Talkback: Laird's 2k3 development notes!

cartoonistaaron · 08-04-2012, 06:36 PM

I think so as far as letting the Fred Wolf show go its own way, I don't think Laird had the power to pull rank and demand creative control. Plus - Turtlemania was in full swing in the late '80s and early '90s, and I don't think Eastman and Laird would have had time to pore over scripts, along with all the other Turtle stuff they were dealing with.

For the 2k3 show, Laird had 20 years of Turtle success to support his demand for creative control (if it was a demand - it seems like 4kids hired the writer, and he was good enough to get Laird involved). And by then, Mirage had a CEO running things, so Laird had more time to work on something like reviewing cartoon scripts.

Regarding the Shredder - I thought the Mirage comics Shredder had a ton of potential and a very compelling back story, almost like a reverse Batman. He was a villain but he wasn't a straight-up "bad guy." I know why they changed him for the kiddie-fied 80s show. But changing him into a straight-up "bad guy" for the more sophisticated 2k3 show just seemed to make him less interesting. He's a robot body with a little alien in his stomach, and he's pissed off, and he's the baddest dude in town... Okay? But what motivates him? He's evil? That works for a straight-up lunatic, but the Shredder was very calculating in the first season. Afterwards, he turned into kind of a brainless bad guy. I felt like all that potential character development was wasted.

I dunno, turning him into an Utrom seemed to have been done just so all the characters could freak out over him being an Utrom.

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08-04-2012, 06:36 PM	#11
cartoonistaaron Stone Warrior Join Date: Feb 2007 Posts: 737	I think so as far as letting the Fred Wolf show go its own way, I don't think Laird had the power to pull rank and demand creative control. Plus - Turtlemania was in full swing in the late '80s and early '90s, and I don't think Eastman and Laird would have had time to pore over scripts, along with all the other Turtle stuff they were dealing with. For the 2k3 show, Laird had 20 years of Turtle success to support his demand for creative control (if it was a demand - it seems like 4kids hired the writer, and he was good enough to get Laird involved). And by then, Mirage had a CEO running things, so Laird had more time to work on something like reviewing cartoon scripts. Regarding the Shredder - I thought the Mirage comics Shredder had a ton of potential and a very compelling back story, almost like a reverse Batman. He was a villain but he wasn't a straight-up "bad guy." I know why they changed him for the kiddie-fied 80s show. But changing him into a straight-up "bad guy" for the more sophisticated 2k3 show just seemed to make him less interesting. He's a robot body with a little alien in his stomach, and he's pissed off, and he's the baddest dude in town... Okay? But what motivates him? He's evil? That works for a straight-up lunatic, but the Shredder was very calculating in the first season. Afterwards, he turned into kind of a brainless bad guy. I felt like all that potential character development was wasted. I dunno, turning him into an Utrom seemed to have been done just so all the characters could freak out over him being an Utrom.