Got questions? I might have answers. -- PL
(TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES and all related titles, logos and characters are trademarks of Viacom International Inc. © 2009 Viacom International Inc. All Rights Reserved.) All other material ©2011 Peter Laird unless otherwise noted.
Hello Mr. Laird!
ReplyDeleteI know you're probably sick of questions about Volume 4, so all I will say on the matter is that if/when you decide to pick it back up, I will be ready and willing to plop down my money for it.
My real question is will you be attending any comic conventions this year?
Anyways, hope all is well and that you have a great 2017!
-Dan
Thanks, Dan! I currently have no firm plans for convention appearances this year. -- PL
DeleteHi Mr. Laird. Could you try and come to Canada for a convention? I'll travel to where ever you want to visit.
DeleteBest regards.
I've been to Toronto twice for comic conventions, and enjoyed it. I suppose it could happen again. -- PL
DeleteIsn't this Ask PL #16? :-)
ReplyDeleteMy real question: Are you doing anything special for Free Comic Book Day this year?
I hope you're doing well! Have a great 2017!
You're right, it is! I should fix that.
DeleteNo plans to do anything special for Free Comic Book Day this year, unless Steve Lavigne decides to reopen Shellback Artworks! (But I doubt that will happen._ -- PL
Peter,
ReplyDeleteWould you be willing to process a live Q&A? If yes, I would love to speak more regarding this opportunity. I know you don't do much public appearances, but I had to ask. I am grateful for any consideration. My email is info@teenagemutantninjaturtles.com.
Thank you,
Hey Peter!
ReplyDeleteBig longtime fan here, first time asking a question. Wondering if IDW has the reprint rights to the b&w stuff you currently put out as volume 4, or if you retain those comics produced since the merger? And if you retain them, would you ever collect them?
Matthew LeDrew
Matthew, it is my understanding that IDW does not have the rights to reprint Volume 4. I am not certain Mirage has the rights to do collections of Volume 4. -- PL
DeleteMr. Laird,
ReplyDeleteDo you happen to have a secret stash of the "Commandosaurs" mini-comic set of 8? I have been trying to find a set for a long time!
Also, as you got older did you run into any physical limitations with drawing? I.e. constant cramps, arthritis,etc.? I would think knocking out a ton of sketches, or even just signing tons of stuff would become quite cumbersome. Just curious!
Thanks for taking time to post, and please post more often!
-Ryan
"Do you happen to have a secret stash of the "Commandosaurs" mini-comic set of 8? I have been trying to find a set for a long time!"
DeleteSorry, but no.
"Also, as you got older did you run into any physical limitations with drawing? I.e. constant cramps, arthritis,etc.? I would think knocking out a ton of sketches, or even just signing tons of stuff would become quite cumbersome. Just curious!"
Sadly, I draw so little these days it is hard for me to answer that question. I can say that doing long signings can be very tiring, hunched over the table. It's probably why I don't do too much of that these days, either. -- PL
Simple question, what is a typical day being Peter Laird?
ReplyDeleteThanks,
Dustin
Hi Peter.
ReplyDeleteI've been reading the mirage series, for some time, and I've always been quite curious about the tools you've been using. Like what tool did you guys use to ink the pages, what did you use to colour the comics(covers), etc.?
In the early years of working on the art for the TMNT comic books, we would use a variety of tools for inking, but mostly brushes (typically small white Taklon) and crow quill and other dip pens. We would also sometimes employ technical pens, like those in the Mars line.
DeleteIn later years, I began using a variety of brush markers, as more of these became available from Japan.
I didn't do much color work, but when I did I used a variety of media including Dr. Martin's Dyes, various watercolors, and some liquid acrylic paints.
During the production of Volume 2 of the TMNT comics, I used Photoshop to color most of the covers for that series (not terribly successfully, if you want my honest opinion). -- PL
Mr. Laird, who owns the rights to the 2003 TV Series right now?
ReplyDeleteNickelodeon/Viacom does.
DeleteLike he said. -- PL
DeleteNick pretends that this awesome series does not exist :( #2k3 4ever
DeleteYou had talked before about releasing a calendar of gods you had drawn years ago. I'll be embarrassed if I missed it, but is that still a thing? (I'll be even more embarrassed if I imagined it.)
ReplyDeleteSide note: if you never create more original TMNT content, I will be so grateful for what you've done. The B&W comics were my childhood, and from what I can tell you are the one that gave it it's heart. Thank you.
Mike
I wish I'd remembered at the beginning of this year that the "Calendar of the Gods" which I and my late brother Don did together was once again valid -- the dates cycled back around! But I have no plans to re-release it, at least not at this time. I should dig at least one out of storage and hang it up -- I have eight more months of 2017 during which I could use it. Actually, I am not sure how many of those things I still have. Thanks for the reminder! -- PL
DeleteYou know some of your fans are pagans (I blame you), and would be curious to see your take on things. Just saying... :)
DeleteWhat's your favorite kind of sandwich?
ReplyDeleteI tend to like those "Thanksgiving" sandwiches, which typically include sliced turkey, stuffing, and cranberry sauce. There's a place nearby called Barstow's which has a great version of this, which they call "The Costello". -- PL
DeleteI'm shocked that someone other than my Dad enjoys those, and that they're available at restaurants.
DeleteLet's start off with a few lighter questions:
ReplyDelete1. I don't know how far you got into the Nickelodeon but it eventually turned out April psychic powers came from her being a human/utrom hybrid, what did/do you think of that twist?
2. A related twist, Bishop showed up (an utrom in that show) and revealed the Kraang were brainwashed utroms? Thoughts on that?
3. Did you watch the movie from last year?
4. The curent show will conclude sometime next year and be replaced by a TMNT show the same year, called "Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles". Does it seem worrysome that they're planning on making a different show right after previous one ends?
5. Back when the 2003 show was made, any Mirage you would have liked to see adapted but weren't?
Alright, so the real question I wanted out:
When Fred Wolf tried to sue Mirage over the ownership of TMNT, are there any details you can give about it? What was their argument? What do think their motive was? Etc. The only reason I can some up with is that they wanted to prevent eventually losing their license but that's just speculation on my part.
"1. I don't know how far you got into the Nickelodeon but it eventually turned out April psychic powers came from her being a human/utrom hybrid, what did/do you think of that twist?
Delete2. A related twist, Bishop showed up (an utrom in that show) and revealed the Kraang were brainwashed utroms? Thoughts on that?"
I think I've only watched the first season, so I have no opinions on these topics.
"3. Did you watch the movie from last year?"
Yes.
"4. The curent show will conclude sometime next year and be replaced by a TMNT show the same year, called "Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles". Does it seem worrysome that they're planning on making a different show right after previous one ends?"
It's not worrisome to me! I have no involvement in the show, and have no idea what the plans are for it. Maybe they have a great idea for an awesome follow-up to their first show. Maybe it's a desperation move. I don't have any idea!
"5. Back when the 2003 show was made, any Mirage you would have liked to see adapted but weren't?"
I cannot right now think of any.
"Alright, so the real question I wanted out:
When Fred Wolf tried to sue Mirage over the ownership of TMNT, are there any details you can give about it? What was their argument? What do think their motive was? Etc. The only reason I can some up with is that they wanted to prevent eventually losing their license but that's just speculation on my part."
I'm not sure how much I can and/or should say about that matter, so I think I will say nothing for now. -- PL
In the 2003 show, was there going to be any kind of development on Ch'rell/Utrom Shredder's history?
ReplyDeleteFor instance, how he got his scar?
Or what happened to him to make him believe that his fellow Utroms had persecuted him his *entire* life (implying that it had been happening since he was a child)?
Also, was there any development on Utroms as a society and as a species that had been written down, but for whatever reason, never made it to the TMNT lore up front?
"In the 2003 show, was there going to be any kind of development on Ch'rell/Utrom Shredder's history?
DeleteFor instance, how he got his scar?
Or what happened to him to make him believe that his fellow Utroms had persecuted him his *entire* life (implying that it had been happening since he was a child)?"
I suspect that if the show had gone on for a few more years, we likely would have covered topics of that nature.
"Also, was there any development on Utroms as a society and as a species that had been written down, but for whatever reason, never made it to the TMNT lore up front?"
I can't recall any such development of backstory ideas for the Utroms. Again, I think we may very well have explored these things in more detail if the show had continued. It could have ben a lot of fun! -- PL
My questions were brought to mind by this old interview with you and Eastman featured in a late 1980s issue of Comics Scene:
ReplyDeletehttp://forums.thetechnodrome.com/showthread.php?t=57229
It provides a rare behind-the-scenes look at the early days of the Fred Wolf toon show, when it still leaned a bit closer to the source material and listened to creator input.
Good call on vetoing the hero-turn of Baxter Stockman into the Turtles' pal and custodian of the Technodrome. I can't imagine how much different the show and toyline might have been if that shift had become the new status quo. Baxter probably would have stepped on Donatello's turf, but it might have been fun to watch them play off each other. I'm also glad Shredder and Krang remained distinct characters instead of being combined into one entity, as their chemistry plays better off one another. Plus, that allowed for more dialogue from both Pat Fraley and the late James Avery.
Probably my favorite part of your TMNT blog is when you posted your production notes for the 4Kids series episodes. Therefore, I enjoyed reading your thoughts on early looks at Fred Wolf second season episodes in the article. Do you recall if you provided the interview after viewing early versions of the episodes or just upon scripts, storyboards, or production notes? Do you remember if the Fred Wolf toon had considered any more major changes to existing characters that might have become permanent after the 2nd season, like keeping April as a cat woman mutant?
I appreciate anything you are able to remember about those early days of the TMNT media juggernaut. I recently bought a copy of a complete episode storyboard through Shellback Artworks and it's a delight to see how things changed between production and the final episode.
"Probably my favorite part of your TMNT blog is when you posted your production notes for the 4Kids series episodes. Therefore, I enjoyed reading your thoughts on early looks at Fred Wolf second season episodes in the article. Do you recall if you provided the interview after viewing early versions of the episodes or just upon scripts, storyboards, or production notes? Do you remember if the Fred Wolf toon had considered any more major changes to existing characters that might have become permanent after the 2nd season, like keeping April as a cat woman mutant?"
DeleteIf I had that interview in front of me, it might jog my memory of the sequence of events back then, but as it stands right now I don't recall where we were in the process of the creation of that first show when we did the interview.
I can't recall any consideration of keeping April as a cat woman mutant. Of course, Kevin and I weren't kept "in the loop" as much as we would have liked. -- PL
Thank you for your response, Peter! I apologize for not remembering that attached images at that forum can't be viewed without a login access. If you are interested, the scans can be downloaded from Google Drive in .rar or .cbr formats:
Deletehttps://drive.google.com/drive/folders/0ByVhFBG-fJHEbGwxTjVDR19YWTA?usp=sharing
Hi Mr. Laird, hope you are doing well.
ReplyDeleteI was wondering, have you seen the episode "Red Sky" episodes of the the Fred Wolf Cartoon? Basically, the last 3 seasons of the show went for a visual overhaul and a darker feel to gain back the popularity it once enjoyed, but without any success? What are your thoughts? Do you like the idea of the show going a different direction by doing things like replacing the Shredder with Lord Dregg and giving the Turtles super Mutations that turned them into raging beasts?
>I pretty much stopped watching the first animated series after the first few seasons, when it became clear that it was just going to be repetitive silliness (or at least I perceived it as such), and our input was not valued. So I don't think I have ever watched any of the "Red Sky" episodes, and thus can't offer an opinion on them. -- PL
DeleteThat explains a lot about why you shat on it with the turtles forever special.
DeleteSince Dover Publications has published collections of comics from Mirage veterans (Steve Murphy, Jim Lawson, and Don Simpson), would you have any interest in them reprinting some of your past non-TMNT comics work (Terrorsaur & Commandosaurs mini comics, Planet Racers, Stupid Heroes, some material from Gobbledygook, and maybe old material from Snarf and Barbaric Fantasy)?
ReplyDeleteThat could be interesting, but given that Dover has expressed no such desire, I doubt it will happen. -- PL
DeleteHi Mr. Laird.
ReplyDelete1) I understand you are not a big fan of Complete Carnage and Radical, I have to ask why, as you seem to like the other Mirage superhero characters enough to bring them back in Volume 4.
2) In Volume 4 #28 when T’Zirk mentions the Prime Leader Mike fears it might be Zanramon, but T'Zirk says that Zanramon was deposed. My question is why would Mike think Zanramon is still alive when he saw him die, and how the heck is he still alive?
3) In Volume 4 T'Zirk is called a commander but in issue 30 all of a sudden he is referred to as a captain. What gives did he get promoted or something?
4) What advice would you give to someone who isn't a big fan of the TMNT stuff Viacom is putting out?
5) I know Usagi Yojimbo/TMNT crossovers happened because you are good friends with Stan Sakai. How do you feel that they are still going on, even though you no longer own the franchise?
6) Why was Panda Khan part of the old toy line yet never had a cross over with the Turtles in the comics or cartoon?
"1) I understand you are not a big fan of Complete Carnage and Radical, I have to ask why, as you seem to like the other Mirage superhero characters enough to bring them back in Volume 4."
DeleteI guess it was because they always seemed painfully generic to me, with little or no personality.
"2) In Volume 4 #28 when T’Zirk mentions the Prime Leader Mike fears it might be Zanramon, but T'Zirk says that Zanramon was deposed. My question is why would Mike think Zanramon is still alive when he saw him die, and how the heck is he still alive?"
If memory serves, back in issue 7 of TMNT Volume 1, Mike may have seen Zanramon getting SHOT, but I don't think he necessarily saw him DIE.
"3) In Volume 4 T'Zirk is called a commander but in issue 30 all of a sudden he is referred to as a captain. What gives did he get promoted or something?"
No, I just made a stupid mistake.
"4) What advice would you give to someone who isn't a big fan of the TMNT stuff Viacom is putting out?"
Wait! There's bound to be something new coming down the pike.
"5) I know Usagi Yojimbo/TMNT crossovers happened because you are good friends with Stan Sakai. How do you feel that they are still going on, even though you no longer own the franchise?"
If Stan is happy with it, I'm happy with it.
"6) Why was Panda Khan part of the old toy line yet never had a cross over with the Turtles in the comics or cartoon?"
That's a good question, to which I have no good answer. Panda Khan would certainly have been a nice fit for the TV show. -- PL
Hey Pete,
ReplyDeleteI've been playing TMNT Smash Up with my nephew on my sister's Wii and while it's a lot of fun, I feel like it really missed the mark by not allowing more popular characters from certain iterations, especially Bebop and Rocksteady, and of course Leatherhead. Then you got the whole gamete of characters from the toyline and Archie Comics. If you had it to do over again, would you have allowed the game developers to incorporate more of those types of characters?
Maybe, though I would probably have avoided characters from the MWS show (like Bebop and Rocksteady). -- PL
DeleteUnfortunate update: my sister's Wii console seems to be having a hard time reading the disc. At first I thought the game itself might be getting old, but that wouldn't make much sense since I only started playing the game for the first time a couple months ago with my nephew. Of course the game itself came an entire year before he was born, and the console itself has been in their basement some time longer. It's possible there might've been water damage from the time their basement flooded, but who knows?
DeleteThe real bummer about all this is we were having a lot of fun sparring with each other in all sorts of combinations, sometimes playing as the same character, which my nephew enjoyed doing more than me. It got even more fun when we played enough times to unlock the Rabbid characters. Guess Usagi was out of the question for some weird reason? I guess nothing is meant to last forever, sadly.
1. Daredevil has been out on DVD for a while now... have you checked it out?
ReplyDelete2. Is there any moments of time, at all, in your day to day life where you miss what your role in the TMNT was? Say, around 2003?
3. Had you to go back in time, back to the original bargaining table with Viacom/Nick at the sale... seeing what they've done with the IP now -- good or bad -- or even just having the benefit of 8 years now to think or rethink what you should or shouldn't have done (in terms of the nitty gritty of the finer details therein, not whether or not you should have sold or not), would you change anything or do anything differently?
4. It's been a year since we've really heard from you on it at all. As of today, April in 2017, do you feel there a light at the end of the tunnel for the Volume 4 completion? Is there anything the fans can do to entice you? A Change.org petition, maybe? A letter-writing campaign (people still do those, right?)?
5. I'm not quite sure how to word this question in a way that couldn't be construed as rude in some way. I'm just genuinely curious... no new TMNT Blog posts in almost a whole year. Does this speak to a disinterest in even going down memory lane with the TMNT these days, a disinterest with the TMNT in general, or something else? Personally, I'd be fascinated to see some of the opening conversations that began the Viacom/Nick sale, ala the 4Kids cartoon E-mail stuff. To name just one example. Honestly, I just enjoy seeing new stuff from you talking about the TMNT. In an era where it's all about Bebop and pizza and Michelangelo doing dumb stuff, it'd be a breath of fresh air.
"1. Daredevil has been out on DVD for a while now... have you checked it out?"
DeleteI didn't know it had been released -- I check new DVD releases at the local Barnes and Noble every week, and have not seen it. I would like to watch that series.
"2. Is there any moments of time, at all, in your day to day life where you miss what your role in the TMNT was? Say, around 2003?"
I miss some of it -- the early days of working on the TMNT comic with Kevin, for example, and working on the 4Kids show, and a few other bits and pieces. But all in all, I am content with the way it is now.
"3. Had you to go back in time, back to the original bargaining table with Viacom/Nick at the sale... seeing what they've done with the IP now -- good or bad -- or even just having the benefit of 8 years now to think or rethink what you should or shouldn't have done (in terms of the nitty gritty of the finer details therein, not whether or not you should have sold or not), would you change anything or do anything differently?"
There are a few details I would have changed -- or TRIED to change -- but I would not change the basic decision to sell the property.
"4. It's been a year since we've really heard from you on it at all. As of today, April in 2017, do you feel there a light at the end of the tunnel for the Volume 4 completion? Is there anything the fans can do to entice you? A Change.org petition, maybe? A letter-writing campaign (people still do those, right?)?"
Nothing has changed for me vis a vis Volume 4 since I last discussed it. I can't really say that a petition or letter-writing campaign would or wouldn't have any effect, though my guess would lean toward "little to no effect".
"5. I'm not quite sure how to word this question in a way that couldn't be construed as rude in some way. I'm just genuinely curious... no new TMNT Blog posts in almost a whole year. Does this speak to a disinterest in even going down memory lane with the TMNT these days, a disinterest with the TMNT in general, or something else? Personally, I'd be fascinated to see some of the opening conversations that began the Viacom/Nick sale, ala the 4Kids cartoon E-mail stuff. To name just one example. Honestly, I just enjoy seeing new stuff from you talking about the TMNT. In an era where it's all about Bebop and pizza and Michelangelo doing dumb stuff, it'd be a breath of fresh air."
Thank you! It's not disinterest so much as not having a lot to say. I am not working on new TMNT material, and really don't expect to in the foreseeable future, so there is nothing new TMNT-wise for me to talk about. -- PL
What was your career like before TMNT? Any pre-TMNT comics you worked on?
ReplyDeleteI made a fairly skimpy living as an illustrator, mostly for local clients in Northampton, but desperately wanted to get into comics. I did a little bit of pre-TMNT comics work -- I self-published a comic called "Barbaric Fantasy: when I was in college, and also some mini-comics when I had my used book and comic store in Northampton. -- PL
DeleteHello,
ReplyDeleteLet me start by saying "Thank you" to you and Kevin Eastman; without your comics I would have been deprived of one of my favourite shows growing up (the 4Kids series from 2003) and one of my current favourite comics. I really enjoyed reading your original Mirage comics too both for seeing the roots, so to speak, of this franchise and for their own quality and charm.
Now onto my questions:
During the "City at War" arc Karai had a daughter, but as far as I know she was never named. Did you or Kevin have a name planned for her?
And next I am curious about the character of E'ro'chk from the volume 4 comics; I love her design and it's always awesome to see more LGBT+ characters in media I love. I am curious though about why she was referred to by a different name, Soowiiksa, when she first appeared. Why is that? Is one of these names a surname?
Thank you for your time, I wish you all the best.
-PB
"During the "City at War" arc Karai had a daughter, but as far as I know she was never named. Did you or Kevin have a name planned for her?"
DeleteI don't recall that we'd come up with a name for her.
"And next I am curious about the character of E'ro'chk from the volume 4 comics; I love her design and it's always awesome to see more LGBT+ characters in media I love. I am curious though about why she was referred to by a different name, Soowiiksa, when she first appeared. Why is that? Is one of these names a surname?"
I would love to claim that one of those is her first name, and the other her last, but the truth is I made a mistake. But now that you pointed it out… yeah, one of them is her first name, and the other is her last name. Yeah, that's the ticket! -- PL
Are we ever going to find out what is up with that other Splinter in the Battle Nexus in Volume 4? Don also claimed the fur he analyzed from the Splinter who died back in issue #10, "wasn't the same one who raised us." Making it seem like the "real" Splinter is the one Leonardo was going to meet in the Battle Nexus, but the one we saw from I assume the start of Vol. 4 was either a "clone" or "fake" or "alternate reality" Splinter.
ReplyDeleteThis all is really confusing as you can tell. Are we ever going to see this mystery solved? Personally I found it to be the most interesting plotline brewing in Volume 4 from where we left off at, and I hope we get to see some resolution to it someday.
A couple more...
ReplyDelete1. Around 2000, Kevin Eastman sold you his half of the TMNT rights. Not a whole lot has been said about about that, and a whole lot less was said about it when it all kind of became moot with your later 100% sale in 2009. Was that something you requested him to do back in 2000, or something he came to you and wanted to do? Can you shed any light on this? I've just always been curious.
2. Your answer earlier to a fan about you don't think IDW can reprint Vol. 4... that makes me curious. I mean, it makes sense. You could pump out 18 issues of Vol. 4 tomorrow... surely IDW couldn't just start reprinting them next month, simply by virtue of their deal with Nick? Or is the deal, whatever issue # of Vol. 4 was already published at the time ink hit the contract with Nick/Viacom, that was the very last comic of Vol. 4 Nick/Viacom could consider "theirs"?
3. Were someone, hypothetically, to send you the script to "TMNT: Origin" (sort of a follow-up but prequel to "Odyssey"... pretty much all-out space adventure to the center of the universe), would you be willing to look it over and give notes? Or would that be the equivalent of asking someone to sit in a chair and rake nails across a chalkboard for a few hours?
And yeah, Daredevil season 1 at least has been out on DVD for a while. I do know that all the Marvel TV shows are a bit behind, though. I'd really love to hear your thoughts on Daredevil, as I can't watch that show -- and it's awesome -- without imagining a Mirage-esque TMNT Netflix show in that same vein being phenomenal.
How would you rank each of the tmnt films, from best to worst?
ReplyDeleteFrom best to worst, I would say:
DeleteFirst live-action movie
2007 CGI Imagi movie
Third live-action movie ("Turtles in Time")
Second live-action movie ("Secret of the Ooze")
I don't think I can include the two recent Michael Bay-produced films in this comparison because I don't see the characters in them as representing what the TMNT should be. They're more like mini-Hulks with bandanas. -- PL
I was just wondering if you are a sports fan? If so, what is your favorite pro team?
ReplyDeleteExcept for enjoying the occasional motorcycle race, I have little to no interest in sports, especially team sports. -- PL
DeleteHello, I seem to remember your Daughter being involved in the business in some capacity. Was she in a position to take over if the sale had not happened. How do you think she might have changed the future of TMNT if she had the chance? Thanks
ReplyDeleteEmily had a short-lived position working at Playmates Toys (a job which disappeared when the person she was working for got fired). I suppose if I and my wife had died before the sale happened, Emily would have become the owner of the TMNT property. -- PL
DeleteWhen the world flooded in the future tales, did April's baby drawing get destroyed in all the water? And if so, does that mean she lives on in Kirby-land?
ReplyDeleteIf this has already been made clear then I apologize.
Thank you,
Tim
I'm not sure I really understand the question. - PL
DeleteI apologize for wording that question horribly.
DeleteI remember reading an issue a while back where April and Renet travel back in time as cockroaches and discover that April was created as a drawing the same way the monsters were created in Donatello #1 with Kirby.
In some of the Tales of the TMNT issues that jump into the future, the world (or a good portion of it) is depicted as being flooded and relatively destroyed with Casey and Shadow off doing their thing, the turtles are off on their own, Mikey still in space, and no real mention of April (that I remember anyway.)
I was wondering if the reason she's gone is because her drawing that brought her to life got destroyed in the flood, or am I reading way too far into it?
Thank you again,
Tim
I'm reading this like wait, WHAT!? I know about April and the drawing, but I somehow completed missed this flood? It's mentioned in one of my favorite fanfics, but I did not know it was canon. I actually came on to ask why the turtles are all separate as old men, but maybe this is part of the answer. For instance, we see Leo living in that tree, Don has that fighting simulator where he tells it to never show his brothers again, Raph has his weird adventure with Karai's great-granddaughter ... huh.
DeleteMr. Laird,
ReplyDeleteI'd be interested in hearing your opinion on the Image series (volume 3). Love, hate, never read? Personally I loved it but I know it's not everyone's favorite. Any information you could give about the Image series overall would be awesome. Thank you for taking the time to answer these questions.
Brian
I don't think I have ever read ALL of the Image TMNT comics. My basic feeling about that run was that they were competently executed comics, but because they took the Turtles in directions I would not have, I never felt like it was the "real" TMNT. I'm not sure if that completely and accurately represents my take on the Image TMNT comics, but that's what I can say about it right now. -- PL
DeleteDear Mr Laird, I recently reread the original tmnt comic and I was wondering about Hamato Yoshis history in the foot clan. Was he supposed to be a good guy or a villain with standards like karai?
ReplyDeleteThat's a very astute and interesting question, and I have to confess that I never gave that much thought beyond Yoshi's being an "honorable ninja", whatever that means. (Can one be an honorable assassin?) As far as his being a "good guy", I suppose you could say it's a relative thing -- but he was clearly a "better guy" than Oroku Nagi! -- PL
DeleteHello Mr. Laird
ReplyDeleteI would like to know how you feel when you do not have the rights to the turtles?
I apologize if it touches you
Generally, I feel fine with it. -- PL
DeleteI want to add my voice to those asking (begging) you to return to volume 4. My wife and my 10 year old son say to add them as well
ReplyDeleteAre the Turtles Plastrons supposed to be part of their body?
ReplyDeleteYes. -- PL
DeleteGlad to see the blog updated!!
ReplyDeleteA question from one illustrator to another. As I get further along in my career as a freelance illustrator I find myself taking on gigs I wouldn't ordinarily want to bother with, just to keep work coming in. How do you feel about this? Or, how would you feel, if there'd not been a TMNT and you'd worked as an artist? Would you be a "work is work" kind of guy or would you rather have a day job and pick and choose the kind of stuff you want to work on?
If you HAD to have a day job, what would it have been?
Thanks!
I recall from my pre-TMNT days as a struggling illustrator that I took on almost any illustrating job that came my way. A lot of those jobs were illustrating things I had no interest in. But they served two important functions -- one, they kept bread on the table, and two, they expanded the scope of my illustrative abilities.
DeleteI would say it's very important to have enough work to survive on, but at the same time not so much that you don't have the time and energy to hone your skills on the kinds of things you really WANT to be illustrating. It can be difficult finding this "sweet spot", but I think it's worth the effort.
If I had to have a day job, right now I would say I'd be a potter. -- PL
Hi Mr Laird. I really hope you are doing well.
ReplyDeleteThanks for updating the blog - always great to read about the history of the Turtles! I just wanted to appeal to you again - I lost copies of artwork (the turtles and shredder) you sketched for me in Toronto about 15 years ago, in a flood. I'm a pediatric neurologist and I have lots of turtle decorations (kids love it) hanging in my clinic. I would really love to put these sketches up in my clinic. Would you please consider resketching these for me? It would mean to much to me.
Please drop me a line at warren.berger85@gmail.com.
Thanks again - for everything.
Where did Tokka and Rahzar's names come from.
ReplyDeleteI'm not 100% sure about this, but I think Kevin Eastman came up with those names. -- PL
DeleteHello, Mr.Laird.
ReplyDeleteFirst, I want to thank you, Kevin Eastman, and the rest of the Mirage crew for bringing us so many good years of TMNT.
Anyway, I'm curious about how the Archie series came to be. Mainly, where did the decision to have a separate comic series (initially) modeled after the cartoon come from? And, how did Archie Comics get involved?
Was it a way to keep the Main Mirage series "pure" so there would be no pressure to work cartoon elements into it?
Anyway, I love what Steve Murphy evolved that series into, and the cover art you contributed to it was great.
Also...
If you ever get back to Volume 4, have you considered a "print on demand" publishing service such as IndyPlanet as a way to get the print edition out (assuming that doesn't violate the deal with Viacom)?
What would you say are the merits of Black and White comics over color comics, and vice versa?
Sorry, if that's too many questions, I'd be happy to see an answer to any one of them.
Delete"First, I want to thank you, Kevin Eastman, and the rest of the Mirage crew for bringing us so many good years of TMNT."
You're welcome! I'm glad they have meant something to you.
"Anyway, I'm curious about how the Archie series came to be. Mainly, where did the decision to have a separate comic series (initially) modeled after the cartoon come from? And, how did Archie Comics get involved?"
It was a part of the whole merchandising program for the TMNT which happened in concert with the first animated TV series and toy line. We knew we would want to have a "kid-friendly" comic book version of the TMNT as part of that licensing program, and knowing Archie Comics had a solid reputation in that area, it made sense to approach them to see if they were interested in the license.
"Was it a way to keep the Main Mirage series "pure" so there would be no pressure to work cartoon elements into it?"
Although that was not the main rationale, it did help in that way.
"If you ever get back to Volume 4, have you considered a "print on demand" publishing service such as IndyPlanet as a way to get the print edition out (assuming that doesn't violate the deal with Viacom)?"
I have considered something like that, but I would have to look into the details of a deal of that nature to make sure I could legally do it. To be honest, even if I could, I am not sure that I would. It's something I would think about, though.
"What would you say are the merits of Black and White comics over color comics, and vice versa?"
One approach is not necessarily better or worse than the other, though I think that black and white allows for one's imagination to fill in the missing elements, and sometimes that can be more interesting than colored artwork. Also, there is something appealingly basic about black and white artwork.
Of course, that preference of mine may also have something to do with the fact that I have never been very skilled with color! -- PL
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ReplyDeleteHello Peter, is this print http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Teenage-Mutant-Ninja-Turtles-TMNT-Vintage-Retro-Style-Framed-Art-Print-Gift-/321931486638?hash=item4af49ca5ae:g:qcsAAOSwcLxYLjv2 genuine or fake?
ReplyDeleteI have no idea if this is a "genuine" or "fake" print. It appears to be the artwork of Kevin Eastman, so it would probably be better to ask him. -- PL
DeleteWhat do you think of the current state of comic movies/TV shows?
ReplyDeleteGenerally, I find them to be entertaining, and it is great to see the heroes I enjoyed reading about in comics during my youth finding their way onto the big (and small) screens. Thanks to the advent of CGI, superhero characters are now possible to render convincingly on screen. And I find the "shared universe" thing -- exemplified so well by the first "Avengers" movie -- to be a whole lot of fun. -- PL
DeleteThe IDW comics revealed that there is only one Renet in the multiverse, do you think this is a good idea or not?
ReplyDeleteIt's hard for me to comment on that, as I do not read the IDW TMNT comics, and thus have no idea of the context of that concept. -- PL
DeleteHiya Peter!
ReplyDeleteI'm so happy you're doing another one of these!! It's been a while since I had seen you post. I've got a few for you.
1. How've you been? Find a good use for the fan I brought you a while back?
2. I had a conversation with Steve when I visited for a week last summer in Maine regarding Diamond Comics and Comic Distribution. I was wondering what you might consider the biggest difficulty of working with Diamond as well as any difficulties you may have had with self-distribution?
3. How has the pottery been going?
4. Has Mirage as a group been included in the recent works such as Jim's "Box City Wallops"?
5. Have you been looking towards any new comic creations?
And lastly,
6. My art has much improved a lot since you'd last seen it, and I'd love to get your opinion on some pieces of mine that I'll also be sending Steve for his opinion as well. I would be happy to message you on Facebook should you have Facebook messenger or email them to you even should that be preferred if you would like to see them. If so, in your reply just let me know!
Your favorite Friendly Floridian,
~Melanie Servidio
Nice to hear from you, Mel!
Delete1.) Pretty well, and not yet.
2.) It's been a while since I have dealt with any of this stuff, and things may have changed, so I am not sure I have much of value to say about it.
3.) The pottery has been going well -- in fact, I just two weeks ago started another eight-week hand-building course. Love it!
4.) I'm not sure I understand this question.
5.) If you mean have I been working on any new comic ideas, the answer would be "no".
6.) Sure, send it along! -- PL
Hello Mr. Laird again
ReplyDelete1. I wanted to ask you to think about the movies teenage mutant ninja turtles now?
2. You had the idea to return to the turtles?
3. Why did you decide to leave the path of the turtle, meaning that refused to do them?
4. Wanted you to attend an event in a country, meet fans, sign autographs and so on?
PS you are the best
-Arseniy-
Peter
ReplyDeletejust wanted to say how much fun i had reading the volume 1 run of the comics and how did it feel closing out the first run of the comics
P.S
have you seen the black and white mega bloks sets for your turtles as they are one of my favourite sets
I was not aware that Mega Bloks did black and white sets. Sounds cool! -- PL
DeleteThank you for all your hard work.
ReplyDelete1. Is there any particular things you do when you have writers block or any sort of brain storming exercises?
2. I know you don't read comics as much, but do you have any thoughts on DC comics rebirth?
3. Was there any TMNT action figure you are particularly fond of?
1.) No, not really. I generally wait and hope for the best!
Delete2.) No.
3.) In the Playmates toy lines, there were many that I enjoyed, but I loved the "Star Trek" Turtles, the "Universal Monsters" Turtles, and of course I have a soft spot for the original four Turtles that Playmates put out.
I also thought the highly-articulated TMNT figures that NECA released were pretty amazing. -- PL
Hey Mr Laird,
ReplyDeleteBig fan of your work, no question here, just a little tribute a couple of friends did of TMNT
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u3JazQk_bYw
That's pretty cool! -- PL
Deletei second that . i especially loved the illustrations in the end credits .
DeleteI know there was artwork for Palladium Books' Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles & Other Strangeness back in '85 or '86 that bears the signatures of you and Kevin Eastman, though if I understand correctly, original characters in those books were wholly original to Palladium publications and never considered for the Mirage continuity, right? But that's not my real question. I was always fascinated by the Bio-Spawn character art for Doc Feral, Karl and Igor and their gruesome laboratory environment. I also found the text description of Otto Rattus interesting, but none of the books seemed to have any illustration of him at all, let alone one drawn by you or Kevin. Did either of you ever create any artwork of Otto, perhaps that went unpublished?
ReplyDeleteI am pretty sure all the drawings we did for Palladium Books were in fact published. -- PL
DeleteEven stuff for the never-released "TMNT & MORE Strangeness" RPG book?
Deletei have that book , other strangeness . sadly i was never able to get people to play it with me . it would be great for future generations of turtle fans if that RPG universe was expanded and more modules created .
DeleteDear Mr.Laird
ReplyDeleteI have long been a fan and admirer of your work since I first saw and advertisement in the COMICS BUYER'S GUIDE back in 1984. I remember mail ordering it and getting it in the mail. I loved it instantly and became a fan. In fact it was you and Kevin Eastman that opened the door and provided the inspiration to start my on publishing company, ANTARCTIC PRESS.
I am the creator and artist of NINJA HIGH SCHOOL. There were many times I wanted to write to you about a possible cross-over back in the day but never got the nerve to ask. Now, after all these years I was wondering what the possibility of doing a cross-over with NINJA HIGH SCHOOL would be. I know this is probably a long shot, but nothing ventured nothing gained. Thank you for your time.
Sincerely, BEN DUNN bendunn@aol.com
Ben, thank you for the kind words. I am not sure if I would legally be able to publish a crossover title with the TMNT and your "Ninja High School". Perhaps you should approach IDW Publishing with this idea -- they seem to be going great guns with their TMNT comics publishing. Good luck! -- PL
DeleteDear Peter Laird,
ReplyDeleteI liked very much the 2003 series of TMNT. Is it still possible to find and buy some cels of the cartoon?
Regards,
Etienne
Good question! I am not sure if there ever were any actual painted cels created for the 4Kids series -- they may have been colored using computers. -- PL
Delete1. How tall are each of the Turtles?
ReplyDelete2. What are the Turtles eye colors?
1.) I'm not sure.
Delete2.) I'm not sure. -- PL
Hello Peter, sorry if you get asked all the time but are there still plans to continue TMNT Vol 4? I really love this series. I apparently falsely assumed that you wouldn't / couldn't publish anymore once the IDW series started up (and there was a long gap in tmnt vol 4 at that point) and missed my chance to buy 32 and 31 when they came out (because I wasn't paying attention anymore) so I had to pay through the nose for them later.. Would this blog be the best place to check for any news regarding issue #33? Also, are there any other Mirage projects in the works? Thanks also for the great communication!
ReplyDeleteI'm glad to hear you have enjoyed TMNT Volume 4. I currently have no plans to continue with it, though I hope to at some point.
DeleteThis blog, though not often updated, is probably a good place to check for news about any continuation of TMNT Volume 4.
As of right now, there are no other Mirage projects in the works, as far as I know. -- PL
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDelete1.Can you make another volume 4 issue?
ReplyDelete2. Where can I find issues to volume 4 I am missing? Possible reprints? Can I read them online?
3. Do you still draw?
1.) I have the legal right to, but at the moment I am not inspired to do so.
Delete2.) I'm not sure. You might want to direct this question to Dan Berger at the miragelicensing.com web page.
3.) Not really. -- PL
People generally think of Splinter as having a Japanese accent (probably because the cartoon has forever cursed Splinter with sounding like Mr. Miyagi). Within the Mirage universe, would Splinter have known Japanese first, or English? Would he even know Japanese at all? If so, would he have the general Japanese accent normally associated with him in other media?
ReplyDeleteI believe Splinter would have learned Japanese first, then English. -- PL
DeleteDear mr Laird my name is jason iam a huge movie fan and of TMNT's, iam contacting you in the hope that i can get a PERSONAL signed picture of yourself with the Turtles please. Many thanks for reading my email kind regards Jason
ReplyDeleteJ kempster
56 south avenue
Prestatyn
Denbighshire
LL198TH
Uk
Well, hello first. (Also my english is not very good, im from Chile and we speak spanish)
ReplyDeleteI damn admire your tmnt mirage work, and in my opinion you are the best writter of my favorite comic series, so thank you.
As a fan, im damn waiting or wishimg maybe for something new in the 4 volume, since I also love Jim Lawson's art. I mean, what's up with splinter in the battle nexus? I just need to see Leo fighting (omg I love how he goes and goes like a damn cold and silent perfectionist warrior), well question time:
1-Do you read good old tmnt comics time to time? Like city at war arc, for example.
2-Do you miss the turtles too? Being all so different and complex characters... i mean, in your case, do you miss thinking on how they would react, evolve, act? I understand it could be tiresome, but still.
3- i watched the 2003 series and it was pretty good. At least the first seasons, before the ninja tribunal, everything was so fun. Gotta say Donnie was so super cute while sass. Do you like the series now?
4- just thank you for the work you have done so much! I would like to see what happens in the future with the original comic story, Mike being on space, Leo in another dimension, Don still tiny (oh no! And whats up with the utrom?) Poor Raph having so much physical changes while being so emotional... what s up with April? She is in the middle of a existential crisis... Casey and Karai?
Well, thank you for the awesome ride anyways! You already did a lot for us fans.
Very very grateful for your work, Carmen.
Carmen, thank you for the kind words!
Delete1.) I occasionally read an old TMNT comic.
2.) I haven't done much with the TMNT in a long time, and I have to say I don't miss them too much. Of course, it is probably the case that they are so much a part of me that they are never too far away.
3.) I feel somewhat like you do about the 2003 series -- really liked the first four seasons, then things go a little too goofy. But there are still some good moments in those later seasons.
4.) I hope to someday return to finish up the story lines in Volume 4, but when that will be, I have no idea. I can only hope that when I get around to it, Jim Lawson will still be willing to draw it! -- PL
Hello Mr. Laird.
ReplyDeleteLet me first thank you for all the joy you've given me from my youth until today. I first came across your work as a teenager in 1987 and was able to get TMNT 1-10 and even the #3 NYCC issue (I got real lucky at my tiny local shop). Not only did I get to enjoy the Turtles, but now my 4 year old daughter loves them too. She's a Donatello fan and it's great being able to share this with her. Since this is "Ask PL" let me ask you this:
1) I remember first seeing the TMNT advertised in Dragon magazine around 1984. Am I crazy or do you also remember a Turtle knockoff that was comprised of Hamsters? Something like Adolescent Something something Hamsters.
2) I only recently started getting my books I've had for decades signed. So I was about to make my first pilgrimage to Maine in May to meet you and try to get my books signed. I was disheartened to learn that the studio had already closed. I read that you have no plans for any signings this year. If/when you decide to have a signing where is the best place to learn about it? Here, Shellback's FB page, elsewhere?
3) You're always asked about the Turtles. I know you've moved on to new things, like your pottery and other endeavors. If you had your druthers, what topic would you like people to ask you about?
Thank you so much.
Scott Williams
1.) I believe that was "Adolescent Radioactive Black Belt Hamsters". I don't recall that we ever advertised in "Dragon" magazine, though.
Delete2.) If I ever do more appearances, this blog would be a good place to look, and Facebook also.
3.) I'm open to just about any kind of question... with a preference for ones I can give a good answer to! (Probably my least favorite type would be sports questions.) -- PL
(Might be too late to ask this question. If I don't get this question addressed this year, I guess there's next year.)
ReplyDeleteHow many different underground lairs have the turtles had as a family? I had previously assumed there'd been three that the story covers, but now I realize I can't be sure.
I know the lair shown in volume 1 #1 was compromised in volume 1 #2 by a Mouser attack. For the sake of convenience, I'm calling this the "first lair" (whether or not it was actually their first lair).
After "Return to New York", they seemed to get a second underground lair (which for convenience I'll call the "second lair"), and let Leatherhead live in what remained of the first lair.
But in "City at War", when they left Northampton again and came to New York, they didn't move into an underground lair, but lived in that water tower that Karai later destroyed. They seemed to finally find another underground lair at the beginning of volume 2 (which for convenience I'll call the "third lair"), which seems to be the same lair they have in volume 4.
But chronological order of stories isn't always clear, despite the best efforts of fan sites like TMNT Entity to assemble a Mirage continuity timeline.
Are the second and third lairs actually intended to be the same location, and stories like "Leatherhead" and "Leatherhead, Too" actually took place after the events of volume 2, rather than during the events of volume 1 as is often assumed?
Or, if the second lair and third lair are actually different locations after all, then why was the second lair abandoned? We know why the first lair was abandoned, and we know how the third lair was found, but the circumstances surrounding the discovery and abandonment of that second lair are vague.
I also realize there could even have been four or more different underground lairs, as the first lair shown may have not been the first, among other considerations.
Dermot, I really wish I could help you with this question, but I don't know, exactly, how many underground lairs the Turtles have occupied. You probably have a better guess than I do! -- PL
DeleteThanks for your answer, either way. :)
DeleteMr Laird.
ReplyDeleteI see a long list of over a hundred questions in this thread alone, I won't be offended if you don't get to mine, but I have a simple question.
I was able to catch Kevin at HeroesCon a couple years back, and I got him to quickly sketch and turtle on my forearm (complete with sig). I got it tattooed on me the following day.
I'm saving a little piece of space on that same arm with hopes of meeting you and requesting the same. Is that something you think we could ever make happen?
Sincerely, a huge fan (aka Sulfur--I like doing TMNT tributes like this: https://youtu.be/f4q7gNMfYAg )
That's pretty cool! I would have liked to have seen subtitles, though, so I could catch all your rhymes.
ReplyDeleteRegarding drawing on your arm for later conversion into a tattoo -- I would probably do it, given time and proper circumstances, with the following caveat:
Although I have several dear friends who have multiple tattoos, I am not a fan of the practice. I have yet to see a tattoo which looks better than the skin it has been inked on.
But that's just me.
I don't do many public appearances these days, but if I do show up at a convention or signing which you attend, remind me of this exchange, and we'll see what we can do! -- PL
Thanks for your reply!
DeleteGood idea on the subtitles--I'll certainly keep them in mind for future videos :)
I haven't made any in a couple years, but the last I did was a step-by-step on picking a lock with 2 paperclips and 2 quarters (https://youtu.be/pR07un9UArc). Though I think you'd understand even less of what I say--it does at least have text explaining the technique lol
I appreciate sharing your thoughts on tattoos, and I respect the opinion. My grandfather and father certainly shared it, though I felt differently and as such grew up to be who I am. Needless to say, I asked about the possibility to make sure the space I'm saving on my forearm isn't in vain--I am rather covered already to be honest. :)
Mr. Laird, I appreciate all you've done over the years and the work you and Kevin did in creating my favorite comic book characters/story of all time. They've always been a positive influence and big love in my life.
I look forward to saying the same in-person sometime in hopefully the not too distant future. Hope this finds you well!
If you were reliving the early days of TMNT, knowing what you know now, would you still license TMNT out to tv shows and toys and movies and such so early, or would you focus on the comic itself instead?
ReplyDeleteMr. Laird,
ReplyDeleteI have 5 books that I am trying to get your signature on for my family,collection. With appearances few and far between for you, especially since Shellback closed is there any way I could mail them to you for a signature? Or a public place I could meet you someday in the not so far off future? Thanks!
-James
Hello Peter, this may be too late for answers but I just wanted to say thank you for your part in the tmnt. You always added an element to the art and storytelling that was distinct and really rounded them out when you and Kevin were rolling.
ReplyDeleteI have 2 questions:
1. Who was the Tarzan fan who put "kreegah, bundolo" in Raph's dialogue as he swung across in volume 1, issue 4? I loved ERB as a kid and I loved seeing that back in the day.
2: What is the official species of the TMNT? I would have loved seeing a box turtle variant (looks like war paint)
Thank you Sir for your hard work and imagination...and enjoy quasi retirement.
Mike
1.) That would be me, as I also enjoyed the various Edgar Rice Burroughs books as well as the comic book versions.
Delete2.) I don't think there was ever any "official" species of turtle stated. -- PL
Thank you sir. What did you think of the movie "John Carter" or the recent Tarzan movie? I've gone back to the books quite a bit in recent years, can't really beat ERB for straight forward good/bad guy stuff...I kinda miss that. Oh, and they are coming out with a marvel comic TPB with John Buscema art 👍
DeleteI know you've probably not read it, but recently IDW has teamed with Stan Sakai to do a crossover between the IDW TMNT and Usagi Yojimbo (Sakai on art duties). In-story, it's literally mentioned that Usagi doesn't know these TMNT, that he remembers different TMNT (the Mirage TMNT). How do you feel about this?
ReplyDeleteI have no problem with it. -- PL
DeleteHey Peter,
ReplyDeleteI think it's really awesome you are taking questions and responding to all the people and fans on here. I can't thank you enough for the joy and happiness your characters and art brought me for the last 30 years..TMNT was my childhood obsession, literally, and have countless stories and memories of how much of a part of my life they were..Now, even my 2 boys, (3&6) play with my same old figures and toys I had growing up and passed onto them..and they bring them just as much love and excitement as it did for me. It's truly amazing that generation after generation your characters and creation still have that effect...so thank you.
I know you mentioned you don't really draw too much anymore and very rarely attend any conventions, if at all ..but is this something that you ever foresee getting back into or possibly ever attending any conventions again? Or is this just a chapter of your life that is now closed and you would rather not do them or have no desire ?
I recently had the honor to meet Kevin and was able to thank him for the memories and he signed my comic, but it's just NOT complete without you ..is there any desire whatsoever to get out there and meet and greet us original longtime fans as well as tell your stories and inspire a whole new generation of people ?
I am in Austin, TX but would be happy to travel anywhere just to have that opportunity.
Again, thank you SO much for bringing me a childhood full of happiness, amazing memories,beautiful art, and fueling my imagination and creativity.
I really hope to meet you someday.
Sincerely,
Andrew Gerome
Andierue @ yahoo
Hello Peter,
ReplyDeleteI recently acquired a Gobbledygook 1 prototype that came from Kevin's collection. I am just curious how many copies of this 'prototype' book were made. I have seen a photograph of at least one other copy, which included a photo of the models for the cover, who I am told are family friends of yours. Any information about the prototype issue would be greatly appreciated.
Best,
James
Hello there. I have a question, if you are still taking them. Thank you for doing this and answering questions. It's very kind of you.
ReplyDeleteI either somehow missed it, or it wasn't written, but how do the turtles get to the ends of their lives? By which I mean, (as said above) we see old man Leo living in his tree alone, Raph in Japan alone where he takes in Karai's great-granddaughter, Don with his simulation of his brothers that upsets him, and Mikey ... I don't know where. What happened? Do they die alone? Have you ever thought about, or decided, what their deaths were? Or how long they live?
Hi, Peter. I don't know if you're still answering questions, but I do have a few.
ReplyDeleteFirst, what are you doing comics-wise today?
Second, is Mirage Studios still a company?
Third, do you visit comic book conventions?
Hey sir, I hope to hear from you sometime. I have been wondering if there was any possible way I could have you sign my sons raph/sting figure. I grew up with the tmnt and have been able to have him enjoy them. I recently been collecting the comics and so far hit 343 comics now. I recently got one of the tmnt/wwe raph looking like sting. I want to see if there was a way I could send it and have you sign it for him? He would truly love it. I hope to hear from you sometime.
ReplyDeleteGreetings from Ukraine, Mr. Laird!) Firstly, i want to thank you for your huge contribution to the development of TMNT-franchise. I very like your stories, characters and especially artwork. Be sure, you have a lot of fans in Ukraine and other post-soviet countries)
ReplyDeleteI want to ask you a few questions:
1) Do you read modern comics (I mean comics from Marvel, DC and other publishers)?
2) Did you ever play in TMNT videogames? If yes, what is your favourite game?
3) I think that you probably heard about "TMNT: Odyssey" by Andrew Modeen. Did you read this story? If yes, what do you think about it?
4) What is your favorite superhero movie?
Sorry for my banal and trivial questions) And also sorry for my English)
Regards,
Nikita
I hope you're still answering these! Just wanted to know what was your inspiration for the 'future arcs' in the TMNT timeline like sending Mikey to space, Shadow being an assassin and the turtles going their separate ways
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteHello dear Peter Laird
ReplyDeleteI have a question for you don't know how much
1) do you assess the fan comics?
2) what season of the 2003 animated series you think is the best?
3) do you plan to continue to work with the turtles?
that's not all but I have many more questions
if you are interested about the comic then drop me a mail I shall send you, just say not mine, but made by Russian fans, you can say I belong to this category of Russian fans
my mail: arseniykorelskiy2000tcc@gmail.com
Hi Mr. Laird,
ReplyDeleteI work for a museum in Dover, NH. A friend of yours, John Dusenberry (sp?) had spoken with one of our staff and had mentioned he (or you?) were willing to donate some TMNT original art due to its connection with the area.
We would love to have and display it!
If you do receive this communication, I can be reached at webmaster@woodmanmuseum.org.
I hope this finds you well.
Thanks,
Ryan
And, as I did not mention it, the museum in question is the Woodman Institute Museum located at 182 Central Ave, Dover, NH 03820.
DeleteHi Peter,
ReplyDeleteI've read some things about rules you set on the franchise and one of them was "no female turtles". I think everyone can agree that the Venus de Milo character was an absolute flop, but don't you think a strong female character being a turtle would add up and dialogue with the spirit of our time now?
Do you think you could in some way reboot the female turtle character making her, idk, a powerful ally to the team? Maybe she could be more like a passive team member but with latent overwhelming power to explore. Or she could be a youngster turtle portraying mischief and naiveness, and maybe saving the team once in a while, to keep her out of some stories she could be training with the sensei. I think Venus' portrayal may be flawed but the idea of girls being represented as heroines is nice touch to any story. No romance needed, just a badass girl turtle.
I'm thrilled to read your recent thoughts on this.
Hello Mr Laird,
ReplyDeleteMy name is Cory Griffin, I have been a fan for as long as I can remember. I grew up in the valley and saw your work come to life.
My mom used to work at fitzwilly's and almost every time you guys would come in, someone would draw in the paper table mats, and she would take the drawings home and give them to my twin brother and me. We have had these scetches framed for at least 20-25 years. A few different times I have brought pictures of these items to comic shows where Peter or Jim have been, to ask if they know who's work it was. Both Mr Lawson and Eastman say one of the items was done by you.
If you have the time, I would love it if we could meet and you could say yes or no to drawing this.
I still live here in the valley and can meet you anywhere you feel comfortable.
Please feel free to email me at
cory.griffin@rocketmail.com
I would really appreciate this.
Thank you for your time,
Cory Griffin
I know you have mentioned in the beginning it was a bit back and forth, but when you and Kevin really got your routine down, who was primarily doing the pencilling and who was primarily doing the inking? Let's say, for Vol. 1 #50 and/or the covers of Vol.2.
ReplyDeleteHi, Mr. Laird! I'm not sure if you already answered this question or not, but just outta my own curiosity, what is it about Venus De Milo that you hate so much that you banned her from all future TMNT media instead of trying to rework her character?
ReplyDeleteI mean, aside from the most painfully cliche introduction as the "5th turtle in the bowl" and her borderline Mary-Sue personality, I thought Venus was an interesting character.
I was just wondering your thoughts on why you banned her instead of trying to rework her entire concept into something more like-able.
I understand if you don't wanna answer this question, and that's perfectly fine.
when is tmnt volume 4 issue 33,34,35,36 going to move on and continued?????
ReplyDeleteHello Peter,
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for your offer to answer fan questions.
I've always been inspired by your story as well as loving TMNT. I was wondering whether you had any business advice for self publishing a comic, and/or any artistic advice for someone wanting to improve their craft in creating comics.
Thanks for any help in advance!
Daniel :-)
Greetings Peter,
ReplyDeleteLife long fan!! Years ago I asked for permission to get a tattoo of a turtle and was pleased Mirage said yes. Was wondering if you've looked into releasing the latter TMNT stuff you've done as many of us never got to it before the sale, or before the prints ended. I'd love to read them!
Curious what you're "allowed" to do with the TMNT as I've read conflicting stories. Also lastly, what do you think of all those fan produced graphic novels that have known TMNT contributes helping?
Thanks!
-Trevor
Peter, is there a way to reach you regarding the bronze cast statues?
ReplyDeleteHi Peter, it's a shame you have no involvement in the new TMNT wave, I think you should.
ReplyDeleteDo you have planned to visit Spain for holidays or convention?
Everything is perfect. And come out look good, I like this. dojin
ReplyDeleteHi Mr. Laird!!
ReplyDeleteI'm Juanjo, from Spain. :)
What are your influences as a cómic artist/writer in the pre-tmnt era?
Thanks!!
Hey PL! Just wanting to check in on ya, I know we don’t know each other personally but it’s been awhile and I just wanted to see how you were. And thanks for the memories.
ReplyDeleteWHAT DID YOU DO? The last TMNT on TV for 10 seasons was the best and most creative show. Each season bringing us into a new dimension, story, characters voices, and creativity! The 3D animation was on pointe and entertaining. This is a sad replacement for the innovative show you were able to give us for so many years. We, as a family, looked forward to each episode and season. We are left watching reruns forever....Please rethink this new format for 2018.
ReplyDeleteUm, Mr. Laird was only involved in the 4Kids series that lasted from 2003 to 2009... he hardly had anything to do with the original cartoon by Fred Wolf Films that ran from 1987 to 1996 (which he openly admits that he dislikes) and he has nothing to do with anything Nickelodeon has done since the buyout.
DeleteYou should know he doesn't own TMNT anymore. He sold the property years ago.
ReplyDeleteThanks!!
ReplyDeleteดูดวง
HOLA PETER LAIRD
ReplyDeleteSOY FAN TMNT MUCHO TIEMPO
TENGO DESCAPACIDAD
ESTE AÑO CUMPLE 27 AÑOS CON TMNT
TENGO DUDAS PETER LAIRD
DONDE PUEDO MANDAR UNA CARTA NORMAL
COMO LO HAGO
REALIDAD ME HAGO UN LIO
GRACIAS
Voy a traducir tu mensaje al ingles para que el sr. Laird lo entienda.
DeleteSpanish translation:
Hello, Peter Laird, I've been a fan of the TMNT for a long time, I have a disability and this year I will be 27, grew up with the TMNT. I some questions I would like to ask, is there an address where I can send letters to? I've been having a hard time, thank you.
GRACIA TOMAS MI TRADUCION
DeleteESPERO PETER CUENTE MI RESPUESTA
Time for another Q&A?
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
DeleteI haven't been in the loop as of late (for obvious reasons) does he even post on his personal blogs any longer?
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Are you going to be on the TMNT episode of The Toys That Made Us?
ReplyDeleteHi Peter - I grew up in Fitchburg, MA in the 80s and have a copy of TMNT #8 that looks like it may have been signed by you and Kevin Eastman in 1986. Any chance this is a legit signature? Maybe you did a signing during our sidewalk sale event back then...?
ReplyDeleteThanks!
Marc
Peter,
ReplyDeleteFirst of all, thank you so much for those brilliant books. They got me through middle school:) But I have a question for you. I can't remember which book, but one of them had an ad that offered a 1000 shares in Mirage for a 100 bucks. I begged my mother to buy a 100 shares, but she refused. Citing that she would never, "invest in anything as stupid as Teenage Mutant anything, never mind turtles!" So my question is, what happened with that offer? If I had robbed a bank and bought those 1000 shares, would I be worth 20 million like you today? Seriously, what happened with those. I keep tormenting my mom over that horrible decision, but I'll drop it if nothing would have happened?
Hi, mr. Laird, I am a big fan, I was very happy to find that you signed the vol. 4 issues I ordered from the Mirage website earlier this year, I consider myself very lucky for that, thank you. I know you probably won't read or reply to this, but the question I have is: What is Splinter's real name? the word splinter is in English and I doubt that is what Hamato Yoshi really named him, I have always assumed that's a word/name that the turtles picked up from somewhere when they were learning to talk and then named their rat mentor that word, but what was the name Hamato Yoshi originally chose for Splinter before the latter could even talk.
ReplyDeleteHey mister laird are you okay with not ending mirage tmnt because we would love to see the conclusion I mean Idw has already the conclusion of image comics tmnt so why not conclude mirage tmnt already?
ReplyDeleteHello Mr. Laird,
ReplyDeleteI do not know whether you are still updating this blog but I wanted to try anyway. A while ago I stumbled over "Plastron Cafe" again and therefore re-read "Old Times".
Since I was always very fond of Donatello this story get to me everytime. My question: Was there ever a plan to show what happened to Donatello and his brothers so that he ended up this way? Or was it just playing around with "What ifs"?
Anyway, thanks for many hours of entertainment with your work.
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Hello Mr. L,
ReplyDeleteWas wondering if I could use your Donatello RC motorcycle drawing as a tattoo. Much props to you and all your work, its amazing.
Thank you,
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ReplyDeleteHello, I noticed you haven’t posted on your blog in a while. I’ve got a few questions:
ReplyDelete1: did you like the tmnt vs Batman movie?
2: is there anything you wished you would’ve done with the original mirage comics that you didn’t?
3: what is your favorite tmnt character that you or Kevin didn’t create?
Thanks
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ReplyDeleteHello! Dear Mr. Laird. You missed "any comments and ect." (Blast from the Past) for episode 70 "Hun on the Run"
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Hello, I just want to know your opinion on nostrils on TMNT. Yes or no? Do they even exist in original Mirage TMNT #1 canon or turtles somehow breathing differently or only from mouth (OR DON'T BREATHE AT ALL AAAAAAA) ? I can not sleep, I can not eat, I want to have answer from you on this subject , please !
ReplyDeleteAlso would be cool one day to see continuation of your stories on original TMNT, Donnie to be unshrunk (or shrunk further or maybe discover hidden extra benefits of being tiny), Mickey return from space/completely getting lost in it and becoming space superhero out there, Raf with his hulk problems, Leo doing... balanced Leo stuff. April exploring her being imagined withing a comics within our own reflections upon reading TMNT comic written by Peter Laird... Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster would blush.