Comicbloc: Adam Beechen Interview

Adventures in Interviewing: Adam Beechen
Written by Doug Zawisza (Doug Zawisza)
Tuesday, 29 May 2007

If there’s one name that’s gotten Internet message boards buzzing lately, it’s Adam Beechen. The multimedia writer has put his thoughts to the pages of comics and the frames of cartoons, blogged about hoops and devised ideas for animated series. Not only that, but he has forever altered the fate of more than one teenage hero. Joining Teen Titans amidst the hubbub of Geoff Johns leaving the book he had revived, Adam found his own time there to be one of transition. Leaving Titans before he even fully warms up the seat of the writer’s chair, Adam Beechen is counting down to his new tasks …in more ways than one.

DZ: So, are you actually done writing Teen Titans now, or are you putting the bows on your storylines?

AB: I’m actually done writing Titans. My last script was officially declared good to go last week. Onward and upward!

DZ: Will you be using Robin’s voice in Teen Titans then, or will you be trying to establish the viewpoint through an different character?

AB: Titans is an ensemble book, so it makes sense and is just plain more fun to explore all the different voices. Otherwise, they’d call it Robin and the Other Kids.

DZ: Tease the readers a little, what can we expect from you in both Robin and Teen Titans? Who’s the next big bad Robin’s going to face? What issue gives us the next Titans roster shake-ups?

AB: Well, I’m going to play my cards pretty close to the vest as pertains to Titans, hope you don’t mind … but after the Titans East storyline wraps up, we’ll see the book cross over with Amazons Attack for a few issues, then there’s the matter of a landmark 50th issue to deal with. As far as roster shake-ups … some characters will definitely be moving on around that time, and it’s my hope a new character or two will come in.

Something important to deal with will be the situation Jericho finds himself in at the end of Titans East, and it’s a condition that affects a number of our cast. Over in Robin, Tim’s currently dealing with a street gang that’s been turned murderously metahuman in a story that’ll run three parts. Then there’s a single issue showing us Tim’s first Father’s Day with Bruce … it’s a story I like a lot, as it brings back my favorite villains of the Bill Willingham era. Then there’s another multi-parter that addresses the fate of the teen teleporter, Dodge, who’s been lurking around for my entire run and introduces a couple new villains I hope can become fixtures in Robin’s world.

DZ: Sounds like a busy year for comicdom’s favorite teens. Given your relatively short time on the series, without spoiling anything, what do you view as your contribution to the Teen Titans mythos?

AB: As the guy who served as the bridge between Geoff Johns and Sean McKeever! (laughs) I’m not sure I was there long enough to make a huge contribution to the Titans’ mythos (much to some fans’ relief, I’m sure!), but I think I moved some key subplots along and left things in good order for the next writer to develop.

For the full interview, click here.