"12 Don't-Miss Comic Book Panels At Comic-Con International 2019"

Thank you, Comic Book Resources, for including "Bill Finger and the Secret Origin of Batman" on your list of must-see comic book panels at San Diego Comic-Con. 

I saw it only after the panel and was doubly thrilled because we had a great turnout even though many of the audience members probably didn't see the article. Make that triply thrilled because we (Bill) got a (partial) standing ovation. Humbling every time.

Yet another shout-out to friends/fellow writers Brad Ricca and Danny Fingeroth for stepping up at the last minute to take over for the scheduled moderators, Tom King and Marc Andreyko.

How to choose an Airbnb

This summer, I’ll be making my fourth pilgrimage to Comic-Con International: San Diego (commonly known as San Diego Comic-Con).

The three previous years I went:

• 2011—to film for the second of three attempts to make a Bill Finger documentary
• 2012—to promote the newly-released Bill the Boy Wonder
• 2014—to honor Bill Finger on the 100th anniversary of his birth and 40th anniversary of his death (not to mention the 75th anniversary of Batman)

This year I’m returning to SDCC to take part in at least one special event for Batman’s 80th, and as usual, SDCC attendees need to book a place to sleep 18-20 months in advance.

To avoid paying approximately $400 a night for a Hampton Inn that will cost a quarter of that a week later, I booked an Airbnb for the first time. (I was also a late adopter of iPods, blogging, and Lyft.) Though I was a bit hesitant (being a clean freak), I was reassured by an omen. One of the options indicated that the owners have two cats—which is two strikes for me. But the property is a separate guest house where the cats don’t go. 

Funnily, the cats ended up being the deciding factor: their names are Bruce Wayne and Bane. (And you thought “B&B” stood for “bed and breakfast.”)

I’m not a cat man but am, of course, a Bat man.

Speaking of animals named for the Dark Knight’s secret identity, this is reminiscent of how I found Athena Finger.

Again, a good omen!

My Bill Finger tribute in the 2014 Comic-Con souvenir book

An honor that prompted me to jump up and down (once) in my hotel room when I first saw it:

In the unlikely case of fanboys and fangirls who did not catch this immediately, this was the inspiration for the title of the article:

origin written by Bill Finger (Batman #1, 1940)

Comic-Con 2014: Bill Finger rises

On 7/24-25/14, I had the privilege of attending Comic-Con International (commonly called San Diego Comic-Con) to appear on three panels, two of which were Bill Finger-focused:

• “Spotlight on Bill Finger, the Co-Creator of Batman”; 7/24/14, 11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m., room 4; panelists: Tom Andrae, Mark Evanier, Lee Meriwether, Jens Robinson, Michael Uslan, me; moderator: Travis Langley
• “Kids’ Heroes, Capes, and Journeys: Does One Size Fit All?”; 7/24/14, 4-5 p.m., room 29A; panelists: Frank Cammuso, Alexis E. Fajardo, Jenni Holm, Matthew Holm, Dave Roman, me; moderator: Meryl Jaffe
• “Who Created Batman?”; 7/25/14, 2:30-3:30 p.m., (room) CAC 8; panelists: Tom Andrae, Athena Finger, Denny O’Neil, Brad Ricca, Jens Robinson, Arlen Schumer, Nicky Wheeler-Nicholson, me; moderator: Travis Langley

I came via train from Los Angeles and sat next to a DC Comics lawyer who ended up attending both Batman panels I was on. After the first panel, an attendee kindly asked if he could have my badge. While flattering, I had to say no because I could not get back in without it. 

A writer for Huffington Post Italy interviewed me with some insightful questions; he also asked if I planned to attend the screening of Gotham to publicly ask if Bill’s name will be in the credits. (I see his point but feel that would not be a proper approach.)

Before the “Who Created Batman” panel, a friend said he assumed I would simply stand up at the start of it, say “Bill Finger,” drop the mike, and swagger out. I did not do that but I did share the suggestion with the audience.

One of the most important people in Billfingerography (the study of Bill Finger) is Jim Steranko, who in 1970 became one of only three known people to interview Bill (the other two being Jerry Bails in 1965 and Bob Porfirio in 1972). I had the honor of meeting Jim in person at Comic-Con and gave him the only copy of Bill the Boy Wonder: The Secret Co-Creator of Batman I brought. It was also the first copy of the Scholastic Book Club paperback edition I signed for anyone. Yes, he humored me by asking me to autograph it.

Photo recap:

 Appropriate that mere minutes after arriving in San Diego,

I passed the Hall of Justice.

 First San Diego appearance for Athena!

 Hard to imagine Bill’s name appearing in a DC ad 

even a couple of years ago.

 Truly one of the biggest honors of my career: being asked to write about Bill 

for the souvenir book that went to all 130,000 attendees.

Selfie with (restored) Detective #27.

 Selfie with (restored) Action Comics #1.

 Standing room only Finger panel panorama. (Panelrama.)

 Athena and Ben accepting a posthumous Inkpot Award for Bill.

 The Finger panelists. (source: Jamie Coville)

 Another great turnout: the “Who Created Batman?” panel.

 Mark Evanier and Athena presenting the Bill Finger Awards 

during the Eisners.

 One of the great joys and honors of my Comic-Con was not only

meeting Susan Eisenberg, who portrayed Wonder Woman in  

Justice League and (my favorite) Justice League Unlimited, 

but also getting to hang out with her.

She is fun, gracious...a class act.

 Susan and Phil LaMarr (Green Lantern John Stewart in JL and JLU).

We also tried to see their teammate Kevin Conroy, 

whom I paneled with in May, but alas, the timing did not work.

 Susan and the official Wonder Woman of Six Flags (which one, I forget).

 Golden Age granddaughters!

The grandchildren of Shelly Moldoff, Sheldon Mayer, and Bill Finger.

The “Hero Complex” column of the Los Angeles Times covered the Finger panel; excerpts:

A gift for Derek Wolfford for doing me a huge (non-Con) favor and 

for running the Bill Finger Appreciation Group on Facebook... 

the Detective Comics #27 tribute issue signed by six Bat-luminaries: 

Athena Finger (top)

Denny O’Neil (below Athena)

Jim Steranko (below Denny)

Neal Adams (below Steranko)

Lee Meriwether (the second live-action Catwoman, and an articulate delight)

Michael Uslan

Name drop section:

It was fun to catch up in person with…

• everyone on my panels
• Chris Duffy
• Dan Santat
• Jeff Trexler
• Gerard Jones
• Josh Elder
• Glen Weldon
• Karen Green
• Scott McCloud
• Charlie Kochman
• Melissa Wiley
• Jamie Coville
• David Siegel
• Kendall Whitehouse
• Ray Feighery
• Chelle Mayer

It was a pleasure to meet in person for the first time…

• Jim Steranko
• Denny O’Neil
• Neal Adams
• Alethia Mariotta
• A.J. and Erica Schultz
• Pat Evans
• Phil Nel
• Dean Trippe
• Joey Cavalieri
• Chad Beckerman (also from Cheshire, CT)
• Shannon Hale
• Mike Maihack
• Matt Keller (at DC)

Thank you again to…

• Travis Langley and Mark Evanier for getting me there
• Gary Sassaman for asking me to write about Bill for the souvenir book
• Jenni Holm for inviting me to be on a panel with an impressive crew
• Meryl Jaffe for moderating said panel with wit and depth
• Sheila Marie Everett and Raina Telgemeier for getting me into the Scholastic party
• Athena and Ben for making your big debut

Batman Day media round-up (Bill Finger Edition)

It’s Batman Day, scheduled to coincide with the kickoff to Comic-Con, where I am currently headed. But instead of a Batrentalcar, I opted for the Battrain.

So live from the Los Angeles-San Diego Amtrak and the agonizingly slow wifi that goes with it, here’s a quick rundown of Batman Day coverage that gives special attention (if not full focus) to Bill Finger, without whom there would be no Batman Day:

• Los Angeles Times (Hero Complex); interview about Bill
• Today Show
• Washington Post (Comic Riffs)
• Fast Company (Co.Create); don’t miss the comments
• Wharton (not published today but they repromoted it today)
• author Alan J. Porter’s most gracious post

More photos from San Diego Comic-Con

Revealing that a paperweight shown in the book is not a made-up detail, 7/12/12.

You may have read about this before.

Clumsily revealing what my shirt says.

co-panelist Larry Tye, panel moderator Mark Evanier, me, 7/13/12

All photos courtesy of Kendall Whitehouse, Director, New Media, Wharton Marketing and Communications.

The Golden Age at San Diego Comic-Con

San Diego Comic-Con panels about Golden Age creators earned a nod on Slate, in an article by Seth Stevenson. He mentioned both I was part of:

One of the more touching themes I've noticed at Comic-Con has been the effort to grant forgotten comic book creators their due. Panel after panel has paid solemn tribute to comics legends of yore. ... There was a panel devoted to Bill Finger, the co-creator of Batman, who was denied official credit by his schmucky partner Bob Kane. Complaining that they don't expect to see Finger's name listed in the credits for the new Batman movie, the panelists urged us to give a symbolic "finger" when Kane's name appears [emphasis mine]. Another panel recounted the sad tale of Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster, who invented Superman but then sold the rights for $130—70 years later, this is still the subject of an ongoing lawsuit.

I was that urging panelist but the finger I suggested giving was quite literal; in fact, I provided it to attendees: