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February 8th will mark the 100th birthday of Bill Finger—the unsung writer who actually created most of the Batman mythology that we know and love. Although Bob Kane had the contract and the creative credit, as most comics scholars have been pointing out for years, it was Finger and artists like Jerry Robinson and Dick Sprang who actually did the work, as Kane hired a bunch of ghost writers and artists for the comic and the later comics strip. IN fact, Finger was there at the creation of Batman, and made many well-documented contributions that made the character who is he today.

Writer Marc Tyler Nobleman wrote a book (illustrated by Ty Templeton) called Bill the Boy Wonder: The Secret Co-Creator of Batman that tells Finger’s story. And he’s currently launched a campaign to get Google to recognize Finger’s centenary with a Google Doodle. for the day. Sounds like a tall order—but you can help by writing to Google yourself. Nobleman recently told Michael Cavna more about the campaign:

MARC TYLER NOBLEMAN: By now, Google Doodles are such a part of everyweek life that the idea was bound to hit me at one point. In early 2012, before “Bill the Boy Wonder” came out, I proposed a Doodle in conjunction with the opening of [the film] “The Dark Knight Rises.” That didn’t happen. So in 2013, I re-pitched it for an even more momentous occasion — in fact, a triple occasion in 2014: [Finger’s] 100th birthday, the 40th anniversary of his death, and the 75th anniversary of Batman. …

I contacted comics media to help me build momentum, and just about everybody I asked has been kind to help. I’ve seen hundreds of tweets and been copied on emails to Google. It’s been a thrill to see this gain so much support.


Templeton has his own post on the topic, and has contributed a hilarious comic which you can read in whole on the ink above.

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9 COMMENTS

  1. Thanks Heidi! To join the thousands in the movement to get Bill Finger the doodle for his 100th birthday, simply email [email protected].

    This is all you need to say:

    “Please honor Bill Finger, the co-creator and original writer of Batman, with the Google doodle on his 100th birthday, 2/8/14. (This year is also the 75th anniversary of Batman and 40th anniversary of Finger’s death.) Thank you!”

  2. I was truly saddened to learn Bill was denied true credit where it’s due. Don’t let him pass into history as a nobody; give Finger a Doodle for his birthday guys! It’s the justice he deserves!

  3. Bill Finger created the Batman costume as we know it, the names Dick Grayson and Bruce Wayne,created the nickname “The Dark Knight”
    he created the first batmobile, Catwoman, The Clock King etc
    Finger also co created Green Lantern. This man should have so much more praise. He should be as famous and respected as Stan Lee. Finger also cowrote a two-part episode “The Clock King’s Crazy Crimes / The Clock King Gets Crowned”, airing October 12–13, 1966, in season two of the live-action Batman TV series.

  4. So what’s to stop DC Comics from listing Finger as co-creator? “Created by Bob Kane” was a contractual obligation, but he’s dead. Does the agreement extend beyond death? “Created by Bob Kane and Bill Finger” shouldn’t be a difficult amendment.

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