Talkin’ Teen Titans : Glen Murakami Raps About His Latest Superhero Series
Dr.T: The only character I noticed that doesn’t have an anime feel — in fact, he feels like a throwback to you earlier work on Batman — is Slade the Terminator. Was that done on purpose to set him more apart from the Titans characters?
GM: I guess so. The threat should seem real; the villain should be serious, because if he’s not then you won’t have any tension or drama. The Titans have to behave like normal teenagers, but in the case of Slade, I don’t think you have to humanize him.
Dr.T: The original Teen Titans writer Marv Wolfman has already penned an episode for the upcoming season. Have any other comic book writers stepped forward to take a crack at the show as well?
GM: If there has been I really don’t know about it, because that would be trafficked by David Slack. There’s nothing wrong with that, but I really want to make something that’s more of a companion piece, rather than an extension, of what’s been done before.
Dr.T: I understand that DC Comics has some influence over the show. Have they ever supplied you with a specific list of “do’s” or “don’ts.”
GM: Not really. The Titans are their characters, so we do have to honor their property, but so far they’ve been very good about what we can or can’t do, and not in a restrictive way.
Dr.T: Do you feel that your team has a really good feel for the show right now?
GM: Yeah. It was real learning curve but we’ve pulled it off. I think we’ve made an entertaining show that we think people will really like.
Dr.T: A real learning curve in what way?
GM: After working with Bruce Timm for 10 years, I’ve learned to focus on stories and to tell then the way that Bruce would tell stories. So I had to learn to go against what I learned from Bruce.
Dr.T: Sam Register stated that there would be no continuing episodes or event movies. If the Teen Titans really take off, could we see a direct-to-video release or feature-type events in the future?
GM: I have no idea at this point. That would be cool, but there are no plans right now. I’m just trying to finish up the first two seasons at this point and then see where we’re at.
Dr.T: Since you’ve begun your career in animation, you’ve been working on DC Comics properties. Are there any original ideas of your own in the works that you would someday like to produce?
GM: I guess someday, but for right now I’ve been pretty happy with what I’ve had to work on. Hey, Batman, Superman and the Justice League — that’s not too bad. Sure, I’d like to do my own thing someday but right now, I like what I’ve been doing.
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