An Earful of Loeb

Jeph Loeb joined the writing staff of Smallville, after its first season, with some impressive credentials. Not only had he blown open the doors of what you could do with Michael J. Fox and a bunch of hair in Teen Wolf, but he'd also helped to make Arnold Schwarzenegger a star with Commando (and however inadvertent it may have been, probably had something to do with the subsequent slang "going Commando"). Over the years, Loeb wrote extensively for comic books, including the acclaimed Superman storyline Superman For All Seasons. Sometime before now, he also hooked up with Joss Whedon to work on the Buffy animated series, which he left to work on Smallville. Jeph Loeb was in Austin for a commencement speech at St. Edward's University. (Omar's proposed speech title: "No Flight, No Tights, But You Can Still Follow Your Dreams!") Unfortunately, a planned short meeting didn't work out because of work commitments (Omar's, not Loeb's). Still, that didn't stop a lively email exchange of questions about the show in advance of his speech, in which Loeb proved to be gregarious and an awfully good sport: Omar G: Not a lot of "Smalllville" fans know this, but you wrote the definitive teenage-basketball-player-who-happens-to-be-a-werewolf movie, Teen Wolf, in the 1980s. As a hirsute youngster myself, the film was nothing short of inspiring and helped me realize my dreams. Which is to say, "How did you first break into screenwriting?" Jeph Loeb: I went to film school. I graduated from Columbia University both undergrad and graduate with a masters in Screenwriting. I moved to Los Angeles and started looking for work. My (then) writing partner Matthew Weisman and I wrote Commando on spec (for free as a writing sample), and it sold to 20th Century Fox with Joel "The Matrix" Silver producing. I always wondered if the name "The Matrix" had its origins in Arnold's character John Matrix! That same year (actually, it happened almost at the same time), a small production company that had made Valley Girl called and asked if I had any ideas for a teen comedy. I pitched them Teen Wolf. They paid us all of $4,000 to write the script in three weeks, we shot it in twenty days for $1.2 million, and it made $70 million around the world. Having two big hits in Commando and Teen Wolf got the career jump-started, and the rest came as it came. It's been a wonderful ride. OG: Wow, that's amazing about Joel Silver. Frankly, I think he owes you some money. He probably has a money Jacuzzi that just pour money out and makes it bubble up. I guess you're the right person to ask this of, then: What is the John Matrix? JL: Remember when I told you to take the blue pill last? I lied. OG: You went from TV and film writing to comic books then back to TV writing. What's the biggest difference writing episodically for TV and for comics? JL: Well...the simple answer is money. And I'm not trying to be a wiseguy. In comics you are only limited by your imagination and the skills of your artist. And when you work with talented gents like Jim Lee, Tim Sale, and Ed McGuinness, they have mad skills so the sky is the limit. In television, you have to be very aware of the budget and the time it takes to make a show. On the plus side, however, television pays much better than comics! OG: What does it take to write a good Superman story? How do you keep the story fresh when the character's been in the collective consciousness for so long? JL: I try to tell the best story I can and hope folks like it. I'm not sure where it comes from -- that's part of the magic and I don't want to know how a magic trick works; it becomes undone. Mostly, Superman is invulnerable, with the exception of one big area, and that's his heart. He wants to believe in the good in all people -- even Lex Luthor -- and it ultimately is his saving grace and the very thing that dooms him. He's very inspirational and a bit naïve, but his spirit prevails. Like any great hero, it's his trials that make it interesting. OG: Yet his heart only seems to point in one direction right now: Due Lana North. Will Chloe finally wake up and find romance elsewhere? JL: No comment. However, what the future holds for Chloe is...unexpected (there's that word again!) to the say the least. OG: What's the status on the Buffy animated series? Are you still involved with it at all? JL: It's in a stasis field somewhere inside the Negative Zone! Actually, I talk quite often to Joss [Whedon, creator of Buffy The Vampire Slayer] about it. We got caught out when our network was bought by another network that didn't want to do original programming. We have wonderful scripts, a fantastic animation team, amazing designs and...no home. Our guess is that once Buffy Live goes off the air this year, some bright young executive is going to look at this pot of gold and say, "Hey, there's a pot of gold lying here! We should pick it up!" OG: Was it hard transitioning from the Buffy universe to Smallville? Do you ever accidentally call Pete "The Black Xander" or want to bring Willow in to make out with Chloe? JL: Hmmm...Okay, after I stopped laughing from the question, no, I don't get my wires crossed, although I have such respect for the writers and Joss at Buffy that it did get a little tiresome for the Smallville staff to hear about "Well, on Buffy they did this" or "On Buffy they did THAT." It was like talking to your new wife about your ex-wife! (Not that I've ever done that.) So, as I grew into Smallville, most of that stuff was left as giant memories. Bottom line, they are both wonderful shows, run by enormously talented people whom I'm very lucky to be associated with. OG: Do you think the writing dynamic would be changed if the offices were in a state with looser polygamy laws? JL: Yes. We'd get nothing done. OG: Any chance Smallville might one day be an animated series? JL: Anything is possible. I leave that kind of big-sky thinking to Al Gough and Miles Millar -- the two creators and exec producers of the show. OG: What's the writing process like on Smallville? How much direct control do Al Gough and Miles Millar take on in going over the scripts and in what happens in individual episodes? JL: We have a writing staff of eight folks, including me, that is entirely overseen by Al and Miles. We sit in a huge room and "break" stories all day (that is, take the story and go from concept, to short paragraph, to detailed outline.) Then, the outline is assigned a writer from the staff (which could include Al and Miles), and the writer goes off and writes the first draft. From there, the writer gets input on the script from the studio, the network, and most importantly, from other writers. It grows as it takes into account the needs of production and costs. But, it all comes down to Al and Miles, who are there at every step of the way -- making it better. They are extremely encouraging to try new things, knock down new doors. Their vision is quite strong, which is what it takes to make a successful series. OG: About production stuff -- how often does it happen that things can't be done on the show for money reasons? Have you had any really cool ideas where you said, "Wow, that would be great, but it would be too elaborate to do the special effects for that"? JL: There isn't a "how often?" What Al and Miles excel at is coming up with (a) movie moments for a television show and (b) fighting like heck to get them into the show. Do they all make it? No. But, we're never told from the get-go, "Don't write that, it's too expensive." And conversely, we've seen scenes that were smaller (for example, the opening war footage with Whitney in "Visage" was conceived in the first draft as a smaller scene) and the production team, and Al and Miles managed to make it something pretty spectacular. OG: You came in after the first season, when most of the characters' personalities were established and the show was trying to break away from the "Villain of the Week" syndrome. Do you feel the second season accomplished that? What do you think were the successes in the second season? JL: It's funny because so many people comment on the difference between Year 1 and Year 2 and I know that we couldn't have had a good Year 2 without all the hard work done in Year 1. They built the foundation. They created the look, tone, and most importantly, the timbre of the characters voices. That's the hard work. The sophomore year is where the show -- any show -- can grow, and largely due to Al and Miles and the rest of the gang, we took the show to the level. But, make no mistake, this was all part of Al and Miles's plan. And while I'm proud to be part of something that will grow even further in Year 3, its success is due to the foundation. It was Al and Miles's reimagination of the Superman legend that opened the door for hundreds of stories. Now, we get the fun part, which is telling those stories. OG: Are there things you think could have been handled a little better in the second season? JL: Honestly? Nope. I think we had a great year. Is every episode a pearl? Nope. No show can expect that -- it's twenty-two hours of programming. But, we hit the ball out of the park more often that not and we always got doubles and triples. Our audience grew at an alarming rate, we're the #1 show on the network -- so what's to complain? We just want it to continue to get better. And it will. OG: We've been told all along that Clark and Lex's relationship would deepen and that Lex would continue his move toward Darth Vader territory. But except for an occasional flash of anger and a more suspicions about Clark, Lex doesn't seem any more evil toward the end of this season than he did last season. Has Lex's story arc changed? Will it be one event that will push him over the edge? JL: I think Al has said it best: "The road to the dark side is a journey, not a light switch." This show has (at least) a five-year plan. Just as Clark has to come to terms with the hero he will become; Lex will find the villainy that is to come. And if you watch the last two episodes this season, the journey goes quite far down both roads, but not in the way you expect! OG: How would Clark be if he did decide to rule the world? Would Lana be legally obligated to have sex with him? JL: You're a very naughty boy. Go stand in the corner. [Note: Omar did go stand in the corner at this point. He found a penny.] OG: Speaking of Clark and Lex's relationship...has the WB acknowledged any of the fans' support of the...how to put this delicately -- the perceived homoerotic subtext between the two characters? Is it discussed in any kind of detail in the writing meetings or among the producers? I mean, hey, it's not like I think there's anything like that going on. (Wink wink.) JL: People read whatever they want to read into the show and whatever floats their boat. We're just glad to have such loyal and enthusiastic fans who have all sorts of different ideas about how these characters interact, so no one idea is more wacky than the . Hey, I got to use "wacky" in an interview. That just made my day! OG: I'm not sure most of the fans who are into that would describe the so-called HoYay as "wacky," but I admire your use of it here. You've got to admit, though, Lex is one sexy beast. JL: We all know one of the secrets of Smallville is that we have the best-looking cast, by far, on television. We're fortunate that the actors can also act, which isn't always the case when you've got so many sexy beasts, but wow, is the show hot in that regard. Oh, and in case you're wondering, all the writers are supermodels, too. OG: Last season, lots of viewers (myself included) begged and begged to have more Pete on the show. We felt the character was getting short shrift. Then he got more screen time and we couldn't wait for him to shut up. Is there a danger in sometimes giving the fans exactly what they ask for? JL: First off, Pete -- Sam [Jones III], who plays the part, is a terrific young actor who can light up the show. We've never taken the character for granted. His role grew this year because that's where the stories took him. I don't think -- actually, I know that Al and Miles tell stories that are best for the series. If it happens to coincide with what the fans like, then that's a good thing. But it's not a tail wagging the dog. Our viewers are looking ahead, guessing, hoping that the stories will go in a certain direction, and when it happens that way, it's just good storytelling. However, if our fan base wants to know if we listen, of course we do. And sometimes that leads us to a place that is totally unexpected, both for the fans and the show. That's when it really gets fun. OG: Do you feel, though, that the huge fan community can ruin the experience of watching the show by putting out spoilers and filling in casual viewers on future storylines before they happen? JL: Nope. The internet and the fan base is very respectful to the show and to the other fans as well. If you want to know what's happening week, you can find out, but the greater majority of folks like the experience as it unfolds. And we welcome that. OG: Lana has been a huge bone of contention among fans of the show. Some people love her, others wish she'd move to Grandville. I myself would be willing to purchase the ticket. Was she originally intended to be such a central character? Will she continue to be? JL: I love Lana and Kristen [sic] is amazing in the role. 'Nuff said. OG: Have you gotten any indication of what might happen to the show or how it may tie in with the long-delayed Superman movie that Warner Bros. has been trying to get off the ground? JL: Again, that's Al and Miles's territory. I think that both can peacefully co-exist. I find it curious that, given the success of Smallville, they don't involve Al and Miles more directly -- but hey, that's Hollywood. I wouldn't mind having a say on it as well, given my background both in writing the character in comics and on the show. It's a titanic franchise waiting to bust out and it will. Believe me, it will. OG: Have the producers and the writing staff, then, been thinking about the show past its five-year (plus?) run? Do you all have ideas on how the movie could transition from TV to film? JL: Actually, the writing staff spends most of its time figuring out where we want to have lunch. This stuff is a big-picture thing we leave to Al and Miles. OG: You wrote "Red" and "Insurgence," two of my favorite episodes of the second season. Looking back, what do you think sets the best episodes of Smallville apart? JL: Well, first off, thanks for the kind words about "my" episodes. I put "my" in quotes because I really feel that nothing is done on Smallville in a vacuum. We're a team, and Al and Miles are our coaches, who happen to also play better than anyone on the show. And they should -- it's their ball club. We all have fingers in each other's pies, and that's what makes a good show. The best episodes are the ones where we all joined together to bring the episode up, up and away! (Sorry, geek moment.) OG: Some of the best supporting characters were done away with this season -- Sheriff Ethan, Dr. Hamilton, Professor Snideface. [Omar's note: Just found out Professor Snideface will be back in the finale.] Please tell me you guys at least trying to get Crispin Glover or Luis Guzman or "Boof" from Teen Wolf to make up for it. JL: I doubt that Teen Wolf will be coming by -- he's hardly a teenager anymore. The supporting cast gets to change, live, die -- it's all part of the color of the show. But, none of that works unless the cast is cooking, and we're very lucky to have a tremendously talented group of folks who make it sing. OG: How do you top rampaging tornados for a second-season finale? Will it be a cliffhanger? JL: Ah, that would be telling and telling leads to yelling (at me) and me no like yelling. Watch the show! Enjoy it fresh out of the can! All I can say is that it will be...unexpected! OG: Okay, I know I'm not a writer on the show, but for a future season cliffhanger: Krypto-prairie dogs. Come on. How great an idea is that? JL: Er...can I go home now?