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Post by /\/\att on Jun 2, 2005 2:18:48 GMT -5
Legions of Gotham, your source for ALL things Batman, is giving you, the fans, the chance to interact with several members of the crew and cast of The Batman! We've just recently given you all the chance to interact with Robert Englund, voice of the Riddler, and Phil LaMarr, voice of Maxie Zeus. Now, LoG is letting fans submit their questions to The Batman producer Duane Capizzi: Click HEREand Producer/Art Director Jeff Matsuda!: Click HERE!You have until the end of the weekend to submit your questions for these two talented producers...and this is only the beginning. All throughout the summer, we'll be giving you the chance to interact with most all of the cast of the show, and a good amount of the crew. Next up, character designers Jose Lopez and Thomas Perkins!
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Post by /\/\att on Jun 5, 2005 22:17:13 GMT -5
c'mon people! hardly anyone is asking questions! You don't get chances like this everyday...even around here!
take advantage of this and ask a question or two! I'll leave the threads open til' tuesday.
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Post by jasontodd2 on Jun 25, 2005 10:13:31 GMT -5
Just saw this thread today...is it still open?
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Post by Scribbler on Jun 26, 2005 23:47:03 GMT -5
We here on The Batman crew are always curious about your questions. Give it a shot
Thomas Perkins
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Post by /\/\att on Jun 26, 2005 23:49:02 GMT -5
We here on The Batman crew are always curious about your questions. Give it a shot Thomas Perkins There you go guys! Character designer Thomas Perkins is available for questions! Take advantage of that!
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Drizzt2218
Legions of Gotham Police Officer
Posts: 165
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Post by Drizzt2218 on Jun 27, 2005 0:20:06 GMT -5
Mr. Perkins:
Okay, I'll give it a shot. I'm more of a writing-oriented guy than a design/artistic type, but with the arrival of Batgirl, a GCPD undergoing change, and *confirmed* new villains Poison Ivy and Maxie Zeus, are there anymore additions being made to this series -- from small things such as subtle tweaks to certain character designs, to new variant costumes for Batman, new gadgets and/or vehicles (such as The Batwing), or anymore new villains appearing in the third season? This is a broad question, but any details will be appreciated. Thanks.
--Larry
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Post by Scribbler on Jun 27, 2005 1:48:44 GMT -5
Hey Larry,
There may in fact be a new villain or two to be had third season, but due to contractual obligations, I may not divulge them. There are a number of folk that I had some real fun getting to work on. all sorts o' mayhem.
I would be more than happy to discuss the content that has aired as that is now in the public domain. You never know who is out there reading these fine posts, and I really like working. Dratted confidentiality. Sorry.
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Drizzt2218
Legions of Gotham Police Officer
Posts: 165
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Post by Drizzt2218 on Jun 27, 2005 2:00:27 GMT -5
I wasn't trying to get you to spill the beans on anything directly, sorry. I tried to leave it vague enough that you could say, "Oh yeah! Tons of new stuff!" if you wished. Okay, let me go back to the (figurative) drawing board. How much do you, Mr. Matsuda and the other artists interact with Mr. Capizzi and the other writers? For instance, are you given the scripts to read and then interpet what's written on the page (in the case where a new design of some sort would be required), or do Mr. Capizzi and/or Mr. Goguen simply explain what designs are needed? This probably seems like a silly question, but I've always wondered how much interaction there is between the different facets of a show. I'm sure you guys aren't exactly operating in a vacuum, but I've always wanted to know how much interaction there is. Thanks. Take care. --Larry
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Post by Scribbler on Jun 27, 2005 2:29:45 GMT -5
Hey Larry,
It is a good question actually. The creation of each 22 minute animated show that you get to see is a true team effort. It is an interesting and complex process and it can change on a case by case basis.
From the writing end of things, I know not so much. Once we on the design end of things get a script, there are usually meetings with the various parties to hammer out the needs and direction of the show that are envisioned by the writers, producers, and the directors. Even DC Comics has a hand in what we do. Each party may have a distinct idea about how each script is to turn out in the final product. Our job as designers is to try to address all the issues and ideas that these other folks have and create cohesive visuals to support them. Sometimes we have more leeway to interpret the designs of the characters the way we wish, other times these other parties may have a more concrete vision of what they want to see from the outset. It would be a very rare day that we would work in a vaccum.
In any event, for every villain, cool gadget, or interesting local that you see on the screen there is a lot of broad based teamwork that goes into it. We are always communicating back and forth amongst ourselves trying to get things right so that our show looks good and keeps the audience wishing to see more. The versions of folks like the Joker or the Riddler that were designed before we hit the ones you now know were numerous. We all dig Batman, and so we would like to come across with the best stuff we can. Any particular stories or characters that you are curious about?
-Thomas
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Post by /\/\att on Jun 27, 2005 3:19:42 GMT -5
Thanks for all that insight T!
I tell you what I love to hear about..is what goes into the evolution of each design that we see on screen. The Riddler, for example, I know started out more how Cluemaster ended up...
...I'd love to know/see more about the various drafts of each villain someday...anyone else that you can think of that was drastically altered from initial draft til it hit the screen?
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Post by jasontodd2 on Jun 27, 2005 5:56:10 GMT -5
Thomas-
With the third season, will The Batman feature any solo adventures with Alfred? Or get into any of his past, history? Any chance of seeing Dr. Thompkins?
Thank You James aka The Techno Bat
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Post by Batrez on Jun 27, 2005 10:43:55 GMT -5
will there be a Harvey Dent or "two-face" appearing in the near future? Will you also new dc characters into the mix like Hush or make new villains that we comic geeks have never seen?
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Post by azrael24 on Jun 27, 2005 10:49:06 GMT -5
hey mr.perkins, just got a couple of questions
what is it like to see your designs in action?? and i like the new design for scarface, but i dont like the character much (animation or comics.) how do you like the series so far?? and what can you tell us about the stories in season 3?? ie. like lots of action, tragic, drama, or stuff like that. what i syour fav episode and character in The batman??
thank you for taking time out for the fans!!
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Post by Scribbler on Jun 28, 2005 4:10:17 GMT -5
Hey Matt,
I will have to say that the original versions of many of the old classic villains were very different an nontraditional renditions at first. I am sorry that many of those version never saw screen time as they were initially intended during early developement. I will say, however, that it is very likely that many fans would have had seizures at the sight of them. If no shoes for Joker was as controversial as it was....the original ideas for Riddler and Penguin would have killed them off for sure. It's too bad, too. In a franchise as old and broad as many of the DC ones are, it is a pity that people only want to see one rendition of it produced. I like a good cheese burger and all...but the same meal every day for 60 years could be a tough gig.
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Post by Scribbler on Jun 28, 2005 4:13:20 GMT -5
Hey James,
I have to say that there should be some cool new things in store for you guys 3rd season...but they shall have to remain a mystery for now. You wouldn't want it spoiled for you, would you?
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Post by Scribbler on Jun 28, 2005 4:35:35 GMT -5
Howdy Azrael24,
I would have to say that it is really cool to see things that I have worked on up and moving on the screen. I have a life long comics and animation fan, so having the job I do is the greatest. I still remeber my first work to ever see the screen. It was a plate of haunted broccoli on "Extreme Ghostbusters" back in 1997. Go figure.
I think that there are a lot of cool things coming down the pike for season 3, but we on the show look at things probably a little differently that the average viewer. We tend to get more caught up in the creating of the things that we are responsible for. In any given episode I may spend a great deal of time focusing on a character or group of characters while Matsuda, Lopez, and Chang are focused on other parts all together. It is easy not to think of the overall episode until it comes back from Postproduction and is ready to air. And even then, we tend to watch the episodes to see how the work we are responsible for has translated from the drawn page to the TV screen. We always hope for the best.
I have a few episodes that I really liked above the others. The Clayface episodes rank pretty high, he was a lot of fun to draw. "Laughing Bat" was great....an "evil Batman" is always keen. But some of the best animation I have seen on our show, in my opinion, comes from the episode "Strange Minds". I think that came out very well all in all. How about you? What's your favorite?
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Post by azrael24 on Jun 28, 2005 15:52:16 GMT -5
thanx for answering my posts!! and my fav episode is meltdown, the season 1 finales and riddled. i have lost more fav episodes but those are my favorite, i live in the US so i havent seen all of season2. but i cant wait!
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Post by jasontodd2 on Jun 28, 2005 17:31:38 GMT -5
Hey James, I have to say that there should be some cool new things in store for you guys 3rd season...but they shall have to remain a mystery for now. You wouldn't want it spoiled for you, would you? This is true. I will wait (Eagerly) ;D Keep up the great work. If I could throw a name out there for you guys to use for a character....if you can how about Swamp Thing?Thanks
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Post by J-Man on Jun 28, 2005 19:56:21 GMT -5
[shadow=purple,left,300]First, I just noticed this thread, and I have to say that it feels so good to get answers from the professionals themselves! Second, thanks for taking the time to answer our questions, Mr. Perkins.
What inspired Gotham City? Like most incarnations of Batman, animated, comics, film, etc., it's different in its own way. When watching "The Batman," I've always wondered that. There seems to be a lot of little nods to several major cities around the world scattered throughout Gotham. Was this done on purpose, or am I looking at things too closely?
Plus, how do you think the series is evolving, animation and design wise? Every episode seems to get better and better.
I'm kind of dry on questions right now, a lot of people seem to have asked all the good ones! But thanks for taking time to look over them! [/shadow]
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Post by Scribbler on Jun 30, 2005 4:21:10 GMT -5
Hey folks,
First off, in case I have forgotten to say so, I wanted to thank you for your interest in our show. It is a pleasure to field your questions as bes as I can.
Hey Techno Bat, I will say that there are many guest stars that I tink would be awesome to have visit Gotham. At first I might question Swamp Thing choice...but then I think it would be good if'n you could get a "Batman and Swamp Thing versus Killer Croc" story happening. Who knows what may be instore, intrepid viewers...but so far our leafy friend isn't it. I'd vote Green Arrow, Ragman or something like that, but no luck with that either.
Hey J-Man, These are also cool questions. Our Gotham is, like many imaginary cities are, an amalgam of many different places. One of the least known influences that I heard banied about early on were the sort of cluttered, seamy back alley settings that one might find in the novels of Charles Dickens. The direction of the city of Gotham had input from many folk during it's developement. The Mind that brought it all together early on was that of Nolan Obena, a fantastically talented fellow. He and his Bagkground Team have created wealth of interesting places for Batman to move through in his adventures. Those guys did heaps and heaps of research into their work on creating the city.
As for your second question, I do think that most animated and non-animated shows improve as seasons progress. This is in part due to the teams that creat these shows learning to work together as a team over time. eventually the many facets of production begin to function in better and more creative ways as they learn each others strengths and weaknesses and how to best work with them. This can also be said in some ways with the stories probably as well. The Writers understanding of the characters brodens as the world we are creating expands and defines itself with each passing script. That is the hope, anyway. You folks will ultimately be the judges on that count, as that we will have our own biases and the like to contend with on our project. Thanks for the questions.
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Post by azrael24 on Jun 30, 2005 13:54:46 GMT -5
thanx for answering our questions
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Post by jasontodd2 on Jun 30, 2005 23:14:54 GMT -5
Hey Techno Bat, I will say that there are many guest stars that I tink would be awesome to have visit Gotham. At first I might question Swamp Thing choice...but then I think it would be good if'n you could get a "Batman and Swamp Thing versus Killer Croc" story happening. Who knows what may be instore, intrepid viewers...but so far our leafy friend isn't it. I'd vote Green Arrow, Ragman or something like that, but no luck with that either.
It would be cool to see Bats teaming with Swamp Thing to battle it out with Killer Croc, and Croc's tag team partner could be Solomon Grundy.... Thanks for taking the time to respond to me, I really appreciate it.
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Post by /\/\att on Jul 1, 2005 2:15:27 GMT -5
Hey J-Man, These are also cool questions. Our Gotham is, like many imaginary cities are, an amalgam of many different places. One of the least known influences that I heard banied about early on were the sort of cluttered, seamy back alley settings that one might find in the novels of Charles Dickens. The direction of the city of Gotham had input from many folk during it's developement. The Mind that brought it all together early on was that of Nolan Obena, a fantastically talented fellow. He and his Bagkground Team have created wealth of interesting places for Batman to move through in his adventures. Those guys did heaps and heaps of research into their work on creating the city. I didn't know that Nolan Obena was responsible for the backrounds! Thats really interesting.....Thanks for that info T! How about some of those cool side-characters...the tv reporter....the other various backround characters...who all has been responsible for them? Any little easter eggs involved with those? Any of them designed off of people the crew knows..or even members of the crew?
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scabs
Legions Of Gothamite
Posts: 35
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Post by scabs on Jul 1, 2005 13:23:22 GMT -5
"What inspired Gotham City? Like most incarnations of Batman, animated, comics, film, etc., it's different in its own way. When watching "The Batman," I've always wondered that. There seems to be a lot of little nods to several major cities around the world scattered throughout Gotham. Was this done on purpose, or am I looking at things too closely?"
One of the major influences for TBs Gotham was Budapest Hungry, a lot of Chicago and 1930s New York was thrown in there too.
The heavy blacks on the bgs were a nod to film noir films such as "The Last Man" As far as color pallets, the interior of Arkams orange color scheme was influenced by the Lars Von Trier film "Element of Crime", the white skys for the day time shots were influenced by the movie "Session 9".
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Drizzt2218
Legions of Gotham Police Officer
Posts: 165
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Post by Drizzt2218 on Jul 1, 2005 15:07:25 GMT -5
Ah, thanks Scabs for filling us in on all those little nods. At the risk of sounding ignorant, are you a member of the design team? Anyway, I liked reading that some of the color pallets were influenced by films such as "Session 9" and "Element" (Lars von Trier is a fascinating filmmaker), and as for Gotham itself, I could see a little New York and Chicago in there, but the Budapest influence escaped me. Very interesting. Scribbler, I was wondering who/what is that on your avatar. I've been looking at it, but can't quite figure out WHAT I'm looking at. A trivial question, sure, but if you could satisfy my curious nature, I'd appreciate it. --Larry
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scabs
Legions Of Gothamite
Posts: 35
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Post by scabs on Jul 1, 2005 15:32:51 GMT -5
".....are you a member of the design team?"
yes.
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Post by Scribbler on Jul 1, 2005 23:24:02 GMT -5
"Scribbler, I was wondering who/what is that on your avatar. I've been looking at it, but can't quite figure out WHAT I'm looking at. A trivial question, sure, but if you could satisfy my curious nature, I'd appreciate it."
Hey Larry,
It's just the head and partial upraised hand of a Offbrand Elseworld Batman-type from my portfolio website.
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Drizzt2218
Legions of Gotham Police Officer
Posts: 165
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Post by Drizzt2218 on Jul 2, 2005 0:16:14 GMT -5
That's awesome. I was browsing the website, and I have to say that's some great work. What the heck is that bat-creature on the site? That was one scary looking monster. Very awesome website. As someone who enjoyed the briefly-lived "Big Guy & Rusty" quite a bit, it was neat to see some old design work for the show, too. This is a bit of a tangent from the actual discussion, but since most of the crew you've been working with has carried over from nearly every show you've been involved in, from the producers, the writers, some vocal performers, etc, I'd say there's some solid The Batman connections in there. --Larry
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Post by Scribbler on Jul 2, 2005 2:20:05 GMT -5
Hey Larry,
Thanks a lot for the kind words. The Scary Bat thing was just a doodle I was playing with. I am glad you liked the work.
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Drizzt2218
Legions of Gotham Police Officer
Posts: 165
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Post by Drizzt2218 on Jul 2, 2005 2:45:45 GMT -5
The Scary Bat Thing (as he shall now and forever be known) reminded me of Man-Bat by way of Hellraiser, to be honest. ;D
Actually, this has sparked a question, if you don't mind my asking. The first series you worked on was "Extreme Ghostbusters," and from there you've followed over to every show Mr. Capizzi has produced. Does this make you the elder statesman of The Batman's design crew?
What strikes me as very neat is the way a lot of the same people have worked together time and again, on every facet of each show. It must be great that, no matter if you're working for Sony, Fox, WB or anyone else, you're all still a team. Each show is vastly different the other as well, which to me is a strong sign of just how creative everyone involved in this series is.
I guess what I'm saying is that one of the greatest strengths of this team is that everyone has worked together so long that whatever show you're involved in, we can always look forward to it being top quality. I can honestly think of no better a group to take over the reigns of the Dark Knight than all of you guys.
--Larry
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