for their characters the way the creators of Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman were. I also don't know why there is a huge gap between the credits for Justice League of America, Batman, and Wonder Woman and the credit for Fourth World. Yes, the former three are household names, but I don't recall such odd spacing in other DC film credits.So nice to see the names Jerry Robinson (co-creator of Dick Grayson/Robin and the Joker) and Carmine Infantino (co-creator of Barry Allen/Flash), both of whom were heroes of my Bill Finger research and neither of whom are officially credited in print.In print, the awkward "By special arrangement with the Jerry Siegel family" line immediately follows "Superman created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster." In this film, Superman is the only character whose creators are listed in the opening credits, and while I don't like the "arrangement" line, it seems even weirder so removed from its usual partner.

Comic book pages/panels that have stayed with me

Here are some of the comic book pages that lodged in my head when I was young (or sometimes simply younger) and have not left. Sometimes because of the words (which I've indicated), sometimes the art, sometimes both. Sometimes just one panel from a page. Though these are some of my favorite moments, not all of these are necessarily my favorite stories. 
If any more float to the surface, I will add them.
Bold = last page of the story (added pressure to be memorable!).
[image error] Justice League of America #144, 1977writer Steve Englehart, penciler Dick Dillin
[image error] Showcase #100, 1978writers Paul Levitz and Paul Kupperberg, penciler Joe Staton
Showcase #100
Super Friends #25, 1979writer E. Nelson Bridwell, penciler Ramona Fradon
Super Friends #28, 1979writer E. Nelson Bridwell, penciler Ramona Fradon
Justice League of America #200, 1981writer Gerry Conway, penciler Pat Broderick

[image error] Justice League of America #200penciler George Pérez
[image error] DC Special Series #27: Batman vs. The Incredible Hulk, 1981writer Len Wein, penciler José Luis García-López
[image error] The Brave and the Bold #196, 1982writer Bob Kanigher, penciler Jim Aparo
[image error] The Brave and the Bold #196
The Flash #327writer Cary Bates, penciler Carmine Infantino"This is my decision."
[image error] Justice League of America #223, 1983writer Gerry Conway, penciler Chuck Patton"The end, reptile."
Justice League of America #223
Crisis on Infinite Earths #2, 1985writer Marv Wolfman, penciler George Pérez"Dear God—what is happening?"
Crisis on Infinite Earths #5
[image error] Crisis on Infinite Earths #7"But we...but we had a casualty."
Crisis on Infinite Earths #7"And I grieve."
Superman Annual #11, 1985writer Alan Moore, penciler Dave Gibbons
Superman Annual #11
Superman Annual #11"Burn."
[image error] DC Comics Presents #85, 1985writer Alan Moore, penciler Rick Veitch"The Man of Tomorrow is heading south to die."
Batman #405 (Year One), 1987writer Frank Miller, penciler Dave Mazzucchelli"You have eaten well."

The Flash #54, 1991writer William Messner-Loebs, penciler Greg LaRocque"I can't fly. I'm just a guy who runs fast."
Aquaman: Time & Tide #1, 1993writer Peter David, penciler Kirk Jarvinen

[image error] The Flash #107, 1995writer Mark Waid, penciler Oscar Jimenez
Green Arrow #100, 1995writer Chuck Dixon, penciler Jim Aparo
Justice League: A Midsummer's Nightmare #2, 1996writers Mark Waid and Fabian Nicieza, penciler Darick Robertson
[image error] Justice League: A Midsummer's Nightmare #2
JLA #3, 1996writer Grant Morrison, penciler Howard Porter"I know your secret."
[image error] Nightwing Annual #1, 1996writer Devin Grayson, penciler Greg Land
JLA #6, 1997writer Grant Morrison, penciler Howard Porter"Katar?"
JLA #21, 1998writer Mark Waid, penciler Arnie Jorgensen
[image error] JLA in Crisis: Secret Files & Origins, 1998"Origin Story: The Flash's Infinite Crises"writer Tom Peyer, penciler Rags Morales"It's called the human condition, my friend...and I don't get it either."
[image error] JLA Showcase 80-Page Giant, 1999"Communications Error"writer Dwayne McDuffie, penciler Gordon Purcell
[image error] Superman: War of the Worlds, 1999writer Roy Thomas, penciler Michael Lark

The Titans #14, 2000writer Devin Grayson and Brian K. Vaughan, penciler Cully Hamner
[image error] The Titans #14"Thank you, fearless leader."
Batman/Superman/Wonder Woman: Trinity #3, 2003writer/penciler Matt Wagner
Aquaman #13, 2003writer John Ostrander, penciler Jim Fern

March 12: one year of COVID-19

The date will vary from person to person, but for almost everyone in the world, the world changed drastically sometime between March 9 and 13, 2020. WIRED says March 11. For me, it was one day later, which was one year ago today.
There was, of course, buildup to March 12.
I don’t remember when I first encountered the word “COVID,” which is not surprising, because you rarely know at first glance what is going to stick around and be significant. But mostly likely it crossed my radar the day it was announced, 2/11/20.

On 2/28, at a restaurant in Los Angeles, and at a time when “restaurants” and “travel” were unassailable parts of regular life for many, a friend asked me what I was doing to prepare. 
I actually asked “Prepare for what?”
He said the virus. I said “Nothing.” He (or rather his bewildered wife) said he’d been overstocking up on essentials. Like his wife, I thought that was extreme, but I generally trust my friends’ judgment to be sounder than mine, so when I got home, I bought more than the usual amount of water and (guilty) toilet paper. 
That was the start and end of my preparation.
On 3/10, I emailed several Michigan schools I was scheduled to speak at the following week: “Is there any talk of your schools/district closing because of the virus? As of now, I’m still prepared to come, but if closing is an imminent possibility there, then ASAP we should discuss rescheduling.”
That night, I spoke to teens (including my own) at a synagogue event, before which we ate—with an empty seat between us. The head of youth programming called it “social distancing.” That was the first time I’d heard the term.
The next day, one of the Michigan schools replied: “As of now we are planning to be in session, but our county is closely monitoring the situation. We will contact immediately if we hear plans of closing. For now, let’s stick to the plan, unless you need to adjust plans on your end.”
Then I flew to Ohio without knowing—or considering—that this would be my last in-person school visit for more than a year (and counting). 
I did take a precaution. I wore my thin running gloves on the flight. I felt a bit silly, but let my belief in science overrule my self-consciousness. I don’t remember noticing many others also gloved and, of course, no one was wearing a mask.
That night, I went to multiple local stores to buy wipes, and even in rural Ohio, where the alarm bells were not as loud, the shelves were already picked clean. 
My wife and I had invited friends to our house for my birthday that weekend, but I erred on the side of caution and called it off. One of my friends said that was ridiculous—“we can just bring hand sanitizer.” Three other friends thought it was sensible. 
At the 3/12 visit at Champion Middle School in Warren, Ohio, I politely declined handshakes (I’d switched from high-fives to fist bumps years earlier). For the book signing, I asked that the kids stay on the other side of the table from where I sat. Some adults may have thought these actions were standoffish or hysterical. 
I always savor my time on stage and my interaction with audiences. Looking back, I wish I knew I should savor 3/12 on a whole other level while it was happening.
That afternoon at the hotel, I got the email some friends around the country had already posted about: school closing. My kids’ district would be on hold for the next two weeks.
Two weeks sounded like a long time. How quaint, now.
That’s when it got real for me.
Optimistically and also foolishly, I followed this revelation by emailing my high school class to announce the 30th reunion several of us had been planning for October. I acknowledged the virus in the first line, but the assumption was it would be long gone by summer, let alone fall. Only slightly surprisingly, not one of my 225+ classmates replied to the email. (Hopefully, the reunion will be rescheduled for this fall.)
I woke up to emails from schools in Michigan and probably elsewhere saying they, too, were closing effective immediately. Thus began a frantic hourslong odyssey to change or cancel a slew of school visit/conference flights, rental cars, and hotels. A Delta Air Lines recording said the wait time would be more than six hours. The customer service reps I did reach were already frazzled, understandably so. And it was only just beginning.
Soon I would be indefinitely postponing speaking engagements in Delaware, Connecticut, California, Oregon, New York, North Carolina, Taiwan. Not to mention trips to local friends’ houses, the library, the comic book store.
I told my wife I didn’t think it was a good idea for our kids to hang out with other kids for the time being. She’s usually the more cautious about such things, and she thought I was overreacting. For the time being.
Soon more than two weeks’ worth of our kids’ precious rites of passage would be canceled or transformed. They were reborn as Generation R (Resilient). 
At the airport, before flying home, I posed with my favorite flier: Superman. His invulnerability sure would come in handy for what was looming. Though that was impossible, he embodies something else that was within our grasp: hope. 

I asked the gate agent for a seat that was not next to anyone else. She said “You already have one”—without asking for my seat number or even looking at the screen.
Everyone was given an island seat. No request needed.
My hometown airport didn’t seem less crowded until I got to rideshare pickup area, which is usually mobbed but that night was almost empty.
I got up in (or stayed up till, don’t remember) the middle of the night to try to reach some of the travel-related companies whose phone lines were down earlier that day, and that way I got through.
In the coming days, weeks, months, we’d all have to find a way to get through. 
The next day was my 48th birthday and the unofficial start of everyone’s first pandemic.
I did errands. I did what would be the first of scores of Zooms—a virtual birthday party. Soon there would be virtual happy hours, mini-reunions, keynotes, bar mitzvahs, seders, shivas, fundraisers, meetings, doctor’s appointments, and more. I knew I didn’t have to wear pants for them, but we all have our coping mechanisms to maintain a connection to life as we knew it.
On 3/15, we told our kids we wouldn’t be gathering with others for a while. They already sensed that, and they accepted it without resistance. 
Upon the public recommendation of my friend Raina Telgemeier, I began a “coronavirus journal” on 3/16—only four days but also a lifetime since my Zero Hour date of 3/12. As of this writing, that journal is 46 pages in Word. Some of the memories shared here come from there. Many of the memories are for another moment.
Some of the memories are universally understood even when unspoken. The virus vernacular became the world’s script. The ultimate ensemble with heartbreaking twists on an unprecedented scale. The greatest of the great equalizers (not to be confused with the great equity-izer, which doesn’t yet exist).
The lives lost. 
The living heartbroken.
The stress intensified. The education interrupted. The jobs jettisoned. The future questioned. The priorities reexamined. The creativity challenged. The pollution reduced. The traffic absent. The outdoors rediscovered. The family dinners unrushed. The alarm unset. The game nights. The (home) movie nights. The movie days. The hair clippers, patio heater, bidet. The living-room-cum-ballet-studio. The vacant-school-parking-lot-cum-soccer-practice-for-one. The go-go-go gone gone gone. 
The very very bad punctuated, with no predictability or consistency, by pockets of good. The worst of virology countered by the best of humanity.
There will be no happy ending to COVID-19. Technically, there will be no concrete ending, either. But there will be an end to the new variant of life that started on 3/12. We will always remember the scares and carry the scars but we will no longer be confused and confined. 
COVID-19 forced us all into a new kind of virtual reality. What comes next will also be new for us, but new on our own terms to the best of our ability. Though hardship will remain, and in some cases grow, we will be a different kind of free than anyone in our lifetimes has ever been. We will see toothy smiles again. We will catch up on hugs.
We will return to the stage. 

New addition to the Maryland Arts Directory

Thank you again to the Maryland State Arts Council for adding me to the Maryland Arts Directory as a Touring Artist. I’m also under consideration to be added as a Teaching Artist.
Maryland Arts Directory is a free online platform that showcases the high-caliber, diverse, and relevant work of Maryland’s artists and arts organizations. If the previous sentence sounds to you like a direct quotation from their site, you are astute.


My Artist’s Statement: “My goal is to inspire people to persist. My presentations are brimming with wit and twists.”