What if Forever War still got a chance?
 

I was impressed by the recent thread, where the people started discussing the possible conclusion of the third volume. And I really liked that the original team of creators were ready to help.

As we all know, Forever War was officially cancelled. And now there is no chance to see the end of the Archie storyline. But maybe Stephen Murphy will agree to make a non-commercial project in collaboration with fans.
I'm an artist, and if you are interested in my fan comics, you can look at the thread about the TMNT SaiNW: Beginning of the End trilogy:

http://forums.thetechnodrome.com/sho...ighlight=Sainw

My current style is pretty similar to Chris Allan's and I consider it to be very suitable for FW. You can see it here (sorry, dialogues are only on Russian):

http://img121.imageshack.us/img121/6...pecialp02t.jpg
http://img694.imageshack.us/img694/1...specialp04.jpg
http://img207.imageshack.us/img207/6...specialp06.jpg
http://img694.imageshack.us/img694/2...pecialp08y.jpg
http://img339.imageshack.us/img339/3...pecialp10g.png

The main thing is that I don't know how to contact Steve Murphy. If anyone knows his e-mail, please PM me. I'll try to contact him and persuade him that it would be really great thing to conclude this story at last.

There are already some Forever War efforts in very early stages of planning by some fans, including the possibility of completing the comic. But exactly what and how much can be done is information that we simply have to wait on for right now. But if you keep checking back, any relevant info will surely be posted in the comic forum if help is needed.

Should coordinate with Buffy around here.

There are plans.

Murphy showed the first five pages of the comic and the early covers for all the five issues, which may become the basis of the fan version of FW. But it would be really great if Steve himself would provide us with the script.

Hi everybody! Sorry for my late reply. I was hoping to draw myself (I still have to send Andrew the sketches I made). But I kinda suck with backgrounds so maybe you could help with that?

Yes, I know. What I was referring to is that Buffy is already in contact with Steve regarding this, but as she wants to draw it herself, it's her call how much additional help she gets.

Nobody loves backgrounds lol. I'll do entire pages if someone gives me script and layout. Backgrounds included!

I think that we should choose not the one who was the first to propose, but the one whose art is more suitable. Since we plan to create the conclusion to such a great storyline, which was mostly drawn by Chris Allan, I suppose that it would be better if the FW art will look similar to his.

I can actually do this, I have some experience in creating comics, and I'm pretty sure that I'll finish my work.

Well, it's not true -- backgrounds create the atmosphere of the comic. Moreover, in FW there would be many dystopian scenes, depicting the devastated cities and stuff. And I like to do backs very much.

I looked through your gallery on DA - it's pretty good, but all your characters are highly stylized (except the one work with the future TMNTs, but it also has its own disadvantages). However, as I said, I mean to create the art that would be as much similar to Allan's as possible.

I also intend to do the whole comic. It would be very inconvenient to separate the work on the characters/backs, because I'm doing traditional art, on paper. I think it would be better if someone will help me with coloring. And I mean digital coloring, like here:

http://img207.imageshack.us/img207/6...specialp06.jpg

There's a reason a thread for this hasn't been started by the people already involved. Please drop the topic for now and a new one will be started when and if it needs to be.

Exactly right.

Ok, I see...

I only was going to offer the help and expected to receive certain cooperation in response. Probably, I was wrong and the initiative is not welcomed here.

You misunderstand. Just check back in a couple weeks. :)

Andrew is right: you've misunderstood. Please check back in a couple of weeks.

I just wanted you to give me some advice, but all I see is criticism. But, thanks to Buffy, now I understand the details.

Well, now we have to wait what Murphy has to say =)

any updates?

This would be awesome. I'm so glad fans are making stuff happen even while Nick is just letting TMNT cool off for a while.

Steve will give the scripts... but cannot until June of next year. He signed a "I can't talk about TMNT for 18 months" agreement.

That's pretty cool of him.:)

That's some time away. Nice though.

Great news! Further away than I would like, but still great news.

That's freakin' awesome! I'm glad for you - your artwork is pretty great! Was it yourself that sent in that art to Lawson last year, celebrating his birthday, by the way? Just outta curiosity...

Yep, it was me. I also made the similar present this year =)

I read #64 for the first time today, and I have to say, I'm not entirely convinced that "The Forever War" is necessary. Yes, some plot threads would be left open, the Shredder's primarily, but most things are nicely wrapped up by that issue.

All in all, #64 really reads like a beautiful conclusion to the series, with the "Dreamland" arc acting as a stand-alone bonus. I certainly don't feel like anything was missing thematically. And that epilogue was the most baller way to end any story arc in a children's series ever. I'm shocked they allowed that to run.

EDIT - Meant #61.

There is also ##65-70 and arc "Moon Eyes Saga"...

#65-70 is the "Dreamland" arc, which is a self-contained story about the future Turtles and Verminator-X.

The Moon Eyes saga just isn't really necessary. #64 says everything that needs to be said about Raph and Ninjara; they'll be together as long as they can, and we know from the future Turtles it doesn't hold. I'm not saying everything that comes after that issue is terrible or should be ignored. But in lack of a proper conclusion, #64 works as a series finale really, really well.

But I guess it depends on how post-modern you feel like getting with your kids' series. 'Cause it's a pretty heavy note to go out on.

EDIT - My number is off. I meant #61, with the "Dreamland" arc actuallybeing #62-67.

While not tied up exactly, the "Moon Eyes" saga was touched on during Ninjara's three-issue appearance in Furrlough. The story was never completed, but by that point Mokoshan had been killed, leaving Ninjara to raise their child and seek revenge for Mokoshan's murder.

I'd be interested in seeing where that went, but shoehorning it into a conclusive ending for TMNTA just might be more needlessly complicated than a payoff would merit.

So, this whole time I was saying #64, I meant #61. Re-read previous posts with #61 instead.

"Dreamland" (or "Cyber Turtles" arc) are issues ##62-66. "The Moon Eyes saga" is #67-70. And what do you mean by necessary? It's the part of the main story about current Turtles, even more necessary when "Cyber Turtles".

Present Time is changed after death of all Mutanimals, and we don't know for real future of Turtles. So this is it - the first difference between Present and Future: Raphael's relationship with Ninjara wasn't very long. Who knows what will happen next?

"Forever War", of course, that would change both the Present and Future timelines.

I still consider "Year of the Turtle" the end of the Archie series, even if it wasn't written by Murphy. Shredder gets wrapped up in that mini-series far better than in Archie.

Wait, that was canon?

It was a separate short mini-series written after the Archie run ended. It wasn't written by Murphy.

It still kept Splinter's human origin, (Splinter de-mutates back into Hamato Yoshi), Shredder loses his mind at the end of it, and then the finale ends with Splinter saying, "This was the last Turtle story, after this one you'll have heard them all."

Accidentally quite fitting.

Yeah, but #61 ends with a total mindf*ck. Way more awesome.

That's awesome, but personally, I think that when Steve gives you the scripts, you should try to get IDW, Dark Horse or Image (or maybe even Boom Studios) to publish the story officially. If we're fairly close to getting an official conclusion to Volume 3 published by Image, then I think that getting an official Forever War story published by one of these companies isn't out of the question.

I think I should just draw it.

Is there a place I may see your art?

I think I'm going to go ahead and chime in here. I know you think you're entitled to the story, and it's great you have that passion about it, but I was under the impression that Buffy and Andrew were coordinating the project.

Do you have sole claim to all the art duties on this?

I'd quite honestly rather see the old archie artists work on it, no offense to anyone else.
But if it's not done by them it's not going to feel quite right...

So, this is all about you and what anyone else thinks doesn't matter at all? Given the choice between you (or any other fan) or going official, going official wins. Period.

Uh...guys...not to side with (one of the) overtly aggressive fans in this thread...But...a fan project is a fan project...So if the guy wants to draw himself a resolution to the archie storyline, whos to stop him? I mean...if I wanted to draw up a sequel to...The Gingerdead Man (you should totally go watch that movie right now by the way) as a fan project, why shouldn't I be able to?

If a dozen people wanted to draw up an ending to the archie series, more power to them. I fail to see why peoples collective panties are getting bunched.