When it comes to comparing Marvel and DC animated shows, one always seems to find itself on top. From Young Justice to Batman Beyond, the upper hand goes to DC in many ways. That does not necessarily mean that Marvel is far behind. Especially with the release of X-Men ’97, tides are bound to turn at some point. Bruce Timm happens to be the man behind Batman: The Animated Series, a show that is receiving praise like prayers.
Being involved with so many animated projects and knowing Batman like the back of his hand, he had many opinions about shows that worked and those that didn’t.
Timm had the opportunity to work on Jack Kirby’s designs and creations. However, there are two that he finds to be underwhelming due to the failure to capture Kirby’s essence.
Marvel Did Not Do Justice to 2 of Jack Kirby’s Creations
Bruce Timm, in an interview with Two Morrows, revealed that in all the works that he has indulged in making, Jack Kirby’s designs have been a big challenge to replicate. Out of the many that he has worked on, there are some that he loved unconditionally and those that he found were lacking his touch. To be more specific, two Marvel shows failed to live up to his expectations. Fantastic Four (1994) and Silver Surfer (1998).
“Shows like the Silver Surfer and the Fantastic Four show from a couple of years ago-I think their heart was in the right place. I think they tried to do Jack Kirby in animation, but you can’t just literally take Jack’s designs and eliminate some of the extra detail and just put it on the screen that way.”
According to the animator, the task of bringing someone else’s designs to life is difficult on its own. Despite numerous attempts to copy them, one or the other factor would always seem missing.
He criticized how the series took away parts of his work, shredding the designs that made them so perfect just so they could incorporate them into television.
Bruce Timm Gave His Everything for One Character but Still Failed
When asked about what his favorite project was of Jack Kirby’s that he got to be a part of, Bruce Timm confirmed to Two Morrow that the two-parter episodes in the second season of 2001’s Justice League had a special place in his heart. The two-parter premiere of season two, titled Twilight, became something of a special memory in his mind.
“The minute you start drawing him in the proportion that Jack drew him, he’s only five-and-a-half feet tall. So suddenly the character looked liked a midget; he didn’t have the power that Orion needs to have. I had to try to keep the spirit of Kirby without actually making it a strict literal adaptation of his artwork. So Orion feels right even though he doesn’t look exactly the way Jack drew him.”
He explained that despite trying his very best, he was unable to recreate Kirby’s designs. No matter how much he tried, there was always something or the other that he found lacking. Especially when drawing Orion. The character seemed too unlike himself and the power that he carried also felt missing.
He wanted to not copy his designs but keep the essence of them at the same time. Unfortunately, he was unable to do that, trying again and again but failing to see Orion from Kirby’s eyes.
