| Michael Uslan | |
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Uslan at the Big Apple Con, November 14, 2008. |
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| Born | June 2, 1951 Deal, New Jersey |
Michael E. Uslan (born June 2, 1952) is the originator of the Batman movies and was the first instructor to teach "Comic Book Folklore" at an accredited university. Uslan is a native of Cedar Grove, New Jersey.[1][2]
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Uslan was born in Deal, New Jersey and was an avid comic book collector from a very young age, owning a collection that included the second Batman and first Superman comic, among others. His collection spanned more than 25,000 comics. He attended Ocean Township High School. While still an undergraduate and a graduate at the same time at Indiana University School of Law - Bloomington, attempting to break into the film industry by sending off over 130 résumés (typed on a typewriter), Uslan "developed a course idea for the Experimental Curriculum program at I.U."[3]
Uslan recalls that Roger Stern "has been teaching a one-hour credit experimental course on comic book history and art," while he (Uslan) was "having fun with an I.U. Free University course on "The Comic Book Hero"."[4] Stern and Uslan discovered they shared interests, and when Stern "couldn't stand teaching the course any longer," Uslan took it over and changed it into one that took
| “ | "an academic approach to the comics, divided into its history, folklore, art, sociology, psychology, and literary/educational value. [Looking] at their stages of relevancy and fantasy, the many aspects of censorship, their effects on other media, penciling and inking styles, their psychological implications, current and future trends, and the role of comics in school systems."[4] | ” |
Uslan intended that his course on comics gives students the full three hours of college credit, on a par with "history, physics, or chemistry."[4] Requiring (as an undergraduate) a sponsor in order to be eligible to teach, Uslan found a "progressive and enthusiastic" one in the form of Henry Glassie, a professor in the Department of Folklore, who, as a "leading expert in the field of folklore" was able to see Superheroes as the somewhat logical descendant to Norse, Egyptian and Greek Mythology.[3][4]
Challenged by the Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences about the nature of his course ("So you want to teach a course on comic books at my university, do you?!"[4]), Uslan received approval to teach his comic book folklore class by having the Dean recall the beginning of Superman and then pointing out that the Dean just recited the story of Moses. (Uslan has also suggested that the Dean was himself a comics fan, and was struck by the original artwork Uslan took along to the meeting at which his proposal was ultimately accredited.[5]) Uslan's course, by then-titled "The Comic Book in Society," thus became "the first accredited course on the serious study of comic books."[3]
Uslan won fame for his comic book class by anonymously calling the local newspapers and when a reporter got on the phone, Uslan shouted, "There is a comic book class at IU! What Communist is responsible for this garbage?! Are you telling me my tax dollars are going towards THIS?" and then hung up. TV crews filmed the first five meetings of the course, by then called "The Comic Book in America," including John Chancellor's NBC News.[4] Intending to invite different speakers each semester, Uslan found that Denny O'Neil was voted for by the class so often that he became the regular invitee (Uslan notes that Bob Rozakis was among those passed-over in favor of O'Neil).[4]
Press coverage led to Uslan being invited to lecture at a number of colleges and high schools, as well as participate in talk shows on radio and TV (his first television appearance was alongside writers Steve Englehart and Gerry Conway).[4] It also led to phone calls from Stan Lee, and eventually to a job offer from DC Comics.[6] Uslan also wrote a textbook dealing with his course, The Comic Book in America (Indiana University, 1971).[4]
Uslan is best known as a key producer (another being Benjamin Melniker) of all of the modern Batman films to date, starting with Tim Burton's 1989 film, and continuing to 2008's The Dark Knight and also includes various feature-length films based on the Batman: The Animated Series and The Batman. Uslan envisioned a dark Batman, not the sort of Batman that came from the "funny books," as reflected in the 1960s TV series starring Adam West.
When Uslan initially pitched the idea to producers, he was turned down. The justification from producers was that Batman was based on a comic book, and it did not have much success in the box office. He was turned down for various reasons, one most curious and nonsensical was a executive that argued that Batman and Robin wouldn't work as a film because the studio's previous flop Robin and Marian starring Sean Connery as an elderly Robin Hood failed to find success.
Uslan views the 1989 Batman film directed by Tim Burton and starring Michael Keaton as the Caped Crusader as being most representative of the earliest take of the character by Bob Kane and Bill Finger from 1939.[7] Meanwhile, Uslan considers the second Tim Burton/Michael Keaton Batman film, Batman Returns (1992) as serving more as an embodiment of the "almost soulless, very dark, almost vampiric"[8] comics of the 1990s. Uslan considers the Joel Schumacher directed Batman Forever (1995) starring Val Kilmer taking over for Michael Keaton as being the closest in spirit of the Dick Sprang drawn, Bill Finger-written stories (featuring not only Batman, but also Robin as played by Chris O'Donnell in Batman Forever) of the 1940s and 1950s.[9] Finally, Uslan sees the second Joel Schumacher directed Batman film (this time, starring George Clooney as the Dark Knight instead of Val Kilmer or Michael Keaton), Batman & Robin (1997) as being most representative of the Batman of the mid-1960s[10] (à la the campy TV series starring Adam West).
Uslan works with Benjamin Melniker in most of his projects.
As a film and TV producer, in addition to his many DC Comics film credits (in addition to all the Batman films and the two Swamp Thing films, Uslan executive produced the Swamp Thing TV series, 2004's Catwoman and 2008's The Spirit film, among others), Uslan has "produced a surprisingly diverse list of film and television." These include Three Sovereigns for Sarah (1985), starring Vanessa Redgrave, part of the American Playhouse series on PBS dealing with the Salem Witch Trials and the children's geography-teaching TV show Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego?.[3]
Uslan is also a producer on the in production Captain Marvel feature Billy Batson and the Legend of Shazam.[11]
Uslan was also an associate producer on Disney's National Treasure films.
He created and executive produced (with Ben Melniker) 1980s cartoon Dinosaucers. He also wrote a few episodes on the series.
Uslan attempted his first comic writing in 1975 at DC Comics' The Shadow (on which he is planning [12] a feature film [13] with Sam Raimi) and publishing competitor Charlton Comics' Charlton Bullseye.
With only some brief (foreword) writing and editing stints in between Uslan scripted the 2009 6-part story, "Archie Marries Veronica", "draw[ing] upon his lifelong love of Archie comic books."[14]
Most noteworthy he also initiated [15] Stan Lee's Just Imagine... and contributed short-stories with renowned artists like John Severin, Gene Colan and Richard Corben to it.
He wrote some The Spirit comics, even before producing the feature film.
In 2005, Uslan donated his 30,000 comic book collection to Indiana University's Lilly Library (rare books and manuscripts library), a collection which (according to his wife Nancy) "filled three rooms of their house."[16]
Uslan was the honorary speaker at the 2006 Indiana University commencement ceremonies, held on May 6, 2006.
With his co-executive producers, Uslan won a 1995 Daytime Emmy for Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego?, and he was also awarded an Independent Spirit Award at the 2005 Garden State Film Festival.[17]
In 2009 he was awarded the West Point Cadet Choice Award[18] for the Character Bruce Wayne in the Dark Knight.
In 2011, He was awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award by the Peace River Film Festival.