Kevin Conroy, iconic voice of animated Batman, 1955-2022

The Bat-Signal is at half-mast.

Kevin Conroy, the actor who iconically voiced Batman/Bruce Wayne for decades, died yesterday at the terribly young age of 66.

Starting with the debut of Batman: The Animated Series in 1992, I was a fan. Starting in 2014, we became friends…and I became an even bigger fan.

Like his Juilliard classmate Christopher Reeve, Kevin was a superhero not only for a living but also in real life. 

Before the Bill Finger credit change, I did all I could to bring about a Bill Finger credit change. That included pitching the Paley Center in New York a panel to celebrate Batman’s 75th anniversary. We booked four Batman notables and I inserted one Batman nobody—me, so I’d have a high-profile platform to spread word about Bill.

One of those notables was Kevin, who then became a fellow Finger advocate.

When the Bronx renamed a street for Bill in 2017, I invited Kevin to attend/speak. It was frigid, it was unpaid, it was far—but he came. 

When I asked Kevin if he would ask his colleague Mark Hamill (who voiced the Joker to Kevin’s Batman) if he would add his autograph to a thank-you gift for Derek Wolfford, who runs the Bill Finger Appreciation Group, Kevin (and then Mark) obliged—even though people like them are likely asked for favors like this far too often. Both agreed partly for Derek—and largely for Bill.

But these are not the heroic acts I’m referring to.

At the Paley event, the other Kevin on the panel (Smith) told the audience that Kevin Conroy had volunteered to do what he could after 9/11. Smith had not cleared this story in advance with Conroy, but Conroy was gracious. His role? Cooking for first responders in a makeshift kitchen near Ground Zero—for two weeks. And, appropriately for Batman, Kevin took the night shift.

I knew nothing of another aspect of Kevin’s heroism until this year when a story he wrote about his past was published in DC Comics anthology honoring Pride Month. (Kevin was the first openly gay actor to portray Batman.) 

Please read it. 

My last email exchange with Kevin was about that story, on June 8. I did not know he was sick. His last words to me: “stay safe and see you soon.”

Full video of "Batman at 75" panel at the Paley Center

Kevin Conroy, Chip Kidd, Kevin Smith, Michael Uslan, and I were told that only a three-minute clip of our 5/5/14 panel would be posted.

But we were then surprised with the whole thing.

Thank you to Travis Langley for recapping Bill Finger highlights of the panel, some of which I am restating here:

• 37:00 Whitney asks the question that leads me to talk about Bill.
• 41:30 Michael honors Bill in this year of Bill’s 100th birthday by introducing granddaughter Athena Finger, who was in attendance.
• 54:00 Marc discusses what Bill belonging Charles Sinclair gave to him.
• 1:00:00 Audience questions begin. The first person asks Marc about the most surprising thing he’d discovered when researching Bill.

Three-minute clip from "Batman at 75" panel at the Paley Center

On 5/5/14, I had the honor of joining Michael Uslan, Chip Kidd, Kevin Smith, and Kevin Conroy on a panel I also had the honor to name (and recap), “Batman at 75: To All a Dark Knight.” 

The Paley does not post complete panels *; here are the only three minutes you may get online:



* 5/23/14 addendum: Except sometimes.

“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 Beyond
• Chip Kidd, Designer, Batman: The Complete History; Author, Batman: Death by Design
• Kevin Smith, Filmmaker; Writer, Batman comic books; Host, Fat Man on Batman podcast
• Michael Uslan, Executive Producer, The Dark Knight film trilogy; Author, The Boy Who Loved Batman
• me
• Moderator: 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. Among the many highlights:

• Kevin Conroy taking to the stage booming “I am vengeance. I am the night. I am Batman!” to thunderous applause
• Chip 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 had died a few days earlier; Zimbalist voiced Alfred in Batman: The Animated Series and 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 and Whitney 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.

“Batman at 75” panel: main theater sold out!

The main theater for the “Batman at 75: To All a Dark Knight” panel at the Paley Center in New York on 5/5/14 is sold out. Seats are still available for the closed-circuit seating areas.

“I've been lucky to moderate some cool pop-culture events over the years, but there's one on the horizon that may take the cake.”
—Whitney Matheson, USA Today’s “Pop Candy” and moderator of the panel

After the panel, the panelists (Kevin Conroy, Chip Kidd, Kevin Smith, Michael Uslan, myself) will retire to a special undisclosed location to enjoy a Dark Knightcap.

Save the date: “Batman at 75: To All a Dark Knight” panel in NYC

In December 2012, I reached out to David Bushman at the Paley Center (formerly the Museum of TV and Radio) in New York to ask if they bring in speakers.

They don’t…at least not in the way I was envisioning.

But this kicked off the development of an event I am thrilled to finally be able to announce: a star-studded (plus me) panel about Batman’s cultural influence on the occasion of his 75th anniversary. 

The panelists:

• Kevin Conroy, Voice of Batman, Batman: The Animated Series; The New Batman Adventures
• Chip Kidd, Designer, Batman: The Complete History; Author, Batman: Death by Design
• Marc Tyler Nobleman, Author, Bill the Boy Wonder: The Secret Co-Creator of Batman
• Kevin Smith, Filmmaker; Writer, Batman comic books; Host, Fat Man on Batman podcast
• Michael Uslan, Executive Producer, The Dark Knight film trilogy; Author, The Boy Who Loved Batman

The moderator:

• Whitney Matheson, Columnist, USA Today’s “Pop Candy”

The details:

Date: Monday 5/5/14
Time: 6:30 p.m.
Place: 25 West 52 Street, New York
Cost: $25
Dress: cape and cowl optional

Space is limited. Register today! Tomorrow is also fine. Any later may be too late.