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For decades, every Batman comic book has carried the byline "Created by Bob Kane." But as Mark Tyler Nobleman explains in Bill the Boy Wonder: The Secret Co-Creator of Batman (Charlesbridge, 2012), somebody else had a hand (make that finger) in the Dark Knight's evolution.
In this picture book for older readers, Nobleman, also author of Boys of Steel: The Creators of Superman (Knopf, 2008), unveils unsung hero Bill Finger, a struggling writer and artist whom Kane approached after he'd been commissioned to create a new superhero for the company that would become DC Comics. Nobleman's concise, pun-filled prose is paired with colorful, comic-book style illustrations from cartoonist and Batman artist Ty Templeton to shine a brilliant batlight on Finger's indelible contributions to the Batman legend, from concept to costume to character.
It's an intriguing, well-researched, warts-and-all portrait of Finger that moved a Kirkus reviewer to muse, "What makes this sketch of Finger so memorable is its intimacy with the characters, the way in which it coaxes out an engaging vulnerability in Finger and, by association, with Batman."
AUTHORLINK: The mystery of Bill Finger—how did you first become aware of it? How and why did you unravel it? Reading your six-page author's note, I was amazed at your persistence—you're one dogged detective!
". . . writers can’t know how deep their research will take them, but I could not have expected that this would dominate five years of my life!" —NOBLEMAN
NOBLEMAN: Thank you! When embarking on a project, writers can’t know how deep their research will take them, but I could not have expected that this would dominate five years of my life! I don’t remember when or how I first learned of Bill Finger, other than that it was sometime after I graduated from college in 1994. His role in the creation of Batman was not the mystery here, though—comics fans know about that already. What I discovered was the man behind the myth—and the family behind the man. As for how I did that, since it happened over five years, it’s hard to summarize, but here’s a start: http://noblemania.blogspot.com/2012/08/what-did-not-make-it-into-bill-boy.html.
AUTHORLINK: What were some of the most exciting discoveries on your quest for Bill's truth?
NOBLEMAN: Fingers down the biggest: Bill’s lone and previously unknown heir, a granddaughter born two years after Bill died. She knew what her grandfather had done but little more. Yet, she is the closest living link to Bill, which gives her significant responsibility!
I also found and talked to people who were close to Bill at various points but who have never been interviewed: his second wife, his longtime writing partner, and even his sister, from whom he was estranged. (Being Bill’s contemporaries, all of these people were into their eighties when I first talked with them.) I also uncovered the first “new” Bill Finger photos in decades (and only two were widely known beforehand); one is his high school yearbook photo. And I found the only known examples of Bill’s correspondence and handwriting.
AUTHORLINK: As you sleuthed, did you know you'd write a book from what you found? Why a children's book, why not a biography for adults who've grown up with the comic books and TV show? Or why not two books, one for kids and one for adults?
NOBLEMAN: I started the research with the intention of writing a book. I don’t consider Bill the Boy Wonder: The Secret Co-Creator of Batman a children’s book, actually; rather I market it as a picture book for older readers (starting with second graders and ending with adults!). That’s why the author’s note is as long and as sophisticated as it is. Many have asked why not a full-on adult prose book, but I wanted to reach as many as possible. I want kids to grow up knowing that if they see “Batman created by Bob Kane,” they are not seeing the whole truth. I’ve been fortunate to receive heartening responses from both kids and adults.
AUTHORLINK: What were the most challenging aspects of distilling Bill's story for younger readers? What was the most fun about crafting Bill's tale? The puns rock!
“. . . the back matter, the puns were tribute to Bill’s scripts, which often employed them. Otherwise, I would have avoided them!” —NOBLEMAN
NOBLEMAN: The puns! Yes, well, as you may have seen in the back matter, the puns were tribute to Bill’s scripts, which often employed them. Otherwise, I would have avoided them! One challenge in telling Bill’s story for a younger audience was making the idea of intellectual property accessible to them. But so far it’s worked. Another was the fact that the story does veer into other mature topics, most of which are confined to the author’s note.
AUTHORLINK: So was Bill a hard or easy sell? Of course, there's the Batman tie-in to exploit, but I could imagine some editors balking at the "adultness" of this behind-the-scenes, unsung hero story.
NOBLEMAN: Thirty-four rejections. This after Boys of Steel: The Creators of Superman (itself having received twenty-two rejections), which did and continues to do well. And this despite the fact that Batman is reportedly the most popular (i.e., lucrative) superhero of all time. But the obstacle was rarely the adultness, as far as I was told. The most common concern was about working with characters owned by DC Comics.
AUTHORLINK: Talk about how you've promoted the book. Did the PR kind of take on its own momentum? Any tips on how an author can make that happen?
“Having Batman as your partner does have its advantages. But promoting the book has still been a lot of hard work.”
—NOBLEMAN
NOBLEMAN: Having Batman as your partner does have its advantages. But promoting the book has still been a lot of hard work. Luckily, I love it. It’s all about two things: making it relevant to whatever audience you’re pitching and finding as many audiences as possible to pitch to.
We sent review copies to the traditional outlets (School Library Journal, Booklist, Kirkus, etc.) but also to both comics press and mainstream media. I’m happy and humbled to say it has paid off. We’ve gotten coverage from unlikely (but most welcomed) sources, including Forbes, Wired, even MTV, plus two that have been a huge boost on social media channels, NPR’s All Things Considered and a TED talk I gave. You can see snippets here: http://noblemania.blogspot.com/search/label/book%20review.
I would not say PR took on its own momentum; it requires constant nurturing! I do have plenty of marketing tips for authors. The most basic are be prepared to take chances and follow every lead.
AUTHORLINK: What are you working on next?
NOBLEMAN: I'm hoping that the positive response to the book will help me assure an editor that my next passion project—a little-known but jaw-dropping story from WWII, with a Japanese pilot protagonist—is a good bet. There’s already quite a story behind my story of this story: http://noblemania.blogspot.com/2011/09/picture-book-for-sale.html. If anyone reading this agrees with what I’m trying to do, please add your voice to the comments section!
Susan VanHecke is an author and editor of books for adults and children. Her titles for young people include Raggin' Jazzin' Rockin': A History of American Musical Instrument Makers (Boyds Mills, 2011), Rock 'N' Roll Soldier (HarperCollins, 2009), and An Apple Pie For Dinner (Cavendish, 2009). To find out more about Susan and her books, visit www.susanvanhecke.com and www.susanvanheckeeditorial.com.
