The History of the TMNT in Japan (a research essay)

[DrSpengler]

Reading through the scans Adam sent me, the thing is actually... pretty damn hilarious. I'm really impressed. Whit's death actually had me laughing out loud.

And the comic is only vaguely like the movie. It hits the same necessary plot points, but everything in-between is 100% different.

Though I don't typically care for manga-style, the art and layouts are VERY dynamic and there's a tremendous energy throughout the whole volume. There's a scene near the end where all four Turtles have to jump off the roof of Norinaga's castle to catch the time sceptre and the way the action is laid out is fantastic.

Still, I've got to do Super Turtles Vol. 3 first before I can get to this. Maybe I should get on that...

[TheCanadiandrome]

Originally Posted by DrSpengler

Reading through the scans Adam sent me, the thing is actually... pretty damn hilarious. I'm really impressed. Whit's death actually had me laughing out loud.

And the comic is only vaguely like the movie. It hits the same necessary plot points, but everything in-between is 100% different.

Though I don't typically care for manga-style, the art and layouts are VERY dynamic and there's a tremendous energy throughout the whole volume. There's a scene near the end where all four Turtles have to jump off the roof of Norinaga's castle to catch the time sceptre and the way the action is laid out is fantastic.

Still, I've got to do Super Turtles Vol. 3 first before I can get to this. Maybe I should get on that...

Cool

Originally Posted by oldmanwinters

I figured I'd go ahead and share a sneak peak of the insanity that is Comic Bom Bom's "adaptation" of the 3rd live-action TMNT movie:



Thanks again to Mike Russell for allowing this amazing book to be shared with the world!

Yup, I've got this!

[Powder]

I want it.

(Supposed to be in all caps, damn it.)

[TheCanadiandrome]

Originally Posted by Powder

I want it.

(Supposed to be in all caps, damn it.)

i'd suggest doing what i did, post on "Ebay Want it now" and who knows! that's how i got lucky enough to meet my supplier

[Powder]

Originally Posted by TMNT_Canadian

i'd suggest doing what i did, post on "Ebay Want it now" and who knows! that's how i got lucky enough to meet my supplier

I didn't know there was such a thing... maybe if you have any advice/details you could PM me? I'd appreciate it if ya did, man.

[John Pannozzi]

I should point out that the TMNT III manga adaptation (by Haato Mikaeru) shown below is a different one than the one Splengs mentioned in his article (which was done by Yosuhiko Hachino). Someone better check it out and see how different the two adaptations are (maybe I will).

[oldmanwinters]

Originally Posted by John Pannozzi

I should point out that the TMNT III manga adaptation (by Haato Mikaeru) shown below is a different one than the one Splengs mentioned in his article (which was done by Yosuhiko Hachino). Someone better check it out and see how different the two adaptations are (maybe I will).

Yup, that other TMNT III volume was published by Dengeki Comics, the same company that produced the 15 volume TV episode adaptations, the 3 volume Super Turtles series, and the very cool Mutant Turtles Gaiden.

Here's some pics of it I've found over the years:







I have no idea what kind of book is next to it in this pic. EDIT: Oh, it's just the B. B. Hiller novelization in Japanese.

Since the Comic Bom Bom version of TMNT III is divided into chapters, I wonder if the chapters originally appeared in the Comic Bom Bom monthly series during 1994 before being collected into a single volume. It seems like something they might do.

My guess is that the Comic Bom Bom book will diverge more sharply from the actual movie moreso than the Dengeki edition. From what I've seen of Comic Bom Bom and Dengeki TMNT comics, CBB leaned more toward the surreal, exaggerated stories and art while Dengeki was more content to simply adapt scripts in a more conservative (and less entertaining fashion).

Comparison of the two books' dimensions:

[DrSpengler]

Reading some more...

MAN I can't stand Walker's speech pattern. It's in the "polite form" (using "-masu" conjugations and stressing the "desu" at the end of each sentence), which is a stereotypical way of presenting foreigners in Japanese media, as we're taught the polite form and tend to use it inappropriately or excessively when speaking Japanese.

Basically, the way Walker reads, it's like if you were reading Speedy Gonzalez in comic form; "Aye yay yay! I weesh my seester waz heeeere!"

That kind of absurdly charicatured ethnic stereotyping.


BUT it totally fits Walker's character as an "evil Gaijin"... it's just annoying to read, especially the use of katakana for words over kanji or hiragana (again, another trait of stereotyping foreigners in speech to show how, um, foreign they are).

[oldmanwinters]

Originally Posted by DrSpengler

Reading some more...

MAN I can't stand Whit's speech pattern. It's in the "polite form" (using "-masu" conjugations and stressing the "desu" at the end of each sentence), which is a stereotypical way of presenting foreigners in Japanese media, as we're taught the polite form and tend to use it inappropriately or excessively when speaking Japanese.

Basically, the way Whit reads, it's like if you were reading Speedy Gonzalez in comic form; "Aye yay yay! I weesh my seester waz heeeere!"

That kind of absurdly charicatured ethnic stereotyping.


BUT it totally fits Whit's character as an "evil Gaijin"... it's just annoying to read, especially the use of katakana for words over kanji or hiragana (again, another trait of stereotyping foreigners in speech to show how, um, foreign they are).

Spengs, in some of our previous emails, I think you confused Walker (the villainous Englishman who tries to sell guns to the Japanese Warlord) with Whit (Walker's sometimes lackey and the apparent ancestor of Casey Jones). I just wanted to make sure we're thinking of the same character. I can't blame you if you haven't watched the film in a while though.

[DrSpengler]

Whoop!

Yeah, Walker is what I meant.

And yeah, I haven't watched the movie since I bought it on DVD, like, 7 years ago.

With good reason.

In regards to Whit, though, you're right; his character arc in the Bom Bom manga is completely different from the movie's (and a lot funnier, too).

[John Pannozzi]

Oldmanwinters, do you actually own the books you posted images of a few posts back?

[oldmanwinters]

Originally Posted by John Pannozzi

Oldmanwinters, do you actually own the books you posted images of a few posts back?

Nope. I've just saved a lot of old pictures from the internet. If I did own the, however, you better believe that I would have already had them scanned!

[TheCanadiandrome]

Originally Posted by Powder

I didn't know there was such a thing... maybe if you have any advice/details you could PM me? I'd appreciate it if ya did, man.

basically what i did was went to "Ebay Want it Now"

http://pages.ebay.com/wantitnow/index.html

and if you're an ebay member than u can post an ad no problem. just click the button that says "Post to Want it Now" then say "I'm lookin for some TMNT Japanese Manga" and give a good description of what you're lookin for, select a category, and provide a picture if u like (maybe steal..borrow one from this thread), and yeah, post it and see what happens

Originally Posted by oldmanwinters

Yup, that other TMNT III volume was published by Dengeki Comics, the same company that produced the 15 volume TV episode adaptations, the 3 volume Super Turtles series, and the very cool Mutant Turtles Gaiden.

Here's some pics of it I've found over the years:

Spoiler:

I have no idea what kind of book is next to it in this pic. EDIT: Oh, it's just B. B. Hiller novelization in Japanese.

Since the Comic Bom Bom version of TMNT III is divided into chapters, I wonder if the chapters originally appeared in the Comic Bom Bom monthly series during 1994 before being collected into a single volume. It seems like something they might do.

My guess is that the Comic Bom Bom book will diverge more sharply from the actual movie moreso than the Dengeki edition. From what I've seen of Comic Bom Bom and Dengeki TMNT comics, CBB leaned more toward the surreal, exaggerated stories and art while Dengeki was more content to simply adapt scripts in a more conservative (and less entertaining fashion).

Comparison of the two books' dimensions:

Spoiler:

man, i gots to find this!!

[Powder]

Thanks for the tip, I'll do just that!

[TheCanadiandrome]

Cool powder, keep us posted and good luck!

Edit: just realized I have the Dengeki Comics version of TMNT III

[TheCanadiandrome]

ok, so i've just purchased the TMNT Fumetti style Manga books as well as 3 other pic books from my Manga man! so excited! can't wait! i dare say perhaps maybe i've got the largest TMNT Manga collection?

[oldmanwinters]

Originally Posted by TMNT_Canadian

ok, so i've not purchased the TMNT Fumetti style Manga books as well as 3 other pic books from my Manga man! so excited! can't wait! i dare say perhaps maybe i've got the largest TMNT Manga collection?

Wait, your collection got larger by NOT purchasing those books? Did I miss something or did you just make a typo?

[TheCanadiandrome]

Originally Posted by oldmanwinters

Wait, your collection got larger by NOT purchasing those books? Did I miss something or did you just make a typo?

lol! typo!

[Plasticplayhouse]

Very cool post. I had no idea about the turtle history in japan...now I do

[Type 97 Chi-ha]

Originally Posted by oldmanwinters

Wait, your collection got larger by NOT purchasing those books? Did I miss something or did you just make a typo?

He stole them.