James Harvey
11-13-2001, 11:05 AM
Eric Almendral of <a href="http://www.zap2it.com">Zap2It</a> interviewed Bruce Timm, in which he reveals what Kids'WB!'s idea of the show would be. Below is an excerpt from the interview:
The WB network, home to the recent "Batman" and "Superman" series, was originally interested in airing a new show based on the Justice League, but wanted a version that appealed to their young, Cap'n Crunching audience. "What they were really interested in doing was Batman training a bunch of junior superheroes," Timm says. As Creator/Producer of "Justice League" , he felt an obligation to present a show that was both fresh and faithful to fans' expectations, so he pitched the concept to Cartoon Network. "I called up Mike Lazzo [Cartoon Network's senior vice president of programming] and said we were talking about doing a 'Justice League' show, an updated version of the 'Super Friends' and he said, 'Great, how many you want to do?' We were committed from that point on."
<a href="http://news.toonzone.net/2001/nov/13/alien4.jpg"><img src="http://news.toonzone.net/2001/nov/13/alien4.jpg" width=200 height=131 border=0 align="right" vspace=3 hspace=3></a>
To make "Justice League" appealing to today's more sophisticated cartoon audiences, Timm selected a unique roster of heroes and endowed them with something they often lacked in both comic and animated versions: distinct personalities . "If you call the show 'Justice League,' that means Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Flash," says Timm. Superman, as always, is a gung-ho do-gooder, the yin to Batman's dark and brooding yang. Taking her first steps into "man's world" is Wonder Woman, the Amazon princess with bullet-deflecting bracelets. Flash, unlike the mature version portrayed in the 1990 CBS live-action series, is a teen with a mouth as fast as his feet.
Incidentally, Flash is voiced by Michael Rosenbaum who plays Lex Luthor on that other new superhero show of the fall -- The WB's "Smallville."
While those long-time mainstays of the DC Universe are familiar to most audiences, the remaining Justice Leaguers are not. Much of the show's three-part pilot focuses on the introduction of J'Onn J'Onzz, a shape-shifting telepath who came to warn Earth of the coming alien invaders which wiped out his own race. Lending a combination of savage might and keen detective skills, is mace-wielding winged warrior Hawkgirl, a refugee from the planet Thanagar. Finally, there is John Stewart, part of a militaristic interstellar peace-keeping force known as the Green Lantern Corps. Corps members are each bestowed with a power ring capable of generating destructive ray beams, energy shields, and allowing its bearer to travel through space.
<a href="http://news.toonzone.net/2001/nov/13/other3.jpg"><img src="http://news.toonzone.net/2001/nov/13/other3.jpg" width=200 height=131 vspace=3 hspace=3 border=0 align="left"></a>
Stewart's selection as Green Lantern has been the cause of controversy, spurring numerous Internet debates between fans of other incarnations of the character. "We felt it was important to have a positive, strong African-American character as part of our lineup," Timm says, explaining the choice of what may be the least popular character to bear the power ring. "If that brands us as being hopelessly PC, so be it. This show's going to be seen by a lot of people worldwide and I definitely didn't want to send out the message that only white people can be superheroes." Stewart's personality has been developed beyond his limited comics appearances; he's a no-nonsense tough guy who has little tolerance for the goofs and wise cracks of the fastest slacker alive Flash. "In those original story conferences, I said he should be like Samuel Jackson as the Green Lantern, and everybody just went, 'Yeah.'"
One thing "Justice League" has in common with "Super Friends" is some members of their rogues gallery. The new League will fight the well-known nemeses of Batman and Superman, Joker and Lex Luthor. Teaming up with Metropolis' famous chrome-domed megalomaniac in the Legion of Doom-like Secret Society are the vixens Cheetah and Poison Ivy, and genius mad-simian Gorilla Grodd. Also challenging the League are Amazo, Despero and Sinestro, while Eclipso, Starro and Bizarro may have to wait for a second season to get their turns.
Providing voices for the villains and guest heroes is an impressive group of screen talent. Fan-fave Mark Hamill reprises his role as the Joker. Other celebrities providing vocal talents include Powers Boothe, "Ed"'s Julie Bowen, Garrett Morris, Tom Sizemore, Robert "Freddy" Englund and "That '70s Show" 's Kurtwood Smith. Also making an appearance is David Ogden Stiers, who coincidentally played J'Onn J'Onzz in a never-aired live-action "Justice League" pilot. "That's not why we hired him," Timm insists, adding that it's probably a good thing the series was never publicly shown.
To see the full article, go <a href="http://tv.zap2it.com/news/tvnewsdaily.html?21866">HERE</a>. Stay tuned to TZN for more Justice League updates!
The WB network, home to the recent "Batman" and "Superman" series, was originally interested in airing a new show based on the Justice League, but wanted a version that appealed to their young, Cap'n Crunching audience. "What they were really interested in doing was Batman training a bunch of junior superheroes," Timm says. As Creator/Producer of "Justice League" , he felt an obligation to present a show that was both fresh and faithful to fans' expectations, so he pitched the concept to Cartoon Network. "I called up Mike Lazzo [Cartoon Network's senior vice president of programming] and said we were talking about doing a 'Justice League' show, an updated version of the 'Super Friends' and he said, 'Great, how many you want to do?' We were committed from that point on."
<a href="http://news.toonzone.net/2001/nov/13/alien4.jpg"><img src="http://news.toonzone.net/2001/nov/13/alien4.jpg" width=200 height=131 border=0 align="right" vspace=3 hspace=3></a>
To make "Justice League" appealing to today's more sophisticated cartoon audiences, Timm selected a unique roster of heroes and endowed them with something they often lacked in both comic and animated versions: distinct personalities . "If you call the show 'Justice League,' that means Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Flash," says Timm. Superman, as always, is a gung-ho do-gooder, the yin to Batman's dark and brooding yang. Taking her first steps into "man's world" is Wonder Woman, the Amazon princess with bullet-deflecting bracelets. Flash, unlike the mature version portrayed in the 1990 CBS live-action series, is a teen with a mouth as fast as his feet.
Incidentally, Flash is voiced by Michael Rosenbaum who plays Lex Luthor on that other new superhero show of the fall -- The WB's "Smallville."
While those long-time mainstays of the DC Universe are familiar to most audiences, the remaining Justice Leaguers are not. Much of the show's three-part pilot focuses on the introduction of J'Onn J'Onzz, a shape-shifting telepath who came to warn Earth of the coming alien invaders which wiped out his own race. Lending a combination of savage might and keen detective skills, is mace-wielding winged warrior Hawkgirl, a refugee from the planet Thanagar. Finally, there is John Stewart, part of a militaristic interstellar peace-keeping force known as the Green Lantern Corps. Corps members are each bestowed with a power ring capable of generating destructive ray beams, energy shields, and allowing its bearer to travel through space.
<a href="http://news.toonzone.net/2001/nov/13/other3.jpg"><img src="http://news.toonzone.net/2001/nov/13/other3.jpg" width=200 height=131 vspace=3 hspace=3 border=0 align="left"></a>
Stewart's selection as Green Lantern has been the cause of controversy, spurring numerous Internet debates between fans of other incarnations of the character. "We felt it was important to have a positive, strong African-American character as part of our lineup," Timm says, explaining the choice of what may be the least popular character to bear the power ring. "If that brands us as being hopelessly PC, so be it. This show's going to be seen by a lot of people worldwide and I definitely didn't want to send out the message that only white people can be superheroes." Stewart's personality has been developed beyond his limited comics appearances; he's a no-nonsense tough guy who has little tolerance for the goofs and wise cracks of the fastest slacker alive Flash. "In those original story conferences, I said he should be like Samuel Jackson as the Green Lantern, and everybody just went, 'Yeah.'"
One thing "Justice League" has in common with "Super Friends" is some members of their rogues gallery. The new League will fight the well-known nemeses of Batman and Superman, Joker and Lex Luthor. Teaming up with Metropolis' famous chrome-domed megalomaniac in the Legion of Doom-like Secret Society are the vixens Cheetah and Poison Ivy, and genius mad-simian Gorilla Grodd. Also challenging the League are Amazo, Despero and Sinestro, while Eclipso, Starro and Bizarro may have to wait for a second season to get their turns.
Providing voices for the villains and guest heroes is an impressive group of screen talent. Fan-fave Mark Hamill reprises his role as the Joker. Other celebrities providing vocal talents include Powers Boothe, "Ed"'s Julie Bowen, Garrett Morris, Tom Sizemore, Robert "Freddy" Englund and "That '70s Show" 's Kurtwood Smith. Also making an appearance is David Ogden Stiers, who coincidentally played J'Onn J'Onzz in a never-aired live-action "Justice League" pilot. "That's not why we hired him," Timm insists, adding that it's probably a good thing the series was never publicly shown.
To see the full article, go <a href="http://tv.zap2it.com/news/tvnewsdaily.html?21866">HERE</a>. Stay tuned to TZN for more Justice League updates!