Black April

[CyberCubed]

I'm betting black April will be mixed anyway. She may even look ambiguous in the show.

[ProphetofGanja]

Originally Posted by neatoman

Should I really have to explain why it's not necessary to justify African-Americans with English/Irish names? Because I really don't want to open up that can of worms on the internet.

You'll have to forgive some people here who struggle with social skills/cues/issues. But other people here who should know better are being really weird about the possibility of a black April; I feel like they're about to start throwing around terms like "mulatto" and "quadroon" and giving paper bag tests.

[plastroncafe]

Originally Posted by ProphetofGanja

You'll have to forgive some people here who struggle with social skills/cues/issues. But other people here who should know better are being really weird about the possibility of a black April; I feel like they're about to start throwing around terms like "mulatto" and "quadroon" and giving paper bag tests.

Day ain't over yet, give them time.

[TigerClaw]

They don't have to make April a red head, they can give her any color hair.

How about if April had blonde hair?

[sdp]

People speculating if she could be mixed is not because they can't handle a black April as you're trying to imply.

People don't like changing the race of established characters for "diversity" sake, which many people don't even understand that we don't want a white character turned another, but prefer having original main characters added.

Baxter Stockman being black created little controversy since he was originally black in the comics, April being black is not as controversial either since there some roots to it in early mirage as seen in this thread, changing Leonardo's and Raphael's roles is the main controversy since it seems to be done for the sake of changing the status quo in a cheap way, that doesn't man they are "role"-ists

Originally Posted by TigerClaw

They don't have to make April a red head, they can give her any color hair.

How about if April had blonde hair?

April was blondish in the original movies, which also works since OT April had that ambiguously brown hair that retroactively could be seen as dirty blonde or even a reddish.

I would not like a straight up blonde April.

[Sighphi]

Originally Posted by Powder

Bumping this thread since it has featured talk of the actual human being that inspired her creation, & how she may or may not have been black herself. Finally got a photo of her, the "REAL" April O'neil. Here she is (wearing grey).

Spoiler:

https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net...9d&oe=5A13E3F1

The pic is courtesy Mark Bode, from the London premier of the original TMNT film. From Left- Molly Bode, Mark Bode, April (last name not given), Kevin Eastman, mother of the film's writer Paul Jenkins, Paul Jenkins, Eric Talbot.

Seems she may have been mixed? Not sure, but a pretty woman all the same.

dude, that's a latina!

We need Abril O'Nubes

Originally Posted by neatoman

Should I really have to explain why it's not necessary to justify African-Americans with English/Irish names? Because I really don't want to open up that can of worms on the internet.

there were no Irish slave owners. The Irish came waaaay later.

[CyberCubed]

It’s going to feel odd for April to be marketed as black in a kids show for the first time.

[plastroncafe]

Originally Posted by Sighphi

there were no Irish slave owners. The Irish came waaaay later.

I don't believe either of these statements are true.

[neatoman]

Originally Posted by CyberCubed

It’s going to feel odd for April to be marketed as black in a kids show for the first time.

Why? It's not like it's the first time something like this has happened.

[CyberCubed]

Originally Posted by neatoman

Why? It's not like it's the first time something like this has happened.

Well for TMNT. I also imagine all the kids who grew up with the Nick cartoon will be a bit confused.

The kids who were 10 back in 2012 are now teenagers, I wonder how they'll react to the new show.

[sdp]

It'll be awkward for the latina girls who were hoping April's real roots as latina would come out but instead they made her black.

[neatoman]

Originally Posted by CyberCubed

Well for TMNT.

[CyberCubed]

But nobody knew that back in 1987 but some hardcore comic fans.

I was 3 years old when the show came out, I had no idea Baxter was supposed to be black.

[sdp]

Look for threads here in the drome from 2002, many people asked why Baxter was black in 2k3.

It's not the same thing explaining "Baxter was always black in the comics so now he's going to be what he was always meant to be"

than to explain "April might or might not have been latina so instead of an irish character we decided to make her black"

[CyberCubed]

Looks like I will have to educate a whole new wave of TMNT fans on the internet when the new show comes out, like I always do.

[neatoman]

Originally Posted by CyberCubed

But nobody knew that back in 1987 but some hardcore comic fans.

I was 3 years old when the show came out, I had no idea Baxter was supposed to be black.

You know now.

[CyberCubed]

Yes, but...it's not like anyone can do anything about it. You're talking about eps written back in 1987-1988, nearly 30 years ago.

[sdp]

Can you imagine if the internet was around back then?

The anachronistic technodrome forums in 1986 would have a 30+ page thread with the title "They're making Baxter Stockman WHITE in the upcoming animated adaptation!".

[Jester]

Originally Posted by plastroncafe

Pure Irish aren't all redheads, as the trait is recessive, and requires an individual to be homozygous for it to express phenotypically.

And it's not necessarily solid. I have stray red hairs in my beard.

Nor is everyone with the last name O'Neil necessarily Irish, or of Irish ancestry.
Especially in America.

[neatoman]

Originally Posted by Jester

And it's not necessarily solid. I have stray red hairs in my beard.


https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon....14,317_AL_.jpg

And now I'm off to write a fan fic about April becoming an armored superhero/wish granting genie who plays basketball.