Marc Tyler Nobleman's Blog, page 36
December 24, 2017
"Bill Finger Way" street sign: "New York Times"! Mark Hamill!
The New York Times has mentioned Bill Finger only a small handful of times, namely here and here. The paper did not cover Bill the Boy Wonder: The Secret Co-Creator of Batman, the unprecedented 2015 correction to the Batman credit line, or Batman & Bill…so it was especially gratifying that ace NYT reporter George Gene Gustines did attend and write about the 12/8/17 unveiling of the "Bill Finger Way" street sign.
The article and photos appeared online on 12/13/17...
...and in print on the front page of the Metropolitan section on Sunday 12/17/17.
Only two days before the official release of Star Wars: The Last Jedi, Mark Hamill himself tweeted about it.
Perhaps he was tipped off by his colleague Kevin Conroy, who attended the street sign unveiling. (Hamill has voice-acted the animated Joker to Conroy's Batman on and off since 1992.) Or maybe he just follows these things since he has hung out with Bob Kane (and Jerry Siegel, and Jack Kirby...).
1987
Then Wonder Woman voice actor (and friend) Susan Eisenberg tweeted about Mark.
Great Hera! May the Finger be with you.
The article and photos appeared online on 12/13/17...
...and in print on the front page of the Metropolitan section on Sunday 12/17/17.
Only two days before the official release of Star Wars: The Last Jedi, Mark Hamill himself tweeted about it.
Perhaps he was tipped off by his colleague Kevin Conroy, who attended the street sign unveiling. (Hamill has voice-acted the animated Joker to Conroy's Batman on and off since 1992.) Or maybe he just follows these things since he has hung out with Bob Kane (and Jerry Siegel, and Jack Kirby...).
1987Then Wonder Woman voice actor (and friend) Susan Eisenberg tweeted about Mark.
Great Hera! May the Finger be with you.
December 23, 2017
December 21, 2017
"Batman & Bill" documentary: the public response, part 4
December 20, 2017
The secret origin of a Bill Finger obituary
As I've missed no chance to mention over the past decade, Bill Finger did not receive a mainstream obituary. He did receive two obituaries in DC Comics publications but not in multiple series as is done today; both were one-offs. I've also mentioned these several times before.
The first appeared in the corporate fanzine Amazing World of DC Comics #1 (July-August 1974) and featured Batman art.
During my research, in 2007, I learned that this was Superman art retouched by a one Carl Gafford.
During the 1970s-'90s, Carl worked for publishers including DC, Marvel, and Topps, primarily as a colorist.
Recently, I had the pleasure of hearing from Sam Gafford, a fan of comics and Bill Finger. Turns out Sam is Carl's brother. I did not contact Carl during my research (I did not note why but presumably because I simply could not find him) but thanks to Sam, ten years later, I can share a bit of the backstory of this obituary.
Carl: "The Superman figure [from a] cover drawn by [Neal] Adams [for] the imaginary story of Supes and his super-daughter mourning Lois Lane at her gravestone is what I changed into Batman. Suspect Paul Levitz wrote the obit."
Carl had no personal experiences with Bill and knew "nothing more [about Bill] than anyone else knew at the time"…to be specific, "the most writing Bob Kane ever did was his name on all the Batman stories."
Sam asked his brother if Finger's involvement with Batman was just a widely-known fact though never officially acknowledged by DC.
Carl: "I can't be sure. Once Bob Kane sold his last piece of Batman to Steven Ross and Kinney National Services in 1967, DC's obligation to credit only Kane was gone, with his byline last appearing in Detective Comics #377 (the last month new episodes of the Batman TV show aired)."
Then: "Finger worked mostly with Joe Orlando in the 1970s. He briefly worked for Julie Schwartz with the 'New Look' Batman, but he was too unreliable with his deadlines for Julie to keep."
Carl suspected that the infamous "Kane contract" never existed and was used by DC only as a means to avoid giving credit and money to Finger and his descendants…a speculation I tossed out in the documentary Batman & Bill.
Now retired, Carl remains active in CAPA-alpha, "the longest running comic book amateur press association (APA) in history."
Thank you to the Gafford brothers for mining memory and taking time to add a bit more to the Bill Finger tapestry.
The first appeared in the corporate fanzine Amazing World of DC Comics #1 (July-August 1974) and featured Batman art.
During my research, in 2007, I learned that this was Superman art retouched by a one Carl Gafford.
During the 1970s-'90s, Carl worked for publishers including DC, Marvel, and Topps, primarily as a colorist.
Recently, I had the pleasure of hearing from Sam Gafford, a fan of comics and Bill Finger. Turns out Sam is Carl's brother. I did not contact Carl during my research (I did not note why but presumably because I simply could not find him) but thanks to Sam, ten years later, I can share a bit of the backstory of this obituary.
Carl: "The Superman figure [from a] cover drawn by [Neal] Adams [for] the imaginary story of Supes and his super-daughter mourning Lois Lane at her gravestone is what I changed into Batman. Suspect Paul Levitz wrote the obit."
Carl had no personal experiences with Bill and knew "nothing more [about Bill] than anyone else knew at the time"…to be specific, "the most writing Bob Kane ever did was his name on all the Batman stories."
Sam asked his brother if Finger's involvement with Batman was just a widely-known fact though never officially acknowledged by DC.
Carl: "I can't be sure. Once Bob Kane sold his last piece of Batman to Steven Ross and Kinney National Services in 1967, DC's obligation to credit only Kane was gone, with his byline last appearing in Detective Comics #377 (the last month new episodes of the Batman TV show aired)."
Then: "Finger worked mostly with Joe Orlando in the 1970s. He briefly worked for Julie Schwartz with the 'New Look' Batman, but he was too unreliable with his deadlines for Julie to keep."
Carl suspected that the infamous "Kane contract" never existed and was used by DC only as a means to avoid giving credit and money to Finger and his descendants…a speculation I tossed out in the documentary Batman & Bill.
Now retired, Carl remains active in CAPA-alpha, "the longest running comic book amateur press association (APA) in history."
Thank you to the Gafford brothers for mining memory and taking time to add a bit more to the Bill Finger tapestry.
December 16, 2017
"Boys of Steel" recycled as a journal
At a holiday market in Washington DC, a friend saw a stand selling picture books that had been converted to journals by adding blank note-taking pages in between printed pages.
Don't know how Boys of Steel: The Creators of Superman got the nod among such classics. It's destructive and constructive at the same time. Despite the fact that this ware is possibly illegal, I'm honored and will let it slide because it's mom-and-pop and quirky.
Don't know how Boys of Steel: The Creators of Superman got the nod among such classics. It's destructive and constructive at the same time. Despite the fact that this ware is possibly illegal, I'm honored and will let it slide because it's mom-and-pop and quirky.
December 15, 2017
December 13, 2017
UNIS NYC
On 12/7/17, I had the pleasure of speaking at the United Nations International School (UNIS) in New York, one of only two such schools in the world. The other is in Hanoi, Vietnam.
In 2016, I had the pleasure of speaking there, too. (In fact, that's where I was on Election Day.)
Immense thanks to Jane Barrer at UNIS NYC. I notified her only a week before my one available date for New York and she seized the day.
In 2016, I had the pleasure of speaking there, too. (In fact, that's where I was on Election Day.)
Immense thanks to Jane Barrer at UNIS NYC. I notified her only a week before my one available date for New York and she seized the day.
December 12, 2017
Charles Sinclair (Bill Finger's longtime writing partner), 1924-2017
This one hits especially hard.
While researching the book that would become Bill the Boy Wonder: The Secret Co-Creator of Batman, I found and interviewed eight Golden and Silver Age comics creators who knew Bill personally, plus two outside of comics who knew him even better: his second wife Lyn Simmons and his longtime writing partner Charles Sinclair.
Of those ten, Lyn is the only woman—and now the last man standing. On 11/15/17, Charles passed away at age 93.
Charles was a
Charles was the first person I found in my research, the first of three people in the book's dedication (along with Lyn and Bill's granddaughter Athena), and now the first of those three to pass away.
I found Charles on 6/15/06 (at 1 p.m., I noted) after searching for hours. I learned of him on IMDb (he was listed as a co-writer with Bill), then combed People Finder records. This led me to call dozens of people and production companies in Los Angeles, where I assumed a former TV writer would be living.
When that failed, I tried searching his name nationwide on People Finder, that time including his middle initial R (which appeared only on the Writer's Guild "missing writers" page). I called the first guy on the list—and struck gold. We talked for 1.5 hours. I was the first person who interviewed him about Bill. He said he would buy a copy of my book.
In 2010, I told him that I sold the manuscript. He suggested a title: Crusader Without a Cape.
Thanks to Charles, I learned the following (not a complete list):
Bill had a "lady friend" named Lyn Simmons who, it turns out, became his second wife (and later became as invaluable in my research as Charles was)how and where Bill dieddetails about Bill's legendary gimmick books (including what kind of notebooks they were and examples of entries)how Bill got to write for the Batman TV showvisual details about Bill's workspace (from the make of his radio to the Klee print hanging over his desk), which I shared with Ty Templeton, who illustrated my book
Also, Charles connected me with his second wife, Nancy H. Cole, who was the first person to produce a decent, previously unpublished photo of Bill (from their wedding).
Charles was married three times and had six children.
His first wife, Cory, worked for DC Comics. It was through her that he and Bill met. Charles and Cory had two children, Lorna and Scott, and divorced in 1963.
His second wife was the aforementioned Nancy. They married in 1964, had three children (Kim, Jennifer, and Jason), and divorced in 1969.
He met Gayle Sanders in 1973 and married her 1978. They had a son, Peter. Gayle has been a friend to me almost as long as I've known Charles. Charles didn't email so everything digital went through Gayle.
Charles adopted three of Bill's belongings: a desk, a small sculpture Bill made of his then-wife Portia (which Charles would later give to Athena), and a paperweight (which he kindly gave to me, in July 2006).
I found out about Charles's death two days before the Bronx renamed a street "Bill Finger Way." I contacted him (via Gayle) to remind him of the sign unveiling, but wasn't expecting him to attend (he wasn't able to make the last event I had in New York, in February 2016, because the trip from Brooklyn to Manhattan would've been too exhausting).
Unfortunately, Charles did not get the chance to watch Batman & Bill (which came out in May) and probably didn't know about the street renaming. It was similar to how Robin co-creator/early Batman ghost artist Jerry Robinson died only six months before my biography of his old colleague and mentor came out. Both men would've been so proud to see their friend get long overdue recognition.
At school visits, after emphasizing how Bill's story took place a long time ago, I was always so touched to tell kids that both Charles and Lyn were still alive. In a way, I felt their longevity was in part to bear witness to a story that should not be lost.
I interviewed Charles numerous times for the book and twice on camera for the documentary, first in 2008 (for the first iteration, which did not come to pass) and again in 2016. His recall was astounding. His diction was crisp. His geniality was ever-present.
Jim Amash conducted a great interview with Charles, published in Alter Ego #84. Charles is the star of many posts on this blog.
Please read them.
He, too, deserves to be recognized, and not just because he was always willing to take time to reminisce about Bill (for no gain for himself). He didn't help me because he was old and desperate for something to do. He had plenty to do. At times when I called him he asked me to try again later because he was on his way to the gym.
He helped me because he was a good man. I knew from the moment he first told me a Bill Finger story that I would dearly miss him one day, and that day has arrived. Meeting Charles was the closest thing I had to meeting Bill himself, and he ended up being a friend beyond that.
2008
2012
2013
2014 (with Athena)
2016 (last time I saw him)
He was a good man.
Charles, I will always be grateful to you. I will speak of you as I do Bill—without fail, with fondness, and with an eye on legacy.
While researching the book that would become Bill the Boy Wonder: The Secret Co-Creator of Batman, I found and interviewed eight Golden and Silver Age comics creators who knew Bill personally, plus two outside of comics who knew him even better: his second wife Lyn Simmons and his longtime writing partner Charles Sinclair.
Of those ten, Lyn is the only woman—and now the last man standing. On 11/15/17, Charles passed away at age 93.
Charles was a
Charles was the first person I found in my research, the first of three people in the book's dedication (along with Lyn and Bill's granddaughter Athena), and now the first of those three to pass away.
I found Charles on 6/15/06 (at 1 p.m., I noted) after searching for hours. I learned of him on IMDb (he was listed as a co-writer with Bill), then combed People Finder records. This led me to call dozens of people and production companies in Los Angeles, where I assumed a former TV writer would be living.
When that failed, I tried searching his name nationwide on People Finder, that time including his middle initial R (which appeared only on the Writer's Guild "missing writers" page). I called the first guy on the list—and struck gold. We talked for 1.5 hours. I was the first person who interviewed him about Bill. He said he would buy a copy of my book.
In 2010, I told him that I sold the manuscript. He suggested a title: Crusader Without a Cape.
Thanks to Charles, I learned the following (not a complete list):
Bill had a "lady friend" named Lyn Simmons who, it turns out, became his second wife (and later became as invaluable in my research as Charles was)how and where Bill dieddetails about Bill's legendary gimmick books (including what kind of notebooks they were and examples of entries)how Bill got to write for the Batman TV showvisual details about Bill's workspace (from the make of his radio to the Klee print hanging over his desk), which I shared with Ty Templeton, who illustrated my book
Also, Charles connected me with his second wife, Nancy H. Cole, who was the first person to produce a decent, previously unpublished photo of Bill (from their wedding).
Charles was married three times and had six children.
His first wife, Cory, worked for DC Comics. It was through her that he and Bill met. Charles and Cory had two children, Lorna and Scott, and divorced in 1963.
His second wife was the aforementioned Nancy. They married in 1964, had three children (Kim, Jennifer, and Jason), and divorced in 1969.
He met Gayle Sanders in 1973 and married her 1978. They had a son, Peter. Gayle has been a friend to me almost as long as I've known Charles. Charles didn't email so everything digital went through Gayle.
Charles adopted three of Bill's belongings: a desk, a small sculpture Bill made of his then-wife Portia (which Charles would later give to Athena), and a paperweight (which he kindly gave to me, in July 2006).
I found out about Charles's death two days before the Bronx renamed a street "Bill Finger Way." I contacted him (via Gayle) to remind him of the sign unveiling, but wasn't expecting him to attend (he wasn't able to make the last event I had in New York, in February 2016, because the trip from Brooklyn to Manhattan would've been too exhausting).
Unfortunately, Charles did not get the chance to watch Batman & Bill (which came out in May) and probably didn't know about the street renaming. It was similar to how Robin co-creator/early Batman ghost artist Jerry Robinson died only six months before my biography of his old colleague and mentor came out. Both men would've been so proud to see their friend get long overdue recognition.
At school visits, after emphasizing how Bill's story took place a long time ago, I was always so touched to tell kids that both Charles and Lyn were still alive. In a way, I felt their longevity was in part to bear witness to a story that should not be lost.
I interviewed Charles numerous times for the book and twice on camera for the documentary, first in 2008 (for the first iteration, which did not come to pass) and again in 2016. His recall was astounding. His diction was crisp. His geniality was ever-present.
Jim Amash conducted a great interview with Charles, published in Alter Ego #84. Charles is the star of many posts on this blog.
Please read them.
He, too, deserves to be recognized, and not just because he was always willing to take time to reminisce about Bill (for no gain for himself). He didn't help me because he was old and desperate for something to do. He had plenty to do. At times when I called him he asked me to try again later because he was on his way to the gym.
He helped me because he was a good man. I knew from the moment he first told me a Bill Finger story that I would dearly miss him one day, and that day has arrived. Meeting Charles was the closest thing I had to meeting Bill himself, and he ended up being a friend beyond that.
2008
2012
2013
2014 (with Athena)
2016 (last time I saw him)He was a good man.
Charles, I will always be grateful to you. I will speak of you as I do Bill—without fail, with fondness, and with an eye on legacy.
December 11, 2017
"The Chupacabra Ate the Candelabra" original art on display
The prestigious annual Society of Illustrators exhibit "The Original Art" (showcasing illustration from what they feel are the year's best children's books) has included The Chupacabra Ate the Candelabra in its 2017 show. I'm so proud of my illustrator Ana Aranda and so honored.
On 12/6/17, I had the chance to see the exhibit:
On 12/6/17, I had the chance to see the exhibit:
December 10, 2017
Unveiling of "Bill Finger Way" street sign in New York
Bill Finger made history…multiple times. Including three times (to date) after his death.
In 1939, he wrote the first Batman story (after designing the costume).He was the only comic book writer to write an episode of the 1966 TV show.In 2015, he was officially (and finally) named a co-creator of Batman. This is the first time in comics history that the credit line of an A-list character has been corrected.He became the focus of Hulu's first original documentary (Batman & Bill, 2017) which is also the first film based on a nonfiction picture book.
On 12/8/17, Bill Finger made history yet again. He is now the first superhero creator with a street named after him in New York City.
Here is the big moment:
The event began at 10 am and lasted about an hour. The speakers:
New York Councilmember Ritchie Torres, whom some predict is a future mayor of New YorkmeAthena Finger, Bill's lone known grandchildSteve Simmons, Bill's stepson (his mother was Bill's second wife, Lyn)Kevin Conroy, voice of Batman in Batman: The Animated Series and multiple series sinceAngel Hernandez, Director of Programs and External Relations, Bronx Historical Society a student from PS 46
Here are the speeches.
The press/coverage included the following:
ABCCBSNew York TimesAttendees included the following:
Benjamin Cruz, Bill's great-grandsonAlethia Mariotta, Athena's half-sisterJens Robinson, son of Jerry Robinson, co-creator of Robin and the JokerTravis LangleyLenny Schwartz, playwright, Co-CreatorRoberto Williams, playwright, Fathers of the Dark KnightJulian VolojGeorge Gene Gustines, New York Times Abraham Riesman, VultureRocco Staino, School Library JournalDanny FingerothPaul Castiglia Thomas SciaccaArt CloosLucy Aponte, Director of the Poe Park Visitor CenterDelmo Walters, Jr.Scout and her mom Stephanie, who came the farthest: Utahmy college buddies Mark Lehman and Steve Ostrower
At least two attendees reminded me that I was a bit pushy (my word, not theirs) when I was researching…but they said it with a smile and now have a greater understanding of my rationale.
After the unveiling, a group (Athena, Benjamin, Alethia, Danny, Travis, and Art) took a tour of Poe's cottage.
Glimpses:
amNewYork 12/7/17
Councilmember Ritchie Torres
Athena Finger
Steve Simmons
Kevin Conroy
Looks like I'm grinning back at Bill.
Steve and Athena pulled the string tounveil the sign.
The joy visible here is precious.
Bill's great-grandson Benjamin
Steve and fellow Finger advocate Travis Langley meeting
George Gene Gustines of the New York Times
Councilmember Torres received this letter from DC Comicsthe night before the unveiling. No DC reps that I know of attended.
I was the last person from the unveiling to leave. I turned around to take one last photo of the site anddid not see till I checked the photos later that I inadvertantly captured someone taking a photo of the hours-old sign.
Some photos are courtesy of Julian Voloj…who is in the process of making some Bill Finger history of his own…
My remarks:
My name is Marc Tyler Nobleman. I'm the author of Bill the Boy Wonder: The Secret Co-Creator of Batman, the 2012 biography of writer Bill Finger, and I appear in this year's Batman movie. No, not Justice League. Not The Lego Batman Movie. Not the direct-to-video Batman vs. Two-Face. I'm in the Hulu documentary Batman & Bill.
For years I said "Batman's biggest secret is not Bruce Wayne." Not anymore.
Bill Finger wrote the first Batman story in 1939 and hundreds more over the next 25 years—including his heartbreaking (and groundbreaking) origin. He even designed the costume. But his name never appeared in the credit line in his lifetime. Meanwhile cartoonist Bob Kane drew only a fraction of the stories and for only the first few years and did not write a single Batman story in his life, but from the start, he was the sole person credited. Holy fake news, Batman!
This street renaming is a love letter to four B's: Bill, Batman, the Big Apple, and, of course, the Bronx. Bill wasn't born in the Bronx, but Batman was. According to my research, it happened on Kelly Street. Then Bill built the Bat-world from all over the borough.
In 1940-41, Bill lived at 2754 Grand Concourse. In that period, he wrote the first stories with Robin, the Joker, and Catwoman and he named the Batmobile and Gotham City. In 1941-42, he lived at 50 East 196th Street, during which time he wrote the first appearances of the Scarecrow and the Penguin and introduced what he would later name the Batcave. Right here in Poe Park, he and Bob would sit on benches and brainstorm Batman adventures.
But when Bill passed away in 1974 at age 59, many if not most Batmanians had never heard his name. He had no mainstream obituary. No funeral. No gravestone. No kidding.
When I began my book in 2006, I was led to believe he also had no heir. His only child, his son Fred, died in 1992, leaving no offspring known to comics historians.
The biggest moment of my research was when I learned that was not true: Fred did have a child, a daughter, which meant Bill had a granddaughter. I found Athena Finger, then she found the courage to fight along with her sister Alethia for her family's birthright. In 2015, after 76 years of inaccuracy, DC Comics added Bill's name to Batman. Justice has no expiration date.
One of the most instrumental people in my research was Bill's longtime writing partner Charles Sinclair. Charles gave of his time many times to articulately tell me about Bill. Yesterday I learned that on November 15, at age 93, Charles passed away. Let's take a moment to honor Bill's old friend and my new friend Charles.
Thank you all for joining us to celebrate. Fingerheads have come from as far as Utah—anyone farther? Special thanks to Athena and Benjamin for flying in from Florida. We're all indebted to New York Councilmember Ritchie Torres and his staff, especially three R's—Ronn, Rafael, and Raymond—for spearheading this tribute to two of the Bronx's most distinguished sons: the Dark Knight and the mind behind him. Batman is more than one of the world's most successful superheroes. He's one of the most iconic fictional characters of any kind of all time. That makes Bill Finger one of the most influential creators of all time.
He died too soon to see that family and fans have reclaimed his legacy, so the unveiling of "Bill Finger Way" is bittersweet. Bill Finger made history. Team Finger corrected history. Now the Bronx takes lead in honoring that history by installing this sign, the first memorial to a superhero creator in New York, the Superhero Capital of the World. Next step: a statue!
In 1939, he wrote the first Batman story (after designing the costume).He was the only comic book writer to write an episode of the 1966 TV show.In 2015, he was officially (and finally) named a co-creator of Batman. This is the first time in comics history that the credit line of an A-list character has been corrected.He became the focus of Hulu's first original documentary (Batman & Bill, 2017) which is also the first film based on a nonfiction picture book.
On 12/8/17, Bill Finger made history yet again. He is now the first superhero creator with a street named after him in New York City.
Here is the big moment:
The event began at 10 am and lasted about an hour. The speakers:
New York Councilmember Ritchie Torres, whom some predict is a future mayor of New YorkmeAthena Finger, Bill's lone known grandchildSteve Simmons, Bill's stepson (his mother was Bill's second wife, Lyn)Kevin Conroy, voice of Batman in Batman: The Animated Series and multiple series sinceAngel Hernandez, Director of Programs and External Relations, Bronx Historical Society a student from PS 46
Here are the speeches.
The press/coverage included the following:
ABCCBSNew York TimesAttendees included the following:
Benjamin Cruz, Bill's great-grandsonAlethia Mariotta, Athena's half-sisterJens Robinson, son of Jerry Robinson, co-creator of Robin and the JokerTravis LangleyLenny Schwartz, playwright, Co-CreatorRoberto Williams, playwright, Fathers of the Dark KnightJulian VolojGeorge Gene Gustines, New York Times Abraham Riesman, VultureRocco Staino, School Library JournalDanny FingerothPaul Castiglia Thomas SciaccaArt CloosLucy Aponte, Director of the Poe Park Visitor CenterDelmo Walters, Jr.Scout and her mom Stephanie, who came the farthest: Utahmy college buddies Mark Lehman and Steve Ostrower
At least two attendees reminded me that I was a bit pushy (my word, not theirs) when I was researching…but they said it with a smile and now have a greater understanding of my rationale.
After the unveiling, a group (Athena, Benjamin, Alethia, Danny, Travis, and Art) took a tour of Poe's cottage.
Glimpses:
amNewYork 12/7/17
Councilmember Ritchie Torres
Athena Finger
Steve Simmons
Kevin Conroy
Looks like I'm grinning back at Bill.
Steve and Athena pulled the string tounveil the sign.
The joy visible here is precious.
Bill's great-grandson Benjamin
Steve and fellow Finger advocate Travis Langley meeting
George Gene Gustines of the New York Times
Councilmember Torres received this letter from DC Comicsthe night before the unveiling. No DC reps that I know of attended.
I was the last person from the unveiling to leave. I turned around to take one last photo of the site anddid not see till I checked the photos later that I inadvertantly captured someone taking a photo of the hours-old sign.
Some photos are courtesy of Julian Voloj…who is in the process of making some Bill Finger history of his own…
My remarks:
My name is Marc Tyler Nobleman. I'm the author of Bill the Boy Wonder: The Secret Co-Creator of Batman, the 2012 biography of writer Bill Finger, and I appear in this year's Batman movie. No, not Justice League. Not The Lego Batman Movie. Not the direct-to-video Batman vs. Two-Face. I'm in the Hulu documentary Batman & Bill.
For years I said "Batman's biggest secret is not Bruce Wayne." Not anymore.
Bill Finger wrote the first Batman story in 1939 and hundreds more over the next 25 years—including his heartbreaking (and groundbreaking) origin. He even designed the costume. But his name never appeared in the credit line in his lifetime. Meanwhile cartoonist Bob Kane drew only a fraction of the stories and for only the first few years and did not write a single Batman story in his life, but from the start, he was the sole person credited. Holy fake news, Batman!
This street renaming is a love letter to four B's: Bill, Batman, the Big Apple, and, of course, the Bronx. Bill wasn't born in the Bronx, but Batman was. According to my research, it happened on Kelly Street. Then Bill built the Bat-world from all over the borough.
In 1940-41, Bill lived at 2754 Grand Concourse. In that period, he wrote the first stories with Robin, the Joker, and Catwoman and he named the Batmobile and Gotham City. In 1941-42, he lived at 50 East 196th Street, during which time he wrote the first appearances of the Scarecrow and the Penguin and introduced what he would later name the Batcave. Right here in Poe Park, he and Bob would sit on benches and brainstorm Batman adventures.
But when Bill passed away in 1974 at age 59, many if not most Batmanians had never heard his name. He had no mainstream obituary. No funeral. No gravestone. No kidding.
When I began my book in 2006, I was led to believe he also had no heir. His only child, his son Fred, died in 1992, leaving no offspring known to comics historians.
The biggest moment of my research was when I learned that was not true: Fred did have a child, a daughter, which meant Bill had a granddaughter. I found Athena Finger, then she found the courage to fight along with her sister Alethia for her family's birthright. In 2015, after 76 years of inaccuracy, DC Comics added Bill's name to Batman. Justice has no expiration date.
One of the most instrumental people in my research was Bill's longtime writing partner Charles Sinclair. Charles gave of his time many times to articulately tell me about Bill. Yesterday I learned that on November 15, at age 93, Charles passed away. Let's take a moment to honor Bill's old friend and my new friend Charles.
Thank you all for joining us to celebrate. Fingerheads have come from as far as Utah—anyone farther? Special thanks to Athena and Benjamin for flying in from Florida. We're all indebted to New York Councilmember Ritchie Torres and his staff, especially three R's—Ronn, Rafael, and Raymond—for spearheading this tribute to two of the Bronx's most distinguished sons: the Dark Knight and the mind behind him. Batman is more than one of the world's most successful superheroes. He's one of the most iconic fictional characters of any kind of all time. That makes Bill Finger one of the most influential creators of all time.
He died too soon to see that family and fans have reclaimed his legacy, so the unveiling of "Bill Finger Way" is bittersweet. Bill Finger made history. Team Finger corrected history. Now the Bronx takes lead in honoring that history by installing this sign, the first memorial to a superhero creator in New York, the Superhero Capital of the World. Next step: a statue!
