Collider: First of all, congratulations on the Season 2 pick-up forThe Tick!
ALL: Thank you!
EDLUND: Its pretty amazing!
That makes me obsessive, or something.
But this one was [Barrys] fault.
Barry, what brought that on?
Image via Amazon
I had worked onMen in Black, when I was a studio executive, and optioned the comic.
Im a comic freak and in comic book stores, all too often.
I dont want them ever to go away, and neither can newsstands.
Image via Amazon
It just hit me, one day, when I was thinking about things Id like to work on.
It was way before Marvel and DC really lifted off with this new wave.
Plus, comedically, I thought it would be a great time to do it.
Image via Amazon
So, I found Ben at his work.
EDLUND: I was gainfully employed.
I had a job.
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He, of course, turned me down because he was busy and didnt think it could be done.
Thats where the collaboration began.
One of the problems with the first time was that this show needs to be one persons voice.
Image via Amazon
Other people can write for it, but it really needs to be the creators voice.
I said, Lets have a go at do this.
Ill support you in every way possible.
Image via Amazon
Ben, what was it that got you to circle back to it, after saying no?
So, I came back because I started to see it.
I used to argue with it.
Image via Amazon
Id be like, You cant do it because youd have to do it this way.
You cant do it because it would have to cost more money than people have.
There would have to be life and death.
Image via Amazon
You cant do it because The Tick cant live in a universe with life and death.
And then, I realized that all of those things could co-exist in a very weird, interesting way.
Its an exploration into theme.
There was no comedy version of this.
I just felt like we could be that show.
The support that Amazon gave him, to make this version of the show, was great.
Did you guys know that youd be releasing the first season in two halves?
JOSEPHSON: No, we didnt.
EDLUND: Ultimately, we saw it as two halves.
You pick up in a really good spot, going into the second half.
JOSEPHSON: Ironically, we did break it up pretty well.
The Tick is itching to get going, and he gets going.
There are a thousand angles to it.
SERAFINOWICZ: Things that you would never, ever think of were difficult.
NEWMAN: It was essentially an extortion racket.
They saw a film crew out the window and held them hostage.
SERAFINOWICZ: That drummer got paid off, and then another drummer started.
We work with great people, so you just hope it will all come together.
So, being a superhero isnt as easy as people think?
People think its so easy, but its tricky.
And then, working comedy into that is tricky.
Its very tricky comedy.
SERAFINOWICZ: Theres a tone that we have to fit the comedy into.
It is a comedy and we have to be funny, but its within these parameters.
NEWMAN: It never gets boring.
What has most surprised you about playing these characters?
Its a weird thing to venture to get across an energy thats ephemeral.
I dont want to do John Wayne.
I want to figure out what Arthurs heroism is, which is tough.
SERAFINOWICZ: There were a lot of unexpected things.
When you dont have that, its a weird thing.
EDLUND: To me, thats the fun.
Weve made a lot of different things, but this is a show that has every bell and whistle.
We had a fight coordinator, wire work, green screen, dogs, and all of it.
It was very complicated.
JOSEPHSON: We had puppeteers who operated the eye of a boat.
We had puppeteers who operated antennae.
EDLUND: We had puppeteers, all over the place!
You couldnt throw a dog without hitting a puppeteer.
JOSEPHSON: Everything Ben created, and especially the talking dog, was just one more thing.
EDLUND: It was one more pain in the ass!
JOSEPHSON: It would be wrong to clamp down on how inventive Ben is.
But, I love it!
That really enhanced The Terrors character and how he demands things of people.
The better movies are like that.
EDLUND: We should have the most fun.
Thats what we came for.
A talking dog was very important to me.
I started talking about that, very early on.
When you throw all of that into Season 1, where you do go for Season 2?
EDLUND: There are so many places to go!
Its an extended vacation sequence.
Thats part of the fun of it!
The Tickis available to stream at Amazon Prime.
