BATTASS: The Batman The Animated Series Show Podcast · The Pensky File

Granite State Comic Con Panel 2023

September 20, 2023·48 min·4 clips

Sean Murphy accidentally swapped the Robins' order, creating a dark twist that defined his entire Batman series.

This episode features a panel discussion from Granite State Comic Con 2023 with hosts Clay McCormick and Sean Murphy, joined by writers Katana Collins and Blake Northcott. The group reflects on the seven-year journey of Sean Murphy's "White Knight" Batman universe. They share personal anecdotes about their careers and collaborations within the comic industry. Sean Murphy recounts starting a creative apprenticeship where Clay lived in his attic during a cold Maine February. Murphy explains he initially killed off most Batman villains, believing each book would be his last, which later forced creative new solutions. Blake Northcott discusses her Catwoman story that revived the cocaine-powered villain Snowflame, noting DC's legal team removed explicit drug imagery at the last minute. Katana Collins reveals her upcoming steampunk Red Sonja project and her background as a USA Today bestselling romance novelist. A surprising insight is that a major story element—making Jason Todd the first Robin instead of Dick Grayson—originated from Murphy's genuine ignorance of the canon order. Murphy shares his desire to adapt the White Knight universe into animation but expresses concern studios would not preserve its unique visual style. He also details a planned "World's Finest" story featuring a 65-year-old Bruce Wayne confronting a young Superman, inadvertently unleashing a Kryptonian threat. The conversation includes odd editorial notes, like DC questioning Murphy's repeated use of the 1989 Batmobile and an editor initially objecting to a pregnant Harley Quinn. Northcott and Collins discuss the challenges of writing established characters, with Collins keying into Harley's voice through the "Batman: The Animated Series" episode "Mad Love." Clay McCormick describes conceptualizing Jason Todd as "Johnny Lawrence from Cobra Kai" to find his character's voice. The tone is casual, humorous, and conversational, filled with insider shop-talk and friendly ribbing among colleagues. The style is a loose panel discussion driven by audience questions and personal anecdotes rather than a formal presentation. Fans of the "White Knight" series and behind-the-scenes comic creation stories will love this episode. Listeners seeking a highly structured or topic-focused podcast might find its meandering, convention-floor style less engaging.

As heard by us

A loose Batman Day panel from Granite State Comic Con that mixes White Knight history, banter, and craft talk.

The Granite State Comic Con panel in Manchester, New Hampshire looks back on seven years of the White Knight universe and, on Batman Day, puts Clay, Sean, Katana Collins, and Blake Northcott in the same room for a loose, no moderator conversation.

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Why you'd press play

A Batman Day panel from Granite State Comic Con that starts loose and stays pleasantly unmoderated.

Read the full recommendation in PlayNext →

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