Written by Jonah
 

At the San Diego Comic Con in July, I had the opportunity to interview the key players in Cartoon network’s upcoming series Batman: The Brave and the Bold.  Now, you’ve already read my interviews with Voice Director Andrea Romano and series directors: Ben Jones, Brandon Vietti, and Michael Chang.  But there was one more interview done on that Friday.  This interview with Producer James Tucker, Story editor Michael Jelenic, and the Voice of Batman Diedrich Bader was conducted at the end of the day, and clearly all involved were tired.  Why all this back story you ask?  And, perhaps more importantly, why are you only now reading this article?  It turns out that between the three of them, I learned a few things I was NOT supposed to about characters appearing in the series.  I was asked to hold off on posting this for a bit, but this is still news, so here goes.  Appearing in BATMAN B & B will be Helena Bertinelli: aka the Huntress!

What?  That’s news.  No one else has posted it.  You say she was a mainstay of JLU’s first season?  You don’t care?  Fine.  Be that way.  You want a scoop?  You want a SCOOP?  Okay then.

Let me put an end to a month of internet speculation and rumor.  The Green Lantern featured in BATMAN B &B is INDEED none other than continuously cranky, anti-social borderline ass GL: Guy Gardener.  Yup.  Fanboys rejoice!  Guy will make his appearance in the GL episodes of the series premiering this fall.  No word on whether Batman takes him down with one punch or not.  Click below to read the full interview with Tucker, Bader, and the incredibly talkative Michael Jelenic.

Jonah: First question for you Diedrich- playing Batman, hard, fun, awesome?

Deidrich Bader: Yes. Yeah.  It really is great.  Mostly because this Batman has a sense of humor.  Which is easier for me to do than what Rino (Romano, the voice of TV’s Batman in THE BATMAN) did which was dark all the way through, with kind of leveling it with a little bit of humor.  Which there is some humor in this, but it’s mostly irony and very dry.  It’s the guest star cast that really gets to go out and have funny performances.  But it is genuinely fun and right in my house.  I was just asked earlier if there was any other animated character I’d like to play and really there’s no where that would be going up from here.

Jonah: Well Catwoman.  I think that’s the obvious choice.  But that’s just me.

Diedrich Bader: Of course.

Jonah: It’s the mustache; it makes me think of Catwoman. What?

Deidrich: It’s ridiculous isn’t it?  Mid October is when I can shave it off.

Jonah: I didn’t mean to pour salt into that wound.

Deidrich Bader: No.  It’s okay.

Michael Jelenic: Has Batman ever had a Mustache?

Deidrich Bader: Well you wouldn’t know with the cowl.

Jonah: He did put one on as part of his Matches Malone disguise.  That’s right.  I just got nerdy on you guys.

James Tucker: Wow.

Jonah: I mean what.  I don’t know what you guys are talking about.  Who’s this Batman?

Laughter.

Jonah: Seriously though, Deidrich, do you think the Batman looks anything like you with that chin of his?  Did you go in and pose for the artists?

Deidrich Bader: Yes.  And it was obviously difficult to find a cowl to cover my enormous head.

Jonah: Was there anyone in particular it was fun to work with on the show?

Deidrich Bader: Tom Kenney (as Plasticman) is always great to work with.  And John DiMaggio (Aquaman) is always nice to have.  We had Phil Morris in which was pretty fun.  And Jim Piddock (Calendarman) came and did a guest star spot.  He’s always funny and really nice.

Jonah: (to James Tucker) How do you feel about this whole process?  I mean you ARE following in big shoes.

James Tucker: Well I’ve had some shitty jobs.  So pretty good. 

Jonah: Well there has been a lot of fan angst.  A lot of “how can you do this,” and, “How dare you make batman funny?” 

James Tucker: It’s been really great.  BRAVE & THE BOLD is actually the first comic book I ever read.  So it’s fitting.  In some ways this is it for me.  I’m out.

Jonah: Thank you and good night?

James Tucker: Right?  No, it’s been a blast.

Jonah: How did you initially get started with this project?  Were you knocking on doors at Warner Brothers?

James Tucker: Sam Register (Executive Producer) came and said they’re doing another Batman.  And I thought, “Hell no. I’m not going near that.”  And he said,” Well, it’s the BRAVE AND THE BOLD…” And I had to say, “Yes please!”  So then I had to think about how you do this different Batman which isn’t in the huge long shadow of BATMAN THE ANIMATED SERIES.  Because I remember the hate that THE BATMAN got when it first premiered.  And I didn’t want to go through that.  But, he (Sam) convinced me that this was a different Batman an old school Batman, with a twist.  Then I started thinking about it and decided that I can do this, and I remember this form THE BRAVE AND THE BOLD.  It’s still Batman, just not the Batman that many are used to.

Jonah: Not your hardcore Batman?

James Tucker: Well the great thing is we have access to all the Batman mythos.  We can go dark.  The CW Batman couldn’t hang a guy off a roof.  We can.  But we can also make him fun.  We can pick and choose.  It’s still Batman.  It’s still cool.  I’ll still enjoy it.

Jonah: What about working with Deidrich?  It seems like he really annoys you.

James Tucker: Yes.

Laughter.

James Tucker: No.  He’s been great.  The thing about casting these archetypical heroes is that the person has to embody the character.  Our Wonder woman on Justice League was so sweet.  She really loved the fans.  She had stalkers because she was too nice.  But, Deidrich is a great guy and a GREAT Batman.

Jonah: (To Michael Jelenic) And you will just nod and agree with everything they say?

James Tucker: DOES the tape recorder pick up his nods?

Michael Jelenic: That’s why they brought me on the show.  James was looking for someone who would nod their head to everything he suggested.

Jonah: Were there any characters, as far as the ones you can talk about go, you were excited to get to use in the show?

Michael Jelenic: It’s funny.  I’m not really a comic book guy.  This guy (James) is possibly the biggest nerd at Comic Con this year.

James Tucker: Gee thanks!

Michael Jelenic: It’s true…

James Tucker: I’m a functioning nerd!

Michael Jelenic: Well, you do work in the industry.  But if you didn’t, you’d still be trying to do something nerdy.  But, me, I don’t have a comic book background.  I read some batman as a kid but for me with the show, everything’s new.  Ted Kord? Who’s Ted Kord?

James Tucker:  He’s the Blue Beetle, or was the Blue Beetle.

Jonah: Now he’s dead.

James Tucker: And then back.

Jonah: and then dead again.

James Tucker: Right.  And now he just nods his head.

Michael Jelenic: Exactly.  Wait, what was the question?

Jonah: It was about your favorite character from comics on the show, but obviously…

Michael Jelenic: well, I do have some favorites from the show.  I keep repeating that I LOVE Aquaman on our show.  He’s fun.

Jonah: Obviously.  He’s so much fun in the comics.

James Tucker: Right?

Michael Jelenic: Well, I think the obvious thing to do is make fun of the fact that out of water he’s basically useless.  He doesn’t do anything.  He just talks to fish.  But I think he’s funny without making fun of the character.  Funny without going over the top.  You like him.  And the other story I like is our Green Lantern story.  Can I talk about this?

Jonah: Sure.

Michael Jelenic: I like our Green Lantern: Guy Gardener.  He’s got such a great character compared to the others in our story.  He’s such a… a dick really.  But at the end of the episode you come to understand why he’s a Green Lantern.  Yes he’s a dick, but you can count on him.

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