Why is Baxter Stockman Black in comics and White in cartoon?

[markberry]

Originally Posted by Type 97 Chi-ha

Funny, Bebop was black before being mutated.

i totally forgot about that hah

[Original TMNT Cartoon Fan]

Originally Posted by CyberCubed

Since Baxter was really dopey and cowering under Shredder in many of the Season 2 episodes, that would have been seen as racist showing, "the black guy" being a cowering wimp to the Shredder.

Not sure why, but that's how it is.

But season 2 wasn't created back then.

[TheSkeletonMan939]

I find it interesting that non-white characters are really only used in cartoons only if the source material portrays them that way.

[Xav]

Originally Posted by TurtleFan2012

You know what's odd? There is a black scientist in season 10, "Mobster from Dimension X" who looks like the 2003 Baxter.

Anyone have an image?

[Mr._Mutant_Man]

Originally Posted by ZariusTwo

Didnt seem to matter much in the long run, as Baxter was quickly written out of the show after only a few episodes in favour of characters that could move more merchandise and comedic interest in Bebop and Rocksteady (I'm just making a guess as to what the motivation behind removing Baxter was)

The Baxter Stockman action figure was one of my favorites as a child, with the wings and the extra arms. I would think that he'd be an interesting enough character to move merchandise.

It would be interesting to find out the motivations for certain characters disappearing . I would have liked to have seen more of General Traag too.

[gobo]

I always thought of it this way: To have the token black guy be a bad guy is borderline. To have the only two black people in the series be bad guys is blatantly racist. And, a black gang member just makes more sense than a black mad scientist.

Originally Posted by Mr._Mutant_Man

I would have liked to have seen more of General Traag too.

Really? O_o He was in 15 or so eps, and he wasn't even the interesting stone warrior/rock soldier.

[CyberCubed]

Originally Posted by Mr._Mutant_Man

The Baxter Stockman action figure was one of my favorites as a child, with the wings and the extra arms. I would think that he'd be an interesting enough character to move merchandise.

It would be interesting to find out the motivations for certain characters disappearing . I would have liked to have seen more of General Traag too.

He's talking about Season 2. It was only Shredder and Baxter for the first half of the season until it went back to Shredder/Bebop/Rocksteady.

Also I find this bizarre. Baxter, Rat King, Traag and to a lesser extent Leatherhead appeared throughout the course of the show right up till the Lord Dregg era.

[Xav]

Originally Posted by RIP, gobo

I always thought of it this way: To have the token black guy be a bad guy is borderline. To have the only two black people in the series be bad guys is blatantly racist. And, a black gang member just makes more sense than a black mad scientist.

Why? You don't think a black scientist is believable?

[zkarlette]

Originally Posted by Xav

Why? You don't think a black scientist is believable?

Come on.. You skipped the first part of his post making him sound super racist..

[rinascimento]

what had been really bad, is the fact that bebop was black in the show, but in the mutating toyline he was white in his human form. totally racist.

[Icegaze]

This thread... and some posts. I don't even...
Someone says it makes more sense to have a Black gang member instead of a Black mad scientist. Ok...

[Candy Kappa]

http://peterlairdstmntblog.blogspot....ckman-and.html

[Icegaze]

"We never sent these sketches (NB: Baxter Stockman, April O'neil roughs) to Wolf, and I have to say that I'm surprised anyone would think Baxter was white in his first appearance in the comics.

I'm not really sure why his race was changed for the cartoon. I can't remember at this point in time if we ever asked or complained about it, probably because -- as you can see from the fact illustrated in the first sketch -- we were prepared to go in either direction when we we created him. His race really wasn't that important." -- Peter Laird

[TurtleFan2012]

Originally Posted by Xav

Anyone have an image?

Here you go. I like to pretend he is Baxter as a good guy lol.

[JakeSully]

Originally Posted by hitmonkey

Yeah, I assumed they didn't want their one black character to be a bad guy. Funny thing is, white-washing the character seems far more offensive.

Since we're on the subject, my big question about Baxter in the '87 series is why did they turn him into Jerry Lewis? The look, the voice, all of it.

I know, why white wash the original? and he did look like Jerry Lewis in the old toon.

[gobo]

Originally Posted by Xav

Why? You don't think a black scientist is believable?

Uh, I completely remember saying "there's nothing more laughable than a black scientist". Good eye.

[chrisdude]

Maybe they didn't want the show to be too black, because all the turtles were already black.

[Xav]

Originally Posted by RIP, gobo

Uh, I completely remember saying "there's nothing more laughable than a black scientist". Good eye.

No you said a black gang member makes more sense than a black scientist.

[Panda_Kahn_fan]

Bebop wasn't visible in human form for that long, Baxter was human for a great many episodes before mutating- heck, I really don't think they even planned to mutate him, at first.

Speaking of OT Baxter, does anyone else think Dr. Chaplain from the 2K3 series kind of reminds them of OT Baxter Stockman?

[Dirty Blond]

No, gobo said that to have a lone black character as a baddie on a show is borderline racist; so a gang member -- black or white -- makes more sense as a villain than a scientist.