It's All Been Done - How SUPERMAN: The Animated Series Found Its Face

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Surrounded by a sea of other Men of Steel in media, the team on "Superman: The Animated Series" struggled endlessly to find a unique approach. From a Fleischer clone to a prototype Justice League, this is the story of how Warner Bros. Animation defined Superman for a new generation.
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dcau, dc animated universe, superman, superman the animated series, superman dcau, justice league, justice league unlimited, fleischer superman, fleischer cartoon, dc comics, darkseid, jack kirby, lex luthor, dan riba, bruce timm, paul dini, alan burnett, bob goodman, jla, superman justice league, superman mullet, batman, batman the animated series, superman batman, world's finest, the new batman adventures, star trek ruk, superman lives, superman cartoon, pre-production, hercules

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11 дек 2021

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Комментарии : 1,2 тыс.

@dcauwatchtower 2 года назад

Enjoyed this documentary style? We did a whole piece on Dwayne McDuffie a little while back-check it out! ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-l67RPuGLLhs.html

@StEvUgnIn 2 года назад

I didn't know Freakazoid was released in US before Superman. I discovered F! in 2003 when it was released in France on Cartoon Network

@EvilEvilMonkey 2 года назад

quick question the red and blue super men when he split in 2 there was a tv show of that right ?

@WarsunGames 2 года назад

There was nothing wrong with the long hair and times do change. You have to adapt to the changes in the world. 20 years later you can cut the hair short and pull it off as a new series.

@EvilEvilMonkey 2 года назад

@@WarsunGames LOL so right do you know how superman hair grows? how long it takes etc... There was nothing wrong with him having long hair, I say this with hair down to my arse..... But yeah nah that is not the look for superman. I mean Superman once the humans die out etc or after years alone it made sense, but other than that why would he grow it out, it would just get it his way as he flew and or fights.

@WarsunGames 2 года назад

@@EvilEvilMonkey I am not gonna say it has to be really long now. But i am saying for a new generation, you can let the hair grow a bit. Then later cut it. If people had bowl shaped hair cuts how awkward would he look if that was the style? How many comics would you sell? Sometimes you have to adapt. Or find middle ground is what i am saying.

@comixproviderftw_02 2 года назад

In a fanbase that completely gushes about BTAS, Batman Beyond, both JL Shows being legendary and Static Shock being an overlooked gem, it’s nice to see STAS get some love. Especially when it’s being seen as the middle child of the DCAU for years.

@wisconsinking323 2 года назад

Don't forget about Zeta Project, never seen it but lots of people pretend it doesn't exist.

@skarloey1214 2 года назад

@@wisconsinking323 The Project Zeta Is Not Real.

@lawrencelord9777 2 года назад

Hell yeah

@kwameadu0075 2 года назад

@@wisconsinking323 Zeta Project ain't that great to be honest.

@kwameadu0075 2 года назад

The Superman TAS is the greatest version of the character.

@SH2K9 2 года назад

I personally believed that the over-abundance of robots in the 90's (and 80's) was the fact that the hero could get away with a higher degree of "animated violence" as opposed to attacking a person.. They still found ways around it (like the "flashing punch" in the Batman Animated Series)

@SamtheBravesFan 2 года назад

The TMNT cartoon touched on that early on, having Leo slice through a Foot Solider robot. Once they realize it's not killing anyone, they go all out.

@mrrodriguezHLP 2 года назад

Spider-Man TAS has no closed fist violence on another human being, Spidey included. He can throw them, web swing into them, and web them up. But no punches.

@goldman77700 2 года назад

@@mrrodriguezHLP Yea. I think the action aged well despite the punch embargo. I just rewatched all of it a year ago or so. It helps that 5 songs(joking) it had really fit each scenario haha.

@MadMac5 2 года назад

Remember the Golden Rule of animated television for children; it's not murder if it's robots or obvious non-sentient monsters!

@krane15 2 года назад

Yep, its easy to tear a robot to pieces without any moral consequences.

@CasuallyComics 2 года назад

It all came together so well! So happy to have been a part of it :)

@dcauwatchtower 2 года назад

Thanks so much, Sasha!

@ChrisConnolly-Mr.C-Dives-In 2 года назад

I dig channel crossovers, just like this one that happened right here.

@PainMonkey 2 года назад

I really do think Sasha could succeed doing more voice over work. She reads clear, gets a good emotional range, has a number of distinct voices and characters, and has great comic timing. I could see her doing a cartoon show or an audio book.

@suisui7481 2 года назад

so glad to see you in other comic channels Sasha, getting the recognition and widespread appeal you deserve

@ashleytuchin7693 2 года назад

I was such an unexpected treat to hear you pop up in a Watchtower video.

@ISBuckley8 2 года назад

While I generally liked Batman the Animated Series and Justice League better, this is still a solid show. I love their handling of Clark (he’s awkward but confident and very good at his job) and ESPECIALLY the castings (Michael Ironside and Clancy Brown in particular will always be Darkseid and Luthor to me). Overall a really great show!

@DSan-kl2yc 2 года назад

Castings fantastic. But I wish the show had had more Clark stuff.

@ISBuckley8 2 года назад

@@DSan-kl2yc one of my favorite episodes was The Late Mr. Kent. I think it perfectly shows that despite all his power, Superman doesn’t just become Clark to hide, he does it because he loves being Clark

@bigshow771 2 года назад

Yes! Ironside's Darkseid spoke normally, yet each word carried an innate menace. So, in the rare instances where he showed anger, HOLY CRAP, he was terrifying. Brown was smooth, knowlegeable, and confident (as someone as successful as Lex would be). With Lex, you often didn't know you were in danger until it was way too late.

@alissa6 2 года назад

Darkseids voice in Batman brave and bold, was a lot scarier and menacy though.

@mrgreatbigmoose 2 года назад

My Darkseid will forever be Frank Welker. Something that powerful and eternal would have a voice that scrapes the air it is spoken into.

@BenjaminSteber 2 года назад

I only just noticed that Lois has violet eyes and almost always wears purple. Supermans’ most prominent colors are red and blue. Mix them and you get purple. I think the designers made this color choice to communicate that while Superman wants to have a relationship with Lois, while he wants to be human, while he wants to blend in, Superman is stuck in the red and blue, kryptonian and human, Kalel and Clark Kent identity crisis. But, as Lois is always there for him, his hope of becoming part of humanity is always nearby, even if just out of reach.

@alialmuhanna4938 2 года назад

Huh. I did wonder why Lois’s eyes had that color. Intriguing.

@Pink7omy 2 года назад

Good eye! I would have never caught that. Purple eyes are so beautiful.

@PS4Pat Год назад

I knew red and blue make purple, but I never really put that much thought into it. It's kinda like Master Mace Windu having a purple blade in Star Wars. The real reason is Sam L. Jackson wanted to notice himself easily on screen during a far out shot in Attack of the Clones (or so I've heard). But looking at it from the colors' meanings perspective, the character is better with combat than Force using (blue blades) and taps into the dark side (red blade) while staying in the light (thus getting purple).

@GodzillaMendoza 2 года назад

This was such a well crafted video! I am so honored to have contributed this. Fantastic work, and much love to everyone involved!

@dcauwatchtower 2 года назад

Thanks again for being a part of it! 🥰

@theoddlesss2373 2 года назад

it's so good that you're getting to be apart of this. it's pretty epic

@nrthe2videos514 2 года назад

I screamed when I heard your voice. You and Scott and Vee.

@IN-tm8mw 2 года назад

This version of Superman was always the peek for me. Powerful but not overpowered. A simple farm boy trying to do good.

@sabishiihito 2 года назад

I always thought he was *too* weak. I mean (almost) no one was hoping for the ridiculousness of the SIlver Age version (sneezing away a solar system, pulling planets with a chain, time travel etc) but in STAS he was even weaker than the current version in the comics. I wish he had been more on the level of other Tim Daly-voiced animated Superman projects that came later, like Public Enemies or JL Doom.

@olofacosta3192 2 года назад

@@sabishiihito yeah I didn't like how he struggled to lift helicopters and got knocked back by bullets. I did like though that villains like metallo and parasite actually gave him a hard time instead of just "actually superman is so strong that if he was serious he could defeat them in 1 second". Superman should be super powerful,but not a method for writers to show off how strong he is. He should struggle with villains hence why he even has a Rouge's gallery lol

@magotheguy173 2 года назад

*peak

@itpugil 2 года назад

@@sabishiihito same, it annoyed me. There was this one time where he took on a torpedo head on and it hurt him. When he has super speed and all that stuff. This superman version has been the version people see in the mainstream hence why they find it hard to believe that he'll beat goku, or any overpowered beings from other stories.

@jilp2002 2 года назад

@@itpugil Stas ain't mainstream bud

@Longshanks1690 2 года назад

There’s always going to be a part of me that’s perpetually angry that STAS didn’t get to have a season redeeming Superman and instead basically ended with Darkseid’s ideological victory over Superman. He got to explore that more in JL/JLU, but it really needed to be in the formal show.

@lephantomchickn3676 2 года назад

The most based king Eddie's here too.

@Critic_Chris90210 2 года назад

Agreed. Still hoping somehow Bruce Timm and Co could think up one more season focused on Superman gaining back the people's trust cause i read that would've been the idea if another season was greenlit back then.

@Critic_Chris90210 2 года назад

And would serve as a great bridge imo between Superman:TAS and Justice League Season One.

@robocelot 2 года назад

Here's hoping this revival of BTAS has sume nuggets of this to act as glue between STAS and JL. Superman's redemption arc in the eyes of the public with really big bad villian -- Solomon Grundy or the Ultra-humanite (perhaps seen switching bodies) would be good choices. I wouldn't go too overboard with this -- it is a Batman show, after all!

@Critic_Chris90210 2 года назад

@Will N I always envisioned General Zod making his debut in DCAU animation as possibly the main villain for superman of the season that put man of steel to the test of in the public eye. I LOVE how Zod looks the comics I have now and would love it if they made one more season now. I prefer Darkseid, Mongul,Mongol,. Not make appearances since they wouldn't be seen again till Justice League season 1 & 2 in canon. I have books with pictures where they could probly make episodes out of. For example would be Mr. MXYSPITLIK powers are taken by Parasite who then turns Lois into Darkseid/Lois and Jimmy Olson/Brainiac hybrids. Another would be Livewire saves Superman's life by jumpstarting his heart after Brainiac almost kills him and she shocks him with like overload shock. I wondered if I should mentioned these ideas to Andrea Romano if she's gonna video chat again.

@Pink7omy 2 года назад

While everyone else is all like “Batman this, Batman that…” I always was the biggest Superman fan. And I love references from the Iron Giant. 😭

@gabaduran3333 2 года назад

Same man

@krane15 2 года назад

Batman just has more personalty than Superman. He has to use his brain, since he's not invulnerable like Superman.

@Pink7omy 2 года назад

@@krane15 “more personality than Superman”. Now that’s a damn lie. Also Superman has a brain too.

@krane15 2 года назад

@@Pink7omy Sups charges in blindly without any plan or though of the danger or consequences (Superman Returns). Batman being human, has to rely on stealth, cunning, and careful planning, with everything he does, before taking action. Remember when Superman said (B/S Public Enemies) he's not used to all this sneaking around? Batman faces characters equal to, and often stronger than he is. Therefore, he has to get to know his enemy and their vulnerabilities before taking action. Otherwise, he wouldn't survive for very long. Even Brainic (Brainac Attacks) called Superman was "nothing but fists."

@Pink7omy 2 года назад

@@krane15 none of this proves your point. Superman does have a personality! Just because his is opposite from Batman, it doesn’t mean he has “less personality “. Also read the comics that are cannon…Superman‘s brain is a super computer. That means he is more intelligent than Batman on many levels. Batman is Bruce Wayne. Bruce Wayne may be smarter than most people,,,however his brain isn’t close to being Albert Einstein. And many times Batman gets help from Gordon, Robins, and of course the man - Alfred Pennyworth- his butler. Superman however usually does everything by himself as he has no sidekick or butler. Superman is more independent if you really think about it. Superman has many times outsmarted many villains and other superheroes. Batman is only human like you and me. I like Batman a lot also, and he is very smart and athletic…but I’m being realistic here. Plus just because Superman is alien, that doesn’t make him “less” relatable. In fact he is more relatable than Batman. He’s not a billionaire, he works a normal job, he has family, etc. Superman is a good guy with a good heart.

@hermionetobias1766 2 года назад

This version of Superman has inspired the way I draw my own superheroes. I loved the Shuster and the Fleischer styles but neither of them have made a huge impact on me as the current version did. This style of Superman will always have a place in my heart.

@madsgrams2069 2 года назад

Michael Ironside's performance as Darkseid is the most amazing thing in this show. It's almost on par with Hamill's performance as Joker. Just wish we had seen more of him.

@eamonndeane587 Год назад

I'm glad he returned to the role for Lego DC Supervillains.

@michaelandreipalon359 8 месяцев назад

It's characters in the DCAU like Darkseid and Gorilla Grodd that really make me miss them not being gruff and grimly voiced like hard nails when it came to their voices.

@Kopie0830 2 года назад

The schuster fleischter style was so iconic, my grandfather (God bless soul), watched Batman TAS and Superman TAS and acted like a kid before he passed. He was so glad the style was adopted and as a comic and animation fan, he felt like he went back to his childhood.

@yourlittlebrotherGabrielReview 2 года назад

This is peak Superman for me. It’s the reason I love the character so much. It’s so classic and the show has aged like fine wine and even stood out from its predecessors because a lot of audiences haven’t watched most of it.

@georgiawilksch5708 2 года назад

Gotta say, part of the reason I love these cartoons is that I love Art Deco architecture, just gives such good vibes. I prefer my Batman and superman with art-deco in any format.

@steelydyl 2 года назад

Dan Riba just seems to be the coolest dude. I feel like there could be a never ending interview with him that would still be watchable

@dcauwatchtower 2 года назад

I can’t get him to stop talking whenever we talk, and I’m okay with it! I’d love to just chat with him about this stuff for hours and hours.

@maxalaintwo3578 2 года назад

Dan the Man!

@dantheman3546 2 года назад

@@maxalaintwo3578 yes?

@maxalaintwo3578 2 года назад

@@dantheman3546 YOOOOOOOO

@dantheman3546 2 года назад

@@maxalaintwo3578 💪🏾🔥

@Dreadjaws 2 года назад

There's an undeniable charm to the Fleischer-inspired designs for the characters, and I certainly would have loved to see them in motion (they surely could have used the multiverse to do it in an episode), but on the whole I'm glad WB put their foot down and practically forced the creators to give the show its own identity rather than pursue any of the other avenues Timm and co. were thinking of. It's a clear example of how limitations breed creativity. Had they had their own way and do the Fleischer thing the show might have never been appreciated as its own thing (kind of like Superman Returns isn't as beloved due to its refusal to move away from the shadow of Christopher Reeve's films), and if they had rushed to do Justice League before developing the character of Superman better the results wouldn't have been nearly as memorable as the actual JL series was. It's important to remember this. People always get mad when a studio forces an artist to follow their instructions rather than giving them freedom but sometimes artists can and will go off the rails if they're not pushed in the right direction. Artists are people after all, and they can make mistakes.

@projekttaku1 9 месяцев назад

lol image a episode of STAS where clark travels to an alternate world in the original fleischer style designs for STAS, and its just him fumbling his way through a classic fleischer style story. Honestly the biggest problem with returns was how it saved all the interesting things for the sequel. Kevin spacey just imitates gene hackman's silly lex and the finally is somehow boring and nonsensical, since how is clark able to lift a kryponite continent while being stabbed with kryptonite and having kryponite exposed in front of him, especially since lex's goons could beat him with a small amount of exposed kryponite? Why not just have the continent be made out of regular kryptonian crystals and have clark only be stabbed with kryptonite so it makes a bit more sense? Compare that to the sequel which would've included brainiac, a fun villain who has somehow never appeared in a movie yet, and bizarro, and character that 3 and 4 had the perfect opportunity to adapt yet never did.

@Mr_J1984 2 года назад

One thing that gets lost in discussions of STAS is the absolutely AMAZING voice cast for this show. Michael Ironside and Clancy Brown are THE definitive versions of the characters for me and millions of others.

@TheEman590 2 года назад

Agreed. With Andrea Ramano as voice director, she took a different approach to the DCAU by getting character actors or actors that weren't like usual voice actors (the Jim Cummings', Frank Welker's, E.G. Daily's and Billy West's of the world, who are really great actors in their own right and capable of drama when not making us laugh). Actors like Ron Perlman, singer Paul Williams, Dana Dalaney, Clancy Brown as you said, Tim Daily, Kevin Conroy, etc. gave the voice acting a more prime time tv drama/comedy feel than what one expected from animation at the time, especially for young preteen audiences. The fact they were all in the same room like a radio show so they could bounce off each other also really helped. Good stuff!

@Extremeredfox 2 года назад

The voices for these from this and JLA are the permanent voices of them in my head. BTW Clancy Brown's Lex is the best personification of Lex in anything I've seen.

@lofthouse23 Год назад

My introduction to Dana Delaney before Desperate Housewives

@AussieDragoon 2 года назад

I'm glad that we got this video on STAS, I feel between BTAS and the JL era, it tends to be underappreciated, despite how much of the DCAU it defined with its designs, crossovers, and tones. Frankly to answer your question I'm glad this is the version of STAS that we got. Modernizing everything from the 40s by way of 60s by way of 80s aesthetic if BTAS helped make things more consistent and honestly more grounded moving forward, I'm glad we lost the black backgrounds that tended to make things blend into each other. Though with this video, I'm curious if this is the start of seeing more STAS content on the channel. Cause even though Zeta project is the meme, its the show I've wanted to see you guys talk about the most.

@killermoth9311 2 года назад

Man a 90s Superman equivalent of Brave and the Bold is something I never knew I wanted until now.

@nielsjensen4185 2 года назад

Superman is a character that's extremely easy to screw up. Most people who write him just go "hits VERY hard" and then call it a day. And then there are amazing stories like "What's So Funny About Truth, Justice, and the American Way" and the adaptation "Superman vs the Elite" that really gets the character. Comparing Injustice to the former is a grave injustice as it's just "Superman but evil by grief!" While the former is "what if Superman was intentionally acting the way he is and what would happen if he chose a different path?" And that's a far more interesting question than the latter, which I personally find to be boring garbage, and makes for a far better story.

@paulrasmussen8953 2 года назад

Man of Steel

@nielsjensen4185 2 года назад

@@paulrasmussen8953 The movie? The movie even less got the essence of Superman as it ended with him making a choice Superman would always choose to never take. He would find another way since if he takes the decision he's no longer Superman. Watch the JL episodes "An Alternate World" before Superman kills Lex Luthor he sighs as he knows that he'll never ever be Superman after this. It's even expressed explicitly in Superman vs The Elite after Superman ditches his moral shackles and two people watching the event on television with one of them asking, "Is that Superman?" and the other person replying in silent terror, "not anymore."

@paulrasmussen8953 2 года назад

@@nielsjensen4185 thats what i mean. I hate mos. Heck how his dad died is so stupid. A tornado!? What Superman 78 got right was having John Kent die from a heart attack. Something that Superman can't fix.

@TheEnigmaticBM39 2 года назад

@@nielsjensen4185 the movie was moreso a modern retelling of the hero in a more cynical world. Had they allowed the director to do his 5 movie arc with superman, you all would've had the status quo superman by now. Take mcu Spiderman for example: he wasn't defined by a tragedy like the character was in the comics until this recent movie. He was handed everything and always had a way out of situations that he usually caused whereas in the comics, Spiderman was just a victim of circumstances and always had to fight between doing the right thing. We finally got a more comic book accurate Spiderman by the end of the recent movie with a comic book accurate costume to boot. People should have more patience and allow others to tell a story before scoffing it all off and derailing a universe.

@TheEnigmaticBM39 2 года назад

@@nielsjensen4185 you also forgot to mention that he didn't want to snap zods neck but it was that or a family gets burned by eye lasers. He even cries after killing him, but that's not enough for some people or hard-core DC fanboys who want the status qou and never for things to change.

@Numbuh1NerdX 2 года назад

STAS is phenomenal, so I wouldn’t trade that for anything. That being said, it would be fun to see a Brave and the Bold-style Superman cartoon! Maybe exploring a different era of characters than the silver age stuff that BtBatB, but a sort of spiritual successor with Superman in the lead could be fun (and show off Clark’s personality quite a bit)

@krane15 2 года назад

The Brave and the Bold were kiddy versions which I never liked. Even as a kid they seem infantile to me. I had friends that would laugh at them and I just stared at them wonder what was going on in their heads. They were always so predicable.

@Lillowh 2 года назад

@@krane15 Don't worry, you'll appreciate what the Brave and the Bold did a lot more when you're older. There's something special about the golden age style of that show that i probably would've disliked as a child too, but when things get dreary shows like that are what you need

@Ian-hj4yt Год назад

@@Lillowh *Silver

@michaelandreipalon359 8 месяцев назад

Can agree on a first glance that B: TBatB feels a bit too childish, but darn, as you progress to the show, you'll be surprised at how much depth and passion project-feeling it has. And then there's the deaths scenes. By gar, how is this show still deemed "childish" when it actually has some memorable and even tear-jerking deaths?!

@mabelpines1225 2 года назад

A viedo on the 90's dcau style justice leaugue marketing.

@rorylumley4727 2 года назад

A viedo on the werid justice leauge marketing campaign before the cartoon premeried that seemed to only exist on coloring books and happy meal toys.

@dcauwatchtower 2 года назад

You sure don’t have multiple accounts ;)

@rorylumley4727 2 года назад

@@dcauwatchtower maybe or some people might be intrested as they had some of those books as a kid.

@dannybuckle3763 2 года назад

To me, every iteration of this Superman show sounds really fun and cool in very different and unique ways from each-other, and I would've loved to have seen all of them, but I'm totally happy with what we got. As a massive Superman fan with a very specific vision for how I'd like literally every character in his mythos to be handled there's obviously a ton of things that I'd do differently if I was in charge, and I cannot pretend that certain BTS comments from Bruce about how "boring" Clark's villains are don't drive me up a fucking wall to the point where the experience with the show is a bit soured for me, but I'm well-aware that there's literally no-one who could 100% capture my exact vision for the character, and when I keep that in mind I think STAS had a lot more hits than misses. As an aside though, God DAMN do I love that Brainiac design; I definitely would love to see it repurposed for something else some day.

@dcauwatchtower 2 года назад

It’s SUPER close to the little kid Brainiac from the “Gods and Monsters” Superman short, I almost threw that in there but it felt more opinion than fact-I couldn’t find anything to confirm it, and good luck getting a hold of Bruce Timm, haha

@puterboy2 2 года назад

I would have liked the Joe Shuster style better.

@edwinsolis5710 2 года назад

Same. I can’t help but think that half the reason why STAS suffered early on was because Bruce Timm didn’t have the same type of passion for Superman’s villains as he did with Batman’s villains. That early Braniac design was infinitely more cool than what we got.

@youtubeistryingtocensorme 2 года назад

Nobody cares about your vision

@projekttaku1 2 года назад

yeah. I love the fleischer designs and brainiac looked amazing. I really wish they went with that look.

@the60skid48 2 года назад

I read years ago that the Joe Oriolo “The Mighty Hercules” from the early 60s design was inspired by Superman’s look. So in my mind it all came full circle in STAS. Plus “The Mighty Hercules” was one of the earliest cartoons I remember as a kid in the 60s. I have a fondness for that show.

@elizabethbassett6598 Год назад

I love their decision to make Darksied a main villain for the series, all those episodes that included those characters were always bangers

@Chaosm03 2 года назад

Personally, I always liked The Superman show over the Batman one. I admit BTAS is great, but STAS hit me in all the right spots. And, the Darkseid stuff is some of the greatest work the DCUA ever did. That Finale.......*chef's kiss*

@jkerr7288 2 года назад

I used to be a kid who when someone says "Superman!" I'll immediately remember the DCAU look of Superman.

@briannalee1998 2 года назад

I remember watching the show in the living room with my dad when I was five. The series made me love Superman! What made these shows so great is that they didn’t talk to kids, they were written to be mature enough for adults to enjoy them too and their was actually character development. On top of that, they perfectly captured the essence of each superhero in the DC Universe and respected their lore. Warner Bros should have learned from them.

@rorylumley4727 2 года назад

A viedo on the werid justice leauge marketing pre justice leauge would be neat.

@ferylspectralknight7687 2 года назад

I rember having some of those coloring books growing up.

@wwemusicfanC 2 года назад

It totally makes sense that they struggled so much with Superman, not just from a "what hasn't been done before" perspective, but also a visual one. Batman naturally lends itself to a film noir type look because Batman is a detective, not just a punchy guy with many villains being gangsters with great visuals like Joker, Two-Face, Riddler, Mad Hatter while some of the more out there villains like Man-Bat, Killer Croc, Scarecrow, Poison Ivy and Maxie Zeus fitting the pulp/horror looks. And you could still have normal gangsters for Batman to deal with and have it believable Superman though is outright fantasy sci-fi, but without the great visuals for many of its villains. Bruce Timm and company had very little to work with. The most recent villains with great visuals at the time were Silver Banshee and Atomic Skull, but they weren't fully fleshed out yet. Silver Banshee literally debuted in the comics by walking down the street in her costume without any explanation. And Atomic Skull had just been brought back in the messy Armageddon 2001 event but without any real direction. Aside from them, it was like Bruce said. You had Metallo, Parasite, Lex Luthor, Mr. Myxzptlk, Brainiac, Bizarro and Darkseid. The rest were just 1940's gangsters, Toyman, the Prankster and Bruno Manheim who were not believable threats to Superman, Titano which is just a giant ape or the more modern villains like Bloodsport and Rampage that didn't have the visual flair that Bruce likes to work with. You can only have Superman fighting giant robots so many times before it gets boring Superman TAS was a great addition and solidification of the DCAU, even if I found the series to be very hit and miss. Could've used more Lobo

@gigangreg7837 2 года назад

It's a shame really, cuz I think Supes' villains could really stand out with some care and creativity I really believe there's a lot of potential for both down-to-earth stories and totally-out-there stories

@conspiracypanda1200 2 года назад

Every series could use a lil more Lobo. I was also surprised that the series actually had me amused at Mxyzptlk rather than outright annoyed because the Superman they had set up played it all so calm and straight.

@krane15 2 года назад

As Batman said, Superman is the "big gun" but not a very complicated character.

@DSan-kl2yc Год назад

Well you're half right but off. Superman isn't outright fantasy sci Fi(unless you mean the characters origin itself). Superman dealt with crime before Batman. He dealt with figuring out someone wasn't a killer. Political corruption. All in his first issue, he solved a murder. And they did an episode like that with a corrupt detective and the prisoner facing the death sentence. Superman also fought a bunch of other aliens, which is probably why they did the golem episode. Superman is also where HIVE and the 100 debuted or had long encounters with. Skull too. He's also fought Kobra. There were a bunch of villains that already existed at the time that the show just didn't want to do. And what they did was good. And I'm sure they didn't just want to do a villain for the sake of it if they didn't think it could work. But the villains are there, to at least attempt.

@wwemusicfanC Год назад

@@DSan-kl2yc I know that he dealt with corruption and international politics and the like in his first few stories. The episode with the corrupt detective was one of the better ones in the series. But by the 90's that's just not who Superman was or was known for, you know? What I was talking about was that in terms of recognizable and visually appealing villains, Superman was really lacking at the time. Atomic Skull was around, yeah, but not the version that has had the great visual design with the flaming skull. Kobra, I never found interesting and considering how Bruce Timm and the others struggled with doing decent stories with them in Batman Beyond, I think they felt the same way. Maybe they couldn't come up with a good idea for H.I.V.E.? I know they wanted to use a bunch of characters in their shows but never came up with good ideas for them. Mongul was a character I was surprised they didn't use until Justice League, since he had some very memorable encounters with Supes in the 80's. As I said, Superman TAS was hit and miss for me, but I still enjoy it.

@M4gl4d 2 года назад

I'll be honest, this video is an eye opened for me. I was convinced the birth of the superman animated series was completely painless and smooth, simply an "alright we're done with batman, now let's continue with superman." To younger me, the two series looked so incredibly similar in ever possible way, I just assumed they had the exact same team behind both series

@dcauwatchtower 2 года назад

They do share a lot of the same team! But yeah, but much more of a struggle than even we knew before diving into making this video!

@SuperSteph5 2 года назад

My favorite thing about STAS is the dynamic relationship it sets up between Superman and Darkseid for JL. Superman having pure hatred towards Darkseid was awesome and seeing Darkseid actively trying to piss off Superman made him such a great villain.

@AntiNihilist 2 года назад

As a kid and adult, the art style looked IDENTICAL. The backgrounds were the defining difference

@andrewcozzini8259 2 года назад

Nice, extremely thorough work as always, James and co., with this "Herculean" effort of a RU-vid video! You think you've heard it all about the DCAU until WDB throws out a term like "Ocean Liner Deco." Wow, color me impressed! Definitely just one of many great tidbits in this entry, and can I just stress how much of an all-around good guy Dan Riba seems? Such a fun dynamic having him as a "phone-a-friend" when making a video like this! Stay schway, guys!

@esean1 Год назад

I remember that MIGHTY HERCULES show from when I was a little kid. One of the reasons I liked it so much was because Herc looked like Superman! He even had a similar color scheme. And Newton, Herc's centaur sidekick, used to remind me a little of Jimmy Olsen.

@youngknowledgeseeker 2 года назад

I’ll always remember the Mr.Mxyzptlyk episodes those were really fun and creative, the fun unique upbeat animation styles, and the voice casting. Superman, Lex, Darkseid. There’s more but this is the first thing that pops into my mind. Superman’s character in it was amazing too

@ThePezzy12345 2 года назад

I'd like to see other aesthetics if it was in some kind of Infinite Crisis movie. Just as Kevin Conroy and Mark Hamill have become THE version of Batman and Joker for most of us, Bruce Timm's DCAU design has become THE version for me. Other styles are good, but my brain always comes back his design. Thanks for the excellent video. I've learned much.

@lordofthedrums93 2 года назад

Some tremendous work and editing here. This is one of your best videos ever.

@dcauwatchtower 2 года назад

Thank you, Liam!

@Yozzoy 2 года назад

Honestly just speechless. This is just so... Enlightening and inspiring.

@badbabybear1 2 года назад

STAS is an underrated gem that I love. Glad it's finally gotten some recognition. Well-done and researched video.

@NickPiers 2 года назад

This popped into my recommendations and I'm just blown away. Not only was this an amazingly comprehensive look into the show's production, but the production on this video is fantastic. I really appreciate that you cite all your sources in the quotes, but also that you got different people to voice the sources. I can't think of many content creators that do that. I had no idea how troubled this show's production was behind the scenes. I'd never heard of the previous failed plans like setting it in the 40s or that Brainiac design. This was seriously fantastic and you earned yourself a new subscriber. Thank you.

@lapidot4ever647 2 года назад

I really want a viedo on the 90's dcau justice leauge coloring book continuity.

@mistermastermind528 2 года назад

This was really a good coverage. It's understandable how difficult it was for them coming off from Batman: The Animated Series. I can't help but notice that because they did Batman before, it felt automatic for them to follow that path but ultimately saw the distinction: dark vs bright. And good for them to realize that. Superman: The Animated Series was really a good show and a good complement to BTAS.

@faithbased-sj8qf 10 месяцев назад

As a comic nerd going on 30. Rewatching and completing these DCAU series has been just a awe inspiring experience. The adult themes in a kid friendly format. You really appreciate the creativity and ingenuity of Bruce, Dan and rest of the crew. They really valued these characters. I hope James Gunn and his partner can put the love and care into these wonderful characters.

@asheraltman5448 2 года назад

I might prefer the 40's-like, more batman the animated series related design, but I am happy with what we got. This style has influenced how I draw for as long as I remember.

@ShadowWingTronix 2 года назад

I like the idea of the 40's design. Imagine putting a modern twist on retro sci-fi and you'd be close to the Superman I'd like to do.

@Giogiogio4 2 года назад

I think the Lemillion arch of my Hero covers how I always wanted to see superman. Giving up everything to save one person. Being vulnerable and giving his all after the fact. Its really touching and inspiring. Something I havent felt for superman in a LONG time

@jamesfitzgerald1684 Год назад

I just finished STAS for the first time. It is a gem of a show. I recommend it to all superman fans. It really is the definitive superman for me.

@mentvltrillness 2 года назад

Just finished the World's Finest arc and The Late Mr. Kent. Absolutely loving this series

@1dcondave 2 года назад

I can sympathize with their struggle to "get it right." I have always found Superman and Spider-Man to be the hardest comic characters to draw. Spider-Man's costume is about the details, the webbing, the poses. But Superman is SO iconic, that the despite the simplicity of design, it's very difficult to "get it right." There's almost always something that just doesn't fit, just a wee bit off...

@dr.walrusxii2389 2 года назад

I really like what the cartoon ended up being. It really encapsulates everything I love about these characters, while employing that amazing animated series style. Fantastic job with the video!

@Swali_B 2 года назад

I came for Casually Comics; was pleasantly surprised to hear from Nerdsync; and stayed for this absolute gem of content you've created. Awesome work.

@tonymata8070 Год назад

This was a beautiful video, I might be a Batman fan but I did grew up watching Superman: The Animated Series. As a grown-up who started to develop a love and appreciation towards the Man of Tomorrow thanks to Man of Steel, this made me smile a lot. You've just earned a subscriber, I've been enjoying the videos especially the many stuff involving Batman.

@dcauwatchtower Год назад

Thanks, Tony! Welcome!

@dinosoid2000 2 года назад

One thing I really liked about this show was that it actually made Clarke/Superman funny. Its just as much fun watching Clarke trade barbs with Lois as it was watching Superman punch stuff.

@MissAshley42 2 года назад

Wow, this is an incredible video on a subject I never considered before! Stylish editing, solid writing, strong voice-overs. . .Excellent job, everyone!

@AbjectPermanence 2 года назад

I think the beady-eye look is a good compromise for the squinty-eye design. It would look ridiculous in animation if he were walking around with his eyes basically closed. For example, Brock in Pokemon. You can get away with full squint on a comic page more than in animated action, but by drawing Superman with beady eyes compared to everyone else, it can have a similar effect. We never see the whites of DCAU Superman's eyes. We get to see his pupil and nothing else. Instead of seeing white around his eyes, we only see the color of his skin. It could be that Clark's eyes are squinty in-universe, and beady-eyes is how the art style renders it, by emphasizing visibility of the pupil and de-emphasizing fine detail like wrinkles around his eyes.

@annedrieck7316 2 года назад

Tracey>>Brook

@boboblaw 2 года назад

not even done watching, but dang! for the first video of yours that ive seen, this is a banger!

@dcauwatchtower 2 года назад

Thanks, Alex!

@dnmstarsi 2 года назад

This retrospective made me really appreciate and admire STAS a lot more. From what could've been to how the series look was finalized, I've never been more happy and grateful for this take on the Man of Steel and the history behind it.

@MrEriklenn 2 года назад

Let's not forget the most daring chance from Batman to Superman A blue sky

@keithkogane815 2 года назад

The pre justice leauge cartoon coloring books would be a great viedo. That isn't brought up much.

@mayssm 2 года назад

It was a really well-done show. My only gripe (and this was a gripe back when I watched it as a teenager) is they *really* depowered Superman for this show. There were scenes where he'd struggle to stop a car or lift a small airplane.

@krane15 2 года назад

To me that's the biggest challenge with these superheros, and especially Superman, since he's the most powerful. If he's too powerful there's no struggle, and without conflict, there's no story. That's the reason he holds back and takes a lot more abuse than he has to. If he used all his strength and abilities he'd end up killing a lot of villains, and we know what would happen once that gets started.

@Extremeredfox 2 года назад

I always thought that this was a younger Superman who wasn't at peak strength or at full mastery of his abilities. Also, Justice League openly stated that Superman has to constantly pull his punches so he doesn't kill people. Then we got unleashed Superman when he and Darkseid duked it out b/c he knew that Darkseid could handle it. Man this series was GOLD.

@Fabboi_unl 9 месяцев назад

I just wanna say, that video was just great. I see it now a year later, but you really feel the work you put into this in every minute of it.

@dcauwatchtower 9 месяцев назад

Thank you! Very proud of this one.

@Batgirl_fangirl 2 года назад

Wow just...wow.😲 This is so well presented. I have no words. Saying excellent work seems so insufficient. Truly outstanding work.👏👏👏👏👏

@dcauwatchtower 2 года назад

Thank you so much!

@Steambull1 2 года назад

As a kid, my introduction to Superman were the 1940s Fleischer shorts. They had a realistic aspect to them that I hadn't experienced with any other animated show. Re-watched them some years ago and boy, do they hold up!

@boringrays 2 года назад

the magic these guys had when makeing this show really inspires me, how many times these people got bashed down and told no but still created the best thing that they could and succeeded in making a legacy really brings a tear to my eye.

@maxalaintwo3578 2 года назад

Me trying not to gush over how STAS is my favorite DCAU series challenge (impossible)

@matthewledbetter7818 2 года назад

Speaks in J. Jonah Jameson. “STRECKER!!! Bring Me more videos of Superman!!!!”

@DiegoReviews 2 года назад

This is fantastic! Superman TAS is the one I grew up with and my definitive version of the character. I learned so much about the production of this show that I had no idea about. You guys outdid yourselves. Excellent work!

@dcauwatchtower 2 года назад

Thanks, Diego!

@CapLives 2 года назад

I LOVE STAS. BTAS set the groundwork but STAS really put the Universe in DCAU. While The Batman cartoon was my childhood Batman, STAS reruns allowed this Superman to be my Superman as a kid.

@jeniko2841 3 месяца назад

STAS is my BTAS. I was too young to understand how good BTAS was, but my uncle really pushed me to get into super heroes. When STAS came out we had something to talk about and share together, he was more of a Batman/Spider-man fan, and I loved Superman. It's something that I will never forget in my childhood, and Tim Daily will always be my Superman :)

@titus2120 2 года назад

More please…. I worked at everyone of the impacted studios from the 1990’s to late 2019. I saw so much production up close. I talked to so many of the folks who worked in these shows. I did IT. I stumbles across this and had to watch it none stop. You did not disappoint. Awesome! My hats off and I will contribute.. this was so cool!! Well done!

@dcauwatchtower 2 года назад

Nice! Send us an email at info@watchtowerdatabase. com - let’s chat!

@blakekrause1691 2 года назад

I grew up watching BTAS, but I only just recently watched through the rest of the DCAU. AND OMG IT'S ALL SO GOOD! I can't believe I waited so long to watch it.

@TheEman590 2 года назад

Gonna do a full watch of it myself on HBO Max. I missed out on Batman Beyond, only seeing one or two episodes. Time to go through the four horsemen of DC cartoons (Batman, Superman, Batman Beyond and Justice League, inlcuding unlimited). Shows like this laid the groundwork for similar dramatic cartoons like Disney's Gargoyles, and it's influence mixed with anime worked for shows like Exoquad and Nickelodeon's Avatar shows.

@alancook8734 3 месяца назад

Dude, I have never seen the Fleicher Superman before and I’m shook by it. How is it posible for a 1940s to look so crisp and clean???

@FireRising86 3 месяца назад

Love and talent

@Compucles 10 месяцев назад

I think there were two main things that helped this version of Superman stand out: 1. The writing and character dynamics were simply fantastic. 2. They properly limited how powerful he was. While some villains like Toyman and Livewire still didn't stand a chance against him in a direct fight, it was still entertaining to see them try or use other methods. Meanwhile, the powerful space alien villains gave him a lot of trouble, especially Darkseid.

@KevinTumlinson 2 года назад

Well done. I had no idea about most of the history of this show, though it was such a big influence on me at the time. This along with BTAS were required watching for me. I put off actual life events to keep up with episodes. Thanks for the great work!

@TheEman590 2 года назад

I had the shows on DVD and the special features like commentaries and interviews with Timm, Dini, Reba, Alan Burnett, Dan Didio, and a few of the voice actors gave some good insight to what was going on behind the scenes. Very fascinating to listen to. This Superman cartoon is a great show to look at, has a lot to like about it. As you can tell, I'm a fan.

@freebatman4everyone 2 года назад

Truly excellent work, well done, everyone!

@cryofpaine 2 года назад

That's fascinating. It's such a unique and iconic style, but it's so easy to see all the influences when you put them up there.

@SheltoniaNation 2 года назад

Nice work! For a minute Lois’ purple eyes made its way into the mainstream comics! There is a thread on Instagram talking about what a good Superman Video Game would look like.

@TorchlightCinema80 4 месяца назад

i absolutely love this video essay/documentary mash up project, it’s really well put together and STAS is my favorite TV show. This was awesome

@dcauwatchtower 4 месяца назад

Thank you!

@JansenHardage 2 года назад

This was so fantastic. One of my favorite videos you guys have done! I can’t imagine the DCAU looking any other way. I’m not sure I’ll ever like an animation style more than the post-BTAS animation style. Its a very timeless look!

@orboakin8074 2 года назад

This show is special to me because it not only served as an introduction to Superman and Superheroes for me when I was a kid in Nigeria, but it also introduced me to the glorious world of Jack "The King" Kirby!

@RedVelvetUnderground333 2 года назад

Also I’m rlly glad jack Kirby is so heavily featured in the cartoons of Bruce , I hope ppl look into it. His shit rocks

@TheEman590 2 года назад

As a Marvel reader, I can't say enough good about Kirby, especially the famous runs with Stan Lee on Fantastic Four and Mighty Thor. He was the King of comics for a reason. His DC work is also great like O.M.A.C. (one man army corps) and Kamandi. When this show had a Darkseid episode, you know business had picked up and something important might happen.

@echopryme 2 года назад

Its a MASSIVELY underrated series!!!!

@CommanderButter 2 года назад

Love these longer, documentary-type videos. Your content is always pretty top-tier, especially when considering this is all for an incredibly niche topic, so to see some potentially wider-reaching content filling that niche is always a treat. I feel like videos like these have the potential to randomly explode in popularity due to the documentary-type approach to covering topics a lot of people might vaguely remember from their childhoods. 10/10, good shit

@captainawsomeist 2 года назад

Great job guys, I love STAS, and I’m glad you’re talking about it! I would have liked to see the Fleischer look.

@ashleytuchin7693 2 года назад

That was an amazing video, thanks for putting all of that hard work into it. It was great to hear so many guest stars lending their voices too, especially Sasha and Vee Infuso.

@Garrettsamuel98 2 года назад

I'm 35 years old. I became really really interested in Marvel and DC in 2010. Everything from video games, movies, shows, & ESPECIALLY DC Animated Movies & shows! As someone who suffers from depression, anxiety, & at times social anxiety, the world of superheroes really really helps me out with a lot of that! There's so many good stories that are just about how hard or how good life can be, AND with acceptance and guilt. Striving to be a better person and knowing that life is hard I really look up to the superhero lifestyle. And when I'm feeling down or sad or depressed I can read a comic or watch a movie or a show, and they make me feel a lot better. AND I DEFINITELY THANK YOU WATCHTOWER DATABASE! I don't really have any friends that I can talk about this stuff with in person. So being able to listen to someone talk about everything that I would want to talk about in person is really really helpful and heartwarming to my life! The DC Animated Universe, with there shows & movies is one of my favorite things that has to do with superheroes :)

@jeremycards 2 года назад

i remember as a kid i didn't like Superman (that changed inmensely later), but when i saw this animated show... man, i tough it looked damn cool, and i watched it a LOT, and it was on great part because of the artstyle, so hell yeah, they did an insanely good job! thanks for that to everyone involved.

@gabrielmartinssz 2 года назад

Also I'm always amazed by HOW COOL DAN RIBA IS

@withalittlehelpfrom3 6 месяцев назад

I can't imagine a studio today going "You know what? Let's not rush into a big crossover-you've gotta take time to establish character." It's the exact opposite of what happened with the Snyderverse, and it's just mindblowing to hear that Warner pumped the breaks back in the day!

@craven718 2 года назад

I loved this and can never get enough deep dives into the DCAU. Thank you guys for all the effort you put in to these amazing videos!

@patrickwebb7311 2 года назад

I love learning about the behind the scenes, great job to all involved.

@gabrielmartinssz 2 года назад

Congrats on the video James! A video I would really like to see from you guys is a "Legion Of Doom All Members". Like the ones of Justice League and Legion Of Superheroes

@dcauwatchtower 2 года назад

That’s on the list for sure! Thanks!

@lillyrey5727 2 года назад

I was reccomended this video and I'm glad I watched this! Loved the interview as well. Subbed.🤩

@jaketopkis2797 2 года назад

Epic video with so much information that has rarely been shared. Thank you for making this!

@SerumLake 2 года назад

I really enjoyed this deep-dive documentary. Thanks for making it!

@smartamateur 2 года назад

This is the best Superman ever. Just like Kevin Conroy is Batman, Tim Daly is Superman. And Metallo was probably this show's best supervillain, thanks to the voice-acting talent of Malcolm McDowell.

@maximusprime3459 9 месяцев назад

I liked Newbern on Justice League too. To be honest, at first I could barely tell the difference til I really listened.😅

@dahveedperez4987 2 года назад

Dude...so much good here. Its so hard to find something I didn't know on the early DCAU, but also so passionate about the details that this totally totes me goats. So well done and just that love shines through. This gave me them Holiday feelings!!