BACK TO THE BEGINNING: AMY WOLFRAM ON TEEN TITANS: YEAR ONE

[MattBrady]

by Zack Smith

You probably haven’t read any of Amy Wolfram’s work…but most comic fans have probably seen it. Wolfram, who served as a writer and story editor on the Cartoon Networks’s Teen Titans animated series, makes the leap to print this January with DC’s Teen Titans: Year One, a look back at the original incarnation of one of DC’s most enduring super-teams written by Wolfram and illustrated by Karl Kerschl. Wolfram gave us the scoop on what to expect from her comics debut, and what it’s been like going from the animated Titans to their comic book inspirations.

Newsarama: Okay, Amy, for comics fans who haven't heard of you before -- give us your 60-second life story.

Amy Wolfram: 60 seconds, hmm, that’s kinda hard. Maybe folks haven’t heard of me, but they might have heard of some of the TV shows I’ve written for: Teen Titans, Legion of Superheroes, Xiaolin Showdown, American Dragon: Jake Long, …

NRAMA: Well, if they haven’t, they probably know a kid who has – that’s most of Saturday morning right there!

Tell us about Teen Titans: Year One. Is this a retelling or a "fill in the blank" type scenario for the Titans' first year? What are some of the themes of your storyline, and some of the major events it covers?

AW: It’s a retelling, but also an updating for this generation’s readers. The basic theme is teenagers coming out of the shadow of their mentors and coming into their own, so we’ll have a lot of firsts, like the first time being away from home, first dates,… all those awkward, painful moments!

NRAMA: Who are some of the characters that will appear in the story, and what stage of their lives are they at when we meet them? In particular, how are they defined by their relationships with their mentors?

AW: We’ll be seeing Robin, Kid Flash, Aqualad, Wonder Girl, and Speedy. They’re all teenagers who’ve spent most of their lives learning from their mentors, and now it’s time for them to prove themselves. And each character has a different relationship, close, not so close, fatherly, not so fatherly. It’s only being around others do they start realizing that not everyone has the same relationships. It’s like the first time you eat dinner at someone’s house and you think “we never have fish on Fridays, why don’t we have fish on Friday?”

NRAMA: Mmmm…fish.

How did you go from animation to doing this book? What are some of the differences in doing a comic script, as opposed to an animation script?

AW: Eddie Berganza knew my work from the TV series, so he contacted me for this project. For me the major difference in comic books is calling out every panel. In TV, I never specifically plot out what will happen in minute 5, but in comic books you do write what happens on Page 5, panel 2. It’s a bit more defined.

NRAMA: So, would you say that working in comics is something you'd like to do again?

AW: Sure!

NRAMA: Now, a lot of our readers might not know what a story editor is. Could you explain how that job works?

AW: A story editor is in charge of getting the scripts ready for production, so that includes pitching ideas, creating story arcs, breaking stories, hiring writers, rewriting scripts, working with the artists, incorporating network, studio, S&P (standards and practices) notes, attending records and changing lines last minute.

NRAMA: How did you become a story editor, and what were some of the specific guidelines for crafting a story for Teen Titans?

AW: I wrote two episodes in the first season and four in the second, and when David (Slack’s) schedule changed he turned to Rob (Hoegee) and me to help out with story editing duties. I don’t know if we ever had specific guidelines written anywhere, but it was important to all of us that we told stories that were meaningful to kids without being preachy, and that the characters came first

NRAMA: Were you familiar with the Teen Titans comics, either the Silver Age material or the Marv Wolfman/George Perez run, before working on the show?

AW: Not before the show, but I definitely did a lot of research with those books for the series.

NRAMA: When you were researching the comics what were some of the things you discovered about the Titans that surprised you? What were the challenges of drawing ideas from the old series and incorporating them into the cartoon?

AW: I was always impressed by Marv and George’s work in that the characters were very defined and fleshed out. We had a wealth of characters and stories to draw upon, though not all were adaptable for a young audience.

The main difference from the comics to the series is the comics were much more mature than the series, so we never could show Slade in bed with Terra! But you can boil down the essence of the story, about control, loss, parental issues, etc. and still make it work for a younger audience.

NRAMA: Marv Wolfman wrote some episodes of the series. Did you work with him directly, and if so, what was the experience like?

AW: Unfortunately, no. We were set to work together in Season Five, but he had other commitments. I have had the chance to talk to him a lot about the characters, and it’s great to hear his take on them.

NRAMA: Now, as you mentioned earlier, part of the cartoon involved making the stories and characters accessible to a younger audience. In the cartoons, the Titans are usually portrayed in a way that emphasizes a specific character trait -- for example, Cyborg is the jock, Beast Boy is the jokester, Raven is gloomy and sarcastic. When you're dealing with comics, where you have more room to show other aspects of the characters' personalities, what are the challenges you face in writing a script?

AW: I don’t think the characters were as simplistic as that, but we were dealing with a younger audience for the series and wanted to tell stories that they could relate to, such as sibling rivalry, fighting with friends, challenging one’s limits, having your father be the devil. (laughs)

For Year One it’s been different for me, because I’m still getting to know most of the characters. Robin is the only character from the TV line-up, and he is different in this version which made it more of a challenge to find out who Robin is when with Batman vs. Robin with the Titans. Plus, we are meeting the other characters just as they are getting to know each other, which is awkward and exciting at the same time.

NRAMA: Who's your favorite Titan, and why? Also, what's your all-time favorite Titans story, from either the cartoon or the different series?

AW: That’s not a fair question! I got the chance to write a lot of the Starfire episodes (“Sisters”, “Betrothed”, “Troq”) so I have an affinity for her in that she was very sweet and girly, but she was also the strongest of them and could physically withstand hostile conditions that the others couldn’t. I would have liked to have explored her strength a bit more.

And I loved writing the Terra arc, she’s a girl who never quite seemed to be able to find herself. As far as all-time favorite Titans story – maybe “Haunted”. I hated Slade, but he was a great, scary, villain!

NRAMA: What role do you feel the Titans specifically fill in the superhero universe?

AW: They’re the hope for the future. As teenagers they see the world differently, and believe that they are the ones who can change it and make it better.

NRAMA: Now, you're working with the great Karl Kerschl on this one! What's your collaboration been like?

AW: He’s great! We’ve been having a lot of fun and our work is much more collaborative than most comic books. I’m used to working with my Titans crew, and I value the artist’s input. I learned a lot from Glen (Murakami) that the artists have to be able to see a scene to draw it. I have to be able to “feel” a scene to write it.

Karl also comes from emotion in his drawings. He and I talk a lot about each story before I ever write a word, and he’ll come back to me when he’s at the drawing board when he needs to make changes.

NRAMA: What, in your opinion, does Karl bring to the book?

AW: Bunnies.

NRAMA: ...right. What's next for you, in both animation and comics?

AW: This month (Nov. 20th) the Teen Titans Season Four DVD hits the stores, and joins Legion of Superheroes Vol. 1. I’ve written a couple of episodes of Yin Yang Yo, and for a new action adventure show called “Secret Saturdays” that was a lot of fun.

As far as comics, Teen Titans: Year One Issue 1 hits the shelves in January, and I’m looking forward to writing more comics down the line. I don’t know if I can get it in my contract to always work with Karl, though!

[StripedTiger]

This artwork just keeps looking better and better... I cant wait for this...

[Lemurion]

Looks interesting: I'm a bit concerned that they might make it too modern, but so far I'd rate it as worth a look.

[rtvu2]

Indeed. He's knocking it out of the ballpark here. Can't wait for this to start.

[-Armando523-]

ooooh pretty pictures

[Forbush Man]

I'm excited for this.

[Marius665]

um, why isn't Speedy on the cover

[pfunk70]

I'm right there with you on "too modern". I can almost forgive the IM'ing but the flat-screen "BatMac" seems a bit early for a tale that takes place 10-plus years ago. Steve Jobs will be PO'd.

That Batman, always ahead of the curve.

[John [>H]]

That's great artwork, a perfect fit for the themes.

[majorjoe23]

Originally Posted by Marius665

um, why isn't Speedy on the cover

Speedy wasn't an original member of the group, he joined a while after it formed. Wonder Girl wasn't in the group when it started either, though.

[FIG]

The art is beautiful, its amazing how much good coloring can do to a project.

[worldsfinest]

This looks so good. I can't wait!!!

[K-DoG7p7]

Originally Posted by majorjoe23

Speedy wasn't an original member of the group, he joined a while after it formed. Wonder Girl wasn't in the group when it started either, though.

Actually that was retconned in the 70's .. and it still holds..

[whitemarkd]

Originally Posted by Marius665

um, why isn't Speedy on the cover

He was making a pass at the writer at the time.

[Lemurion]

Originally Posted by whitemarkd

He was making a pass at the writer at the time.

I heard he wanted Amanda Conner on art too-- all female would have suited him just fine.

[CodeGuy]

Originally Posted by K-DoG7p7

Actually that was retconned in the 70's .. and it still holds..

Have we seen confirmation since Infinite Crisis?

[Carter101]

I can't wait. I really really want this book

[Kevin T. Brown]

The original grouping, which was unnamed, was Robin, Kid Flash and Aqualad (Brave & Bold #54). It was when Wonder Girl joined (Brave & Bold #60) that they were then officially called the Teen Titans.

[K-DoG7p7]

Originally Posted by CodeGuy

Have we seen confirmation since Infinite Crisis?

yes... this...
they said in sandiego that this is about the five.. same as amy said
so this mini is the confirmation :P

[Blackbeard]

I can see right now that I'm gonna have to buy two copies of each issue. One for me and one for my 11 year-old.

Can't wait!

[ssava]

Great article and wonderful art.
I really like those pages!

Also...it's cool how close Amy's last name is to Marv's.

Nice coincidence.

[Kevenn]

I'm so excited for this miniseries. I think the artwork and character design for it is freaking brilliant.

A small part of me hopes that we finally get to find out exactly what Donna's living situation was at this point. Was she living with Diana Prince? JSA people?

[SpyGuy]

Loving the look of "Ultimate Teen Titans"...except maybe for Aqualad, who kinda resembles The Creature From The Black Lagoon a bit. If this turns out well and sales are great, I hope it turns into a TEEN TITANS: THE EARLY YEARS ongoing series...

[OM]

Originally Posted by pfunk70

I'm right there with you on "too modern". I can almost forgive the IM'ing but the flat-screen "BatMac" seems a bit early for a tale that takes place 10-plus years ago. Steve Jobs will be PO'd.

...Nope. In the DCU, Bruce Wayne bought out (cr)Apple, fired Steve Jobs for being a coke-head, made Woz the real CEO and turned him loose with a blank check, and never let John Scully come anywhere near the company, where he languished at Soder Cola until the Joker offed him. The resulting WayneTech PC looked like a Mac, had a color flat screen, a *two* button mouse, and ran an OS that behaved like XP, was ten times stabler than Linux, didn't require an unwashed Linux geek to install and/or run the damn OS, and best of all had absolutely NO bulls'hit DRM installed.

Now, as to why LexCorp PC's own the market in the DCU still needs to be explained in the backup pages of Countdown...

[LikeaPhoenix]

"Now, I'm Following You...", so said and decreed Dani DeeDeeDiddlyOh.

Right on the heels of X-Men: First Class' success . Beautiful art, though !