Donna Troy sketch from C2E2 2019John B writes:
C2E2 2019 (22-24 Mar 2019)
Chicago, Illinois
Got this from George at C2E2 2019 - his farewell tour! Always a pleasure to speak to Mr. Perez!
Posted by Vu Nguyen
Titans Together! My homage/ recreation of George Perez and Dick
Giordano’s iconic cover to New Teen Titans Issue no. 1 released in 1980.
It took me a while, but I’m pretty happy with how it turned out. Hope
you guys like it too. Might make it available as a print, btw.
I was a Marvel kid (duh) but I was a DC teenager. I was in high school
when John Byrne came to SUPERMAN and Frank Miller was on BATMAN and
George Perez was on WONDER WOMAN.
Those three creators alone brought me to DC at a time when the company
was making some of the most innovative and celebrated comics ever. They
were speaking to me like nothing else in the world was. I was a teenager
discovering myself through this art form and these worlds and
characters. These comics told me I might have something like a voice and
a place in the world. These comics were as big a part of me becoming
who l am as anything else that was going on in the “real world.”
Update 12/15/2018: The cookies were given out to DC Universe staffs and special prize packs to contest winners. Watch the DC Daily crew open up their gifts at youtube.com
Marv Wolfman is on 1.21 Geekawatts Episode #34. He does not get introduced until the 27 minute mark. The interview was originally recorded from July 2018 at Garden State Comic Fest.
>>>
Comic book writer and legend Marv Wolfman discusses his work on Teen
Titans, Crisis on Infinite Earths, and more! And Kevin Hines joins me to
say good-bye to the man who helped build Marvel Comics and the comic
book industry itself, Stan Lee. All in the powerful 34th episode of 1.21
Geekawatts!
>>>
PREVIEWSworld Video Game Month: Marv Wolfman
Sep 18, 2018
Video games have often been considered the “enemy” of comics, drawing
readers away from comics for the glow of arcade and home screens. But
somewhere along the way, video games became fodder for the comics,
drawing gamers away from their screens and back to the four-color page!
Years later, they’re seemingly inseparable now, with dozens of video game-based comics on the market.
George Pérez and Dick Giordano’s cover for The New Teen Titans #1 in 1980 is one of the most famous team shots—not just for the Titans, but in DC Comics history.
(excerpt)
DC Collectibles is going to make you work to complete the seven-statue
collection, however—each character is being sold separately for a
whopping $80 each, and slowly rolled out in late 2018. Starfire and
Robin will be released in August, Beast Boy and Cyborg in September, Kid
Flash and Wonder Girl in October, and then Raven will go on sale
sometime in November. At least the modular ability of each hero having
their own base lets you grab only a few you really want or swap
characters around every once in a while, but if you want to recreate the
whole cover, it’s going to set you back a pretty penny.
UPDATE:
Additional details:
- Size: 1:12/6" scale (6" figure)
- MSRP: $80.00 (Each sold separately)
- Based on the artwork by George Pérez
- Sculpted by Joe Menna
Watch: Comics artist George Perez on The New Teen Titans and Titans TV show
Contributed by Mike Avila on Jun 20, 2017
The way George Perez remembers it, The New Teen Titans were a consolation prize.
In 1980, with Perez already a comics superstar off his hugely popular run on Marvel's The Avengers,
DC Comics came calling. Perez had his sights set on a team book at
Marvel's Distinguished Competition, only it wasn't the Teen Titans. It
was the Justice League of America.
Only problem was DC wouldn't give him the JLA book....
DC; November 1980
Cover by George Pérez and Dick Giordano
Title: “The New Teen Titans” Synopsis: Raven gathers the new Teen Titans to rescue escaped-alien princess Koriand’r from Gordanian slave traders.
Writer: Marv Wolfman Penciler: George Pérez
Inker: Romeo Tanghal
Review: Following a strong debut in DC Comics Presents
#26, the new Teen Titans gather for good in this well-executed first
issue. Writer Marv Wolfman packs a lot into this origin tale: back
story, foreshadowing, solid action, and plenty of characterization –
often in the form of parental angst. A former top editor for the
competition, Wolfman brings something else essential to the Teen Titan’s
mix: an infusion of Marvel style. Joined by fellow Marvel-expat George
Pérez – who delivers dynamic-but-still-raw art here – the writer would
soon have this series topping DC’s sales chart. Deservedly so.
Grade: B+
Cool factor: DC finds its answer to Marvel’s X-Men – and the creative team to pull it off.
Notable: Includes a one-page intro essay by Marv Wolfman titled “You Can Come Home Again!”
Creator quotable: “The Titans’ origins all stemmed
from parent/child differences. The theme for the Titans began and
remained young verses old. Son and daughter verses father and mother.
These universal conflicts, understood by all teens as they grow up and
separate from their parents, could be revisited time and time again.”
–Writer/co-creater Marv Wolfman (From the Preface to The New Teen Titans Archives: Volume 1, November 1998) Character quotable: “Sure, what have I got to lose – ? – that is, besides my life!”– Changeling, keeping it light
5. Rob, you told us about drawing some pages that hadn't been
scripted after discussing them over the phone. How different was it to
work telephonically instead of writing everything out ahead of time?
Liefeld: It's pretty simple when the ideas for the page are clearly
expressed, visually articulated. Stan Lee and Jack Kirby produced tons
of issues talking the story out, as did Marv Wolfman and George Perez
on the Titans.
I have an audio tape of Alan Moore
describing the first issue of Warchild to me in tremendous detail, it
goes on for two hours, it's absolutely amazing. You could easily draw
from his telling the story. The end result might be different than a
scripted version, but not necessarily better.
Limited to 1,000 copies! This exclusive cover feature a tribute to New Teen Titans #1 by series artist, Don Figueroa and will feature an exclusive space for sketches!
THQ’s new video game based on the
popular Warner Bros. Animation series, Teen Titans, is now available
for PlayStation2 and GameCube. Licensed from Warner Bros. Interactive
Entertainment and developed by Artificial Mind & Movement (A2M),
the game marks the console debut of the superhero franchise starring
young versions of DC Comics characters. Majesco previously released a
Game Boy Advance title based on the property.
Created by Marv Wolfman and George
Perez, Teen Titans made its comic book debut in 1964 and soon grew into
its own monthly comic book series that ran for seven years. The New
Teen Titans followed in 1980 and became DC's most popular comic book of
the decade that followed. The revamped version dealt more with the
teenage angst aspect and serves as the basis for the animated series,
produced under the guidance of Emmy Award winner Glen Murakami.
Teen Titans for PlayStation2 and
GameCube is available now for the suggested retail price of $19.95. For
more information on this title and the rest of THQ's 2006 product
lineup, go to www.thq.com.
1980 was an interesting year for DC
Comics. Many of Marvel Comics' top talents had left the company because
of the office politics of the time and made their way to DC. Writer
Marv Wolfman and artist George Perez had both just made the move and
were eager to start some new projects. The duo wanted to do a new "Teen
Titans" book and DC reluctantly agreed.
Most staffers at the time figured the
book would last about six issues. Wolfman and Perez, however, had added
a new twist to the comic. Previous versions of the series had always
dealt with existing characters from other books. While the latest book
featured some of these characters, new ones were also created. This was
the introduction of Cyborg, Raven and Starfire. It was also the start
of something big. Within a short time, "The New Teen Titans" was DC's
biggest selling book and was rivaling Marvel's "X-Men" among fans.
Teen Titans at 25, Crisis at 20:
The Enduring Duo of Marv Wolfman and George Pérez
NEW TEEN TITANS #1 (Nov 1980)
(excerpt)
The legendary creative duos in comic
books include two teams - Joe Simon and Jack Kirby, and Stan Lee and
Jack Kirby - of whom it is generally safe to mention only their last
names. Others may well someday be added to this pantheon and still
others probably already belong to it, but while Simon & Kirby
helped define the 1940s and 1950s and Lee & Kirby certainly defined
the 1960s, another team defined the 1980s and in many ways helped set
the groundwork for the superhero comics we have today.
Writer Marv Wolfman and artist George
Pérez, who this year celebrate the 25th anniversary of New Teen Titans
and the 20th anniversary of Crisis on Infinite Earths, have impacted
the superhero genre as have few other pairs of creators. Though both
worked extensively with other partners before and since those efforts,
there is undeniably something compelling and special about that period
and their collaborative labors.
Friday’s Teen Titans 25th Anniversary panel
at Comic Con International: San Diego saw the room packed as Nick
Cardy, Marv Wolfman, Geoff Johns, Glenn Murakami, and Barb Kesel talked
Titans old and new, in print and animated.
(excerpt)
After introducing himself Geoff Johns
praised Wolfman, saying that his writing has served as an inspiration
and influence on him over the years.
Murakami said that he, like Johns, was a
fan of the Wolfman/Perez comic series growing up, and lept at the
chance to develop the group of heroes as an animated series when the
opportunity was presented to him.
...
Asked about the progress of Games, the
long-delayed in finishing original Teen Titans graphic novel by Wolfman
and Perez, Wolfman said that it will happen when it happens, noting
that Perez needs to finish it first, as it is something Wolfman said he
doesn’t want to write in pieces. “It’s the best Titans George has ever
drawn, though,” Wolfman said.
WHO'S YOUR DADDY??
written by Richard Ho
published in WIZARD #157 (Nov 2004)
www.wizarduniverse
Thirty years after he created Wolverine, LEN WEIN remains one of the
most influential creators in modern comic history - even if you've
never heard of him.
(excerpt)
NEW TEEN TITANS #1 (Nov 1980)
PUTTING CLAREMONT ON UNCANNY X-MEN
was simply one in an endless series of shining successes Wein enjoyed
while wearing his "editor" hat. Another one? The critically acclaimed
Marv Wolfman/George Pérez run on New Teen Titans, which Wein oversaw in 1980, after having moved to DC.
"Working on Titans was a dream,"
recalls Wein. "With the X-Men being the hottest book at Marvel, we
figured we ought to do something with DC's own version - the Teen
Titans." He and Wolfman pitched the idea to DC President Jenette Kahn,
who "looked at us like we were crazy. After all, the book had been
terrible - the last time DC canceled it! We looked at her and said
together, 'We'll do it better.' And she said okay! At that point in
time, the two of us were either writing or editing the top third of
their line, so she figured she had a pretty good shot with us."
The team of Wein, Wolfman, and Pérez
went on to make magic, guiding the title to X-Men-level popularity.
Wein's formula for success? Stay out of the way. "My attitude as an
editor was always hire the right people and get the hell out of their
way," explains Wein. "Let them do what they do best. As an editor you
stand on the sidelines, and if they start to veer off course, your job
is to pull them back. But otherwise, if it ain't broke, don't fix it."
"His main strength as an editor is his
ability to see what's wrong," notes Wolfman. "I always said, and he
agrees, that if there was a job that was essentially called, 'No no,
don't do that,' that should be Len's job. He's able to see what someone
else has done, and then make the suggestion very clearly as to how to
make it better."
Even if someone doesn't go along with Wein's suggestions.
For the purposes of this article, we're going to say that the truly authentic New Teen Titans were the ones that cropped up in the 1980s.
See, the first Teen Titans
appeared in the 1960s. Then they experienced a minor lull and underwent
a semi-reinvention in the '70s, adding characters like the Joker's
Daughter, The Bumblebee, Bat-Girl and Golden Eagle.
But it wasn't until 1980 when DC Comics emerged under an official The New Teen Titans comic title that the transformation was complete. Previewed in DC Comics Presents #26,
this fresh-faced crew fused the older standbys like Robin, Wonder Girl
and Kid Flash with entirely original characters like Cyborg, Starfire,
Raven, Terra and Changling.
The major difference between this camp
and its band of '60s predecessors was that, this time, the Teens were
no longer sidekicks. They'd finally emerged from the shadows of their
mentors (with the aid of gradual age progression) to become their own
men... and women. This time around, they were confident enough in their
own ability to bust the bad guys without having to play second fiddle
or beg an assist from their older superheroic counterparts.
Under this title, Wonder Girl married
and Robin graduated college. Then, in 1988, the comic title evolved,
dropping the "Teen" from its name to become The New Titans, and
crimefighting business went on as usual for another eight years.
But any channel-surfing animated series enthusiast knows that yet another group of New Teen Titans
airs regularly on the Cartoon Network. So will the newest New Teen
Titans one day become passe, only to be usurped by another newer New
Teen Titans crew? Well, if history is any indication, we'd guess so....
Speaking of big shoes to fill, Mike
McKone may feel he’s standing in the shadow of the mighty George Perez.
However, just as Johns steps out into the light and makes this book his
own, so to, does McKone. With the help of Alquiza and Rapmund on inks,
the art has a feel that is unique to the new series, yet endowed with
the same dynamic flair Perez showcased some two decades ago.
Anyone who enjoys team dynamics,
intriguing plots and incredible characterization brought to life by ‘A’
list artistic talent should be reading this book. These guys have taken
an old concept and created something fresh and new. As the cliché goes,
this isn’t your Father’s Titans, but I wouldn’t have it any other way.
VINNIE COSTA JOINS DIRECT SALES AS REPRESENTATIVE - EVENTS & RETAILER SERVICES
DC Comics' Direct Sales department
welcomes Vinnie Costa as Representative - Events & Retailer
Services. Costa reports to Fletcher Chu-Fong, Manager - Events &
Retailer Services, and assists with convention and meeting planning and
fulfills retailers' promotional requests.
"Vinnie brings enthusiasm and passion
for comics to his new position, as well as expertise in the travel
industry," says Fletcher Chu-Fong, "We're going to a lot of conventions
next year, and Vinnie will have a major role in our success for 2004."
"I've been reading comics since I was
twelve, starting with THE NEW TEEN TITANS," says Costa. "I'm really
looking forward to assisting the retail community in whatever way I
can. If it helps retailers sell more books, I'm happy to do it!"
It was announced at Wizard World Texas
that Marv Wolfman and George Perez would be teaming up again to
complete the ‘80s graphic novel starring the New Teen Titans. THE PULSE
thought now would be the perfect time to ask Wolfman some questions
about his original work on the series.
THE PULSE: Back in the day, after the
Teen Titans hadn't done so well in its second volume in the mid-70s,
what made you want to bring them back again? Why did you think the time
was right?
WOLFMAN: When I moved over to DC from Marvel I was assigned a lot of
crossover titles like World's Finest and Brave & The Bold and
really didn't want to work on them. I hate those kinds of team-up books
and had already done almost two years worth of Marvel Two-In-One
stories that I felt were among my worst Marvel work, so I was desperate
to get off them. I managed to get onto Superman and still needed one
more title. Having written the Titans in the late 60s - I did the
original origin of Wonder Girl story back then - and having a soft spot
for the group, I thought it would be fun to redo the Titans, but in the
more modern style at the time. I primarily wanted to create my own
characters as well as finally get a chance to do super-hero stories in
my own style - as I had been doing with Tomb of Dracula - as opposed to
writing Spider-Man and Fantastic Four in a pseudo Stan Lee style. I had
no expectations that the Titans would sell, even after George agreed to
do the book, but we both knew we would have fun while it lasted. And it
lasted. And lasted. And lasted.
THE PULSE: At that point in time, how many teen hero comics were there on the shelves?
WOLFMAN: I'm not certain if there were any Teen comics out in 1980
outside of Titans. The X-Men were certainly not teens but I'm not sure
if the Legion was being done at that point or not. Titans was a risk
for DC because Jenette Kahn, the publisher, really disliked the
previous versions and wasn't sure DC should try a new one. But she went
with [editor] Len Wein and me when we said we'd do it better. It was a
leap of faith that I'm not sure is being done today in the same way.
November 4, 2003 | Filipino Contribution to Comics
Romeo Tanghal is a name I constantly saw
credited as inker of Marv Wolfman and George Perez's "New Teen Titans".
Before that Tanghal also did pencils for "House of Mystery" and later
on became an inker for books like "Batman", "Captain Atom", "Doctor
Fate", "Justice League of America", "Green Lantern", "Wonder Woman",
"Dazzler", and "Thor."
Since I was born in 1972, I only got to
see the works of these great artists as badly reprinted editions or as
sample pages in "The History of Komiks." Thankfully, some of their work
has been reprinted in trade paperbacks, although most are lost in some
back issue bin or in some kid's toy chest.
Frank
Cho is a lifelong comics fan who started creating his own comic strips
in college. One of his works was the basis for the widely-popular Liberty Meadows series. A while ago, Cho chose to stop syndicating Liberty Meadows
and publish it through Image Comics. Sequential Tart caught up with Cho
to discuss how that deal was working out and some of his future
projects.
(excerpt)
ST: When did you first start reading and collecting comics? Which ones were early favorites?
FC: I seriously started collecting comic books when I was in the 5th grade. I have so many early favorites — Fantastic Four #250, Uncanny X-Men #166, Amazing Spider-Man with the first appearance of the Hobgoblin, the great Marv Wolfman and George Perez run on the Teen Titans. Detective Comics #509 by Don Newton was one of the biggest inspiration to become a comic book artist.
Topic: Eddie Berganza: DC's OTHER Superman, Editor Eddie Beranza speaks with CWN
Posted: April 07 2003,17:30
posted by Caleb Gerard Offline
Eddie Berganza: DC’s Other Superman
Eddie Berganza, from looking at his
current resume, seems to be the busiest man behind the scenes at DC
Comics today. With the whole Super-family of titles a couple of new
regular monthlies and a handful of minis is it any wonder that this
interview took weeks to complete (oh, and I should add that Eddie was
also on jury duty recently, so he’s civic AND hard working).
Under Eddie’s watchful eye Superman and his “family” have gone through
changes that have caught the attention of not only the comic press but
also mainstream press as well.
Anyhow, the less said at this end of the interview the better, so let’s see what’s up with Eddie Berganza.
Oh, and please feel free to comment on the piece, but you’ll have to register 1st.
(excerpt)
NEW TEEN TITANS #1 (Nov 1980)
CWN: You seem to have a fondness for the Titans (Teen or otherwise) when did this start for you?
EB: I think like most everyone, it was with Marv Wolfman and George
Perez on NEW TEEN TITANS #1. That stuff was amazing and so different
from everything else at DC at the time. And I'm a sucker for team
books. I love character interaction.
CWN: Wolfman & Perez rocked the
industry, no doubt. What are we going to be getting from this latest
version of the Titans?
EB: Some great characterization from writer Geoff Johns. He excels at
that. Don't believe me, just check out JSA, HAWKMAN and FLASH, and add
a healthy dosage of action plus the amazing art of Mike McKone and
Marlo Alquiza, and you have some pretty cool stuff. I've worked with
McKone on SUPERMAN in the past and it's been great, but what he's doing
on TITANS surpasses anything I've seen him do before. He's really into
it. Fans of Marv and George's run will be really happy with this. Of
the past incarnations this comes the closest to that, and at the same
time Geoff is being extremely careful that this very NEW reader
friendly.
CWN: You seem to have a fondness for the Titans (Teen or otherwise) when did this start for you?
EB: I think like most everyone, it was with Marv Wolfman and George
Perez on NEW TEEN TITANS #1. That stuff was amazing and so different
from everything else at DC at the time. And I'm a sucker for team
books. I love character interaction.
CWN: Wolfman & Perez rocked the
industry, no doubt. What are we going to be getting from this latest
version of the Titans?
EB: Some great characterization from writer Geoff Johns. He excels at
that. Don't believe me, just check out JSA, HAWKMAN and FLASH, and add
a healthy dosage of action plus the amazing art of Mike McKone and
Marlo Alquiza, and you have some pretty cool stuff. I've worked with
McKone on SUPERMAN in the past and it's been great, but what he's doing
on TITANS surpasses anything I've seen him do before. He's really into
it. Fans of Marv and George's run will be really happy with this. Of
the past incarnations this comes the closest to that, and at the same
time Geoff is being extremely careful that this very NEW reader
friendly.
March 21, 2003 | Ask Mr Silverage (CBG #1533)
From COMICS BUYER'S GUIDE #1533 (4 Apr 03)
AS MR SILVER AGE:
written by Craig Shutt
published in COMICS BUYER'S GUIDE #1533 (4 Apr 03)
website: www.comicsbuyersguide.com
More from Bronze Age Readers
Dave Blanchard: "Dear Mr. Age:
(excerpt)
..But if New Teen Titans #1 (Nov
80) was the first DC Bronze Age comic, as you claim, how do you define
all the super-hero comics DC did from 1976-1979? And, for that matter,
how do you define DC Comics Presents #26 (Oct 80), which featured the first appearance of the New Teen Titans.
DC pumped out a whole bunch of new
super-hero comic books from January 1976 right up until the 1978
Implosion (which really only slowed things down, as opposed to stopping
DC dead in its tracks.) I think it's way too late in the game to say
that DC finally "got it", when New Teen Titans came out, particularly since New Teen Titans
itself was a retread of a retread. It was more or less DC finally
getting one right, mostly thanks (I think) to the George Pérez art than
anything else."
Craig Shutt: ...I think the DC Implosion is a good indication that the company didn't "get it" prior to New Teen Titans.
Actually the Implosion probably helped solidify the new Bronze Age,
since it killed more other-genre material than it did super-hero
comics, clearing the way to return to super-heroes after DC realized
that the Teen Titans might not be a popular approach.
The notion that New Teen Titans
was a "retread" doesn't bother me, considering Barry Allen was a
retread. I learned long ago that there are billions of great ideas
floating around; success is all about execution.
Looking at the signatures on the cover to NEW TEEN TITANS: TERROR OF TRIGON,
it looks like Phil Jimenez signed the artwork as "PEREZ & JIMENEZ".
This might confuse some reader into thinking that George Pérez did the
artwork for the cover, but that is not entirely true. George (with Dick
Giordano) did the original cover to NEW TEEN TITANS #1, and this new cover is merely an homage or tribute to the original cover design. See homages: NEW TEEN TITANS #1 for additional homage covers.
November 11, 2002 | Big Changes to DC's Youngsters
YOUTH QUAKE: Big Changes to DC's Youngsters
posted November 10, 2002 12:11 PM
written by michaelDORAN
(excerpt)
Teen Titans will feature the creative team of writer Geoff Johns and artist Mike (Exiles) McKone.
“This is like a dream project for Geoff,” said (editor Eddie) Berganza. “He’s told me the first year’s storyline, and it’s amazing. You won’t believe what he has planned.”
One thing the publisher does ask you to
believe it the new team’s line-up, because they’ve already revealed it.
The new series will star former YJ'ers Robin, Wonder Girl, Superboy and
Impulse, along with former Titans Beast Boy, Cyborg, Starfire and
Raven, though Johns tells Newsarama that won’t be the teams’s complete
final line-up.
“I chose these characters specifically
because, most of them are DC's new generation of teens (Superboy,
Robin, etc.) and the others are favorite characters of mine, ones I
gravitate toward,” Johns said, adding the line-up’s sort-of
‘resemblance-with-a-twist’ to Wolfman & Perez’ classic New Teen
Titans line-up was both intentional and coincidence.
“Why Starfire and Cyborg (not teens) are
present will all be explained in the book. And you'll be seeing a
different kind of Raven. Plus we have some big plans for Superboy. “
TITANS TOGETHER! GEOFF JOHNS TALKS ABOUT 'TEEN TITANS!'
by Arune Singh, Staff Writer
Posted: November 10, 2002
(excerpt)
Some fans might be skeptical, with all
the different incarnations of the Titans, teen or not, in recent years
and Johns says that he does have a unique perspective to bring to the
book, but he can't go into too much detail yet. "I'm really focusing on
the kids being kids, teenagers being teenagers and why they have to be
together, but I can't really talk [New Teen Titans #1]specifics at this
point," says Johns. "It's just too early and I don't want to spoil
Judd's mini-series or our first arc. But I can tell you that I chose
the characters for this book because those are the characters I
gravitate towards and the reason they mirror the Wolfman/Perez era is
because that's my favorite era, of course. No one said I had to take
the characters - I chose them. And yes, before anyone points it out, I
realize that Cyborg and Starfire are not teenagers. However, you'll be
seeing a very different kind of Raven…"
Letters, We’ve Got Letters!
Sunday, October 6
By Marv Wolfman
From: kpierc72@earthlink.net
How did the entire concept of the Teen Titans came about? Was it
DC's intention for it to complete with the X-Men or was it a surprise
hit? Had you and George Perez always had the idea of Cyborg, Raven and
Star fire, back in Marvel? Why did DC not include Firestorm within the
Teen Titans. Who had come up with the concept of Nightwing?
I will assume you’re asking about The
New Teen Titans and not the original group. I don’t know who created
that group – it could have been the editors or the writer, Bob Haney.
Maybe someone out there knows? As for my group, I was leaving Marvel
and coming over to DC (in those days you could only work for one
company and not both) and was getting my assignments. My only request
was no team-up books, so, naturally, I was assigned to DC Presents and
Brave & Bold, both team-up books. Therefore, my first order of
business was to get off those titles.
Len Wein and I had written a story or
two for the original Teen Titans way back in the late 60s, and I always
had a warm spot for those characters, so I asked Len – who at this
point had become an editor at DC – if we could revive the title. I went
home and came up with the characters, so, no, there was not always a
Starfire, Cyborg or Raven. You can read my introduction for the first
Teen Titans Archives to see how they came about. Len and I went into
publisher Jenette Kahn’s office and pitched my idea. Jenette said she
did not like the previous version of the Titans and therefore wasn’t
hot on the idea, but we said we’d do it better. Honestly, that’s all we
said. Jenette, who trusted us, said fine.
As I fleshed out the characters I ran
into George Perez at the Marvel offices. I mentioned to him that I was
working on a new version of the Titans and would he be interested in
drawing it. George thought the book would last maybe a half dozen
issues, and there was a chance he could also draw the Justice League,
which was the book he really wanted to do, so he said yes. George then
designed the look of each and every one of the characters.
We showed Jenette what we had done and
she liked it so much she decided we should do a 16 page original Titans
story that they would put in free in DC Presents #26 to get people
interest.
The following came from someone whose name I stupidly lost. Tell me who sent this and I'll publicly apologize.
What is your opinion of the different segments of your lengthy run on
Titans? What was your best story arc? What was your worst? At what
point did you realize you didn't want to write it anymore? Discuss
generally your long run on the book and how it affected you as a writer
and the concept of the team book in the comic medium. Also compare your
run on Titans to the Claremont period on X-Men and the results on both
books.
The New Teen Titans was the best of
times and the worst of times. I loved writing the book, especially the
first eight to ten years where I was in charge of it, either
unofficially or officially. Those were the issues where I did what I
truly believed in. Once someone else comes in - even if they are a
great editor - things change. Sometimes for the best. Sometimes not so
for the best. There are a number comics where I truly believe the
editor makes the series much, much better, but a very few series where
I feel the creators should be left alone. For me those series would be
Titans, Crisis and Tomb Of Dracula. Everything else I've worked on has
been helped by working with good editors.
I don't think it's at all surprising that things weren't quite the same
on Titans once that control changed.
Best runs: The first 50 issues. Or
anytime I worked with the incredible George Perez. He wasn't just the
artist. He was the co-creator. Favorite stories: "Who is Donna Troy?",
the Terra storyline. And a story nobody ever brings up which is my all
time favorite, "Shades of Gray," the culmination of the
Changeling/Terminator story. There are dozens of smaller stories that I
also love, especially "A Day In The Life," and "A Pretty Girl Is Like a
Maladi." I loved the Kole stories and many others.
Where did it go wrong? The last year or
two. The reason? See my note in paragraph one above. Also, along the
way I lost interest in the series and thought of quitting, but then Jon
Peterson became editor and reminded me what I loved about the book. We
did "Titans Hunt" together which was as close to the 'classic' Titans
as I had done in a long time. It would have been a lot better if it
hadn't had to be broken up by two maxi-series, turning what should have
been a four-five part story where Vic Stone would have been rebuilt to
a year and a half storyline where he got lost in the mix.
I finally had it during that final year
and decided to quit the book. I hated every story. Every issue. I
wasn't even the plotter. So, at a DC Christmas out here in LA, I went
up to DCU Editor-in-Chief Mike Carlin and said I wanted to quit and
asked if DC would bring back Night Force and let me write that instead,
but with a different editor. I thought there might have been a problem,
but Mike said yes but asked me to stay on the Titans a few issues
longer. He said he thought it would be best to cancel the Titans with
my run rather than just hand it over to someone else. They would then
restart it with new characters, concepts and a new number one, which I
thought was a great idea. After sixteen years, a new voice and approach
was needed. Mike assigned a new editor to my last four issues, and,
with the exception of not being able to use Nightwing - who had been
returned to Batman continuity - let me end the series pretty much the
way I wanted. I still thank Mike for rescuing me from what had turned
into a hellish nightmare.
I still love the Titans and would love
to do individual stories about them, but DC hasn't seemed that
interested. I recently proposed a character-driven Titans-3 series
featuring an approximately 24 year old Cyborg, Raven and Starfire
trying to figure out what they are about when they aren't being super,
but nobody seems to be banging down my door for it. I also have tried
to jumpstart the Games graphic novel George and I started a dozen years
ago - of which he drew 80 incredible pages that have never been seen -
but again, no interest.
Crisis:
Some fans believe this series ended an era by creating the one-world DC view. But Crisis brought many new fans back to super-hero comics. The grappling with various threads that came out of a Crisis
compares with the declining years of the Silver Age, 1968-1970, when a
host of oddball comics were produced in an effort to find another
winning direction. In the Bronze Age, the compaies again were searching
for new ideas, but they searched primarily within the super-heroes.
It's also difficult to believe the third great super-hero era ended
before Dark Knight Returns and Watchmen appeared.
(Vu: Two other important comic books mentioned (and discussed) in this article was NEW TEEN TITANS #1 and CRISIS ON INFINITE EARTHS #1. Incidentally, according to this article, the Bronze Age took place between 1975-1989.)
[ Read more on COMICS BUYERS GUIDE #1497 (26 July 2002) ]
NEW TEEN TITANS #1 (Nov 1980)
新少年泰坦 #1 (Teen Titans) (China) (Feb 2017)
ART OF VINTAGE DC COMICS: NEW TEEN TITANS #1 (Sep 2010)
