Bill Finger, Co-creator of Batman 1 1

[otherworldcomics]

Someone else posted about the ending of The Killing Joke but while there I found this:

http://www.bleedingcool.com/2013/08/12/he-made-batman-no-one-else-kane-had-nothing-to-do-with-it-bill-did-it-all-carmine-infantino-on-bill-finger/

 

I have heard of Bill Finger before and had heard alot of the story. It was pretty said. Basically, Bob Kane had education and business sauvy to really roll over Bill. Bill was less educated and really just trying to work. My understanding is that Bob Kane had a contract with DC that basically said that whenever they did Batman they have to say "created by Bob Kane". I really hope this guy is able to help the last of the Finger family and get poor Bill some recognition in the main stream media.

[Comicopolis]

I think Bill Finger's story is pretty well known by now but it's always good to see other important industry figures corroborate what happened.

 

Great link. (thumbs u

[VintageComics]

It's kind of sad to see someone's reputation change like that over time. You idolize the guy as a kid only to have all the glamour stripped away one article at a time.

 

People that I have dealt with that knew Kane personally said he wasn't too bad of a guy (I bought a sketch from a guy who said he painted Kane's home) but there sure are a lot of stones getting overturned showing how he tried to cover his tracks.

 

There are threads in the GA forum that document regularly where Kane copied stuff and used it as his own. I can't remember the exact details but I believe it would be considered plagiarism today. Maybe it wasn't as big of a deal 80 years ago, but it certainly looks damning.

 

 

 

 

[Speedy-D]

It's kind of sad to see someone's reputation change like that over time. You idolize the guy as a kid only to have all the glamour stripped away one article at a time.

 

People that I have dealt with that knew Kane personally said he wasn't too bad of a guy (I bought a sketch from a guy who said he painted Kane's home) but there sure are a lot of stones getting overturned showing how he tried to cover his tracks.

 

There are threads in the GA forum that document regularly where Kane copied stuff and used it as his own. I can't remember the exact details but I believe it would be considered plagiarism today. Maybe it wasn't as big of a deal 80 years ago, but it certainly looks damning.

 

 

 

Infantino had a good story about Kane copying one of his SA Batman/'Tec covers and selling it in a gallery as his own. Only it turned out, Kane hadn't even done the copy...he got a hack to do it for him!

[VintageComics]

 

I believe someone even recently documented that the cover to Tec #27 was a copy of something else, wasn't it?

[Comicopolis]

It's kind of sad to see someone's reputation change like that over time. You idolize the guy as a kid only to have all the glamour stripped away one article at a time.

 

People that I have dealt with that knew Kane personally said he wasn't too bad of a guy (I bought a sketch from a guy who said he painted Kane's home) but there sure are a lot of stones getting overturned showing how he tried to cover his tracks.

 

There are threads in the GA forum that document regularly where Kane copied stuff and used it as his own. I can't remember the exact details but I believe it would be considered plagiarism today. Maybe it wasn't as big of a deal 80 years ago, but it certainly looks damning.

 

 

 

Infantino had a good story about Kane copying one of his SA Batman/'Tec covers and selling it in a gallery as his own. Only it turned out, Kane hadn't even done the copy...he got a hack to do it for him!

 

He was Andy Warhol before Andy Warhol.

[lemonman5]

Whenever I get into the conversation about Bob Kane creating Batman, I always make sure to note that Bill Finger also co-created the character, but gets zero credit. It's pretty sad. It really bothers me that Bob Kane gets his name in all things Batman, yet Bill Finger is neglected.

[VintageComics]

This thread was a real eye opener.

 

The link is summarized a few posts after the first post.

 

 

[otherworldcomics]

It's kind of sad to see someone's reputation change like that over time. You idolize the guy as a kid only to have all the glamour stripped away one article at a time.

 

People that I have dealt with that knew Kane personally said he wasn't too bad of a guy (I bought a sketch from a guy who said he painted Kane's home) but there sure are a lot of stones getting overturned showing how he tried to cover his tracks.

 

There are threads in the GA forum that document regularly where Kane copied stuff and used it as his own. I can't remember the exact details but I believe it would be considered plagiarism today. Maybe it wasn't as big of a deal 80 years ago, but it certainly looks damning.

 

I respect Bob for his business sense. He got it right where so many creators at the time didn't. Definitely a forward thinker there. However, I'm all about giving credit where its due. And that's the sad part of this. Bill died pretty much penniless from what I gather. In the meantime, Bob is getting paid royalties. I wish he had given Bill the credit he deserved. I just wonder why DC hasn't done the same thing they did for Superman's creators. Yeah, I know there were lawsuits for years, but, why not just come out and be honest? Just do the right thing. And I think comic book collectors and maybe pop culture followers may know about Bill but I doubt the average person knows about him. I mean the people that see the movies and cartoons and such.

[Senormac]

IDK..... but this whole senario so reminds me of the american indians and the treaties they received from the govt

Edited August 18, 2013 by Senormac

[Comicopolis]

IDK..... but this whole senario so reminds me of the american indians and the treaties they received from the govt

 

Wasn't that all legit?

[dupont2005]

 

I believe someone even recently documented that the cover to Tec #27 was a copy of something else, wasn't it?

Batman himself is heavily based on some movie or serial character with a bat theme. Mickey Mouse had a character based off the same source called the "Bat Bandit" that predates Batman

 

Mask, cape, bat silhouette in yellow light.

[ChrisInBaltimore]

Reading through all this stuff, why has this never been corrected? Movies and what not never give him credit. I've heard whispers of this, but never seen the evidence I'm reading as I click through and read this stuff. Crazy...

[Comicopolis]

Secret Origins of the Batman.

[Hibou]

Secret Origins of the Batman.

 

Thank you for that link...

 

Awesome!!!

[Comicopolis]

Secret Origins of the Batman 2

 

Secret Origins of the Batman 3

[Senormac]

IDK..... but this whole senario so reminds me of the american indians and the treaties they received from the govt

 

Wasn't that all legit?

 

more like....the same as now

[VintageComics]

Wow. Unbelievable.

 

Bill Finger co-created Batman, and created the Joker, the original Green Lantern, Wildcat, Robin the Boy Wonder, Alfred, Bat-Mite, Catwoman, Penguin, Two-Face, Bat-Mite?

 

The guy was a genius.

 

 

[Aman619]

it doesnt get corrected because Kane has a legally defended contract that says HE created Batman and get the credit. Often times the "law" doesnt do justice to the "truth"

 

and wasnt this basically a case of a friend helping another friend work on a project that was all speculative? Who knew "The Batman" would still be around in 1 year let alone a billion dollar property 75 years later?

 

To me , in this case, its Kane who should have made reparations to his friend at some point. But thats really asking too much of anyone in the "real world".

 

[SpideyFein]

I had just read about this in the Overstreet Price Guide. Pretty amazing. Kane should have given Finger props, c'mon, it sounds similar to the Facebook situation, but in this case I think Finger legitimately help create Bats.