Many fans are familiar with Batman: The Animated Series (1992), but there is actually a show called The Batman Animated Series (2004) which remained less popular despite its six Daytime Emmy Awards. The story behind its creation is quite as interesting as the series’ unique take on Batman.
Animator Jeff Matsuda was the chief character designer for Jackie Chan Adventures. The show was a raging success, but when it was time to bid farewell to the series, Matsuda had to find a way to score a new gig.
The End of Jackie Chan Adventures Opened Up The Path To The Batman Animated Series
Character designer José López spoke with The World’s Finest and shared his journey working with Matsuda on Jackie Chan Adventures.
“In September of 2003, I was working at Sony Animation on the fourth season of The Jackie Chan Adventures and had been with the company for four years doing character designs with Jeff Matsuda. We were wrapping the season, and the rumors around the studio were that we did not have a pick up for another season, and we were going to get the boot.”
They both tried their luck and after praying so hard to get the job, Warner Bros called them, and they negotiated a deal.
“So, the first thing you do is to start looking for the next gig. Jeff and I were having a conversation about the situation when he mentioned that he was negotiating getting into a really big show, The Batman. If everything worked out, he wanted me to jump on the show with him to do character designs.”
López’s character design in the Jackie Chan show influenced so much of The Batman Animated Series. The project had a different twist that most fans have not seen on a regular Batman animated installment.
“In ‘The Batman’ we tried to push the limit, but make sure to show off appealing versions of the characters (and maybe surprise the fans). I truly believe that the new representations of these characters are fresh additions to their history, and hopefully, the fans will feel the same way.”
This unique and novel take on Batman made the show stand out from the rest of its kind, although it’s quite sad that it remained in the shadow of the 1992 series.
What’s Unique About The Batman Animated Series?
Producer Duane Capizzi spoke with The World’s Finest to share why The Batman Animated Series is so different from its predecessor and what they did to set it apart.
“We wanted to tell the stories less from the villains’ point of view and more from Bruce Wayne’s. Because we wanted our sympathies to be with Bruce, to experience his various dilemmas as he grows to become a better Batman, we made the decision to avoid pathos with the bad guys (at least, on a regular basis; there are notable exceptions, of course).”
The 2004 animated series truly deserves to be recognized by global fans. It offered the most revolutionary character designs, perhaps the most iconic Joker look, and a storyline that’s worth investing in.
All five seasons of The Batman Animated Series are available on DVD and Blu-ray.
