When Teen Titans Go!, a more comedic iteration of the beloved DC Comics franchise, first premiered on Cartoon Network in 2013 I don’t anyone could have predicted its incredible success and staying power. After more than a decade later, it has not only become the longest animated series in DC history, but is also set to celebrate its 400th episode this week.
Last month during New York Comic Con, we had the immense pleasure of chatting with the cast and crew about the momentous 400th episode of Teen Titans Go! including showrunner and executive producer Peter Rida Michail as well as voice actors Tara Strong (Raven), Greg Cipes (Beast Boy), Khary Payton (Cyborg), Hynden Walch (StarFire), and Scott Menville (Robin).
Taimur Dar: There’s nothing like Teen Titans Go! in the DC Universe or the superhero genre in general. It occurred to me that the show and you as a group are like a comedy troupe such as Monty Python or Kids in the Hall. Is that how you see yourselves?
Hynden Walch: I’ve never thought about it before in my entire life, ever. We started playing very dramatic action characters. We’re all really adept at comedy which is a bonus. I love Kids in the Hall and we love to improvise in the show which is always nice. We’re always given lots of support, “Can I try this?” “Dude, don’t even ask!”
Scott Menville: That’s coming from the top producers! Don’t even ask, just try it. I’ve never thought about that comparison before. That makes sense that we are kind of like a comedy troupe because we all have our characters but they also have us do a lot of the incidental characters. We have great guest actors who come in too, but a lot of us will voice the reoccurring characters like certain villains. In a sense that’s kind of comedy troupe-ish. We’re all tight like a comedy troupe. We’ve been friends for twenty years since the original series.
Dar: The original Teen Titans animated series is when I first became aware of voice directors. The legendary Andrea Romano of course directed that series. For Teen Titans Go! you have Lisa Schaffer, another voice director who’s one of the best in the business. I would love to hear how the relationship with her has grown since you first started working with her?
Menville: I was a kid actor in the business, so I grew up working with both of them. Andrea directed me on many things as a young kid before Titans and she’s amazing. Lisa is amazing too. I started working with her on the original Carmen Sandiego cartoon. I played Zack. She was not our director, but she was like an assistant director. So I’ve known her forever. It was kind of seamless for me since day one because I knew them from other projects. Both have different approaches but [are] so skilled at what they do. I love that you referenced the voice directors. I’ve never gotten a question about them before.
Walch: Thank you for doing that! Andrea is absolutely lovely. She and I are very tight to this day.
Menville: Me too. You [and Andrea] were out to dinner and you guys called me recently.
Walch: Lisa is absolutely extraordinary as well. But like Scott said, a completely different approach. We did Henry Hugglemonster together but I know I’ve worked with her long before that.
Menville: What’s interesting about Lisa, too. We’re here talking about our 400th episode. We’ve got these characters really down, but Lisa will do a read and give a direction and you’re like, “That’s such a better direction. I didn’t think to go that way.” She knows how to shape it the right way.
Dar: Even after 400 episodes, I think the best is yet to come. Anything you can tease or would love to do in the series?
Menville: I’d love for us to do a sequel to our Teen Titans Go! to the Movies.
Walch: We’d like to do another feature, definitely.
Menville: I will say that we are far into production on season nine. So this 400th [episode] is in season eight. Our writers and producers keep surprising me!
Walch: Really funny material. Unbelievably funny material!
Menville: Sometimes you get the script and there’s a title that’s funny and I’m like, “How have we not had that title or premise before in an episode?”
Dar: It seems fitting that you compliment the writing since Hynden wrote the “Stockton, CA!” episode and Scott’s wife has written a number of episodes.
Menville: Dude, you are so good! Hynden wrote “Stockton” and my wife Jacqueline Menville wrote many episodes.
Dar: Don’t suppose you have any desire to write an episode yourself?
Menville: I am a writer but not in screenplays. I have books that I’ve been working on.
Walch: Can we blab about this? Because we both write.
Menville: Hynden has a novel that she’s written. I have books that I’m writing. We’ve read pieces to each other to get feedback. As far as screenwriting, I leave that to the people who are passionate and professional. But Hynden can do it all! Screenplays, novels, whatever!
Dar: When the original series first aired, I was definitely into superheroes but I wasn’t as steeped as I am today. I think it’s safe to say the Teen Titans as characters have become household names by the general public. Go to any convention and you’re guaranteed to see a Titan cosplayer. How does it feel being a part in helping the Teen Titans franchise enter the mainstream?
Greg Cipes: Tara Strong gets all the credit!
Tara Strong: [Laughs].No, we feel very blessed and fortunate to see these characters impact people in such a positive way. I hear a lot of times from fans, “I didn’t have any friends until I started watching this show.” “I felt very depressed thinking I was the only one like me until I saw Raven.” We feel very fortunate to be a part of pop culture in such a huge way. It really is pretty huge. The longest running animated series!
Cipes: It’s a miraculous show!
Dar: In addition to the main characters, you also voice many side or incidental characters which continually blow me away. How has the series pushed you as voice actors?
Cipes: It’s a big stretch for sure but I’m very flexible.
Strong: I think the hardest working person on the show is definitely Scott Menville. He’s always carrying the show and the action and he’s the loudest in show. But we get excited when we get to play incidental characters. I was such a big fan of the Wonder Twins so to get to play Jayna on the show was really fun. Anytime we get to do additional characters we have so much fun and we put as much love into them as anything else.
Dar: Teen Titans Go! has had some wild crossovers over the years like Scooby-Doo or Freakazoid. One I never expected was Beetlejuice on the show. I’m old enough to have watched the original Beetlejuice animated series which Tara was in. The character has definitely in the zeitgeist recently thanks to the recent sequel. Gotta ask how it was to play in the Beetlejuice world again?
Strong: The second movie is so good. I thought it was brilliant.
Cipes: I only watch Teen Titans Go!.
[Laughter]
Strong: It’s a good thing to watch. We are up to 400 episodes. All of November they’re going to be playing every single episode. We love doing crossovers and being embraced by other fandoms. The fans get a kick out of it and that’s what it’s all about, getting the fans excited.
Dar: It goes without saying that there’s a magic having the actors record together. Obviously, it was difficult during the pandemic, but some productions were able to have virtual ensemble sessions. Do you all record in person as a group or virtually?
Strong: Sometimes we do them together in person and sometimes we do virtual. But we’re always together.
Cipes: I won’t do it without Tara!
Strong: We really feed off each other. We need each other’s energy. When you’ve been working with someone so long you have an idea how they’re going to do it. But every so often, Greg will do a read of a line that I didn’t anticipate that really cracks me up that I then do need to respond to. Acting is really listening. So when we’re together feeding off each other’s energy and hearing an interesting take, it’s going to affect our performance. It’s pretty wonderful aside from the fact that we all love each other and have fun together.
Cipes: As Tara’s vocal coach, I take all the credit.
[Laughter]
Dar: Like any series, it takes a village. The show’s original creators Aaron Horvath and Michael Jelenic departed a few years ago. Peter, you’ve been part of the series since the beginning, so how has it been keeping the Teen Titans Go! momentum going?
Khary Payton: He hasn’t seen light in a very long time. I don’t even know how he still has colors in his cheeks. He has been the engine of making this show go for years now. He literally does the job of seven people. It’s an incredible thing to be a part of and behold and to see the level of commitment and love for the art of what we’re doing. I’m glad you asked this question and the reason that I’m answering it is because he doesn’t get to hear it enough and people don’t get to know it enough. He’s done so much for this show and for me personally and creatively. It’s a good moment to say thank you because it’s also an incredible work environment. When you’re working this hard and this long, whoever is at the top it all trickles down. It can be like hell or you can be galvanized by it. It’s just great that Pete’s been here and able to keep everybody’s energy in the right direction.
Dar: Hard to top that!
Peter Rida Michail: It is hard to top that! Khary is incredibly nice for saying those kind words. To answer your question, Michael and Aaron left a lot of responsibility. But we’ve been with them the whole journey since day one. The essence and vibe of the show is the same. Those guys set up such a beautiful world. What we did after they left is just expand it. We started building our own “Springfield.” If you look at those first six seasons, we kept it tight. After season six, the world started opening up. We introduced new characters, new villains, new heroes. Hopefully we just keep growing our Springfield, Jump City, so we can do this for years to come.
Dar: I loved the Static Shock animated series as a kid so I got a kick out of seeing him appear in the 400th episode. I have to ask what went into including him?
Michail: The same reason. We’re fans! We never used him on our show and we were like, “Maybe this is a moment to give him a nod. Let’s put him in the song and give him his time to shine.”
Payton: Our show has always tried to play in the sandbox and make it bigger. They’ve always been fans of the other shows that we’ve voiced like the [Teenage Mutant Ninja] Turtles or My Little Pony or Young Justice. We’ve played with all of these different characters but used it in our comic playground in the best way possible.
Dar: I’ve always loved how Teen Titans Go! has been able to comment on other DC media. I’m excited about the new direction of DC Studios under James Gunn. I don’t suppose we can expect you guys to touch upon the current DC Universe?
Michail: I don’t know if you saw, but James Gunn made it very clear that we are Elseworlds. We’re happy to be Elseworlds. Will we touch on it? That’s up to Gunn. But we do operate outside of his main DC storyline and lore which gives us crazy freedom. But if he ever comes knocking…
Payton: I don’t think anything is off limits. Especially something that is that meta is just right for Teen Titans. It’s got to happen!
The 400th episode of Teen Titans Go! premieres this Saturday, November 30th on Cartoon Network
English (US) · 