Tyrone Biljan is one of the four founding members of the Canadian Comic Book Creator Awards Association and is also the man who does the design work for the awards ceremony presentations, as well as the poster, logo, presentation guides and award plaques.

In 2004, Tyrone was instrumental in contacting and establishing a relationship between Jerry Robinson and the Awards Association and he was directly responsibly for Jerry Robinson’s presence at the 2005 and 2007 Joe Shuster Awards ceremonies and the Paradise Toronto Comicons.

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It‘s April 2005 and I’m worried for two friends in their 80s after a horrendous effort to help them get to the airport in time for a flight to New York from Toronto. I also see the lengthy line up to go through security ahead. They make it through okay, but past security I won’t know how they are until they land in New York.

A couple hours later I get a phone call:

“Tyrone.”

“Hey Jerry.”

“Listen. There’s a problem.”

“What is it?”

“We’re still in Toronto.”

“Oh no! You’re kidding.”

Long pause.

“I’m calling from home. We’re fine.”

I sigh and he laughs. I think I could hear his wife Gro laughing in the background.

In a nutshell: I got “punked” by Jerry Robinson.

I’m sure that I am not the only one!

I had the great pleasure through my association with the Joe Shuster Canadian Comic Book Creator Awards to meet and become friends with Jerry Robinson and his wife Gro.

Jerry Robinson was the creator of The Joker and the co-creator of Robin the Boy Wonder from Batman’s universe. He also created the iconic Batman logo that made its debut on the Spring Issue of Batman No. 1. Not only was he a prolific comic book artist but also photographer, writer and as Denny O’Neil says in his Forward to Jerry’s recent book, “Jerry Robinson – Ambassador of Comics” – Jerry was a Good Samaritan. Jerry helped, along with Neal Adams, to get Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster their recognition and increased compensation for Superman.

Part of my role with the JSA’s was to discuss with Jerry what we wanted to do with the awards and the significance of naming them after one of Superman’s creators. He instantly embraced the concept and threw in his support to become our inaugural award ceremony keynote speaker.

In conversations later, he would speak to me with pride his association with the awards and that he helped to launch them. Truly, Jerry’s support gave us a lot of credibility within the industry.

I have a lot of great memories from that small room where we held our first awards ceremonies during the Paradise Toronto Comicon in April 2005.

Jerry had also said that it was his involvement with The JSA’s that inspired him to create the Bill Finger Awards for Excellence in Comic Book Writing that are presented annually at the Eisner Awards during the San Diego Comicon.

Gro and Jerry Robinson with Dragon Lady manager Joe Kilmartin.

After the 2005 JSA ceremony, I had dinner with the Robinsons and Joe Shuster’s sister, Jean Shuster-Peavy. At the end I mentioned to him, with all that he has done for creators all over the world, he will get the recognition and credit for creating The Joker and his part in developing Robin. With a twinkle in his eye and a smile he would say, “Well, as long as good people like you know, that’s all that matters.”

Most likely, that was his standard response. I shook my head and said “But you will.”

We were lucky to get Jerry up to Toronto in 2007 for the JSA awards once again as keynote speaker. It was another truly memorable event for Jerry but also for all involved with the awards that he was present.

Since then the awards have grown and evolved as they do over the years. I would see him, Gro and his son Jens, most often at the San Diego Comic Con. He would ask how the awards were doing. His concern was for our continued success and check in on what was going on in our lives. The Calgary ceremony this year didn’t work out but he was willing. The Montreal awards were on his horizon.

In the end, we still have the art from Jerry. For a person who fought hard for the creative rights of artists around the world. It’s time his accomplishments and creative contributions for two of the most memorable icons in pop culture be recognized by the industry as well.

Thanks Jerry.

Jerry Robinson was the keynote speaker at the first Joe Shuster Awards ceremony in 2005 (pictured above) and the third in 2007. Jerry was a key factor in the foundation of the Joe Shuster Awards and the recognition of the life and work of his friend Joe Shuster. Rest in Peace, Jerry.

Sad news coming from the U.S., as it seems that legendary American comic book creator Jerry Robinson passed away peacefully in his sleep last night.

We here at the Joe Shuster Awards owe a tremendous amount to Jerry, as he was a very keen supporter of the program from the onset and our condolences go out to his wife Gro and son Jens.

Co-Publishers Jim Lee and Dan Didio, Editor-In-Chief Bob Harras and Batman editor Mike Marts have issued a shared statement on behalf of DC Comics:

Jerry Robinson illustrated some of the defining images of pop culture’s greatest icons. As an artist myself, it’s impossible not to feel humbled by his body of work. Everyone who loves comics owes Jerry a debt of gratitude for the rich legacy that he leaves behind. (Jim Lee, DC Entertainment Co-Publisher and artist of BATMAN: HUSH)

 

Jerry Robinson was one of the greats. He continued to be a vibrant, creative force well into his nineties (Jerry Robinson would have been 90 years old on Jan.1, 2012), with ideas and thoughts that continue to inspire. Jerry was a great advocate for creators. It was my pleasure to meet and work with him. He will be missed.(Dan DiDio, Co-Publisher, DC Entertainment)

 

It’s impossible to work at DC Entertainment­ without feeling the impact of Jerry Robinson’s contributions to the industry. His influence continues to resonate today.(Bob Harras, DC Entertainment Editor-in-Chief)

 

Jerry Robinson was an innovator, a pioneer in storytelling. His artwork was always astonishing, but his contributions to the Dark Knight mythology go far beyond art. The streets of Gotham City are a little lonelier today…Jerry will truly be missed. (Mike Marts, Batman line editor)

Ty Templeton has done a more detailed write-up on his blog:

Jerry Robinson passed away yesterday, just a few weeks shy of his 90th birthday. He was the last surviving member of the group of four men who created the mythology of Batman : Bob Kane, Bill Finger, Dick Sprang and Jerry Robinson. Jerry was Bob Kane’s first ghost artist, and probably the most important of the Batman artists of the Golden Age.

Along with writing partner Bill Finger, Jerry Robinson created the Joker, Alfred the Butler, Robin, the Batcave and a host of other important parts of Gotham City while Bob Kane watched from across the room and pretended to be the one doing it. Though Kane spent his life lying about the huge contributions that his partners made, comics historians did eventually see through the nonsense, and Robinson lived long enough to get his due as one of the seminal creators of our industry. There was at least THAT justice.

Batman and Robin, keeping the cartoonists’ drawing table safe, thanks to Jerry Robinson!

I had the rare chance to meet him a couple of times over the years, at awards ceremonies and conventions, etc, and Jerry was delightful and awe-inspiring company whenever I was fortunate enough to be around him. I’ll never forget the first thing he said to me, though: When I told him I was a Batman creator, writing and drawing the characters he helped create, he reached out to shake my hand and said (with a twinkle in his eye) “Where’s my cheque?”

Thank you, thank you, thank you, Jerry Robinson…my world would not be the same without having shared the planet with you for the last forty-eight years. You gave me a childhood filled with unbridled joy and fun and I cannot conceive of who I would have turned out to be if you’d never been there before me.