Batman: The Brave and the Bold
Year:
2008-2011
Running time:
30 mn
Number of Seasons:
3
Episodes:
65
Genre:
Animation, Fantasy, Action, Superheroes
Nationality:
USA
Language:
English
Platform:
Director:
James Tucker, Michael Jelenic
Producer:
Warner Bros. Animation
Screenwriter/s:
Michael Jelenic, Joseph Kuhr, Steven Melching
Cast:
Summary
Batman isn't going at it alone this time! From Warner Bros. Animation comes the latest interpretation of the classic Batman franchise. Our caped crusader is teamed up with heroes from across the DC Universe, delivering nonstop action and adventure with a touch of comic relief. Blue Beetle, Green Arrow, Aquaman and countless others will get a chance to uphold justice alongside Batman. Though still based in Gotham, Batman will frequently find himself outside city limits, facing situations that are both unfamiliar and exhilarating. With formidable foes around every corner, Batman will still rely on his stealth, resourcefulness and limitless supply of cool gadgets to bring justice home. (FIlmaffinity)
King Tut in prison clothes in Batman: The Brave and the Bold (Screenshot by the author)
Egyptomania narratives or motifs
The episode with Egyptomania content is Day of the Dark Knight! (S1xE4, 2009), directed by Ben Jones.
King Tut, one of Batman’s nemeses, first appeared in the TV series. Then, he was an antagonist in the comics and, as this episode shows, in the cartoon series. The character is named after his physical appearance, since he commits his crimes dressed up like a pharaoh.
In this episode King Tut only makes a cameo appearance, but it is exactly the fact that his presence on the screen lasts for only a few seconds that makes his appearance so remarkable. In this episode, he is just one of the many inmates who try to escape from prison. Nonetheless, and despite the fact that he is visible only for a moment (minute 4:28), he is immediately recognisable thanks to what he is wearing: a cloth headdress (that recalls the nemes, even if not striped, and the khat, that is decorated with a stylised scarab on the forehead) and a fake beard.
The fact that a character can be easily and instantly associated with ancient Egypt thanks to these two single garments is quite significant: this means that this specific headdress, as well as the symbolic beard, has become a distinctive emblem of the ancient Egyptian culture and people. It also indicates that this symbolism is recognizable to all ages, since The Brave and the Bold is a cartoon mainly intended for kids. Therefore, such apparel is perceived by all kinds of audiences – almost on a par with pyramids – as conventional symbols of ancient Egypt and, consequently, can be easily employed in entertainment products to create an immediate link to pharaonic times.
King Tut, one of Batman’s nemeses, first appeared in the TV series. Then, he was an antagonist in the comics and, as this episode shows, in the cartoon series. The character is named after his physical appearance, since he commits his crimes dressed up like a pharaoh.
In this episode King Tut only makes a cameo appearance, but it is exactly the fact that his presence on the screen lasts for only a few seconds that makes his appearance so remarkable. In this episode, he is just one of the many inmates who try to escape from prison. Nonetheless, and despite the fact that he is visible only for a moment (minute 4:28), he is immediately recognisable thanks to what he is wearing: a cloth headdress (that recalls the nemes, even if not striped, and the khat, that is decorated with a stylised scarab on the forehead) and a fake beard.
The fact that a character can be easily and instantly associated with ancient Egypt thanks to these two single garments is quite significant: this means that this specific headdress, as well as the symbolic beard, has become a distinctive emblem of the ancient Egyptian culture and people. It also indicates that this symbolism is recognizable to all ages, since The Brave and the Bold is a cartoon mainly intended for kids. Therefore, such apparel is perceived by all kinds of audiences – almost on a par with pyramids – as conventional symbols of ancient Egypt and, consequently, can be easily employed in entertainment products to create an immediate link to pharaonic times.
Author: Valentina Santini
Other information
Meltzer, E.S. 2021. The Survival of Ancient Egypt in Modern Culture: A Never-Ending Story, in Y. Barbash and K.M. Cooney (eds) The Afterlives of Egyptian History: Reuse and Reformulation of Objects, Places, and Texts in Honor of Edward Bleiberg: 25. Cairo: AUC Press.
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