The Tarbox and Torrens Show: using photoshop to provide comic relief for the staff

Courtesy of Joel Tarbox

Mr. Torrens photoshopped onto an image of a Scottish Lord.

When Media Arts Program teacher Joel Tarbox first came to the school nine years ago, he met Matt Torrens, then a 11th grade MAP and history teacher. Their sarcastic sense of humor matched immediately, and thus a simpatico relationship began. 

Nearly a decade later, one tradition in their friendship remains as strong as ever — Tarbox photoshopping Torrens onto various funny moments. 

“It’s to bring a kind of comic relief for the staff,” Torrens said. “It is only on our teacher Facebook pages or sometimes staff emails.”

The tradition started when Tarbox was asked to add Torrens into a group photo of MAP teachers. Wanting to do something special, he decided to photoshop a photo of a confused Torrens into the picture. Soon after, Tarbox started photoshopping Torrens as a tradition in memory of the moment.  

“Sometimes we get pictures of security cameras from the admin if something happens on campus, and they ask if anyone can recognize who the person in the image is,” Tarbox said. “I would then photoshop [Torrens]’ face in it and send it up, saying ‘I enhanced it and I think we might know who it might be.’”

Many of these photoshop moments, however, are not planned, as Tarbox improvises whenever he finds the right opportunities to have fun with his friend. He said the photo editing typically takes less than 10 minutes, and are then posted on the teacher Facebook page or through staff emails.

One image of Torrens on a Scottish lord is now permanently hung up in Torrens’ office. That joke began two years ago when principal Greg Louie awarded Torrens with a Scotland certificate for “Lord Torrens.” A year later, Tarbox edited Torrens into a picture of a Scottish lord with a hunting dog, trying to make it look as much like a painting as possible.

Last Halloween, Tarbox was also one of several staffers who dressed as Torrens, wearing a wig, shorts, and carrying a backpack — all to honor the assistant principal.

At the end of the day, Tarbox says his jokes are done out of “admiration, affection, and respect” for Torrens.

“It’s a fun little relationship between them because everyone knows this back and forth is very light hearted,” English teacher Erick Rector said.