Old TMNT article in Comics Scene

[Tetsu Deinonychus]

I was browsing my local antique store the other day looking for classic issues of MAD Magazine (mission accomplished BTW) when I found a treasure of even greater value, an issue of Comics Scene.

Spoiler:

Comics Scene is one of my all time favourite magazines. It was for fans of all kinds of comics and animation (Superhero comics, Indie Comics, Manga, and Newspaper strips all got coverage). And, it was packed with content, as in real in depth articles and interviews. There were very little ads, no pin-ups or other useless filler, and while it was always written with a love of the medium, it took itself seriously with no "fan-boy hype". There was a certain "atmosphere" to it too, which I can't really explain.

Sadly, it hasn't been published in a very long time. And even when it was new, issues didn't come out that often and were hard to find. I wish there was another comics (or game, or anime) magazine like it. I tried "reading" Wizard once and I couldn't stand that rag.

Anyway, the reason I'm posting this is because the issue I got featured a TMNT article that I just had to share with the fine folks of the Technodrome. It's from back when the FW cartoon had just come out and TMNT is still mostly known as a surprisingly successful indie comic. It's mostly about how the second season is in the works and how the show will be different from the comic. It's a nice little peek at the early days of TMNT as a franchise.

The irony to me is that an issue I had as a kid was about the movie, and how it will be more like the comics.

So, here are the first few pages...

Spoiler:

Spoiler:

Spoiler:

[Tetsu Deinonychus]

...and here's the rest, enjoy.

Spoiler:

Spoiler:

[oldmanwinters]

Thanks for sharing! I like these old magazine stories when the show was just breaking into media exposure! Interesting to read Eastman and Laird interviews from when they were still excited about the cartoon show's integrity in the 2nd season.

EDIT:
I made some higher-res scans from my own copy, in case it benefits anybody:

Spoiler:

[CyberCubed]

Its so weird to see how things were hyped pre-internet. Back then nobody had any idea what was going on.

[Prowler]

What a great find! Thanks for sharing!

Originally Posted by CyberCubed

Its so weird to see how things were hyped pre-internet. Back then nobody had any idea what was going on.

Yea, Cubed, we know. The times we're living in are glorious.

[Jephael]

I think I ordered a copy of that issue a few years back. It's probably somewhere in my collection.

[pferreira]

Thanks for sharing.

[Original TMNT Cartoon Fan]

Is it from 1989? Because it mentions a Batman film, which was released to cinemas that year.

[Tetsu Deinonychus]

1988, I think. It did have a contest where the winner gets to be an extra in the 1989 Batman movie. It also had fanboys raging in the letters page about how a "comedic" actor like Michael Keaton shouldn't be playing Batman and how this means they're probably making a campy Adam West style Batman movie. They were outraged. It's very funny.

Other points of interest in the magazine include...

An interview with Alan Moore where he talks about writing V for Vendetta.

An article about the Ruby/Spears Superman cartoon with a page about the live-action Superboy show.

An article about the then upcoming Garfield and Friends.

An article about a Wizard of Id movie that I don't think ever came out.

An interview with Richard Williams where he talks about how he's going to focus on The Thief and the Cobbler from now on, now that he's finished with Roger Rabbit (kinda sad to read knowing what happened).

Anyway, it kinda is neat seeing how optimistic Eastman and Laird were in the early days of the cartoon that they would still have time to write and draw the comic. Considering it was all the cartoon related licensing work that took them off the book for a couple years bringing in the "guest era".

[John Pannozzi]

It's from 1988. I have that issue and a bunch more.

Here's some more information on this magazine.

[Tetsu Deinonychus]

Cool! Do you have the one with the article about the first movie and how it would be like the comics?

[oldmanwinters]

It's surprising how insightful this article is, considering the TMNT franchise wasn't quite the national phenomenon it would grow to become over the next two years. The author clearly has a knowledge of the characters and plot points of the early episodes and the early Mirage comics.

The interview with Eastman & Laird is very revealing of behind-the-scenes details.

I am very glad that Eastman & Laird leveraged their veto power to jettison the potential Baxter Stockman as friend of the TMNT and operator of the Technodrome base concept. Honestly, I can't imagine how that ever would have worked within the narrative of the pilot season, let alone as a permanent status quo.

The idea of Krang and Shredder merging might have been interesting but it would have been a great disappointment to lose their individual personalities and their "old married couple" banter. Plus, that might have meant that either James Avery or Pat Fraley might have ended their stint on the series early, or else never have been cast at all.

Eastman & Laird's comments about Bebop and Rocksteady's creation process also hints that they were still going through an evolution while the first season was in production. I recently acquired some storyboard photocopies, and I can confirm there were many artistic differences in the storyboard and the final animation. Check out these designs from "A Thing about Rats," an episode where they don't have a very prominent role but are seen here wearing their street warrior armor from early concept art:

[neatoman]

I wonder why they originally wanted Baxter to be a good guy or have the turtles live in the Technodrome? I get why Shredder and Krang would fuse, Krang wanted a body after all, but why the other two?

[CyberCubed]

Shredder/Krang becoming one was used in that Archie storyline where Krang placed himself on Shredder's head for a short arc.

[oldmanwinters]

Originally Posted by CyberCubed

Shredder/Krang becoming one was used in that Archie storyline where Krang placed himself on Shredder's head for a short arc.

And how majestic it was!


Jim Lawson's contributions notwithstanding...

I'll confess I was stunned to see it happen, relieved to know it wasn't a permanent change, but initially assumed that Krang died during the removal process.

[Xav]

I find it kinda funny that Eastman and Laird would be against Shredder and Krang merging into one character considering when Laird did with Shredder in the 4Kids series.

[Original TMNT Cartoon Fan]

Krang looked dead when dropped off on Morbus.

[neatoman]

Originally Posted by Xav

I find it kinda funny that Eastman and Laird would be against Shredder and Krang merging into one character considering when Laird did with Shredder in the 4Kids series.

The difference, I guess, is that the 4kids twist doesn't really take anything away from Shredder. He's still the same character he was before, he didn't become someone else's puppet and/or become someone else entirely.

[cammy85]

Originally Posted by Original TMNT Cartoon Fan

Krang looked dead when dropped off on Morbus.

Both Krang and Bellybomb did, yeah. Probably just unconscious. No more dead than the crew did when the Technodrome sank into the lava at the end of Season 2. Bellybomb was out of breath and Krang was hurt when Raphael forced him off of Shredder.

[John Pannozzi]

Originally Posted by Tetsu Deinonychus

Cool! Do you have the one with the article about the first movie and how it would be like the comics?

Yes, indeed, and I posted it on my blog.