J. Torres: Age Appropriate

By Mike Jozic

J. Torres comes from the indie comics scene, writing the teen heroes book Sidekicks for Oni Press, and is the wordsmith behind Jason and the Argobots, Copybook Tales and Alison Dare, to name just a few. For the “tights and flights” crowd, he’s done a little moonlighting - mostly with the mutant folk over at Marvel - and he also contributes an entertaining weekly column over at Comic Book Resources called Open Your Mouth.

Last, but not least, Torres pens the only DC book I currently buy on a regular basis, Teen Titans Go!

The series, now on its third issue, is doing quite well and is getting some attention from outside the comic industry, making an appearance in Sports Illustrated for Kids this month reaching a potential audience larger than any of the top selling monthlies on the market. The show, which is also doing quite well for itself, kicked off its second season on the Cartoon Network January 10th and has been renewed for a full 52 episodes (guaranteeing the book survives longer than the last two books I read regularly from the publisher).

I tracked down the inimitable Mr. Torres and grilled him on the new series, one plucky Canadian to another.


MIKE JOZIC: To begin with, what attracted you to the Teen Titans Go! book?

J. TORRES: I've been wanting to contribute to one of DC's animated books for years, made all sorts of queries and even pitched some ideas, but didn't get anywhere until (editor) Lysa Hawkins gave me a shot. I was a fan of the Wolfman/Perez New Teen Titans and I really dig the cartoon, so it was a dream to get the TTG! assignment.

They say good things come to those who wait!

JOZIC: Would you say your Sidekicks work made you something of a shoe-in when it came time to find a writer for the series?

TORRES: Well, it helped get the attention of the right people at DC at least - that along with Alison Dare and Jason & the Argobots. I guess those books showed that I could write teenage characters and all-ages material. Either that or DC editors can be easily bribed with free comics.

JOZIC: Your first issue featured the same villains featured in the first episode of the Titans show – Gizmo, Jinx & Mammoth. Was that a conscious effort to establish some quick continuity, or was it just the story you wanted to kick the series off with?

TORRES: It was actually a coincidence. I can't remember who thought of using the HIVE kids for the first issue but I liked the idea. Meanwhile, "Final Exam" which featured them was moved from third in the batting order and aired first on the show. Apparently, "Divide and Conquer" was originally first up but somewhere along the way that was switched around. So, the HIVE ended up getting first crack at the Titans in both the cartoon and the comic.

JOZIC: Will you be creating any villains of your own, or will you be focusing on those featured in the series?

TORRES: For now we can only use characters that appear on the show, whether they're villains or guest heroes. I've been asked to follow the show's lead in this regard, at least for starters. Hopefully, I'll get the chance to add characters to universe somewhere down the line or bring in other DC or Titans villains and friends that the show might not think to or want to.

JOZIC: What would you say is your wish list as far as future stories or guest appearances are concerned?

TORRES: Working within the parameters of the show, I'd love to do something with Aqualad as well as Terra and Speedy. If I could bring in any DC characters, I would love to do a story involving Kid Flash and/or Wonder Girl, and maybe the Doom Patrol, or the Brotherhood of Evil. Possibly Superboy or Supergirl. The Wonder Twins.

Oh, and Lagoon Boy!

JOZIC: The Batman animated books often built on established series continuity, particularly in the case of Mr. Freeze and with books like “Mad Love”. Will we see anything like that crossover with the Titans book and show?

TORRES: Well, you'll see the flow go from the DCU Teen Titans comics to the cartoon, sure. This season, for example, we'll be getting an "adaptation" of the now-classic Wolfman/Perez arc "The Judas Contract" and characters like Wildebeest and Joto are slated to appear in episodes as well. But as for us ever doing adaptations of episodes, I doubt it.

But never say never.

JOZIC: Will the comic book stories have an overarching storyline much like the television series, or will they be primarily one-shots?

TORRES: My editors want me to stick with single-issue stories for now, but we haven't entirely ruled out doing multi-part stories.

JOZIC: Are you finding it more liberating to stick to self-contained stories or is it actually somewhat restrictive?

TORRES: Neither one more than the other, really. Sure, sometimes I come up with a story that goes a bit "long" and I think "maybe this would work better as two issues" but I also think it's good that I have the 22-page page count to force me to be leaner and meaner with my storytelling and go back and revise stuff, skim the fat so to speak.

JOZIC: The best cartoons are not purposefully written for a younger audience, like the Looney Tunes shorts and the Batman Animated series. Is that also your approach to the Titans Go! comic book?

TORRES: I just try and keep it fun. Naturally, I have to consider that young people will be reading this and I have to take care at times not to portray anything too violent or dangerous, but I also have two great editors - including one who's a mommy - to make sure I keep things age-appropriate. But I've written all-ages comics before, it's something I like to think I'm good at and it's something I really enjoying doing.

JOZIC: Did you get a full set of episodes for reference, or do you tape them like the rest of us?

TORRES: I was sent a tape with the first six episodes on it as well as the series bible and all sorts of artwork in advance of the show debuting on Cartoon Network. I'm special that way! But, yes, I do tape the show now because I'm a geek and will hang on to these tapes until they put out some DVDs.

JOZIC: Do you get any Titans swag for being on the book? Are you surrounded by all the characters’ maquettes by now?

TORRES: I wish! No maquettes but I did get a laminated poster - the one people were stealing from New York City bus shelters and subway stations - and a promotional cel-like stand-up diorama type thing, which are both proudly displayed in my office.

I can't wait for the toys to come out. I've got close to three-dozen Batman the Animated Series and Superman the Animated Series action figures and spring seems like an awfully long time to wait to add some Titans to this collection.

JOZIC: The show has now been renewed for a full 52 episode run. Given good enough sales to continue on the stands, how long do you see yourself on this title?

TORRES: As long as they'll have me and as long as I can keep coming up with good stories.

JOZIC: You seem to have a number of artists contributing to the first half dozen issues of the series with Todd Nauck launching the book, John McCrea doing a guest-shot and Tim Smith handling the rest of the issues. Is that difficult for a writer or does your process remain the same?

TORRES: Generally, it's the same but it really depends on your relationship with the artist. For example, Tim and I knew each other before working on TTG! so I was able to call him up and bounce around ideas and that sort of thing both during the writing and pencilling stages. John, on the other hand, I've never met and he's all the way in the UK so apart from a couple of e-mail messages we haven't had any contact so I just turned in the script and let him do his magic.

Now with Todd, the official regular artist of TTG!, I'm getting the chance to develop a cool rapport with and get to know better and better as an artist with each issue, and vice versa. I think we're really starting to click as a team and it will hopefully show in the work.

JOZIC: Did you have any say in the selection of Todd as the regular artist on the series?

TORRES: I wish I could take credit for that call, but I believe the credit is due to Tom Palmer, Jr.

JOZIC: Are you excited about getting exposure in Sports Illustrated For Kids this month?

TORRES: For sure! We're told that the preview is going to be seen by some 600,000 readers who might not otherwise be exposed to TTG!. That's a very, very good thing.

JOZIC: The word on the first issues is that they're moving well on the stands. Have you gotten back any numbers on how well the book is doing?

TORRES: I've been told that initial orders for the first issue were around 30,000 - which is decent for DC's animated books.

JOZIC: The second season of the show officially started this month and will feature elements of the “Judas Contract” storyline from The New Teen Titans comic book of several years ago. Will your book be touching on that at all or are you guys pretty much independent?

TORRES: I'm still not sure how we're going to handle Terra. I really want to have her in the comic book, but if you know "The Judas Contract" then you know the... challenge we're facing. My editors and I have yet to discuss how we're going to involve Terra in the comic, but I'm sure we can figure out a cool way to do that without spoiling the story for anyone not already familiar with the source material or repeating what's been done on the show.

JOZIC: Have you had to be reined in for going too far with the comedy or the darker side of the Titans?

TORRES: Not really. About the only thing I can remember being asked to take out or tone down was a reference to eating toothpaste because Lysa was worried it might give kids the wrong idea. Yeah, I'm that edgy!

JOZIC: I don’t remember the name Jump City being ever having been used in the show. Has that always been the name of the Titans’ hometown or did you get to name it first in the comic book?

TORRES: Nope, that was in the series bible I was given for reference. And I didn't think about it till now... but I don't remember hearing the name used on the show either.

Hmm, guess we missed it?

JOZIC: When approaching an issue of Titans Go! do you start with the moral of the story and work towards it, or does it all start with a certain villain, or is there no set formula to how you come up with the stories?

TORRES: No set formula, but I tend to begin with one of the Titans and think about them in a certain situation. Usually, the action, conflict, moral of the story, etc. comes from that. But I have written a couple of stories, though, where it all started with one of my editors suggesting that I use a certain villain. And in one story, our third issue, I was inspired by a scene from a New Teen Titans comic where Vic meets Sarah Simms and her students for the first time, and the episode "The Sum of His Parts".

JOZIC: Do you have any favourite Titans, or other characters, that you particularly enjoy writing for?

TORRES: I love all my children equally.

JOZIC: In terms of writing or plotting, how far ahead are you right now?

TORRES: I'm waiting on notes for the plot to issue #7 right now.

JOZIC: And how loose are the scripts that you're writing for Titans Go!?

TORRES: I write full script but, you know, nothing is etched in stone. And I find I get looser and less detailed the more I work with an artist. I guess it's kind of a trust issue, learning to let go, and all of that.

JOZIC: While the animated Batman books were targeted at kids, I think it is safe to say that it was mostly older readers, like myself, who were picking that series up. With Titans, however, I see a lot more potential for kids to be getting into the comic book through the show. I know that all-ages comics are something of a crusade for you, so I wondered what you thought about this?

TORRES: It's great to be working on a mainstream comic book targeted at young readers. Have a look around, sadly there really aren't that many out there. And I know a lot of people were upset that Teen Titans wasn't given the same treatment as BTAS or the Justice League, but when did it become such a bad thing to produce a cartoon for kids?

I think the show is great and I was quite honored to be asked to contribute to TTG! and was elated beyond words to hear that Glen Murakami himself thought I was a good choice to write it.

I didn't even know he knew who the heck I was!

JOZIC: With a few exceptions, all-ages books are generally considered to be poor performers regardless of the quality of the story or the art. What, if anything, do you think can change that perception and get younger kids reading comics again?

TORRES: If I had the answer to that, I'd be the saviour of the industry! But I think it's safe to say that the answer has something to do with marketing and distribution. Find a way to let the kids know that the comics are out there and then make sure they can walk into any mall anywhere in North America and find said comics. Sounds so simple, right?

Alas, so many factors keep it from being so. What we need to do then, as comic book fans, is do whatever we can to pass on our love of the medium to young people we know. As a comic book reader, I do that by buying comics for my nephews, donating comics to local libraries and hospitals, and giving comics as birthday or Christmas presents and even handing out comics along with the candy at Halloween. And as a comic book writer, I try to get more kids reading comics by writing cool all-ages titles like TTG!.

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	Mike Jozic has spent the last several years interviewing comic book creators and other entertainment related personalities for various publications. He has been published both online and in print, with his work appearing in The Comics Journal, FearsMag.com and Silver Bullet Comicbooks. He maintains his own website at www.meanwhile.net and currently serves as the Features Editor for SBC.

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