Thanks to everyone who responded to my "call for questions" -- I'm hoping to respond to at least several of them in the coming weeks. I thought I'd start out with the following from "Duke":
"Duke said...
After reading your comments regarding your reasons behind redoing the early issues of Volume 1 in Volume 4 issue 29, I can definitely understand why you want to redo them. It's clearly your personal preference to give them an updated toning and look, while redoing some of the wording. But I was wondering if there is any chance you'd be willing to reprint copies of the original version in a separate collected trade at the same time as the new retoned trades? I know I'd end up buying both and I'm sure I'm not alone in that. However, I just think printing both styles would give your fans the ability to purchase the style they prefer. What is your opinion on that kind of compromise with the fan base?"
Although I am continuing (albeit at a frozen snail's pace) the "remastering" project, and hope to have enough done to facilitate reprint collections of most of the Laird/Eastman Volume One material, I have never ruled out reprints of the original material with the original tones. In fact, a few months ago I had exactly the idea you suggested -- releasing the two versions simultaneously. That is definitely a possibility.
"Also, can we please get a City at War trade printed? It is long overdue. "
As I have said in the past, there will be a "City at War" collection, as well as a "Return to New York" collection, at some point -- perhaps during our 25th anniversary year.
"Finally, echoing Rose, what are the plans for the turtles after your retirement?"
How can I realistically answer a question like that? Seriously, I have no idea. I don't even know if I will ever "retire" in the classic sense. There is definitely the possibility that someday I might sell the TMNT property to a third party, and then I guess I will "retire" from the responsibilities of owning and overseeing the TMNT business. If such a buyout were to occur, what happens with the TMNT after that would be up to whoever purchased the property. And there is no way I can predict what would happen. -- PL
I've got a question, how come you don't care for the old cartoon/toy line's characters? Or maybe not that you don't care for them but you don't use them? I remember a quote of yours that said you didn't want any mutants in playmate's relaunch toy line, and that was the reason we weren't getting remakes. Maybe they were unrightfully placing the blame on you. But if it is the truth how would you feel about reusing some of those characters for the offshoot mini mutants toy line. That seems like a wacky line that could utilize old characters like mondo gecko or the mutanimals without having to fit into any storylines in the current cartoons.
ReplyDeleteSomewhat related: Armaggon (the shark) is a favorite of mine thanks to the archie comics and the super nintendo turtles video game. One of my very first comics was an issue with Armaggon holding a half dead Leo on the cover. I bring this up because it was you who illustrated the cover, and the cover is what drew me into the comic, and thus comics in general because it's all been downhill from there.
I know it's hard to look so far into the future, and the question wasn't very specific in the first place, but I think the reason people are curious about your long-term plans for the TMNT is simply because there doesn't seem to be a plan.
ReplyDeleteFor nearly 25 years you've worked hard, always keeping the TMNT creator owned and operated. For about the last 8 years you have worked particularly hard to maintain a certain creative voice within all of the different TMNT mediums (a point made in the article you posted earlier tonight). It seems very contradictory that you would even consider, even if it would be at a far distant point in the future, just selling the whole thing off to the highest bidder to do with as they please.
Perhaps the question wouldn't even be asked if it seemed as if there were a #2 person waiting in the wings to "inherit" the mantle, so to say. The way that Rick Berman stepped in for Gene Roddenberry. The way any of a handful of people could for George Lucas. It's a bit disheartening as a fan to see that no such person exists for the TMNT.
-->> (( (Maybe Armaggon is his Favourite bad guy / or amoung them ))..
ReplyDelete..gonna guess TRICERATONS
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Maybe Pete won't ever ' RETIRE ' ..
.. ..perhaps, yeh it's just way to early to tell ..
Can see Rose's points tho' ..
..kind of a scary territory too i suppose. But i guess these issues will be faced someday.
I like reading people's questions and comments. These also enhance my viewing of the blog.
>v<
Thank you so much for taking the time to answer my questions. And I definitely understand that it's hard to look into the future that far. I'm 24 years old and will finish up my MBA this summer and I honestly couldn't tell you what I plan to be doing 6 months from now. But like Rose stated, there really doesn't seem to be any clear person in line to pick up the TMNT mantle after you step away for whatever reason be it retirement or something else. So it leaves a lot of people questioning the long term direction of the turtles.
ReplyDeleteI'd absolutely hate to see the fanchise I love so much get sold off and whored out to someone like DC or Marvel. But I'd also hate to see it just completely disappear too. So I guess we'd all just really like it or at least creative control of turtles to stay within the family somehow.
Also, I forgot to mention that a City at War trade for the 25th anniversary would be fantastic. A new Return to New York trade would be pretty cool too but considering the other one is still offered on the TMNT website for only $5.25 plus shipping, I don’t think it is nearly as necessary as a City at War trade which is extremely long overdue.
ReplyDeleteDON'T SELL THE TMNT! You're the soul of it Pete!
ReplyDelete--^^
ReplyDelete..what he said.. >v<
Gadzooks! Do NOT sell! Unless to Larsen maybe. I don't know who else can handle this property. Maybe the rest of the guys can band together and 'keep it in the family'. An interesting question; If Archie Comics hadn't released the 'watered down kiddie version' of TMNT, what other company do you think would have taken it on? And how do you think it would have turned out? Still multi colored headbands and pizza chomping?
ReplyDelete"Jason said...
ReplyDeleteGadzooks! Do NOT sell! Unless to Larsen maybe. I don't know who else can handle this property. Maybe the rest of the guys can band together and 'keep it in the family'. An interesting question; If Archie Comics hadn't released the 'watered down kiddie version' of TMNT, what other company do you think would have taken it on? And how do you think it would have turned out? Still multi colored headbands and pizza chomping?"
The whole point of the Archie version of the TMNT was to have a newsstand-distributed comic which would give the Turtles a presence in that market -- it was part of the overall licensing plan for the TMNT property. As such, it was inevitable -- it fact, desirable from our point of view -- that it feature the "multi colored headbands and pizza chomping" Turtles from the original TV show. (We wanted to keep the grittier black and white Turtles for our own use in the Mirage comics).
If memory serves, there were no other companies interested in doing this color Turtle comic. So if Archie hadn't jumped on it, there might not have been one. -- PL