This is a double-edge sword for me.
On one hand, I absolutely
love these DC Universe Animated Original PG-13 Movies. Every single one has been topnotch and something every fan of the DCU -- and the comic book genre in general -- should be proud of. I know I am.
On the other hand, I’m first and (by FAR) foremost a “Batman Fan.” Not only that, I’m one of those Batman fans who prefers The Dark Knight to be portrayed as “realistic” as possible. So when he’s in these animated flicks and shows up in space or is mixing it up with super-powered villains and allies, I sort of cringe.
Yes, “Batman…IN SPACE!” is not “My Batman.”
Regardless, I still love these movies and I hope that the powers that be NEVER decide to get rid of them. I know the almighty dollar runs the show, but this is some of the best stuff that Warner Bros. and DC have ever done.
Anyway, enjoy the first of "many" Q&A's with the talent behind SUPERMAN/BATMAN: APOCALYPSE via our friends at Warner Bros. Animation...
Seven-time Emmy Award winner Ed Asner reprises his
Superman: The Animated Series/Justice League role as Granny Goodness in
Superman/Batman: Apocalypse, the ninth entry in the popular, ongoing series of DC Universe Animated Original PG-13 Movies coming
September 28, 2010 from Warner Premiere, DC Entertainment, Warner Bros. Animation and Warner Home Video.
Granny Goodness is the primary henchwoman for the evil lord Darkseid, ruler of the distant planet Apokolips and a cruel, ominous being even more powerful than Superman. Asner first voiced the role for four episodes of Superman: The Animated Series, and returned to those evil female roots for two episodes of Justice League and Justice League Unlimited.
Asner joins a Superman/Batman: Apocalypse cast led by fan favorites Tim Daly and Kevin Conroy reprising their seminal roles as Superman and Batman, respectively. Also featured among the celebrity-laden guest cast is Andre Braugher as the daunting Darkseid, and sci-fi heroine Summer Glau.
Based on the DC Comics series/graphic novel Superman/Batman: Supergirl by Jeph Loeb, Michael Turner & Peter Steigerwald, Superman/Batman: Apocalypse is produced by animation legend Bruce Timm and directed by Lauren Montgomery from a script by Academy Award-nominated screenwriter Tab Murphy.
After the following 2 images, check out the following Q&A with the great Mr. Asner…
QUESTION: How does Granny Goodness compare to playing other female characters?
ED ASNER: I don’t think I have played any other female characters before (*laughs*). But if I did, she’d have more balls than any of them! It’s become the fashion lately -- there’s Brian Bedford in Stratford doing Lady Bracknell in Oscar Wilde’s play. What hasn’t been done enough is women playing men in as butch a manner as possible. That’s got to be even more fun. I’m talking somebody like Marjorie Main pulling it off.
Q: What do you use as a focal point while voicing Granny?
EA: I’m thinking she’s a lot of chest, a lot of high pressure steam, and that she’s probably got a constant focus on vengeance and wreaking havoc on whoever she can. And I want to get away with as much damage as I can in as high-flown an effeminate form as possible.
Q: You’ve done it all and had long-lasting success in the entertainment industry. What’s the enticement of voice acting for you?
EA: It’s always a trip a joyful trip to come into the studio, and especially working with this group. Andrea (Romano) is a delight to work with, and Bruce (Timm) knows this genre better than anybody. Plus, it’s the ability to let your imagination take flight – to take chances, to plunge and to soar. That’s something you don’t get to do as an actor. You get to do it as a kid. So I grab the opportunity as often as I can.
Q: With all the animation work you’ve done, and the huge success of UP, can we assume you see animated films and television as a viable source of entertainment.
EA: I’ve always loved cartoons – I watched them when I was young, I still watch them now. And it is interesting to see how much more adult they’ve gotten in terms of content, from these super hero pieces with their violence and more adult themes to the truly mature, fully-developed stories developed in films like UP and WALL-E. Today’s animation goes places cartoons didn’t used to go.
Q: How do you feel about spunk?
EA: That all depends on who’s got it.
