I am not a big autograph hound. I have autographed photos of Jenny Agutter as Jessica 6 from Logans run, a Sid Haig as Lord Drago from Jason of Star Command, and Kitsie Duncan signed my copy of Famous Monsters #252. They all look great in their frames, hanging in the Command Center. But sitting on my desk is my most favorite of all: My autographed copy of Bruce Timm’s 2007 sketchbook. It’s right next to my copy of Modern Masters 3: Bruce Timm.
If you have seen Batman: The animated series, Superman:TAS, Justice League Unlimited or just about anything from the DC Animated Universe, you have seen Bruce Timm and his impact on animated superhero shows.
One of the things I admire most about Bruce is that he is entirely self taught as an artist. He began his career in animation working for Filmation on shows like Flash Gordon, Blackstar and He-Man. He joined Warner Brothers in 1989 and worked on Tiny Toon Adventures. In 1992, he co-created and produced Batman: The Animated Series. Bruce brought a beautiful, stylized world to life. His art influences came together and delivered a fresh new take on animated heroes.
Bruce also co-created the character of Harley Quinn. Harley became so popular (with fan’s and cosplayer’s alike!) that DC included her in the mainstream universe in 2004. The funny thing is, he had tried to get work at Marvel and DC before joining Warner Bros. but had no luck. Their loss.
It’s his love of comic’s from the 50’s and 60’s that I think resonates most with me. Bruce lists Jack Kirby as one of his influences, and man, he really honors that King Kirby style. I really love his lesser known comic works too. Bruce did some great Vampirella and Conan art, and his Frankenstein is amazing. It’s no secret that I am on a quest to get my stories animated, and when I look at what guys like Bruce have done, it just pushes me that much harder to step up my game.
Click on the image to check out more about Bruce Timm in Modern Masters 3. It’s a great read with a lot of interviews and some amazing art, well worth the 10 bucks or so.