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In case there's anyone who doesn't know the story...

While in attendance at the Chicago Con in July of 1979, I heard this series was in the pipeline, and scooted over to the DC table to make myself available, if they still needed an artist. Since I was riding high on the crest of X-MEN at that time (even if the sales did not reflect it!), it was something of a coup for DC to get me, even for a miniseries.

However, I explained to them that I had only a very narrow window, about three months, in which I could work on this project. Since it was slated to be three issues, I didn't see that as any sort of problem, provided the plots were delivered in a timely manned. This was agreed to by DC, and back I went to Calgary, after the end of the con, to wait for the first plot.

And wait

And wait.

And wait.

Almost two full months went by, and the first plot showed up in my mailbox. I was mightily ticked off, of course, but this was BATMAN! Somehow I would make it work.

I completed the full pencils (not loose breakdowns as DC would later report) for the first issue, and sent them in. I waited for the second plot.

And waited.

And waited.

And waited.

Another two months went by, and I received a call from the editor saying the first HALF of the second plot would be on its way to me by the end of the week. "Don't bother," I said, and reminded them that I had already stretched far beyond that three month window. Now, if I tried to finish the series -- still two full issues to be drawn, remember -- it would screw up my other deadlines.

And it didn't end there. When I had expressed interest in doing the series, DC had told me there was no way that could match my Marvel rate. I said okay, anyway. It was BATMAN! Now, since I had said I could not finish the job because they had let me down at their end, the Head Honcho of the time called me up and offered me DOUBLE my Marvel rate if I would finish. Insult added to injury. "I'd need more days in the week," I said, "not more money."

DC hired Jim Aparo to ink the first issue, and finish the rest. They couldn't leave it at that, tho. They reported that Aparo had been called in to work over my "very loose breakdowns." But they blew it there. Terry Austin had been scheduled to ink the series, and he'd already been sent pages of the first issue. He knew what I had turned in was exactly the kind of finished pencils I was doing on X-MEN.

It was a long time after that before I got any urge to work for DC again.