What do B.Timm and Dini think of "CRITTERS"

[BWDK]

Critters is probably the most-hated Batman episode and I think everyhere on this board hates this ep, so I wonder what Timm and Dini think of this episode... Weren't they in charge of series?

[Salvor]

I just know that Mike Manley, who worked on the episode as background designer (and maybe as storyboarder but I'm not sure of it) thought it was crap.

[Maxie Zeus]

Originally posted by BWDK
Critters is probably the most-hated Batman episode and I think everyhere on this board hates this ep, so I wonder what Timm and Dini think of this episode... Weren't they in charge of series?

When you're operating under intense time constraints, eps have to be done that you're not happy with. ("The Cape and Cowl Conspiracy," I know, was one that the entire crew hated, and that the director tried to kill.) I dunno what they particularly thought of "Critters."

[Salvor]

And sometimes, the end result falls short of their expectations. A scene can look tremendous on paper when it gets animated, it might look just awful.

[Tim Drake]

The Cape and Cowl was a decent episode. I just don't understand why they didn't make it a riddler episode. Wormwood gave Batman clues in riddles. And even had similar features to our dear Edward Nigma. AH well such is life.

[Govan]

Yea, I've always wondered that too. I mean, he looked almost exactly like the Riddler without the getup on. Why not just make it a Riddler episode? I found Wormwood's voice to be particularly annoying. Who knows...

[Maxie Zeus]

Originally posted by Govan
I found Wormwood's voice to be particularly annoying. Who knows...

Huh. Bud Cort's performance as Wormwood was one of the things I liked about the ep. Made me very happy when they brought him back as the Toyman in STAS.

[Calhoun07]

They better not be doggin on Cape and Cowl Conspiracy! That was my first exposure to the Batman animted universe, and I instantly loved it! I liked it very much.

[Maxie Zeus]

Originally posted by calhoun07
They better not be doggin on Cape and Cowl Conspiracy! That was my first exposure to the Batman animted universe, and I instantly loved it! I liked it very much.

Actually, we're supposed to be doggin' on "Critters," but I had to go and mention "Cape & Cowl Conspiracy," so I guess it's my fault. :p

[Govan]

Well, in terms of his voice, two people can hear something and come away with totally different opinions. Granted, I haven't seen the episode in (counts on fingers...) 3..4..5..5 years, so maybe I'm just remembering his line that he says in reaction to seeing (SPOILER) that Batman is wearing another mask under his cowl (/SPOILER). Or maybe it's that he had some corny lines, and is a one-off character. He just felt lackluster overall, and maybe I'm subconciously associating the writing with his speech. In any case, I guess it's not that his acting was bad per se, he just wasn't my favorite voice of the series, put it that way :|

Of the episode, director Frank Paur had this to say:

"I tried to kill this show, but they didn't let me. We had a lot of storyboard artists who wanted to rebel on this one. The best metaphor is kicking a dead horse. It arrived dead and no matter
how hard you kick it, it ain't going to give you a ride."

[Maxie Zeus]

Originally posted by Govan
"I tried to kill this show, but they didn't let me. We had a lot of storyboard artists who wanted to rebel on this one. The best metaphor is kicking a dead horse. It arrived dead and no matter
how hard you kick it, it ain't going to give you a ride."

I recognize that quote from an episode guide that Jennifer Allison Wand used to have up at her webpage. It's disappeared from there; do you know of another place that has it? That's a resource that shouldn't disappear from the web!

[Govan]

I have them saved onto my PC :) Want me to send you the files? I agree with you, it's a great set of documents!

EDIT: Hey, I just checked her page, and I had no idea they were gone from there! I was going to write back saying it would be quicker for you to get them from her site, but... Anyway, I just saved them to my PC last month! Man, am I glad I did that :cool:

[Maxie Zeus]

Originally posted by Govan
I have them saved onto my PC :) Want me to send you the files? I agree with you, it's a great set of documents!

EDIT: Hey, I just checked her page, and I had no idea they were gone from there! I was going to write back saying it would be quicker for you to get them from her site, but... Anyway, I just saved them to my PC last month! Man, am I glad I did that :cool:

I've got them printed out, so I don't NEED them. They're originally from a magazine article, right? Do you know which one?

[Govan]

No I don't, sorry. If someone wants they could be uploaded somewhere, so that they're always around for others.

[Maxie Zeus]

Originally posted by Govan
No I don't, sorry. If someone wants they could be uploaded somewhere, so that they're always around for others.

That's an idea! I'm sure World's Finest could find a good home for them, but (heh heh heh) I wouldn't mind housing them at MY site, either.

I just sent a note to JA Wand, on the off-chance she knows of another place that guide might be, or can shed some light on its provenance.

[Maxie Zeus]

Originally posted by Maxie Zeus

I just sent a note to JA Wand, on the off-chance she knows of another place that guide might be, or can shed some light on its provenance.

Bad news. Here's the word from Jen Ward:


The magazine was a Cinefantastique from (maybe?) 1993 or 1996. They are permanently down because they never should have been up in the first place. I was a teenager and didn't care when I put them up, but what I did was just plain copyright infringement. I copied the episode guides word-for-word from the magazine. My guess is that this is what caused the person who spoke to my sysadmin about me carrying copyrighted material to do so, and as a result, I'm being forced to remove anything on my site that is even slightly questionable, and that includes years and years of work on other sites. The least I can do is take down the part that really WASN'T my work.

Cinefantastique, naturally, has nothing on-line, just an order form for buying back issues. This means that a great and irreplaceable BTAS resource is off the web for good.

[Govan]

D'oh! That's a damn shame. If anyone wants them, PM me and I'll slip you them under the table... :/ As long as you keep it to yourself, that would be ok, huh Maxie?

[Maxie Zeus]

Originally posted by Govan
D'oh! That's a damn shame. If anyone wants them, PM me and I'll slip you them under the table... :/ As long as you keep it to yourself, that would be ok, huh Maxie?

Hey, we don't know nuthin' here. OK? Nuthin' 'bout illicit episode guides, Jimmy Hoffa, or guys smugglin' killer whales inna the country. Got it? :p

Too bad the creative team's not still mostly together; it'd be a real feather in the cap of the TZ newscrew if they got sets of comments to replace the lost ones, and which covered BTAS, TNBA, STAS and BB.

[Govan]

Yeah, it'd be nice :) Nice exclusive for the site. Don't a few people around here know Paul Dini? Maybe he could do something.