Bill Finger

William " Bill" Finger (February 8th 1914, January 18th 1974) was an American writer known to have taken part (although in a nonofficial way) in creation of Batman with Bob Kane. It also took part in the creation of the Joker, of Catwoman, the Sphinx like to other enemies of Batman. He also worked on Green Lantern

Contributions

Batman

Finger joined the team of Kane in 1938. One year later, the success of Superman in Action Comics encouraged the owners of National Publications (who will become cd. Comics) to inject more stories of superman in their publications. Although Bob Kane is credited like the creator with Batman, of the polemics were launched in the book Men off Tomorrow , in which it is indicated that Kane had created a " Birdman" whereas Finger as for him had suggested the name of " Beats-Man". However Finger itself admitted that Kane had this project at the head well before Finger does not join the project.

In an interview published in History off the Comics: Vol. One of Jim Steranko, Finger describes in detail the suggestions that it had made concerning the costume of Batman. It found that the costume of Beats-Man was too close to that of Superman. It gave new artistic indications.

Finger wrote the first script of Batman, and Kane drew it. Being given that Kane had already proposed with cd. Comics a character of man bat, it is him which was credited officially.

Kane explained why it is Finger which found the names of the alter egos of Batman and Robin. " The similarities between the names - Bruce Wayne, Bob Kane - was probably one of the reasons for which Bill found this nom."

Finger was a scenario writer very meticulous person and thus, very slow. The editor of the time " suggéra" in Kane to change scenario writer. It was Gardner Fox which took over temporarily the duties, and the latter introduced the elements traditional of the armament of Batman (the belt, Batplane and Batarang.).

Kane and Finger injected into Batman their various influences: pulps, the comic strips, the environment of the film blacks, as well as elements drawn from the comedies of the Marx Brothers or Three Stooges. Finger left the studios of Kane to work directly in collaboration with cd. Comics.

Green Lantern

In 1940, Finger worked with the draftsman Martin Nodell in order to create a new hero in All-American Comics #16. It is about the first appearance of Green Lantern. They created the scenario according to a guiding line. According to Nodell, Finger was brought to write scenarios well after Nodell already invented the character.

Although the character never had the same impact nor the same popularity of Batman, there remains one of the pillars of the history of cd. Comics. However, Finger is not any more credited as being the true creator of Green Lantern.

References

Jones, Gerald. Men off Tomorrow: Geeks, Gangsters, and the Birth off the Comic Book .
Fifty Years off American Comic Books by Ron Goulart.
History off the Comics vol. 1 by Jim Steranko
Death and Fetal Deaths Reported in 1974, New York

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