Blast from the Past #710: Kaybee sketchbook page 17, rhino mutant on motorcycle

While there are no notes on this page, I have to think that this drawing of a rhino mutant (Rocksteady?) riding a motorcycle was an idea I intended to send to Playmates Toys, as a suggestion for expanding the TMNT toy line.

I can't remember if I ever did send them this drawing -- probably not, as it is not really a finished one -- but I know Playmates ended up doing a variety of motorcycle accessory toys for the TMNT line, so perhaps it would have been superfluous. Did they do one with Rocksteady included? I can't recall, but I wouldn't be surprised. -- PL

GROM!

I ran into Jim Lawson down at Mirage Studios today, and he informed me of some recent news in the world of motorcycling. It seems that Honda has created special paint and decal decorations for their new 150cc funbike, called the "Grom", using TMNT images and graphics. (I was actually planning to buy a Grom late last year, but the little bikes have proven to be so popular that dealers quickly sold out of them.))

Here's the link:

http://www.autoevolution.com/news/honda-prepares-teenage-mutant-ninja-turtles-msx125-grom-edition-74035.html

Apparently the bikes will be displayed at a Tokyo auto show this month, but I don't know if they will actually be offered for sale. -- PL

Blast from the Past #209: TMNT on motorcycles by Jim Lawson

Jim Lawson did these four "Turtles on motorcycle" drawings some years ago -- I can't recall exactly when. But I suspect it was within the last decade. I think he did them to send to Playmates for consideration as toy designs. -- PL

Blast from the Past #185: "Team Mirage" roadracing Turtle

This is another one of the amazingly cool drawings Jim Lawson did back when "Team Mirage" was in full swing, sponsoring several motorcycle racers.



Our roadracing guy in the AMA superbike class, Dale Quarterley, had the number 32 on his bike. -- PL

Blast from the Past #129: Motorcycle designs for "Return of the Justice Force"

Back in 2003, Jim Lawson did these cool motorcycle designs for the "Return of the Justice Force" episode of the 4Kids TMNT show. This episode adapted issue #15 of the original TMNT Volume 1 comic book, an issue I wrote and penciled and which was inked by... Jim Lawson!









The motorcycles were used in the episode to get Casey and the Turtles from New York City up to Northampton, MA, where they encountered "Stainless" Steve Steel, Metalhead and the rest of the Justice Force. (I love the fact that Jim put knobby tires on some of these big road bikes!) -- PL

Blast from the Past repost #18: "Team Mirage" Hare Scrambles Turtle

From 1992, this was one of the first of the series of amazing drawings Jim Lawson did for Team Mirage, the motorcycle racing team which I sponsored for several years in the mid-1990’s.



The drawing represents an off-road style of racing called “hare scrambles” -- as a matter of fact, the first racer signed by Team Mirage was a hare scrambles ace named Tom Norton. I designed the turtle-head graphics and color scheme for Tom’s race bikes, which were Hondas that first year. -- PL

(The following promotional blurb was included with the original posting of this "Blast from the Past" back in 2001. Seems like it was only yesterday... -- PL)

SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT FOR TMNT COMIC BOOK FANS!
3/2/2001

As of this past week, Jim Lawson has started penciling, from my plot, the first issue of the all-new Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles comic book series which should see print sometime this year, hopefully late summer or early fall. I'm not sure what kind of publishing schedule the new book will have -- possibly bimonthly like the original TMNT comic. It will be black and white, and the first issue (at least as it stands now, in rough layout form) will be thirty-two pages long. I'm very excited to be working on a turtle comic book again, and even more so to be working with my good friend, motorcycling buddy, and PLANET RACERS collaborator Jim Lawson. Now I have to go start inking...!