On February 8, 1914, 102 years ago today, Bill Finger was born. The unsung hero of Batman’s creation, Finger went almost completely unrecognized for his contributions to the character until well after his untimely death in 1974. In fact, his first official credit on a Batman comic wouldn’t come until 2014’s Detective Comics #27, and wouldn’t receive recurring recognition until October 2015.

Finger, who has long been regarded as the creative force behind pretty much everything about Batman except the name, never received due credit thanks to Bob Kane’s stipulations in his contract, but rather than rag on one guy lets celebrate Finger’s contributions.

In addition to helping create Batman, Robin, the Joker (along with Jerry Robinson) and numerous other rogues and allies, Finger also had a hand in creating Alan Scott with Martin Nodell, the original Green Lantern, served as a writer on some of DC’s flagship titles for years, and even wrote a two–part episode of the 1960s Batman television series.

So, join us here at Batman News as we celebrate the life and career of one of the greats: the man who took an idea, crafted it, and ultimately helped refine it into not just a single character but an entire world that maintains popularity and relevance to this day.

Happy Birthday, Bill the Boy Wonder.