Having helmed the likes of Batman: The Animated Series and Batman Beyond, Bruce Timm’s contribution to the realm of superheroes can’t be overstated. But while Timm has been enjoying an illustrious run in the realm of superheroes for decades, responsible for some of the best the genre has to offer, the American animator is no stranger to having regrets.
Being a huge fan of Jack Kirby, one of the most influential figures in the medium of comic books, the BTAS creator recalled his regret for not having a fruitful discussion with Kirby.
Not Conversing With Jack Kirby Haunted Bruce Timm
While the BTAS creator didn’t enjoy a heavy influx of comic books as a kid, this wouldn’t stop him from developing an immense love for the medium. Finally, upon turning 13, Timm would get introduced to the works of Jack Kirby through Marvel’s first Black Panther story and would be left smitten by the legendary artist’s work.
The Batman Beyond creator would eventually get the opportunity to meet his hero, on two separate occasions, but failed to have a fruitful conversation in either of those. Timm recalled he couldn’t go past, “Oh Jack, I just wanted to shake your hand and tell you I think you’re wonderful,” as he was too awestruck to speak anything else.
But this isn’t the most tragic bit of the story, as Timm resided just five minutes away from Jack Kirby’s home, and had every opportunity to introduce himself perfectly to the author. But as the story goes, the BTAS creator’s dream never came true, with Kirby sadly passing away in ’91.
He explained:
“Yeah. I wish I could say I had a wonderful conversation but I met him only a couple of times, and just long enough to say, ‘Oh Jack, I just wanted to shake your hand and tell you I think you’re wonderful.’ I didn’t know what to say to him. I did not know how to have a conversation with him; I regret that. The thing is, for years before he died, I was living in Agoura Hills-which is five minutes away from where he lived-and there were plenty of opportunities I could have easily gotten and introduced myself to him. I could have spent an evening and had a conversation with him but I never ever did. I really regret it.”
To make things more haunting, Timm had to drive past the comic book artist’s grave each morning on his way to work, which only added to his guilt.
Bruce Timm Paid Tribute to the Late Icon in His Superman Show
While he never got to have a fruitful discussion with Kirby, Timm did give the legendary artist his deserved tribute in his Batman and Superman shows, especially in the latter. With the Superman show, Bruce Timm revealed they tried to “Marvelize” the character in order to match Kirby’s style and added elements synonymous with the late artist’s works.
He said:
“One of the things we wanted to do with Superman was to kind of ‘Marvelize’ Superman a little bit. That’s why the police don’t just carry handguns, but these Kirby-like weapons. All of the science-fictional elements in this series-whether it’s a tank or something from outer space-has a kind of Kirby feel to it, or at least we try to.”
Despite never succeeding in introducing himself to the comic book legend, following in Kirby’s footsteps, Timm too has cemented himself as one of the most crucial figures in DC.
Superman: The Animated Series is available to stream on Max.
