Batman: The Animated Newsletter
Week of April 5 - April 10/11, 1999
Volume 2,
Rated: PG for some "low-key coarse language and occassional griping"

THIS WEEK'S SUBLIMINAL MESSAGE: "DON'T WASTE THE NEXT ANIMATED MOVIE OPPORTUNITY ON A BATMAN BEYOND ANIMATED MOVIE!!!"

(PS - HAPPY EASTER EVERYONE!)
_______________________________
DC'S ANIMATED LEGACY
In early 1990, in the aftermath of the blockbuster "Batman" film, ideas began to form about an animated Batman series. This task had been attempted in the past, from the 60's to the 80's, but the series were, moreover, a disappointment. However, in September of 1992, when "Batman: The Animated Series" debuted, it became a financial and critical success - seen as the best non-comics interpretation of Batman in history.
After 65 episodes, season two began in 1994 with a new name for the series - "The Adventures of Batman & Robin". Like all other aspects of the Bat-mythos in that year, things lightened up a bit - mostly due to Robin playing a heavier role in the series. In 1995, the series passed away silently with 85 episodes, a feature-film, and 4 emmy awards under its Bat-belt.
In 1996, the BTAS team moved on to work on a series for DC's other major hero, Superman. After 13 episodes, the season got off to a shaky start, but when it was paired up with Batman in the fall of 1997, it got the exposure it needed and began to thrive. In this year, Batman was renewed and 24 more episodes (including a number of crossovers with Superman) were given the go-ahead.
Just as the 1998/99 season of Batman/Superman was drawing to a close, the WB team surprised us once again with a new animated series - a futuristic version of Batman entitled "BATMAN BEYOND". The season has just begun and it's already a hit! This is the episode the WB team will be working on until the end of the 1999/2000 season. What will follow? Rumor right now is...MORE BATMAN (the regular one)! Woohoo!
_______________________________
SAVE BATMAN!

Not since "Batman & Robin" has there been an uproar on this scale about the potential destruction of our favourite hero.

First they took about BTAS/STAS in favor of a new animated series. Then the same thing seemed to happen with the toy lines. Now, the final straw. Legions of fans are outraged about the fact that the proposed Batman: The Animated Movie #3 was shelved just a week before the recordings were to begin! In favor of what? A Batman BEYOND movie.

Why? No one knows for certain. Our best bet is that because Batman Beyond IS getting good ratings - and because the producers of BTAS/STAS are just bored with doing something they've been working on for years. This is the reason why I have decided that a year-long hiatus from BTAS and STAS, and a focus on BEYOND wasn't a bad idea. But now they take away the chance of an animated movie that's been in the planning stages for months? I imagine that Boyd Kirkland and Randy Rogel are really hurt by this...I certainly would be. Sacrificing a quality show for a show that, while good, is still just living off hype, is terrible - just a way to make a quick buck. By the time this BATMAN BEYOND movie would come out, the novelty of the show would have worn off. A good compromise would be to have BATMAN: THE ANIMATED MOVIE #3, and a BATMAN BEYOND movie on the side, if they must.

How could they neglect all us long-time Bat-fans just for the sake of making a quick buck? I don't know who exactly is responsible here, but we should do whatever it takes to change things back to how they were.

Now its time to let your voice be heard! I want all of you people reading this to help out here. Below are the URLs and addresses of ways we can start to make a differance. You want Batman? Here's your chance to help make it happen!

The WE WANT BATMAN/SUPERMAN BACK poll:
http://apps3.vantagenet.com/zpolls/poll.asp?id=938193849

Voice your opinions at the BATMAN/SUPERMAN chat room:
http://pluto.beseen.com/chat/rooms/w/10852

Share your opinions with others at the BATMAN: THE ANIMATED MESSAGE BOARD:
http://www.insidetheweb.com/mbs.cgi/mb163084

THE SAVE BATMAN website:
http://members.spree.com/sip/savebatman

Or at the Official BTAS/STAS site message board, where there is already a lot of posts that condemn this decision:
http://www.batman-superman.com

OR you can write to the following addresses:

Tom Lesinski
Warner Bros. Home Video
3903 W. Olive Ave.
Burbank CA 91522

Jean MacCurdy
Warner Bros. TV Animation
15303 Ventura Blvd.
Suite 1200
Sherman Oaks, CA 91403

Every little bit helps here! I know some of you are BATMAN BEYOND fans, but we are being denied the true Batman becuase of BB. Please mail your letters and vote as soon and much as you can. The results of the votes and petitions will be sent to WB (via email) once enough votes are up!
Let's keep our Batman on patrol!
_______________________________
NEW EPISODE(S)
This section will just basically give an insight into what the new episodes are about and hopefully a synopsis of the episode. This section will feature both new Superman and new Batman episodes.

THE LOSS OF THE WB ON WGN: Beginning this fall, the WB will no longer be carried on WGN-TV’s national feed to avoid conflicts with other WB affiliates. WGN-TV will continue carrying the prime time WB in the Chicago area. If you’re outside the Chicago area and know of no other way to pick up the WB, you may call them at (818)977-5000 for more information. This is taken from the info section of the WGN website, http://www.wgn.com . Thank you for Peter Destructo for pointing this out.

KidsWB will soon be shown on a new channel called "WeB" - I know little about this - but if you can get that channel, I'm pretty sure the WB shows would be on.

'THE WINNING EDGE'
Batman Beyond #05
Air date: April 10, 1999
No idea what this one's about...could be one of the episodes with either Spellbinder or Curare (both of whom are villains), but we don't know for sure.

'DEMON REBORN'
Superman #??
Air date: ??
BATMAN'S FINAL CURRENT-DAY ANIMATED APPEARANCE! This episode, originally entitled "Rise of the Demon", features Batman and Superman teaming up to take down Ra's Al Ghul. One parter, probably. WOOHOO! THE BAT IS BACK! This'll probably air in May.

'LEGACY (Pt. 1 & 2)'
Superman #??
Air date: ??
This two-parter, featuring the final showdown between Superman and Darksied, will be the season finale, airing this May.

'A FISH STORY'
Superman #??
Air date: ??
Aquaman appears on STAS.

'UNITY'
Superman #??
Air date: ??
A Superman and Supergirl team-up.
______________________________
WB ANIMATION SCHEDULES:
(courtesy of Brian Cruz and/or the official BTAS/STAS site)

This section of the newsletter highlights the schedule and times that WB airs The New Batman/Superman Adventures. For most affiliates it airs Monday - Friday at 4pm (ET) and Saturdays beginning at 8am (ET). WGN airs Batman/Superman Monday - Friday at 10am (ET) and Sundays beginning at 8am (ET). There's a chance that your local WB channel airs it at a differant time. To find out when, we recommend you follow this URL (provided by Toonzone): http://www.toonzone.net/brian/stations/index.html

PS - Remember that "Batman Beyond" airs 30 minutes AFTER "Batman/Superman" is over, because "Men In Black" has been squeezed in between.

Mon 4-05-99: Batman #89 Double Talk
Superman #30 Bizarro's World

Tue 4-06-99: Superman #13 Two's a Crowd
Batman #92 Joker's Millions

Wed 4-07-99: Batman #71 The Terrible Trio
Superman #21 Mxyzpixilated

Thu 4-08-99: Superman #14 Blasts from the Past (Pt. 1)
Superman #17 Blasts from the Past (Pt. 2)

Fri 4-09-99: Batman #70 House and Garden
Superman #05 A Little Piece of Home

Sat 4-10-99: Superman #09 Stolen Memories
Batman #103 The Demon Within
B-BEYOND #05 The Winning Edge --------NEW!!!!

Note: All episodes #86 and onward of BATMAN are considered THE NEW BATMAN ADVENTURES while the original 85 are considered BATMAN: THE ANIMATED SERIES (BTAS) episodes.
________________________________
CARTOON NETWORK WB ANIMATION SCHEDULE:
"Yabba Dabba Doom"
(courtesy of Brian Cruz)

THE CARTOON NETWORK was able to get the exclusive rights to 52 episodes of the classic Batman: The Animated Series, as well as MASK OF THE PHANTASM and SUB-ZERO. If our schedule listings is not complete or up to date then please go to TOONZONE for the complete episode schedule:
http://www.toonzone.net/brian/schedules/batman-cn.html



NOTE #1: BATMAN & MR. FREEZE: SUB-ZERO will be airing again on CARTOON NETWORK on May 22nd at 8pm (ET) as apart of their CARTOON THEATRE
NOTE #2: CARTOON NETWORK will be having a BATMAN 'SUPER-CHUNK' on May 29th. The 3 hour BATMAN Super-Chunk will be from 4pm-7pm (ET). The 'SUPER-CHUCK' means that we'll have three hours worth of BATMAN episodes.
________________________________
EPISODE REVIEW: (SPOILERS!)
(by Tim "TWO-FACE" Leighton)

All of Tim "TWO-FACE" Leighton's reviews of the new-style BTAS episodes and BATMAN BEYOND can be found via these links, which link to "Two-Face's Tower of Tranquility and Terror":

MAIN PAGE: http://www.angelfire.com/tx/TimTwoFace/index.html
BTAS PAGE: http://www.angelfire.com/tx/TimTwoFaceText/bats.html

<BATMAN: THE ANIMATED SERIES>
MEAN SEASONS
Written by Rich Fogel & Hilary J. Bader
Directed by Hiroyuki Aoyama
Animation by TMS
Original air date: April 25, 1998
My rating: ***

I chose to submit a review for this episode because it's the most Easter-y of all BTAS episodes in my review archive. Calendar Girl loves tossing those eggs around, doesn't she? Anyhow, the seasons are changing, so it's only fitting we review the episode inspired by these seasons.

The episode begins at a fashion show, and is crashed by a nameless villain who then kidnaps the M.C. - the president of a modelling company or something. The villainess is dressed in a leprehcaun-green suit, skin-tight, and wears a porcelain mask over her face, much like Alicia in the 1989 Batman movie. This look of a pale white face contrasting with her dark, flowing, black hair, causes her to look nearly dead and zombielike - very creepy stuff. Her mouth doesn't even move when she speaks. Weapon of choice? Exploding easter eggs. The only evidence left at the scene of the crime is a calendar, with the date of the crime, April 3, circled. She is soonafter dubbed "Calendar Girl" by the press.

Soon afterwards, at a car show where models are posing and getting pictures taken of them lying all about the cars in the showroom. The masked woman from the fashion show makes an appearance, now wearing a yellow outfit, and kidnaps the owner of the car company, who is attending the show. This crime is in memoriam of SOME event that happened on August 7.

Back in the Batcave, Batman and Batgirl try to piece the puzzle together. They discover a similarity between both - a model named Paige Monroe worked for them, but, in both cases, was dumped because they wanted younger models and spokespeople. We learn that Paige also tried to get her own sitcom, which brings us to...

In honour of October 27. Calendar Girl, dressed in red, makes an apperance at the unveiling of the new season's shows for the GWB network (in-joke - hell, the studios even look like the WB lot seen on "Animaniacs"!!!). She nabs the C.E.O. of the GWB network and takes off outside, where she leads Batman and Batgirl into a trap - and has a giant dinosaur attack them.

Her final apperance is in the winter, season of the dead, where she sports a black, very gothic-looking outfit, and shows a slide show telling her three hostages of her past and how the companies she once worked for shunned her. She then comes out through the screen, slashing it open with a giant scythe, and nearly lops off the hostage's heads, before Batman and Batgirl show up...a fight ensues, the slide projector burns, all the youthful pictures of Paige are destroyed, she is horrified, and is easily apprehended thereafter.

Cool stuff: the whole aging motif of the episode is fresh and rather nice. We see scenes of Calendar Girl fearing her inevitable aging, and we even see Bruce Wayne checking to see if he looks old, too. The subplot of the retiring policy at Wayne Enterprises was a nice touch. And the animation for this episode was incredible...both the colour and the motion of the drawings...surely one of the best of the new series. TMS always pleases! Calendar Girl's outfit and overall look was very gothic - especially the porcelain mask - a very nice touch. The part at the end where Calendar Girl's mask is ripped off by Bullock was nice, too:

(Calendar Girl starts screaming and hides her face - we can only see it in a mirror on the ground).

BATGIRL: "She...she's beautiful!"

BATMAN: "Yes, but she can no longer see that."

Cool stuff that shouldn't have happened: The whole sequence where Batman and Batgirl fight the dinosaur on the GWB lot was TERRIFICLY animated, but it had little relevance to the story. They should have saved such a fight scene for a Killer Croc episode. It was a total parody of Jurassic Park - some scenes were taken directly from the movie. Very well animated, but uneeded.

Bad stuff: The only bad things about this episode were little-relevance of the dino-fight, the Chippendale gang she had (worst idea on BTAS since "Victor and the Freezettes" in "Cold Comfort"), and that things just happened way too fast. The episode was only 19 minutes long (as opposed to 20 or 22) so there was a lot of room for further development.

Overall, it's good stuff. A must see, simply because Calendar Girl is a cool villain - but I doubt we'll be seeing her again anytime soon, simply because there are so many other more prominent villains that have yet to appear. But, the way I see it, Calendar Girl is a vast improvement over her comics counterpart, Calendar Man - so the episode was a great effort, with great animation but the meaningful story behind it wasn't shown well enough - it could have been a two-parter, somewhat like "Feat of Clay" - the plots do show similarities. Then again, nearly all episodes can be. Anyhow, I say watch it...there have been a lot worse this season, namely, "Holiday Knights".

And, as for how this relates to Easter...eggs, people! EGGS!
_______________________________
EDITORAL
(by Laura Hysert, aka "Phoenix")

BITCHES, BIMBOS AND GLAMOUR DOLLS (Pt. 1)

That's a very odd title. I wonder if Tim and James will let me get away with repeatedly writing the word "bitch" in my editorial. Hmm.

I see this as the introduction to a series of editorials exploring (ha!) the women of BTAS and STAS. This seems like a good idea now. Heaven only knows if it will seem like a good idea when my fever subsides. I'll tell you later.

Let's take a quick look at the heroines and villainesses, shall we? We'll start with the villainesses first. That is such a stupid name. "Villainesses." It's almost as bad as "authoresses." Maybe worse, because you can hardly say it. And "heroine." You know what that sounds like. Not very flattering at all. And the whole idea of cutesifying (Word Creation
Alert!) titles for women is just...but I digress.

The Villains:

Harleen, the Bronx Sleaze: Slept her way to a Psychology degree. Abandoned her job and acquired a thick, slummy New York accent when she started following the Joker around like a sick, sick puppy. Points to the writers for broaching the subject of abuse, though.

Pamela, the Ice Princess: Poison Ivy's so cold, she makes Mr. Freeze look like a jalepeno pepper soaked in gasoline (no, kiddies, don't try this at home. It's called a SIMILE.). You have to admire her poise, her audacity (she put a whole new twist on marrying for money), and her new hair style. Wish she didn't get caught so easily, though.

Selina, the Bitter Glamour Grrl: She really loved being a blonde. It made her so happy, she went out and stole pretty shiny things. But then she found out her hair dye manufacturers were bad, bad critters. Now she's gone goth and bitter, but she still steals pretty shiny things.

Livewire, the Snarky Brat: We all hate her. She's so damn annoying. She's not really a villain; she's that dirty-faced kid down the street who stands at the edge of your yard and shoots spitballs at your dog.

And the Heroes:

Barbara, the Kept Woman: We all want a sugar daddy. Some nice billionaire who will buy us lots of neat things and dress us up in Donna Karan gowns and take us to balls. So we really can't blame Barbara for jumping at the chance when it presented itself. Too bad she had to sacrifice her independence and self-respect for it.

Kara, the Perky Cheerleader: You have to love her Dorothy-like wonder and innocence. Even if she dresses like a Main Street hooker. But why the kid gloves? Is she afraid of ruining her nails? Is it possible for a Kryptonian to break a nail? And if so, why doesn't Superman wear gloves? I'm betting that's the reason Batman wears 'em.

Lois, the Bitch Goddess: Ah, the bitch goddess. Gifted with an eternal spring of acidic barbs, she got straight A's in school and still managed to have all the cool guys chase after her. But she's so consumed with her own agenda, she forgets that other human beings exist on this planet. Could explain why she has a crush on a muscle-bound alien.

As you can tell, I have little use for how women are portrayed in the animated series nowadays. There are some bright spots, though - like how Barbara was portrayed before she got a tour of the BatCave. And there's Maggie, Montoya, and Dr. Thompkins. All this and more will be explored...in time.

That is, as long as I don't wake up and exclaim, "This is crap! What was I THINKING?" I bet this is how Wing Commander made it to the screen: the entire cast and crew, doped up on Extra Strength Tylonel Cold.

Laura
Recovering Bitch Goddess Extraordinaire
_______________________________