I’m may be the last one to have heard the news, but Jerry Robinson, who met Bob Kane, the creator of Batman, back in 1939, and who was instrumental in the creation of such members of the Dark Knight’s supporting cast as Robin and the Joker, has been named a Creative Consultant at DC Comics.

I’m a little unclear as to what his exact duties will be, but Paul Levitz, DC Comics’ President and Publisher, has been quoted as saying that, “It’s an honor to have Jerry complete his journey from DC’s bullpen to advising us on characters he was intimately involved with, and the international world of comics he knows so well.”

The announcement brought back memories of a long-ago night—January 5, 1972, to be exact—when I attended the infamous event, Stan Lee at Carnegie Hall. Back then, I was still one of those annoying kids with a sketchbook, badgering artists and writers at conventions and other SF and comics-related events for drawings and autographs. Jerry Robinson was in the audience that night, probably hoping for a relaxing evening with his family and his peers watching the Marvel Bullpen make fun of themselves on stage. Until, I came along, that is, thrusting my sketchpad and marker toward him.

Instead of telling me to get lost those 35 years ago, he was kind enough to do this quick sketch of Robin (whose name he’d come up with because of his childhood encounters with Robin Hood) telling me that he hoped I’d join him in comics.

The Boy Wonder’s wishes came true, because amazing, though I never anticipated it at the time, a few years later—I did!