#178 “Batman & Bill”: The Creatorship Controversy

To The Batpoles! Batman 1966

For decades, the creation of Batman, and all the characters and things surrounding him, was credited to Bob Kane. But it turned out that someone else, Bill Finger, was heavily involved in the character’s creation and was the uncredited writer of many of the early stories. Kane actively quashed rumors that the words “Batman by Bob Kane” were less than accurate. Kane became rich and famous; Finger died flat broke.

Batman and Bill is a film about the controversy over Batman’s creation, and the successful crusade by writer Marc Tyler Nobleman to have Finger credited as a creator of Batman, after Finger’s only published Batman credit in his lifetime had been co-authorship of the TV arc The Clock King’s Crazy Crimes. This time we discuss the film.

ALSO: Batman references on 1960s pop music shows, the Saturday Morning Jams version of Hefti’s Batman theme, and your mail about our discussion of Cannan and Cash’s “Marsha” script.

The Hullabaloo Bat-Dancers

The Velvelettes on Swingin' Time

Paul Revere and the Raiders demonstrate Bat-fandom while lip-syncing Steppin' Out on Bandstand