‘Batman’ executive movie producer will speak at BSC April 21
Published: Apr 20 2016
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The originator and executive producer of the Batman movie series, “Catwoman,” and “The Lego Movie,” appears as guest of Bismarck State College ArtsQuest in a public event Thursday, April 21, on campus.
Michael Uslan, an authority on comic book history, presents his inspiring program, “From Fan to Filmmaker: The Journey to Bring Batman to the Silver Screen,” at 7:30 p.m. in the Bavendick Stateroom, BSC National Energy Center of Excellence.
A Batman, Superman and Wonder Woman costume contest precedes the presentation at 7 p.m. with prizes awarded. Audience members are encouraged to donate items at the door for BSC’s “Everyone Can Be a Superhero” food drive.
Uslan created the entire Batman film franchise, elevating the brand to a globally acclaimed, multi-media powerhouse. From a boy collector of 30,000 comics to a job at DC Comics and creating and teaching the first accredited college course on comic book folklore, Uslan invented his life around fantasy.
He learned comic books were much like movie storyboarding and in 1979 secured the film rights to Batman from DC Comics. His movie proposal was turned down by every studio in Hollywood, but 10 years later, “Batman” was the highest grossing film of the year and spawning a film genre adapted from comics.
His run started with Tim Burton’s 1989 “Batman,” then four Batman sequels through the 1990s, “Batman Begins” in 2005, followed by “The Dark Knight” trilogy and the recent “Batman vs. Superman: Dawn of Justice.” Uslan also has produced numerous Batman videos, the TV documentary “Marvel Superheroes’ Guide to New York City,” and TV series “Where in the World Is Carmen Sandiego?” for which he received a day-time Emmy Award.
In 2012, Chronicle Books published Uslan’s full illustrated memoir, “The Boy Who Loved Batman.” His work as a writer includes two other books, four graphic novels, and an award-winning children’s book, “Chatterbox: The Bird Who Wore Glasses.”
Uslan’s appearance is presented at no charge during ArtsQuest, BSC’s month-long celebration of the arts. For more information, visit bismarckstate.edu/artsquest.