July 6, 2024.
To promote their books, BearManor Media asks its authors to talk about their work in the form of an interview. Here’s what I said about Batman: The Animated Interviews:
Batman: The Animated Series proved to be a resounding success, and still enjoys popularity three decades later. What qualifies you to write its history?
I began working in the animation industry in the late 1980s, first as a layout artist on Kricfalusi’s Beany & Cecil, then as a writer/story editor for Hahnfilm in Germany, then as an assistant animator at Don Bluth’s studio in Burbank, then as a storyboard revisionist on Garfield & Friends. During that time I networked with various industry professionals. This experience helped formulate the questions I would later ask in interviews.
Industry scuttlebutt spread about an exciting new animated project at Warner Bros., a ground-breaking series that didn’t talk down to the audience, that allowed for high-stakes action-adventure and angst at levels rarely done in American cartoons. And its dark dynamic style was visually captivating. This was Batman: The Animated Series.
At the time, I was also freelancing as a writer for Starlog and Comics Scene. The editor, David McDonnell, assigned me to interview some of Batman’s key creatives: producers Bruce Timm and Eric Radomski, writer Paul Dini, director Kevin Altieri, and the voice of Batman/Bruce Wayne himself, Kevin Conroy. They provided first-hand accounts of the show while it was in production. These talks became the foundation of Batman: The Animated Interviews, in which, years later, I spoke with executives, directors, writers, directors, designers, actors and composers to add their perspective, which had the benefit of hindsight. David McDonnell helped as a first-pass editor for the project.
Batman: The Animated Interviews is a tribute to those involved with B:TAS and its spinoffs, collectively known as the DCAU. People need to know what it takes to make such a high-quality show, and who made it, and why, and the reasons for its success.
What was the most interesting thing you discovered?
During my research, I discovered a DVD video commentary in which Bruce Timm, while crewing up for Batman Beyond, disclosed that some of the new talent had never heard of Jack Kirby. Jack Kirby! “The King of Comics”! The man who designed and drew Captain America, The Fantastic Four, Iron Man, Ant-Man, the mighty Thor, X-Men, the Silver Surfer, the Inhumans, Dr. Doom, and many more for Marvel and DC Comics. The artist who inspired Bruce Timm and many artists of his generation. Well, if the public can forget about Jack Kirby, the same could happen with the makers of Batman:TAS. Hopefully this project will help sustain their memory. Their work will last, but the makers themselves should never be forgotten.
What pitfalls or rewards did you find along the way?
One reward was the opportunity to meet with the people whose work I admired, most of whom were movers-and-shakers in the television, animation, and comics industries. They were generous with their time and willingness to share their experience, for which I’m grateful. Sometimes, an interviewee revealed an anecdote that merited exploring—such as Jean McCurdy, president of Warner Bros. Animation, mentioning that Randy Rogel, the Emmy Award-winning writer, composer and musician—wrote a Batman stage musical. I spoke with Randy about it, during which he performed a wonderful selection from it. Further details about that project in Volume Three.
John Cerio shared his collection of images autographed by the cast and crew, and Shayne Poindexter shared his many caricatures from the studio’s “Wall of Shayne.”
Batman: The Animated Interviews is presented in Q&A format, with the people speaking for themselves. Sometimes a person doesn’t remember, or “mis-remembers” specific cases. Other times there are differences of opinion, like the testimonies in Rashomon.
And yes, there are claims that may elicit controversy.
What will readers enjoy about your book?
Readers will learn from amazingly-talented people on how to achieve success—that the principles they followed can also be applied to the reader’s own life.
Fans of Batman: The Animated Series will enjoy the insightful interviews, as well as the episode guides with copious cross-referencing, collections of sample reviews from each series or movie, listings of otherwise-uncredited musicians, and indexes to help zero in on topics.
Why five volumes?
The more people I interviewed, the more referrals they gave for others to be included. Sometimes I would find a new source of eye-opening information. Plus, news about the DCAU needed to be added, with Alan Burnett and Paul Dini writing Batman: The Adventures Continue, DC issuing omnibus editions of its DCAU comics, and the passing of Kevin Conroy, Arleen Sorkin and Richard Moll. I had to keep the project up-to-date as much as possible.
Other reporters gave permission to publish their articles in this project; they’re included for the sake of completeness, and historical preservation.
What is featured in each volume?
Volume One: The origins and production of Batman: The Animated Series. Testimonies from the executives and creatives involved. The challenges in its production. The breakthroughs it achieved as an animated cartoon.
Volume Two: Continued coverage of Batman: The Animated Series, plus Batman: Mask of the Phantasm and Batman & Mr. Freeze: Subzero. Retrospectives from the cast and crew. Comprehensive episode guides and review samplers. Exploring the fate of Mr. Freeze. A list of uncredited musicians.
Volume Three: A focus on The New Batman Adventures with its controversial design changes, Batman’s appearances in Superman: The Animated Series, and spinoffs Gotham Girls, Batman: Mystery of the Batwoman and Batman and Harley Quinn. Interviews with the cast and voice director, Andrea Romano. A memorial section is dedicated to the late Kevin Conroy, with commemorative artwork by directors Dan Riba, Kevin Altieri, and Brazilian artist Gonzalo Guastavino. Plus episode guides and review samplers.
Volume Four: Spotlighting Batman Beyond—why it was made, the challenges of its production, how it impacted the DCAU, and the controversy surrounding the home video, Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker. Also covered: Future Batman’s appearances in The Zeta Project, Static Shock, Justice League Unlimited and Darwyn Cooke’s Batman Beyond: The Batman 75th Anniversary short. Producers and executives discuss who Batman’s heir should be. Plus, episode guides and review samplers are included.
Volume Five: Features Batman in the expanding DCAU with his appearances in Justice League, Justice League Unlimited, and in select home videos. Producer Bob Goodman talks about Batman Beyond’s spinoff, The Zeta Project, its creation, production, cancellation and fate of its characters. Select episode guides and review samplers are provided. Batman’s animated legacy is explored by the cast, crew, and various comics and animation industry celebrities. Also, there’s a Recommended Media listing.
For further details visit https://wrmilleronline.com/batman/.
What do you hope to achieve with your book?
Recognition for those who made Batman: The Animated Series and its spinoffs. Executive producer Tom Ruegger expressed it best, that the show’s success is due to the people who made it.
Batman: The Animated Interviews is unauthorized by Warner Bros. or DC Entertainment, meaning, it’s unexpurgated. The testimonies come directly from the talents involved, freely expressed. It is an editorial, educational, scholarly work presented for historical posterity, for the express purpose of honoring those who made B:TAS and its DCAU spinoffs.
Warners executive Jean MacCurdy, writer-producer Randy Rogel, writer Joe R. Lansdale, director Dan Riba have called this project the definitive history of the DCAU. Compiling it has been a great pleasure.
What other endorsements have you received?
I’m honored, and grateful, that the project received praise from Sir Richard Taylor of Weta Workshop, Fox Kids executive Margaret Loesch, Dragon Prince creators Aaron Ehasz and Justin Richmond, Fast Company technology editor Harry McCracken, writer-producer Alan Burnett, British news anchor and filmmaker David Whiteley, composers Michael McCuistion, Lolita Ritmanis and Kristopher Carter, voice director Andrea Romano, animation historians Jerry Beck and Mark Mayerson, network executive Linda Simensky, and more.
A full list is available at https://wrmilleronline.com/batman/.
Who’s faster, Superman or the Flash?
Yes, even though these books are about Batman, this is an all-important question. So I asked such industry notables as DC Comics publisher Paul Levitz, DC Comics executive Mike Carlin, writer-producer Rich Fogel, writer Stan Berkowitz, writer-producer Bob Goodman, associate producer Shaun McLaughlin, Dan Riba and Joe R. Lansdale. Their answers may surprise you.
