The Best Batman - Batman Animated: Bruce Timm, Paul Dini, and Chip Kidd

[@chrisstaggs8997]

Hey guys, the paper is called coquille board or pebble board. It has a stipple texture and allows for half tones to be created when using grease pencil or other soft drawing mediums. Also the episodes with the best animation were handled by TMS animation.

[@chrisstaggs8997]

@@StruggleoftheOutsider I found some on Amazon made by Bee Paper Company. It’s called stipple paper though, but it appears to be the same as coquille board.

[@roguedobie]

RIP Ed....

[@stephenjohnson9745]

I was born in 2000 and caught reruns and had a couple vhs's of the animated series, loved it a whole lot

[@skinc4rver]

Me too, I grew up watching a couple of episodes on VHS and Mask of the Phantasm on DVD a lot.

[@Junketsuadidas]

I was born in 96 and the first birthday I remember my dad (who is also a huge kayfaber) got me the new adventures batmobile along with the 12 inch Nightwing, man I wish I still had those

[@omegabeyond5390]

I could so clearly hear every swell of the theme music while looking at those intro storyboards

[@blaketarpley8174]

NIGHTHAWKS DINER by Edward Hopper at bottom left at 12:43

[@DrDoomPool]

This show was mind bowing as a kid. I was born in 86 so perfect age to enjoy each episode as the came out. Major nostalgia

[@lorec9795]

I want to say that Tim Burton's Batman movie had a huge influence on the animated series. Burton's Batman came out back in 1989, while the animated series came out in 1992. Bruce Timm, and Paul Dini drew their art deco style for the animated series influenced more then likely from how Burton stylized his film on the character. There is a very noir 40s feel to the movie, which I believe would be even more evident if you could watch it in black and white. Both movie and animated series have left an indelible mark on how Batman is defined, even to this day. It almost feels a shame that Burton does not get as much recognition for his influential stylized interpretation of Batman, as say Chris Nolan is getting today. Even as a child of the 60s growing up through the campy version of Adam West's Batman at least to me 1989's Batman film will be the quintessential true interpretation of the character itself. Its dark, gritty, noir vibe truly defines what the Batman will always be.

[@mariod5467]

Don't forget the late Anton Furst, production designer for 89 Batman.

[@magnumcornetto]

Batman Returns came out in '92, so yes, BTAS was initially meant to be a tie-in with the movie. That's why the Penguin has long hair and webbed hands in BTAS. Or why Catwoman looked more like the movie's costume than the comics.

[@richdannys2906]

I feel like Lynne Naylor should've gotten a better shoutout, here. I saw a bunch of pages featuring her Design work, in the vid.. By this point, she was already the ex-girlfriend of John K. But you can see early versions of what we now consider "the Bruce Timm girl", throughout many of the classic Spumco REN & STIMPY episodes. Timm simply refined Naylor's model, for use in the BTAS cartoons..

[@williamjosephdunn5879]

The fixatives on Bruce's desk is for the markers. Bruce still uses those to this day and he doesn't use Photoshop at all.

[@donndavis2920]

You can get pads of that paper at most good art stores from Bee, it’s sold as Stipple Paper and is available as pads or large sheets.

[@bromide01]

I bought this at a remainder/overstock bookstore for probably $10-20. Glad I have it!!

[@danixove2358]

Don't have words to describe the impact of this book in my life. Was a total game changer at the age of 12 and I still keep revisiting it, so... I enjoyed this video SO MUCH. Just two minor details: -At 37:45, that's a Ronnie del Carmen's storyboard. He's a very talented animator, check it out. -At 40:40 (ish), those are Bruce Timm's designs! The text explains how he wanted to reshape Batman's aesthetics after working on Superman, a more stylized show than Batman TAS. I personally find those designs really cool, Robin's outfit and Scarecrow's new look being on my top 2.

[@jacobware8367]

Awesome video. Part of the appeal of BTAS was that not only did they respect the character and content but they also respected the audience.

[@jamesgreato]

My favorite image in this whole book is at 19:06. Bruce Timm drew a scene with all the things that weren’t allowed to be broadcast/would be censored. I think it included child endangerment, nudity, alcohol/drug use, gunshot wounds, and strangulation(?). Not sure on that last one.

[@kuracola]

Totally thought this would get a callout with the channel-favorite "Damage to the Eye" motif!

[@marcbaker3947]

I’ve had this in my collection for like, 20 years. It’s been well read and the binding is pretty knackered now but still one of my favourite art books.

[@louiechin2937]

So glad I bought this book in the early 2000s. One of the first art books I got. Glue didn’t hold up the pages too well on the spine though lol

[@christopherpdearing]

Get Bruce Timm on here, you gotta ask him to make more comics. He's slacking.

[@Paquinero]

Congratulations on a great video. I watched it while perusing my own copy of this book at the same pace that they were and enjoyed very much.

[@bobhoskins-kl6ue]

I wish WB would put Bruce Tim in charge of the DC live action movies

[@antr7493]

It would be amazing to get Bruce Timm or Paul Dini for an interview

[@CrtoonMike]

bought the first printing back in the day and it's one book I am going to hang on to.

[@kenking3587]

"It'll probably be a wolverine comic...." 🤣 Another nominee for a Kayfabe classic

[@TheRickHoward]

Fantastic Episode, batman animated art and stories are really one of the highlights of comic entertainment. Also appreciated Ed calling out papyrus.

[@williamjosephdunn5879]

@17:00 The "weird French curve shape" was called a "banana pan" back then (yeah, I know - we made those jokes back then too). When I started in animation pans could only turn so much and go for so many fields. Storyboard artists had to do a lot of slight of hand to cheat those limitations back then. Digital changed everything for both camera movements and color in the late 90's early 2000's.

[@goldenage]

Pixars "the Incredibles" also took heavy inspiration from the Bruce Timm universe.

[@foolshorn]

Looks like coquille paper. The old stuff is random pattern. Bee Paper makes a new version called stipple paper. It has a more uniform pattern. Prismacolor black colored pencils give a good effect or super soft pencil

[@nickdaring]

Yup

[@zleepydude224]

I would go to my uncles house and flip through this book and copy the characters all the time when I was a kid. I hate that I don’t own it but it’s so expensive now.

[@dylearium]

Gotta say the Chip Kidd books seem to translate super well for your review format. Would love to see more. Thanks as always!

[@georgecrawford2684]

I’ve still got my original hardcover copy of this bad boy! One of the most beautiful books on my shelf!

[@miamikaos5958]

I'm lucky to have scooped this up when it came out & held on to it til this day.

[@castizodonkeykong282]

Beautiful. Thanks fellas

[@erikjohnsonillustrat]

I got this as a kid and read it every day! I still have it, but the pages are falling out from so much love. It wasn’t until last year I learned what it is worth. I never would have imagined this would be my most valuable comics buy of the 90s!

[@emorris0204]

I remembered looking through this at the southwest art school from San Antonio. I had a class there that I took on cartooning ,comics plus manga courses and I saw this book on the table that’s used for reference. Remembering the Batman cartoon and then saw this book amazed me as a comic creator \m/

[@BobCorby]

The paper you guys were looking at is stipple board. They would use pencil, charcoal or China markers on them. I could never get it to work. Steven Fabian was the master of it. He did the entire Star Fawn for Byron Preiss that way.

[@ettecnal]

Man, I'm glad I bought this book way back in college. I'm not sure how hard it is to find it now. Anyways, thanks for doing this video, guys! I loved this one. It really took me back.

[@sg7335]

I picked this up when It first came out.Great book and a must have for any fan of Batman the Animated Series.

[@jaketopkis2797]

This book made me into a filmmaker.

[@vinnyolmsted8018]

Oh man, I totally forgot about that soap with the collectible figures inside. Definitely had those in the tub when I was a kid.

[@drawrobot]

Looks like a graphite bar lightly hitting the paper. You can pick it off with a stradler eraser.

[@noahberkley8461]

Hi hope they release a book of just the storyboards some day. Some now influential storytellers got their start here.

[@RobinAWhite]

I bought a copy of this online a few years ago and didn’t realize it was a Spanish translation till I got it, and I don’t read Spanish. But of course I kept it anyway. Nice to see a walk through here.

[@cluepac]

I was a sucker for not buying this at cover price when it came out. I got finally a used copy two years ago for $60. Not mad, overall, happy I have it. This was a special time for animation, The Nick cartoons, BTAS, Liquid Television, etc.

[@cluepac]

That being said, glad I got the Toth Trilogy at cover price!

[@ericliu8488]

So glad I picked up this book for 10 dollars at overstock second hand seller back in the day.

[@Qutrub]

I need this book !

[@joeanderson9045]

Man, this book is $150-300 on Ebay. Damn.

[@brotheryeti]

I got mine for $10 20 years ago.

[@kevinngomez5451]

Chip sent me this as a graduation present

[@nigelcox-hagan6820]

Sad comics related news today: John Paul Leon died. RIP.

[@majorjoe23]

I didn’t realize it’s rare. I got Kevin Conroy to sign mine.

[@jackreickel]

Good catch on the Papyrus but to their credit, even back then, it's either too early to be evil or been appropriately modified. The middle-bar in an E extending farther than the top bar is the greatest sin of Papyrus, and they avoid that, phew!

[@loringbush3319]

It's still the best Batman animated series ever made. Today it's all done with computer animation. Back in the early 90s it was all drawn and painted bye hand.

[@bobhoskins-kl6ue]

I love me some Batman Beyond

[@bobhoskins-kl6ue]

You guys should interview Sean Murphy some time.

[@Bolbi145]

This is my favorite incarnation of Batman... outside of comics, I’m sorry Bruce and Paul but New Earth Batman is still my number 1.

[@richdannys2906]

"Semi-vibratory.." LOL

[@XAVIERCUERVO]

i just dowloaded a cbr file of this book on line ill never get to see the original the book goes for 150+ dollars on ebay

[@xmaniaccc1]

Where did you get it? I have been scouring the whole internet and still did not find it.

[@mjjjhaney1]

That Batman soap is one of the strangest things that these 45 year old eyes have ever gazed upon... ...

[@hengkoklee4691]

Surprise that you guys never mention about that image on 19:13 where Bruce Timm breaking all TV rules with that image!

[@omarveytia9613]

Papyrus 😂

[@ChaoticScholarTX]

Who do we beg or bribe to get this back in print?

[@shadowfire12341]

I don't know how often you guys check comments but can I recommend the comic the dark night? its about paul dini during his time working on batman the animated series when a traumatic event happens to him, its part his experience but mainly focuses on overcoming the event. One of my top favorite comic

[@ja_no]

Toth did like the show and even had the chance to work on it- but sadly let it pass, as he did most things at that point in his life. Brad Rader, who worked on the show, goes into the details in his Toth stories on his blog, starting here: blog.raderofthelostart.com/2016/01/alex-toth-part-1.html

[@goodcompanystudios5798]

What is the Zine Jim mentioned? The one with the backgrounds without the animations.

[@bobhoskins-kl6ue]

So how many Cartoonist Kayfabe fans have incorporated the word "gimmick" into their vocabulary?

[@sumohoran]

I work in animation and the type of pan ya'll are talking about is called a "Banana Pan" which uses a combo of different perspectives that change seamlessly when the camera pans across the painting. And the machine is a dinosaur called an "Oxberry", check it out! kzbin.info/www/bejne/iXqvoKiupah1jck

[@MrAvanish94]

Hey, please do an episode on Andrea Pazienza's Zanardi collection that Fantagraphics put out! 🙏🙏

[@yolanda8563]

I came across a Bruce timm collection of naked ladies on amazon which I have in my cart waiting for payday

[@bobhoskins-kl6ue]

Is BTAS the best American animated series ever? I can definitely say if you're looking for a definitive version of Batman you can't do any better than BTAS.

[@oldmandavid7944]

i love this book so much . in 2003 i was working in an animation studio and they had this book in there library . no one at the studio was looking at this book , do i swipped it and gave it a good home !!!

[@Ftc.6]

Reprint this now