It’s great that Arleen Sorkin lived long enough to see the character she embodied, defined, and literally inspired become the incredible success, and that every interpretation and performance will be informed by her. A legacy well deserved; may she live on forever in her work.
Arleen’s performance in Mad Love is so amazing in particular, although see was always amazing, she did a great job not only distinguishing Harleen’s voice from Harley but also capturing the tragic denial that made the story so heartbreaking.
Arleen brought such a vibrant, joyful energy to such a wonderful character like Harley and brought a perfect level of silliness, whimsical and yet emotional personality to such a role, that to this day I still hear her voice whenever I read comics about the character and voice actors for Harley Quinn today like Tara Strong, Hynden Walch, Kayley Cucco all honour her in some way and are inspired by Arleen's incredible and impactful performance. To me she was the definitive voice of Harley Quinn whenever I read comics in her voice, so hearing that she passed away at the age of 67 no less, is nothing short of a tragedy especially since she inspired the creation of Harley Quinn to begin with. Hopefully, she's resting well with Kevin Conroy. Rest in Peace Arleen Sorkin *"It is to laugh, huh Mr. J"*
@@SerumLake I am the webmaster of one of the first Harley websites (Harley Quinn’s Heaven), launched in 1999. To say I’m gutted about Arleen’s passing would be an understatement. This was a lovely piece you put together.
@@PhillyPeroxide I just wish it could’ve been different circumstances to led to this video being made. Such a shame. By all accounts she was a wonderful person.
Rest in peace Arleen Sorkin, you will forever be missed. It is quite sad, we never expected this. Thank you for giving us Harley Quinn, the woman who drives us wild. Just like the beautiful black and red jumpsuit, not only does she give us class, but also style. But now it is time to put the circus act to rest, you were amazing and you always gave your best. No more joker, no more tricks, no more craziness that would make you tick. Even though you're in heaven with bats still on the run, for us down here, the show's over, it's now done. So now I say, farewell Arleen Sorkin, thank you for the fun 😔😭
This week has been very depressing. I still can't believe Arleen is gone. It just hasn't completely sunk in yet. I loved Harley Quinn. She may have been a villain but she was so sweet and fun I just could not bring myself to hate her. Arleen was absolutely fantastic as Harley and I wish she could have reprise her role one more time. Now that will never happpen. RIP Arleen. Thanks for the laughs.
The women of Gotham inspired me as a little girl, but no one more so than Harley Quinn. She was smart, funny, and could stand on her own without the Joker. While I'm sad I never got the opportunity to meet another of my role models, I hope Arleen rests in peace.
I think Harley and Joker are the two best characters that Batman the Animated series had! Mark Hamill and Arleen Sorkin did great voice work on those two. Tara Strong was close.
I’m really going to miss Arleen Sorkin The voice of Harley, Quinn and I’m gonna miss Kevin Conroy, the voice of Batman in Batman, the animated series they are great voice actors
2:38 - 2:52/ A slight correction on the adult connotations of the subpoena joke.... I seem to recall Bullock previously seeing Harleen in her debut episode JOKER'S FAVOR. He tried to get fresh with her as she pulled the fake cake. Since he jokes about having her read him his rights, the baton to his leg was the subpoena being served! Thus, Quinn mentioning Bullock being served a "small subpoena" was really a nod to reading him his rights...😂❤
Not only the voice but she was the inspiration of Harley Quinn herself :C First we lose Kevin and now Arleen? Jesus this year and last year suck as we lost BTAS Batman and Harley freaking Quinn.
Beautifully done, SL. I wish we got more of Arleen's performances as Harley became a more independent character, breaking her "Mad Love" addiction to her abusive relationship (which is mostly outside the Timm-verse anyway, B&HL movie aside). But I'm very grateful that Arleen could leave us this very rich legacy. Arleen is certainly beloved, yet somehow still underrated. Your tribute corrects that very ably, showing just how much we owe to this late talented woman.
Appreciate the pages featuring Arleen at 1:06 from Paul Dini's 'Dark Night' graphic novel - she sounds like a real true friend, on top of everything else.
Arleen Sorkin as Harley Quinn was the very first comic book character I remember seeing in my life at the age of barely five as she was the very first character introduced in the World's Finest movie (other than the shop owner they rob). I can hardly begin to comprehend that we lost Kevin not too long ago and now we've lost another legend. Many people played Harley Quinn since Arleen like Tara Strong, Margot Robbie, Kaley Cuoco (really like the Harley Quinn show although the comedy I think has become a bit too repetitive and a bit predictable but I don't terribly like Kaley's voice for the character) and Hynden Walch who is my personal second favourite after Arleen but Arleen IS Harley Quinn and always will be. I basically grew up always with Arleen's voice always close by and similar with Kevin now that she's gone it's like a part of me has died too. May she rest in peace.
Wow, just heard the news. I can't believe it, damn. Everything said in this video too that was spot-on because not only was she very much a staple of the character but an novative one considering she was a big part of the DCAU & even introduced her way into the source material of the comics. She'll never be forgotten for those of us that remember as an awesomepart of our childhoods, may she rest comfortably well in a space in heaven. 🙏🏾 *#RIP*
I bawled for a week. Harley is my favorite comic character… I grew up with the DCAU and mourn Arleen for making my toxic childhood a little better. Rip 🪦
Geez, it hasn't even been a whole year since we lost Kevin Conroy. Now this? Well thanks a lot Ms. Sorkin for your contributions to BTAS, the DCAU and DC Comics in general (not to mention my childhood). Really like the way you ended the video. Totally agree that just like Mel Blanc will always be the definitive voice of Bugs Bunny and Kevin will always be THE voice of Batman, Arleen will always be THE voice of Harley Quinn. RIP to all three of them.
So... Those of us who were 10 years old when BTAS debuted - and who had the mixed blessing of living in North America at the time - will probably have first fallen for Arleen Sorkin in 1990, as Dave Coulier's (yes, _that_ Dave Coulier) co-host on the original _So You Think You're Funny,_ which was called _America's Funniest People._ (And if anyone out there caught AFP following _America's Funniest Home Videos_ and thought AFP was the superior show, then you're _my people._ ) I only found out years after BTAS was cancelled that Arleen Sorkin had voiced Harley Quinn. But when I did, it made so much sense. Arleen was perhaps the final American actress to have professionally embraced that glorious traditional East Coast urban accent. (The previous example being Annie Potts as Janine Melnitz.) Arleen's magnificent vocal performance made such an impression on me that on a recent trip home to small-town Canada, I discovered an old school journal that contained my faithful (memorized) transcription of her poem to Commissioner Gordon from her first BTAS appearance: _Here's to Gotham's Commissioner G:_ _You lock up the weirdos, the crooks and the geeks,_ _You're a hero to all the boys in blue,_ _But this time, baby, the joke's on you!_
It's fitting that Harley became the fourth pillar. Obviously it was because of sales, but she represents what heroes like Supes and Batsy stand for: Rehabilitation. Harley shows that going bad isn't a one-way street. You can always make up for past wrongs and become better.
I just rewatched the Mad Love episode for a comparison review between it and the original 1993 comic it was adapted from. I have been working on the video script for the entire Sunday from when I woke up to the news and I'm dumbfounded on how you over 1K sub youtubers manage to get your videos out this fast while I'm still laying the foundation for my tribute to Arleen Sorkin's impact to Batman's lore as the OG Harley.
I already had a bunch of mental notes about Harley Quinn, but I didn’t plan on making a video any time soon. I found myself wandering around in a bit of a haze today, so when I got home I sat down and worked on the video for a good 10 hours straight. I’m not entirely convinced that it’s actually a good video, but it captures my feelings right now. Make sure to let me know when your video goes live and I’ll check it out!
There are some parts missing from the original book also, my older sister met Paul Dini at a convention years ago, she talked to him about Batman related stuff because she knew I liked Batman and wanted to tell me about that stuff when she got home She talked to him about the Mad Love comic, and Paul told her that there was supposed to be a flashback that showed Harley's childhood, showing her living in Brooklyn, New York, with her dad who constantly got arrested, her mom who was continuously depressed and Harley had a younger brother who she was very protective of due to the rough neighborhood they lived in And, when Batman was talking about Harley's teenage years on the bat computer, gymnastics wasn't the only sport Harley did in high school, my older sister told me that Paul told her that Harley was also on her high school football team despite being a girl, it was supposed to have a little image of Harley wearing a helmet and a football jersey (her jersey number was 69 apparently) with shoulder pads underneath running while holding a football, that was added to make Harley seem like she was a Powerhouse woman, but apparently it was scrapped because girls playing on high school football teams in TV shows or books or movies was considered "taboo" or "non-traditional" back then
@@FanaticMitchell1 Girls playing on high school football teams is still non-traditional. It almost never happens. They invented powderpuff sports for that very reason. Is Mad Love the comic book where they say Harley screwed her professors to graduate college and screwed the elderly warden of Arkham for her job there? That writing definitely wouldn't fly today.
@@Elfenlied8675309 Yeah, I live in the southern area of Louisiana and is actually kind of common, especially nowadays, for girls to be playing on the high school football teams, my older sister actually played on her High School football team (the only reason she did it was for extra-curricular on her grades)
RIP Arleen, I first saw her on the soap Days of Our Lives. When I was young I was laid up and watching my mom's favorite soap, Days, She got into funny situations, classic Harley. Then I recognized her voice as Harley and was intrigued. She is Harley Quinn
This was a really great video, although I kind of wish you mentioned how Harley was portrayed in Batman and Harley Quinn from 2017, i was so devastated when I heard that Arleen died yesterday It really breaks my heart, Harley Quinn is my all-time favorite fictional character and the original version of her is my favorite version of her, so this is really heartbreaking I was hoping I could meet her at a convention before her passing would happen, I even talked to the people who run the Louisiana Comic-Con in Lafayette to see if they would be able to try to get her, I brought it up to them back in March of this year and was hoping they would work something out March 2024, but now...... I guess all I can say is thank you, Arleen
Like Mad Love, Batman and Harley Quinn deserves its own video. I remember hearing Arleen on the Batman the Animated Podcast a few years ago, and she seemed to be in ill health even then. Still very smart and quick witted, but she sounded a little sickly. I really hope she didn’t suffer.
@@SerumLake I heard that apparently, she had lung cancer Just like with Kevin, I wanted to meet her in person at a convention, my older sister got to meet Paul Dini at a convention years ago
I loved Arleen as Harley Quinn. And in _America's Funniest People._ (Although I never saw her on _Days of Our Lives._ ) Your story reminds me of my wanting to see the singer Lhasa de Sela in 2009, following the release of her self-titled album. I waited and waited for the tour schedule to be announced. Then I found out she had postponed it for _health issues._ Then the singer-songwriter Patrick Watson announced her passing, in the middle of a blizzard, on 1 January 2010. th-cam.com/video/7tb56N9mEt8/w-d-xo.html
@@SerumLake Update: weeks ago, I found out that Arleen had multiple sclerosis that she's been dealing with for years, it was one of the two reasons why she retired from acting in 2011
All the back to 1985 on Days of Our Lives I first saw Arleen Sorkin. Her character romance with John de Lancie's character Eugene was a bright spot. Arleen's voice acting for Harley Quinn will never be matched.
RIP Arleen Sorkin she literally owned the Harley Quinn character I had no idea that the days of our lives episode was the inspiration for the character 😅 RIP Arleen was a funny and you could also take seriously kind of person farewell my puddin 🕊🙏😇❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️
I think those boys who catcalled Harley are crazier than the Joker and Harley put together. They should honestly be put into Arkham Asylum themselves, there was a crime spree going around with the girl's faces on the front page of the Newspaper, what were they expecting her to do, take it in or just tell them to buzz off. No, she's going to fire a bazooka, if I was the driver I would've ran the red light at full speed and dodged the cops, I don't care, I'll take the ticket if it gets me a mile away from the two craziest psychopathic killers and robbers in the city.
Arleen Sorkin was perfect for the role of Harley Quinn, her character in BTAS and TNBA fun loving and hilarious. May Arleen Sorkin Rest In Peace and never be forgotten 😢🙏🙏
RIP and may it be said we all owe her such a debt. Yes, I watched BTAS from the first episode, and I LAUGHED so hard when a Harley Quinn showed up on screen. She filled a void in the Joker episodes the Moe, Curl, Lar and even Captain Clown were somehow missing.
Sorkin was inspired by Vivian Blaine who played adalade in guys and dolls . Sorkin listened to guys and dolls over and over while driving to the studio and exaggerated Vivian’s voice
You know for much of my childhood i always thogth the Harley Quinn was part of the ogrinal comic becuase she is such a symbol of the DC Universe when i was a kid. So i was surpried that i could nor find here in the olser comcs.
@@SerumLake I did. I wasn't a Batman animation watcher so I only knew her from bit parts and being the hot piece on AFV for a short stint before. So glad I saw this.
ive been watching a lot of your animated series character videos, and had no idea how much of the modern batman canon was decided by this series, which i unfortunately passed over a lot in my childhood in favour of the spiderman cartoon.
I loved the Harley and Ivy episode as a kid, even though my brothers hated it for being "too girly for Batman". A couple of years after the episode aired, I had my own first experience with catcalling. Much like in the episode, a convertible pulled up alongside me at a red light and a group of young men yelled obscene remarks at me ... except I was a 12-year-old girl on a bicycle and the remarks wouldn’t have been allowed on network television. In that moment, I wished for Harley and her cartoon bazooka. The older I get, the angrier I am that somebody thought that was okay to do to a literal child, and the more I enjoy the bazooka gag. Sometimes a bad guy really speaks to you.
Holy shit, I didn't think I could love Harley any more than I do, but that Dick joke lol. Even funnier since she said it to a detective. You can't convince me that wasn't ad libbed lol.
Sad to hear about Arleen Sorkin. I don't know about her being the voice of Harley Quinn. I'm old enough to remember her on the soap opera Days of Our Lives where she played Calliope, wife to husband Eugene (?) played by the wonderful actor John deLancie who is best known for playing Q on Star Trek. They were a wonderful comedic couple on the soap.
Im so late to the news i just found out. Damn we first lost batman now harley. R.I.P Arleen. You once said that whats nice about funeral is thay you put the fun. Thank you for the childhood memories
The “Mad Love” episode always haunted me. The comic seems to be waaaaay more violent, which I think makes the story better in that it hurts the audience more
Well the song say that we're sweethearts again was actually first preformed in 1946 as a novelty song by Virginia O'Brien. As for Harlequin she was originally a golden age character for DC primarily against the Golden age Green lantern they basically just change the spelling a little
Great video! One additional piece of info: the original Harlequin was a character from the commedia dell'arte en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harlequin He is a nimble servant and wears a suit multicoloured diamonds.
Fun fact I replaced it the Arkham trilogy 2 weeks ago now and I wonder why Harley sounded different from asylum to city then found Arleen was the og from the dcau and Tara was one of the modern day voices. One of her last time voicing Harley was asylum I’m very glad I found about her before her death rip Arleen
It is so sad to learn Arleen has passed, she is and will forever be the one true Harley Quinn. No offense to the other actors/voice actors, but I feel they all tend to try and do an impression of a Brooklyn ack’cent while Arleen just does a natural one and can do more range/personality in what the character says Also on the design side of the character, and as an artist, the og design helped me sorta learn the difference between making a sexy design vs one that’s trying too hard to be horny. All the other outfits I feel try to hard in a lot of ways while the original one natural is, and it is literally her covered completely head to toe
😷Our Jewish friend (who actively writes fic of the DC universe) had always loved and appreciated Arleen Sorkin for influencing/inspiring Harley in terms of her Jewish identity. It's a small thing, but it goes to show how even the smallest details can mean the world to even just one person. (As a system we definitely relate.) Thank you Arleen, you've inspired lord knows how many people, and we're sure you'll keep doing that for generations to come.
@@zemox2534i have a weird feeling its purely because they dislike the Ivy/Quinn relationship and they rather have her being horribly abused than her being a happy lesbian.
She will be sorely missed. And I just found out also that she was married to doc brown! And now for some odd reason I have it in my head I want to see Christopher Lloyd play Hugo strange? Or have him play in the 66 version the scarecrow Seriously that somehow is weird that that's popping into my head. And now I have popping my head Mr. 0 firing his freeze ray at the scarecrow and then when the scarecrow gets thawed out he says" I was frozen today" and now I'm wondering how Arlene reacted to hearing that on set because odds are she was at least on set Suburban commando?
@@jrcarter9175 I heard her joke that two biggest misconceptions about her were that she was related to Aaron Sorkin and that she was married to the actor Christopher Lloyd. At least she had a good sense of humour about it 😂
Arleen Sorkin was amazing as Harley Quinn and now she's gone. I'm gonna miss her. At least voice actors like Tara Strong also did a good job as Harley Quinn.😥😊
With how Harley Quinn has become popular as a character (for better, or worse) I find it heartbreaking how most modern Harley Fans don't even know who Arleen Sorkin was. Paul Dini and Arleen Sorkin were practically Harley Quinn's "parents", with how they were both the reason the character even exists in the first place. Arleen was more than just a voice actress: She was the Heart & Soul of the character (and every actress portraying the character after are trying to emulate that soul, whether they realize it or not.) (sometimes I wish there were more tributes in-universe, like Harley going by the alias of "Doctor Sorkin", but that is just me.)
By the way, the man who played her love interest on Days was John De Lancie who went on to play Q on Star Trek : The Next Generation Imagine those two together!!!
DC did her dirty. Her HQ was Joan Rivers level funny, a poster girl for abusive relationships, and a scene stealer. Arkham Asylum was the last time HQ was truly HQ.
Ah, if only I were more exposed with her live action television repertoire. Alas, I was a young 'un who didn't have said repertoire on our cables, and even then, a lot of older live action shows of the past appear to have quite easily dated... think Battlestar Galactica 1978
It’s great that Arleen Sorkin lived long enough to see the character she embodied, defined, and literally inspired become the incredible success, and that every interpretation and performance will be informed by her. A legacy well deserved; may she live on forever in her work.
Rip Arleen Sorkin, you will be missed
She will ALWAYS remain the best Harley Quinn
Yes, but Margot Robbie is great too!
Arleen’s performance in Mad Love is so amazing in particular, although see was always amazing, she did a great job not only distinguishing Harleen’s voice from Harley but also capturing the tragic denial that made the story so heartbreaking.
"My Fault.... I didn't Get the Joke...."
RIP the only and one voice of Harley Quinn:(
Great great show 👏👏
“it’s my fault. i didn’t get the joke.” makes me bawl my eyes out every time.
Arleen brought such a vibrant, joyful energy to such a wonderful character like Harley and brought a perfect level of silliness, whimsical and yet emotional personality to such a role, that to this day I still hear her voice whenever I read comics about the character and voice actors for Harley Quinn today like Tara Strong, Hynden Walch, Kayley Cucco all honour her in some way and are inspired by Arleen's incredible and impactful performance. To me she was the definitive voice of Harley Quinn whenever I read comics in her voice, so hearing that she passed away at the age of 67 no less, is nothing short of a tragedy especially since she inspired the creation of Harley Quinn to begin with. Hopefully, she's resting well with Kevin Conroy.
Rest in Peace Arleen Sorkin
*"It is to laugh, huh Mr. J"*
That is so true. Plus I love that you added Harley Quinn's quote at the end.👍
Thank you for this lovely tribute to Arleen.
You’re welcome!
@@SerumLake I am the webmaster of one of the first Harley websites (Harley Quinn’s Heaven), launched in 1999. To say I’m gutted about Arleen’s passing would be an understatement. This was a lovely piece you put together.
@@PhillyPeroxide I just wish it could’ve been different circumstances to led to this video being made. Such a shame. By all accounts she was a wonderful person.
Rest in peace Arleen Sorkin, you will forever be missed. It is quite sad, we never expected this. Thank you for giving us Harley Quinn, the woman who drives us wild. Just like the beautiful black and red jumpsuit, not only does she give us class, but also style. But now it is time to put the circus act to rest, you were amazing and you always gave your best. No more joker, no more tricks, no more craziness that would make you tick. Even though you're in heaven with bats still on the run, for us down here, the show's over, it's now done. So now I say, farewell Arleen Sorkin, thank you for the fun 😔😭
This week has been very depressing. I still can't believe Arleen is gone. It just hasn't completely sunk in yet.
I loved Harley Quinn. She may have been a villain but she was so sweet and fun I just could not bring myself to hate her. Arleen was absolutely fantastic as Harley and I wish she could have reprise her role one more time. Now that will never happpen. RIP Arleen. Thanks for the laughs.
The women of Gotham inspired me as a little girl, but no one more so than Harley Quinn. She was smart, funny, and could stand on her own without the Joker. While I'm sad I never got the opportunity to meet another of my role models, I hope Arleen rests in peace.
I think Harley and Joker are the two best characters that Batman the Animated series had! Mark Hamill and Arleen Sorkin did great voice work on those two. Tara Strong was close.
Heck yeah!
@@rainbowtoyfunrandomess1982 I think Hynden Walch deserves more praise, she sounds like a younger Sorkin. Tara I'm not sure is as natural as Hynden??
I’m really going to miss Arleen Sorkin The voice of Harley, Quinn and I’m gonna miss Kevin Conroy, the voice of Batman in Batman, the animated series they are great voice actors
😥😥😥😥😥😥😥
RIP Arleen, and thank you for everything
2:38 - 2:52/ A slight correction on the adult connotations of the subpoena joke....
I seem to recall Bullock previously seeing Harleen in her debut episode JOKER'S FAVOR. He tried to get fresh with her as she pulled the fake cake. Since he jokes about having her read him his rights, the baton to his leg was the subpoena being served!
Thus, Quinn mentioning Bullock being served a "small subpoena" was really a nod to reading him his rights...😂❤
Not only the voice but she was the inspiration of Harley Quinn herself :C First we lose Kevin and now Arleen? Jesus this year and last year suck as we lost BTAS Batman and Harley freaking Quinn.
Beautifully done, SL. I wish we got more of Arleen's performances as Harley became a more independent character, breaking her "Mad Love" addiction to her abusive relationship (which is mostly outside the Timm-verse anyway, B&HL movie aside). But I'm very grateful that Arleen could leave us this very rich legacy. Arleen is certainly beloved, yet somehow still underrated. Your tribute corrects that very ably, showing just how much we owe to this late talented woman.
"Guys like you shouldn't have bad days. "
RIP Arleen. I will always hear your voice whenever I read Harley in the comics. Yes. Kevin was Batman. You are Harley.
Appreciate the pages featuring Arleen at 1:06 from Paul Dini's 'Dark Night' graphic novel - she sounds like a real true friend, on top of everything else.
Arleen Sorkin as Harley Quinn was the very first comic book character I remember seeing in my life at the age of barely five as she was the very first character introduced in the World's Finest movie (other than the shop owner they rob). I can hardly begin to comprehend that we lost Kevin not too long ago and now we've lost another legend. Many people played Harley Quinn since Arleen like Tara Strong, Margot Robbie, Kaley Cuoco (really like the Harley Quinn show although the comedy I think has become a bit too repetitive and a bit predictable but I don't terribly like Kaley's voice for the character) and Hynden Walch who is my personal second favourite after Arleen but Arleen IS Harley Quinn and always will be. I basically grew up always with Arleen's voice always close by and similar with Kevin now that she's gone it's like a part of me has died too. May she rest in peace.
Wow, just heard the news. I can't believe it, damn. Everything said in this video too that was spot-on because not only was she very much a staple of the character but an novative one considering she was a big part of the DCAU & even introduced her way into the source material of the comics. She'll never be forgotten for those of us that remember as an awesomepart of our childhoods, may she rest comfortably well in a space in heaven. 🙏🏾 *#RIP*
I bawled for a week. Harley is my favorite comic character… I grew up with the DCAU and mourn Arleen for making my toxic childhood a little better. Rip 🪦
Rest in peace to a queen of entertainment she will be missed ❤️❤️
Geez, it hasn't even been a whole year since we lost Kevin Conroy. Now this? Well thanks a lot Ms. Sorkin for your contributions to BTAS, the DCAU and DC Comics in general (not to mention my childhood). Really like the way you ended the video. Totally agree that just like Mel Blanc will always be the definitive voice of Bugs Bunny and Kevin will always be THE voice of Batman, Arleen will always be THE voice of Harley Quinn. RIP to all three of them.
Thank you for laughs, cry’s and amazing chunk of my childhood you helped shape with your characters! Rest in peace Arleen. ❤️♦️🃏
So... Those of us who were 10 years old when BTAS debuted - and who had the mixed blessing of living in North America at the time - will probably have first fallen for Arleen Sorkin in 1990, as Dave Coulier's (yes, _that_ Dave Coulier) co-host on the original _So You Think You're Funny,_ which was called _America's Funniest People._
(And if anyone out there caught AFP following _America's Funniest Home Videos_ and thought AFP was the superior show, then you're _my people._ )
I only found out years after BTAS was cancelled that Arleen Sorkin had voiced Harley Quinn. But when I did, it made so much sense. Arleen was perhaps the final American actress to have professionally embraced that glorious traditional East Coast urban accent. (The previous example being Annie Potts as Janine Melnitz.)
Arleen's magnificent vocal performance made such an impression on me that on a recent trip home to small-town Canada, I discovered an old school journal that contained my faithful (memorized) transcription of her poem to Commissioner Gordon from her first BTAS appearance:
_Here's to Gotham's Commissioner G:_
_You lock up the weirdos, the crooks and the geeks,_
_You're a hero to all the boys in blue,_
_But this time, baby, the joke's on you!_
It's fitting that Harley became the fourth pillar. Obviously it was because of sales, but she represents what heroes like Supes and Batsy stand for: Rehabilitation. Harley shows that going bad isn't a one-way street. You can always make up for past wrongs and become better.
I just rewatched the Mad Love episode for a comparison review between it and the original 1993 comic it was adapted from. I have been working on the video script for the entire Sunday from when I woke up to the news and I'm dumbfounded on how you over 1K sub youtubers manage to get your videos out this fast while I'm still laying the foundation for my tribute to Arleen Sorkin's impact to Batman's lore as the OG Harley.
I already had a bunch of mental notes about Harley Quinn, but I didn’t plan on making a video any time soon. I found myself wandering around in a bit of a haze today, so when I got home I sat down and worked on the video for a good 10 hours straight. I’m not entirely convinced that it’s actually a good video, but it captures my feelings right now.
Make sure to let me know when your video goes live and I’ll check it out!
There are some parts missing from the original book also, my older sister met Paul Dini at a convention years ago, she talked to him about Batman related stuff because she knew I liked Batman and wanted to tell me about that stuff when she got home
She talked to him about the Mad Love comic, and Paul told her that there was supposed to be a flashback that showed Harley's childhood, showing her living in Brooklyn, New York, with her dad who constantly got arrested, her mom who was continuously depressed and Harley had a younger brother who she was very protective of due to the rough neighborhood they lived in
And, when Batman was talking about Harley's teenage years on the bat computer, gymnastics wasn't the only sport Harley did in high school, my older sister told me that Paul told her that Harley was also on her high school football team despite being a girl, it was supposed to have a little image of Harley wearing a helmet and a football jersey (her jersey number was 69 apparently) with shoulder pads underneath running while holding a football, that was added to make Harley seem like she was a Powerhouse woman, but apparently it was scrapped because girls playing on high school football teams in TV shows or books or movies was considered "taboo" or "non-traditional" back then
@@FanaticMitchell1 Girls playing on high school football teams is still non-traditional. It almost never happens. They invented powderpuff sports for that very reason. Is Mad Love the comic book where they say Harley screwed her professors to graduate college and screwed the elderly warden of Arkham for her job there? That writing definitely wouldn't fly today.
@@Elfenlied8675309 Yeah, I live in the southern area of Louisiana and is actually kind of common, especially nowadays, for girls to be playing on the high school football teams, my older sister actually played on her High School football team (the only reason she did it was for extra-curricular on her grades)
@@Elfenlied8675309She did indeed seduce her teacher.
RIP Arleen, I first saw her on the soap Days of Our Lives. When I was young I was laid up and watching my mom's favorite soap, Days, She got into funny situations, classic Harley. Then I recognized her voice as Harley and was intrigued. She is Harley Quinn
This was a really great video, although I kind of wish you mentioned how Harley was portrayed in Batman and Harley Quinn from 2017, i was so devastated when I heard that Arleen died yesterday
It really breaks my heart, Harley Quinn is my all-time favorite fictional character and the original version of her is my favorite version of her, so this is really heartbreaking
I was hoping I could meet her at a convention before her passing would happen, I even talked to the people who run the Louisiana Comic-Con in Lafayette to see if they would be able to try to get her, I brought it up to them back in March of this year and was hoping they would work something out March 2024, but now......
I guess all I can say is thank you, Arleen
Like Mad Love, Batman and Harley Quinn deserves its own video.
I remember hearing Arleen on the Batman the Animated Podcast a few years ago, and she seemed to be in ill health even then. Still very smart and quick witted, but she sounded a little sickly.
I really hope she didn’t suffer.
@@SerumLake I heard that apparently, she had lung cancer
Just like with Kevin, I wanted to meet her in person at a convention, my older sister got to meet Paul Dini at a convention years ago
I loved Arleen as Harley Quinn. And in _America's Funniest People._ (Although I never saw her on _Days of Our Lives._ )
Your story reminds me of my wanting to see the singer Lhasa de Sela in 2009, following the release of her self-titled album. I waited and waited for the tour schedule to be announced. Then I found out she had postponed it for _health issues._ Then the singer-songwriter Patrick Watson announced her passing, in the middle of a blizzard, on 1 January 2010.
th-cam.com/video/7tb56N9mEt8/w-d-xo.html
@@SerumLake Update: weeks ago, I found out that Arleen had multiple sclerosis that she's been dealing with for years, it was one of the two reasons why she retired from acting in 2011
Arleen was such a beautiful individual
I always liked that episode Harleys Holiday that was my favourite episode
She looked so cute without the mask with her pigtails
All the back to 1985 on Days of Our Lives I first saw Arleen Sorkin. Her character romance with John de Lancie's character Eugene was a bright spot. Arleen's voice acting for Harley Quinn will never be matched.
Wow only 67 you will be missed Arleen sorkin you and your performance will never be forgotten
RIP Kevin Conroy and Arleen Sorkin 😢😭
RIP Arleen Sorkin she literally owned the Harley Quinn character I had no idea that the days of our lives episode was the inspiration for the character 😅 RIP Arleen was a funny and you could also take seriously kind of person farewell my puddin 🕊🙏😇❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️
I think those boys who catcalled Harley are crazier than the Joker and Harley put together. They should honestly be put into Arkham Asylum themselves, there was a crime spree going around with the girl's faces on the front page of the Newspaper, what were they expecting her to do, take it in or just tell them to buzz off. No, she's going to fire a bazooka, if I was the driver I would've ran the red light at full speed and dodged the cops, I don't care, I'll take the ticket if it gets me a mile away from the two craziest psychopathic killers and robbers in the city.
Thank you for this fantastic tribute. I'm glad I was able to witness this character become an instant sensation.
She was the best harley in terms of character and voice! I wish the writers didnt get lazy with her writing after arleen retired
Arleen Sorkin was perfect for the role of Harley Quinn, her character in BTAS and TNBA fun loving and hilarious. May Arleen Sorkin Rest In Peace and never be forgotten 😢🙏🙏
RIP, love. i was totally obsessed with that first rendition of harley, from the voice, to the lines, to the personality.
She was very supportive of my voiceover career. Beautiful beautiful lady.
I'm very glad to hear that. I have watched your videos with Andrea Romano, Diane Pershing, and Bobby Costanzo, really good stuff.
RIP and may it be said we all owe her such a debt. Yes, I watched BTAS from the first episode, and I LAUGHED so hard when a Harley Quinn showed up on screen. She filled a void in the Joker episodes the Moe, Curl, Lar and even Captain Clown were somehow missing.
Sorkin was inspired by Vivian Blaine who played adalade in guys and dolls . Sorkin listened to guys and dolls over and over while driving to the studio and exaggerated Vivian’s voice
8:17 even the writers forget why kevin conroy's batman was iconic sometimes
Rest in Peace 🙏 Ms. Sorkin, the Wonderful woman who brought to life the original Harley Quinn 😊
Man what an impact just from BTAS alone
RIP Beautiful Arleen Sorkin, gone but never forgotten.
You know for much of my childhood i always thogth the Harley Quinn was part of the ogrinal comic becuase she is such a symbol of the DC Universe when i was a kid. So i was surpried that i could nor find here in the olser comcs.
Great tribute. Thanks for doing it.
You're welcome, really glad you enjoyed it.
@@SerumLake I did. I wasn't a Batman animation watcher so I only knew her from bit parts and being the hot piece on AFV for a short stint before. So glad I saw this.
ive been watching a lot of your animated series character videos, and had no idea how much of the modern batman canon was decided by this series, which i unfortunately passed over a lot in my childhood in favour of the spiderman cartoon.
Just like Kevin, may he rest in peace, Arleen was gone too soon💔
Rest in love and peace, Arleen. Thank you so much for everything.
Beautiful video👍
Apparently Arleen got into character as Harley each time by singing 'Adelaide's Lament' from Guys & Dolls.
Thank you Arleen Sorkin for giving us the one and only Harley Quinn
I loved the Harley and Ivy episode as a kid, even though my brothers hated it for being "too girly for Batman". A couple of years after the episode aired, I had my own first experience with catcalling. Much like in the episode, a convertible pulled up alongside me at a red light and a group of young men yelled obscene remarks at me ... except I was a 12-year-old girl on a bicycle and the remarks wouldn’t have been allowed on network television. In that moment, I wished for Harley and her cartoon bazooka. The older I get, the angrier I am that somebody thought that was okay to do to a literal child, and the more I enjoy the bazooka gag. Sometimes a bad guy really speaks to you.
Holy shit, I didn't think I could love Harley any more than I do, but that Dick joke lol.
Even funnier since she said it to a detective. You can't convince me that wasn't ad libbed lol.
Sad to hear about Arleen Sorkin. I don't know about her being the voice of Harley Quinn. I'm old enough to remember her on the soap opera Days of Our Lives where she played Calliope, wife to husband Eugene (?) played by the wonderful actor John deLancie who is best known for playing Q on Star Trek. They were a wonderful comedic couple on the soap.
Im so late to the news i just found out. Damn we first lost batman now harley. R.I.P Arleen. You once said that whats nice about funeral is thay you put the fun. Thank you for the childhood memories
The “Mad Love” episode always haunted me. The comic seems to be waaaaay more violent, which I think makes the story better in that it hurts the audience more
Well the song say that we're sweethearts again was actually first preformed in 1946 as a novelty song by Virginia O'Brien. As for Harlequin she was originally a golden age character for DC primarily against the Golden age Green lantern they basically just change the spelling a little
Great video! One additional piece of info: the original Harlequin was a character from the commedia dell'arte en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harlequin
He is a nimble servant and wears a suit multicoloured diamonds.
Fun fact I replaced it the Arkham trilogy 2 weeks ago now and I wonder why Harley sounded different from asylum to city then found Arleen was the og from the dcau and Tara was one of the modern day voices. One of her last time voicing Harley was asylum I’m very glad I found about her before her death rip Arleen
Big hug, Arleen.
Thanks for the laughs and memories.
Rip Arleen the original Harley quinn😢
The best addition to Batman universe in modern times, loved her series. She is so likable even for a villian.
It is so sad to learn Arleen has passed, she is and will forever be the one true Harley Quinn. No offense to the other actors/voice actors, but I feel they all tend to try and do an impression of a Brooklyn ack’cent while Arleen just does a natural one and can do more range/personality in what the character says
Also on the design side of the character, and as an artist, the og design helped me sorta learn the difference between making a sexy design vs one that’s trying too hard to be horny. All the other outfits I feel try to hard in a lot of ways while the original one natural is, and it is literally her covered completely head to toe
Beautiful tribute and very interesting video!!! Thanx!!!
Although Tara Strong is my favorite Harley Quinn voice it’s a real shame to have lost the og
HARLEY QUINN'S SONG WASN'T ORIGINALLY MADE FOR THE TAS?!
great tribute
R.I.P to the first voice and the inspiration
😷Our Jewish friend (who actively writes fic of the DC universe) had always loved and appreciated Arleen Sorkin for influencing/inspiring Harley in terms of her Jewish identity. It's a small thing, but it goes to show how even the smallest details can mean the world to even just one person. (As a system we definitely relate.) Thank you Arleen, you've inspired lord knows how many people, and we're sure you'll keep doing that for generations to come.
Rest in peace, Arleen. You are immortal now. Say hi to Kevin for us.
R.I.P. Arleeen…..the FIRST VOICE of one HARLEEN QUINNZEL!! 😭😭😭
5:16 The people who think Joker and Harley's relationship is romantic need to read and watch Mad Love because it's not.
It makes me sick that some fans actually ship them.
@@zemox2534i have a weird feeling its purely because they dislike the Ivy/Quinn relationship and they rather have her being horribly abused than her being a happy lesbian.
She will be sorely missed. And I just found out also that she was married to doc brown! And now for some odd reason I have it in my head I want to see Christopher Lloyd play Hugo strange? Or have him play in the 66 version the scarecrow Seriously that somehow is weird that that's popping into my head. And now I have popping my head Mr. 0 firing his freeze ray at the scarecrow and then when the scarecrow gets thawed out he says" I was frozen today" and now I'm wondering how Arlene reacted to hearing that on set because odds are she was at least on set Suburban commando?
Not that Christopher Lloyd. The one she married co-created “Modern Family.”
@@jrcarter9175 I heard her joke that two biggest misconceptions about her were that she was related to Aaron Sorkin and that she was married to the actor Christopher Lloyd. At least she had a good sense of humour about it 😂
Figures that the paper that I read made a mistake!@@jrcarter9175
Arleen Sorkin was amazing as Harley Quinn and now she's gone. I'm gonna miss her. At least voice actors like Tara Strong also did a good job as Harley Quinn.😥😊
Rest In Peace Arleen Sorkin.
RIP the great og Harley Quinn
With how Harley Quinn has become popular as a character (for better, or worse) I find it heartbreaking how most modern Harley Fans don't even know who Arleen Sorkin was.
Paul Dini and Arleen Sorkin were practically Harley Quinn's "parents", with how they were both the reason the character even exists in the first place.
Arleen was more than just a voice actress: She was the Heart & Soul of the character (and every actress portraying the character after are trying to emulate that soul, whether they realize it or not.)
(sometimes I wish there were more tributes in-universe, like Harley going by the alias of "Doctor Sorkin", but that is just me.)
Soap lovers loved her first ! but I' loved both parts
glad you didd't take it as an insu;t
Wha
@@sophieprime4669 Her soap character and Harley Quinn
“took over the DC universe” is probably an understatement, the suits are MILKING that thing
She was the one true harley quinn
4:59 ...is that Buster and Babs...being hanged...?!
By the way, the man who played her love interest on Days was John De Lancie who went on to play Q on Star Trek : The Next Generation Imagine those two together!!!
Rest in Peace Arleen
"I had a bad day too once...."
RIP Arleen.
It’s crazy there was almost no one talking about this. I don’t do social media much but I never saw any shout outs from anyone.
No mention of Harley Quinn in Batman Beyond, grandmother of both Delia and Deidre Dennis, the Dee Dee twins of the Jokerz Gang?
DC did her dirty. Her HQ was Joan Rivers level funny, a poster girl for abusive relationships, and a scene stealer. Arkham Asylum was the last time HQ was truly HQ.
It’ll never be the same without Arleen Sorkin.
You start talking about joker fish and and I get an ad where the first thing I here is the state farm jingle followed by a guy making fish puns.
"Batman Respondz...-"
[AD] "AT B-KAAAAAYY!!"
May she rest in Peace
TAS Harley was one of my favorites
I don’t care what kids today say, Arleen Sorkin Harley Quinn is the best Harley Quinn. PERIOD.
She really nailed being Harley, didn't she?
(4:16) Holy Sh*t 😮...so expensive.
Goodnight my dear, rest Ye well.
Ah, if only I were more exposed with her live action television repertoire. Alas, I was a young 'un who didn't have said repertoire on our cables, and even then, a lot of older live action shows of the past appear to have quite easily dated... think Battlestar Galactica 1978