Ask a Question: IDW's TMNT Editor Thread

Originally Posted by MikeandRaph87

How would you describe Metalhead switching sides? So Metalhead is an ally, a robot made by Harold Lija. He is used to house Donatello during the time his body heals. Then it/he did not appreciate being taken over and is like Donatello's arrogant duplicate from the 1987 cartoon? I have heard the ghost in a machine label, but don't fully understand it, it does have an echo of the original cartoon episode I referenced above though.

I might've misunderstood your question but, if not, that's actually explained in an issue of TMNT Universe. Basically, a part of Donnie's consciousness stayed behind in Metalhead, and upon being reactivated, it woke up basically. So Metalhead had to deal with being a clone of Donnie, a fake Donatello, plus he had to deal with the immediate PTSD of being beaten to "death" by Bebop and Rocksteady. Eventually, he transferred his consciousness to a new body, except he left out the empathy and such to avoid having to feel so broken, making him what he is now.

[Bobby Curnow]

Originally Posted by MikeandRaph87

I would love to see what hidden comic gems you really appreciate, Bobby.
http://forums.thetechnodrome.com/showthread.php?t=60999


How would you describe Metalhead switching sides? So Metalhead is an ally, a robot made by Harold Lija. He is used to house Donatello during the time his body heals. Then it/he did not appreciate being taken over and is like Donatello's arrogant duplicate from the 1987 cartoon? I have heard the ghost in a machine label, but don't fully understand it, it does have an echo of the original cartoon episode I referenced above though.

Missing a step in there from the Universe run, looks like. I'd check that out for the entire story, but long story short, Metalhead's current status is that he's Donatello without emotion or empathy.

[MikeandRaph87]

Originally Posted by Bobby Curnow

Missing a step in there from the Universe run, looks like. I'd check that out for the entire story, but long story short, Metalhead's current status is that he's Donatello without emotion or empathy.

Gotcha,thanks.

[CyberCubed]

Is Shredder in Hell having production delays? I'm curious if the schedule for the next 4 issues is set. Seems to be some confusion as to when these issues are planned to come out.

[neatoman]

Originally Posted by Bobby Curnow

Missing a step in there from the Universe run, looks like. I'd check that out for the entire story, but long story short, Metalhead's current status is that he's Donatello without emotion or empathy.

I don't mean to complain but I'm always a bit confused about characters who lack emotion or empathy, yet also have an independant agenda, like why are they motivated to do anything? This also applies to Metalhead.

For example, in Terminator 2 the T-800 is programmed to protect John Connor and adjust his parameter based on his orders but only does so because that's what he's programmed to do. If he was sent back in time with no orders, he'd probably just stand still naked outside the biker bar.

So what exactly is Metalhead trying to accomplish if can't actually care about anything?

[CylonsKlingonsDaleksOhMy]

Originally Posted by neatoman

I don't mean to complain but I'm always a bit confused about characters who lack emotion or empathy, yet also have an independant agenda, like why are they motivated to do anything? This also applies to Metalhead.

For example, in Terminator 2 the T-800 is programmed to protect John Connor and adjust his parameter based on his orders but only does so because that's what he's programmed to do. If he was sent back in time with no orders, he'd probably just stand still naked outside the biker bar.

So what exactly is Metalhead trying to accomplish if can't actually care about anything?

Decisions can be made without emotion. Metalhead purged himself of emotion, not sentience or free will.

[ChosenOne]

Originally Posted by CylonsKlingonsDaleksOhMy

Decisions can be made without emotion. Metalhead purged himself of emotion, not sentience or free will.

Can they, though? In order to reach a decision, you must first care about either of its possible outcomes. How can you care about something if you lack all emotion? Answer: Metalhead 2.0 (and similar characters in other works of fiction) cannot be as dead inside as they believe themselves to be.

[neatoman]

Originally Posted by ChosenOne

Can they, though? In order to reach a decision, you must first care about either of its possible outcomes. How can you care about something if you lack all emotion? Answer: Metalhead 2.0 (and similar characters in other works of fiction) cannot be as dead inside as they believe themselves to be.

Exactly, if you had no emotion at all then any result would be equal to you. If asked "soup or salad" you wouldn't say "soup is logical, easier to digest". It's more likely one of these happen:

1. You'd say "I don't care" and shove whatever is put in front of you down your throat.
2. Somebody makes the decision for you and you only eat because someone orders you.
3. You literally don't do anything and just starve to death because survival is meaningless to you.

[TurtleWA]

Originally Posted by CylonsKlingonsDaleksOhMy

Decisions can be made without emotion.

You got my brain thinking. That’s a good thing today. Thanks.

My two cents is as follows. Decisions can be made with a flip of a coin. Appearing to take emotion out of the equation. But it was basic emotions that drove to the decision of flipping the coin in the first place. Coin scapegoat maybe. I think even in terms of sports the emotion of the coin flipper comes in to play. How soft or hard the coin is tossed could determine heads or tails. Or what if someone switches the coin on you. Someone else’s emotion has impacted your decision.

[Bobby Curnow]

Originally Posted by CyberCubed

Is Shredder in Hell having production delays? I'm curious if the schedule for the next 4 issues is set. Seems to be some confusion as to when these issues are planned to come out.

Ha, yes, expect delays on this book. #2 was just approved to print yesterday, so that will be in stores in 3-4 weeks. #3 will be in April if things proceed as they are now. Basically, this book will be sprinkled throughout the year. Not ideal, I know. But hopefully worth the wait.

[Bobby Curnow]

Originally Posted by neatoman

I don't mean to complain but I'm always a bit confused about characters who lack emotion or empathy, yet also have an independant agenda, like why are they motivated to do anything? This also applies to Metalhead.

For example, in Terminator 2 the T-800 is programmed to protect John Connor and adjust his parameter based on his orders but only does so because that's what he's programmed to do. If he was sent back in time with no orders, he'd probably just stand still naked outside the biker bar.

So what exactly is Metalhead trying to accomplish if can't actually care about anything?

That will be revealed next issue!

[ChosenOne]

Originally Posted by neatoman

Exactly, if you had no emotion at all then any result would be equal to you. If asked "soup or salad" you wouldn't say "soup is logical, easier to digest". It's more likely one of these happen:

1. You'd say "I don't care" and shove whatever is put in front of you down your throat.
2. Somebody makes the decision for you and you only eat because someone orders you.
3. You literally don't do anything and just starve to death because survival is meaningless to you.

Yep! Lacking emotion, one wouldn't care if soup was easier to digest or not. It'd be all the same to them. At which point option 3 would ensue because they'd just sit there, unable to reach a decision. 100% cold logic is unattainable in autonomous beings (read: without any outside intervention, so this doesn't apply to pre-programmed machines) because it's always either intermingled with, or driven by, some form of emotion. As in the seeking of results. Even the tiniest of organisms exist with survival/procreation in mind, and that's an emotion as well. The fact that Metalhead 2.0 wants something means he has emotion.

[Xav]

How old are the Turtles currently?

[Bobby Curnow]

We don't have specific ages assigned, we like to not tie ourselves down to something too specific in case we need to adjust for a story reason later.

But in my mind, Leo is 19, Don 18, Raph 17, Mike 16. If you want to add a year space somewhere to give poor Tang Shen a rest, go for it. But it was back in the day, so yearly births weren't unheard of.

[Smacky]

To kinda piggyback on that, how much time had passed from issue one to now? Feels like 2-3 years to me, just wondering if there is an official answer. Thanks!

[Bobby Curnow]

Originally Posted by Smacky

To kinda piggyback on that, how much time had passed from issue one to now? Feels like 2-3 years to me, just wondering if there is an official answer. Thanks!

No official measure, but that sounds about right to me. I can't see Mike much younger than 14 at the series start.

[Candy Kappa]

So physically the Turtles are under 10 while mentally from reincarnation in their mid-teens?

Isn't the timeframe from being muatated to first fight in #1 around 15 months, and being sea turtles that small when April names them, they're still juveniles.

[Bobby Curnow]

I suppose it all depends on how young the turtles the TMNT were mutated from are. But that's not a question we have any interest in answering.

[neatoman]

So the news that IDW will start publishing Usagi just hit. I was just wondering if you could shed some light on Stan jumping ships? I know you were the editor on the crossover less than two years back. Will you have anything to do with Usagi from now on?

[Bobby Curnow]

I'll be editing the Usagi book!

I can't really speak to Stan's reasons for the change, sorry!