"The Spectacular Spider-Man's second season premiere is coming soon, so ComicsOnline is proud to share more exclusive interviews with the production team! This week we got to briefly speak with Writer Randy Jandt and Director Jen Coyle who worked on Season One's Doctor Octopus-centric episode as well as an upcoming episode in Season Two!
CO: How familiar were you with the Spider-Man universe prior to working on Spectacular?
RJ : I had read some Spider-Man/superhero comics as a kid and had seen the films/tv shows, so I had a general familiarity that most people can relate to. However, in terms of really knowing Spider-Man, the history, characters, stories, etc...suffice to say, I had some catching up to do. Thankfully, having industry stalwarts and comic book experts, Greg Weisman and Vic Cook producing the show, that made a huge difference for me and the rest of the production as well. Give the overwhelming positive response to the show, that (Greg and Vic's) expertise has paid off in spades.
JC: I was actually quite familiar with the Spider-man universe, a friend in high school turned me on to the beginnings of the story and I collected and read the comics until I couldn't stand the way they were drawing Mary Jane any more!
CO: In regards to the Doc Ock episodes : What stands out as a highlight for you? What was your overall goal with the introduction of this character? What was your inspiration for this version of Doc Ock?
RJ: What stands out for me personally, was, as you put it, "The Introduction", as well as the overall character development of Doc Ock. The challenge of course was making something old new again, but more importantly moving forward with the goal of making Doc Ock "New and Improved" while still being mindful and respectful of the history and fan expectation. With Greg Weisman's guidance and direction, I'm very proud of the results.
JC: Ah, Doctor Octopus...gotta admit I've got a sweet spot for the Doctor. Between the fantastic voice talent provided by Peter MacNichols and Sean's great character design, I had a lot of inspiration to begin with....but as far as character goes, Doctor Octopus is a fun one...a classic villain with plots, schemes, and big plans and yet he's witty, sophisticated and not without a sense of style. Here's a villain who's just at home with mass destruction as he would be at, say, the Opera. I think he was admirably played by Alfred Molina in the Spider-man movies, but I'm proud to say our Doc has, at least for me, taken on an identity that is both resonant and true to the original comics yet unique and fresh in our particular Spider-man corner of the universe. He's complex,modern, hyper-intelligent, completely unencumbered by humanity, and though he views society with a derisive contempt he doesn't mind taking the odd moment to enjoy the finer things in life. He's been, hands-down, my favorite villain on the series.
CO: Which episodes/projects are you working on next?
RJ: The show is currently on hiatus pending a pickup. There is so much potential with storylines and characters, it really would be a shame if ths show doesn't continue. Hopefully the folks that make that decision will hear from all the Spectacular Spider-Man fans out there. LET YOUR VOICES BE HEARD! :)
JC: I just finished directing on the new prime-time Mike Judge series called "The Goode Family" which is also very fun and smart, but it's worlds away from the Spectacular Spider-man stylistically. It's one of the best things about this business to adapt to new styles constantly, it's a great way to stay limber and not stagnate.
CO: If you could work on any superhero project, what would it be and why?
RJ: The Green Hornet- Though I dont know if he's really considered a superhero in traditional comic book terms. I think it would be a fascinating and a whole lot of fun bringing those characters/stories back to life with a fresh, new spin. Creatively, I also think the Kato character has been grossly underdeveloped and has much more potential than a one-dimensional, Asian Martial-Arts sidekick.
JC: If I could work on any super-hero project at all, hmmm, I'd love to work on Spectacular Spider-man season three of course! It has been amazing to work on Spider-man, I am so proud of it! And I'd really like to see what the producers have up their sleeves story-wise: they also have plots, schemes and big plans...!!! Otherwise, I'd love to work on an animated Watchmen! Watchmen is one of my favorite books of all time and I heard that some animated shorts have been done to accompany the DVD release of the movie...I'm so jealous!! Hope they're good!
Special Thanks to Randy and Jen for taking the time to speak with us.
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