Photo credit: David Giesbrecht/Amazon Prime Video

The Tick is back! After two previous television adaptations, everyone’s favorite satirical superhero is returning to the small screen. “The Tick” tells the story of Arthur, an accountant with no superpowers attempting to track own the world’s most dastardly villain. After a chance meeting with an unlikely hero in a blue costume, the two fight together to uncover the mystery of “The Terror”. That’s My Entertainment was lucky enough to get the chance to speak with Arthur himself, Griffin Newman!  Check out his thoughts on the upcoming series below!

TH: What attracted you to The Tick? Did you read the comics or see the previous TV adaptations?

GN: I had watched the previous TV shows and was already a fan before I even got the job, so being a fan is really what attracted me to the material. It wasn’t until I was cast that I actually started reading the comics and becoming more familiar with them. I honestly would’ve been excited to play the homeless guy on the street or literally anything on the show so getting to play Arthur has been overwhelmingly rewarding.

TH: Now that superheroes have pretty much taken over pop culture it seems like the timing couldn’t be more perfect for a satirical take. How do you think audiences will perceive this unique take on the superhero?

GN: I usually think of the first Shrek film, and how it was a satire on fairy tales and all the famous Disney movies. Part of what made it so successful is the audience already knows all the tropes, all the characters; they don’t have to spend time on explaining who the Three Little Pigs are. The other two Tick TV shows played to an audience that didn’t necessarily know all the superhero tropes, but now that we’re in a time where superheroes have pretty much taken over, I can’t imagine a more perfect time for “The Tick”. One thing I really love is that if you think about it, we are the only superhero TV show currently running that isn’t tied in to any other show. You don’t have to watch 5 or 6 other shows just to understand who certain characters are or learn their tropes, you just already know them. I also love how our show isn’t necessarily so much about superheroes as it is about an idea of a hero and standing up for what’s right.

TH: This cast is incredible. Yourself, Peter Serafinowicz, Valorie Curry, Jackie Earle Haley, Michael Cerveris. What was it like getting to work with such an amazing group of actors?

GN: It’s overwhelming. In fact, it’s funny because they’re so incredible and sometimes you get so into watching them as a fan you miss your cue. I’ve worked on a lot of stuff and while I have worked with great people in the past I can say this is the only time I’ve worked on a show where everyone is great. It’s a really rare thing and makes the show much more fun because as an actor, sometimes you may work with people who are great when the cameras are rolling, but the second they stop they’re less inclined to talk.

TH: What I really loved about the pilot episode is that while the series is titled “The Tick”, the main focus really seems to be on Arthur and his journey to exposing The Terror’s still at large. Could you talk about your process in embodying the character?

GN: For me, the whole struggle of Arthur; always being doubted, but still having a real sense of what’s right all relates to being an actor. I’ve spent years going on auditions and facing failure on a regular basis. Most people give up in the face of a 90% failure rate, but just constantly keeping your head up and moving onto the next big thing is very similar to Arthur. So during the process I thought about how I felt during those struggles.

TH: Unlike most superheroes, Arthur doesn’t seem to have a cool superhero alias. What name would you give him?

GN: I think “The Moth” is pretty obvious. In the prior adaptations, the joke was always sort of that he never does come up with a cool alter-ego. In fact, you’ll see a little later on in the series there’s a great moment where he kind of uses his own name as his alter-ego and I think it’s a great representation of how honest Arthur is.

The pilot episode of “The Tick” is available now on Amazon Prime Video. All remaining episodes will be available on Friday, August 25, 2017.