Michael Uslan

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Michael E. Uslan is the originator of the Batman movies and was the first professor to teach "Comic Book Folklore" at an accredited university. Uslan is a native of Cedar Grove, New Jersey.[1][2]

Contents

[edit] Life with comics

Michael Uslan was born on June 2, 1951 in Cedar Grove, New Jersey and was an avid comic book collector from a very young age, owning a collection that included the second Batman and first Superman comic, among others. While still an undergraduate at Indiana University School of Law - Bloomington, attempting to break into the film industry by sending off over 130 resumés (typed on a typewriter), Uslan "developed a course idea for the Experimental Curriculum program at I.U."[3]

[edit] Teaching comics

Uslan recalls that Roger Stern "has been teaching a one-hour credit experimental course on comic book history and art," while he (Uslan) was "having fun with an I.U. Free University course on "The Comic Book Hero"."[4] Stern and Uslan discovered they shared interests, and when Stern "couldn't stand teaching the course any longer," Uslan took it over and changed it into one that took

“ "an academic approach to the comics, divided into its history, folklore, art, sociology, psychology, and literary/educational value. [Looking] at their stages of relevancy and fantasy, the many aspects of censorship, their effects on other media, penciling and inking styles, their psychological implications, current and future trends, and the role of comics in school systems."[4] ”

Uslan intended that his course on comics give students the full three hours of college credit, on a par with "history, physics, or chemistry."[4] Requiring (as an undergraduate) a sponsor in order to be eligible to teach, Uslan found a "progressive and enthusiastic" one in the form of Henry Glassie, a professor in the Department of Folklore, who, as a "leading expert in the field of folklore" was able to see Superheroes as the somewhat logical descendant to Norse, Egyptian and Greek Mythology.[4][3]

Challenged by the Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences about the nature of his course ("So you want to teach a course on comic books at my university, do you?!"[4]), Uslan received approval to teach his comic book folklore class by having the Dean recall the beginning of Superman and then pointing out that the Dean just recited the story of Moses.[citation needed] (Uslan has also suggested that the Dean was himself a comics fan, and was struck by the original artwork Uslan took along to the meetingat which his proposal was ultimately accredited.[5]) Uslan's course, by then-titled "The Comic Book in Society," thus became "the first accredited course on the serious study of comic books."[3]

Uslan won fame for his comic book class by anonymously calling the local newspapers and when a reporter got on the phone, Uslan shouted, "There is a comic book class at IU!  What Communist is responsible for this garbage?!  Are you telling me my tax dollars are going towards THIS?" and then hung up.[citation needed] TV crews filmed the first five meetings of the course, by then called "The Comic Book in America," including John Chancellor's NBC News.[4] Intending to invite different speakers each semester, Uslan found that Denny O'Neil was voted for by the class so often that he became the regular invitee (Uslan notes that Bob Rozakis was among those passed-over in favor of O'Neil).[4]

Press coverage led to Uslan being invited to lecture at a number of colleges and high schools, as well as participate in talk shows on radio and TV (his first television appearance was alongside writers Steve Englehart and Gerry Conway).[4] It also led to phone calls from Stan Lee, and eventually to a job offer from D.C. Comics.[6] Uslan also wrote a textbook dealing with his course, The Comic Book in America (Indiana University, 1971).[4]

[edit] Batman

Uslan is best known as a key producer of all of the modern Batman films to date, starting with Tim Burton's 1989 film, and continuing to 2008's The Dark Knight. Uslan envisioned a dark Batman, not the sort of Batman that came from the "funny books," as reflected in the 1960s TV series starring Adam West. Uslan's Batman is disturbed. He does not fight bad guys because he is a hero and that is what heroes do; rather, Uslan's perception of Batman was that Batman sought vengeance on those that commit crime. This vengeance came from the death of Bruce Wayne's parents as the result of a gunpoint robbery.

See also: Batman (film series)

When Uslan initially pitched the idea to producers, he was turned down. The justification from producers was that Batman was based on a comic book, and it did not have much success in the box office. Uslan's legacy may be that he showed the world that not all "funny books" are merely two dimensional.

Uslan views the 1989 Batman film directed by Tim Burton and starring Michael Keaton as the Caped Crusader as being most representive of the earliest take of the character by Bob Kane and Bill Finger from 1939[7]. Meanwhile, Uslan considers the second Tim Burton/Michael Keaton Batman film, Batman Returns (1992) as serving more as an embodiment of the "almost souless, very dark, almost vampiric"[8] comics of the 1990s. Uslan considers the Joel Schumacher directed Batman Forever (1995) starring Val Kilmer taking over for Michael Keaton as being the closest in spirit of the Dick Sprang drawn, Bill Finger-written stories (featuring not only Batman, but also Robin as played by Chris O'Donnell in Batman Forever) of the 1940s and 1950s[9]. Finally, Uslan sees the second Joel Schumacher directed Batman film (this time, starring George Clooney as the Dark Knight instead of Val Kilmer or Michael Keaton), Batman & Robin (1997) as being most representive of the Batman of the mid-1960s[10] (a la the campy TV series starring Adam West).

[edit] Non-Batman

[edit] Producer

As a film and TV producer, in addition to his many DC Comics film credits (in addition to all the Batman films, and the two Swamp Thing films, Uslan executive produced the Swamp Thing TV series and 2004's Catwoman, among others), Uslan has "produced a surprisingly diverse list of film and television." These include Three Sovereigns for Sarah (1985), starring Vanessa Redgrave, part of the American Playhouse series on PBS dealing with the Salem Witch Trials, and the children's geography-teaching TV show Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego?.[3]

Uslan is also a producer on the up-coming The Spirit film, and the in production Captain Marvel feature Billy Batson and the Legend of Shazam.[11]

[edit] Other

In 2005, Uslan donated his 30,000-strong comic book collection to the Indiana University research library, a collection which (according to his wife Nancy) "filled three rooms of their house."[12]

Michael was the honorary speaker at the 2006 Indiana University commencement ceremonies, on May 5, 2006.

[edit] Awards

With his co-executive producers, Uslan won a 1995 Daytime Emmy for Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego?, and he was also awarded an Independent Spirit Award at the 2005 Garden State Film Festival.[13]

[edit] References

  1. ^ Genocchio, Benjamin. "POW! Take That, Hitler! Men of Steel and Their Times", The New York Times, September 9, 2007. Accessed December 26, 2007. "One of the single biggest lenders to the exhibition is Michael Uslan of Cedar Grove, the executive producer of movies like “Batman” and “Batman Begins.” He obviously has a thing for superheroes."
  2. ^ Meoli, Daria. "That’s Entertainment", New Jersey Monthly, October 2005. Accessed December 26, 2007. "Fans of the Caped Crusader can add the summer blockbuster Batman Begins to their personal collections. Like all Batman celluloid, it was produced by Cedar Grove resident Michael Uslan."
  3. ^ a b c d "Batman Producer honored with Exhibit: Comics as Cultural Mythology" Part 2 by Kalynn Huffman Brower. Accessed May 13, 2008
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h i Uslan, Michael "Confessions of a Comic-Book Professor" in The Amazing World of DC Comics No. 3 (Nov, 1974), pp. 26-29
  5. ^ [Uslan humorously quotes the Dean as looking through the artwork and exclaiming "Hey! I remember this one! Have you got the one where Superman gets hit by kryptonite bullets?", Uslan, Michael "Confessions of a Comic-Book Professor" in The Amazing World of DC Comics No. 3 (Nov, 1974), pp. 26-29)
  6. ^ "Comics as culture? Holy textbook, Batman!: IU's Lilly Library displays Michael Uslan comic book collection" news release, September 8, 2005. Accessed May 14, 2008
  7. ^ Michael Uslan sums it up best, "Historically, BATMAN is the Bob Kane/Bill Finger Batman of 1939. BATMAN BEGINS is the best Batman movie.
  8. ^ The second BATMAN film was - in my estimation - the Batman of the 1990s. Almost souless, very dark, almost vampiric.
  9. ^ MU: BATMAN FOREVER, no question about it was the Dick Sprang, Batman and Robin, Bill Finger-written stories of the 40s and 50s. Batman and Robin jumping across the keys of giant typewriters and having this amazing, grotesque rouges gallery of supervillains.
  10. ^ The 1960s Batman - “Pow, Zap, and Wham.” Fortunately or unfortunately - fortunately for those who only know the 60s TV show - and unfortunately for you and me - BATMAN AND ROBIN was the Batman of the mid-60s.
  11. ^ IMDb: Michael E. Uslan. Accessed May 13, 2008
  12. ^ "Batman Producer honored with Exhibit: Comics as Cultural Mythology" Part 1 by Kalynn Huffman Brower. Accessed May 13, 2008
  13. ^ IMDb: Michael E. Uslan - Awards. Accessed May 13, 2008

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