The man who laughs: The Joker thread

[breyfogle_rules]

Hey I'm manic!

And seeing that my 10 minute down cycle is over, I want to tell you all that I now LOVE this new Joker look. It will really fit in with Nolans world!

Yay.

Uh-oh. Sugar rush just wore off.

Damn. I hate this new Joker look again.

Carry on.

[abcdefz]

Originally Posted by Kleric

I completely agree itsthebatman. Ledger has many features that resemble the comic version.

[breyfogle_rules]

Bermejo chimes in with his (pretty informed) opinion

http://www.batman-on-film.com/lee-be...terview-2.html

[raybia]

Hey Fanboys of the Hype. Bermejo has something to tell you.


... All in all, I think that they probably would have done the same thing even if I hadn't been drawing him this way. And trust me, for those people that hate the Heath Joker, I'm not passing the buck at all here. I'm proud of my interpretation of the character and IF it had any effect I can be nothing but flattered. I was fully aware that some people wouldn't like it at all when I did it. That's the beauty of these characters, though. They're so ripe for interpretation. That's one of the reasons they're still around and still so popular. Anybody who claims to “know” these characters just has an "idea" of what they want that character to be. This is their right, but it's not necessarily what they will always get.



JETT: So, what is “Lee Bermejo’s Joker?”

LB: To me -- and I stress PERSONALLY -- The Joker is the definition of irony. The funny guy who isn't really funny. The un-happy clown. Like I said before, a living contradiction. I go back to the original appearance and a line in particular of description sticks with me. It's something to the effect of “a smile without joy.“ Then I think about the visual inspiration, THE MAN WHO LAUGHS (a tragic character I might add who's face was “deformed” in a way) and it leads to some pretty interesting conclusions which can be interpreted in a few different ways.

Visually speaking, I don't think a cut-smile has anything to do with defining the character or not. The characteristcs I think are the MOST important to portray visually are these:

He has white skin…
He has red lips…
He has green hair…
He tells jokes that are not funny…
And, he kills people.
I think you got these elements

[ghost_x]

Bermejo sounds like he truly understands the character

[FlawlessVictory]

Originally Posted by ghost_x

Bermejo sounds like he truly understands the character

Impossible! He gave him a cut/scarred smile, how can he possibly understand him after doing that?!?!?!?

But seriously, I like what he had to say, made some great points.

[ghost_x]

Originally Posted by FlawlessVictory

Impossible! He gave him a cut/scarred smile, how can he possibly understand him after doing that?!?!?!?

But seriously, I like what he had to say, made some great points.

'Visually speaking, I don't think a cut-smile has anything to do with defining the character or not.'

No matter how much we try to deny it, that is essentially the truth.

[Artistsean]

Since he was based on this movie:


I want Joker to look like this



and this is also what I think he looks like

[dark_b]

bermejo from what he says understands the character. i dont like hs joker 100% but i respect him. he made somethign different. he could make everything easier if he would copy the joker.

thats why i resect nolan and singer. they made something different.

[FlawlessVictory]

Originally Posted by dark_b

bermejo from what he says understands the character. i dont like hs joker 100% but i respect him. he made somethign different. he could make everything easier if he would copy the joker.

thats why i resect nolan and singer. they made something different.

Ohoh, I sense potential trouble from Singer's name being brought up. Look for cover!

[ghost_x]

Singer would of utilised the Bat nipples to some sexual effect

[kytrigger]

While Iam not in love with the cut smile idea, it isn't anything I am losing sleep over.

I was always against the idea, but mainly because I just didn't want Joker to cut himself, as I think that goes against his very vain characteristics. But having it happen to him is something entirely different.

The one part that I really didn't like about the picture was the red smeared on the smile. That vanity would lead me to believe that Joker would put that makeup on very carefully and that looked messy. A big deal? Not at all, but it is really the one thing so far that I hope they might change.

[GhostPoet]

I love it....the Joker looks fantastic...him looking like that AND being morbidly funny would be PERFECT.

[ghost_x]

Obviously it would be a HUGE problem if the cut smile was from self mutilation, because that is generally going against his character, but if it is the cause of an accident than how could it be going against his character if it wasn't out of freewill.

[FlawlessVictory]

Originally Posted by kytrigger

While Iam not in love with the cut smile idea, it isn't anything I am losing sleep over.

I was always against the idea, but mainly because I just didn't want Joker to cut himself, as I think that goes against his very vain characteristics. But having it happen to him is something entirely different.

The one part that I really didn't like about the picture was the red smeared on the smile. That vanity would lead me to believe that Joker would put that makeup on very carefully and that looked messy. A big deal? Not at all, but it is really the one thing so far that I hope they might change.

You summed up pretty much exactly how I feel. Not in love with it, wish it was neater, glad the scars aren't made by him, not losing any sleep over it and confident it will work in Nolan's film.

[abcdefz]

One nice thing about the "morbid humor" thing... if you watch Memento, there are some gut-bustingly funny dark-humored moments in there. I think people forget that. It'll be interesting to see how much of that gets applied to Joker and his mechanisms.

[Sun_Down]

Originally Posted by ghost_x

Obviously it would be a HUGE problem if the cut smile was from self mutilation, because that is generally going against his character, but if it is the cause of an accident than how could it be going against his character if it wasn't out of freewill.

Good point. I don't really see how it's "out of character" for Joker to get hit with a batarang.

[breyfogle_rules]

Originally Posted by Sun_Down

Good point. I don't really see how it's "out of character" for Joker to get hit with a batarang.

Funny

[breyfogle_rules]

Originally Posted by abcdefz

One nice thing about the "morbid humor" thing... if you watch Memento, there are some gut-bustingly funny dark-humored moments in there. I think people forget that. It'll be interesting to see how much of that gets applied to Joker and his mechanisms.

Hmm. Yeah, maybe I'll have to rewatch that.

[abcdefz]

...lots of the interaction with Bert ("Well, at least you're being honest with me" - "That's okay -- you won't remember, anyway"), "Where was I... oh! -- looks like I'm chasing this guy..." BLAM "No.. looks like he's chasing me"; "I don't.... feeel drunk..."; How Leonard and Teddy deal with Dodd in the closet, etc.

I saw it the weekend it opened in San Francisco, and there were times when the whole audience was just busting. Some of it was probably release of tension, but there are genuinely funny moments in there.

Plus, Nolan is nothing if not ingenious. I want to see how that applies.

[Farfarello]

Hope Nolan includes some playback of the Joker singing some "Tiny Tim" song!

While he tortures a cop, a la "Reservoir Dogs"

Owwhh I like it...
But it's no match for my goody goody looks.

Hahahaheeheee

[gdw]

Originally Posted by Artistsean

Since he was based on this movie:


I want Joker to look like this



and this is also what I think he looks like

Funny you should mention that film, and YES that WAS where his apperance was inspired, but interestingly enough, in the story/book that Th Man Who Laughs came from, the character is severly disfigured and his description actually closely resembles the Joker image we've seen. Minus the lipstick.

Go figure, it all comes round full circle.

Again, I am still not to happy with this image, but largely the smeared everywhere lipstick. Given the spy pic where we can see a MUCH more tame looking set of red lips, I still have confidence that he will have them for at least PART of the film.

Keep in mind that even in Batman '89, the Joker had two different looks. In the scene with the quill pen, he has used actual make-up to alter his apperance. Imagine if that was the first image of J we got back then?

[breyfogle_rules]

Originally Posted by Farfarello

Hope Nolan includes some playback of the Joker singing some "Tiny Tim" song!

While he tortures a cop, a la "Reservoir Dogs"

YES! Never thought of that. Joker would TOTALLY be into Tiny Tim in real life!

[bluejake01]

Originally Posted by ghost_x

Singer would of utilised the Bat nipples to some sexual effect

Have you always been a bigot, or is this some new territory for you?