Something that keeps bugging me

[Jeffrey]

For some time I occasionally watch this old cartoon named "The Mighty Hercules" on a Video-on-Demand channel and whenever I see Hercules, his design(well, his head anyway) keeps reminding me of STAS Superman.

I was wondering if Timm used this Hercules design as part of an influence for his original Supes, or am I just plain crazy.

I found some evidence.
http://www.geocities.com/TimesSquare/Cavern/3920/herc_herc_15.jpg

[Trevor Balena]

I was wondering if Timm used this Hercules design as part of an influence for his original Supes, or am I just plain crazy.
As a matter of fact, he did.

In the "Modern Masters" book, Timm talks about how they were having trouble coming up with a good, iconic face design for Superman, until another member of the team brought in an old tape of the Hercules show for fun. Timm was immediately struck by how perfect the design would be for Superman... and the rest was history.

[kashpoing]

cool I never knew that .

[Wonderwall]

Bruce is right, finding a good face for Superman is tough, I've done a few and there was only one that I thought was ok. The tough part is not making him look too tough but but not make him look too wimpy, and sometimes I think he looks too young. I wanted to pick up Modern Masters but my store didn't have it.

[Revelator]

Bruce is right, finding a good face for Superman is tough, I've done a few and there was only one that I thought was ok. The tough part is not making him look too tough but but not make him look too wimpy, and sometimes I think he looks too young. I wanted to pick up Modern Masters but my store didn't have it.

Here's the relevant passage for you:

"I did zillions and zillions of drawings of Superman. I just couldn't quite nail him down in the powerful, iconic image like we had done with Batman. We went any number of ways with it, from the Shuster look to something almost Kevin Nowlanish, where he was a little more remote and kind of creepy looking--all kinds of stuff. Eventually, strangely enough, Dan Riba brought in some cheap bargain tape he had bought of the old Hercules show from the '60s...We were watching it just for fun, and I went, 'Wow! Look at him. Look at that face. That's Superman!' I freeze-framed it and drew him from that old Hercules cartoon, and that became the way of nailing down his image in simplified, animated form. That's where his face came from at least, and after that he was an easier nut to crack."

Incidentally, if your local store doesn't carry Modern Masters, try looking for it online at ebay, half.com, powell's, or alibris.

[Grimlock]

Wow, timm definitely used a lot of that face for reference.

[Wonderwall]

Here's the relevant passage for you:

"I did zillions and zillions of drawings of Superman. I just couldn't quite nail him down in the powerful, iconic image like we had done with Batman. We went any number of ways with it, from the Shuster look to something almost Kevin Nowlanish, where he was a little more remote and kind of creepy looking--all kinds of stuff. Eventually, strangely enough, Dan Riba brought in some cheap bargain tape he had bought of the old Hercules show from the '60s...We were watching it just for fun, and I went, 'Wow! Look at him. Look at that face. That's Superman!' I freeze-framed it and drew him from that old Hercules cartoon, and that became the way of nailing down his image in simplified, animated form. That's where his face came from at least, and after that he was an easier nut to crack."

Incidentally, if your local store doesn't carry Modern Masters, try looking for it online at ebay, half.com, powell's, or alibris.

Cool, I'd really wanna read this, I'll try again tomorrow just cuz the store computer said it was out of stock. But I was wondering, Bruce took that image from Hercules, yet Im wondering if the guys who made that show took Superman for inspiration...interesting:p .

[Revelator]

Cool, I'd really wanna read this, I'll try again tomorrow just cuz the store computer said it was out of stock.

What store do you go to? You could ask them to order the book for you. I know that Barnes and Noble, Borders, Walden and B.Dalton will do that.

[Wonderwall]

What store do you go to? You could ask them to order the book for you. I know that Barnes and Noble, Borders, Walden and B.Dalton will do that.

Chapters, is the closest book store to me.

[Revelator]

Chapters, is the closest book store to me.

These guys? http://www.chapters.indigo.ca/home
They should be able to order it in for you, since they have the book on their website: http://www.chapters.indigo.ca/books/item/books-978189390530/1893905306/Modern+Masters+Volume+3+Bruce+Timm?ref=Search+Books%3a+'modern+masters'. Go up to one of the clerks, ask him if the store could order the book for you, and give him the exact title, author and maybe even ISBN (Modern Masters Volume 3: Bruce Timm, by Eric Nolen-Worthington. ISBN: 1893905306) (http://forums.toonzone.net/)They should be able to look it up on the computer and order a copy into their local branch for you in a couple of weeks. Or you could just buy it off their website.

[Wonderwall]

These guys? http://www.chapters.indigo.ca/home
They should be able to order it in for you, since they have the book on their website: http://www.chapters.indigo.ca/books/item/books-978189390530/1893905306/Modern+Masters+Volume+3+Bruce+Timm?ref=Search+Books%3a+'modern+masters'. Go up to one of the clerks, ask him if the store could order the book for you, and give him the exact title, author and maybe even ISBN (Modern Masters Volume 3: Bruce Timm, by Eric Nolen-Worthington. ISBN: 1893905306) (http://forums.toonzone.net/)They should be able to look it up on the computer and order a copy into their local branch for you in a couple of weeks. Or you could just buy it off their website.

Cool I'll definatley do that.

[zonian1989]

Soo I was working, wast... err researching and came across the cartoon, it's free today.

http://video.google.com/videosearch?q=type%3Asv_hercules

[John Cage]

Chapters, is the closest book store to me.

I've been keeping an eye out for it whenever I'm at a Chapters, but I haven't found it there so far. Thinking about MM again might prompt me to finally buy it online though.

Have a good day.
John Cage

[dlb]

But I was wondering, Bruce took that image from Hercules, yet Im wondering if the guys who made that show took Superman for inspiration...interesting:p .

Actually, I recall reading somewhere online (although I forget where), that the two men who produced "The Mighty Hercules" had worked previoulsy at DC Comics and just borrowed the basic Superman premise for their show. To wit we usually find Hercules(Superman) protecting his dangerprone girlfriend Helena(Lois) from the evil Dedaelus(Luthor), all the while accompanied by his dorkey pal Newton(Jimmy). So it all came full circle. I'm just glad that dreadful cartoon inspired something of quality.