Bruce Timm originally wanted BATMAN: THE Animated Series to be set in the 1930s

Batman: The Animated Series it had such a beautiful visual style that it was an absolute game changer for the animation world.

The dark and brooding atmosphere of the show was perfectly captured by its art deco inspired imagery, which brought Gotham City to life like never before. Every shadow, every line, every detail was meticulously crafted to create a world that was both gritty and captivating, a city where crime was rampant, but justice always prevailed.

The style was inspired by the art deco and film noir aesthetics of the 1940s. The city’s architecture was heavily influenced by the art deco movement, which emphasized clean lines, geometric shapes and stylized motifs. The creators of the show, Bruce Tim AND Eric Radomskythey were also heavily influenced by the visual style of classic Hollywood films of that era, as well as the iconic Batman comic book art of the 1940s and 1950s.

The result was a unique blend of old and new, a world that felt both timeless and modern. The Gotham City of the show was a sprawling metropolis with towering skyscrapers, ornate bridges, and a complex network of streets and alleyways.

I like that the series has a timeless feel and that it doesn’t necessarily fit into a certain time period, but when developing the series, the initial idea Timm had was to set the show in the 1930s, specifically 1939 So why didn’t it work? Technology! Batman needed modern computer technology to play with, and he needed TV screens, which are things that didn’t exist in the 1930s. Timm explained in a 1999 Les Daniels book interview Batman: The Complete Story:

“If it was up to me I would have literally set it in 1939. […] But writers find it really hard to write stories without resorting to computer screens and stuff like that.”

So, the show features technology inspired by 90s technology, with computers, disk drives, and analyzers, but it was wrapped up in that classic art deco style, so it made it feel like a different era in some sort of alternate universe, which gave us liked! It was very fun and unique to see all this high-tech technology operating in an old-fashioned looking world.

The result was a show that was like nothing else on television at the time, with a level of detail and sophistication unheard of in animated programming. The show’s visual style has been a key part of its success, helping to attract viewers of all ages and establish Batman as one of popular culture’s most iconic and enduring characters.

Batman: The Animated Series was a true masterpiece of animation, and its unique blend of classic and contemporary imagery helped make it one of the most beloved and influential shows of its time.

Via: /Movies