I was trying to respond to a question on my last "Ask PL", but for some odd reason, the system refused to allow me to post it. I tried several times, with no success. Then I started wondering if there is a limit to the number of comments per post, and given that there are 205 of them as of right now (7PM on March 2, 2012), maybe we've exceeded that limit.
I don't know. But I am going to start a new "Ask PL" here, in case anyone has any other questions. -- PL
Back to the sewers final episode. Wouldn't it have made more sense to show President Bishop with Cody watching April and Casey's wedding than evil Present Day Bishop? Why would he be happy those to where getting hitched?
ReplyDeleteAlso curious why the Rat King was there... no reason for that either :)
I hope this isn't rude to post this here but it was suggested to me that I show Mr.Laird some of my custom figures I have painted recently that I've gotten some positive feedback on.
Deletehttp://forums.thetechnodrome.com/showthread.php?t=36754
I hope you all like what you see.
I can't see them. -- PL
DeleteTo be honest, Neil, I don't remember! Perhaps when I get to the notes on that episode (assuming I still have them), it will become clear. -- PL
ReplyDeleteIt looks like the comments you tried to post on the last Ask PL are there now. There are several duplicate replies to someone asking about the music in the 4Kids series, followed by a reply that just says, "Test".
ReplyDeletedo you think the tmnt comics should be considered the official state comic book for massachusetts, i myself am from the bay state but i go to school in montana, that would be the highest honor for the franchise since the comics are published in the state. Thomas
ReplyDeleteI've never heard of any state having an official "state comic book", but I wouldn't be opposed to it. -- PL
DeleteIf you ever have an issue posting a comment on your blog again here are some tips that might help you solve your problem. Clear your browsers cache, cookies, then, restart your browser. When you sign back into your blog, make sure to unclick the auto login box. From what I have read this is a known issue with blogger and, this is the most common solution. I hope that in the future, if you should run into this issue again, this information will help you avoid any further frustration.
ReplyDeleteWith that being said I would like to ask you some fun, hypothetical, geek questions. If you where a crew member on the Starship Enterprise, who would you want as your Captain? James T. Kirk or Jean-Luc Picard?
Second question, if you had access to a Holodeck, what environment would you have it simulate?
"Mark HMar 3, 2012 02:47 AM
DeleteIf you ever have an issue posting a comment on your blog again here are some tips that might help you solve your problem. Clear your browsers cache, cookies, then, restart your browser. When you sign back into your blog, make sure to unclick the auto login box. From what I have read this is a known issue with blogger and, this is the most common solution. I hope that in the future, if you should run into this issue again, this information will help you avoid any further frustration."
Mark, thanks for the suggestions, but the problem turned out to be that I didn't notice the line in fine, light print at the bottom of the column which read "Load more" (you're supposed to click on that to load more comments). I tried it with two browsers, Safari and Firefox. Firefox worked fine, but for some reason, Safari was REALLY slow (not sure why, usually it's very fast) to load the extra comments… to the point where I decided it's silly to continue. So from now on, I think when I do one of these things and we get to around two hundred comments, I will just start a new one.
"With that being said I would like to ask you some fun, hypothetical, geek questions. If you where a crew member on the Starship Enterprise, who would you want as your Captain? James T. Kirk or Jean-Luc Picard? "
I'd prefer Picard, but only by a small margin. And as much as I love that original NCC-1701, I think I'd prefer to be on the NCC-1701D -- the tech stuff is way cooler.
"Second question, if you had access to a Holodeck, what environment would you have it simulate?"
There are so many, but I might start with the interior of the NCC-1701, and go on from there. Actually, I think one of the neatest environments to explore might be Terok Nor, also known as Deep Space 9. -- PL
Someone might have asked you this before but - are there any (or WERE there any) other comic books you'd like to have worked on? Stuff like Flaming Carrot, Usagi Yojimbo, other indie black-and-white books (the few that weren't complete TMNT ripoffs that is). It would have been cool to see Eastman and Laird covers or pinups for Batman or Fantastic Four or something.
ReplyDeleteYou've got a pretty cool style but it seems like (going from memory) you guys were almost completely dismissed from the comics community at large at the time TMNT took off as a comic book. I mean, aside from the Radioactive Hamsters and all the other knockoffs.
Mr. Laird actually did an "Usagi Yojimbo" story. It was in UY Volume 1, issue 10.
Deletehttp://wiki.usagiyojimbo.com/wiki/Teenage_Mutant_Ninja_Turtles#TMNT_in_Usagi_Yojimbo_comics
Here is a link on Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Usagi-Yojimbo-Vol-1-10/dp/B002XQGAGC
"Someone might have asked you this before but - are there any (or WERE there any) other comic books you'd like to have worked on? Stuff like Flaming Carrot, Usagi Yojimbo, other indie black-and-white books (the few that weren't complete TMNT ripoffs that is). It would have been cool to see Eastman and Laird covers or pinups for Batman or Fantastic Four or something."
DeleteThere is not one particular comic book that I have -- or ever had, really -- a burning passion to work on, though it would be a lot of fun to do something with Ben Grimm, the Thing from "Fantastic Four"… or Etrigan, the Demon from Jack Kirby's "The Demon". I would like to collaborate with Stan Sakai on a comic -- not necessarily Usagi Yojimbo or TMNT -- but I am not sure how our approaches would mesh.
"You've got a pretty cool style but it seems like (going from memory) you guys were almost completely dismissed from the comics community at large at the time TMNT took off as a comic book. I mean, aside from the Radioactive Hamsters and all the other knockoffs."
I am really not sure what you mean. -- PL
I guess what I meant was, well - Alan Moore made a splash with Swamp Thing and was given the opportunity to do Watchmen and other things. Frank Miller's Daredevil was a big deal and he was given many other opportunities.
DeleteIt seemed like - from an outsider looking in - that you guys weren't really embraced by the comics world-at-large. Maybe you were. Maybe there were offers to work on other projects or characters but you were too busy with the Turtles to work on anything else.
Either way, I always thought it was cool that you self published something and it took off like it did. I think my discovery of TMNT comics led me away from the world of "corporate comics."
Anyway thanks for reading and responding to everyone's off the wall questions!
"Miserable DreamerMar 4, 2012 06:46 PM
DeleteI guess what I meant was, well - Alan Moore made a splash with Swamp Thing and was given the opportunity to do Watchmen and other things. Frank Miller's Daredevil was a big deal and he was given many other opportunities.
It seemed like - from an outsider looking in - that you guys weren't really embraced by the comics world-at-large. Maybe you were. Maybe there were offers to work on other projects or characters but you were too busy with the Turtles to work on anything else."
I think you hit on the answer to your question right there. Back when we began Mirage Studios, pre-TMNT, Kevin and I likely would have leapt at the opportunity to work for Marvel or DC… in fact, we probably would have leapt at the opportunity to work for Comico, or Pacific, or First, or… well, there were probably quite a few companies we would have been happy doing work for.
But what happened was the quirk of fate which was the TMNT. Suddenly, we had a successful self-published comic book on our hands, and it took pretty much all of our energy to keep up with the demands of just that one title. Once the TMNT comic took off, we literally never looked for other work, from any other comic publisher.
Would we have been given such work, had we looked for it? That's debatable -- our style, while certainly adequate for what we were doing in TMNT, may very well have been seen as too "underground" for companies like DC and Marvel, and those independent comics publishers which were trying to emulate that look and feel.
In any event, we didn't go to them, they didn't come to us -- and that, as they say, was that.
"Either way, I always thought it was cool that you self published something and it took off like it did. I think my discovery of TMNT comics led me away from the world of "corporate comics.""
I'm glad to hear that! "Anyway thanks for reading and responding to everyone's off the wall questions!"
You're welcome! -- PL
How did the idea for several Volume 4 stories come about? Like where did you get the idea to have the talking lizards from when the series first started?
ReplyDeleteDid you always plan to kill off Splinter? I recall you saying in the old Vol. 4 letters pages that you sought of wrote the series organically as it went along, but how did all the majot plot points come about? Like the Warriors killing the Foot, Raph being attacked by Vamps, Mike and the Regenta?
Any general inspiration for all of this?
Right now, the only specific answer I can give to these questions is "No, I didn't always plan to kill Splinter." The other stuff -- possibly with a lot of strenuous thought I could work out what inspired those plot points, but at this point I don't recall. Much of the stuff in Volume 4 did develop organically, one thing inspiring the next. It's a hard thing to remember all of those connections. -- PL
Deletewhy wasn't baxter shown in turtles forever, it would have been interesting for him to see his counterpart as a fly. thomas
ReplyDeleteWe tried to bring as many characters as seemed appropriate from both series into "Turtles Forever", but some just didn't fit. -- PL
DeleteAfter the Turtles became a success, did you ever try to make any more hit comics?
ReplyDeleteThat's an interesting way to ask that question. I did make some other comics, and i hoped they would be successes (they weren't, sadly), but I never set out to make "hit comics". -- PL
DeleteNot to mention the fact that the movie would probably be twice as long with more characters in turtles forever :). although it would have been nice to have both Casey's and Baxters added into the mix.
ReplyDelete4kids Baxter wouldn't have fit in the movie. He wasn't working for Shredder anymore.
ReplyDeleteFly-Baxter could have had a short cameo though.
I really appreciated you sharing your thoughts on your vision for the film that became Secret of the Ooze. I seem to remember that you and Kevin worked on the story for the 3rd film, but how drastically did the 3rd film differ from your vision? Also, did it dull some of your enthusiasm for working on a story for the 3rd film after seeing how goofy the 2nd movie turned out? It seemed to me like the plot of the 3rd film tried to ignore the events of the 2nd film almost entirely, with the only continuity ties being the super-cool subway sewer-lair.
ReplyDeleteOn an unrelated note, I have acquired two different Japanese manga adaptations of the third film. They actually diverge heavily from the actual film. I've got some scans if you'd like to see them sometime!
"Adam WintersMar 4, 2012 11:07 AM
DeleteI really appreciated you sharing your thoughts on your vision for the film that became Secret of the Ooze. I seem to remember that you and Kevin worked on the story for the 3rd film, but how drastically did the 3rd film differ from your vision?"
I seem to recall that it turned out -- in large part -- pretty close to what we were expecting, but with a few things which made it seem sillier on screen than it did on paper.
" Also, did it dull some of your enthusiasm for working on a story for the 3rd film after seeing how goofy the 2nd movie turned out? It seemed to me like the plot of the 3rd film tried to ignore the events of the 2nd film almost entirely, with the only continuity ties being the super-cool subway sewer-lair."
Definitely. "On an unrelated note, I have acquired two different Japanese manga adaptations of the third film. They actually diverge heavily from the actual film. I've got some scans if you'd like to see them sometime!"
Thanks, but I'm not really interested. -- PL
I hope this isn't too sensitive a topic and I sincerely don't mean any offense if it is; it's just something I've been reading about lately and I'm curious to hear your POV regarding the situation (if someone has asked this in a previous Ask PL installment, let me apologize in advance).
ReplyDeleteNot long ago, A.C. Farley posted a retrospective on his Facebook page regarding the "mandatory retroactive work-for-hire contracts" he was sent by Gary Richardson some years back. Though I haven't read them myself, I understand that both Bissette and Veitch recalled Richardson's contracts in interviews for The Comics Journal; and in every case, the artists did not recall the situation with favor.
The Comics Journal recently posted an old interview with Eastman that they conducted back in 1998 which I'd never had the pleasaure of reading before (it was very comprehensive). It was enlightening to hear the other side of the coin and was hoping you might feel comfortable discussing it.
What was your reasoning for having Richardson send mandatory retroactive work-for-hire contracts to your staffers and former collaborators? Do you feel the contracts were in the spirit of the Creator's Bill of Rights, which you co-authored and signed? Eastman expressed regret over the handling of the situation; in retrospect, do you feel it was handled properly?
For a variety of reasons, I don't feel completely comfortable going into detail about the whys and wherefores of Mirage Studios' contractual dealings with various employees and freelancers. Quite frankly, it does fall under the heading of "none of your business".
DeleteBut I will say this -- I agree with Kevin's sense that things were not handled as well as they could -- maybe even should -- have been, on both sides.
Something to keep in mind when considering how to judge what happened at Mirage, during the early years especially, is that we were learning the business as we went along… and some things we felt were understood to be one way, in the days predating Gary's involvement, turned out to be, later on, not exactly as we understood -- and wanted -- them to be.
And as for whether these or any other Mirage Studios business decisions were "in the spirit of the Creator's Bill of Rights", all I will say about that is that document -- at least the way I understood it -- was a starting point for discussion and negotiation, not a hard and fast "This is the way things MUST be done, or not done at all" written-in-stone code. -- PL
what would a teamup of raph and wolverine be like, given the two have short fuses, have you considered this kind of team up. thomas
ReplyDeleteProbably it would involve a lot of snarling, tough-guy posing, leaping around, and sticking each other with sharp objects.
DeleteI think Kevin really wanted to do a team-up of this nature, and I bet he could have done a great job of it, too. -- PL
Hi Peter. I asked this question on the previous ''Ask PL #6'' but the page was messing up and couldn't see your reply. So feel free to ''copy ad past''. :)
ReplyDeleteBasically, I was asking about Jim Lawson. How did he sort of become the main turtle artist for the comics? I think his style is lovely and fit very well with Mirage. But unfortunatly, a lot of fans don't agree. Some even dopped the book because of the art. How would you respond to those fans? And do you prefer the style Jim drew in the RTNY book versus his current style? I am always interested to hear about how or why artist change styles like that. Thanks in advance!
(Sorry if this is the second time you're seeing this question.) : )
Here's the answer I left in the comments section of "Ask PL #6. -- PL)
Delete"NickMar 4, 2012 09:51 PM
Hi again Mr.Laird. I was wondering, how and why did Jim Lawson sort of ''Take over'' drawing turtle comics? Why Jim and not say, Dan Berger?"
It's pretty simple, actually -- Jim was willing and able to do the job. He has a great work ethic, always gets the comics done on time, and we really liked his work.
" When I first discovered Mirage, Jim's turtles were the first I ever saw the Tmnt in comic book form. And while his old style is more pleasing to my eyes, his newer style just has a ''charm'' about it that I love. It's uique and while his style may not be for everyone, there is no denying he is a damn good artist. One of the best of the Mirage crew. : )"
I couldn't agree more.
" But, I have heard from A LOT of fans over the years that hate his artwork and even dropped the book because of it. What would you say to those fans?"
I'd probably say to them what I used to say to those who whined about how much they hated what Jim and I were doing in the TMNT Volume 4 comics -- "If you don't like it, stop buying it!" As you point out, Jim has a unique style. He has honed it through many years of drawing. He's not going to change his style because a few people don't like it… nor should he. And, you know, there are plenty of cookie-cutter comic book artists out there for those people to gravitate to.
" And, what do you like about his art? Why did you think he was the guy to draw the turtles?"
Well, first I want to say -- and I think Jim would agree with this -- that Jim's drawing is not beyond criticism. For example, there are a few things that I wish he had done a little differently when he was drawing Volume 4. But they were minuscule problems, in my opinion, hardly worth mentioning.
As far as I am concerned, Jim is one of the best true cartoonists out there. Much like Stan Sakai, Jim draws what is needed -- no more, and no less. He can draw ANYTHING. And he has an amazing feel for the solidity of objects, be they people, buildings, vehicles, Turtles or whatever. I always loved the way he put together the environments his characters cavorted in and through. And he is superb in the way he can draw vehicles -- in fact, outside of Craig Farley, I would say he's the best at it of all the artists I know.
Jim's pencils are very easy to ink -- I've had the pleasure of doing that a number of times, both on TMNT projects and "Planet Racers". I've heard it said that Jack Kirby's pencils were the same way -- everything is there, and you don't have to try to figure out what the penciler intended. It's right there -- just lay some ink on it! (That doesn't mean that Jim's pencils don't offer opportunities to "play" with the inking -- just look at some of Eric Talbot's work over JIm's pencils to see what I mean.)
And as I pointed out earlier, Jim is EXTREMELY reliable. That may not mean much to anyone not in the business, but it is great to know that when you need art, it will be delivered on time. -- PL
Peter, I appreciate you answering my question! Thanks you so much sir. : )
Deleteheres a good one Utrom Shredder vs two face, if you had to pick one in this fight who would you take.
ReplyDeleteI don't know that much about "Two Face", but if I am remembering correctly, he's just a sometimes-psycho guy with half his face messed up, right? So he wouldn't last long against the Utrom Shredder. -- PL
Deletewhen did disney decided to have the turtles perform at the Disney studios in florida. what was your reaction to that.
ReplyDeleteI can't recall exactly when that happened, though it was some time during the years of the first TMNT TV series. I never actually saw the show, but I thought it was cool to have the Turtles at Disney. -- PL
DeleteThis is what happened.
Deletehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jDZCTlEItwE
What other companies approached Mirage to buy the TMNT IP back in 2009 other than Nick?
ReplyDeleteDid Disney approach you? Since Disney bought all of Marvel, I am wondering if they were trying to scoop up a lot of action-comic/cartoon properties.
I'm not going to name names, but at least two large companies approached Mirage with offers to buy the TMNT property. One was actually a reasonable deal, considering WHEN it happened... but Kevin (who was still half owner at that time) and I just weren't ready to sell. The second offer was for roughly one-twentieth what Viacom paid, so that was just ridiculous, and was rejected.
ReplyDeleteNo, as far as I know, Disney never approached us. If they had, and the price was right, I would have been happy to sell to them. -- PL
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDelete"When you were negotiating the sale of the TMNT with Nickelodeon, did they say anything about what they planned to do with the turtles?"
DeleteI can't recall many specifics.
" Did they give you any assurance that they didn't plan to make every future iteration of the turtles based in the Fred Wolf Universe and never reproduce anything from the Mirage Comics or 4kids series?"
No. But as you can see from what they ARE doing already, they want to give the property THEIR particular stamp... but even with that approach, the end result is still pretty close to the original, at least visually. It would make no sense, really, to purchase for a sizable sum of money a property which has been around for twenty-five years and then just ignore all that came before. And as you can see by the fact that one of Viacom's licensees, IDW, is already doing reprints of the Mirage comics, that part of the TMNT's history is clearly not being ignored.
"How did you know that they wouldn't essentially erase your interpretation of the turtles from history?"
That question reminds me of a particularly obnoxious, dopey comment from a TMNT fan a few years back about how my "remastering" of the original first issue of the TMNT comic book was eliminating Kevin Eastman's contribution to it, which was simply ludicrous. I'm not saying your question is obnoxious or dopey, but I'm curious -- HOW, exactly, would they go about "erasing" our interpretation of the Turtles from history? Are they going to go around and steal everyone's old comics, toys, DVDs, and all the myriad other TMNT products produced over the last twenty-five years and incinerate them… and then invent some kind of "mind ripping" device to strip the memories of the Turtles from every TMNT fan on the planet… and then somehow delete any reference to the Turtles from every nook and cranny on the Internet? Obviously not.
The fact is, that history exists. It's not going away. It may, over time, fade somewhat (as it should, I think), as the new incarnations of the TMNT take hold, but I don't see those twenty-five years of history vanishing. Maybe I'm wrong, but I don't think it works that way.
"Or did you just not really care much about it at the time and just wanted to relieve yourself of the burden the turtles held on you?"
I cared about it, to a degree… but I also knew that it was time to move on, and I wasn't going to spend a lot of energy trying to get everything I could possibly want out of the deal (because, frankly, the deal would probably have fallen apart if I'd tried). The thing you have to realize about this type of situation is that -- barring some VERY unusual circumstance -- when you SELL a property, that's it. You are no longer responsible for it, nor do you have control over it. That's the deal. If you can't handle it, you shouldn't do it. After twenty-five years, I was ready.
"Also, I am curious to know if you remember around which issue of Tales volume 2 that you stopped giving feedback."
I can't recall at this moment. It's interesting, though, because while going through old emails recently, I have come across a number of them between me and Steve Murphy, discussing various plots for the early "Tales" issues. I think it may have been around issue 25, but like I said, I can't precisely remember at this moment.
"And thank you for reviving the franchise in the early 2000's. If that didn't happen when it did, I never would have discovered such great things as the Mirage comics, Stan Sakai's Usagi Yojimbo, and Dave Sim's Cerebus. It is weird for me to think that if it wasn't for the 4kids series, I would have forgotten about the turtles long ago . . ."
I'm glad the revival of the property brought you those pleasures. Maybe the new generation of Viacom/Nick TMNT will bring even more. -- PL
That's cool, any chance you could post the emails between you and Murphy?
DeleteI'm not sure how much questions we are allowed to ask but here are a couple:
ReplyDelete1. Did Cartoon Network ever approach you guys with a deal? Because no offense but Nickelodeon and Viacom are known for toning down things extremely and for being a very disliked company.
2. I was looking at the old sketches of mutants you thought would have been cool as toys. Since they never came to be, have you ever thought of showing them to Kevin Eastman (since he is currently writing TMNT) and get them in the new comic? I think that would be pretty awesome.
3. Just wondering, but is there a specific reason as to why you are not going to Boston Comic Con? I ask this because I hear that you live in Massachusetts.
"1. Did Cartoon Network ever approach you guys with a deal? Because no offense but Nickelodeon and Viacom are known for toning down things extremely and for being a very disliked company."
DeleteCartoon Network never approached us.
"2. I was looking at the old sketches of mutants you thought would have been cool as toys. Since they never came to be, have you ever thought of showing them to Kevin Eastman (since he is currently writing TMNT) and get them in the new comic? I think that would be pretty awesome."
I hadn't thought of that, mostly because I think Kevin is aware of all of these drawings already -- after all, they were done when we were both working on designs for Playmates in the early days. I suspect he still has copies of that artwork in his files, and if he doesn't, he could certainly get them from my blog. But it could very well be that he, and the other people at IDW who are working on the TMNT comics, want to do new stuff… which is fine.
"3. Just wondering, but is there a specific reason as to why you are not going to Boston Comic Con? I ask this because I hear that you live in Massachusetts."
What, is everyone who lives in Massachusetts obliged to go to the Boston Comic Con? :) I'm not really into the whole con thing these days. Maybe I should ask you -- is there a specific reason that I SHOULD go to the Boston Comic Con? -- PL
Thanks for the responses man, I'm honestly surprised Cartoon Network never approached you guys. I personally prefer darker TMNT.
DeleteI only asked that because Kevin Eastman and Stan Sakai have been there and it reminded me that you never have been to the Con before.
If you don't mind, can I ask a couple more questions?
I don't mind! -- PL
DeleteOkay thanks.
Delete1. Who do you think would win in a fight; Donatello or Michaelangelo (comic versions). I already know that Leonardo is about Raphael, but I'm not sure about those two.
2. If you could choose three characters that will have a crossover with TMNT, who would it be? (They can't be characters the Turtles have already teamed up with)
3. Marvel or DC, which do you like more?
4. What do you think is Shredder's best costume? I like the '89 cartoon's costume (I think it's the cape) and Tengu Shredder the most.
"Okay thanks. 1. Who do you think would win in a fight; Donatello or Michaelangelo (comic versions). I already know that Leonardo is about Raphael, but I'm not sure about those two."
DeleteDonatello.
"2. If you could choose three characters that will have a crossover with TMNT, who would it be? (They can't be characters the Turtles have already teamed up with)"
Batman, the Thing, and Magnus: Robot Fighter.
"3. Marvel or DC, which do you like more?"
Marvel, by a very small margin.
"4. What do you think is Shredder's best costume? I like the '89 cartoon's costume (I think it's the cape) and Tengu Shredder the most."
His original comic book costume. -- PL
Once again, thanks dude. I love Batman and The Thing, I've only read only one Magnus comic though.
DeleteHey Pete,
ReplyDeleteAre you thinking about stopping by the “Paint & Pixel” this fall? I’m hoping Ruth Sanderson and, will be attending again this year. Watching her paint last year was amazing. I’m also hoping to see Mike Dooney again. He is such a nice guy! I hope the vibe is the same as it was last year. I found it to be relaxing and friendly.
I wish there was a way to edit our comments. It is very embarrassing to mangle a sentience and, not have the ability to fix it. Now it is there for the world to see. Doh!
DeleteMark, if there is another one, I will very likely be there, for at least a visit, and maybe as an exhibitor. -- PL
DeleteHi,
ReplyDeleteI was watching a review on that first TMNT NES game and one thing that sticks out like a sore thumb is the fact the enemies are mostly original to that game, as opposed of having comics' counterparts or even cartoon ones. Could you share any stories on how this came to happen? The manual's illustrations seem to have been made by the Mirage team and it's the whole reason I still have the manual to this day...
Cheers!
I wish I did have stories about that, but I don't. Sorry! -- PL
DeleteWhen IDW put out the first Mirage collection, what were your thoughts on it? Did you think they did a very good job? Likewise what were your thoughts on Kevin Eastman's new cover for it?
ReplyDeleteDid they send you a copy of it for free or did you have to order it online?
If not, do you plan to pick up the Mirage collections IDW puts out, or as you said, you feel you have enough Turtle stuff already?
"When IDW put out the first Mirage collection, what were your thoughts on it? Did you think they did a very good job?"
ReplyDeleteI've already said this a few times, but I don't mind repeating it - - I think the IDW hardcover collection of the early Mirage TMNT stories is one of the nicest I've seen.
" Likewise what were your thoughts on Kevin Eastman's new cover for it?"
I liked it a lot.
"Did they send you a copy of it for free or did you have to order it online?"
I did not get a free copy -- I bought one at the local comic shop.
"If not, do you plan to pick up the Mirage collections IDW puts out, or as you said, you feel you have enough Turtle stuff already?"
If they keep doing collections of this quality, I will most likely continue to buy them. -- PL
what are your thoughts on the Jurassic park comics, personally i prefer the movies and the two books.
ReplyDeleteI've seen and enjoyed the movies, but have never read the comics. -- PL
Deletei remember mikey referencing Jurassic Park i think twice, but im not sure, course i happen to work for the guy who was the paleontological consultant to the films Jack Horner,
ReplyDeleteHey Peter, in the last "Ask PL" blog I asked you if you'd ever make a television appearance but I neglected to say what kind of appearance. I know Kevin Smith started a new series where people chat about comic books (I forget what channel it's on). It'd be cool if you were to make a small cameo there. Also I dunno if you've heard of that sitcom titled The Big Bang Theory but they're constantly making sci-fi and comic book references on that show and actors from Star Trek have already made appearances on it, as well as Stan Lee. Also one of that show's producers is also the guy who wrote the theme song to the original Ninja Turtles cartoon.
ReplyDeleteI am a fan of "The Big Bang Theory" -- I don't watch it weekly, but I buy the DVD sets when they're released. I get a kick out of all the geeky references. -- PL
DeleteHi Peter!: I love the background music of the 2003 series. Who composed it? About the 2003 theme song I like the second version when Mikey said : "we shred, Shredder" or something like that.
ReplyDeleteI guess you didn't see my March 2 reply in "Ask PL #6", which read as follows:
Delete"Sorry, I don't know who composed that music. And I think Mikey said "We shredded Shredder!" -- PL"
Thank you, anyway!! :) Sorry for my bad grammar. English is not my first language.
Deletehere's one, was the process of doing the archie comics more fun than the animated series? I wish these would be re-released. I didn't care for the art in them at the time, so I skipped over all but the first three or so adapted issues from the cartoon...
ReplyDeleteAlso, while I love Raph's 4kids voice, how come he was the only one with the NY accent? :)
I would say it was somewhat more fun, though I wasn't that involved with it, as I recall. I did have a lot of fun drawing some of the covers for the Archie TMNT comics.
DeleteAs for Raph's voice, I guess it was thought that because he's the "tough guy" of the Turtles, and there is a sense that a "Noo Yawk" accent kind of implies toughness, it was appropriate. Actually, if you think about it, maybe they should all speak with Japanese accents. -- PL
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DeleteQuestion: When I heard TMNT series in different languages, I noticed that many of the European countries, the UK included, pronounce the name "Michelangelo" the Italian way. Why here in U.S.A they didn't do the same, since you correct the spelling from "Michaelangelo" to Michelangelo?
ReplyDeleteI think it is because regardless of the way it is spelled, that's the way the name has typically been pronounced in the US as long as I can remember. In fact, it is very likely the reason that we misspelled it to begin with -- even though I'd seen the name properly spelled in my college art classes many times, I heard it in my head as "Michaelangelo" when we started working on the concept of TMNT, and didn't even think to confirm the correct spelling. -- PL
DeleteThank you, Peter for your answer!! :) According to my Italian friend the name is not common. Few guys have it.
DeleteHello Peter: How Leo and Donny became so formal in their speaking? Because you said that they never used slangs, like Raph and Mikey. Also, they have the same sensei as the other two boys. Unless Master Splinter teach only Leo and Donny to speak properly but leaving Raph and Mikey to speak the way they want. I'm clueless.
DeleteBy the way, I love when the TMNT behave like their age, you know, teenage boys. Like in the beginning of the episode "The Ninja Tribunal". They look adorable!! :)
I think that as people (or Ninja Turtles) grow up, they develop their own speech patterns, which can be different even if they all had the same "parent". Leo and Don's speech patterns reflect their more careful, deliberate and detail-oriented personalities. -- PL
DeleteThank you for your answer, Peter!! :)
DeleteIs there any charecters that you'd like to see more of from the comics, that weren't really featured in a cartoon or were toys? I liked the female super hero that fought that villian all the time. I think their names were radical and carnage.
ReplyDeleteWho would you like to see in the new cartoon or comic?
It might have been fun to see Complete Carnage and Radical in the 4Kids cartoon, but in truth they were never among my favorite characters, so I didn't really miss them. And at the moment, I can't really think of any others. -- PL
DeleteAnd because I am not really following the new comic, and probably won't regularly watch the new cartoon, and am not actively involved with any of that stuff anymore, I don't particularly care who appears in either of them. -- PL
DeleteHi Peter,
ReplyDeleteI hope you are well. I was wondering whether you could answer these two questions about Turtles Forever. My first question is has there been any talk of doing a proper DVD release of this film with audio commentary, deleted scenes, etc. I imagine a behind the scenes documentary would be especially interesting as it would discuss how you merged the Turtles animation styles together.
My second question is that Turtles Forever seems to be a perfect jumping off point for more TV/DVD movies featuring the 2003 Turtles, the Fred Wolf Turtles and Mirage Turtles in their own stories. With the amount of Marvel and DC animation released straight to DVD how come there hasn't been an interest in doing more.
Thanks and all the best
Pedro
Pedro, those are good questions, but they are probably better asked of someone who is involved with new products featuring the TMNT. I am not that person. Sorry! -- PL
DeleteNo problem Peter. Thanks any way!
DeleteDid you read the Donatello Micro Series from IDW? I'm not crazy about the new comics. Not that I'm saying they stink. They are ok. I'm not in love with them but, I do not hate them. I picked up the "Donatello Micro Series" comic the other day and, finally had the chance to read it last night. I must say it was pretty good. In my opinion it is the best one I’ve read from IDW thus far. It was worth the few dollars I spent on it.
ReplyDeletePeter,
ReplyDeleteYou may have moved on from this (heck, this is on the buried on the 3rd page of your blog ATM), but I have a quick question (mainly because you may not have an answer.)
Back in the 1990, during the height of Turtle Mania, Random House released a series of children's book adaptations of previous stories. Many of them were re-tellings of Fred Wolf or Archie stories, save for one of the original 4 books. (The first "wave" had books with each of the 4 Turtles on the cover.) The Donatello book contained a adaptation of Mirage's Donatello one shot. Did you ever see this book, and if so, were you satisfied with this sole retelling of a Mirage issue?
In all honesty, I don't remember much about that one... but I also don't remember being offended or dissatisfied by it, so that's a good thing! -- PL
Deletei just watched the Casey jones movie, i thought it was weird for mikey to be the first to meet casey, traditionally it suppose to be raph, did you think that was weird too.
ReplyDeleteA little bit, yes. -- PL
DeleteIs the inking/toning done for TMNT Vol. 4 #32, and if not, what are the chances of that issue being completed sometime this year?
ReplyDeleteThe inking and toning on that issue has not as yet been finished, and I am not sure when it will be. There is a possibility that it might be completed this year, but I don't know if it will happen. -- PL
ReplyDeleteFingers crossed on the #32 this year, Peter.
ReplyDeleteSo word has broken over the past couple of days, straight from Michael Bay's mouth, that the Turtles in the new movie will be an alien race.
Any thoughts on that?
Could be interesting. -- PL
DeleteSome more things known/have become clear:
Delete* The Turtles are actually from another dimension.
* Krang is the bad guy, and there's "other villains" from this other dimension (which is almost assuredly Dimension X).
Im sure you have gotten this question already, so if you have could you just point me to the right direction where i can read your answer on this subject. Have you read any IDW's TMNT, and what do you think about it as a whole?
ReplyDeleteI have answered this question already, in a previous "Ask PL". Here's the answer I gave then:
Delete"I've read a couple of issues of the IDW comics, and I just can't get into them, for whatever reasons. I think the most off-putting thing about them -- for me, at least -- is that they don't seem very unique, especially as far as the artwork goes. Say what you will about the weaknesses of our original comics as far as the art is concerned -- and I freely admit we had our weaknesses -- at the very least Kevin and I put a lot of effort into what we were doing and tried to make it look different. Or maybe it just ended up looking different because that's all we were capable of doing!
There is also something about modern color comics which drives me nuts, and that is the unfortunate (as far as I am concerned) tendency towards filling every available space with something -- be it linework and/or color -- instead of taking the classic approach of panels with borders and white space in between. I think the latter approach allows the pages to "breathe", and to my eye, anyway, the former approach is cluttered and generally ugly.
I am also disheartened by the way the story seems to be developing -- there just seem to be a lot of changes made for change's sake. And the introduction of yet another mutated animal character right away (Old Hob) pushes one of my buttons, and not in a good way.
I'm thinking that when the first IDW collection of these new TMNT comics is released, I may pick that up and read it all at one sitting and see if my opinion changes.
As far as wanting my input for any ongoing new TMNT productions at IDW, no, they have not approached me. That's probably a good thing, given the direction in which they seem to be heading. And lest people get the wrong idea, I wish IDW all the best of luck with their TMNT projects." -- PL
ah gotcha! I can see where your going with it. I do miss volume 4...... just saying. :)
DeleteHey Peter: did I offend you? I send you comments about the turtles as aliens issue, but somehow they were deleted . To be honest with you, I don't understand too well when people speak in figurative speech( in English, obviously) If you felt offended by my comments, my sincere apologies. I feel sad. :(
ReplyDeleteMargui, I don't remember deleting any such comments by you. Send them again if you want! -- PL
DeleteThank you so much!! Gosh!! I don't remember them too well. But now I understood you were using sarcasm when you mention Bay is a "genius". I didn't understand that the very first time.
DeleteBy the way, I love your "turtle alien" drawing. He look sad, but it's cute!! Awww!! :)
Hey Peter, I have kind of a personal question: Do you consider yourself as an illustrator first or a writer? I understand it's possible or even likely you consider it two sides of the same "artist" coin, but I'm curious what you're answer would be if you had to choose.
ReplyDeleteIf you illustrator, is there any particular reason you didn't opt to illustrate Volume 4 and have someone else do the writing? I'm sure you could have developed the main plot points and ultimately approved/disapproved the script. Perhaps that's too much work?
"Hey Peter, I have kind of a personal question: Do you consider yourself as an illustrator first or a writer? I understand it's possible or even likely you consider it two sides of the same "artist" coin, but I'm curious what you're answer would be if you had to choose."
ReplyDeleteWhile I don't do much of either these days (except blog writing), I guess I have always thought of myself as an illustrator first.
"If you illustrator, is there any particular reason you didn't opt to illustrate Volume 4 and have someone else do the writing? I'm sure you could have developed the main plot points and ultimately approved/disapproved the script. Perhaps that's too much work?"
For the Volume 4 stuff, I had NO interest whatsoever in handing the writing reins over to anyone else, as the main reason for me doing it was to tell new stories about the Turtles that I had in my head. And the simple reason that I didn't do the art is that if I had, I might have gotten out two issues per year, given how slowly I draw in comparison to Jim Lawson. I was fortunate that Jim agreed to do it, and it wouldn't have been nearly as much fun if he hadn't. -- PL
Question: Like any parent, Master Splinter loves his boys a lot, but when he is using to discipline the boys, why does he have to hit Mikey in the head? And this type of "correction" is followed by Raph and Donny.
ReplyDeleteDonny should know well that hitting in somebody's head is so bad since he have gifted intelligence.