Interview with...
LENNY SCHWARTZ
The Batman...just his name conjures up a million different thoughts, memories, and images... Lenny Schwartz has written an amazing stage play dedicated to one of the creators responsible for the living legend. Lenny recently sat down with CBI publisher John Michael Helmer and discussed his writing career and his Bill Finger tribute...
JMH: Where were you born and raised?
LS: I was born and raised in Cranston, Rhode Island. I have lived my entire life in Rhode Island, actually. Presently, I am residing in North Scituate, RI. It's a good life.
JMH: Tell CBI about yourself…
LS: I am a playwright and screenwriter both in RI and New York City. I have had numerous plays of mine performed around the country as well. I am a published playwright and my plays can be purchased at www.indietheaternow.com. Here is the link about my many different shows.http://www.indietheaternow.com/Playwright/lenny-schwartz
I am also a screenwriter for the films Murder University(distributed worldwide through Wild Eye Entertainment and Scorpio Film Releasing and the upcoming Normal(scorpio film releasing. Here is my IMDb pagehttp://www.imdb.com/name/nm4894172/ and here is an article and trailer for the film
http://www.horrorsociety.com/2013/08/12/scorpio-film-releasings-normal-releases-online-trailer/
I have been writing and directing plays since 1996, and in 2000 founded Daydream Theatre Company. We put on two to three shows a year here in RI and New York City. We had our own theatre space in Providence RI for 10 years and have now relocated to West Warwick RI for our own space called The Arctic Playhouse.
In 2008 I had my first Off-Broadway Show in NYC called The Scarecrow and I have been directing my scripts in NYC every year since. The past few years I have been working with the Planet Connections Festivity in NYC for theatre and in 2013 I was awarded Best New script for my play Subject 62.
I am also a life long comic book reader and attend the San Diego Comic Con as a professional religiously every year!
JMH: Have you had any formal training in writing?
LS: I was a theatre major in college and took some creative writing classes. I honestly feel though the best way to learn writing is to do it. Just write. Fall on your face if you have to, but write, write, write. Reading is also essential. 90 percent of writing is putting your butt in the seat to do it. So I spend at least 3 hours every day writing bare minimum. You have to. There is a lot to explore.
I have also taken classes with some screenwriters like Richard Price(Clockers, Sea Of Love) but I live in such an artistic community. I am constantly learning from the works of those around me.
JMH: Who are your writing influences?
LS: So many to name...I know I'm going to leave someone out. Screenwriter/playwright John Logan. He's amazing. Stan Lee. Scott Snyder. Daniel Clowes. Charles Burns. David Lynch. David Cronenberg. Ernest Hemingway(I guess I am eclectic) Federico Fellini. Alan Moore. Mark Millar. Early Garth Ennis. Craig Thompson. Nate Powell. Thoreau. Charles Schulz. Bill Finger. Chester Gould.Tom Perrotta. Chad Kultgen. Stan Sakai, Joe Matt. Seth. CHester Brown. Matt Wagner. Dave Mckean. Rick Veitch. Many, Many more I'm forgetting.
JMH: What is the first comic you remember reading?
LS: The first comic book I read was Transformers #3(1984) It had a guest appearance by Spider-man in the black costume. I was unsure of why he was in the black costume. So I had my mom go to Woolworth and we bough an Amazing Spider-man# 282 with Spidey in the black costume. It was in the middle of the "Who is the Hobgoblin?" story. I was hooked. I had to know everything about Spider-man. I devoured it. I remember a few months later I read "The Death Of Gwen Stacy" in a Marvel Tales reprint and I just cried. After that I kept expanding my comic book reading, going to conventions, to comic book stores. I would read everything. I actually had a paper route when I was 11 just for the exact purpose of buying more comic books. My tastes ended up changing a bunch though. I went from Superheroes to Rick Veitch's Bratpack! Whatever seemed the most interesting to me.
JMH: Do you read any of the new comic books that are being published today?
LS: I do read some of the comic books being published today but my tastes have change. I can't do superheroes as much anymore. That being said, I do love Scott Snyder/Greg Capullo' Batman. Can't get enough. Love also to the Flash currently. I am kind of digging also Batman:Eternal from DC. Justice League with Jason Fabok and Geoff Johns isn't too bad either. On the Marvel side not too much. The Mike Allred Silver Surfer is pretty good too and I love the new Kaare Andrews Iron Fist series. Beyond that, it's mostly personal comics I like these days or artsit and writers doing work that are personal to them. People like Jeff Smith or Terry Moore. Stan Sakai's Usagi Yojimbo is one of the best ever. He's an amazing figure in the history of comics, Stan is. The work that comes out of Top Shelf is really that: Top level writers and artist on every level. I have to say March from them is one of the best I've read in years. Powerful stuff.
JMH: Print versus Digital. Your thoughts…
LS: I'll always like print over digital.I see value in Digital of course but it's not for me. I like having a keepsake to hold onto. So I'll a;ways enjoy the print. That's what I grew up on, and that's what still makes me feel like a kid when I read a comic book.
JMH: Tell the readers about your newest project...
LS: I have been doing these bio-plays over the last few years that have caught some success. I wrote and Directed a play about Buster Keaton, and then the Marx Brothers, followed by one about Lucille Ball(which went to NYC in 2014)
Recently I wrote and directed one about Charles Schulz called The Man Who saw Snoopy which had much success in RI and is published as well. I was pretty much done with bio-plays after that. I said and I quote, "The only other bio I will ever write is if I get to do one about Bill Finger."
Then, by chance, at the 2014 San Diego Comic Con, I ran into Athena Finger, Bill Finger's granddaughter.
At the time, I really pitched her a screenplay idea,(which I wrote and one day hope will be filmed) but it would be years away if that would happen, the way filmmaking works. And this story needed to be told now.
Bill Finger is the uncredited co-creator of Batman.. He was there at the beginning. yet, when you look at the history books, Bob Kane is and will forever be the only one listed. It's a common fact. Everyone in the industry knows it. Yet, thank to a contract Bob made with National Comics at the time(DC) there is nothing anybody can do about it. That's just wrong.
Some people have started drawing attention to Bill...most notably the amazing Marc Tyler Nobleman with his children's bookbook Bill The Boy Wonder which is just stunning(he's a nice guy!) and Roberto Williams of the play Fathers of The Dark Knight(Roberto is also a nice guy and his wife's cooking is amazing!) Also his granddaughter Athena who is super nice, supportive and plain awesome.She's been nothing but great to talk to and was so great about pointing me in the right direction. No one however has ever done a dramatic version of Bill himself...his life story. What happened to him. How he ended up. What things must have been like for him.
Imagine you created Batman. And while you are alive, nobody would ever know or acknowledge that. Imagine being one of the architects of the modern day comic book...and you barely get a mention of that when you pass.
It's wrong plain and simple.
This play I have written "Co-Creator" is about Bill Finger . It will be a play that is sometimes funny, sad, horrifying, and about the human who put a face on Batman. It plays at the Arctic Playhouse in West Warwick RI on March 26, 27, 28, April 2, 3, 4, 9, 10, 11 all at 8pm.
It is an important piece of not just comic book history, but of history itself. If just one more person learns that Bill existed through thsi play then I will be happy. I'm here to tell his story the best way I know how.
JMH: Talk about the cast of actors in the play...
LS: The cast we will be finalizing this week but it comprises of some of the best talent Rhode Island, Connecticut, Massachusetts, and New York that is available. Characters in the play include legendary comic book figures such as Bill Finger, Bob Kane, Jerry Robinson, Gardner Fox amongst others.
JMH: Is writing a play different than writing prose or a comic book script?
LS: I have been fortunate in my career to have written comic books, plays, screenplays, and prose. I love telling a story in any form. Each form has it's own quirks, and things that would work in one medium may not work in another. For a play, what makes it special is the immediacy of the presentation. As opposed to film and comic books, you could write something and not see it for months or even a year. The live reaction from the audience is also a charge, and how they react emotionally to something live happening in front of them.
JMH: What future projects do you have in the works?
LS: On March 22, 2015 a film I wrote called Accidental Incest will have it's premiere in Rhode Island. Following that, "Co-Creator" plays at The Arctic Playhouse in West Warwick on April 2, 3, 4, 9, 10, 11, 16, 17 and 18 2015. Then this summer I have written and will be directing a play called "Crystal Romance" about meth addiction at the 2015 Planet Connections Theatre Festivity in New York City at the Paradise Factory. Then in September I have written and will be directed a comedy "The Social Avenger" That will premiere in Rhode Island at the Arctic Playhouse yet again.
Some where in there I will sleep as well!
JMH: Anything else you'd like to mention that we haven't covered yet?
LS: I am hoping this play bring more attention to Bill Finger. He deserves his recognition in the history of comic books and in pop culture. It's a 76 year old crime that deserves a better resolution.
JMH: How can fans see the play? When and where are the performances?
LS: "Co-Creator" plays at The Arctic Playhouse in West Warwick, Rhode Island March 26, 27, 28, April 2, 3, 4, 9, 10, 11 --all at 8pm. The address is 117 Washington St, West Warwick, RI. Tickets will be available February 15 2015 at www.smarttix.com or by calling 401-290-7865 and tickets are 10 dollars.
JMH: Lenny, CBI appreciates your time, ALL the best!
LENNY: Thank you, John.
JMH: Where were you born and raised?
LS: I was born and raised in Cranston, Rhode Island. I have lived my entire life in Rhode Island, actually. Presently, I am residing in North Scituate, RI. It's a good life.
JMH: Tell CBI about yourself…
LS: I am a playwright and screenwriter both in RI and New York City. I have had numerous plays of mine performed around the country as well. I am a published playwright and my plays can be purchased at www.indietheaternow.com. Here is the link about my many different shows.http://www.indietheaternow.com/Playwright/lenny-schwartz
I am also a screenwriter for the films Murder University(distributed worldwide through Wild Eye Entertainment and Scorpio Film Releasing and the upcoming Normal(scorpio film releasing. Here is my IMDb pagehttp://www.imdb.com/name/nm4894172/ and here is an article and trailer for the film
http://www.horrorsociety.com/2013/08/12/scorpio-film-releasings-normal-releases-online-trailer/
I have been writing and directing plays since 1996, and in 2000 founded Daydream Theatre Company. We put on two to three shows a year here in RI and New York City. We had our own theatre space in Providence RI for 10 years and have now relocated to West Warwick RI for our own space called The Arctic Playhouse.
In 2008 I had my first Off-Broadway Show in NYC called The Scarecrow and I have been directing my scripts in NYC every year since. The past few years I have been working with the Planet Connections Festivity in NYC for theatre and in 2013 I was awarded Best New script for my play Subject 62.
I am also a life long comic book reader and attend the San Diego Comic Con as a professional religiously every year!
JMH: Have you had any formal training in writing?
LS: I was a theatre major in college and took some creative writing classes. I honestly feel though the best way to learn writing is to do it. Just write. Fall on your face if you have to, but write, write, write. Reading is also essential. 90 percent of writing is putting your butt in the seat to do it. So I spend at least 3 hours every day writing bare minimum. You have to. There is a lot to explore.
I have also taken classes with some screenwriters like Richard Price(Clockers, Sea Of Love) but I live in such an artistic community. I am constantly learning from the works of those around me.
JMH: Who are your writing influences?
LS: So many to name...I know I'm going to leave someone out. Screenwriter/playwright John Logan. He's amazing. Stan Lee. Scott Snyder. Daniel Clowes. Charles Burns. David Lynch. David Cronenberg. Ernest Hemingway(I guess I am eclectic) Federico Fellini. Alan Moore. Mark Millar. Early Garth Ennis. Craig Thompson. Nate Powell. Thoreau. Charles Schulz. Bill Finger. Chester Gould.Tom Perrotta. Chad Kultgen. Stan Sakai, Joe Matt. Seth. CHester Brown. Matt Wagner. Dave Mckean. Rick Veitch. Many, Many more I'm forgetting.
JMH: What is the first comic you remember reading?
LS: The first comic book I read was Transformers #3(1984) It had a guest appearance by Spider-man in the black costume. I was unsure of why he was in the black costume. So I had my mom go to Woolworth and we bough an Amazing Spider-man# 282 with Spidey in the black costume. It was in the middle of the "Who is the Hobgoblin?" story. I was hooked. I had to know everything about Spider-man. I devoured it. I remember a few months later I read "The Death Of Gwen Stacy" in a Marvel Tales reprint and I just cried. After that I kept expanding my comic book reading, going to conventions, to comic book stores. I would read everything. I actually had a paper route when I was 11 just for the exact purpose of buying more comic books. My tastes ended up changing a bunch though. I went from Superheroes to Rick Veitch's Bratpack! Whatever seemed the most interesting to me.
JMH: Do you read any of the new comic books that are being published today?
LS: I do read some of the comic books being published today but my tastes have change. I can't do superheroes as much anymore. That being said, I do love Scott Snyder/Greg Capullo' Batman. Can't get enough. Love also to the Flash currently. I am kind of digging also Batman:Eternal from DC. Justice League with Jason Fabok and Geoff Johns isn't too bad either. On the Marvel side not too much. The Mike Allred Silver Surfer is pretty good too and I love the new Kaare Andrews Iron Fist series. Beyond that, it's mostly personal comics I like these days or artsit and writers doing work that are personal to them. People like Jeff Smith or Terry Moore. Stan Sakai's Usagi Yojimbo is one of the best ever. He's an amazing figure in the history of comics, Stan is. The work that comes out of Top Shelf is really that: Top level writers and artist on every level. I have to say March from them is one of the best I've read in years. Powerful stuff.
JMH: Print versus Digital. Your thoughts…
LS: I'll always like print over digital.I see value in Digital of course but it's not for me. I like having a keepsake to hold onto. So I'll a;ways enjoy the print. That's what I grew up on, and that's what still makes me feel like a kid when I read a comic book.
JMH: Tell the readers about your newest project...
LS: I have been doing these bio-plays over the last few years that have caught some success. I wrote and Directed a play about Buster Keaton, and then the Marx Brothers, followed by one about Lucille Ball(which went to NYC in 2014)
Recently I wrote and directed one about Charles Schulz called The Man Who saw Snoopy which had much success in RI and is published as well. I was pretty much done with bio-plays after that. I said and I quote, "The only other bio I will ever write is if I get to do one about Bill Finger."
Then, by chance, at the 2014 San Diego Comic Con, I ran into Athena Finger, Bill Finger's granddaughter.
At the time, I really pitched her a screenplay idea,(which I wrote and one day hope will be filmed) but it would be years away if that would happen, the way filmmaking works. And this story needed to be told now.
Bill Finger is the uncredited co-creator of Batman.. He was there at the beginning. yet, when you look at the history books, Bob Kane is and will forever be the only one listed. It's a common fact. Everyone in the industry knows it. Yet, thank to a contract Bob made with National Comics at the time(DC) there is nothing anybody can do about it. That's just wrong.
Some people have started drawing attention to Bill...most notably the amazing Marc Tyler Nobleman with his children's bookbook Bill The Boy Wonder which is just stunning(he's a nice guy!) and Roberto Williams of the play Fathers of The Dark Knight(Roberto is also a nice guy and his wife's cooking is amazing!) Also his granddaughter Athena who is super nice, supportive and plain awesome.She's been nothing but great to talk to and was so great about pointing me in the right direction. No one however has ever done a dramatic version of Bill himself...his life story. What happened to him. How he ended up. What things must have been like for him.
Imagine you created Batman. And while you are alive, nobody would ever know or acknowledge that. Imagine being one of the architects of the modern day comic book...and you barely get a mention of that when you pass.
It's wrong plain and simple.
This play I have written "Co-Creator" is about Bill Finger . It will be a play that is sometimes funny, sad, horrifying, and about the human who put a face on Batman. It plays at the Arctic Playhouse in West Warwick RI on March 26, 27, 28, April 2, 3, 4, 9, 10, 11 all at 8pm.
It is an important piece of not just comic book history, but of history itself. If just one more person learns that Bill existed through thsi play then I will be happy. I'm here to tell his story the best way I know how.
JMH: Talk about the cast of actors in the play...
LS: The cast we will be finalizing this week but it comprises of some of the best talent Rhode Island, Connecticut, Massachusetts, and New York that is available. Characters in the play include legendary comic book figures such as Bill Finger, Bob Kane, Jerry Robinson, Gardner Fox amongst others.
JMH: Is writing a play different than writing prose or a comic book script?
LS: I have been fortunate in my career to have written comic books, plays, screenplays, and prose. I love telling a story in any form. Each form has it's own quirks, and things that would work in one medium may not work in another. For a play, what makes it special is the immediacy of the presentation. As opposed to film and comic books, you could write something and not see it for months or even a year. The live reaction from the audience is also a charge, and how they react emotionally to something live happening in front of them.
JMH: What future projects do you have in the works?
LS: On March 22, 2015 a film I wrote called Accidental Incest will have it's premiere in Rhode Island. Following that, "Co-Creator" plays at The Arctic Playhouse in West Warwick on April 2, 3, 4, 9, 10, 11, 16, 17 and 18 2015. Then this summer I have written and will be directing a play called "Crystal Romance" about meth addiction at the 2015 Planet Connections Theatre Festivity in New York City at the Paradise Factory. Then in September I have written and will be directed a comedy "The Social Avenger" That will premiere in Rhode Island at the Arctic Playhouse yet again.
Some where in there I will sleep as well!
JMH: Anything else you'd like to mention that we haven't covered yet?
LS: I am hoping this play bring more attention to Bill Finger. He deserves his recognition in the history of comic books and in pop culture. It's a 76 year old crime that deserves a better resolution.
JMH: How can fans see the play? When and where are the performances?
LS: "Co-Creator" plays at The Arctic Playhouse in West Warwick, Rhode Island March 26, 27, 28, April 2, 3, 4, 9, 10, 11 --all at 8pm. The address is 117 Washington St, West Warwick, RI. Tickets will be available February 15 2015 at www.smarttix.com or by calling 401-290-7865 and tickets are 10 dollars.
JMH: Lenny, CBI appreciates your time, ALL the best!
LENNY: Thank you, John.
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