The World's Finest recently had the opportunity to ask a few questions to Batman: The Adventures Continue - Season Three artist Jacob Edgar. Edgar will be joining the art team for issues #7 and #8, the final two issues of the acclaimed animated tie-in series from DC Comics. Conducted by James Harvey, here Edgar discusses his work on Batman: The Adventures Continue - Season Three, his influences and past works, the impact of Batman: The Animated Series on his life and career, and much more, along with preview artwork! Keep reading below.
The World's Finest: To start things off, can you tell us a little about yourself and how you got into comics professionally?
Jacob Edgar: I'm a lifelong comics fan, we just had them around when I was a kid. My dad was a fan of the Adam West Batman show and got swept up in Batmania when the first Burton Batman movie came out. And I had two older brothers. So I don't remember not having comic books around. When I started getting Batman: Hush as it was coming out, I was 11 or 12, that's the book that made me want to draw comics. I had always drawn for fun, but Jim Lee's art on Batman: Hush made it click in my head that this was a job you could get and it was the job I wanted. I graduated from the Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) in 2014 and got my "big break" drawing a James Bond: Moneypenny one-shot at Dynamite, in 2017. I've been scribbling for money ever since!
WF: Before checking into Gotham City for Batman: The Adventures Continue - Season Three, you've done other work for not just DC Comics, but also Dynamite and IDW, among others. Can you fill us in on some of your assorted work around the comic industry?
Preview artwork from Batman: The Adventures Continue - Season Three
JE: So besides James Bond: Moneypenny, I drew a miniseries called Death to The Army of Darkness and an issue of Red Sonja at Dynamite. Brian Michael Bendis and I co-created The Ones at Dark Horse, which I drew. My last DC gig was a short story I drew in the Batman: The Audio Adventures Special and I've even gotten to do some writing on Red Sonja: Black, White, and Red and a Rocketman & Rocketgirl one-shot. Plus some various covers on the likes of Darkwing Duck and others.
WF: To follow that, you've also done a host of self-published and independent work. What of your own projects have you worked on, both past and present?
JE: My long-time editor at Dynamite, Nate Cosby, who gave me my first break on that James Bond: Moneypenny gig, has also become my longtime indie creative partner. We did a western called Fantastic Bandits that hasn't seen any print run, but was available digitally on Gumroad and Comixology. We're also deep into the work on a big superhero adventure, The Daring Double Life of Ace Adams, which we funded via Kickstarter. I'm excited to get that out to everyone.
WF: To shift over to Batman: The Adventures Continue - Season Three, with your work appearing in both issues #7 and 8, how did you first get involved with Batman: The Adventures Continue?
JE: The call came for issue #7, to finish out the bulk of that issue when [artist] Ty [Templeton] was unfortunately not able to. So it was a unique situation, not like anything I've been a part of before, jumping onto a story that's in progress and even an issue that's partially drawn. And then issue #8 will be something new for me as well, because I'll be doing finishes/inks over Ty's pencils, not something I've done in a published work before (ink someone else). But I'm finding that to be really exciting. Hopefully Ty and the readers are happy with how it turns out!
WF: And to dig a little deeper, what can you tell us about what we can expect in these forthcoming issues?
JE: Without giving too much away, I felt like a kid dumping out my toy box when I started working on issue #7. There are sooo many characters I grew up watching and reading that I was getting to draw. I think the Catwoman/Talia dynamic is going to be really fun for readers. Oh, and we've got zombie dogs. That's all I'll say!
WF: Possibly a bit of a weird question, but how did it feel to not only get the offer to work on Batman: The Adventures Continue - Season Three, but to actually do the work? To jump from fan to actually contributing to the series and its established mythos?
JE: Yeah, this was very surreal. I was and am a huge fan of Batman: The Animated Series, and the The Batman Adventures comic line. I literally grew up on that stuff. I still have The Batman Adventures Issue #1, though it's pretty worn out, sitting in a box here in my studio. So to work in that world, to work with Paul Dini and Alan Burnett and Ty Templeton, again...surreal. An interesting part of the process for me was that my style, specifically when it comes to Batman, is already heavily influenced by Bruce Timm. So I was really trying to channel his energy and sensibilities into the pages, moreso from his comic work like The Batman Adventures: Mad Love or the The Batman Adventures annuals, rather than making it look like the show...if that makes sense? But then, because my Batman is so Timm influenced I'd catch myself having drawn my Batman, not exactly the Batman: The Animated Series model, usually just in the head or face...that led to some reworking.
WF: Building off the last question, what was it about Batman: The Animated Series that resonated so deeply with you? Plus, what does it say about the series that it remains a high bar for the character, and other media adaptations, to this day?
JE: I think it's a combination of a few things. The art style is a big part of it, definitely. The voice cast was incredible. I mean, we all still hear Kevin Conroy and Mark Hamill in our heads when we read a Batman comic, right? The writing was incredibly mature. And not in terms of content, but just really smart, character-driven, deep writing. Sure it had silly moments or episodes, but you weren't getting "Heart of Ice" or "Over The Edge" on Street Sharks (no offense). And then the last major piece of magic in the mix was tone. Batman is probably more pliable that any other superhero there is. He works in the uber dark, but he also works in the Adam West light. Whatever your Batman taste is, it's out there and there's a good version of it. But Batman: The Animated Series hit the sweet spot for me of a Batman who could be serious and grim and brooding but it didn't define him. He could be light too and crack jokes. He cared about not just the people he was saving or protecting, but he cared about the criminals, too. So, this is a long answer, but all of those things together, that was the magic that made it what it was, and why it continues to resonate.
WF: What are some of your favorite memories relating to Batman: The Animated Series that have stuck with you over the years?
Preview artwork from Batman: The Adventures Continue - Season Three
JE: I'm trying to think of something specific to say...I remember watching my Batman: Mask of the Phantasm VHS constantly. I remember how cool it was to me to see Batman's pouch belt (which I've always preferred, sorry!) in the flashbacks of "Robin's Reckoning." I remember tuning in live and recording "World's Finest" on my VCR and thinking that was the greatest TV there had ever been. I think what really sticks with me goes back to tone. When I think about my favorite take on Batman and that world, or the way that I would want to handle it if I got to write it (and draw of course), I would aim for a tone like that.
WF: The Batman Adventures, much like its animated source material, is considered one of the best Batman comics ever published. Do you have any favorite issues from the comic, both the original series and its assorted reboots?
JE: The one that sticks out is the second The Batman Adventures annual, the Etrigan issue. I had no idea who Etrigan was when I first got this, didn't matter. The art by Timm and Glen Murakami is amazing, great Paul Dini writing, it's such a fun story and just brilliant to look at. I've been referring to it quite a bit for inspiration. Still have my copy.
WF: Is there a slight bit of pressure taking on Batman: The Adventures Continue, knowing the pedigree of talent that's contributed to both it and the original The Batman Adventures titles? What do you do to shake off those nerves?
JE: There is, for sure. You take the job excitedly and then you realize "oh, I actually have to do this now." There's such a high bar to live up to, set by guys like Ty and Rick Burchett, Tim Levins, Mike Parobeck, Bruce Timm, on and on. So I tried not to dwell on that too much and just embrace and focus on how cool it is to be part of that. Here I am, working on the comics and characters that I grew up on, with the creators I grew up on. The 11 year-old me who decided he wanted to make comics after reading Batman, is exactly where he wanted to be. So just draw the thing already.
WF: And this all brings us back to Batman: The Adventures Continue - Season Three! As you help usher in the book's final chapters, what do you hope to bring to your stint on the book?
JE: I'm really trying to put a lot of energy and dynamism into it, which are my big takeaways from Bruce Timm's comic work that I talked about. There was a lot of Jack Kirby influence in Timm's comic stuff. So I guess I'm trying to channel Bruce channeling Jack. Another high bar. I also tried to push the shadows and spot blacks a lot, I wanted big noir shadows and bold inking that would echo the dramatic look of the show.
WF: A follow-up, is there anything you'd like to get the chance to do with DC Comics' animated tie-in titles, if ever given the chance?
JE: I've got a fondness for all of that stuff, Batman: The Animated Series up through Justice League Unlimited. That art style is always fun to live in for a while, I love the characters, I'd be right at home with any of it. More specifically, maybe a Batman/Superman story? DC...Paul....anybody listening? They know where to find me!
WF: Outside of Batman: The Adventures Continue, what other projects and events coming up would you like to share with fans? On top of providing details for your website and social accounts, where else can we see you in the coming months?
JE: The very next day after issue 7 comes out, the collected first volume of The Ones will be out in stores everywhere, from Dark Horse. It's a mature readers book, co-created with Brian Michael Bendis, that's out August 23rd. You can find me on Instagram and Twitter/X under @jcbedgar and I have an Etsy page (Jacob Edgar Art) for prints and sketches. Also I'll be at Superstar Comic Con, in Savannah Georgia, September 23rd-24th.
WF: Alright, let's wrap this up back in Gotham! Can you possibly share a little teaser for what fans can expect in the final two issues Batman: The Adventures Continue - Season Three?
JE: I think Paul and Alan crafted such sweet and fun final scene for issue 8. As a fan, it put a big smile on my face, the way they ended it. And like I said, zombie dogs!
Be sure to check out Jacob Edgar's Etsy Store and follow him on Twitter/X and Instagram!
Click here for more details on Batman: The Adventures Continue - Season Three #7 and #8 from DC Comics, featuring art by Ty Templeton and Jacob Edgar, a story by Paul Dini and Alan Burnett, and colors by Monica Kubina!
Preview and production artwork from Batman: The Adventures Continue - Season Three
The World's Finest would like to thank Jacob for his participating in this Q & A!
[ Back to Batman: The Adventures Continue ]
