Wrapping up the last few pages of the Kay-Bee sketchbook, pages 20-22, we first see a rough sketch of Casey's grandmother's farmhouse and barn. I think I did this to work out how it would look on the last page of the story in issue #12 of TMNT Volume One.
On the following page, there is another rough sketch of two of the members of the survivalist group from that same issue.
And on the final page of this sketchbook (at least, the last one with anything drawn on it) are two rough sketches -- one depicting another of the survivalists, and the other the look of the little shack wherein the survivalists have hidden their homemade nuclear device. -- PL
Mr. Laird- Quick question. I've been debating with some fellow fans the ethnic origin of the Mirage Comics April O'neil. In the Mirage Comics TMNT series, April always looked to me to be African American, but in the Archie comics, movies and later series, she's always been portrayed as white.
ReplyDeleteI'd always understood the character was originally African American. Can you clarify this for me? Thanks!
I just read somewhere (I forget the source), that she was likely hispanic.
DeleteI've answered this question -- or something like it -- several times, most recently in one of my "Ask PL" posts on this blog, on November 22, 2013. To avoid redoing what I've already done, here's what I said then in response to one such question:
Delete"As the co-creator of the character of April O'Neil, and as someone who has always imagined her as white, and very likely of Irish/Scottish/English ancestry, I was not at all "unsettled" by the depictions of her as such in the various adaptations. Kevin may have had a different view, and I can't speak for him, but that's the way I always saw her. As for the coloring of her skin in the color reprints of the MIrage comics, Kevin always had a lot more input on that end of our business than I did, and in fact I'm pretty sure he did the colors on the initial such reprinting from First Comics, the one in graphic novel form. Make of that what you will."
Make of the following what you will, as well -- back in the late 1980's when the character of April O'Neil was introduced in the first TMNT animated series, and her design obviously showed her to be a red-headed Caucasian, Kevin voiced no objection to this that I can recall. Nor did he do so when Judith Hoag, clearly a fair-skinned Caucasian, was cast in the role of April in the first live-action movie, or when Paige Turco, also Caucasian, was picked for the April part in the second and third live-action movies. I suppose it's possible he had another opinion of the matter at the time which he did not share, but I don't know about that.
As for April being "likely Hispanic", I think that it the first time I have heard such a claim, and it is in my opinion incorrect, as is probably evident by what I wrote above. -- PL
Mr. Laird, I am clamoring to buy anything with your credit. Whether its a book of your photography or TMNT or any non-TMNT graphic novel. Do you have anything that you are working on to publish? Its fun just to purchase a Peter Laird work off the shelves!
DeleteThanks for the kind words. I am not, as of right now, planning anything like what you suggest, but that could change. I appreciate your interest in my work! -- PL
DeleteMr. Laird, did you see the new turtle designs for the 2014 movie? Here's a link in case you didn't: http://aidarsm.tumblr.com/post/74964694134/promo-poster
ReplyDeleteTheir faces kind of scare me... :(
Yes, I did see them. - PL
DeleteAlso did you see the new design for Shredder? What do you think?
Deletehttp://whatculture.com/film/teenage-mutant-ninja-turtles-final-concepts-revealed.php
I did see the new Shredder design as well. I think for now I will withhold comment. -- PL
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