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2012 TV News Archives

March 2, 2012: Phil Bourassa Talks "Young Justice" Character Designs

WorldsFinestOnline.com caught up with Phil Bourassa, the lead character designer on the "Young Justice" animated series, to get an insight into his work and how he approached the designs for the popular cartoon series. Here's an excerpt from the interview...

Were there any designs that were more difficult to create than others on Young Justice?

PB: The better known characters with the longest traditions in the DC universe stand out to me as being some of the most difficult to design. This difficulty can manifest itself in a couple of different ways. Sometimes it's the daunting task of the wholesale redesign of a classic like the Joker, where you are making a significant departure from the existing tradition but trying to keep the core themes consistent. In cases like these, the character has so much potential both visually and thematically, it's easy to get lost in the possibilities and have a difficult time eliminating ideas. The goal is to distill it down to it's essence with a new look that still honors the history of the character. At the other end of the spectrum, it can also be challenging to do a traditionally faithful take on an icon who has been around for generations, trying to play it completely straight and deliver a classic unchanged to a much more jaded audience than the one that existed when the character was first created. I think Superman falls into this last category. He has been such a recognizable icon around the world for so long, that people I think inherently have a personal stake in the character and a lot of nostalgia invested in him. You have to be respectful of that. I think the tricky part is that he should feel timeless, almost carved in marble but still be human and relatable. The danger comes from trying to shoehorn him into your own sensibilities too much - if an artist is too heavy handed with "this is my take, this is how I see him, or leans too heavily on their own style in the attempt - it's easy to miss the target by a mile and have him immediately feel dated, absurd or corny. In most cases, but especially in ones where you are dealing with such a classic, you have to let the needs of the character dictate your approach. I always describe Superman as having this incredibly small strike zone. He's such a pure and sincere idea that you have to kind of open yourself up to being vulnerable in your interpretation of him.

Read the complete interview at the WFO website.

2012 Television News

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2012 TV News Archives

March 2, 2012: Phil Bourassa Talks "Young Justice" Character Designs

2012 Television News

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