Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/1152740
1 0 2 P E R S P E C T I V E | S E P T E M B E R / O C T O B E R 2 0 1 9 Because there was so much to do, I knew the production would need at least three Art Directors and two set decorators. In that way, I could leapfrog teams from one large project to another, which would segue into jumping from one episode to another. The number of projects that need to be completed was enormous. My focus was to keep everything moving forward." As a flagship show for DC Universe, Doom Patrol is unlike anything the superhero market has previously seen. The writing, characters and environments never took the narrative too seriously. The comedy, together with the understanding that these were the 'flawed' of the superhero world, made for a more relatable show that harks back to the original comic books. The immediate acceptance of this world by the audience allowed the Art Department to be loose and fluid in their designs, creating everything from the ordinary sets of the Donkeyverse in episode two to the inside of a rat's stomach in the finale! — Grace Walker: "When sketching initial ideas for this show, even though I feel like running with my own design, it is always nice to see how those great Doom Patrol comic artists portrayed any particular scene. I was definitely influenced on many occasions by their wonderful talent. They are both great artists and writers and this particular comic book is very wacky." The first season of Doom Patrol focuses on the origins of the characters from the comic book series. It was important to Michael Hanan to be true to comic book fans, but he was clear early on that he wanted to inject an elevated and stylized vision into the real-life spaces that the characters would inhabit. Mr. Nobody's backstory feels like a 1940s noir, with its Nazi scientist and South American setting, while Cliff's origin begins at a NASCAR race during the 1980s, bleached by the Florida sun. Rita is portrayed in glamorous film footage from the 1950s harshly juxtaposed with her hideous 'superpower.' Larry's world is set in the 1960s with a heavy hardware component as the supporting cast (X-15s, B-52s, etc.). But in the present, the Doom Patrol is often shrouded in gloom and darkness, whether they are standing in the rain or sitting in Caulder's dimly lit manor. A E A. PRODUCTION STILL OF GREAT ROOM BRIARCLIFF MANSION LOCATION AFTER EXTENSIVE REPAIR AND SCENIC WORK. B. PRODUCTION STILL OF THE 120-FOOT LONG GRAND HALLWAY BUILT ON STAGE. THIS SET WAS BUILT IN ABOUT 3.5 WEEKS! C. SCHEMATIC OF CLIFF'S ROOM PREPARED BY DAVID ENSLEY (DONE IN PHOTOSHOP AND ILLUSTRATOR) SHOWING THE STORY DEVELOPMENT OF HIS SLOT CAR TRACK. B D C