This is neat.
Reader Travis Meidell sent over this really cool video he put together outlining the Joker’s history in animation.
It traces the Clown Prince of Crime from his first cartoon appearance in the Batman ’66 opening credits all the way through the upcoming Batman Ninja.
Meidell details the voice casting*, as well as the Joker’s shifting styles. He even includes forgotten gems like his (and Batman’s) appearance on Sesame Street.
Check it out — and check out his Saturday Morning Batman account on Instagram (@SaturdayMorningBatman), which celebrates the different iterations of Batman in cartoons and comics:
* Travis credits Larry Storch as the Joker in the 1968 Filmation series — as do others. John S. Drew and I have discussed the matter on The Batcave Podcast (click here) and are in the camp that believes it was Ted Knight.
April 29, 2018
“* Travis credits Larry Storch as the Joker in the 1968 Filmation series — as do others. John S. Drew and I have discussed the matter on The Batcave Podcast (click here) and are in the camp that believes it was Ted Knight.”
There’s no doubt in my mind that it’s Ted Knight. His characters were not all that different or vocal range. It always sounded like Knight just switching back and forth…..probably in the same recording session. That’s a weird urban myth or Batman/showbiz myth that has perpetuated for some reason.
Also, and I need to get in my closet and dig it out, but John Morrow published a book few years back that quotes Lou Scheimer as saying Storch never did any voice work on Joker. He says it was Ted Knight.
And,….and,….Larry Storch was the second or third guest on Gilbert Gottfried’s podcast and Storch himself said he didn’t do it.
April 30, 2018
Great video, so thanks for sharing! It would be interesting to know where the Larry Storch mis-information began. I’ve read it several places myself. Once you hear the Joker, it’s obvious it’s Knight. And as Andy Patterson says above, most of the Filmation Bat-villains voices were VERY similar.
May 1, 2018
Why wasn’t his appearance in “Batman vs Two Face” mentioned?
May 1, 2018
He didn’t mention every BTAS appearance either. “Batman vs. Two-Face” is a sequel to “Return of the Caped Crusaders” and Joker was barely in it besides. I’m not hung up about it.