Ask PL Vol. 6

[Toby Barrett]

Originally Posted by ZariusTwo

Woot, chalk one up to Pete. The IDW comics are very overrated (and unnecersary), V4 was way better.

Then go read volume 4. =)

[Powder]

I got the exact sort of answer I was hoping for with this question of mine, laughed out loud, even.

"5. What was (in your opinion) the most absurd proposition that ever came to you regarding the TMNT? For example Kevin Eastman said many obscure products proposals were turned down, like Yarmukles, but I am curious if you declined anything strange other than merchandise (additional series', whether in comic form or animation, alternative media like stage shows, etc)."

I'm sure there are any number of stupid offers that I am not at the moment recalling, but I think one of the goofiest was something that came to us while we were still living in Sharon, Connecticut. This was before any of the mass-merchandising of the TMNT -- we were still about a year or more away from meeting and signing with Mark Freedman of Surge Licensing. A movie company -- I think it was New World, but I am not completely certain of that -- contacted us and said they wanted to license the Turtle property for a live-action movie.

But the way they wanted to do it was to put famous comedians in the Turtle suits, with their faces exposed (painted green, I would imagine, but who knows?). There was, I think, something else about roller-skating nuns with Uzis… but it is all a little vague right now. Suffice it to say, this was NOT any kind of direction we wanted to go with the Turtles, and even though having a movie company interested in our little comic was pretty exciting, we declined the offer. -- PL

[Foot Soldier Clang]

Originally Posted by Powder

I got the exact sort of answer I was hoping for with this question of mine, laughed out loud, even.

"5. What was (in your opinion) the most absurd proposition that ever came to you regarding the TMNT? For example Kevin Eastman said many obscure products proposals were turned down, like Yarmukles, but I am curious if you declined anything strange other than merchandise (additional series', whether in comic form or animation, alternative media like stage shows, etc)."

I'm sure there are any number of stupid offers that I am not at the moment recalling, but I think one of the goofiest was something that came to us while we were still living in Sharon, Connecticut. This was before any of the mass-merchandising of the TMNT -- we were still about a year or more away from meeting and signing with Mark Freedman of Surge Licensing. A movie company -- I think it was New World, but I am not completely certain of that -- contacted us and said they wanted to license the Turtle property for a live-action movie.

But the way they wanted to do it was to put famous comedians in the Turtle suits, with their faces exposed (painted green, I would imagine, but who knows?). There was, I think, something else about roller-skating nuns with Uzis… but it is all a little vague right now. Suffice it to say, this was NOT any kind of direction we wanted to go with the Turtles, and even though having a movie company interested in our little comic was pretty exciting, we declined the offer. -- PL

New World? Like, New World Pictures the company founded by Roger Corman!?

[oldmanwinters]

Originally Posted by oldmanwinters

Wow, Stephan really didn't pull any punches with his question! I'm really interested to see how Peter responds!

And here's Laird's eloquent answer. After all that nostalgia, I really didn't see his conclusion coming though...

Stephan, this is a fascinating question for me because the choice has such potential to be either really great or really horrible.

And the first thing to be considered might be thought of as the "Law of Unintended Consequences". To wit: If there had been no Turtles, I would very likely never have met many of the good friends I have made through the twenty-five years that I worked with the green guys. No Michael Dooney, Steve Lavigne (though I guess I might have met him when we lived in New Hampshire, given that he was an old friend of Kevin's and lived in Maine… but I suspect we would not have become as close as we have), Jim Lawson, Dan Berger, and so on. And that's just people within Mirage Studios -- I think it's quite likely that without a TMNT comic, I would never have met and made friends with folks like Stan Sakai and Ken Mitchroney.

There would definitely be no Xeric Foundation.

Closer to home, with no TMNT, it is very possible -- in fact almost certain -- that our wonderful daughter Emily would not exist. We might have had another child, but the Emily that we know and love would not exist.

Depending on my success as an illustrator and/or her success as a writer (a vocation which the Turtles' financial success allowed her to concentrate much more fully on), my wife and I might have had to continue to go where her best job prospects as a teacher were. That's how we ended up in Connecticut in 1984. That alone could have led to huge changes in our lives… who knows where we would be, geographically-speaking, right now?

If the TMNT had never happened, I am certain I would now be a much more accomplished illustrator. I would have had to work harder to get jobs, and be forced to draw things outside my "comfort zone", and that almost invariably leads to more flexibility and capacity to draw more things well. With the Turtles, both Kevin and I were basically able to just draw the stuff we wanted to draw… and were thus not made to stretch like we otherwise would have had to.

And then there is the impact that the Turtles had on many other people to consider… all those folks who were exposed to it at a young age and found inspiration in the characters and stories in all the various iterations. We've heard many a tale over the years about how the TMNT helped people get through rough patches in their lives. With no TMNT, how would their lives be different? Maybe better? Maybe worse? Hard to tell… but certainly different.

There are so many areas which would have certainly turned out differently, and my answer here only scratches the surface.

I think that if Emily had never existed, and it was possible to do what you suggest -- go back and "stop it all from happening" -- I would seriously consider it. In fact, I would almost certainly do it.

But I can assure you that I would spend a LOT of time looking at that time machine and thinking it over before pushing the "Go Back" button. -- PL

Here's hoping that Peter Laird never finds a time machine laying around!

[Jester]

Hey Winters, you up for another TMNT themed comic?
In my head I can see the Turtles trying to keep Renet from going anywhere near Laird with the time scepter... or something involving the Time Slip Generator.

[rufus]

If any one asks Peter Laird anymore questions,could someone here be kind an ask him these two

Out of the original Ninja Turtles toyline from playmates,were there any turtle variants that you thought were pretty cool,would have liked to have seen been done,or thought that playmates could have done with out?
Are there any Comic Book based movies that you have enjoyed or any that you have not enjoyed?
For some odd reason I can't post due to Google Account screwing up.

[oldmanwinters]

It is amazing how many forum threads have popped up in the last couple of days on account of that "Ask Peter Laird" blog post and his responses to comments.

[Jester]

Originally Posted by oldmanwinters

It is amazing how many forum threads have popped up in the last couple of days on account of that "Ask Peter Laird" blog post and his responses to comments.

I was thinking the same thing. Kevin needs a blog, too. Then we'd never be lacking for active threads.

[Powder]

Originally Posted by oldmanwinters

It is amazing how many forum threads have popped up in the last couple of days on account of that "Ask Peter Laird" blog post and his responses to comments.

Which is cool with me, seems like all there's been to talk about lately is the new Nick toys & such.

[oldmanwinters]

Originally Posted by Powder

seems like all there's been to talk about lately is the new Nick toys & such.

Powder says this with such demure, as if those Playmates Toys and various Nick Toon threads have been uneventful.

The Official Nick Info thread is now over 70 pages long, and that Playmates Toys thread is already over 60 pages long!

I spend more time on these forums than I should and even I get overwhelmed with all the "breaking news" of the last couple of weeks!

[Powder]

Don't be mistaken, I am just as excited as everyone else. I just feel like conversations elsewhere have been a bit lacking, that's all.

[oldmanwinters]

Originally Posted by Powder

Don't be mistaken, I am just as excited as everyone else. I just feel like conversations elsewhere have been a bit lacking, that's all.

Yeah, man, the Fan Works section feels dead as a door-nail for the last few months. I guess people are just hungry for some "Official" stuff, eh?

[Vegita-San]

whoever tgd84 is obviously doesn't get the fact that peter has nothing to do with the franchise anymore... hoping he doesn't piss peter off one day with one stupid question too many ....

[oldmanwinters]

Aw... Peter dissed the Dreamwave series:

Spoiler:

I think the Dreamwave TMNT comic didn't last long because it wasn't -- in my opinion -- very good. (Not that it was horrible -- I just thought it wasn't very good.) I don't know what sales were like.

-- PL
http://peterlairdstmntblog.blogspot....28661279509560

I kinda hate to admit, but I DO agree with him. The issues just felt under-developed and unfulfilling. The last couple of issues just struck me as goofy and uninteresting. It seemed like the Turtles themselves rarely appeared in the books so that the incidental characters could get the spotlight through their backstory or inner monologues.

That said, I really liked issue #5. Very Raph centric! Also, LeSean was awesome! The digital coloring was pretty drab though.

Originally Posted by Vegita-San

whoever tgd84 is obviously doesn't get the fact that peter has nothing to do with the franchise anymore... hoping he doesn't * peter off one day with one stupid question too many ....

Yeah, tgd84 just doesn't know when to quit.

Three rules of public speaking also apply to internet posting:
"Stand up, Speak up, Shut up."

[Roseangelo]

Originally Posted by oldmanwinters

I kinda hate to admit, but I DO agree with him. The issues just felt under-developed and unfulfilling. The last couple of issues just struck me as goofy and uninteresting. It seemed like the Turtles themselves rarely appeared in the books so that the incidental characters could get the spotlight through their backstory or inner monologues.

That said, I really liked issue #5. Very Raph centric! Also, LeSean was awesome! The digital coloring was pretty drab though.

These are fair critiques of the book, but I'm pretty sure the book's downfall was simply Dreamwave's self-implosion. Otherwise they would have at least finished/published #8.

[oldmanwinters]

Originally Posted by Roseangelo

These are fair critiques of the book, but I'm pretty sure the book's downfall was simply Dreamwave's self-implosion. Otherwise they would have at least finished/published #8.

Oh, right, I totally remembered that the cancellation was due to the bad business practice of the DW company. All their books went bye-bye.

I should have clarified that I agreed with Peter ultimate assessment about the book's quality. Even though I did enjoy them for giving us a different POV for the first four episodes of the series. I never bought issues 6-7, but was really excited about the Turtle-bot plot that was to have come in issue #8. Also, I was really anticipating Shredder's arrival in the book. Alas, some things never come to fruition.

[CyberCubed]

I actually quite liked a few of the Dreamwave issues.

The first issue connecting the Eastman cop and that head of the Purple Dragons (who Shredder kills in the first episode) as childhood friends was very good.

I also agree #5 was the best issue. A really good Raph solo that would have made a nice episode of the show.

Its really only that last 2-parter with the Thoogs that wasn't very interesting.

[Powder]

Not that it's on topic per se but I loved the Dreamwave series. Especially the art and atmospheric colors.

[CyberCubed]

Hopefully this time IDW doesn't go bankrupt at some point so TMNT gets canceled again but I doubt it will happen.

Especially since this is a new series this time, whereas Dreamwave was just based on the 4kids series so it wasn't like we were missing anything all new.

[Powder]

But we did. They were starting their own stuff... You know that.