It took about a split-second after meeting Michael Uslan to know that I’d encountered one of the coolest people on the planet. We met at the Buzz Aldrin event I wrote about recently, and he overwhelmed me with his effervescent enthusiasm toward one of my secret loves: Batman.

Uslan is the creator and executive producer of the Batman movies (all of them since 1989’s Batman with Jack Nicholson, up to and including the most recent Batman Begins and The Dark Knight). He also has a compelling new book out, titled The Boy Who Loved Batman.

Ever since 1975, I’ve been a serious Batman fan. I collected many comics through high school and college (“Mom, did you throw them away? They’re worth a bundle now!”) but the only titles I purchased consistently were Batman and Detective Comics.

Throughout elementary school I dressed up like Batman and walked through town. In costume!! I built my own utility belt out of oaktag and paper fasteners, and thought that every umbrella in our house might be one of the Penguin’s trick umbrellas.

On my 6th birthday my father said, “It’s time for your birthday party, Steven.” Wearing cape and cowl, I replied, “I’m not Steven, I’m Batman.”

Dad threatened, “Well if Steven is not here, then there won’t be any birthday party.” I swiftly ducked into my room, took off my costume, and transformed into my alter-ego, little Steve Cohen.

Last night, I enjoyed a presentation about Batman, given by Michael Uslan at the Museum of Comic and Cartoon Art in Soho.

The museum currently has a Batman art exhibition on display:

Here is Michael speaking to the group.

He discussed the universal appeal that the character Batman possesses: most prominently, Batman’s super power is his humanity. He wasn’t bitten by a spider, born on another planet, or bombarded with gamma rays on earth or in space. He was a regular person, a boy who saw his parents murdered in front of his eyes at age twelve. He vowed to avenge their deaths by training himself to be the most exceptional human being on the planet. He traveled the world, learning martial arts, detective skills, chemistry and survival techniques.

I always thought of Batman as an intellectual soldier.

The character has survived decades of reinterpretation, both within the United States and abroad. Here are some images of Batman in Japanese manga (aptly termed: Batmanga).

Michael Uslan talked about the many incarnations of Batman, ranging from the dark vampiric persona of the 1940s to the goofy Batman and Scooby Doo cartoons of the 1980s and 90s. The character continues to appeal to people of all ages – there is a Batman that is “just right” for you no matter what your age. Uslan was the motivating force in bringing back the dark, adult version of Batman that appears in modern comics and movies.

Uslan also shared some of his own Batman art collection. I love this original Joker artwork:

And I went “batty” over this Norman Rockwell parody, with the Joker playing the part of Rockwell (who lies dead on the floor):

I was lucky to meet the artist who painted this inventive piece: Mark Romanoski. As readers of this blog know, I am a fan of Norman Rockwell (this post has been one of the most-read on this site). So a combination of Batman and Norman Rockwell was pretty mind-blowing for me.

And finally, it was a delight to receive the following inscription from Michael Uslan in his new book:

“To Steve – Even The Batman could not wield the magic that I witnessed at your show! So, from the magic of comic books to the magic you command, I send you my Best Bat-Wishes — Michael Uslan 2011”