MovieChat Forums > Batman: The Animated Series (1992) Discussion > John Semper was not a big fan of BATMAN:...

John Semper was not a big fan of BATMAN: THE ANIMATED SERIES' film-noir look


For those who don't know who John Semper is, he was the show runner/story editor for Spider-Man: The Animated Series from back in the '90s (when it was airing alongside Batman: TAS on Fox Kids):

http://drg4.dancemania-ex.com/spscenes21.html

Semper is not a big fan of BATMAN: THE ANIMATED SERIES' film-noir look, and is quick to point out that SPIDER-MAN will be much different in tone. "We're not going for a distinctive look that can be labeled. We wanted a much brighter, much more colorful New York. Spider-Man himself is a very colorful character. He'd look silly in a noirish kind of background. Bob Richardson, who is the animation supervising producer, has chosen a design style that is very clear, uncluttered, and cinematically effective, without the show getting lost in its own style."

Q: BATMAN: THE ANIMATED SERIES wasn't allowed to put a vampire episode on the air.

JS: We've already done it. I am in the middle of expanding it, because it was so successful that we decided to stretch it for two more episodes. I have a good relationship with Broadcast Standards and Practices, in that I recognize that what they're trying to do is important, and philosophically I am not opposed to what they're trying to do. I think there were writers on BATMAN who decided that they were going to wage war against Broadcast Standards and Practices. I think that's an unproductive attitude.

Q: Let's talk about competition. BATMAN is considered one of the best of the new shows.

JS: I love BATMAN, but you can't watch a lot of it. I mean, there are only so many episodes you can watch before they all start to look alike, and part of it is that it's so completely drowned in that noir style. It's a little too much for me, a triumph of style over substance. If I have to compare them, the most important thing that we bring to animation -- that BATMAN does not bring -- is that our mouths are further down on the chins of all our characters. And I think that gives us all -- a good night's sleep. (Laughs)

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Loved The Batman Animated series when I was a kid. Still holds up to this day.

Never watched or cared about Spider-Man’s animated series. Didn’t even know it existed till now. And if I remember correctly, almost all the other superhero animated shows were brightly colored?? Sounds like this dude is “super” into himself.

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Well I grew up watching both and still like watching both. Frankly though Spider-Man does not need a dark gritty atmosphere to work.

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Well it's a good think he wasn't in charge of Batman: TAS.

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Agreed.

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Even as a little kid I disliked the 90s Spiderman animated shows . It spoke down to kids and voice acting was over the top , it was your typical 90's Saturday morning cartoons. Batman the animated series was the first cartoon I watch where I felt the show runners was treating kids as intelligent being that can take mature storytelling and the voice acting was just real acting and not adults overacting every line as if kids were too dump to understand the dialogues. Batman TAS track records speak for itself. The Spiderman 90's cartoon is impossible to enjoy as an adult while Batman can be seen by kids and adults.

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Well Spider-Man can't punch in the 90s cartoon where Batman can punch

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I acknowledge his right to be wrong. ;)

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This guy is an idiot. Why would Batman be colourful? It's about a guy who witnessed his parents being murdered and dressed up as a bat when he got older to fight crime.

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To be fair, Semper probably grew up reading the more colorful and light hearted comics of the 60s and watching the Adam West show. People of that generation tend to hate the later dark Batman comics and shows. At least that's been my experience. I prefer Batman to be dark but people who were kids in the 60s were exposed to a more brighter and sillier take on him.

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