Ask a Question: IDW's TMNT Editor Thread

[ChosenOne]

Bobby, not really a question but I just want to thank you and everyone else at IDW who was involved in the making of the new Bebop & Rocksteady mini. I was stoked to see Wingnut and Screwloose again, and not only did you guys not disappoint, you exceeded my wildest expectations. The nostalgia levels were through the roof reading this issue! Great job, everyone!

Well, alright, maybe I'll ask a quick question... Is there a chance we'll ever see those two again?

[CylonsKlingonsDaleksOhMy]

So Bobby... now that Issue #25 has been released, what are your thoughts on TMNT Universe as a whole?

What lessons do you think IDW learned in making this new series, what do you think the series did well, and what do you think it could have done better with? If you could do it again, what would be done differently?

[MikeandRaph87]

At the end of #84 of the main series the Turtles bring the orphans to Splinter. Are we to believe the Foot will take the two dozen youths into its ranks and watch over them as a family of sorts or will Jenika bring them back to the orphanage?

[Ninjinister]

So are Wingnut and Screwloose mutants who are a little off-kilter and think they're aliens, or are they actually aliens?

[neatoman]

Who named Bebop and Rocksteady "Genealdo and Maxence"?

[CylonsKlingonsDaleksOhMy]

Originally Posted by neatoman

Who named Bebop and Rocksteady "Genealdo and Maxence"?

The joke is their real names are dumber than their mutant names.

[neatoman]

Originally Posted by CylonsKlingonsDaleksOhMy

The joke is their real names are dumber than their mutant names.

I know that's the joke, I'm wondering whose idea it was.

[Bobby Curnow]

Originally Posted by neatoman

How did Bebop manage to make his boots fit on those little hooves?

Careful steps and very tight laces!

[Bobby Curnow]

Originally Posted by ChosenOne

Bobby, not really a question but I just want to thank you and everyone else at IDW who was involved in the making of the new Bebop & Rocksteady mini. I was stoked to see Wingnut and Screwloose again, and not only did you guys not disappoint, you exceeded my wildest expectations. The nostalgia levels were through the roof reading this issue! Great job, everyone!

Well, alright, maybe I'll ask a quick question... Is there a chance we'll ever see those two again?

Glad you're enjoying it! Plenty more mayhem coming in the next issues. As for Wingnut and Screwloose, it's possible, maybe!

[Bobby Curnow]

Originally Posted by CylonsKlingonsDaleksOhMy

So Bobby... now that Issue #25 has been released, what are your thoughts on TMNT Universe as a whole?

What lessons do you think IDW learned in making this new series, what do you think the series did well, and what do you think it could have done better with? If you could do it again, what would be done differently?

Good question! I personally don't think the price point did us any favors. I wanted it to just be a normal 20 page book. I'm all for back up stories, and I like a lot of the ones that appeared in Universe, but asking another dollar for it seemed too much. The prevailing thinking at the company was that it could work though. And the series lasted 25 issues, so in a way perhaps they were right. Anything less of a run and I would have been a little disappointed, but I can be content with 25 issues. That's good for a series that could easily be seen as non-essential when compared to the ongoing.

I think Universe had some great stories in it, that rivaled our other mini-series that came before it. But I also think we also had some sub-par issues. There have been times, especially when we're also doing concurrent 5 week events or other extra books where I was stretched too thin and I didn't do the best job possible as an editor. (with respect to the creators, I'm not going to get into which issues I thought were better than average or sub par. I absolutely believe all creators put their best foot forward).

Overall it's a series that i'm proud of, though it does have some blemishes. Many thanks to everyone who supported the series!

[Bobby Curnow]

Originally Posted by MikeandRaph87

At the end of #84 of the main series the Turtles bring the orphans to Splinter. Are we to believe the Foot will take the two dozen youths into its ranks and watch over them as a family of sorts or will Jenika bring them back to the orphanage?

You'll have to read on to find out!

[Bobby Curnow]

Originally Posted by Ninjinister

So are Wingnut and Screwloose mutants who are a little off-kilter and think they're aliens, or are they actually aliens?

I read them as off-kilter mutants, as they originally appeared from the stasis pods in Stockgen. That would imply that they were created there, perhaps early test experiments which would explain their delusions.

Of course, that's an 'off the book' personal read of the situation. Always good to leave some ambiguity for the sake of a future story.

[Bobby Curnow]

Originally Posted by neatoman

Who named Bebop and Rocksteady "Genealdo and Maxence"?

Dustin Weaver did most of the scripting, so I would assume him, but Ben Bates was involved in the story plotting, so perhaps it was him. You'd have to ask those guys.

[John Pannozzi]

Originally Posted by neatoman

Isn't it literally their job to keep track of that stuff? Why wouldn't they already have that information?

*shugs* Oversight, I guess? Something the rights to stuff are a bit hard to track down.

In any case, I really wish I was part of IDW's legal/reprint department. Any idea how I could do such a thing, Bobby? I'd be thrilled even if I got such a position at some other studio/distributor/etc. instead of IDW.

[Bobby Curnow]

Just have to look out for job openings in the reprint department, I suppose! For what it's worth that department's staff hasn't changes in the 8+ years i've been here, so probably not much in the way of openings.

[miru]

1. Was Alopex being drawn more cuddly after reforming a conscious descision?
2. Any chance of the Mirage Universe Sourcebook finally being released? Go Green Machine?
3. Do you have the rights to use characters from unreleased projects?
4. Is it possible that a new Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles RPG game could be made? Or reprints of the old ones?
5. Do you have any plans to use characters from things like the Welsh Magazine comic, the newspaper comic strip, the 2007 toyline, etc?

[Bobby Curnow]

Originally Posted by miru

1. Was Alopex being drawn more cuddly after reforming a conscious descision?
2. Any chance of the Mirage Universe Sourcebook finally being released? Go Green Machine?
3. Do you have the rights to use characters from unreleased projects?
4. Is it possible that a new Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles RPG game could be made? Or reprints of the old ones?
5. Do you have any plans to use characters from things like the Welsh Magazine comic, the newspaper comic strip, the 2007 toyline, etc?

1. It was not instructed, no. Primarily Sophie Campbell's influence I suspect. Just how she wanted to draw her.

2. No plans in the works, no.

3. I would assume not.

4. Possibly! Not my department.

5. None that come to mind, no.

[neatoman]

That question about the 2007 toyline does remind me of something. I know you're barred from using characters from the 90's movies, but what about the 2007 movie? Or what about the last two movies from Platinum Dunes, are you allowed to pull characters from those?

[CyberCubed]

The only characters I'm sure they're allowed to use from the older movies are Rahzar/Tokka of course, as they've already returned in the cartoons and stuff. I do hope we see them in IDW someday.

[Bobby Curnow]

Originally Posted by neatoman

That question about the 2007 toyline does remind me of something. I know you're barred from using characters from the 90's movies, but what about the 2007 movie? Or what about the last two movies from Platinum Dunes, are you allowed to pull characters from those?

I would have to check. Anything created after the Viacom purchase would likely be free game though.