Q&A with the creator of “The Secret Saturdays”, Jay Stephens!

Posted by NickGamer on Oct 15, 2009

• Title: The Secret Saturdays: Beasts of the 5th Sun
• Category: Action/Adventure Game
• Consoles: Playstation 2, PSP, Nintendo DS, DSi
• ESRB: E10
• Release Date: October 20, 2009
• Multiplayer: No

Nickgamer interviews with “The Secret Saturdays” creator Jay Stephens!


NickGamer Question: What was your inspiration behind The Secret Saturdays?

Jay Stephen's Answer: I’ve always been fond of the Hanna-Barbera adventure cartoons from the ‘60’s… Jonny Quest, The Herculoids, Scooby-Doo… and felt like the current slate of TV animation was missing that kind of capital ‘A’ Adventure show. I thought we could pull off a new take on that genre, with a series that was more about the characters instead of a simple ‘Monster-Of-The-Week’ kind of show. Not that we don’t feature some very cool monsters in each episode! Since I was around 10 years old, I’ve been fascinated by cryptozoology—the study of mysterious creatures (like Bigfoot) that might actually exist. That love of cryptozoology became the other source of inspiration for the Secret Saturdays.


NickGamer Question: Who's your favorite character? Is there a character you can relate to most?

Jay Stephen's Answer: It’s impossible to pick a favourite character… I love them all! But I think Argost is one of the best arch-villains to appear in cartoons, if I do say so myself. Doctor Doom never had his own TV show! As a parent of an 11-year old daughter and 8-year-old son, I really identify with Doc and Drew Saturday, and their concerns regarding Zak. I wish I had Doc Saturday’s calm, cool, level-headedness, but I’m probably more like the impulsive and fun-loving Drew.


NickGamer Question: What was your vision for the official video game?

Jay Stephen's Answer: I’m really proud of the scripts we’ve had for the cartoon, and wanted to make sure the game had the same focus on story that makes the Secret Saturdays work so well. We were lucky to be able to get our Story Editor on the series, Brandon Sawyer, to work on Beasts Of The 5th Sun, and I think we’re much better for it. It really feels like it fits right into the world we’ve built in the series. The other thing we wanted to do was make sure there were plenty of new cryptids—cryptozoological creatures based on real eye-witness accounts—that would be unique to the game, and appear alongside other creepy favourites from the cartoon.


NickGamer Question: How do you keep the creative juices flowing and the new ideas coming in?

Jay Stephen's Answer: I read a lot—all kinds of stuff—and that often inspires me. And I still read comic books and watch cartoons… what a great way to make a living, huh? I also take naps. A lot of good ideas come to me in dreams. But basically I just think my brain is wired to be creative, and I find myself drawing inspiration from everything in my life.


NickGamer Question: Have any advice for young artists and writers?

Jay Stephen's Answer: Believe in yourself. If I can do it, anyone can! And remember to trust your instincts and write what you know. I am very passionate about cryptozoology, and that helped make the Secret Saturdays succeed. And you have to work hard to succeed at anything in life, so be prepared to sweat a little to glean the skills you need to pursue your dreams.

Thanks for all the great input Mr. Stephens!


Game On!
The Nickgamer