Bill Finger

Bill_finger_photo

Bill Finger (February 8, 1914 – January 18, 1974) was an American comic strip and comic book writer best known as the co-creator, with Bob Kane, of the DC Comics character Batman. Finger also wrote many of the original Green Lantern stories, and contributed to the development of numerous other comic book characters.

Early Life[edit | edit source]

Bill Finger was born Milton Finger in Denver, Colorado. He was the second child of a Jewish family. His father, Louis Finger, was a tailor, and his mother, Tessie, was a homemaker. The family moved to The Bronx, New York City, where Finger attended DeWitt Clinton High School.

Career[edit | edit source]

Batman[edit | edit source]

In 1938, Finger met Bob Kane, who was working on comic books at the time. Kane had been asked to create a new superhero to follow the success of Superman. Kane came up with a character called "Bat-Man" and asked Finger to help develop the concept. Finger suggested several key elements of the character, including the now-iconic costume, the character's alter ego Bruce Wayne, and many of the supporting characters and villains, such as Robin, The Joker, and Catwoman.

Finger's contributions to Batman were not widely recognized during his lifetime. It was only after his death that he began to receive credit for his role in the creation of the character. In 2015, DC Comics officially recognized Finger as co-creator of Batman.

Green Lantern[edit | edit source]

Finger also played a significant role in the creation of the Green Lantern character. He wrote many of the early stories featuring the original Green Lantern, Alan Scott, and contributed to the development of the character's mythology.

Other Work[edit | edit source]

In addition to his work on Batman and Green Lantern, Finger wrote for various other comic book series and characters. He worked on titles such as Superman, Wonder Woman, and The Flash. Finger also wrote for television, including episodes of the Batman TV series in the 1960s.

Personal Life[edit | edit source]

Finger was married twice and had one son, Fred Finger. He struggled financially for much of his life and did not receive significant recognition for his work until after his death. Finger passed away in 1974 at the age of 59.

Legacy[edit | edit source]

Bill Finger's contributions to the comic book industry have been increasingly recognized in recent years. He was posthumously inducted into the Will Eisner Award Hall of Fame in 1999 and the Jack Kirby Hall of Fame in 1994. The annual Bill Finger Award for Excellence in Comic Book Writing was established in his honor to recognize writers who have not received the recognition they deserve.