Marc Tyler Nobleman's Blog, page 95

A Lois Lane inspiration turns 97

One of the purported inspirations for Lois Lane is Lois Amster (née Rothschild), who happens to be the grandmother of a friend I met in BBYO in the 1980s.

She is 97 this year, outlasting Jerry Siegel, Joe Shuster, and the other primary inspiration for Lois, the woman who became Jerry's wife: Joanne.

courtesy of Jason Rothschild

Fumbling to Florida

I had two hourlong speaking engagements in the Miami area scheduled for 10/23/13; both at synagogues, one starting at 5:30 p.m, the other at 7:30 p.m. Here’s how most of it went wrong:
My shuttle to Reagan Airport in DC was supposed to arrive between 7:56 and 8:11 a.m. It came just past 8:30. No big deal, especially compared with what was to come.There were two people on the shuttle: a woman and me. Her terminal drop-off was first. There were two bags in the back: hers and mine. Guess which one she took? If you guessed hers, guess again. This mirrored an incident in May, when another person accidentally took my bag off the back of an airport shuttle; arranging the switch caused me to miss my flight. The person today did so even though her bag was gray, not black like mine, and even though her bag DID NOT HAVE A HUGE ORANGE PIPE CLEANER ATTACHED TO THE HANDLE.

Around 10 a.m., my 10:55 a.m. direct flight was canceled. Guess how many other direct flights they had out of Reagan to Miami that would get me there in time for my first talk? If you guessed anything other than zero, guess again. My only option was shelling out $80 (!) for a taxi to Dulles Airport to take the 2:25 p.m. direct…which would arrive after my first talk was set to start. Luckily, American Airlines did rebook me and luckily the earlier venue was able to reschedule me for later during the same trip. But still…hugely aggravating. Of course the 2:25 p.m. flight was delayed. Luckily, only 30 minutes.I landed in Miami around 5 p.m. I had to walk to Mexico—or so it felt—simply to get the monorail to the car rental center….where, of course, the line was longer than any I’d seen in recent memory. I took a chance and went straight to the kiosk in the garage, where the kind man helped me even though they usually send people back to the counter inside.Of course there was traffic. After all, it was Miami and it was rush hour.Luckily, I did make it to my 7:30 p.m. in time…but not in time to change in (let alone check in at) my hotel. So for the first time ever, I wore a collarless shirt to present. Luckily, the audience was cas, too.It was a small, Reconstructionist synagogue whose parking lot was dirt. During my talk, it began pouring. Dirt + downpour = mud. And I was wearing dress shoes. Solution:
And here’s what went right:
The audience was warm and engaged. I met Bruce Wayne. Yes, this guy’s name is really Bruce Wayne (Wayne being his middle name, but he introduces himself that way). He even offered to take a close-up photo of his license to prove it, but I didn’t want to compromise his privacy for the sake of my blog.

The talk was part of the Miami Jewish Book Festival, whose program cover had some cool type design.


Thank you to all who helped get me to Florida and get me back to the hotel with non-muddy shoes.

Caught speaking at Eagle Hill School in Connecticut

The UFO that crashed into a London playground...

...was not what it seemed. And what it really was is almost as cool.

It was a writing prompt.

I know a thing or five about that.


What happened in the UK can happen here. Should happen here.

Educators take note!

What is different about "Bill the Boy Wonder"

Multiple books have covered the creation of Batman. As I see it, here are the three biggest aspects about Bill the Boy Wonder: The Secret Co-Creator of Batman that are new:
 
tells the Batman creation story with Bill as the (rightful) centertells it in a previously unused format for a previously untapped audiencereveals details about Bill’s life beyond comics that have not been published before
My goal was not to disparage cartoonist Bob Kane but rather to give long overdue credit to Bill (in a form more permanent than any that’s come before). I honor facts and don’t pass judgment on Kane. I let his widely documented actions speak for themselves.

Letter from Utah

I spent 10/13-16/14 in Utah, my first time. I could get used to seeing mountains as the backdrop to most views.

After kicking off my stint in the Beehive State speaking at a picturesque synagogue, I packed in ten more talks across five schools and a library over three days. Scenes from around and about:





I first saw this at night in the rain and thought it was an abandoned building; I came back the next day and now do not know what to make of it:

Bill Finger's granddaughter's reaction to me

A short note by Athena Finger, lone granddaughter of Bill Finger, posted online shortly after I found her (and slightly edited):

Wednesday, April 25, 2007 10:01 AM

My grandfather

So now I can scream it from the top of a building. I had one of the coolest grandfathers. Why you ask...well my grandfather, not to brag, was the co-creator and original writer for BATMAN. Yes, Batman. And, now someone is writing a book about him. 

This is the most amazing thing. I have been conversing with Marc, the author, and he tells me that I have family out there which I never knew about. The crazy thing is I have a great aunt who lives an hour away from me and we don’t even know each other. Strange how things play out in life. 

I am very excited to see the book when it is finished and have the true story of a legend be told. 

Remember the writer is the one who tells the story the artist only draws it. So, that means without Bill there would have been no Bruce Wayne or Gotham and various other characters! Well, just wanted to share. Remember we all have a story to tell, so tell it!

Temple Har Shalom, Park City, UT

My first speaking trip to Utah includes nine talks at five schools, a library talk, and a synagogue talk. The backdrop of the synagogue talk is one of the most beautiful of any venue I have been to. This photo does not do it justice:

shalom selfie
 
The synagogue harbors another fascinating facet; the Sundance Film Festival rents out its main hall for screenings every January. They erect a screen on the wall to the right and cinema luminaries come to watch.


Special thanks to my Brandeis friend Bari Nan Cohen Rothchild for her tireless efforts to bring me in and to Michael Greenfield at Temple Har Shalom for taking a chance on me.

Southern Festival of Books 2013

In 2009, I participated at my first Southern Festival of Books in Nashville, and was honored to be invited back this year.

Some things remained the same. For example, now as then, I did not eat crickets.


And now as then, I did a panel with talents I had not yet met but had an instant rapport with. This time with Nathan Hale (who had been recommended to me as a possible illustrator for Bill the Boy Wonder: The Secret Co-Creator of Batman) and James L. Barry. I was an author on an illustrator's panel so I had some justifying to do.

Note: This was not taken during our panel.
For the second time in two weeks, I got to see the exceedingly nice Kevin Henkes. We signed side by side. Guess whose line was around the corner?


The most rewarding moment for me was spotting two people reading Bill the Boy Wonder side by side.

Every generation has its Batman.


Thank you again to Lacey Cook and all others involved with running this massive show. Always a pleasure.

Speaking at Hommocks Middle School, Mamaroneck, NY

I’m a huge fan of speaking in schools and a huge fan of catching up with old friends. On 10/4/13, I got to do both at the same time.

My college friend Lisa Manheim (who was then Lisa Goldstein) worked hard to bring me to the school she’s taught at for five years, and I was honored to come. The auditorium was packed with kids and energy, yet the large group was respectfully quiet at all the “right” times (i.e. moments when I was discussing something sad). And before I came, those same kids had prepared a vibrant mosaic of A-list superheroes in honor of Jerry, Joe, and Bill. 


My time at Hommocks concluded with a writing workshop for a particularly sharp group of kids who had great questions and also the confidence to disagree with me at times. This is one of my favorite aspects of working with young people—seeing them demonstrate their conviction.

I particularly loved this comment from one of the sweet thank you notes they wrote: “I will defiantly take your teachings into account the next time I write a story.”

Thank you, Lisa, your colleagues, and your students for a stand-out day.