“Bill the Boy Wonder” games

Several fun games based on Bill the Boy Wonder: The Secret Co-Creator of Batman are at the official site (including curriculum guide) for the book (watch out for those many unofficial sites).

Below are two more. For the first one, you need your friends. The second one you can do solo.

Bill Finger game #1: Speed Search

Race your friends! Which of you will be the first to find every item below in Bill the Boy Wonder?

Simply print this page for every competitor to use as a checklist; as you find each item, cross it off:

• a bronze scarab paperweight
• grapes
• a fish
• a wooden human mannequin
• an umbrella
• a Spider-Man mask
• a palette
• the Scarecrow (villain)
• a cane
• the Empire State Building
• a “help wanted” sign
• a quill (feather pen)
• a baseball hat
• the moon 
• BONUS: Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster (the creators of Superman)

Bill Finger game #2: Find Finger

For most of Bill Finger’s career, his fans did not know he existed. How could this be? His name was not in Batman comic books.

In this game, however, it is—sometimes.

In the jumbles below, can you find the words “Bill Finger” within the words “Batman comic book” with no missing letters?

Examples:
 
BLIABLIERTMANCGOMFICBONOK = Yes!

BEAITGMBANCNOMFICBROLLOK = No. There is a missing “I.”

Your turn! Is “Bill Finger” in any of these “Batman comic books”?

BBAITMLANLCFIOMGICBEOORK

BARTIMBANNICGOEMILLCBOFONK

BRATEMGANNCOIMFICLBOIOBK

BILATMANBLFRCOMIINCBOGEOK

BILFATBIMANNCEOGMICBROOLK 

Scroll down for answers.











Answers:

BBAITMLANLCFIOMGICBEOORK = No. There is a missing “N.”

BARTIMBANNICGOEMILLCBOFONK = Yes!

BRATEMGANNCOIMFICLBOIOBK = No. There is a missing “L.”

BILATMANBLFRCOMIINCBOGEOK = Yes!

BILFATBIMANNCEOGMICBROOLK = Yes!

"Hey Kids, Comics!": comics people remember comics

Rob Kelly, the man who put the "aqua" in "Aquanet" (AKA The Aquaman Shrine), has birthed a stellar new project: Hey Kids, Comics!, a book of nostalgia essays contributed by a broad (hence my good fortune to be among them) range of people associated with comics.

Each of us was asked to write about a formative moment in our personal comics history. I suspect some went the more analytical, character-building route, while I took a somewhat breezy approach, simply revisiting issues whose stories (or, in come cases, just covers) are anchored firmly in my head. 

Please support Rob by checking out the book, which is available in both print and digital editions. It is a unique compilation, well done. 

Congrats, Rob, and thanks again for including me. Okay, I'll say it: "Outrageous!"

Bill Finger’s sole official credit in his lifetime...on Superman?

Only once in his lifetime, Bill Finger received a “written by” credit on a first-run Batman story, and it wasn’t a comic book.

And though he wrote Superman stories, too (he created Lana Lang!), same deal—one credit, in TV:

“Lava Men” is an episode of The New Adventures of Superman, a Filmation series of animated shorts that debuted in 1966.

Though there is currently almost no trace online that Bill wrote for this series, in 2006, I did follow a path to determine that this was the case. But I didn’t look for the visual proof until now.

Thank you to Bill Davis of Toronto for prompting me to revisit this.

Adios, Señor Superhombre.

Bonus:

Excerpts from emails with Bill’s second wife Lyn Simmons, and one other, in figuring this out:

From: Marc Tyler Nobleman
To: Lyn Simmons
Sent: Saturday, October 14, 2006 9:02 AM
Subject: Hi Lyn - Superman movie

You said they called Bill to ask him to come to California to write a script for the Superman movie. I've talked with a few people who were involved with the film and they don't remember that. Are you sure?

There was another writer named Alfred Bester who was friends with Bill who was definitely asked—there are written accounts online. Did you know Alfred? Is it possible you're confusing the two? Can you remember any more details?

From: Lyn Simmons
Sent: Saturday, October 14, 2006 4:25 PM

good to hear from you marc. bester's name rings a bell but don't think i ever met him. i'm pretty sure that bill received invitation to ca to write superman films. it's so long ago and i could be mistaken but I don't think so. in any event he never went. he had anxiety about flying and about leaving nyc.

bill may never have told his fellow writers about ca because he didn't want to explain why he wasn't going.

From: Pierre Spengler
Sent: Wednesday, December 13, 2006 1:05 PM

We purchased the rights in november 1974 and therefore started hunting for writer in the beginning of 1975. Very soon thereafter we engaged Mario Puzo. Therefore we never approached Bill Finger.

From: Lyn Simmons
Date: Tuesday, December 19, 2006 10:18 AM

i believe he was asked to come out to ca in the late 60s. i'm pretty sure it was superman. maybe they wanted him out there for ideas or stories a year or so before he died which i think was in '74. but perhaps it was for cartoons.

Ryan Adams, singer of "New York, New York," likes Batman

And I like that song a lot and so I like that he favorited a tweet I sent him about Batman.

In honor of those whose lives were lost or affected twelve years ago today:

This makes it even more haunting:

Engine 26, New York City. 

Note what symbol appears three times here.

Heroes appreciating heroes.

Guess the picture book: answers

Yesterday I challenged you to identity some of my favorite picture books by a single page. Spoiler alert: look at that post before you keep going with this post!

From Harry the Dirty Dog to Leo the Late Bloomer, here are the answers:

A Hole Is to Dig

Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day

Are You My Mother?

Harry the Dirty Dog

Leo the Late Bloomer

Little Gorilla

Humbug Witch

Hubknuckles

Oliver

Dear Mr. Blueberry

I'll Teach My Dog a Lot of Words

Ten Apples Up on Top!

Stanley

Harry and the Terrible Whatzit

Duck, Death and the Tulip

Why the Sun and the Moon Live in the Sky

The Pilgrims' First Thanksgiving

The Story of Ferdinand

Guess the picture book

Presented for your enjoyment: a favorite page from some of my favorite picture books. 

All were present during my ‘70s childhood, with three exceptions. All are fiction, with two exceptions. It is not a comprehensive list of all of my favorites, though that does not matter in terms of what I am about to ask you to do...

Can you identify each book from a page?

Answers tomorrow.