Favorite IDW 'look'?

[Sharman]

Okay, now that the IDW line has breached the 100 issue milestone we've had a number of iterations of the design and look of the characters executed by a plethora of artists and I wonder if you have a favorite?

Personally, I adore Michael Dialynas' take - especially the look and costumes he created for the turtles upon his return to the comic (#89, as I recall). Dialynas has a trim and precise style that is easy to read and he conveys emotion well. Also - and I'm not exactly sure what they are called - the addition of the colored arm/leg sleeves (each with their own 'style') is a neat evolution.

I look forward to Dialynas' return to the comics.

http://forums.thetechnodrome.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=12557&stc=1&d=1578407664

[Raptor86]

It's a tie between Santolouco and Campbell for me

[The Great Saiyaman]

It's a tie between Santolouco and Campbell for me

I agree, both of them basically adopted the look of the 2012 TV series Turtles, in as the Turtles being of different heights and body builds but also included details such as Raphael having a scar in his plastron (Although not a crack) and Donatello having a gap tooth.
https://i.pinimg.com/736x/e6/02/ab/e602ab4f43cb960a1f56468ff952bd0f.jpg

http://www.comiclist.com/media/blogs/previews/TMNT_v17-pr-2.jpg
But by doing so they made the Turtles look inviting, people who only knew them from the 2012 series wouldn't feel out of place when reading the comics.

[Igglet]

Probably Dialynas'. For one, I absolutely adore his art, but at the same time, the new designs with the armor and stuff, I felt like that was a very cool visual way of showing that the turtles have changed since they've first been introduced, they've grown older, they've evolved and so has their design.

Still, Santolouco holds a very special place in my heart, he's an incredibly close second.

[CylonsKlingonsDaleksOhMy]

Cory Smith. Basically Mateus' look, but with the Nick elements toned down.

[Andrew NDB]

So many good looks and I dig the armored looks, though I can't condone the adoption of the 2012 stuff -- gap tooth, goggles on Don just because, body types to suit their personality, etc..

And those orange stretch pants on Mikey look... wrong. They're like bright assless chaps, like he's ready to go to the bondage & discipline party. The "evening gloves" on him, too.

[The-Shredder]

I've never read the comic, but from what I've seen, I like Dan Duncan's design the most because it gets the fundamentals down, but they're too skinny and the gritting teeth on the covers makes the Turtles look a little too vicious.

[Sharman]

And those orange stretch pants on Mikey look... wrong. They're like bright assless chaps, like he's ready to go to the bondage & discipline party. The "evening gloves" on him, too.

That's an ... interesting ... way to look at that particular costume. :lol:

[Andrew NDB]

That's an ... interesting ... way to look at that particular costume. :lol:

It's like the pants from here:

https://i.ibb.co/VtTDnD8/FDS45599ebay.jpg

And the "evening gloves" from here:

https://i.ibb.co/fQqdySF/HTB1-Nl8m-NXXXXXc-Ea-XXXq6x-XFXXXj.jpg

[Rooish]

While Santolouco is, IMO, the most technically skilled artist, I increasingly disliked his interpretations of the Turtles themselves. They became more and more kiddified. I also don't like when they have stereotypical and dramatically different body structures.

I liked Dan Duncan's art a lot. I think that the books took on a bit more of a high calibre professional look later in the series though. I enjoyed Ben Bates' rendition of the Turtles, Cory Smith's art is great, and I REALLY liked Dialynas's--although I agree the outfits were a bit extra. I lol'd at the bondage party comment.

I think the look I like best is Campbell's, though, which is awesome. Particularly the newer issues where the Turtles look a little tougher than the Northhampton arc. I'm so excited!

[Sharman]

It's like the pants from here:

https://i.ibb.co/VtTDnD8/FDS45599ebay.jpg

And the "evening gloves" from here:

https://i.ibb.co/fQqdySF/HTB1-Nl8m-NXXXXXc-Ea-XXXq6x-XFXXXj.jpg

Oh. My. Word.
I must have led a sheltered life!

[Michael Dialynas]

Thanks guys!
Happy New Decade, as a kid of the 80's i'm super excited to see what the 20's give us with TMNT.

Ps
Man, those bondage pics killed me haha! :trazz:

[CylonsKlingonsDaleksOhMy]

Andrew wins the thread.

Bondage Mikey can never be unseen now. :teek:

While Santolouco is, IMO, the most technically skilled artist, I increasingly disliked his interpretations of the Turtles themselves. They became more and more kiddified. I also don't like when they have stereotypical and dramatically different body structures.

I agree entirely. I want him to draw everyone EXCEPT the Turtles.

[Sharman]

Andrew wins the thread.

Bondage Mikey can never be unseen now. :teek:



I agree entirely. I want him to draw everyone EXCEPT the Turtles.

So does that include the puttees which have been about before Dialynas' upgrade?

[ChosenOne]

Bondage Mikey can never be unseen now. :teek:

It's always the quiet ones.

[Leo656]

I can verify that Andrew has won many Internets.

[Andrew NDB]

Let me just add that while I readily and quickly produced said images, I am way too boring to be into any of that sort of stuff. Like, at all. I am a meat and potatoes kind of guy, I promise you. But I know a lot of people who walk a lot of walks of life.

Ps
Man, those bondage pics killed me haha! :trazz:

I'm really sorry, man. But I had to do it. ;) I dig all the other Turtles. I like the "wraps look" though a part of me wonders about the hygiene factor (look cool but... they're going to get funky in like 2 days and I'm not sure running their dirty laundry in the sewer water -- even if it's drainage and not actual sewage -- is going to do much). But that's not exclusive to any one take.

[Leo656]

Sure Andrew, sure. Mr. "Me and my buddies get shot at by homeless guys and I describe it the exact same way I describe a trip to Taco Bell, with exactly as much enthusiasm." You're the most boring, vanilla motherf*cker I know. Right. :lol:
----------------------------

Visually, I don't mind the wraps/tape/whatever, but practically I kinda don't like it. Because I'm a wrestler, and all that kinda sh*t is just a gigantic, filthy, sweaty, time-consuming pain in the ass. I can't see it drawn in a comic book without knowing in my head exactly how long that sh*t takes to put on, and then later (try to) take off. Especially when it's THAT excessive, as is drawn on the Turtles. They've got at least a whole roll of tape going up and down ONE arm/leg, fer chrissakes! Looks "cool" and "badass"; in truth they can't bend at the elbow/knee and are gonna need industrial-strength medical scissors (or a chainsaw) to get that stuff off, later.

Is it a big deal? Nah, it's comics. "Looks over Function". But THAT "look" is one I'm intimately familiar with, so it irritates me more than it should. It's why I just wear wristbands that lace up. That sh*t is a nightmare. :lol: Lotta guys try it out because it "looks cool", but most of 'em just switch to wristbands because tape just plain suuuuucks. :trazz:

[Sharman]

Sure Andrew, sure. Mr. "Me and my buddies get shot at by homeless guys and I describe it the exact same way I describe a trip to Taco Bell, with exactly as much enthusiasm." You're the most boring, vanilla motherf*cker I know. Right. :lol:
----------------------------

Visually, I don't mind the wraps/tape/whatever, but practically I kinda don't like it. Because I'm a wrestler, and all that kinda sh*t is just a gigantic, filthy, sweaty, time-consuming pain in the ass. I can't see it drawn in a comic book without knowing in my head exactly how long that sh*t takes to put on, and then later (try to) take off. Especially when it's THAT excessive, as is drawn on the Turtles. They've got at least a whole roll of tape going up and down ONE arm/leg, fer chrissakes! Looks "cool" and "badass"; in truth they can't bend at the elbow/knee and are gonna need industrial-strength medical scissors (or a chainsaw) to get that stuff off, later.

Is it a big deal? Nah, it's comics. "Looks over Function". But THAT "look" is one I'm intimately familiar with, so it irritates me more than it should. It's why I just wear wristbands that lace up. That sh*t is a nightmare. :lol: Lotta guys try it out because it "looks cool", but most of 'em just switch to wristbands because tape just plain suuuuucks. :trazz:

Excellent observation. Perhaps that's why one of the reasons PL advised the director of the 2007 animated film to keep it simple and just keep the basic, original comic book costume concept.
That said, I have to agree with you that it does look 'cool' regardless.

[liugeaux]

As a whole, I've liked most of the different artists' interpretations, but I've got to say Santolouco, Campbell, and Bates are MILES ahead of everyone else that has done the book.

[Mike Lowrey]

IDW has many great TMNT artists and Santolouco and Campbell are the top two, but for me to choose one, then it’s hands down Mateus Santolouco.

[Technogeek29]

Always have been Dan Ducan man myself.

[The Great Saiyaman]

It would appear that Sophie Campbell went more the 2012 series route with the looks of the Turtles.

https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/tmnt/images/d/de/Raphael%27s_clothes_101.jpg/revision/latest/scale-to-width-down/246?cb=20200111051434
Because Raphael closely resembles his "Mutant Apocalypse" counterpart here and I don't believe that that wasn't done on purpose.

[ProphetofGanja]

Santolouco is far and away my fave, with Andy Kuhn or Valerio Schitti a very close second/third. Campbell’s and Cory Smith’s depictions round out my top picks

[TommyT]

Dan Duncan was solid. Santalouco is hit and miss.
Nobody does a nice April at IDW. It’s a shame.

[neatoman]

I really like Ben Bates, his art just oozes personality.
https://i.pinimg.com/originals/ff/bf/14/ffbf140021fbe27d88029f4e29d2ce91.jpg

[Icegaze]

Santolouco remains my de facto favorite but I’m like Campbell’s new designs.
I just wish Santo would draw the turtles with some garments on. Like a ninja-ish outfit close to what they are wearing in the recent chapters but not like the Michael Bay movies.

[wyze2099]

My top artists for IDW Turtles are Michael Dialynas, Dave Wachter, Mateus Santolouco, and Sophie Campbell at the top. So basically I've enjoyed everything from City at War onward.

Regarding specific looks, I do like when a little creativity is employed with the Turtles' outfits, and with making them look different from each other. If we're supposed to believe they're teenagers, then their sense of individuality wouldn't stop with just their personalities and their weapons. I feel like the Bay looks from the recent movies took that a bit further than they needed to, but then that was heavy accessorizing on top of unflattering creature designs.

Leo656 did raise a good point with all the arm & leg wrappings, so that could definitely be toned down.

I think my favorite recent look for them would be the Splinter Clan outfits adopted in #105. They look like a ninja clan, each design is different from the others, and it's all simple rather than being over-complicated. The arm & leg wrappings are brought down to a more manageable level. It fits their situation as well, now that they're living in Mutant Town.

[turtlefan27]

Mateus santolouco
Ben bates
Dan Duncan
Kevin Eastman
Michael Dialynas

[Icegaze]

I really like Ben Bates, his art just oozes personality.
https://i.pinimg.com/originals/ff/bf/14/ffbf140021fbe27d88029f4e29d2ce91.jpg

Can’t believe I forgot about Mr Bates! My second fave.

[AquaParade]

I'm not sure I even have a favorite. Probably Kevin Eastman, but that feels like cheating. I don't feel like he's at peak performance when doing interiors, but his visual style has a lot of character and just feels like TMNT to me. His covers look pretty damn great and are a step above the interiors, as is common for many artists.

Santolouco is always an exciting name to see on the cover as well. I'm not partial to the designs he's gone with for the IDW turtles (which is odd, because I love the custom designs I've seen him do for his personal collection online), but he has dynamic layouts and a ton of detail to his work, so that likely makes him my second favorite of the bunch. Lots of the other artists are good too. I'm really enjoying what Sophie Campbell is doing.

[turtlefan27]

For some reason I forget ben bishop. I absolutely love his art style. Probably as much as I do ben bates.

[Slap-Happy]

Santolouco and Campbell are the obvious greats. Duncan and Bates are great too. I have an affinity for Andy Kuhn's work too.

Absolutely hate Bishop's stuff. Incredibly unappealing to me. Definitely not of the caliber that you'd expect on this book.

[akamcfly]

Dan Duncan is the way to go for me.

his drawing transmit me a lot of strength, and i find it perfect to tell stories of turtles in their natural environment, a dark and gritty New York...

[skylord]

I'm going through and rereading from the start right now. Dropped off somewhere around issue 70 I think. On my first read through I think I had a tough time getting into Dan Duncan's art and it was a bit of an initial barrier. On reread though I think it really captures a unique feel and I love it. Has just the right amount of grit that keeps the first major arcs feel incredibly grounded.

Santolouco and Campbell were my initial favorites and they tend to draw more traditionally good looking turtles. It's a flavor I still really like and probably what I'd show somebody if I wanted to convince them to read the comics. Maybe I'd be setting up the wrong expectations but its better than turning them away by art incorrectly perceived as poor.