Blast from the Past #706: Kay-Bee sketchbook pages 7-9

Moving on to pages 7 and 8 of the Kay-Bee sketchbook, we have two rough "thumbnail" drawings of what I am pretty sure was to be the cover for TMNT Volume One issue 10.

Here's that small thumbnail cropped and enlarged for easier viewing:

Sorry that the image on this page is difficult to see -- I drew it quite lightly.

Here's a cropped version of the above, tweaked a bit in Photoshop to make it slightly more legible.

More interesting to me are the following preliminary "world building" notes on page 9 of the sketchbook which deal with the planned (but never produced) TMNT graphic novel set twenty years in the future (at the time these notes were written, that meant 2017) Kevin and I had discussed, especially the bits about the "videophone" of that future. 

Here are those notes, transcribed for easier reading:

"Graphic novel notes

Jan. 15, 1987

In the year 2017, many things are different than they are now in 1987.

Fusion power: Small fusion generators power trains, large trucks, planes, ships… also supply power to most buildings, giving people more reliable, independent energy.

All telephone lines, power lines, and the attendant poles, etc. are gone. All the cables, etc. are now underground.

Most private autos are small, electrically powered… and guided automatically along streets by hidden sensor units.

The bulk of the population uses an extensive and highly efficient, very flexible mass-transit system.

Common hand held videophone (pocketsize) can receive TV broadcasts also works as phone with video and audio -- up to three different views can be received at once, and displayed on three liquid crystal displays (one large, two small)

Flips open

Also functions as portable, one-megabyte computer, with ports to link it with larger computers if necessary

This unit can easily hold all phone numbers, addresses, etc. that any normal person could need and still have lots of memory left over

Can also record up to one hour on internal RAM chip -- video, audio, and/or digital

These units are made by many different companies… they are commonplace, as commonplace at Walkmans are today

Powered by internal long-charge batteries, external power source, or built-in solar cells (in cover)"

Although I got some of the tech details wrong, the description of this "videophone" is pretty close to a contemporary "smartphone". -- PL