FW Presents: Batman The Animated Series, A Podcast Panel Programme

Join moderator "Professor" Xum Yukinori, BATMAN KNIGHTCAST's Ryan Daly and Chris Franklin, and their special guest, writer and artist JOHN TRUMBULL, as they embark on a panel discussion on one of the greatest examples of television entertainment in the history of television entertainment: BATMAN THE ANIMATED SERIES. Celebrating the show's 25 years of existence, the podcast programme panelists will discuss their favorite voice actors and characters, their most memorable episodes and scenes, BTAS spinoffs, behind-the-scenes stories, and more.

Music by Stuart Balcomb, Danny Elfman, Shirley Walker, Arleen Sorkin (based on a song by Earl Brent), and Harvey R. Cohen. Post-credit sequence featuring Kevin Conroy.

And be sure to check out Mr. Trumbull's retrospective articles and more Batmanimation goodness in TWOMORROWS BACK ISSUE MAGAZINE #99, shipping August 9th: http://twomorrows.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=1292

Subscribe to FW PRESENTS on iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/fw-presents/id1207382042

This podcast is a proud member of the FIRE AND WATER PODCAST NETWORK:

Thanks for listening!

9 responses to “FW Presents: Batman The Animated Series, A Podcast Panel Programme

  1. Fun show fellas. BTAS is such a huge topic, even after 90 min there’s still so much more to consider.

    I was probably unique in that when BTAS started, I was familiar with Kevin Conroy: he played the squad captain in the little seen Vietnam show TOUR OF DUTY. TOD ran two seasons but he was killed off during SSN 1, in a memorable episode. As good as he was on that show, he truly found his calling as Batman. As the show pointed out (I think it was Ryan?), I loved how KC did two different voices for Bruce and Bats, both of them were “real” voices, not that silly rasp that Bale tried.

    On the villain front, yeah I don’t get why Black Mask was never brought into the show. I always thought he was a great character with an amazing look (and handle). If I was in charge of the movies he’d be the first villain I’d tap.

    When I was at the 1998 SDCC I attended two panels featuring Bruce Timm (one of which was on STAS, a story I related on F&W Ep 199). During the Batman panel, I went up to the mic and suggested that since the Bat movies were in such disrepair (this was one year after Batman and Robin), why doesn’t WB just hand the franchise over to Timm and co., since they obviously know how to handle the character? The crowd cheered my suggestion.

    Bruce sighed and answered that movie studios look at movie people as movie people, and animation people as animation people, and they aren’t ever allowed to mix. The crowd booed. So no matter how good BTAS might be, there’s no chance they’d ever be handed the movies.

    Of course, that wall has come down a bit since (see the career of Brad Bird), but Timm and co. were just too ahead of the curve to be considered. Damn!

  2. Say That We’re Sweethearts Again was in the film “Meet the People”, question answered.

    Great panel discussion, guys! Since I reviewed every BTAS episode fairly recently, it was all very fresh in my mind, which added to my enjoyment.

    Like a lot of the panelists, I had trouble answering Xum’s various questions. Favorite episodes, voices, villains, moments? Too many to even begin to order in my head.

  3. Even though the Timmverse kept building up steam to the World’s Finest, Batman Beyond, and Justice League, there is something untouchable about B:TAS. I wouldn’t say “quaint” but rather “solid” for an individual hero’s foundation, for his world and supporting cast even when he isn’t in the spotlight as you guys touched on. The more complex art style and having the Batman and Bruce Wayne voices early on show how streamlined and one-note Bats would become not dissimilar to his evolution post-Crisis.

    Now that a second season has just started, I highly recommend checking out season one of Batman: The Telltale Series. It’s a treat even if you aren’t an avid gamer, or you could always check out the “no commentary” vids online.

  4. Holy Barking Bat Cheese!!! Awesome podcast!! I just read the refered Back Issue won’t ship till 8/18. I’m glad I have it on my pull list.

    I watched Batman after classes in college. I always assumed that the series came out to spinoff from the Tim Burton Batman movies. Burton’s Beetlejuice had it’s own animated series as well. What is interesting: that era of cartoons was very loud and bold. That same era had Ren & Stimpy, The Animaniacs, Beavis & Butthead. Batman Animated was so dark and the music had a full orchestra for the soundtrack which was so 1950’s retro. Speaking of soundtrack: the streaming episodes sometimes doesn’t have the Danny Elfman score at the beginning.

    Oh btw if anyone wants the copy of the style bible from the show email me .

    1. The success of the Burton movie was definitely the impetus for the show being put into development by WB. Timm and Radomski attended an open meeting between Jean McCurdy (head of WB animation at the time) and a ton of artists, and lots of WB properties were pitched for development. Many of them made it (like Batman and Tazmania) and at least one didn’t (The Griswolds from the National Lampoon’s Vacation films). Both left the meeting and independent of each other, worked up aspects of the show. Jean McCurdy loved both and put them together.

      Chris

  5. I caught the weekend evening premiere of Batman: The Animated Series on FOX, and recorded the first several weeks on VHS, which I probably still have up in the attic. I was disappointed by “On Leather Wings,” but some of the early broadcasts were good, especially the Two-Face two-parter. I was never as enamored with the show as most, partly due to dwindling interest in the Batman franchise (despite loving Batman Returns) and partly to my not appreciating it in reruns. I found the mysteries too dry for repeat viewings, and preferred the rollicking action of Superman: The Animated Series once it came along. Given how quickly and how often Superman went into repeats, that was essential. Anyway, I haven’t seen the show in ages, and haven’t felt lesser for it. All in all, I’d rather watch Batman: The Brave and The Bold. Whatever I thought of the writing and direction, I’ll always value the contributions of Andrea Romano and her stellar voice casting, plus the scores were swell.

    Kevin Conroy is the voice of Batman. Mark Hamill is the voice of The Joker. No one else is as perfect, and the best are smart enough to do meticulous impersonations. I’m also very partial to Richard Moll’s Harvey Dent and David Warner as Ra’s al Ghul for definitive takes on their characters.

    I’m still waiting for someone to top Frank Gorshin’s Riddler. It’s possible, since he was too maniacal, but no one in animation has done it for me. Surprisingly, “Weird Al” Yankovic came the closest.

    My favorite additional voice actors were Efrem Zimbalist Jr. as Alfred Pennyworth, Arleen Sorkin as Harley Quinn, John Vernon as Rupert Thorne, and Melissa Gilbert as Barbara Gordon.

    I don’t have strong enough recollections to speak with certitude, but additional episodes I found notable were “Harlequinade,” “I’ve Got Batman in My Basement,” “Heart of Ice,” “The Cat and the Claw,” “Joker’s Favor,” “The Clock King,” “The Laughing Fish,” “Almost Got ‘Im,” “Birds of a Feather,” “The Man Who Killed Batman,” “The Demon’s Quest,” and “Baby-Doll.”

    I hated their handling of Croc.

    Ragman?

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