2009 Bill Finger Award Recipients Announced

We may not know who’s on the docket to give big presentations, or who will be interviewing a panel of this year’s hot authors, or even what films will be giving us a sneak peek under their premier curtains, but Comic-Con International (San Diego) is slowly giving up the goods as to her themes, anniversaries, and awards.
Case in point: the 2009 Bill Finger Award recipients have been announced. This year, the award will be given to John Broome and Frank Jacobs. Some of you know who these men are (or were, as John Broome passed away in 1998), but nearly all of you are probably familiar with their works. Here’s a fast rundown (view their official awards bios here):
Frank Jacobs (wiki bio) is the editorial driving force behind MAD magazine. For more than 50 years, it’s been his name on that magazines editorial byline since 1957 and it’s still there today. But it’s not just his byline, it’s his poems and song parodies, satires, and his penchant for putting the right writers and illustrators between the pages each and every issue. This man is MAD magazine, right down to his picture which bears an ever-so-slight resemblance to Alfred E Neuman. And, while he was not the inspiration for MAD’s eponymous spokesman, he has been every bit as important and present through the magazine’s run.
John Broome (wiki bio) was a writer for several comics franchises that have been staples for comics readers’ for more than 60 years. John Broome rose to prominence by writing stories for “Detective Chimp,” oh and he also wrote for “Justice League of America,” The Flash, The Green Lantern, and others. His pen helped give rise to, and then sustain, the Silver Age of Comics. Interestingly, Broome only attended one Comic-Con during his lifetime. That appearance being in 1997, shortly before he passed away. A former science-fiction pulp writer, John Broome left the world of dime novels to make his mark in comics writing and we’re all the richer for it.
Curious about the John Finger awards? They’re named for a man who is considered an “unsung hero” in the writing and creation of Batman. You can learn more at Comic-Con International’s John Finger Award page.
Congratulations to this year’s winners with thanks to both men for their hard work and the entertainment that work created!