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devilkais β Live to laugh or laugh to live ... DILEMMA !
Published: 2012-08-05 23:27:22 +0000 UTC; Views: 13402; Favourites: 285; Downloads: 129
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I'd like you to spend the next few minutes with me for I am about to talk about one of my favourite characters of all time : The Joker !It's not hard to see why The Clown Prince is so appealing. His sleek design, the flashiness of his colour that completely contrast with the Noir feeling of Gotham as well as the Batman who's pretty theatrical himself (yes , we'll get to Bats one day, the Bruce Wayne I love might not be the one you think of ). Now I know that most bloggers have taken the habit of belittling the clown and saying that he's more of a plot device than an actual character , prefering Lex Luthor who seems more human and 3-dimensional . I really think that they're misled when it comes to the Joker, if anything there has always been a human quality to him (especially the iterations I'm showing ) which actually makes him 3-dimensional .
I do think that I'll have to use the Daffy comparison once again (well it's my drawing So I say what went through my head when I did it !),mostly because my favorite aspect of the clown is that , in addition of being an ego-driven criminal, he's a huge attention whore . He either wants to prove he's right (while having a little fun ) or leaving the audience members left alive with a performance they'll never forget.
As for my favorite versions of the character , here's how I view the analogies :
- Romero's Joker = Avery/ Clampett's Daffy ( Cesar Romero is just hysterical ! I know it's a different kind of Batman but it doesn't mean that I can't appreciate Adam West's version, he's great in his own right .)
- Nicholson's/Englehart/O'Neil Joker = McKimson/ Davis's Daffy
- Dixon / DeMatteis Joker = Jones's Daffy
- Bob Hall's Joker = Tashlin's Daffy (severely underrated !)
- Dini & Timm's Joker = Tiny Toons /DC comics/ LTBIA Daffy
- Rucka /Brubacker/ Ledger's Joker = Freleng's Daffy (and I find the Ledger Joker downright hilarious, I really don't get those who say he acts emo, the guy seemed to have to have the time of his life showing off and mocking mobsters and policemen alike . He's akin to a bad seed who loves a little pyromaniacal mischief . Besides he pulled a Bugs Bunny in the hospital...)
Now here are MY favourite Joker stories ( the ones you need to know IMO to get who the guy truly is !) in no particular order :
- Pretty much any Appearance in the DCAU comics
- The man who laughs
- The laughing fish
- The last Batman Story
- Joker's 5 ways of revenge
- The Killing Joke (mostly for its art... the writing is meh quite honestly.)
- Images
- The Devil's Advocate
- Going sane
- The Joker's Wild ( Robin 's second mini . Also why I think Tim is unquestionably the best Robin .)
- The Death of Batman ( part of Knightquest , Joker vs Batman II )
- Mad love
- Auteurism (LOTDK 162-163 )
- Fool's errand
- No Man's Land (Except for the shitty ending... )
- It's Joker Time !
- Hit or Miss ( JLI V1 ANNUAL 2 )
- The Reign of emperor Joker
- Face Off ( Birds of Prey #15 )
- Soft Targets ( Gotham Central )
- Slayride ( his last hurrah in the "mainstream", even then it's a worthwhile addition to my Kanon )
Of course these are only the comics, the video games ,movies & cartoons also contribute a lot to a character's essence .And Harley's disguise is a reference to this www.youtube.com/watch?v=Iwhv8Wβ¦
Feel free to discuss guys !
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Comments: 118
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For me it's:
1. Heath
2. Joaquin
3. Jack
4. Mark
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They third and fourth for me. Joaquin is second for me
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He does count he's still Joker
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Dumb question, but what are your thoughts on The Batman Who Laughs? I doubt you care about him, but I'm curious nonetheless.
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Doesn't anyone rob banks anymore? Remember when the Joker was driven by vanity and criminal artistery ? Pepperidge Farm remembers....
REMEMBER when the Joker was just SOME dude who got his skin bleached and hair green and that was it ? Pepperidge Farm remembers ...
REMEMBER when Batman was a well-trained NORMAL dude who wants to fight for justice in his city ? Pep...yeah you get the the point...
I DESPISE the Scott Snyder Batman. Not to the level I do Morrison's but SWEET LORD it reads like a fucking DBZ forum post about power levels ! It's not even a Batman story anymore ! The Batman Who Laughs is like some retarded Edgelord fanfic OC . I took a look and am slightly surprised this got money for being made ! THE TOXIN SOUL THAT MAKES YOU JOKER ... read this out loud ? There you go !
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"REMEMBER when Batman was a well-trained NORMAL dude who wants to fight for justice in his city ?"
Yeah, that is the biggest problem with Bat-God and the Batman fanbrats who think he's this invincible hero who can beat anyone with enough prep time. The whole appeal behind Batman is that he's NOT invincible, yet endures with little more than his training and wits for the sake of cleaning up his city and making the world a better place.
Also, I never got "DBZ forum post about power levels" from Scott Snyder's Batman (then again, I don't visit forums, so what do I know). I will say that Snyder's Batman is a hell of a lot better and more enjoyable than the current run by Tom King. I've read issues #1-6 and #9-15 of Tom King's Batman run so far and Rooftops (issues #14-15) was the only part of those 13 issues I liked. Tom King is a good writer who admittedly has stumbled every now and then, but his run on Batman is so dreadfully BORING compared to the 18 issues I've read of Scott Snyder's Batman run so far (issues #1-17 and Annual #1). Regardless of your opinions on Scott Snyder or Tom King, you have to admit that there is a serious problem when I only like 2 issues out of the 13 issues I've read of Tom King's Batman run whereas I fully enjoyed the 18 issues I've read of Scott Snyder's Batman run despite the controversial elements.
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That part always made me laugh. So they hate Superman because he's uberpowerful and invincible (except ...no, he isn't) and love Batman cus he beats ANYONE (again, another genius idea from Morrison...I am serious. He shat that one too...)
Snyder's writing is basically DBZ-power level type of writing. He does NOT have a proper Joker story in mind so what does he do ? BAM, FACELESS JOKER ! BAM IMMORTAL REGENERATIVE JOKER WITH TOTAL MIND CONTROL SMYLEX ... suuuure Scott, please, pull the other one.
Tom King now, I enjoyed the first Bane story...and that was about it. You're right about the decompression, they really seem to drag it out. To be fair I was worried since Omega Men was rather cool plot-wise (his Vision book is fucking BORING ! I am amazed that got such a buzz !). Mr Miracle was like the not cool version of an older Mr Miracle comic...
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Superman IS incredibly powerful, but you're right that he's not invincible. Also, I could have sworn Frank Miller came up with the whole "Batman can beat ANYONE with enough prep time" thing. Regardless, I'm not too fond of Bat-God myself. The way I see it, prep time only gives Batman an edge that doesn't necessarily guarantee victory for him. In fact, I like to see The Batman Who Laughs as a deconstruction of Bat-God, because he's so hellbent on victory that he threw away his morals. Kind of like Zane Truesdale from Yu-Gi-Oh GX after his first duel in the Underground following a humiliating losing streak, but on a far worse level.
I will admit that I'm not too fond of Snyder's take on the Joker in his Batman run, but I personally think he did a much better job with him in his Justice League run. It's still not quite DCAU Joker (then again, the DCAU will never be surpassed), but Joker's portrayal in Scott Snyder's Justice League run felt more like what I expect from the Joker in terms of characterization.
I Am Bane (which I assume is the Bane story you're referring to) is going to be the make it or break it story that decides if I continue reading Tom King's run on Batman. I have no problem with decompressed comics (after all, Jonathan Hickman's Avengers run, which is very much decompressed, is one of my favorite comics of all time next to Marvel Zombies), but Tom King's Batman run is incredibly dull compared to Scott Snyder's Batman run before it (and I haven't finished Scott Snyder's run yet, mind you), but even Frank Miller, whose best Batman work in The Dark Knight Returns and Year One is slightly outdated in my eyes, writes a more entertaining Batman than Tom King. Regardless, I don't consider Tom King to be a bad writer. He may have some personal issues that negatively affect his writing and is partly responsible for ruining the true Flash's character (seriously, fuck Heroes In Crisis for what it did to Wally West), but I genuinely think Tom King is a good writer. He's just not a good writer for me, if that makes any sense.
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Which one is directly behind Mark Hamill's Jokerβbetween The Long Halloween and, what appears to be, The Killing Joke versions?
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Killing Joke ? Forget that my good man, it's for the Graham Nolan/Chuck Dixon JokerΒ 2.bp.blogspot.com/-djtcNFIumXwβ¦
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My apologies. The Chuck Dixon one looks similar to Brian Bollandβs.
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Ah, Actually , I am sorry, I did not read it in detail. The one with the cane is Bolland and the one you asked about is the Dixon/Nolan one indeed. It's just that I drew this a long time ago, wo the details are hazy...
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Heh... Courage reference. WAIT! Why is Tim Curry dressed as the Joker?!? (top left)
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It's the Dark Knight Returns version.
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I know... but it looks like Tim Curry.
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I like the way you've captured each one here, and still retained a sense of your style.Β I agree whole-heartedly with the Romeo Joker (as someone who grew up watching the 69 TV show and still get's excited when he's watching the show and hears the fight music).Β That version of Batman, no matter how and why it was played for laughs is still valid.Β For me it;s lead to a life long obsession with the pointy eared man of darkness (although a look at my page shows a bit more of an obsession with his purple clad female coutherpart).Β I still look for things to add to my collection, and a few nights ago grabbed a bat-signal pen I found at the store.
I also agree with your statement that the Joker is more human than Lex, especially in the Killing Joke.
Great drawing!
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Thank you man ! Thank you.Β
To be honest, the Killing Joke an't exactly my favorite, the more human Joker is the one who represents pure humanity vanity, playfulness and a certain knack for sadism...and he ALWAYS was a criminal (I go by Jack Napier background to be honest...)
Anyhow, I am honored to meet another Batman fan !
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Thank you, you're most kind !
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You Are So Welcome!
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I've been of the opinion for quite some time that the original Joker died off-panel somewhere and everything after the Killing Joke (and really for a wee bit before that) was a separate character. The animated series obviously being a throw-back.
Great work here, every version is so distinct.
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Well I'll have to surpass this drawing with ones that encompasses the iterations WORTHY of the name Joker.
To be honest , the Killing Joke origin is bullshit. Even for a comic book, it's way too fucking ludicrous (Case Study on the other hand is perfect as an origin !)
The original version of the character is gone with Kane and Finger, the later Looney-Tunesesque one I consider much more compelling as characters! The best Joker is generally the dude that is from the 70's to the 90's. That's where O'Neil created the Optimal clown and the dude that Englehart, Dixon , Dini , DeMatteis and Hall perfected.
He dies with the SlayRide/Trust 2-parter. That 's really the curtain fall for the Clown Prince Of Crime (and the 00's is where shit went south for the Clown prince of Crime !)
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You got all The Joker's
AWESOME!!!Β Β
Mr. J is impressed...
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Thanks man ! Hope my next trick will be enjoyable !
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Thank god you left that one with the dreadlocks out... I will never acknowledge him as a version of the Joker. And of course, poor Harley... Well, look at it in a positive light; at least this time he didn't put a fish head on you.
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The dreadlocks oneΒ was mediocre but ultimately harmless... infinitely better than that Morrison/New 52 garbage.
Glad you enjoy my drawing of da clown !
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In the case of the Joker; the joke will never get old.
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No one told the various jokers that one of the side effects of gaining Mxyzptlk's powers was turning into a little big head man themselves.
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Well there are much worse side-effects ! (No hazardous food allergies for one !)
Actually that's my drawing style that does that !
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Still worth it to become emperor joker.
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Delightful. Β A showcase of my many looks, just what the arts galleries were lacking! Β Excellent work! Β Hahahahahahaha!
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No problem ! There is a lot more in my gallery if you want !
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I'd say I would be terrified by the Joker, but I met the Joker at Comicon...I am Groot.
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Well clowns are not threatening to giant talking trees.
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The Joker called me a tree, so I ran with it.
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I'm in love with how you did the Brian Bolland design! I grinned when you did the JOKER'S LAST LAUGH of him rather than typical KILLING JOKE costume; I always loved that "8 Ball" costume more. JOKER'S LAST LAUGH isn't as strong of a story as KILLING JOKE, but the art -- oh, the art! Love the detail you add to his face and the expression is DEAD ON! I've been trying rather hard to get Bolland's expressions, but I think I'm to scared to even approach drawing the Joker in his style because I feel I would do a disservice.
Your take on Tim Sale LONG HALLOWEEN and Cesar Romero ones crack me up as well! Seeing Romero with all those props, I went "Yeah, that's Romero..." I don't like it when people push him aside, because I have a great appreciation for the 60s show for what it was. There were times, at least in the first season, how surprisingly dark it was. The pilot episode with the Riddler started off quite mature with Bruce Wayne discussing the death of his parents in a serious and somber way, then 20 minutes in, boom, the Batusi!
I laughed when you mentioned Bob Hall's IT'S JOKER TIME as a favourite. A lot of Bat-fans seem to hate this one and I think it's mainly due to the art, which I admit was very, very 90s, but the story itself is solid and brilliant! OMG, SLAYRIDE! (flails) I loooooooove that issue! And I completely agree that it was "the last hurrah" of pre-52 Joker.
OMG, someone else who loves the Greg Rucka/Michael Lark take on Joker! (runs around her room excitedly) I always felt I was the only one! Michael Lark's "Conrad Veidt-esque" design for him is one of my all-time favourites, because he's so realistic that it's unsettling, but it's Rucka's writing that really sells for me. I wish SOFT TARGETS wasn't so short of an arch, but just...WOW!
Anyway, brilliant piece! I wish I could favourite this twice or thrice, because I would if I could!
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Thank you very much ! I am glad that you enjoy it, The Joker and Harvey Dent are my favorite characters in Batman (and there are so many to choose from !)
Actually I would advice you to try different drawings of the characters until you get something you're at ease with (took me 10 years to finally go with this style ! Here is MY Joker ... within my personal Kanon XD [link] )
Romero's Joker is downright BRILLIANT ! People need to remember that the Joker is about FUN , even in a twisted. The BEST Joker stuff always have a Looney Tunes flavor to it , even Heath Ledger's is like having a cartoon character thrown in Nolan's hyper serious Gotham (srsly, through all the movie , I expected him to hold a TROLLface all the time ! But I will get to Nolan's trilogy ... and yes I prefer Burton's movies... and adore BTAS .)
I don't find It's Joker Time that bad in the art department (And I for one love the 90's . ) but the script is just perfect ! That is the Joker at the height of manipulation !
My opinion of the new-52 in one drawing
[link]
Anyhow , I hope you'll stay tuned for next report !
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Sadly, I'm not a fan of the Nolan-verse at all. Out of the three, THE DARK KNIGHT is the best story, but I also find the film dreadfully overrated. Yes, it's good, but it's not the best story in the world, nor is Ledger the best Joker in the world. (Also, it bugs me to no end that Joker's face is "washable." Perhaps I'm too much of a traditionalist Joker fan, I'm uncertain really what it is...)
My personal Joker is a conglomerate of favourites -- a piece here and a piece there -- but he's essentially a very complex character. No ONE Joker has gotten it completely right for me, but there are close calls. One of the closest is a fan-film known as PATIENT J, played by Paul Molnar. Out of all the comic books, cartoons, novels, films, TV, etc. he's the closest personification of my PERFECT (kanon) Joker.
Ugh, NEW 52... I read through DEATH IN THE FAMILY with this expression on my face that I wish someone had a camera to capture it. Here and there, some bits, RARE bits, worked; but for the most part, it was just godawful.
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Indeed, Paul Molnar is just fantastic ! Patient J is a gem of a movie and so is his Joker Christmas video .
I hope you liked my version .
Well I will talk about the Nolan movies, I hope the drawing will at least amuse you .
BTW Visit the rest of the gallery if you want , there may be some surprises here and there !
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I adore the Christmas video as well! They filmed that before PATIENT J. The Christmas short was a makeup test. Their newest film CITY OF SCARS was quite good, too.
I despises the first and third Nolan films with a passion. The second film is okay, it was at least entertaining, but overall I find all the films exceedingly overrated. Nevertheless, I'm curious to hear your opinion on it.
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