Tuesday, April 25, 2017

Who's who in the "Batman & Bill" credits

The documentary Batman & Bill, about the fight to get Bill Finger credited on Batman, is premiering on Hulu on May 6. It is the first-ever film based on a nonfiction book for young readers. Thank you again to all who agreed to appear in the film.

The Special Thanks section is lengthy; here are screen grabs that include people I requested we thank, and an explanation for some (some of whom may not remember/realize!):

(in order of appearance in credits)



  • Big Planet Comics—my local comic shop, which let us film inside
  • Joel Pollack—co-owner of my local comic shop
  • 92nd Street Y—New York City cultural center that allowed us to film a talk I gave there


  • Lara—my daughter
  • Rafael—my son
  • Steven Parker—Maryland school librarian who arranged an assembly for us to film (on short notice, during the last week of the school year, amidst a move from one school building to another)
  • Gerard Pelisson—helped me find Bill's yearbook photo
  • Mark Evanier—pulled some strings for us at San Diego Comic-Con
  • Lee Sosin—optioned the story in 2009 (even before the book was under contract) for Time Inc. Studios, connected me with the filmmakers, covered the first two interviews shot (Lyn Simmons and Charles Sinclair in 2008)
  • Robert Sharenow—brought me in to pitch A&E Indie Films, which funded initial footage
  • Molly Thompson—A&E Senior Vice President, Feature Films
  • Jordan Monsanto—Kevin Smith's assistant


  • J. David Spurlock—agent of Jim Steranko (see next bullet); patiently responded to multiple requests to interview Steranko for the film and tried to make it work 
  • Jim Steranko—legendary comics artist and second person to interview Bill professionally; unfortunately, his schedule did not allow him to participate in the film though he remains an outspoken Bill Finger advocate
  • Jens Robinson—son of Jerry Robinson 
  • Christian Simonds—my lawyer
  • Ty Templeton—artist of Bill the Boy Wonder: The Secret Co-Creator of Batman
  • Chris Duffy—loaned us his hotel room to film interviews at San Diego Comic-Con 2011
  • Kirk Kimball (AKA Robby Reed)—sent scan of Bill from Paul Levitz's book 75 Years of DC Comics
  • Bob Hughes—ditto
  • Paul Kupperberg—ditto
  • Robert Greenberger—ditto 
  • John Wells—ditto




  • Marita Sherburne—Maryland elementary school principal who granted permission to film me doing an assembly 
  • Wood Acres Elementary School, Bethesda, MD—the school where we filmed (though the school was in a temporary building while the actual building was undergoing renovation)
  • Alyssa Mito Pusey—editor of Bill the Boy Wonder
  • Charlesbridge Publishing—publisher of Bill the Boy Wonder
  • XYZ: Nate Bolotin, Nick Spicer, Aram Tertzakian—filmmakers who were interested in making the documentary


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