Bill Finger

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Bill Finger
Birth name William Finger
Born February 8, 1914
Died January 18, 1974 (aged 59)
Nationality
American
Area(s) Writer
Notable works Batman, Robin, Green Lantern, the Joker, Catwoman, the Penguin

William "Bill" Finger (February 8, 1914–January 18, 1974) was an American writer best known as the uncredited co-creator, with Bob Kane, of the character Batman, as well as the co-architect of the series' development. He helped create The Joker[1] , Catwoman[2], Two-Face[3], The Riddler, and other classic Batman villains; and wrote many of the original Green Lantern stories.

Contents

[edit] Biography

[edit] Early life and career

Bill Finger joined Bob Kane's nascent studio in 1938. An aspiring writer and part-time shoe salesperson, he had met Kane at a party, and Kane later offered him a job ghost writing the strips Rusty and Clip Carson.[4] [5]

Early the following year, National Comics' success with the seminal superhero Superman in Action Comics prompted editors to scramble for more such heroes. In response, Kane conceived "the Bat-Man". Finger recalled that Kane

“ had an idea for a character called 'Batman', and he'd like me to see the drawings. I went over to Kane's, and he had drawn a character who looked very much like Superman with kind of ... reddish tights, I believe, with boots ... no gloves, no gauntlets ... with a small domino mask, swinging on a rope. He had two stiff wings that were sticking out,looking like bat wings. And under it was a big sign ... BATMAN.[5] ”

Finger said he offered such suggestions as giving the character a cowl and scalloped cape instead of wings; adding gloves; leaving the mask's eyeholes blank to connote mystery; and removing the bright red sections of the original costume, suggesting instead a gray-and-black color scheme. Finger additionally said his suggestions were influenced by Lee Falk's popular The Phantom, a syndicated newspaper comic strip character with which Kane was familiar as well. Finger, who said he also devised the character's civilian name, Bruce Wayne, wrote the first Batman story, while Kane provided art. Kane, who had already submitted the proposal for Batman at DC, and held a contract, is the only person given official company credit for Batman's creation.

According to Kane,

“ Bill Finger was a contributing force on Batman right from the beginning. He wrote most of the great stories and was influential in setting the style and genre other writers would emulate ... I made Batman a superhero-vigilante when I first created him. Bill turned him into a scientific detective.[6] ”

Kane also acknowledged that Finger named Batman's and Robin's alter egos. "The alliteration of the names — Bruce Wayne, Bob Kane — was probably one reason Bill came up with the name."[7]

Finger wrote the initial script for Batman's debut in Detective Comics #27 (May 1939), while Kane provided art. Kane had already submitted the proposal for Batman character to the publisher, and is the only person given contractual credit for the character's creation. Batman proved a breakout hit, and Finger went on to write many of the early Batman stories, including making major contributions to the character of the Joker, as well as other major Batman villains. When Kane wanted Robin's origin to parallel Batman's, Finger made them circus performers murdered while performing their trapeze act. [8]

Finger was a meticulous writer and as such, a slow one.[citation needed]. Comics historian Jim Steranko wrote in 1970 that this led Batman editor Whitney Ellsworth to suggest that Kane replace him.[9] During Finger's absence, Gardner Fox contributed scripts that introduced Batman's early "Bat-" arsenal[citation needed] (the utility belt, the Bat-Gyro/plane and the Batarang). Upon his return, Finger created or co-created items such as the Batmobile and Batcave,[citation needed] and is credited[citation needed] with providing a name for Gotham City. Among the things that made his stories particularly distinctive was a use of giant-sized props: enlarged pennies, sewing machines, or typewriters.

Eventually, Finger left Kane's studio to work directly for DC Comics, where he supplied scripts for Batman as well as many other characters.

[edit] Green Lantern

In 1940, Finger collaborated with artist Martin Nodell on a new superhero feature in All-American Comics #16 (July 1942) called The Green Lantern. Both writer and artist received a by-line on the strip, with Nodell in the earliest issues using the pseudonym "Matt Dellon".

According to Nodell, Finger was brought in to write scripts after Nodell had already conceived the character.[10] Nodell's name appeared first, before Finger's, in the bylines on the stories that he drew, although when ghost artists such as Irwin Hasen were used, Bill Finger's name appeared first so that the credits instead read "by Bill Finger and Martin Nodell".

[edit] Film

As a screenwriter, he wrote or co-wrote the films Death Comes to Planet Aytin, The Green Slime, and Track of the Moon Beast. He also wrote a Clock King episode of the live-action Batman TV series.

[edit] Credit

Kane negotiated a contract with National that signed away ownership in the character in exchange for, among other compensations, a mandatory byline on all Batman comics. Finger's name, in contrast, never appeared on any of the Batman stories he wrote in the 1940s and 1950s. He did receive credit for other work done for the same publisher and for the affiliated All-American Publications during some of that time. For example, the first Wildcat story, in Sensation Comics #1 (July 1942), has the byline "by Irwin Hasen and Bill Finger"; the first Green Lantern story (see above) is credited to "Mart Dellon and Bill Finger".

Finger began to receive limited acknowledgment for his Batman work in the 1960s, as a writer. The letters page of Batman #169 (Feb. 1965), for example, has editor Julius Schwartz naming Finger as creator of The Riddler, one of Batman's recurring villains.

[edit] Awards

Finger was posthumously inducted into both the Will Eisner Award Hall of Fame and the Jack Kirby Hall of Fame. He is also the namesake of the Bill Finger Award, founded by Jerry Robinson, which honors lifetime achievements by comic book writers.

[edit] Footnotes

  1. ^ Kane, Bob; Tom Andrae (1989). Batman & Me. Forestville, CA: Eclipse Books, 107. 1-56060-017-9. 
  2. ^ Kane, Andrae, Ibid., pp. 107-108
  3. ^ Kane, Andrae, Ibid., pp. 108-109
  4. ^ Walker, Brian. The Comics Before 1945 (Harry N. Abrams), page number?
  5. ^ a b Steranko, Jim. The Steranko History of Comics (Supergraphics, Reading, Pa., 1970; ISBN 0-517-50188-0), page number?
  6. ^ Kane, Andrae, Ibid., p. 43
  7. ^ Kane, Andrae, Ibid., p. 44
  8. ^ Kane, Andrae, Ibid., pp. 104-105
  9. ^ The Steranko History of Comics 1, by Jim Steranko (Supergraphics, Reading, Pa., 1970; ISBN 0-517-50188-0), p. TK
  10. ^ Martin Nodell, The Golden Age Green Lantern Archives Volume 1, preface

[edit] References

 v • d • e Batman
Creators: Bob Kane • Bill Finger • Other writers and artists
Supporting Characters: Robin (Tim Drake) • Nightwing (Dick Grayson) • Batgirl • Batwoman • Alfred Pennyworth • Lucius Fox • Barbara Gordon • Commissioner Gordon • Harvey Bullock
Villains: Bane • Catwoman • Clayface • Harley Quinn • Joker • Killer Croc • Mr. Freeze • Penguin • Poison Ivy • Ra's al Ghul • Red Hood (Jason Todd) • Riddler • Scarecrow • Two-Face • Other villains
Locations: Arkham Asylum • Batcave • Gotham City • Wayne Enterprises • Wayne Manor
Miscellanea: Batarang • Batmobile • Batsuit • Popular media • Publications • Storylines • Alternate versions of Batman
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