When Comics Turn Into Cartoons

I have always been wondering: if a comics book turns into a cartoon: which one would be better? Would they be exactly the same, or will one's success surpass the other?

Many cartoon shows are based on comic books, like Batman, Spiderman, Superman, Looney Toons..etc. In most of the cases, a comics book is created first, where the character creator draws a preliminary issue. If it is a market hit, the comics book goes on and is turned into a series. Later on, and as the series' popularity increases, the series is made into a cartoon show, usually for one season as a trial. A season in the US lasts for 26 episodes. If the first season is successful, then probably the show is turned into a movie and so on.



What concerns me is not the sequence by which comics are being turned into cartoon shows. I am really interested in the differences and similarities between the show and the comic. Can the cartoon show deviate from the comic? Are there limits for the cartoon show writers? Definitely, the show's producers do not want to produce a cartoon that is a replica of the comic. If the cartoon show does not offer something new, then children will probably be satisfied with the comic.
I believe that both the show and the comic have to adhere to certain guidelines; the most important thing is to stick to the characters' personalities. It would be very annoying or disturbing for the child if he reads about Batman's noble characteristics in the comic, but finds him seducing Cat woman in the show. I believe that if this contradiction between the show and the comic takes place, both the comics and the show may lose their audiences. So, the story outline and the basic traits of each character should not change when turning the comics into a cartoon show.



Another thing is of course the history of the character. Batman for example has a certain life event that made him turn into a "Batman". His parents died and that was his motive to fight crime. If we see something different – even if not opposite or contradictory to that- in the cartoon show, this will make the cartoon lose its credibility more than the comic. Printed material is more credible, but may be the opposite takes place but I believe that the cartoon show remains less powerful than the comic, especially to more adult audiences. If the cartoon show precedes the comic (i.e. comic is based on a cartoon show that appeared first), then this is a different case.

What can change, then, from the comic to the cartoon? I believe that a successful comic-based cartoon show should try to opn up opportunities, by seeing which parts of the characters' lives may have been ignored from the hero's life and shed light on it. Here's the challenge: you must be innovative but keep the overall outline the same. It's very hard for the cartoon show's authors to come up with something that the comic author did not think of. A solution, I believe, is that both the show's authors and the comics' authors sit together every now and then and plan for the cartoon and the comic so that both complement each other.