When Teen Titans Go, the comedy version of the beloved DC Comics series, first premiered on Cartoon Network in 2013, no one could have predicted its incredible success and lasting power. More than a decade later, not only has it become the longest-running animated series in DC history, it will also be celebrating its 400th anniversary.th This week’s episode.
We had the great pleasure of chatting with the cast and crew about The Important 400 during New York Comic Con last monthth plot Young warriors attack! including showrunners and executive producers Peter Ridda Mikhail There are also voice actors Tara Strong (crow), Greg onion (Beast Boys), Khary Payton (robot), Hendon Walch (Spark), and Scott Menville (Robin).
Taimurdar: Nothing compares Young warriors attack! In the DC Universe or the superhero genre in general. It occurred to me that this show and you as a group are like a comedy troupe, like Monty Python or Kids in the Hall. Is this how you see yourself?
Hendon Walch: I have never thought about this in my life. We get to play very dramatic action roles. We’re both really good at comedy, so that’s an added bonus. I love Kids in the Hall and we love improvising during the show, which is always great. We always get a lot of support, “Can I try this?” “Dude, just stop asking!”
Scott Menville: This is from a top producer! Don’t even ask, just try it. I had never considered this comparison before. It makes sense, we’re kind of like a comedy troupe because we all have our own characters, but they also let us play a lot of side characters. We also have great guest actors, but a lot of us voice recurring characters, like certain villains. It’s kind of like a comedy troupe in a way. We stick together like a comedy troupe. We’ve been friends for twenty years, since the original series.
Dahl: Original young warrior The animated series was when I first became aware of voiceover directing. The legendary Andrea Romano of course directed the series. for Young warriors attack! And Lisa Schaffer, another voiceover director who is one of the best in the business. I’d love to hear how your relationship with her has developed since you first worked with her?
Menville: I was a child actor, so I grew up working with them. Andrea has coached me on many things before when I was a little kid titan She’s great. Lisa is amazing too. I started working on the original with her Carmen Sandiego Cartoon. I play Zach. She’s not our director, but she’s like an assistant director. So I’ve known her forever. It was smooth sailing for me from day one because I knew them from other projects. Both have different methods, but [are] They are very skilled at what they do. I like that you mentioned voiceover directors. I had never been asked about them before.
Varchi: Thank you for doing this! Andrea is absolutely adorable. She and I remain very close to this day.
Menville: Me too. you [and Andrea] Out for dinner, you guys called me recently.
Varchi: Lisa is absolutely phenomenal too. But as Scott said, it’s a completely different approach. we did it Henry Hagel Monsters Together But I know I was working with her before that.
Menville: There’s something interesting about Lisa, too. We are here to talk about our 400th episode. We had these characters figured out, but Lisa would read it and give a direction and you’d say, “This is a better direction. I wasn’t thinking about going that route. She knew how to do it in the right way.” way to shape it.
Dar: Even after watching 400 episodes, I think the best is yet to come. Is there anything you can tease or want to do in this series?
Menville: I’d love to do a sequel for us Young warriors attack! go to the movies.
Varchi: We definitely want to do another feature.
Menville: I would say that production on Season 9 is already well underway. So this 400th [episode] In season eight. Our writers and producers never cease to amaze me!
Varchi: Really interesting material. Incredibly interesting material!
Menville: Sometimes you’ll get a script and it has a really interesting title and I’ll be like, “How come our previous episode didn’t have that title or premise?”
Dahl: Ever since Hayden wrote “Stockton, Calif.!” Episodes, Scott’s wife wrote a lot of the episodes.
Menville: Man, you guys are so good! Hayden created “Stockton,” and my wife, Jacqueline Menville, created many of the albums.
Dahl: Don’t you think you’d have the desire to write an episode of your own?
Menville: I’m a writer, but not a screenwriter. I have some books that I’ve been writing.
Varchi: Can we talk about this? Because we all write.
Menville: Hayden has a novel she wrote. I have a book I’m writing. We read articles to each other to get feedback. As for screenwriting, I leave that to those who are passionate and professional. But Hayden can do it all! Scripts, novels, whatever!
Dahl: I did enjoy superheroes when the original series first aired, but I wasn’t as obsessed with them as I am today. I think it’s safe to say that the character of Teenager has become a household name. Go to any convention and you’re bound to see Titans cosplayers. How does it feel to be a part of helping the Teen Titans franchise reach the mainstream?
Greg Chippers: Tara Strong gets all the credit!
Tara Strong: [Laughs]No, we feel very lucky and blessed to see these characters impact people in such a positive way. I’ve heard fans say many times, “Before I started watching this show, I didn’t have any friends.” “I felt so depressed and thought I was the only one who looked like me until I saw Raven.” We were so Lucky to be part of pop culture in such a huge way. It’s really huge. The longest running animated series!
onion: This is a magical show!
Dar: In addition to the main characters, you also voiced many supporting or minor characters that have always impressed me. How did the series push you as a voice actor?
onion: It’s definitely a big stretch, but I’m very flexible.
Strong: I think the hardest working person on the show is definitely Scott Menville. He always leads the whole show and action and he is the loudest in the show. But we get excited when we play serendipitous characters. I’m a huge fan of the Wonder Twins, so it was really fun to play Jayna on the show. We have a lot of fun whenever we make additional characters and we put as much love into them as anything else.
Dar: Young warriors attack! There have been some crazy crossovers over the years, like Scooby-Doo or Monsters. What I didn’t expect was Beetlejuice to be on the show. I’m old enough to have read the original Beetlejuice An animated series starring Tara. I would like to ask how it is to visit the world of Beetlejuice again?
Strong: The second movie was really good. I think this is awesome.
onion: I only watch Young warriors attack!.
[Laughter]
Strong: This is a great thing to see. We have up to 400 episodes. They will be streaming every episode throughout November. We love crossing over and being embraced by other fans. The fans are having fun with it and that’s what it’s all about, getting the fans excited.
Dar: Needless to say, there is something magical about actors recording together. Obviously, this is difficult during the pandemic, but some productions have been able to have virtual ensembles. Do you all record as a group in person or virtually?
Strong: Sometimes we do it together in person, sometimes we do it virtually. But we are always together.
onion: I wouldn’t be doing this without Tara!
Strong: We really rely on each other. We need each other’s energy. When you work with someone for a long time, you know how they behave. But every now and then, Greg would read some lines that I wasn’t expecting, and it really made me happy, and then I really needed to respond. Performing is truly listening. So when we feed off each other’s energy together and hear interesting sounds, it affects our performance. Besides the fact that we all love each other and have so much fun together, it’s been awesome.
onion: As Tara’s vocal coach, I take all the credit.
[Laughter]
Dahl: Like any series, it takes a village. The show’s original creators, Aaron Horvath and Michael Jelenic, left a few years ago. Peter, you’ve been a part of the series from the beginning, so how does it keep the series going? Young warriors attack! What’s the momentum?
Khary Payton: It had been a long time since he had seen the light. I don’t even know how there’s still color in his cheeks. He has been the engine that has kept this show going for many years. He literally did the work of seven people. It’s an incredible thing to be able to participate and witness and see the commitment and love we have for the art we’re doing. I’m glad you asked that question and the reason I answered it is because he doesn’t hear enough and people don’t understand enough. He’s done so much for the show and for me personally and creatively. This is a great time to say thank you because it’s also an incredible environment to work in. When you work so hard for so long, no matter who is at the top, everything slowly goes downhill. It can be hellish, and it can also turn you on. It’s great to have Pete here and be able to keep everyone’s energy in the right direction.
Dahl: Hard to beat!
Peter Ridda Mikhail: It’s hard to beat! Kary is so good at saying these kind words. To answer your question, Michael and Aaron were left with a lot of responsibility. But we’ve been with them since day one. The essence and vibe of the show is the same. Those people created such a beautiful world. All we did after they left was expand it. We started building our own “Springfield”. If you look at the first six seasons, we kept it tight. After Season 6 ends, the world begins to open up. We introduce new characters, new villains, new heroes. Hopefully we can continue to grow our Springfield and Jump City so we can do that for years to come.
Dahl: I like it. static shock I watched the animated series as a kid, so I was excited to see him appear in 400th episode. I want to ask, what happened, including him?
Michael: Same reason. We are fans! We had never used him in our show and we were like, “Maybe this is a nod moment to him. Let’s put him in the song and give him time to shine.”
Payton: Our show has always tried to play in the sandbox and make it bigger. They’ve been fans of other shows we’ve dubbed, like [Teenage Mutant Ninja] sea turtle or my little pony or young justice. We played with all these different characters but used them in our comic playground in the best way possible.
Dahl: I’ve always liked how Young warriors attack! Can already comment on other DC media. I’m excited about the new direction DC Studios is taking under the leadership of James Gunn. I guess we can’t expect you to touch the current DC Universe, right?
Michael: I don’t know if you saw it, but James Gunn made it very clear, we are a different world. We are happy to be isekai. Will we touch it? That’s up to Gunn. But we do operate outside of DC’s main storylines and lore, which gives us crazy freedom. But if he comes knocking…
Payton: I don’t think anything is off limits. The meta, in particular, is perfect for Teenagers. This will definitely happen!
400 peopleth plot Young warriors attack! Premieres on Saturday, November 30th on cartoon network
