Rejected DC Comics Designs and Show Pitches

[Yojimbo]

Well, correct me if I'm wrong, but didn't Isabella have issues with DC Comics at this time? Or was that settled by the time JL/JLU came out?

Yes, I think their issues were still ongoing at the time even though he did a few more comics in the mid-90s, but by 2009 Black Lightning first started appearing in animation like The Brave and The Bold and the Public Enemies DTV. Then it wasn't until like 2015 or 2017 that he was officially recognized as the sole creator of Black Lightning but the artist was still included as something like "Created by Tony Isabella with Trevor...."

 

[Otaku-sempai]

Well, correct me if I'm wrong, but didn't Isabella have issues with DC Comics at this time? Or was that settled by the time JL/JLU came out?

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Yes, it goes back to a couple of issues. First, there was Tony Isabella being credited as sole creator of Black Lightning, something that DC reneged on when they started crediting Trevor Von Eeden as co-creator. That was eventually resolved.

The second issue goes back to the Super Friends continuation of 1977. Black Lightning could have appeared on the show but instead Hanna-Barbara went with their own knock-off, Black Vulcan. DC didn't want to pay residuals to Tony, passed the buck to Hanna-Barbara who also didn't want to pay residuals. Hence, Black Vulcan. You can find a recent summary of the situation here.

 

[RoyalRubble]

That's the same CBR article linked on the previous page, that started this Black Lightning discussion in the first place.

It would have been cool if they managed to include him on JLU, maybe more than just as a cameo or background character. I think that Mandragora mobster in "Double Date" was also based on Tobias Whale, Black Lightning's nemesis. I'm guessing he was changed after BL couldn't be used?

 

[Yojimbo]

It would have been cool if they managed to include him on JLU, maybe more than just as a cameo or background character.

Maybe they might do something similar with Black Lightning, Plastic Man, Firestorm etc. and "debut" them on the Justice League Infinity comic like with Blue Beetle.

I think that Mandragora mobster in "Double Date" was also based on Tobias Whale, Black Lightning's nemesis. I'm guessing he was changed after BL couldn't be used?

More an amalgam I think. The name originates from Stefano Mandragora who murdered Helena's parents in the comics (or at least a part of the gang that did) and the look definitely seems to be based on Tobias.

 

[Frontier]

Maybe they might do something similar with Black Lightning, Plastic Man, Firestorm etc. and "debut" them on the Justice League Infinity comic like with Blue Beetle.

I think Firestorm and Black Lightning, like Blue Beetle, appeared in the JLU tie-in comic .

(I don't think Plas did).

 

[Otaku-sempai]

That's the same CBR article linked on the previous page, that started this Black Lightning discussion in the first place.

It would have been cool if they managed to include him on JLU, maybe more than just as a cameo or background character. I think that Mandragora mobster in "Double Date" was also based on Tobias Whale, Black Lightning's nemesis. I'm guessing he was changed after BL couldn't be used?

I suspected as much, however the article does summarize the history of Isabella's issues with DC Comics.

 

[the greenman]

It would have been cool if they managed to include him on JLU, maybe more than just as a cameo or background character. I think that Mandragora mobster in "Double Date" was also based on Tobias Whale, Black Lightning's nemesis. I'm guessing he was changed after BL couldn't be used?

I was always suspicious about that myself, figured that was a loose easter egg of McDuffie invention.

More an amalgam I think. The name originates from Stefano Mandragora who murdered Helena's parents in the comics (or at least a part of the gang that did) and the look definitely seems to be based on Tobias.

Agreed, figured that was something of a tease to fans.



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[Frontier]

Olan Rogers of Final Space and Coty Galloway pitched a Lobo cartoon starring the Main Man and his daughter Crush in 2020.

 

[SweetShop209]

That sounds awesome

 

[AdrenalineRush1996]

Olan Rogers of Final Space and Coty Galloway pitched a Lobo cartoon starring the Main Man and his daughter Crush in 2020.

That would've been a great idea as we haven't had a Lobo cartoon since the webseries back in the early 2000s.

 

[SweetShop209]

It's not exactly rejected, so I don't know if it belongs here. Regardless, I'll bring it up. It's in regards to the animated Adam West Batman movies. James Tucker said that if Adam West was still alive, he would have done a follow up that involved the Grey Ghost.

 

[Frontier]

It's not exactly rejected, so I don't know if it belongs here. Regardless, I'll bring it up. It's in regards to the animated Adam West Batman movies. James Tucker said that if Adam West was still alive, he would have done a follow up that involved the Grey Ghost.

That would've been fun to see .

 

[-batmat-]

What an amazing picture!

 

[Yojimbo]

Kristafer Anka pitched a Batman series in 2019.

 

[Frontier]

Kristafer Anka pitched a Batman series in 2019.

So they were shopping around for a new Batman cartoon back in 2019...judging by the designs it seems like they were going for a stylized, "modern" design which is an interesting contrast to how retro Caped Crusader feels.

Hey, at least it goes to show that not every Batman pitch goes through compared to other DC properties .

 

[RoyalRubble]

Looks pretty cool, I especially like that black and purple color scheme.

Something about all those lines on the costume kind of reminds me of the designs from Fantastic Four: World's Greatest Heroes.

Spoiler

 

[Frontier]

Looks pretty cool, I especially like that black and purple color scheme.

Something about all those lines on the costume kind of reminds me of the designs from Fantastic Four: World's Greatest Heroes.

Spoiler

Da da daaaaaa ....

(That was the show's theme song, in case anyone was wondering).

Seems like Anka was basing at least some of them off the New 52/Rebirth Batsuit.

 

[RoyalRubble]

It's a minor thing, but Jerome K. Moore posted a design for an "irreverent TV talk show host" for Justice League: Throne of Atlantis. It's been a while since I watched the movie, but I don't believe this was used in there.

 

[Yojimbo]

It's a minor thing, but Jerome K. Moore posted a design for an "irreverent TV talk show host" for Justice League: Throne of Atlantis. It's been a while since I watched the movie, but I don't believe this was used in there.

Yeah, he posted it in 2017. From a deleted scene. There was also a deleted scene that had background history on Black Manta that was cut.

 

[Frontier]

It's a minor thing, but Jerome K. Moore posted a design for an "irreverent TV talk show host" for Justice League: Throne of Atlantis. It's been a while since I watched the movie, but I don't believe this was used in there.

Cute .

Yeah, he posted it in 2017. From a deleted scene. There was also a deleted scene that had background history on Black Manta that was cut.

That would've been interesting...