Julio Torres

The Gleaming Surrealist

Julio Torres has established himself as one of the most distinctive voices in contemporary alternative comedy, creating a universe that's immediately recognizable through its dreamlike quality, visual precision, and gentle surrealism. Born and raised in El Salvador before moving to New York City, Torres brings a unique perspective to comedy that combines otherworldly imagination with keen observations about everyday objects, human connections, and the absurdities of modern existence.

Often described as a "space prince" due to his ethereal presentation and fascination with glitter, crystal, and metallic aesthetics, Torres has crafted a comedy style that feels like entering another dimension—one where ordinary objects possess secret lives and the mundane becomes magical. His soft-spoken delivery, precise visual sensibility, and ability to find profound meaning in seemingly trivial items have established him as a wholly original voice in alternative comedy.

Essential Facts

Origin: El Salvador
Notable Work: "Los Espookys" (HBO), "My Favorite Shapes" (HBO), "Saturday Night Live" writer (2016-2019)
Style: Surrealism, visual comedy, soft-spoken storytelling, object-focused narratives
Recent Projects: "Problemista" (A24 film), "Little Films" (HBO series)

Discovering Julio Torres: The Essential Works

For those new to Torres' unique comedic universe, these essential works showcase his distinctive vision and ever-evolving approach to alternative comedy:

"My Favorite Shapes" (HBO Special, 2019)

Perhaps the purest distillation of Torres' comedic sensibility, this stand-up special features him sitting at a conveyor belt, presenting and narrating the secret lives of various objects—from a tiny square with a dream of becoming a rectangle to a crystal he imagines would be the bathroom key at a club owned by Swarovski.

The special transforms mundane items into characters with rich inner lives, showcasing Torres' gift for finding magic in the ordinary while demonstrating his meticulous visual aesthetic through elaborate set design and lighting.

Read Analysis

"Los Espookys" (HBO Series, 2019-2022)

Co-created with Fred Armisen and Ana Fabrega, this Spanish-language comedy series follows a group of friends who turn their love of horror into a peculiar business, staging fake supernatural events for clients. Torres plays Andrés, a blue-haired heir to a chocolate fortune with mysterious origins and magical abilities.

The series embodies Torres' surrealist sensibility with its dreamlike logic, visual distinctiveness, and deadpan approach to the bizarre, creating a world where the supernatural and the mundane comfortably coexist.

Explore Episodes

SNL Writing (2016-2019)

During his tenure as a writer for Saturday Night Live, Torres created some of the show's most memorable and unusual sketches, including "Wells for Boys" (featuring Emma Stone), "Papyrus" (with Ryan Gosling obsessing over the Avatar logo), and "The Actress" (starring Emma Stone as a performer in a gay porn scene).

These sketches stand out in the SNL canon for their distinct visual style, emotional resonance, and ability to find profound meaning in seemingly trivial concerns—all hallmarks of Torres' unique comedic voice.

See Top Sketches

"Comedy can be so many different things. To me, the most satisfying comedy comes from a place of truth. Whether that truth is, 'I'm sad' or 'I think this tiny crystal is so beautiful that it makes me want to cry'—both can be equally valid and interesting."

— Julio Torres

The Distinctive Elements of Torres' Comedy

Julio Torres has developed a comedic approach that's immediately recognizable through several key elements:

Object Personification

Torres frequently assigns personalities, dreams, and inner lives to inanimate objects, transforming them into characters with emotional depth. This approach allows him to explore human experiences through non-human proxies, creating both comedic distance and surprising emotional resonance.

Visual Precision

Unlike many comedians who focus primarily on verbal delivery, Torres brings a meticulous visual sensibility to his work. His comedy is designed to be seen as much as heard, with careful attention to color, composition, and aesthetic detail that creates a distinctive dreamlike quality.

Gentle Surrealism

While Torres' comedy inhabits surreal territory, it maintains a gentleness and emotional truth that distinguishes it from more aggressive or chaotic forms of surrealist comedy. His absurdism feels inviting rather than alienating, creating spaces audiences want to inhabit.

Outsider Perspective

As an immigrant and a queer artist, Torres often approaches American culture from a slight distance, noticing details and absurdities that might escape those more embedded within it. This perspective grants his observations a uniquely perceptive quality.

Evolution and Influences

Torres' distinctive comedic approach didn't emerge in isolation. His work reflects both personal artistic evolution and the influence of various creative traditions:

Cultural Influences

Growing up in El Salvador before moving to the United States, Torres brings a perspective informed by both Latin American magical realism and his experience as an immigrant navigating American culture. This dual perspective allows him to see the familiar through fresh eyes and to blend different cultural sensibilities.

Artistic Lineage

While Torres' comedy feels entirely original, it exists in conversation with surrealist art traditions, the deadpan absurdism of comedians like Steven Wright, the meticulous visual sensibility of filmmakers like Wes Anderson, and the magical realism of Latin American literature. He transforms these influences into something uniquely his own.

Career Trajectory

Torres' journey from stand-up comedian to SNL writer to creator of his own HBO shows and films demonstrates his ability to translate his distinctive vision across different formats while maintaining his authentic voice. Each new project has allowed him to expand his creative palette while remaining true to his core sensibility.

Julio Torres' Impact on Alternative Comedy

Though still early in his career, Torres has already made significant contributions to the evolution of alternative comedy:

Expanding Visual Language

Torres has helped push comedy beyond purely verbal expression, demonstrating how visual elements, production design, and aesthetic choices can be integral to comedic vision rather than merely decorative. His approach treats comedy as a complete artistic expression engaging multiple senses.

Bringing Magical Realism to Comedy

By incorporating elements of magical realism into his work, Torres has helped introduce this literary tradition to comedy, creating space for narratives that blend the ordinary and the fantastic in ways that feel emotionally authentic despite their surrealism.

Centering Queer and Immigrant Perspectives

Torres' work often subtly incorporates his experiences as both a queer person and an immigrant without making these identities the explicit subject of his comedy. This approach has expanded representation in alternative comedy by simply presenting these perspectives as inherent to his worldview.

Softness as Strength

In contrast to comedy traditions that equate edginess with aggression or shock, Torres demonstrates how gentleness, vulnerability, and wonder can be equally powerful comedic approaches. His soft-spoken delivery and sensitive observations offer an alternative to louder comedic styles.

Recent Projects and Future Directions

Torres continues to expand his creative universe through an increasingly diverse range of projects:

"Problemista" (A24 Film, 2023)

Torres' feature film directorial debut follows an aspiring toy designer from El Salvador navigating the complexities of the American immigration system while working as an assistant to an eccentric art critic (played by Tilda Swinton). The film expands Torres' dreamlike aesthetic to feature length, combining surreal visuals with pointed commentary on immigration bureaucracy.

"Little Films" (HBO Series)

This anthology series features Torres creating miniature worlds and stories exploring the inner lives of everyday items, further developing the object-focused approach introduced in "My Favorite Shapes" while experimenting with new narrative structures and visual techniques.

Children's Book Development

Torres has expressed interest in creating children's literature, a natural extension of his ability to see wonder in ordinary objects and to create accessible yet sophisticated fantasy worlds. His visual sensibility and gentle approach to surrealism seem particularly well-suited to this form.

Critical Reception and Recognition

Torres' unique comedic voice has earned widespread critical acclaim:

"Julio Torres turns tiny observations into surreal wonders, creating comedy that feels like stepping into an alternate dimension where the ordinary becomes magical."

— The New Yorker

"Torres has crafted a comedic language entirely his own—gentle yet incisive, visually stunning yet emotionally grounded. His work expands our understanding of what comedy can be and do."

— Vulture

Selected Recognition

Writers Guild of America Award nomination for "Saturday Night Live"
GLAAD Media Award nomination for "Los Espookys"
Selection for Sundance Film Festival for "Problemista"
Named to Variety's "10 Comics to Watch" list

Essential Julio Torres Quotes

"My comedy doesn't have a point, which I think is the point. It's just, 'Look at this! Isn't it beautiful?'"

"I'm interested in things that are overlooked. There's beauty and poetry in minutiae, in the things we dismiss quickly."

"I want to make things that capture a feeling. Sometimes the feeling is 'this is ridiculous' and sometimes it's 'this is sad.' Both are equally valid."

"Comedy doesn't have to be mean or cruel to be funny. There's power in gentleness."