Animation Damnation: Batman: TAS - "If You're So Smart, Why Aren't You Rich?"
Added 2024-09-12 10:00:02 +0000 UTCOn this edition of Animation Damnation, we're chatting about another episode of the completely perfect cartoon, Batman: The Animated Series!
The episode in question, "If You're So Smart, Why Aren't You Rich?," originally aired November 18, 1992, and features the debut of everyone's favorite puzzle-loving criminal, The Riddler! How funny is it that the video game Edward Nygma designed is filled with sound effects from Super Mario Bros.? What's with Robin getting so casual during that Batmobile ride? How much RAM must Batman's computer have if it cost $50M? And how wild is it that this episode of a cartoon for children is also able to comment on how comic creators often get totally hosed by their corporate overlords?
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Original cover art by Felipe Sobreiro.
Comments
I heard a podcast with the writer of this episode and the one of the other Riddler episodes that the reason for so few episodes is having to come up with the riddles. He’s the only villain that requires extra homework to write an episode, so a lot of people didn’t want to write them.
Michael Mora
2024-09-18 14:56:21 +0000 UTCLooking back, it honestly feels like the closest we may have gotten so far to John Glover as a live action Nygma MIGHT be his playing Dr. Saperstein in In the Mouth of Madness. Very much that kind of clipped, lightly arrogant delivery that he brings well to Riddler.
Todd B
2024-09-17 17:59:12 +0000 UTCI'm sorry but it's objectively hilarious when Andrew corrects Chris about saying Zaslav wrong and then maybe 2 minutes later says "Edward Nygwa"
Steven sadauskas
2024-09-17 14:48:01 +0000 UTCI'm kind of surprised hear the guys gush about the Caped Crusader series since I personally felt that the show was pretty mediocre and did absolutely nothing that BTAS hadn't already done better decades ago.
Matt Eldritch
2024-09-16 23:37:32 +0000 UTCJust to be that particular flavor of nerd I'll clarify the riddle with the keys: It's not that a C# (aka C sharp) does not exist, it does exist. The "key of D (major)" has three sharps—hence three sharp objects thrown at out heroes. This is what Robin realises. The key of A major has four sharps, but the key of C major (aka all the white notes on a piano), has no sharps! It was actually a pretty cool riddle, was surprised to see it. Obviously one of the writers must have dabbled in music!
Chris Christodoulou
2024-09-16 18:43:34 +0000 UTCI know the guys don't have time, but I would pay a couple bucks more if they added a tier that was just a rewatch of all the animated batman series
Zerox
2024-09-16 13:32:59 +0000 UTCI want this episode title as a tattoo
Kate G
2024-09-14 22:50:03 +0000 UTCIt is a testament to John Glover's talent that he went on to portray 3 more DC characters of varying villainy.
CharlesGrodin'sToupee
2024-09-14 01:29:56 +0000 UTCif I had a nickel for every time a podcast I listened to this week went on an extended riff on batman’s porn habits, I’d have two nickels
TJ Guiney
2024-09-13 22:53:48 +0000 UTCThere is absolutely a C sharp
Bolo Santosi
2024-09-13 21:46:53 +0000 UTCThis series is a masterpiece, Hamill and Conroy are forever my favorite two versions of their respective characters. BTAS Also has my favorite Robin design especially the Robin 3D model in the Arkham City video game.
Nathan Lemire
2024-09-13 21:18:24 +0000 UTC“You Gotta Git Him” is the sequel to “You Gotta Do It” in the “You Gotta” franchise.
John Halski
2024-09-12 23:40:45 +0000 UTCI like the idea that all the alogrithims in Eric's life are leading him to Billy Elliot. Streaming services are all like watch Billy Elliot. Want to see something on Broadway, Billy Elliot. Vacation with his wife? Google suggests a Billy Elliot walking tour in the UK. His "free" time when his fellow WHM colleagues are searching for ladies stuck in various household locations, for him it's sexy tap dancers.
Jason
2024-09-12 16:42:01 +0000 UTCAnd then even if you get to the remote in time, your finger slips, especially on the shitty Apple TV remotes, and suddenly, welp, House of the Dragon is starting now.
Mark Ibarra
2024-09-12 16:12:47 +0000 UTCThe absolute worst example of the whole 'postage-stamp size' screen, beat-the-clock countdown to the next Prime streaming thing was when I was trying to watch Polytechnique, the incredibly upsetting Denis Villeneuve film, which ends with a silent scroll of the real victims' names. It got like two names in and then POW, TIME TO WATCH GOOD OMENS IN 30 SECONDS!! What are we doin' here?!? (And yes, I always lose the remote too. It's usually under the cat.)
Rose Esposito
2024-09-12 15:46:10 +0000 UTCJohn Glover is a boss.
Mark Ibarra
2024-09-12 13:10:35 +0000 UTCIt's unfortunate we never got many Riddler DCAU eps. From what I remember reading a while back, they didn't do many because it was hard for them to come up with clever riddles.
Frank Grimes
2024-09-12 12:52:01 +0000 UTCAlso, fat Alfred, Hey Heyy HeyYyYyYyYy!
Tim O'Connor
2024-09-12 12:15:58 +0000 UTCAll this talk of fat Alfred is making me want a version of Batman whose Alfred looks exactly like Alfred Hitchcock.
Tim O'Connor
2024-09-12 12:06:24 +0000 UTCNo greater riddle than the human brain. No greater dead end as well.
Josh
2024-09-12 10:34:41 +0000 UTC
