This is from an April 1, 1983 letter to Mom and Pop:
"This whole week (well, actually last week) of vacation for Jeannine was really good. We got a lot done -- Jeannine put the finishing touches on two new stories, and sent them out. I saw Kevin again, and we had a long discussion about the future of our venture together, and it looks pretty good! I actually saw him again a couple of days ago, and we got two things accomplished; we decided on a logo design for Mirage Studios (maybe I'll enclose a copy of it with this letter), and we roughed out a comic-book story that we are going to collaborate on and send out to various publishers. I'm really excited about the possibilities inherent in our working together. We also just got a separate post office box for Mirage Studios. Yow! We're cookin'!"
Somewhere, in some drawer or file cabinet, I may have that logo sketch. Or maybe Kevin has it. In any event, it's not available to me right now, which is too bad, because it would be fun to use it to illustrate this post.
I suspect that the comic book story mentioned here was probably "Fugitoid". -- PL
Hope you find that logo! That'd be cool to see!
ReplyDelete~Mel
This is cool stuff, like history as it developed. Echoing Melanie, I'd also love to see that logo if you ever find it.
ReplyDeleteI have a few of your 1983 invoices with your old triceratops logo - funny stuff.
ReplyDeleteAny memories of this?
http://www.fosters.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20141206/GJNEWS_01/141209524
That's a somewhat bizarre story... and I would have to say that it never happened. At least, I have no memory of it -- or anything LIKE it -- happening... although it is possible that we approached Foster's Daily Democrat to see if we could get publicity for the publication of the first issue of TMNT. But even that seems off -- I have no memory of going to their offices. I'm pretty sure that they did run something about the book, but probably just from our press release materials.
DeleteAnd I have to say that the following comment in this piece (referencing ANOTHER recent story, this time in New Hampshire Magazine, about the birth of the TMNT):
"The story also notes Eastman and Laird lay credit to their ability to survive and thrive to Ralph DiBernardo of Jet Pack Comics when it first opened in Portsmouth (Jet Pack later relocated to Rochester). "
... is more than a little bit off, not least because I've never "[laid] credit to [our] ability to survive and thrive to Ralph DiBernardo", and I doubt Kevin has either. Ralph did buy a bunch of TMNT #1's and we were and are grateful to that, but his purchase -- and our appearance at the small convention in Portsmouth, NH that he put on, where we premiered the first issue of TMNT (and when I say premiered, I mean it was the first time we appeared at a public event promoting and selling the TMNT comic book) -- were just part of what enabled us to "survive and thrive".
This "looking for a handout for groceries money" bit, though -- is one of the weirder stories I've heard, and as far as I can recall, it never happened. -- PL
Ha - shows how people tell themselves stories over the years.
DeleteThis is from 1984, but I feel like it deserves some attention - as far as I can tell, it might be the final non-Turtle artwork that you and Kevin collaborated on? Or at least a near-final project...
ReplyDeletehttps://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=2086148917150&l=4799fb31e7
For those wondering what it is, the mystery will have to suffice. Amazing comic book-style art that perfectly holds up 30 years later!
I could be wrong about this, but I don't think Kevin worked on any of that stuff. -- PL
DeleteI think KE did some of the final coloring? He did sign his name in the corner next to yours - and he wouldn't have signed if he hadn't done something, right? Such fun art - It would be a great "Blast from the Past!"
DeleteYou're right -- if he signed it, it's more likely than not that he worked on it. I think the main reason I thought he DIDN'T work on it is that the color and airbrush work didn't look as good as what I would expect from him in those days -- it looks more like my lesser efforts. -- PL
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