At Comic Con, I had the chance to talk with upcoming animated series BATMAN : THE BRAVE AND THE BOLD voice director Andrea Romano. Romano had plenty to say about casting BATMAN for a seventh time! (BAMAN TAS, THE BATMAN, NEW FRONTEIR… ) She gushed about the talent of new BAT Diedrich Bader. And Collider’s own Nico hijacks the interview with his secret agenda—that Andre seems to agree with—of a possible ANIMANIACS return to the small screen….
Jonah: So… casting a new Batman?
Andrea Romano: Again, again. Y’know, someone told me the other day I’ve done it seven times now. And it’s hard every single time ‘cause it’s an awesome responsibility the first time you do it. That was a three month process finding Kevin Conroy the first time. This one was a little bit easier, again I know the character better, certainly, and they gave me a better idea up front of what they were gonna do with this and how it was gonna be more comic: a lighter twist on the Batman, which is nice because if you keep repeating yourself you don’t grow as an artist or a person or whatever. So I felt like, “Great, let’s do something different.” And frankly, when they told me what it needed to be, I thought that I still needed someone with that bass in their voice. I still need someone that has got that strength to scare criminals. But, I need someone who’s got those comic overtones as well. And my gut instinct was, “Y’know, Diedrich Bader could do this. I know he can do this.” Then after going through the whole artist process that I do, everybody else decided Diedrich Bader was the right guy. So that was a good thing.
Jonah: When did you first work with him?
Jonah: What’s next on tap for you?
Andrea Romano: But you never know. It’s one of those odd things. Until it hits the air, you never know what’s really going to happen. Once it hits the air, and they realize that the audience wants more, sooner and you’re holding them up by not giving them more and they change their plans. Then they air more which is the way I like to see them.
Jonah: Last question, what other animated series on TV that you are NOT voice directing is done well?
Jonah: Thanks again.
Andrea Romano: My pleasure.
Nico: I loved ANIMANIACS.
Andrea Romano: Oh I do too. And I miss it. And I miss PINKY AND THE BRAIN too. You know what? There’s this thing in animation that I’m noticing where the fans actually begin such a program of bombarding a network. “We want. We want! Like… FAMILY GUY.” That they started bringing back series. So get your friends to write e-mails…
Jonah: The ANIMANIACS DVD is selling like hotcakes.
Andrea Romano: It is but, AIMANIACS is all tied up with STEVEN SPEILBERG and I think Steven is a great guy and if the fans REALLY wanted it then he would do it. Thank you guys.
Jonah and Nico: Thank you.
So there. BATMAN : B&B sounds good, and Nico’s interference with the interview belies his secret agenda. And, who am I to argue? Send e-mails, and maybe we’ll get more Bill Clinton sax….