| Static Shock | |
|---|---|
_logo.svg){kind=logo} | |
| Genre | Action-adventure[1] Comedy[1] Science fiction[1] Superhero[1] |
| Based on | Static byDwayne McDuffie Denys Cowan Michael Davis Derek T. Dingle Christopher Priest |
| Developed by | Christopher Simmons (season 2) |
| Voices of | |
| Theme music composer | |
| Opening theme | Theme (seasons 1–2) "Static Shock Superhero" Theme (seasons 3–4) |
| Composers | Stanley Clarke (season 1) Richard Wolf (seasons 2–3) Max Gousse (season 4) Derryck "Big Tank" Thornton (season 4) |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language | English |
| No. of seasons | 4 |
| No. of episodes | 52(list of episodes) |
| Production | |
| Executive producers | |
| Producers | |
| Editors | Joe Gall (seasons 2–4) Derrick Mitchell (season 3) |
| Running time | 22 minutes |
| Production companies | Warner Bros. Family Entertainment Warner Bros. Animation[a] |
| Original release | |
| Network | Kids' WB |
| Release | September 23, 2000 (2000-09-23) – May 22, 2004 (2004-05-22) |
| Related | |
Static Shock is an American animatedsuperhero television series based on theMilestone Media/DC Comics superheroStatic. It premiered on September 23, 2000, onthe WB Television Network'sKids' WBprogramming block.Static Shock ran for four seasons, with 52 half-hour episodes in total. The show revolves around Virgil Hawkins, a 14-year-old boy who uses thesecret identity of "Static" after exposure to amutagen gas during a gang fight which gave himelectromagnetic powers. It was the first time that an African-American superhero was the titular character of their own broadcast animation series.[b]
Static Shock was produced byWarner Bros. Animation from a crew composed mostly of people from the company's past shows, but also with the involvement of two of the comic's creators,Dwayne McDuffie andDenys Cowan.Static Shock had some alterations from the original comic book because it was oriented to a pre-teen audience. Although originally not intended to be part of theDC Animated Universe, it was incorporated into it in the second season.
The show approached several social issues, which was positively received by most television critics.Static Shock was nominated for numerous awards, including theDaytime Emmy. Some criticism was directed towards its humor and animation, which was said to be unnatural and outdated. The series also produced some related merchandise, which sold poorly; McDuffie cited the low sales as one of the main factors behind the series' cancellation. In spite of this, its popularity revived interest in the original Milestone comic and introduced McDuffie to the animation industry.
Virgil Hawkins is a 14-year-old boy who lives with his older sister Sharon and their widowed father Robert inDakota City. He attends high school with his best friend Richie Foley, and has a crush on a girl named Frieda. He also has a dispute with a bully named Francis Stone, nicknamed "F-Stop." A gang leader named Wade recently helped Virgil, hoping to recruit him, but Virgil is hesitant, as he knows his mother died in an exchange of gunfire between gangs. Wade eventually leads Virgil to a restricted area for a fight against F-Stop's crew, but it was interrupted by police helicopters. During the dispute with the police, chemical containers explode, releasing a gas that causes mutations among the people in the vicinity (this event was later known as the "Big Bang"). As a result, Virgil obtains the ability to create, generate, absorb, and control electricity and magnetism—he takes up the alter-ego of "Static". The gas also gives others in the area their own powers, and several of them become supervillains known as "Bang Babies".
The series was produced byWarner Bros. Animation based on theMilestone Media/DC Comics characterStatic.[4] Its supervising producer wasAlan Burnett, and Scott Jeralds was the main producer under executive producersJean MacCurdy andSander Schwartz.[4][5] The production team consisted mostly of people who were involved withBatman: The Animated Series andSuperman: The Animated Series, but also included Static's co-creatorDenys Cowan.[3] Although the show hired the comic series' co-creatorDwayne McDuffie as story editor and writer,[3] McDuffie had no direct involvement on the development ofStatic Shock.[6] The idea of aStatic series first emerged with DC's editor-in-chiefJenette Kahn during the time McDuffie was working for Milestone under Kahn.[7] In 1993, Kahn proposed to adapt some Milestone comics; Burnett was hired to write apilot episode for anX-Men-esque series with Milestone superheroes calledThe New Guard.[7][8] After attempts to produce several other Milestone projects,Static was eventually the series "they went for".[7] By the time Milestone and DC drafted their contract over DC distributing Milestone comics, the characters were from separate fictional universes.[6] However, whencrossovers betweenStatic Shock and other DC animated series were suggested, it was established that they were from the sameDC Animated Universe[9][10]—"rather than having to muck around with multiple dimensions, or whatever."[6]
Although McDuffie stressed that the show remains loyal to "the spirit and the tone" of the comic book,[11][12] some changes were done because of its timeslot and target audience of pre-teens.[3][6][13][c] For example, guns appeared less frequently, Richie is not explicitly portrayed as homosexual,[d] and he is Virgil's confidant instead of Frieda.[6] Virgil is also younger in the animated series,[13] his costumes and use of his powers are different from the original, and his mother is dead in the show despite the fact that she is alive in the comics.[3][6] The latter change was done because producers had the intention "to focus on a strong, complex relationship between an African-American father and son."[15] Nevertheless, McDuffie was concerned by the change because he originally intended to oppose the stereotype of black people not having a completenuclear family.[6] However, McDuffie said "that [it] worked out okay" as the crew could use the absence of Virgil's mother to create a "couple of great stories".[6] Virgil's father, Robert, "for all intents and purposes, is a new character", as he was reconceptualized as a social worker.[15] The same goes for Richie, who is described as an amalgam of different characters from the original comic.[15] For the villains, Hotstreak was reused from theStatic comics, Edwin Alva was brought from another Milestone's series—Hardware—, and the Meta-Breed was created for the series.[15]
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The third season saw some of the biggest changes; in addition to Richie's superpowers and a new opening, Static changed his costume.[16] Cowan stated that the change was done to give his clothes a "feel of the comic book",[17] while McDuffie said it represented a growth that Virgil was passing through.[18] This maturation made possible to "explore some of the darker places in his world," and to have more varied conflicts, as the villains have also become more mature. He described it is as "a natural outgrowth of all that, as is the new, more naturalistic look of the show."[18] This change followed the second-season premiere—"The Big Leagues"—when Static meetsBatman andRobin. Burnett said, "after that show, everybody went, 'Let's go in that direction.'"[19] WriterJohn Semper Jr. commented, "of course, I always lean toward the dramatic ... But the same old light-hearted Static spirit is still there."[20] Richie gains superpowers because it was becoming hard to fit him into the story and the producers wanted to keep the "chemistry" between voice actors Phil LaMarr and Jason Marsden.[6] There was also a positive response from children infocus groups so "[t]he answer seemed pretty obvious."[6]
The series' music director wasRichard Wolf,[21] while he, Stanley Clarke and Max Gousse were the composers, and Kennard Ramsey was the orchestrator.[22] For action sequences, Wolf wanted to use "real adrenaline-pumping beat" of 125 beats per minute; however,hip hop music usually only reached 110 beats. The predominant score waselectronica with hip hop-type andDMX-type vocals.R&B andold school hip hop melodies were also used depending on the scenes, and each character had a specific theme.[23] Wolf composed the opening theme for the first two seasons.[24] Starting from the third season, the show had a new opening theme, written byMaster P andLil' Romeo and performed by the latter.[16][25]
| Season | Episodes | Originally released | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| First released | Last released | Network | |||
| 1 | 13 | September 23, 2000 (2000-09-23) | May 12, 2001 (2001-05-12) | Kids' WB | |
| 2 | 11 | January 26, 2002 (2002-01-26) | May 4, 2002 (2002-05-04) | ||
| 3 | 15 | January 25, 2003 (2003-01-25) | June 21, 2003 (2003-06-21) | ||
| 4 | 13 | January 17, 2004 (2004-01-17) | May 22, 2004 (2004-05-22) | ||
Static Shock aired on theKids' WB programming block ofThe WB from September 23, 2000,[3] until May 22, 2004.[26][27] The first African American superhero–centered television series,[b] it ran a total of 52 episodes.[26][27] The series later premiered onCartoon Network, starting in December 2001,[28] and onDisney XD in February 2009.[29] The first six episodes were released to DVD on September 28, 2004, in a single volume entitled "The New Kid".[30][31] The complete first season was made available for download oniTunes on July 4, 2011.[32] In 2017, Warner Bros. started to releaseStatic Shock's complete seasons onmanufacture on demand DVDs as a part of theWarner Archive Collection.[33][34] The first season was published on March 28;[35] the second season on May 23;[36] the third on January 30, 2018;[37] and the fourth on April 13, 2018.[38][39] Starting in September 2018, all episodes of the series have been made available on theDC Universe digital streaming service.[40] The series began streaming onHBO Max sometime in 2021, but was removed from the service on January 1, 2025, thus making it one of two DCAU series currently not available on HBO Max (the other series beingThe Zeta Project). In addition, the entire series is available for digital purchase, either individually or in a complete series pack such as oniTunes.[41]
Static Shock's episodes handle different issues, includinggangs,gun violence,[3]homelessness,bullying,[42]racism,mental illness,[6]bigotry, anddrugs.[43] Other episodes also featured the subject ofHanukkah and Christmas celebrations.[3] The series was also marked by several crossover episodes with characters from the DC Animated Universe likeSuperman,Green Lantern, theJustice League, and theBatman Beyond cast.[3] Several episodes also featured guest voice actors, including basketballers (likeShaquille O'Neal andKarl Malone)[3][44] and musicians, such as theB2K group,[45] Romeo Miller, andAJ McLean.[3] Guest crew was also featured, including cartoonistRick Hoberg as storyboard artist,[46] andPaul Dini andJohn Ridley as writers.[19][47]
Static Shock was an extremely popular show, granting its new renewal for a second season just a month after its debut.[13] As of December 2000, it was the highest-rated preteen show (from 2 to 11 years old) among all networks on its timeslot, and the third highest on the Kids' WB! lineup.[13][48] From its debut to July 2003, the show secured the second post among boys aged 6 to 11 years.[49] Ratings increased after Richie Foley obtained superpowers; McDuffie affirmed that this is what secured the renewal for a new season.[6] Indeed, the show's third season was its most popular and was the second best-rated Saturday morning program among boys aged 6 to 11 years, and tweens and male tweens aged 9 to 14.[50] From February to April 2003, ratings regularly performed over the 4.0 stake among the public aged 9 to 14 years;[51] it even reached the 6.4 mark in May.[52]Static Shock's last season was only surpassed by the children'sanimePokémon, and the show's reruns on Cartoon Network were only surpassed by the adult animated sitcomFamily Guy.[6]Static Shock was the only program on Cartoon Network to be among the top 30 most watched kids shows in a week of October 2004.[53] It was also the best rated program of the channel among kids on a week of January 2005,[54] and the best rated show on Cartoon Network's Miguzi block as of March 2005.[55] For the 2004–05 season, it was the 18th most watched Saturday morning children's show of all networks.[56]Static Shock was ultimately cancelled due to the low production of merchandise.[6]
Static Shock's episode "The Big Leagues" earned director Dave Chlystek a nomination for Outstanding Achievement for Directing in an Animated Television Production at the 2002Annie Awards.[57] This episode was also nominated for aGolden Reel Award for Best Sound Editing in Television Animation in 2003.[58] That same year, McDuffie and Burnett were awarded theHumanitas Prize in the Children's Animation Category for the episode "Jimmy".[59][60] At the30th Daytime Emmy Awards in 2003, the show was nominated for Special Class Animated Program and Richard Wolf was nominated for Achievement in Music Direction and Composition.[21] At the31st Daytime Emmy Awards in 2004, both the animated series and Wolf were again nominated for the same categories—this time, Wolf won the award.[5][61]
The review aggregatorRotten Tomatoes only provides an average score for the series' first season; it reports a 75% approval rating based on eight reviews.[64] Leonard Pierce ofThe A.V. Club described it as "a surprising and sometimes rewarding success".[10] October 2001 issue ofWizard listed the 100 best cartoon shows ever as selected by their readers, withStatic Shock ranked at number 88.[65] Jonathon Dornbush, in a 2014Entertainment Weekly article, included it among the nine best comics-based animated TV series. He asserted, "Static Shock didn't have quite the name recognition of its DC brethren when it debuted, but the show proved it could stand alongside the greats."[66]Charlie Jane Anders, forio9, ranked it 91st on a list of the best science fiction and fantasy shows; she commented, "amidst a glut of superhero cartoons, this is one of the most memorable."[67]
InThe Superhero Book,Andy Mangels praisedStatic Shock's multicultural approach,[3] while Emily Ashby fromCommon Sense Media lauded it for encouraging diversity.[9] Mangels declared that "Static Shock provides solid superheroic entertainment and a role model and promotion of diversity for not only African-American viewers, but for audiences of all colors and ages."[3] Writing forEntertainment Weekly, Monique Jones praised the series for a positive depiction not only of an African American superhero but of an African country—Ghana.[68] Jones also commended how the series incorporated social issues in "an easily digestible" way without having to "sugarcoat" them.[68] Lynne Heffley ofLos Angeles Times commented it "isn't your typical Saturday-morning cartoon series", praising its themes and electing the episode "Jimmy"—about gun violence—as an example.[42] Evan Levine, writing forRome News-Tribune, asserted that "the series is at its best when it confronts issues actually facing kids."[69]
Jones commended Virgil's portrayal as an everyman teenager,[68] while Ashby appreciated Virgil's "relatable" character.[9] Colby Lanham ofComic Book Resources said Virgil "was perhaps the most human of many superheroes on television at the time" and considered the series was canceled too soon.[70] Ashby was also positive to the fact that Virgil usually counted on dialogues before going into action;[9] this action was also praised by John Sinnott ofDVD Talk, who said it is "something that most animated heroes never think to do."[30] Ashby also applauded Virgil's "surprising depth of character" to not follow a gang but to use his powers for good.[9]
While Levine praised "its bright, cartoony visuals [that] are a notch above those of many other animated series,"[69] Sinnott considered some of the animation to be "a little stilted."[30] Sinnott called it "a fun series overall", but considered some jokes to be "a little stale".[30] Neil Dorsett ofDVD Verdict was generally disappointed; he called voice acting "very standard", and said that "artwork and animation are also both behind the times".[31] Dorsett also criticized Virgil'sone-lines, which "invites, like many other elements of the series, comparison to Spider-Man."[31] He, however, pondered that his opinion may come from a bad first impression: "Although there are lots of things to nitpick about the show, there's not really anything wrong with it."[31] Both Sinnott and Dorsett compared it unfavorably to the original comic book.[30][31]
Entertainment Weekly'sKen Tucker questioned why The WB made a TV show based on a cancelled, poorly-sold comic and criticized the "uttering tired, condescending lines" professed by Virgil.[71] Nancy Imperiale Wellons from theOrlando Sentinel said "Virgil has a believable relationship with his family -- including a strong father figure -- but the show's pacing lags."[72] Paul Schultz wrote for theNew York Daily News that "Many of the characters -- the conservative, the annoying sister -- are cliches."[73] Thelma Adams criticized the show in theNew York Post; first she called it "formulaic but appealing" and ultimately dubbed it "lame".[74]
The show's popularity led to new demand for Milestone's Static comics: the first four issues of it were reissued asStatic Shock: Trial by Fire in 2000 and aminiseries,Static Shock!: Rebirth of the Cool, was released between January and September 2001.[13][75][76] It also led to the production of an unreleased video game, toys, and books. In May 2003,Midway Games announced the production of aplatform game based on the show for theGame Boy Advance.[77][78] Although it was displayed at theElectronic Entertainment Expo,[78] the game was later cancelled.[79] For a period starting on July 4, 2004,Subway Restaurants released a series of toys based on the TV series to be offered in the United States and Canada.[80] On September 1, 2004,Scholastic Corporation published two tie-in children's books written byTracey West.[81][82]
McDuffie's work onStatic Shock placed him in the circles of animated series, and he became a writer and producer for shows likeJustice League,Teen Titans,Justice League Unlimited, andBen 10: Alien Force.[83][84] McDuffie was responsible for diversifying the DC animated universe's Justice League by including black and female characters.[83][84] Moreover,Arie Kaplan credits McDuffie and his co-writers for giving "a depth and complexity" the group was lacking since the 1970s.[84] A future, older version of Virgil appeared in theJustice League Unlimited episode "The Once and Future Thing, Part 2: Time, Warped" in January 2005.[6][85]
As part of the DC Animated Universe, a compilation DVD was released on DVD on September 28, 2004.[86]
The Complete First Season was released on DVD on March 28, 2017.[87] The Complete Second Season was released on DVD on May 23, 2017.[88] The Complete Third Season was released on DVD on January 30, 2018.[89] The Complete Fourth Season was released on DVD on April 13, 2018.[90]
Fitzgerald, Toni (March 21, 2003)."'SpongeBob,' make room for 'Fear Factor'".Media Life Magazine. Archived fromthe original on October 8, 2013. RetrievedJune 29, 2015.
Fitzgerald, Toni (April 4, 2003)."Much of why 'Wanda's' hot".Media Life Magazine. Archived fromthe original on October 16, 2015. RetrievedJune 29, 2015.
Fitzgerald, Toni (April 14, 2003)."'Dragonball Z,' older kid on the block".Media Life Magazine. Archived fromthe original on October 16, 2015. RetrievedJune 29, 2015.
Fitzgerald, Toni (April 25, 2003)."Enduring story of 'The Ten Commandments'".Media Life Magazine. Archived fromthe original on October 16, 2015. RetrievedJune 29, 2015.
Quotations related toStatic Shock at Wikiquote
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