At the San Diego Comic Con in July, I had the opportunity to interview the key players in Cartoon networkâs upcoming series Batman: The Brave and the Bold. Now, youâve already read my interviews with
What? Thatâs news. No one else has posted it. You say she was a mainstay of JLUâs first season? You donât 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 TVâs 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 itâs mostly irony and very dry. Itâs 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 Iâd like to play and really thereâs no where that would be going up from here.
Jonah: Well Catwoman. I think thatâs the obvious choice. But thatâs just me.
Diedrich Bader: Of course.
Jonah: Itâs the mustache; it makes me think of Catwoman. What?
Deidrich: Itâs ridiculous isnât it? Mid October is when I can shave it off.
Jonah: I didnât mean to pour salt into that wound.
Deidrich Bader: No. Itâs okay.
Michael Jelenic: Has Batman ever had a Mustache?
Deidrich Bader: Well you wouldnât know with the cowl.
Jonah: He did put one on as part of his Matches Malone disguise. Thatâs right. I just got nerdy on you guys.
James Tucker: Wow.
Jonah: I mean what. I donât know what you guys are talking about. Whoâs 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. Heâs 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 Iâve had some shitty jobs. So pretty good.
Jonah: Well there has been a lot of fan angst. A lot of âhow can you do this,â and, âHow dare you make batman funny?â
James Tucker: Itâs been really great. BRAVE & THE BOLD is actually the first comic book I ever read. So itâs fitting. In some ways this is it for me. Iâm out.
Jonah: Thank you and good night?
James Tucker: Right? No, itâs 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 theyâre doing another Batman. And I thought, âHell no. Iâm not going near that.â And he said,â Well, itâs the BRAVE AND THE BOLDâ¦â And I had to say, âYes please!â So then I had to think about how you do this different Batman which isnât 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 didnât 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. Itâs 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 couldnât hang a guy off a roof. We can. But we can also make him fun. We can pick and choose. Itâs still Batman. Itâs still cool. Iâll still enjoy it.
Jonah: What about working with Deidrich? It seems like he really annoys you.
James Tucker: Yes.
Laughter.
James Tucker: No. Heâs 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: Thatâs 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: Itâs funny. Iâm 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: Itâs trueâ¦
James Tucker: Iâm a functioning nerd!
Michael Jelenic: Well, you do work in the industry. But if you didnât, youâd still be trying to do something nerdy. But, me, I donât have a comic book background. I read some batman as a kid but for me with the show, everythingâs new. Ted Kord? Whoâs Ted Kord?
James Tucker: Heâs the Blue Beetle, or was the Blue Beetle.
Jonah: Now heâs 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 obviouslyâ¦
Michael Jelenic: well, I do have some favorites from the show. I keep repeating that I LOVE Aquaman on our show. Heâs fun.
Jonah: Obviously. Heâs 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 heâs basically useless. He doesnât do anything. He just talks to fish. But I think heâs 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. Heâs got such a great character compared to the others in our story. Heâs such a⦠a dick really. But at the end of the episode you come to understand why heâs a Green Lantern. Yes heâs a dick, but you can count on him.
Jonah: What about you James?
James Tucker: I agree with what he said. Plus, I really like the Plasticman story. Heâs just funny as shit the way he comes into the show.
Deidrich Bader: And the latest thing with Wildcat (R. Lee Ermey) was really funny too.
James Tucker: Right. But, no, I donât have any real favorites yet.
Jonah: Theyâre all your children and you donât want any hurt feelings?
James Tucker: No, they havenât been born yet and they hurt like hell.
Deidrich Bader: Still kicking around in there.
James Tucker: Right. So I donât know. Some may come out with only three fingers. I donât know.
Deidrich Bader: Whatâs fun about this show is the relationship between the heroes and how they each have an arc about what they learn from each other. Green Arrow for example. Their relationship, how it develops. Just like DiMaggioâs Aquaman. Thereâs an arc to it. Each story resolves in a way thatâ kind of⦠sweet. I brought up the relationship with Blue Beetle; itâs a nice mentor thing. And Will (
Jonah: Good. Good. Plus you get to go to work in your pajamas.
Deidrich Bader: Except I have to stop coming in barefoot.
Michael Jelenic: We did have an actor take off his pants. He came in, in those running pants that make a little noise when you move. So, he took them off for the whole recording.
Jonah: Who was that?
James Tucker: We canât say. Itâs kind of a big actor.
Jonah: Right.
Deidrich Bader: Really, voice-over IS great. If it paid as much as on camera work, itâs all Iâd ever do.
Jonah: So to quote you, âItâs all about the money?â Laughter. That will be the headline of this article. Deidrich Bader: All About the Green!
Deidrich Bader: You know what it is? Doing animation is closer to pretending than anything else you get to do. Itâs much more like when youâre a kid putting on a character. Itâs like when I watch my son play these characters at home. He laughs this evil laugh ⦠because heâs a super villain. I can actually hear him over the monitor practicing this really evil laugh. âHA HA HAâ¦â
Jonah: Proud parent of a supervillians?
Deidrich Bader: You bet. Iâm raising him right! But it is. Just⦠fun to do. I get to play a couple characters.
Jonah: You are pulling double duty?
Deidrich Bader: yes.
Jonah: Any you can talk about?
Deidrich: No⦠well, Catwomanâ¦
Jonah: Of course!
Deidrich Bader: We did have the Huntress on the show the other day. That was kind of cool.
James Tucker: He did the voice.
Deidrich Bader: No⦠but they have a great relationship: Batman and the Huntress. I thought that was really well done. Pretty interesting.
Michael Jelenic: You shouldâve seen the first draft. It was REALLY interesting.
James Tucker: We had to pull back a littleâ¦
Jonah: Whatâs next for you guys?
James Tucker: Hopefully another season of this.
Jonah: Will it be 26 episodes?
James Tucker: yes.
Jonah: So a full season of an animated show?
James Tucker: Yes.
Jonah: Nice! What about you Deidrich?
Deidrich Bader: Did I say I was doing anything else?
Jonah: Well, you DID say that voice-over doesnât pay enough.
Deidrich Bader: Actually Iâm doing as little as possible right now. Iâm doing a play at the Taper in September. HOUSE OF BLUE LEAVES. Thatâs what the stupid mustache is for. Iâm looking forward to that. This way I get to be with my kids during the day.
Jonah: Arenât you worried that spending time with your son will actually make him less of a supervillian?
Deidrich Bader: No. Iâm raising him right!
James Tucker: Two chicks at the same time?
Deidrich Bader: Oh yeah. Iâm teaching him all about that.
Jonah: Deidrich Bader: All About the Green AND Two Chicks At the Same Timeâ¦
Deidrich Bader: Really, what more DOES he need to know?
Indeed what more do any of us need to know? Guy Gardener. Will