Co-Executive Producer and all around comic legend
...what more do I need to say?
An exclusive Q & A with Jeph Loeb 9/6/08

Jeph Loeb, the Co-Executive Producer and writer for HEROES
as well as the writer for many renowned graphic novels took
some time out of the HEROES production to give us some
insight into the show and himself.

OWI: Mr Loeb, thank you for giving the OWI the opportunity to send in some questions. It is
quite a special day for me and the fans in general.

The show went back into production back in May. What was it like to finally be back on set
after the strike?

JL: Fantastic. There were actually two steps because as writers we came back right after
the strike in Mid-February and were totally recharged. Having four months off without pay
will do that! But by the time we got to go into production it was lightning striking twice. I
like to be very involved in production show and being on set is such an integral part of our
success.

OWI: Is there the same sense of excitement on set as there was in the first season?

JL: Well, yes and no. It was amazing to get back in the saddle with such a terrific cast and
crew. But, the first season we were really out there on the new frontier. So you always had
that sense "Is this going to work?" And while you never really know, we're eyeballing
Episode 50 right now, so my hope is that we know what we're doing! (laughs) Having that
kind of confidence can really bring out the best in people's craft and for me that's what we
are there to do.

OWI: There were obviously some fans (myself not included) who didn't like Volume 2 as
much as Volume 1. What do you say to those folks to make sure they come back to the
show on Sept 22nd?

JL: I loved last season. And given the huge success of the show in terms of viewers and the
gigantic appetite for the Season 2 DVD, we're all in this together! What can I say to make
sure folks come back? I say what I always say: We're making the best show we can. Come
on and take the ride!

OWI: Who is your favorite hero/ villain on the show?

JL: I know this is going to sound like a b.s. answer, but it's the one I'm writing on the day. If
I were to say "Sylar" and I was writing "Hiro" that day, it's not going to be my best work. I
get asked that question in comics all the time. If I'm writing the Hulk and I'm thinking about
Captain America, the Hulk is going to suffer. And we don't want that!

OWI: What is your personal writing process?

JL: I write manically. I often wake up at 3 in the morning and write for 6 hours and then go
to work. I can sit for 12-18 hours in a chair and write and write and write and then get up.
More that once my legs have fallen asleep! And on a few occasions I'VE fallen asleep -- and
that makes for interesting dialogue. It comes out like tawherh;..anr;helarn.d and my face
has the keyboard imprinted on it!

OWI: Is there one special ability you would like to see on the show in the future?

JL: We pretty much reach into all those pockets. It's part of the fun of the show. And when
you have a writing staff as imaginative as writers like Aron Coleite and Joe Pokaski, you
just know it's going to be mindblowingly brilliant!

OWI: As big of a fan of HEROES as I am, my original love of heroes/ comics began with
Batman long ago. In fact I have your comics as favorites on my bookshelf, so I have to sneak
a Batman question in on you:

The Long Halloween was an obvious influence on the Christopher Nolan movies, Batman
Begins, and the hugely successful The Dark Knight. Have you seen the movie and if so what
are your thoughts.

JL: Chris and writer David Goyer have been incredibly generous in interviews and telling
me personally how big an influence THE LONG HALLOWEEN and DARK VICTORY were on
both films. Just hearing Bruce Wayne say "I believe in Harvey Dent" and seeing that entire
ad campaign and website built around the last line of The Long Halloween (not really a
spoiler kids, trust me!) was delightful. It's a brilliant film made by extraordinary people and
I'm proud of the role I played in it.

OWI: As a HEROES follow up. Who do you see as the show's 'Batman'? Many fans would
include Noah Bennet on that list.

JL: Uh... I don't think in those terms. I think our characters are wholly original. Again,
that's the magic of the show. If you want to see Batman, go for it!

OWI: Your long time collaborator Tim Sale is back this season providing artwork for a new
artist. What has it been like to work with Tim in the television medium.

JL: Exciting. Being able to see Timmy and look at things as an illustrator that makes him
grow is incredibly rewarding.

OWI: You have the writing credits for 3 episodes including 'Unexpected' in Volume 1 and
'Powerless' in Volume 2. To me those were some of the best episodes. After 'Unexpected' I
wrote an Op-Ed titled "Holy $#%&!: Beeman and Loeb for Presidents!". What episodes are
you currently writing and can I nominate you for president again?

JL: You absolutely can! You left out ONE GIANT STEP, Episode 3 which I also did with
Beeman! I've known Greg for a looonnnng time (we were at SMALLVILLE together), so we
have an awesome shorthand with each other. Like most collaborations, it gets better each
time you play. So, here's a little tidbit -- we'll be working together again on Episode 313
which is finale of the VILLAINS Volume 3. Being able to wrap up this amazing, amazing
storyline is big challenge, but we're having a blast!

The OWI wants to thank Mr. Loeb and his assistant Harrison for giving some of their time for
the fans of HEROES. We wish Mr Loeb all the luck in the world for this season and can't
wait to see the surprises he brings us!

"HEROES"
"CLIP SHOW"

09/22/2008 (08:00PM - 09:00PM) (Monday) : HEROES: COUNTDOWN TO THE PREMIERE SPECIAL PRESENTED BY SPRINT -- A WALK DOWN THE RED CARPET AND INTO THE EXCLUSIVE PREMIERE PARTY WITH THE CAST -- Sept. 22, 8pm ET -- To celebrate "HEROES" special two-hour Season Three premiere, with two action-packed episodes airing back-to-back, the cast of NBC's award-winning drama hosts a special one-hour countdown special that will take viewers behind-the-scenes and down the red carpet, through the ropes and into the exclusive premiere party at L.A. hot spot Edison. As the last minutes before "Volume Three: Villains" tick down, an assortment of special, never-before-broadcast segments will highlight special moments, review key details, and reveal some fun, all-new information about the worldwide phenomena's past two seasons, including a review of possible suspects in "Who Shot Nathan?"; a peek at how some cool special effects sequences were pulled off; a look at the series' increasing global popularity and sample of some of the many languages the series has been translated into; an exclusive reveal of the series' many inside nods to "Star Trek"; and much more.

'Heroes': On set and counting down

We walked onto the smoke-filled set of what was once Claire Bennett's and HRG's home. Things had changed. There were kids' toys around, childlike drawings ... and the Bennetts no longer occupied the space. Someone else that we know does live there ... and Claire's not happy about it.

That's about all we want to say. A visit into a near-future storyline comes with all kinds of "Do not say thises" and "Can't say thats" along with the "No camera or video allowed" disclaimers, but it's exciting nonetheless.

The feeling on the set was one of fun and business. The occasional "rubber gun on set!" yelled out, knowing glances among cast and crew mates, a Watchmen comic-book compilation being read backstage ... all seemed old hat to this bunch.

The actors are surprisingly engaged and helpful when planning out fight scenes and bridging dialogue gaps that may help it along. And the producers and directors are surprisingly OK with letting them run with it. And, yes, I did say fight scene -- one which, oddly enough, led to a reference for the Vin Diesel movie "The Chronicles of Riddick." Watch it, figure it out -- I know you can.

On set were main players Hayden Panettiere, Milo Ventimiglia, Brea Grant, Jamie Hector and Zachary Quinto. We were given a little time to speak to a couple of the actors. Brea Grant, who had a short but memorable stint on "Friday Night Lights," and Zachary Quinto, the coolness that is Sylar and Spock.

A little ball of Texas fun, Brea Grant said that it was "kind of daunting" joining the "Heroes" cast but prepared herself for her super-speed role well, being the "nerd" that she is.

I read a bunch of Flash comics, and now I have about this many (spreads her arms about three feet apart). I tried to watch the Flash TV series, but it was really bad."

As a bad-girl character, Brea admits that she's done a little research in that part as well, long before the role came calling.

"I will admit that I probably stole something as a teen ... but I don't know, I'm kind of a goodie-goodie. I did shave my head once ... but I asked my dad."

She does enjoy the powers that she has in the show and wishes she had them off the set.

"If I had it [super speed] in real life ... it'd be amazing. My room would always be clean. I'd never run out of cereal..."

But if she had a less spectacular ability?

"I need poise. I'm just so clumsy that it would kind of save me a lot."

Someone who rarely needs saving is Sylar. Our talk with Z. Quinto was brief, and though he was currently in his "softer side" of Syler mode, which definitely had something to do with his cute, race car pajama-wearing co-star that was on set, he gave us a little insight into this season's monster (though he's not telling who his baby's mama is).

"The great thing about my character this year is that he's all over the map in terms of his internal conflict. The sort of orders that he's given by certain people who have power over him this season and the situations that that puts him in really, really force him to employ a kind of restraint that you haven't seen him necessarily need to employ."

Before rushing back to the set, he also spoke briefly about the show returning and the some of the behind-the-scenes emotions.

"It feels like it's emerging into itself. ... I think that the time that we had away from the show made us that much more grateful to come back and that much more excited to come back 'cause it's been so long since we've been on the air."

Yes, it has. Anyone who was at Comic-Con and saw the first half of the first episode probably knows that this should be a comeback (so to speak) season. And, though adding characters and storylines has been a hot topic, the recent Seth Green-Breckin Meyers casting announcement could also be something to look forward to.

-- Jevon Phillips