Secrets...

More than twenty years ago my nephew decided he wanted to collect comic books along with the cards.  I was his willing co-conspirator in this endeavor, not having been able to do this when I was his age.  We haunted comic and card shops, saving all our spare money to spend on the next, or elusive, issue or card needed to complete a set.  It was one of the best times of my life lasting for more than a decade.  My favorite titles were those featuring Batman, fueled by the 1989 film directed by Tim Burton with Michael Keaton in the starring role.

Without a doubt all the mythology books I read growing up contributed to my love of superheroes.  But the thing I found, and still find, intriguing about Batman is he has no superpowers.  He is a regular but extraordinary person able to accomplish amazing things. In that respect he is much like his co-creator, Bill Finger.  Without reading Bill the Boy Wonder: The Secret Co-Creator of Batman (Charlesbridge Publishing, July 2012) written by Marc Tyler Nobleman with graphics by Ty Templeton I would not know this to be true.

After Milton Finger graduated from high school he invented his first secret identity.

At that time, 1933, if you were thought to be Jewish, you might not get a job, so Milton became Bill.  Bill dreamed of becoming a writer.  His parents wanted him to pursue a career in medicine.  Selling shoes was where he started; the year was 1939.

Around this time, Bill met a cartoonist, Bob Kane.  After hearing Bill's story ideas Bob knew this young man's talents were, yes, extraordinary.  Initially they collaborated on some minor stories.  Superman had become a huge hit and an editor wanted another superhero from Bob Kane.  And Bob Kane knew just the man to make this come true.

Bill Finger created the costume, the lack of superpowers, and in time, foes and the backstory; many of the details we have come to know about Batman.  Between the editor and Kane and Finger a deal was made but Vin Sullivan did not know about Bill Finger being the writer nor did anyone else.  Steady work was scarce after the Great Depression, so Bill agreed to this secret. 

Some secrets cannot be kept; other editors eventually discovered Bill was doing the writing.  They gave him his assignments now.  But the readers still did not know until 1964 when an editor, Julius Schwartz leaked it to the outside.

From there a particular fan, Jerry Bails, did his own sleuthing not only revealing Bill Finger as the writer but also as the co-creator.  In 1974 when Bill Finger died he did so without any official recognition as co-creator.  Jerry Robinson, one of the earliest artists working on Batman, championed for what today is known as the Bill Finger Awards for Excellence in Comic Book Writing.

Bill's personal writing techniques, a gimmick book, attaching pictures to his scripts for the illustrators and having his son, Fred, read over scripts are only a few of the insider glimpses Marc Tyler Nobleman includes in this enlightening biography.  His pursuit of the truth, unfolded for readers like a detective story, piece by piece, urges readers to turn the pages as quickly as possible, then go back and read it all over again, much slower marveling how this story came into being.  Nobleman's informative writing contains exactly the kind of specifics to completely involve the reader in this man's life story.  He uses specific words having reader appeal:  wowed, hightailed it, scrawled, or saddle a superhero.  He notes at the book's end:

The wordplay with bill, finger, and bat in this book is a homage:  Bill was known to use puns in his Batman stories.  

An example of the wordplay is:

As for who was the man for the job, he put his Finger on it right away.

The use of the silhouette of Batman's outline on the cover, continues on the endpapers done in black with gray, white and yellow for text; mainly notable quotes.  In the style of comics Ty Templeton varies his illustrations in size, including panels of different shapes and sizes within his pages framed in black.  The narrative, black text on white, is framed in black too, amid the full color visuals.

 Inked, then colored in Photoshop, the careful, detailed illustrations by Templeton evoke a true sense of the time period and the people involved in Bill Finger's life; signs on buildings, architecture, interior design, clothing, the comics and comic characters.  Emotion and motion are easily understood.  While I have several favorite layouts, the final two pages top the list, Batman spread across both, Bill Finger, head and shoulders prominently displayed in front.  

Bill the Boy Wonder: The Secret Co-Creator of Batman by Marc Tyler Nobleman with illustrations by Ty Templeton is the kind of picture book biography so engrossing it will have readers humming the theme song to Batman expecting to see the signal light in front of them at any minute.  A six page author's note documents the process used by Nobleman to track down the truth presented in this title.  It is followed by more notes and a selected bibliography with an invitation to visit the publisher's website (linked here) for a more complete listing.  This site also includes a guide for educators.

A link to Marc Tyler Nobleman's website is embedded above in this name.  He also wrote a guest post at John Schumacher's, blog Watch. Connect. Read. as well as the Nerdy Book Club.  Follow this link to Nobleman's interview at NPR's All Things Considered---Batman's Biggest Secret (No, It's Not Bruce Wayne)

This is the book trailer.

This is a video of Marc Tyler Nobleman's TED talk.

No Ordinary Boy, No Ordinary Dog

Listen...did you hear a loud ka-boom?  Did a boy wearing a lab coat go running past?  Did that dog just talk?

If you answered yes to all those questions you have entered the world of Mal and Chad, an inventive guy genius and his talking canine companion.  Creations of graphic artist, Stephen McCranie, their third adventure was released on December 6, 2012.  With every turn of page Belly Flop! (Philomel Books) brings readers closer into the lives of this perfect pair of pals.


This episode begins with one of Mal's inventions going slightly haywire.  The small arm meant to come out from the top of his alarm clock and wake him up with a gentle tap on the head, pops out swinging.  Luckily Chad hits the snooze button before Mal ends up all black and blue.

Barely making the bus on time, he arrives at Einstein Elementary to sit in his favorite spot, the base of the large bust of Albert E outside the school.  It seems that his major crush (who barely acknowledges him), Megan is handing out birthday party invitations.  By the end of the day it looks as if Mal's awkward social skills will prevent an invite until his chivalry toward Megan attracts attention.  He's going to the party!

The dilemma of the quintessential gift, how to afford the purchase price, the use of the weather cube to do chores backfiring, getting caught on a windmill blade, a too-close encounter with his super-duper glue and an embarrassing dip in a pond, leave Mal feeling very un-cool, down in the proverbial dumps.  Never fear...Chad to the rescue.  Satisfying his craving for snow cones, Chad has been busy with Mal's weather cube.  One snowball fight, snow angels and an ice castle later all is well...or is it?

Still trying to win Megan's attention, or more, Mal masters a magic act for an entry in the school talent show.  A fiasco ensues involving a tarantula named Susan, a levitation mishap and a blizzard. Will Mal make it home in time to save his best bud from the out-of-control giant snowflakes and lightning hail?  What's a Musketeer doing in the middle of the blizzard?  Friendship, the true-blue-forever kind, in all its shapes and sizes triumphs.


Stephen McCranie's skills as a writer are obvious in the dialogue between his characters exhibited realistically, full of life and emotion; each statement revealing the speaker's personality.  Through conversations between Mal and Chad readers are privy to the deep affection and loyalty they share, one for the other.  The pacing from one speech bubble to the next is smooth, fast and completely engaging.


McCranie is an absolute master at designing the layout of his panels.  The panels on each page are placed together like pieces on a puzzle, the pages becoming pieces in the larger puzzle of the story. Alternating size to accommodate the moments, events and action and shifting perspective generate a pleasing whole.

Portions of the items in a panel move outside the edges to add interest, movement and enhance the flow of the narrative.  Lines in the text and visuals increase in size, width and boldness for emphasis.  Liberal use of sound words, onomatopoeia, draw the reader into the story.


My new copy of Belly Flop!: Mal and Chad 3 written and illustrated by Stephen McCranie is filled with dozens of small sticky notes extending from the pages marking dialogue and visuals I deem as memorable, outstanding in their delivery.  To be sure, the action, even in the day to day events at school, is non-stop.  But there are moments that will touch your heart and leave a mark.  This particular inventive guy genius and his canine companion have become treasured characters in my literary life.  Well done, Stephen McCranie.

Please follow the link embedded in Mal and Chad above to access the official website.

A Gift For Christmas

Between the first day of school and the last, there's one section in the library that's guaranteed to usually be empty. Once in awhile a book will make its way to the shelves but only until the next class arrives to quickly check it out again.  In the last six plus years this particular Dewey designation has grown significantly in numbers and popularity.

In April of 2009 a new title by a group of three cartoonists, James Sturm, Andrew Arnold and Alexis Frederick-Frost, became the newest member of the 741.5 club.  Adventures in Cartooning: How to turn your doodles into comics! (First Second, an imprint of Roaring Brook Press) was the recipient of two starred reviews and a hit with students.  Mid September this year another volume in the series was released, Adventures in Cartooning: Christmas Special (First Second, an imprint of Roaring Brook Press).



It was a week before Christmas and Santa was grumbling...

Call me old-fashioned, but traditions are crumbling!

Santa's in a tizzy.  What happened to the good ole' days?  It seems that all his elves do is write code for the electronic games and toys delivered to all good little girls and boys.  But he gets an idea.  He's sure it will do.  Now all he needs is...Whoosh...The Magical Cartooning Elf!  

Before the man of legend and lore, dressed in red from head to toe, has a chance to appreciate his good fortune, the marvelous magical little guy in green conjures up his friend, the brave knight, to help with their plan of creating the perfect gift, a comic book. The knight is needed, of course, to supply all the gripping action from her deeds of derring-do. Hesitant at first, she relents, owing Santa for all the good he does each year.

A climb to Mount Everest, sharing a sub with a Yeti, sobbing children in the land of giants and...a trip to space to lasso a star certainly fit the bill.  Amid all the preparations for publication a problem becomes abundantly clear.  Edward, the knight's trusty steed, has a bit of a weight problem, so he is not the answer.

The trio plus one have a quest to complete.  Will the books be delivered by Christmas morning?  Will gals and guys around the world delight in this newest non-digital present?  And what do an onion and a big toe have to do with any of this at all?


Bringing characters from the first volume, the Magic Cartooning Elf, the brave knight, Edward the horse and the candy-hoarding dragon, to this narrative is a stroke of genius.  The dialogue is loaded with quick comebacks, emotional outbursts, hilarity times ten and Santa's musings.  Told entirely in rhyme (which drives the knight nuts), the story flows at a joyful clip.


The inside of the paperback covers displays snowflakes.  On the first page a snowman built by one of the giant children is centered beneath the title, authors/illustrators names in the middle. As they did in the first book nine pages of the storyline pass before a vibrant two-page title is presented; decorated in Christmas lights, snowflakes, stockings and special font.  This title page is part of the narrative.

Throughout full color panels in varying sizes are positioned appropriately enhancing the pace of the tale.  Word balloons, lines of motion and sound effects are as exuberant as the story itself inviting the reader to participate.  Each reading reveals new details, intricate and humorous.


James Sturm, Andrew Arnold and Alexis Frederick-Frost are a trio, tried and true, who bring readers Adventures in Cartooning: Christmas Special! , another comic creation filled with laugh-out-loud wit and wisdom.  For an individual to enjoy or as a read aloud this title is a treat.  Be sure to have plenty of paper, pencils, and pens handy.  For more illustrations to preview follow the link directly above embedded in the title.