Lovecraft eZine: A Horror Podcast That Feels Like Hanging Out With Friends

Tim Burton's BATMAN: Interview with BATMAN 89 screenwriter Sam Hamm

·1 hr 25 min·5 clips

Screenwriter Sam Hamm explains how his new Batman comic series imagines a world where Michael Keaton and Tim Burton kept making movies.

The episode features an interview with Sam Hamm, the screenwriter of Batman 89 and Batman Returns. Host Mike Davis and regulars Matt and Benjamin Handelman engage Hamm in a casual, conversational format. Hamm introduces himself as a screenwriter who has worked on films like Never Cry Wolf and TV series like Masters of Horror. He explains how DC Comics approached him to write a comic series that serves as a sequel to the Tim Burton Batman films, ignoring the later Schumacher movies. This series, Batman 89, includes characters like Harvey Dent, who becomes Two-Face, with a focus on Billy Dee Williams' portrayal. Hamm discusses the plot, which involves Harvey Dent's transformation after a disfiguring accident and his moral devolution, including a unique twist where Two-Face's coin flip leads to actively good deeds. He contrasts this with typical portrayals where the coin only prevents evil. The conversation shifts to Hamm's writing process, highlighting his rule of no thought balloons or captions in the comics to maintain a cinematic feel. He reflects on the challenges of adapting from screen to comic, noting differences in performance and exposition. Hamm shares anecdotes about the original Batman film, such as the controversial casting of Michael Keaton and the decision to make the Joker the killer of Bruce Wayne's parents, which he opposed. He compares various Batman actors, favoring Keaton and Bale, and discusses the character's popularity, attributing it to Batman's lack of superpowers and his damaged, focused nature. The episode also touches on Hamm's collaboration with artist Joe Quinones, cut scenes from the comics, and his interactions with editor Denny O'Neill. Throughout, the hosts interject with questions and comments, creating a friendly, informal atmosphere typical of the podcast.

As heard by us

A lively superhero conversation that turns comic art into a question of performance.

Mike Davis sits down with Sam Ham for a superhero conversation that quickly finds its footing in Batman and comic adaptation. The live-show energy is there from the start, with heat, a brief power flicker, and the kind of easy banter that keeps the exchange moving before it…

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Why you'd press play

Live-show banter and a grounded conversation about what comics lose and gain when film has to do the acting.

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