Going out of the box is probably one of the best and yet, one of the rarest strategies that filmmakers and showmakers use. However, that wasn’t the case with Teen Titans which made the show very popular, especially among kids.
With its premiere on July 19, 2003, Teen Titans entered into the world of cartoons with a bang. The show premiered on Cartoon Network channel with its first two seasons also available on Kids’ WB. It immediately became a popular show with its funny and interesting characters. Major credit behind its success surely goes to its creator and developer, Glen Murakami.
In fact, due to a big step taken by Murakami regarding the show, the entire world saw and recognized a few characters of the show who were earlier mildly known.
Two Superheroes Were Sidelined to Make Room for Lesser-Known Characters in Teen Titans
With characters voiced by Khary Payton, Tara Strong, and other such actors, the American animated series Teen Titans was a really wonderful show for kids that creator Glen Murakami developed alongside the former vice-president of Cartoon Network Sam Register and producer David Slack.
In an interview with Animation World Network, Murakami opened up about the idea of the side characters taking center stage in Teen Titans. The reason behind it was to show characters that haven’t gotten much attention in the past. He said:
“I think we wanted to portray characters that haven’t really been seen before, and we were trying to make something that was different from the Justice League.”
This was also why he deliberately kept Donna Troy (Wonder Girl) and Wally West (Kid Flash) away from the cut. Murakami’s idea indeed turned out to be a successful step and Teen Titans became a really enjoyable show to watch daily. This idea created room for the side characters to flourish.
Glen Murakami Did Not Mind the Shift to Kids’ Animation
Dr. Toon asked about how Murakami felt after switching to a work that was particularly for the kids. Murakami was acquainted with a kind of animation that was consumed by late-teen to adult audiences. He wasn’t much into the kids’ stuff.
However, Murakami cleared the air by responding in favor of the shift. He said that he was completely fine with making animation that’s not meant for teenagers or adults, but instead for the small kids.
He was actually happy that he got a chance to go in a different direction with the superheroes. On top of that, he also mentioned that even if the show is exclusively made for kids, that doesn’t make it a restricted area for teen explorers. Anyone who takes an interest in the show can always switch on the TV and watch it wholeheartedly.
Teen Titans is available for streaming on Prime Video and Max.
