By
LJ Douresseau
February 25, 2004 - 10:58
One of the recent titles that could very well get more kids reading comics again is TEEN TITANS GO! The book is an adaptation of the very popular Cartoon Network series, "Teen Titans." Featuring Robin, Starfire, Cyborg, Beast Boy (formerly Changeling), and Raven, the manga and anime inspired cartoon focuses on the teens and their interpersonal relationships as much as it does on the band's adventures fighting weird villains and just plain weirdoes.
Mr. Charlie Opens the Door #17 interviews Teen Titans Go! writer, J. Torres. Torres is definitely a talent to watch, and his writing on TTG!, a combination of comedy, action, and general mayhem, ably captures the spirit of the show. Of course, the artists who work with him, including the underrated Todd Nauck, help.
Torres first burst onto the comic scene with THE COPYBOOK TALES, a mini-comics series about two guys trying to break into comics. Readers of indy fare will also recognize Torres as the writer of the ALISON DARE comics, the adventures of a kind of girl Indiana Jones. He has also written SIDEKICKS, a teen, super hero soap opera now at Oni Press and JASON AND THE ARGOBOTS, about a boy and his giant robot. Torres wrote the mini-series X-MEN: RONIN for Marvel.
I highly recommend you find a copy of X-MEN UNLIMITED #42 which contains an excellent Torres tale about the teenage Jean Grey. This man should certainly be on the short list to write X-Men comics for young readers. And dear, you simply must be reading Teen Titans Go!:
Did DC approach you about adapting Teen Titans, or did you approach them?
TORRES: Well, I had sent in samples of my previously published comics to different editors at DC, including Lysa Hawkins who co-edits TTG with Tom Palmer, Jr. It was one of those right place, right time things, I suppose you could say. Having read my other stuff, the editors thought I might be good on the new series so they gave me a call.
How excited were you about the project? Was your mind just a whirl with ideas?
TORRES: I was very happy and excited to get the gig. I'd been wanting to contribute to one of DC's animated stylebooks for years. All sorts of ideas did come to mind right away, being a Titans fan from the 80s, and more so when I got my research material, including tapes of the show, the series bible, and model sheets. I was like a kid in a candy store!
What qualifies you to do an adaptation of the series into a comic book? This isn't a challenge. It's a question about how you approach writing comics and the kind of comics you write. What kind of comics do you want to write in terms of atmosphere and mood? Upbeat? Fun?
TORRES: Definitely fun. That's what the show's all about! In terms of my qualifications... I guess that I've written all-ages comics before helps. That I'm a Titans fan, too. But probably that I'm a big kid is an even bigger factor. I like fun, upbeat, even sometimes silly stuff myself so I often try to produce the same kinds of stories.
How close does Teen Titans Go! have to be to the Titans cartoon? Is it more about atmosphere and flavor or does the comic pretty much have to mimic the show in terms of what the characters are about and what characters can appear?
TORRES: All of the above, really. TTG has to be an extension of the show, I guess you could say. So, that means fun, action-packed, funny, and with something to say now and then about teamwork, friendship, doing the right thing.
How much are you able to work together with the artists? Do you write a full script? Do you give them notes or space to make changes? Are you a dictatorial writer, making demands of your collaborators?
TORRES: I do work full script but it's never anything etched in stone. And especially with a series like TTG with its guidelines from the show and the different creative heads involved in the creation of the comic book, there's no room or cause for being "dictatorial." With Todd, for example, my scripts are his to play with and we sometimes go back and forth on stuff like the chibi gags you see in the margins. He's also free to add to that stuff as he likes and I think it makes it more fun for both of us seeing what the other comes up with to compliment the main story.
In another interview you mentioned that TTG toys were coming. Do you have any specific information on specific figures and accessories and a release date? Are these for the direct market only or for the general market?
TORRES: Like your average fanboy, I get my info on the toys online and in certain magazines.
Are you limited to only using characters that have appeared or will appear in TTG? Are you allowed to use any characters that have appeared in the various incarnations of the Titans? Are there specific Titans-related characters who are off-limits and who are they? Will DC allow you to create original characters or is that not in the works?
TORRES: Allow me to answer these all at once...
In terms of which characters I can use, I pretty much have to follow the lead of the cartoon. And it's not that I've been given a list of who to use or even not to use, but basically I keep track of what's going on in the show, what's in the series bible, and what makes sense in these universe. For example, we used the Gordanians in #2 even though they were only mentioned on the cartoon. I also bring in Sarah Simms in #3 although she hasn't appeared on the show nor do I know of any plans to use her at all. So, I do have some opportunities to bring in certain characters and I do have to mind not to use characters that don't "belong" in the cartoon continuity, but we deal with that stuff on a story-by-story basis.
For as much talk of bringing kids back to reading comics, there is obviously a real disconnect between the publishers & their creators and young readers. Super hero comics either contain inappropriate material (consequence free and graphic violence and sublimated sex) or storylines that would bore most young readers (relationship and family problems, or stuff like Bruce Banner and his abusive father).
On the other hand, from what little of your work that I've had the chance to read, you seem to get it. Your super hero comics are fun to read. The atmosphere is like a lot of the animated programs that are apparently popular with young readers and teens. How did you develop this approach? Does it come from the kind of comics, TV, and movies you liked? Or is it that you prefer fun super hero comics?
TORRES: Again, all of the above, I guess. And not that I don't like "serious" comics or TV, or that I only write "fun" comics, but I guess it's just that I write the light-hearted and fun stuff better than anything else. Or maybe I should say it at least comes easier to me. I'm sure, though, that deep down I'm probably also reacting to what I see on the shelves, you know? I certainly started writing kid-friendly comics as a "reaction" to a lack of them in the market. So, there's also that.
What were the first comics or manga that you encountered? What effect did they have on you?
TORRES: I honestly don't remember what my first exposure to comics was. But my dad read comics, at least casually, so I remember them being around the house at an early age. I do vaguely recall GREY or AKIRA or NAUSICAA being among the first manga books I ever picked up. This was in the mid-80s or so. In any case, the effect they had on me was profound enough to make me a "lifer", at least as a comic book reader.
When did you first entertain notions of becoming a professional writer? And how did readers and professionals react to Copybook Tales, which is I think your first pro comics work?
TORRES: I think I wanted to be a writer as early as middle school. I just enjoyed writing, really. I wanted to write plays, movies, poetry, songs, everything. And I suppose the positive reaction I received from my relatives and teachers back then just fueled the fire. As far as Copybook was concerned, the reader reaction was overall quite good. It had a very small print run, about 3000, but it also had a loyal following and it struck a chord with a lot of people, including editors who would one day give me work.
I see on your website that you list working for TOKYOPOP among your credits. What did you do for them? Since the company is looking for original manga, are you considering producing that kind of work?
TORRES: My girlfriend and I tag team the translation and rewrite on DRAGON HUNTER, a Korean manwha by Hong-Seok Seo. And I was actually invited to pitch something original over there but we've been in a holding pattern for months now. I honestly don't know what's going on with that now.
How did your column for Comic Book Resources, "Open Your Mouth" come about, and what do you enjoy about doing it?
TORRES: CBR executive producer Jonah Weiland and I had been corresponding about different things for a time there, and he ended up needing a new column, so we bounced around some ideas, and one thing led to another. What I like best about OYM is that I get to do whatever I want. I can interview people, review comics, run a contest, even get others to write columns for me, whatever.
Thus far, have you ever sensed people being cautious in their answers to you or even dishonest, or do you try to create an atmosphere where they'll feel free to speak? Sometimes, I wonder if it's best just not to ask certain questions.
One of my very favorite versions of the X-Men was your Jean Grey story for X-MEN UNLIMITED #42 (April 2003). It was like a combination of classic Stan Lee/Jack Kirby X-Men and "X-Men: Evolution." It was fun (a word key to describing your stories). But looking at those innocent kids, it's hard to imagine them in life or death situations. So considering the spirit of fun and inspired hijinx in TTG and "your X-Men," how do you create dramatic tension amidst the spirit of fun? How far would you go to create an element of danger for the characters in stories that are ostensibly adventure comics, but must not be violent mature comics?
TORRES: Well, "fun" can also involve something thrilling or suspenseful or even dangerous. And you can have all those things without being too violent or "mature." I basically just let the characters lead me through a situation or scene or peril or what have you.
Does Marvel like your interpretations of the X-Men and is there more coming? Is there a chance of expanding on your Jean Grey X-Men Unlimited story?
TORRES: No, that was just a one-time short story for the anthology.
Speaking of which: Thus far in what you've written and in your approach to TTG, do you think that you will be able to capture the drama of the Marv Wolfman and George Perez Titans while keeping TTG kid friendly? Or was Wolfman/Perez Titans kid friendly back in the day?
TORRES: I'm not sure you can "recapture" the Wolfman/Perez stuff in TTG, but they're who started it all and are definite inspirations to all of us working on this new incarnation.
(Butt kissing moment) I'm totally down and in love with what you and your fellow creators are doing in TTG. I have to believe that people that see Teen Titans on Cartoon Network and like to read will want to read this. I know that you may not have much say in this, but is TTG's survival going to be left up to the Direct Market? Are there plans to collect this in little manga-sized volumes and put this in bookstores?
TORRES: I would think so. I recently picked up the digest sized POWERPUFF GIRLS and JUSTICE LEAGUE ADVENTURES collections and loved the format. It'd be great to see TTG in stores like that.
What's the response so far to TTG? Are your fellow professionals reaching out to you about it?
TORRES: So far so good. I've heard from folks who love the series as well as those who don't like it so much, but overall everyone's been encouraging, including some peers and other pros out there. The best part, though, has been hearing kids' reactions to the book and even seeing them all excited about it at conventions.
What will we see in upcoming TTG issues, both in story and in artists?
TORRES: Issue #4, which comes out this week, has Robin and Starfire go on a date interrupted by the Puppet King as well as their own teammates. That's drawn by John McCrea, probably best known for HITMAN. Issue #5 is another fill-in by Tim Smith who also drew #3. But Todd Nauck is back for #6-7 with me.
What's up for you in the future? Can you talk about your work on Cannon Busters and how you got it?
TORRES: It's a long story but if anyone's interested it's all detailed in an article recently posted at Newsarama: http://newsarama.com/forums/ showthread.php?s= &threadid=9382
This is that time I ask the interview subject if he wants to give a shout out or maybe plug some upcoming work. So have at it, if you will.
TORRES: Well, other than TTG and Dragon Hunter, my two regular gigs, I've got the aforementioned CANNON BUSTERS which debuts in the summer, and later this year be on the lookout for a couple of projects I'm working on for Oni Press: a graphic novel with Scott Chantler called SCANDALOUS and a new series with Eric Kim tentatively called LOVE KOREAN STYLE.
THANKS, J. You can visit J. (for Joseph) at www.comicbookresources.com where you'll find his aforementioned column Open Your Mouth. Torres even allows his readers to "assist" him in his interviews of such comic celebrities as Judd Winick and Brian Michael Bendis. Torres' website is www.jtorresonlime.com where you will find links to other interviews of Torres and links to the Oni Press store, the place to buy Torres' backlist of trade paperbacks and book collections including THE COLLECTED ALISON DARE, LITTLE MISS ADVENTURES TPB, THE COMPLETE COPYBOOK TALES TPB, DAYS LIKE THIS (with his Scandalous collaborator, Scott Chantler), and more. You can get the X-Men: Ronin trade through your local comic shop or places like Amazon.com.
If you are a comic book creator or publisher and you want to talk to me or have books for review, please, hit the clickable name link to send a message. Holla!
LJ DOURESSEAU
And if you are a comics creator or publisher and you want to send me material for review consideration or you just want to talk about your book in a Charlie column, punch the click-able name link to send me an email. Holla!
ComicBookBin
