After joining the writing staff of Saturday Night Live three years ago, Salvadoran writer and creator Julio Torres has been blossoming into other areas and other networks. Last year, he started developing a horror comedy series entitled Los Espookys with Venezuelan-American comedian, Fred Armisen.
Los Espookys is gearing up to premiere on HBO June 14 with a six-episode season. Led by Brazilian actor Bernardo Velasco, the series takes place in a “strange and dreamy version of present-day Mexico City.” Torres will act in the series as well as work on scripts and executive produce.
And it seems HBO is happy with Torres’ work as they also announced, alongside Los Espookys, that he will be receiving his own hourlong comedy special this summer. My Favorite Shapes By Julio Torres is described as a “multimedia comedy show” wherein the comic looks at his favorite shapes — ranging from a “plexiglass square” to “a self-conscious cactus” — which will serve as a springboard for Torres’ stories and anecdotes.
This is certainly a unique double feature, particularly for HBO. Torres’ work on Saturday Night Live wasn’t nearly as well-known as it should have been considering the show’s push for diversity a few years back. The one-two punch of Los Espookys and My Favorite Shapes implies that HBO understands Torres’ comic sensibilities and they believe audiences will be equally enchanted. There’s still little known about Torres’ collaboration with Armisen on Los Espookys beyond a synopsis, and that’s certainly keeping people invested. If it all pays off then HBO certainly has a future collaborator they’ll want to keep going back to.
Los Espookys will debut on both HBO and HBO Latino on June 14. My Favorite Shapes By Julio Torres will arrive sometime this summer.