INTERVIEW: Swing Into “Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man” – Animation Scoop

INTERVIEW: Swing Into “Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man”

Jeff Trammell, Emmy and Annie nominated writer on Craig of the Creek, is the creator (as well as EP and writer) of the new Marvel animated series Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man. The first two episodes premiere tomorrow, Wednesday January 29th, on Disney+. The remaining eight episodes debut over the next three Wednesdays. Trammell shares insights on the show’s story, look, characters and cast, including one of this year’s Oscar nominees. (This Animation Scoop Q&A was edited for length and clarity.)

Jackson Murphy: You were Emmy and Annie nominated for “Craig of the Creek”. How did you work on that series inspire you and lead you to “Spider-Man”?

Jeff Trammell: “Craig” had a lot going for it. It’s a huge world. There was a lot of setting up characters and building them and knowing that we’re gonna pay them off later… along with long-term storytelling that we were really invested in doing. Influenced my storytelling in terms of building blocks and building a story out. Another thing is: being on that show showed me how much it means for people to have proper representation. That’s a thing I definitely wanted to carry through. In working on “Spidey”, I wanted to make sure New York felt inclusive and representative of present day New York. We’re seeing all types of people, colors and creeds.

JM: You succeed with all of that. There’s great, diverse characters here. It’s Peter Parker in an alternate timeline. A new spin. How do Lonnie, Nico and Pearl influence Peter and shape him into this Spider-Man?

JT: There’s so much at play here in a fun way. Peter and Pearl have history. They’ve known each other for years before the show has even started. Nico, as Peter’s best friend, allows a really fun, new dynamic. She’s a bit sarcastic, but they truly care for one another and are always there for one another. That colors Peter’s worldview. She’s a bit of a reality check. Lonnie was a character I really wanted to dig into… a lot of preconceived notions. When you see Lonnie you’re like, “Oh, he’s the jock, and Peter’s the nerd. And he’s gonna bully Peter.” And that was nothing I ever even considered going down. I just really want Lonnie to feel like, in a lot of ways, the cool big brother. Having him for Peter is another fun dynamic as well.

JM: I see that for sure. And also Norman Osborn is in this — and he’s voiced by two-time Academy Award nominee (as of the other day) Colman Domingo. One of the most in-demand actors right now, and he’s got a lot of gravitas in this Norman Osborn. How did you get Colman on board, and how was it working with him?

JT: We asked him. (laughs) It’s kinda crazy. It was honestly that simple. This Norman is very different from a lot of the Normans from the past, but one thing that he’s always gotta have is exactly what you said, that gravitas. He’s a person that commands respect… but also approachable and warm. While there’s a wall there, it’s true that he cares as well. Who can we have that can embody that? It’s a really fine line to walk. Our supervising director Mel Zwyer suggested Colman Domingo. I said, “That’s brilliant. We should ask him immediately.” We reached out — and this is right when everything was blowing up for Colman as well — and he was super interested. He comes into the studio and is always game to try stuff. He cares so much and he’s really putting such a great performance into Norman. He knows who that character is, and that’s really cool.

JM: Awesome. I love this comic book visual style. The colors really pop on the screen. What kind of care went into making sure the colors look as good as they do?

JT: Thank you so much! (laughs) Every stage throughout the production — our designs, working with our amazing designers… our lead character designer, Leo Romero, working with W. Scott Forbes… so many talented comic book artists, and then translating that to the show. Working with our vendors, Polygon Pictures in Tokyo and CGCG in Taipei. And then even bringing it back to our team at Marvel Animation. Honestly going through the entire episode and going, “Alright, let’s push this even more. Make sure this green on Norman’s suit really resonates…” The sky feels great against Peter’s suit. So much work went into it, even beyond what the typical viewer will catch. But it’s all a labor of love in making sure that world feels bright, like a moving comic — and a fun way you’re part of it.

JM: Yes. Did that also impact your storytelling decisions, knowing, “Okay, maybe I’m gonna do the panel graphic here and there”?

JT: You know, it’s interesting. The panel graphic stuff actually came a little later as we were storyboarding. It wasn’t in the first script for the first few episodes, but once we got to the board stage, it was another avenue we could really tap into. It really freed us up. And in the later half… ‘Peter walks from this panel into the other panel’. It was fun working it out. In that moment, our board team influenced our writing team. Each part of the show and pipeline is always contributing. It’s a symbiosis where everyone is learning from one another in a fun way.

Jeff Trammell

JM: Spider-Man is a character all ages love, and I think there are a lot of kids who act out scenes and situations with their friends as Spider-Man, the villains and various characters. When you were growing up, did you have any of those experiences and any stories you made up about Spider-Man that you’ve been able to put into this show?

JT: Wow. (laughs) Tough question. I definitely had a lot of those experiences: schoolyard playing of Spider-Man and Venom. In terms of stories or avenues I pursued as a kid that I wanted to put into this show… honestly not really. At its base, when I was a kid, I just thought Spider-Man was the coolest thing. He’s such a fun character because he’s so relatable. That is what I’ve always carried through — making sure we have that relatability for Peter. It’s finding what Spider-Man has always meant to me and making sure that’s on the screen because I know that can mean the same for someone else out there.

JM: I was gonna ask you about what you think of Peter’s character and how he’s very curious and how he looks out for the best in other people. How did you want to get that across in the show?

JT: Peter’s got so much heart. That has always been the core of Peter Parker. If something’s happening, he’s not gonna sit by on the sidelines. He’s gonna get involved. And that’s evident by him getting these powers and his first thing is, “I gotta help people.” For me, that’s always been the throughline of Peter, making sure you feel that heart — that love for everyone around him and his willingness to always want to help people and be better at helping people. That’s the defining characteristic of Peter. In our show especially, you see that on display. You see that he cares, almost to a detriment. He’ll never stop doing what he can to help people, whether that means getting knocked down and getting back up again. He’s always gonna be there because he knows that people need someone like him.

Jackson Murphy
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