#shirley walker

[whotookcheesuschrist]

Two-Face's theme from BTAS.

I often find that my tastes have changed a lot over the years. One of the things that changes is the relationship I have with Harvey, as a character, as a villain, what I want from him and what I want from Batman and the world of Gotham. Two-Face is complicated to me, both as an audience and as a fan. There's the question of accountability that is pretty unique to him among Batman's villain roster, a thing that has become incredibly important to me as a person, but I seldom feel like a single comic writer effectively nails the themes and especially with him (the rogues as a whole, honestly, but him especially, given his sanity being very, very much on a very particular shaky ground).

A thing that has stuck with me and remained a constant with him for quite a while now is this. This theme, the entire suite from his two-parter. Almost whenever I think about him or when I picture him close to how I want him to be characterized among the other rogues and Batman & co. and onto himself... this theme. This theme is still playing in my head. And I can't imagine anything else for him. Years and years and years later.

Strangely enough I seldom think of that while reading the comics, even the ones I like that tries to treat him seriously as a character or seriously as a threat (in a way that feels right for him), but when I think of him/them and the tone of his entire character, I feel like something like this has to be playing in the background whenever he's around.

And I think that's just a testament to just how magnificent a job Shirley Walker did for the show.

[morganmerylhodgepodge]

Very busy with my project this October, I really only had time to do one Halloweeny thing, which is watch the original Final Destination. Between Shirley Walker's beautiful orchestral score, to the acting, the cinematography... it all works so tremendously well at showing the WEIGHT, the gravitas of grief...the emotional effect that death and near-death can have on a person. Guilt and trauma and anger and sadness... Its got its goofy moments for sure, but its also got some of the most beautiful, understated and heartwrenching scenes in a horror film.

My PC that was a hand-me-down from my brother has a non-functioning physical disk drive so I cant rip a DVD, and I cant seem to find the scene online, but this scene has one of my favourite scenes in any movie, where the rain is pouring down, thunderstorm outside, we slowly pan in through a window. We see Alex Browning (Devin Sawa) come into his room with his parents, and from a distance, outside the window, with the only sound being the storm and Walker's score, we see Alex break down in tears, overwhelmed with grief after everything that happened to him during what was supposed to be a fun school trip. It takes your breath away. Its so good. Its crushing.

[90ssuperheroes]

Let's take a moment to appreciate just how beautiful this score for Clayface was. Shirley Walker was an underrated and brilliant composer.

[about-faces]

Listen, despite the issues I had with Batman: Caped Crusader, I don’t like the constant comparisons to Batman: The Animated Series. As much as many people wanted a new, “adult” BTAS, that was never going to happen. BTAS was not the sole product of Bruce Timm, but rather the work of dozens of writers, producers, animators, actors, and people like Andrea Romano. On top of that, WB is never going to provide any animation studio with the budget to create a 2D TV cartoon that looked as gorgeously old-fashioned and Fleischer-esque as BTAS. Just wasn’t gonna happen. B:CC has to be judged on its own merits.

THAT SAID, holy fuck man, I miss Shirley Walker’s orchestrations. I miss themes and music that can be enjoyed on its own. I miss LEITMOTIFS. Where are all the LEITMOTIFS?

This isn’t a complaint that’s specific to B:CC, I just really fucking miss good movie and TV scores. And I miss Shirley Walker in general, she never gets enough credit for her vital contribution to making BTAS so beloved.

[queenrikki]

Not matter what fandom you encountered me me in, know that I will eventually devolve back into a comic book girlie (and related media).

That said, I'm going to segueway into talking about how Shirley Walker's Superman theme is better than John Williams's theme. Of course, one was made for a kid's cartoon, and the other was made for a major motion picture, so there is a difference in scale. But, for me, Walker's them is always Superman and John Williams's theme is always...well, John Williams.

And being John Williams is not a bad thing. But whenever I hum his Superman theme...well, I start off Superman but I usually windup Star Wars or Indiana Jones (or vice versa).

[grayrazor]

This might be a weird thing to say, but I love how sad parts of the Space: Above and Beyond score are. Perfectly matches the show's gradual trajectory from "hoo-rah let's smash the aliens and save the Earth" to "oh war is Bad."

[sennalokas]

Shirley Walker talking through how she varies and layers Batman’s theme for the animated series fills me with all kinds of joy. From “dark and somber” to “heroic and uplifted” with a single note. Whether melancholic or loping, the pure melody or laced with harmonies, TAS wouldn’t be the best Batman without her.

[yumyumpod]

A major factor that helped bring life to the characters in Space: Above and Beyond was the wonderful score from Shirley Walker. The writers often mention how the music would give them a better grasp on the characters in the show.