Marc Tyler Nobelman, the author of Bill The Boy Wonder, has started a campaign to honor Bill Finger, the creator of Batman, with a Google Doodle on February 8th, 2014. This date marks what would have been Finger’s 100th birthday. 2014 is also the 40th anniversary of his death and the 75th anniversary of his best known creation, Batman. Nobelman has received attention in the social media sphere, on Twitter, Facebook, and Reddit so far. He has also seen support from comic creators, like Gail Simone and Kevin Smith.
There may be some confusion as to why this campaign is being treated so seriously by many comic experts and why Bill Finger is being accredited as Batman’s creator. The name Bob Kane must be noted as the character’s creator legally, but history tells a different story. Chris Sims, a notable comic book and Batman historian, has summarized Finger’s contributions as, “the color scheme, the costume, the cape, the cowl, the idea that he shouldn’t have any superpowers, the origin story about his parents being shot in an alley, the idea that he’s a detective, the words ‘Batmobile’ and ‘Gotham City’, Robin, the Joker, Catwoman, and a few other minor elements.” As for Kane, Sims admits, “he was the one who wrote the word ‘BAT-MAN’ down on a piece of paper and drew a character wearing a red suit with a domino mask, blonde hair and a pair of bat wings.”
If you are interested in contributing to Nobelman’s campaign, e-mails can be sent to [email protected] requesting a doodle to honor Bill Finger’s legacy be posted on February 8th.
