Biographie

He wrote the "bible" for "Batman's" other writers. (For example, Batman should never be shown breaking the law, not even to park in a no-parking zone during a crime-fighting emergency.) Semple came up with the idea for interspersing the show's fight scenes with colorful Pow! Zap! and Kapow! graphics. He named every device the "Bat"-this or the "Bat"-that. Robin's trademark "Holy (Fill in the Blank)!" was inspired by a similar phrase used by a character in the Tom Swift books.

After serving as an ambulance driver with the Free French early in the second world war, he later served in the American army and was awarded a Bronze Star.

During Batman's first season, he worked from Spain via mail and never met any of the actors.

Was hired by producer William Dozier to create the "Batman" superhero show for 20th Century Fox Television and ABC. Semple wrote only the first four episodes, but served as a script or story consultant on every other installment.

In World War II, he earned a Croix de Guerre after surviving a battle in the Libyan desert driving an ambulance for the Free French forces, returned to the U.S., was drafted into the Army and given a Bronze Star.