Denny O'Neil talks about Batman in the 70's with Neal Adams

When Denny O'Neil came onto the Batman books with Neal Adams the two revamped the character, striping away the campy tone that had crossed over from the Batman TV show with Adam West. Here Denny talks about what it was like working on the book and what they were going for.
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[@MachineFuckingHate]

It's a damn shame that Miller gets all the credit for being the guy who brought Batman back to his darker roots when in fact it was O'Neil who made it and Miller simply continued what he has started.

[@johnathonhaney8291]

EgocentricHead Ain't that the truth...Miller had eight issues and one decade of good Batman stories in him. O'Neill just leaves him in the dust.

[@Supertron1]

It's a common misconception these days that Miller took Batman back to his roots, when really he just popularized the version of Batman who comes off as anti-social and breaks criminals' legs. That said, O'Neil had already properly restored Batman's world to a dark and gritty atmosphere devoid of camp.

[@timburleson1078]

I totally agree that Denny and Neal revived Batman and made him The Dark Knight we all love. Not Miller who made him just a crazed vigilante and psycopath.

Excellent insight, EGOCENTRALHead!! Thats right. People forget , that Miller could never have been a success, without the foundation and base being established and made popular and acceptable. You can't build upon nothing. You have to build upon something, otherwise create new from scratch.

[@milocibelli5391]

O'Neil also sort of discovered Frank Miller (as a talented writer). O'Neil was his editor on Daredevil, and decided to kick the current writer and allow then-artist Miller to take over, which saved the series and gave Miller a big career.

[@onhonho01]

The man who saved Batman, ladies and gentlemen.

[@paulpolpiboon9535]

Julius Schwartz saved Batman, he directed O'Niel and Adams to continue what he was already doing himself w/Infantino until fucking West show interrupted him. West show went away, so Schwartz went back at it, using these two. SCHWARTZ is the fuking visionary that these two (neal and denny) had carried out.

[@johnathonhaney8291]

@@paulpolpiboon9535 Don't sell O'Neill or Adams so short. Yes, Schwartz had the vision but that's useless unless you pick the right people to carry it out. Frankly, I am sick unto death of O'Neill's contributions--which include such Batman mainstays as Ra's Al Ghul, Arkham Asylum and, in the 1990s, Bane--be downgraded for the flashier personalities like Adams or Schwartz.

[@Scout555]

@@paulpolpiboon9535 Schwartz was smart enough to listen to what the Talent wanted to convey. That’s not the Visionary, that’s the company man doing his job. Without Adams specifically there would be no “vision” ; as much as Infantino is a tried and true comic pro- One would be hard pressed to say he was breaking grounds in color, composition and sheer hyper realism draftmanship the way Neal Adams work did. Adams electrified those pages. Let’s get real.

[@BatmanKnightfan]

Rest in peace Denny O’Neil legend! One of the guys bought Batman to dark roots. You will be missed but your legacy will live on.

[@jonathansoko1085]

And batman is entirley too dark today. It needs to relax a bit at this point its over done and a crutch at this point

[@anthonygarcia8749]

*brought him BACK to his dark roots

[@williamjosephdunn5879]

R.I.P. Denny and thanks for all of the stories.

[@thecomicarchive]

I just heard about this. It’s so heartbreaking. He was such an amazing force in comics and a truly kind human being.

[@Joe_Kerr_9797]

Denny O'Neil deserves more credit, Because he was the one that brought back the darker roots of Batman.

[@Azatarot75]

If anyone is forgotten in terms of being key to the development of the modern Batman, it's Denny O'Neil. Creator of Ra's Al Ghul, Dr. Leslie Thompkins and the man who combined the clown and the killer in Joker, he and Neal Adams are the true foundation stones upon which all classic works of Batman has rested ever since...including Frank Miller's. O'Neil always struck me as being that cool college professor whose class you'd want to take because he always had something interesting to say and this interview proves it. Love his thoughts on camp!

[@EBUNNY2012]

Agreed. O'Neil made Batman Batman again. Period. Or, Nuff' said.

[@Ian-hj4yt]

Actually, he reinvented the classic Batman.

[@EndlessLaymon]

Best writer to work on Batman period. This guy made Batman the dark brooding creature of the night we have all come to love.

[@paulpolpiboon9535]

He didn't make him too brooding actually, and certainly not dark. Oniel and Adams made him sleek and cool withIN the darkness but never being dark. They didn't make him dark at all, THEY MADE HIM COOL.

[@Ian-hj4yt]

@@paulpolpiboon9535 Precisely

[@anthonygarcia8749]

Bill Finger made him a creature of the night, Denny simply brought that back

[@sidewaysfcs0718]

that specifil look of batman, the long cape, the pointy ears, it really cemented the character's look for me every time i see a modern version of batman with short ears....i just cry inside the animated series batman is just the best on-screen rendition for me :(

[@Tabish29]

Denny never lost it. Knightfall. Birth of demon. Guys a huge talent.

[@johnathonhaney8291]

His old partner, Neal Adams, on the other hand...

[@Tabish29]

@@johnathonhaney8291 yea. I know. Odyssey was just BLAAAARGH!!! very sad that Denny has passed on. Really hit me. So many Batman stories I love that he has written. Shaman. Venom. The list goes on. God bless you Denny.

[@chrisdell5679]

I also love Shaman and DEATH OF THE INNOCENTS!

[@Tabish29]

@chrisdell5679 oooohhhh Shaman !!! Didn't he also write Venom? That one shook me big time. Also his finale for knightsend was something else.

[@deenydude7]

RIP Legend

[@giorgimamalashvili4220]

R.i.p Legend. Thank you for giving us great stories.

[@MutantsInDisguise]

Denny O'Neil is the reason Batman is what he is today. Thank you very much, sir.

[@paulpolpiboon9535]

NEAL ADAMS

[@barriolimbas]

RIP Denny O'Neil the original Social Justice Warrior in superhero comics who did it first and better. Batman and Green Arrow are the heroes and inspiration they are now because of who you were.

[@Jacknutcase7]

Rest in Peace Denny 😥

[@CuteLesbo69]

The 70's Batman is still hands down the greatest incarnation of that character.

[@Dom_510]

Rest In Peace, Denny. Thank you for bringing Batman back to his roots and making him the iconic character he is today.

[@jmedia1102]

Loved his Daredevil stint, too.

[@quantgeekery6358]

There were a LOT of departures from the Batman of '39 while keeping the essence of Batman '41. O'Neil is a core reason comic creators get decent money for writing marquee titles.

[@bigfan2932]

Wow, he is so candid. Creators usually don't talk like this about the business. Much respect to O'Neil.

[@RamManNo1]

I’m 45 and I think those campy silver age Batman’s are awesome🤷‍♂️ But you gotta give it to Denny. He made Batman Batman.

[@Azatarot75]

Oh and another thing...anyone who wants to look for that story he mentioned here, "Secret of the Waiting Graves", DC republished this as part of its "Millennium Edition" collection of past DC Comics...still a mini-masterpiece after all these years!

[@brianjanson3498]

Denny O'Neil wrote some of my favorite comics. Loved them when I was a kid, and I love them now. And Neil Adams was great too.

[@joncarroll2040]

The crazy thing about O'Neil/Adams run on Batman is how few issues they did together. Their run is 11 issues which is less than Adams' solo Batman Odyssey (especially when you consider most of the 70s stuff is considerably shorter in terms of page count).

[@ryanoseguera1207]

DC....please make a Batman by Dennis O'Neil collected edition!!!

[@thecomicarchive]

I mean, I know I would buy it.

[@MutantsInDisguise]

Yeah.

[@Bolbi145]

RIP

[@geraldstephens6612]

R.I.P Dennis O'Neill & Neal Adams; a true dynamic duo.

[@speedracer1945]

I was finished reading comics after the Silver Age but before I did , DC announced the new Batman by Neal Adams . He drew him so vivid , his cape was like a bat . Before that Batman was getting corny and drawn walking around in the daytime . Along with O Neil both were a great team first with Batman then Green Lantern and Green Arrow team up who needed also the boost in their comic sales .

[@thebatmanwhoposts9600]

RIP Mr. O'Neil.

[@ivangomez123]

Farewell Mr. O'Neal!! You revolutionized Batman and that will not be forgotten. God rest his soul.

[@stigler30]

Batman was campy long before the TV show came about.

[@nomis4794]

MY favorite Batman Writer.

[@jacobburnard7387]

Does Denny O'Neil watch Family Guy? That's cool, Denny O'Neil is awesome!

[@DVDBW]

Subtitulos en español por favor. Esta entrevista es un clásico y merece ser vista por mas gente.

[@angelomelville9084]

Denny O'Neil-Neal Adams = THE REAL DYNAMIC DUO!!

[@jesusdaniel40]

Denny O' Neil and Neal Adams was the Batman

[@StevieStitches]

@stigler30 The 60s TV show popularized Batman as a campy comedy to mainstream audiences. Batman comic books were campy long before but in a different way. In the 50s controlled by editor Jack Schiff it was a more sci-fi campy comedy with Bat-Mite, silly pink aliens, goofy transformations. In the 60s controlled by editor Julius Schwartz it was like a sitcom comedy with Aunt Harriet at Wayne Manor to take care of Bruce and Dick like Aunt Bee taking care of Andy and Opie on the Andy Griffith Show.

[@evanescapades2513]

I really don’t know why most people keep bashing Batman 66… it is sensational!! From Bookworm to the original Mr Freeze the detail and colours and stories are lovely.

[@bryansteele832]

2:58 notice how he mentions Bill Finger first? Must have been maddening for these guys to know for years what really went down.

[@thedarkman891]

Chuck Dixon said something on his Ask Chuck Dixon series about going to the bat editorial offices in the 80's and Bob Kane being a pesky visitor everyone disliked.

[@rkttkr]

R. i. P. Denny O'Neil

[@BruceWayne-ri4wr]

The man along with his brother Neil Adams who redefined and personified the look and acting of the Batman the greatest character in all of fiction

[@kevinyoka4258]

Please do not hesitate if you find an interview where he talks about the league of assassins

[@saidi7975]

mister you are GREAT!

[@sarairosenbaum]

A very, very, very smart man.

[@usorostanislausthomas1643]

Did a great job on the American comic book writing history

[@SQIRLDARKKON]

@ 1:40 Denny implies that Stan Lee hates live action superhero adaptations

[@stevenlennon12]

I love comic book creators

[@donaldmcauliffe7653]

Loved his 1970s comics green lantern green arrow were the best

[@bracero7628]

God, I miss the age of a Batman editor who casually tossed off references to Susan Sontag and Aristotle. This guy is more single-handedly responsible for everything good about the character than any other solitary person.

[@stigler30]

And ended soon after the TV series did. Batman had been campy since the early 50's, Denny O'Neil made Batman dark again by putting him in more gothic stories.

[@cha5]

RIP Denny 🙁

[@mafiablokes]

It’s funny how The Comics Code Authority was put in place to get rid of the “gayness” that was in Batman, but ended up making it as camp as Christmas lol

[@kevingiven3463]

I am producing a show on Denny O'Neil and I would like to use a few seconds of this interview, credited of course, with your approval. Pleas and thanks

[@thecomicarchive]

Shoot me an email and we can talk. Mike at thecomicarchive dot com

[@spencerwelchii573]

"What's his name...Adam West" LOL

[@AceLM92]

You're already missed Denny

[@LoreLord-]

God ive never seen the guy only herd of him watching him talk im enthralled something about his teeth and bald head all of it i just want to listen/watch to him

[@donaldmcauliffe7653]

Stan lee had wanted marvel comics to try to buy the rights of batman in 1960s from those who had the rights. He offer over two million dollars he could get a loan to pay it off he told them however he had no deal from them

[@francescoromani4539]

"Iron Man: Born again" before Devil. XD

[@mancavetheater1240]

To be honest,humor is tailor made for someone who is dealing with the tribulations of this world,its escape.

[@jonathansoko1085]

Makes me forgive his destruction of wonder woman

[@donaldmcauliffe7653]

He saved batman neal Adams did more than than

[@johncole015]

They brought back the Bob Cane & Bill Finger version after all the 50's nonsense almost destroyed the book.

[@donaldmcauliffe7653]

Fact in 1960s stan lee wanted batman in marvel comic books he try to get bob kane to go with THAT deal however a lawsuit against bob kane from the family of bill finger stop any talk of batman going into marvel comic books the family of bill finger was given millons of dollars in lawsuit plus a very big percentage of any tv shows or in coming movies made about Batman they did not know stan lee try to get batman into marvel comic books by the time they knew about the deal MARVEL had offered it to late to TAKE the deal they would made much more money from marvel and stan lee

they don't have people like this in comic books anymore. If there are some, it can only be half a fistful, and that is not enough to save the comic books industry. BESIDES, who nowadays creates new concepts from scratch with NEW CHARACTHERS like Denny O ' Neil or other inventors, or even Stan Lee? Both Disney and the modern comic book writers don't in=vent new characthers. THEY JUST HIJACK the the old characters and change their sexual gender and race and origin and put a movie around it.

[@TheWordMercy82]

It's harder to write truthfully the ulitmate FACE such as Superman. Characters with heel qualities are easy and simple to write because of sin nature and all one has to do is let go of inhibitions and there you have it...a heel

[@SylentEcho]

Heh, these hippies were pretty cool back in the day huh? Our generation is nothing in comparison.

[@serigraph73]

this dude may be a genius, but i cant get past his mouth sounds...jesus. get a drink of water or something..back the mic off or something

[@andytay5507]

Agreed, but his alcoholic years have taken a toll on his nervous system, unfortunately. Maybe he needs a ghost speaker.