Marc Tyler Nobleman's Blog, page 82

Bill Finger’s name in “Gotham,” the city he named?

On 5/5/14, Fox announced its series order for Gotham, a TV show about Bruce Wayne’s city before he became Batman, debuting fall 2014.


Without Bill Finger, the show—let alone the city—would have no name.

According to The Steranko History of Comics, Volume 1 (page 45), and as repeated in Batman & Me, Bob Kane’s autobiography (page 44), Bill Finger said

Originally, I was going to call Gotham City ‘Civic City.’ Then I tried Capital City, then Coast City. Then, I flipped through the phone book and spotted the name Gotham Jewelers and said, ‘That’s it,’ Gotham City.

As alluded to here before, I understand that until any changes are legally made to the agreement Bob Kane made with DC Comics, subjective terms (namely “creator” or “co-creator”) are off limits, so for the Gotham credits I propose a simple statement of fact:

“Batman’s city was first called ‘Gotham’ in a story written by Bill Finger published in Batman #4, 1940.”

Several times since the announcement, I have tweeted about this. Of course, it’ll take more than tweets to get Bill’s name in the show’s credits, but if you do, please keep it similarly simple/non-inflammatory, and please use hashtag #FingerInGotham.

Justice has no expiration date.

“Batman at 75” panel at the Paley Center

In December 2012, I began a conversation with David Bushman, Curator of Television at the Paley Center in New York City that culminated in “Batman at 75: To All a Dark Knight,” a five-person panel on 5/5/14 that drew a sold-out crowd, buzzed along fast from 6:30 to 8 p.m., and was followed by a book signing that went past 9:30.



(More photos below.)

The lineup:

Kevin Conroy, Voice of Batman, Batman: The Animated Series; The New Batman Adventures; Batman BeyondChip Kidd, Designer, Batman: The Complete History; Author, Batman: Death by DesignKevin Smith, Filmmaker; Writer, Batman comic books; Host, Fat Man on BatmanpodcastMichael Uslan, Executive Producer, The Dark Knight film trilogy; Author, The Boy Who Loved BatmanmeModerator: Whitney Matheson, Columnist, USA Today’s “Pop Candy” 
From where I sat, for fans of the bat, it was all that.
 
I found my four fellow panelists (only one of whom—Michael Uslan—I’d met before) to be articulate and funny—expert storytellers all. Each shared an almost poetic reflection on the Dark Knight.

Whitney asked thoughtful questions and kept things moving nicely (no easy feat with any panel); at one point, she charmingly directed another question to me because I needed to talk more (usually not a problem with me, but this was an extroverted group). During the Q&A, I laughed when she called on an audience member by saying “The one in the Batman hat.” (That description matched a dude in what seemed like every other row.)

The panel was recorded but won’t be posted online in its entirety. Among the many highlights:

Kevin Conroy taking to the stage booming “I am vengeance. I am the night. I am Batman!” to thunderous applauseChip Kidd following him dryly saying “I am the day”Class act Michael Uslan asking for my blessing to introduce Athena Finger, granddaughter of Bill Kevin Smith telling the story of Kevin Conroy volunteering in New York during 9/11 (suggesting he modify his signature line to “I am vengeance. I am the night chef. I am Batman!”)Piggybacking on Kevin Smith expounding on Batman’s appeal, I said that we don’t relate to Batman because he has no powers. We relate because he has no parents. We have empathy for him, which allows us to believe in his mission.
Other memorable moments:

Question: your first Batman? Mine was from Super Friends . (Hey, you can’t control when you’re born.)

Question: coolest Batman memorabilia you own? I followed Chip, who has the original art of the cover of Kingdom Come #3. I joked that I can’t remember which of the Kingdom Come covers I own, then told the story of Charles Sinclair giving me Bill Finger’s paperweight.

I added that when my daughter was about seven, she said if we ever had a fire and she could grab only one thing, she’d go for Bill’s paperweight, to which I said “If we ever have a fire, sweet pea, just get out. *I* will grab the paperweight.”

Question from the audience: your biggest discovery when researching Bill Finger? His lone and previously unknown grandchild, Athena, who was in attendance (and showered with attention for it; she even signed at least one copy of my book for a fan).

While Whitney looked for people to call on during the Q&A, I pointed out the lone woman raising her hand (not the lone woman in attendance, though females were, unsurprisingly, the minority).

A boy of about 13—whom Kevin Smith didn’t notice till he asked a question, prompting Kevin to apologize for some colorful language he had used—bore a fitting resemblance to Charles Roskilly, who portrayed young Bruce Wayne in Michael’s 1989 Batman.

Before we wrapped, Kevin Conroy paid tribute to Efrem Zimbalist, Jr., who voiced Alfred in Batman: The Animated Series, and who appeared on 77 Sunset Strip…which Bill Finger wrote for.

Then I acknowledged my partner in organizing the event by saying “From Batman to Bushman…thanks to David Bushman for taking a chance on this vision.”

When signing books, not one but two guys asked Michael and Kevin Conroy to sign their credit cards. I normally sign only books I have written, but it was something of a in-a-good-way free-for-all so we all signed each other’s a few times.

I learned that after Bill and his first wife Portia divorced, she sought solace (we are left to read into that) from Wildcat co-creator Irwin Hasen; of the Golden Agers I interviewed for Bill the Boy Wonder: The Secret Co-Creator of Batman, he is the last one living.

All but the Kevins retired to Chip’s apartment for a nightcap; the place is a paradise of superhero memorabilia, including, of course, original art.

A stellar experience, equal parts humbling, entertaining, and exhilarating. Thank you again to all who participated and attended and said nice things afterward.

To all a Dark Knight, forevermore.

The start of the line to get in.
Kevin Conroy and Danielle Ward of JHU Comic Books
The Justice League of A Kind convenes: Chip, a DC Comics representative, Whitney, Travis Langley, Michael
Waiting to move into the next waiting area.
Half of the rest of the panel and me.
 The other half of the rest of the panel and me.

Batselfie.
Waiting in the (bat)wings.


View from the panel.

After Athena Finger, granddaughter of Bill, was acknowledged.

Signing books, bags, tickets, and even credit cards. 

Upcoming book. Can you spot the notable first?




Susan Eisenberg voiced Wonder Woman in Justice League and Justice League Unlimited.

Three people I interviewed who get a lot of attention

Of the numerous beloved people from pop culture (books, movies, TV, music) I’ve interviewed over the last few years, three seem to generate more engagement than the rest (by which I mean more comments on the blog and more emails to me):
Danny Janssen (Scooby-Doo) Mick Smiley (Ghostbusters) Edward Ormondroyd (David and the Phoenix)
An unlikely trio!

This time sans guns and smokes

In the early 2000s, upon learning that I was a cartoonist as well as writer, my Scholastic editor Virginia Dooley proposed an update to a 1960s book that used cartoons to teach vocabulary. She (postal) mailed me samples from the book. The cartoons included pistols, cigarettes, and other elements you would not see in a children’s book today.

The book may not have been aimed at young people.

In any case, the idea was to create 180 cartoons, one for every day of the school year—new words, new gags. It seemed like a fun challenge.

Vocabulary Cartoon of the Day (grades 4-6) came out in 2005.


A keynoter at a SCBWI conference I’d attended sometime before then said that in 1945, the average schoolchild’s vocabulary consisted of 10,000 words…and now, only 2,500. 

At professional development seminars where I spoke, I would tell the audience that, if nothing else, this book would help increase that number to 2,680.

After repeated requests at those professional development seminars, we did a second one for a younger age range (illustrated by the total pro Mike Moran). It came out in 2010.


In late 2013, I went looking for those cartoons Virginia sent me more than a decade ago. I didn’t remember that they were not sent digitally. But when I didn’t find them either on my computer or in my file, I asked Virginia. She also could not find or remember the source but did not think it was Scholastic.

So I took to Google. But it turns out my searches for books with “vocabulary” and “cartoon” in the title were for naught.

The title of the book, I believe, was Word-a-Day, by Mickey Bach. It came out in 1964, and it does appear that it was indeed published by Scholastic (or at least one edition was).


Apparently, Mickey Bach (1909-1994) churned out these illustrated vocab builders (they were not called vocabulary cartoons) from the 1940s to the mid-1980s.

Here are a few demonstrating why the plan was redo rather than reissue:

Guns.
Smoking.
Boozing.
Beating.
Heaps of thanks to the kind and resourceful Rebecca Knab of Loganberry Books for solving this mystery, especially with so little to go on.

The kindness of students

For the second year in a row, I was invited to speak at Gregory-Portland Intermediate School in Portland, TX. And for the second year in a row, my kind host Cati Partridge sent me a thick stack of thank you letters from the students who were forced to listen to me for an hour. And for the second year in a row, I was struck by many of them. Here are some comments that stood out:

“It takes a real man to look up that much information! If it were my opinion, you actually made history!”“Out of all the guest speakers, you were the best…and the most hilarious. You have inspired me to follow through with all of my dreams and goals. My first goal is to make varsity soccer and my second is to become an open heart surgeon. I think you helped a lot with making them come true.”“I honestly thought it was going to be another boring author, but you turned out to be really interesting! Superheroes aren’t real but I can certainly see one in you!”“I think your dedication to your writing is very inspiring and many other authors could learn from you. You’re a funny, awesome, and a nobleman [sic].”“Now you’re famous and you inspired many people in my school, including me. You are the best person I know that has good speeching [sic] skills.”“In Language class, we’re doing a project where we pick an author and research them. I wish I would’ve known about your books!”“What is it like to be a superhero…writer?”“I want to do what you do—investigate and look for stuff people don’t even know about. Mr. Nobleman, is all of this you do worth it?”“If only Bill Finger or Batman could see you now.”“I was stunned when my teachers told us that an author was coming to our school. I thought that our little town was finally getting recognized by people. But then I remembered that you came last year and we were already on the map thanks to you.”“Thank you, not just for coming to our school but for taking time out of your life to find these things out. To give credit to those who were given none and to shine light on those who were put in darkness. To me, however insignificant this letter may be, you are a hero.”“When my dad picked me up from school, I told him everything [you said]! He said I’ve never said I liked something at school.”“Halloween would have been much more boring without [Bill Finger]!”“You are a loyal, great, hard-working fan of superheroes. It’s almost like you’re their hero.”

Similarities between Bill Finger and me

As they research and write, some biographers develop a sense of identification with their subjects.

Bill Finger and I were nearly three generations apart—I remember how jarring it was when I asked someone if Bill liked the Beatles and was told he probably didn’t listen to any rock and roll—yet at times I saw myself in him, or vice versa:

not fond of driving (Bill never had a license, I waited for six months after turning 16 to get my license)fond of extensive research and reference clippingfinance management not strongest suitlike Batman

More dispatches from the United Arab Emirates

Last week I shared some of what I have learned while in the UAE.

Since then:

Though some aspects of the culture are ancient, the country itself is only about 40 years old. Before that, a lot more of the region was desert.Some schools have been pressured into removing World War II books or blacking out mention of Hitler and the Holocaust (not to mention Israel, which, if it must be mentioned, is referred to as “the entity”). I said the word “Jewish” in a presentation and was later advised (but not forced) to omit it in the next presentation. I did not...and afterward got a most enthusiastic reaction anyway.All pig products (and sometimes even mere mention of pigs) are forbidden. However, some food stores have a back room just for expats…and just for pork.One international school was reprimanded for inviting the students to dress up for Halloween because the government education counsel saw no educational value in that.The country seems to be struggling with its identity. On the one hand, residents maintain great respect for Muslim traditions, some of which seem dangerously outdated by some non-Muslims. On the other hand, Emiratis want to attract tourists and foreign business so find themselves compromising (as a culture) at times. In the malls, you see fully covered Muslim women walking side-by-side with Western-looking women in tight T-shirts and short shorts. At airports, you may see women preparing to travel to a more religiously diverse place by shedding their abayas (coverings) to reveal contemporary fashion underneath.When multiple fully covered women are in one area, children can identify their mothers by their handbags.At several schools, teachers asked students to welcome me by saying “Have a clap” rather than “Let’s have a round of applause.” (But that may be British rather than local custom.)Dubai is more liberal than Abu Dhabi. Abu Dhabi has more trees and green space (which must be vigorously watered) than Dubai.Crime is virtually nonexistent here. (The consequences, including deportation, are severe.)License plates are status symbols. The lower the number, the closer the owner is to the royal family. Everyone (in schools, hotels, restaurants, taxis, and so on) has been lovely to me.
Also, April 27 was a milestone in my author visit history: the first time I spoke at a school on a Sunday (when the school/work weeks begins in the UAE).

Adventures and observations at the Sharjah Children’s Reading Festival

Dune bashing was only the beginning.

On 4/23-24/14, I participated in the Sharjah Children’s Reading Festival in the United Arab Emirates; while I was here for four days of the two-week event, other featured American children’s book authors/illustrators included Peter Brown, Meghan McCarthy, and Stephen Messer.

Our appearances consisted of two types: morning talks at schools in Sharjah and an evening panel with academics from the Arab community.

Both were considerably different than any previous author experience I’ve had, and my compatriots had similar reactions.

Both of my Sharjah schools were all-girl and Arab; some authors spoke at Australian or Indian schools and/or all-boy schools. My students were about 12 and 13 years old.

Simply getting to the schools was an adventure. In my first week in the UAE, I’ve been in a lot of cars (not to mention three hotels), and none of the drivers have used GPS. I don’t recall seeing traffic lights in Sharjah. (And the hotels don’t have addresses in the sense we’re used to—no street number. Just “Corniche Street.” Or sometimes even just “near the Expo Center.”) Drivers seem to be guesstimating how to get to places.

My two schools were not only all-girl but also all-shy. I understand. I get the impression they rarely if ever have guest speakers, and almost certainly never a foreign, male guest speaker. I was surprised and impressed that the schools were open to a visitor like me.

Al Noof Government School
Shyness aside, the students were very sweet, and at the first school, the girls did come around by the end of my hourlong talk; a few asked questions, in part thanks to their teacher’s words of encouragement (in English). She invited me to come back and even gave me her cell phone so I could give her notice.

Using humor in this context was tricky. Different culture, different sensibility. The one time I remember the girls at the second school laughing was at the end of my presentation. I was trying to make them feel comfortable enough to ask questions so I said I have children of my own and they ask me lots of questions:

“May I please stay up later?”“May I please have another cookie?”“Daddy, would you please stop talking?”
It was that last one that elicited some giggles.


Action at A Ta'la School.
On 4/23/14, Peter and Meghan were on a panel with two Arab speakers. The topic was something like “reading and media.” Each of the four panelists spoke for about 10 minutes each. (We were told in advance that some panelists would not be sticking to the already-vague topics. It’s a cultural thing.)


One of the others on their panel was, I believe, a children’s book author as well. The last was an Egyptian psychiatrist whose focus was the prevention of predatory behavior online. Certainly important, and she was certainly well-spoken, but a strange pairing with children’s authors.

The highlight of that panel (for me as an audience member) was what turned out to be one of many “incidents” during panels at the festival. While the psychiatrist was explaining the gravity and prevalence of child endangerment via the Internet, a man in the audience began to call out at her (in Arabic). Everyone—panelists and audience members alike—had small Star Trek devices in our ears for translations (English to Arabic or vice versa, depending on what you needed).

But the translator in the back of the room could not clearly hear the shouting audience man, who continued to interrupt the psychiatrist (and therefore disrupt the room) to the point that the translator began to plead “Peter Brown, Peter Brown, I can’t work like this! Please intervene!”

Though Peter was sitting next to the psychiatrist, what he (or anyone) could have done to remedy the situation was anyone’s guess. Luckily, the psychiatrist seemed to shut down the shouting man by saying “There is a fine line between commenting and insulting.”

On 4/24/14, Peter, Meghan, and I went from Sharjah to Dubai to see the Dubai Mall, currently the world’s largest in terms of area, and Burj Khalifa, currently the world’s tallest building. When in a foreign country for the first time, ordinarily none of us would likely go to a mall, but in the UAE, it’s another story.

The mall is indeed a spectacle. It is home to a huge, shark-filled aquarium in which you can scuba dive; presumably the sharks aren’t the human-chomping kind. The mall also includes almost any store you’ve ever heard of and probably at least a couple twice because the second one didn’t know the first one existed.

 Meghan and Peter looking tough in front of a model of the mall and the tallest building.
 We are American. Sorry, this is not enough.

The first Häagen-Dazs I have seen that has a menu. A hardcover one, no less.
Five times a day in Muslim communities, the call to prayer goes out. I haven’t heard it five times a day—it depends on where you are—but when I do here, it’s quite lovely. And it was even piped into the mall.

 At the bottom of “At the Top” (the observation deck, which is the highest point paying customers are allowed to go).

 By association, this must be the world’s longest shadow. (Longest manmade shadow?) 
 View from the 124th-floor observation deck up the rest of the 163-floor building (and up my nose).
 You could pose against a green screen to be superimposed on a scene of peril atop the building. Fun to watch people get in position.
 For a fleeting moment, not counting people in planes, we were the highest children’s book creators in the world.
 Babies may not be accompanied by adults.

That night was my panel. It was supposed to be me and two Arabs in the field, but only one showed. The topic was equally vague as the night before; it involved the importance of the book and also the development of curriculum.




Due to the disruption, Peter and Meghan’s panel didn’t get to audience questions, but mine did. However, it was not like Q&A during American panels. A woman asked question that the moderator didn’t ask us to answer—the mic was passed immediately to another audience member who made a statement, then another. Only then did the moderator ask me a question—but it didn’t seem to be a question that had come from the audience. I was confused but did the best I could, and some people were nodding so I guess I didn’t waste their time completely.

A view from the panel.
It was a curious honor that anyone who came to a panel about education with a focus on the Middle East would care what an American author with no Arabic experience had to say. But I am all for bridging gaps between cultures whenever possible.

Dune bashing and camel bonding with Peter Brown

Author/illustrator/friend/adventurer Peter Brown and I (and, joining us a day later, Meghan McCarthy) are in the United Arab Emirates for the Sharjah Children’s Book Festival…and for dune bashing. Which means treating the desert like a roller coaster.

It is not for the faint of stomach.

The race is on to see who will be first to change his Twitter handle to @dunebasher14.


 Not in the desert quite yet. Maybe the strip mall in the background gave that away.

Peterama. Including oil rig. Or drill. Not sure.
 One of the cutest things I have seen in a while: a girl of about three taking a photo of her mom.Our dune-bashing ride is in the background.
Hawkman. Actually, it is a falcon.
Johnny Depp in The Lone Ranger.
This guy spun in a circle for what must have been at least five minutes straight...and did not show any dizziness.
Still in the desert, though you have to take my word for it.

MTN in UAE (United Arab Emirates)

After graduating college, I lived in New York City, which to a guy who grew up in small-town Connecticut felt exotic, almost mythic. If only I would have known then that one day I’d be setting up shop for two weeks in the United Arab Emirates.

In late December, I was invited to the Sharjah Children’s Reading Festival and gladly immediately accepted. I recommended author friends and the festival invited three of them, two of whom (Peter Brown and Meghan McCarthy) accepted. I also managed to set up author visits at eight schools (five in Abu Dhabi, three in Dubai) for the surrounding days.

Then I packed sunscreen, slept lying down on a plane for the first time (no, not on the floor), and landed amidst a fantastic cultural experience.

Among the tidbits I have learned so far:

The United Arab Emirates consists of seven emirates, of which I will see three (Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Sharjah), and as an entity, it’s only a little over 40 years old.The school week is Sunday to Thursday.There is virtually no crime. Most locals are wealthy and 70% of the population is from other countries. Those who are here as laborers would get deported if they broke the law, so they don’t. I ran at night along a long, sometimes dark path along the water. It was lovely.As many know, some Arab women in public wear covering to varying degrees. Laborers who’ve come from other countries are typically men who leave behind their wives. Therefore, some Westerners with exposed shoulders or legs stand out to laborers and report discomfort at their “male gaze”; however, because of bullet #3 above (if not their own morals), laborers do nothing more than look. Abu Dhabi is home to what I was told is the world’s only 7-star hotel. Apparently there are others but this one (resembling a palace) is a stunner.Little fruit grows in the UAE and some report that the imported fruit loses its taste in transit.
 Pristine Corniche Beach, Abu Dhabi. Only minutes by foot from my hotel.


An entrance to the beach. Note the unusual blue brick.


Every beach could use a library.




After the beach library and the banner promoting reading, 
a third writing-related sign near my hotel.
The two crosswalk signs are not synchronized. 
  Hotel room ceilings are marked with an arrow indicating the direction of Mecca. 
My first school visit in UAE was the wonderfully welcoming American Community School of Abu Dhabi, where I was greeted by a larger-than-life banner and spoke to six dynamic groups over two days.