Future of the Turtles

[mrmaczaps]

Originally Posted by Leo656

Perhaps I misspoke. "Cares more" was too broad, and as you've pointed out, not entirely accurate.

I guess I should have said, "Cares enough to want to remain involved even now." Or, "At one point, Laird cared more, but now it's Eastman, since he still wants to be involved but Laird doesn't."

Laird definitely cared more about "what was right for the brand", sure. At least back then. As I pointed out, Eastman is more of a "rubber-stamp" guy. Anything TMNT, to him, is "awesome"... especially if he gets paid for saying so.

But yeah my previous statement wasn't entirely accurate. In my defense, I've been chatting with Andrew on FB this whole time and he has a smooth-ass narrator's voice so I might be a little distracted. Seriously, though, someone hire this guy to do some books on tape, stat.

No wonder he pulled down so much Drome Trim back in the day. Allegedly. "Back When That Meant Something."

Eastman cares more to stay involved because they pay him AND because the fans (some of you) can be milked out of every dime you have just to get him to sign some random @$$ sh¡t for a fee... And I say that as someone who has been in line wishing I had a few spare dimes to pay him to do a sketch or whatever. One of his handlers at shows even gave me hell on two occasions because she didn't like that I bought items elsewhere & showed up with those items to have him sign... lol. And as of Granite Con 2 years back, he supposedly said he "owes me a beer"... but I had to skip out early cuz I was exhausted & dehydrated... and I don't drink beer. Lol

I'm not saying any of that as a negative either. He knows where he can get paid & doesn't have to do much new to get money... last I was aware, IDW pays him pretty much the same rates as anyone else they employ so he isn't rolling in the cash from doing covers & stuff. I enjoyed conversing with him as much as Laird, Lawson, Lavigne or any of the other Mirage guys... And they're always happy to sign stuff (usually for free, except Eastman)...

[AquaParade]

You can chase the dollar and be passionate. That's where Kevin is at.

He loves to see his creations live on in any shape or form, because who doesn't want to see the seeds of their imagination become a worldwide phenomenon.

He likes to get paid.

But he is clearly passionate about comics and is putting his full heart in to The Last Ronin. It's clearer than day if you just follow the guy, listen to his interviews, or read his work. It's a bummer that people would think otherwise. I guess that's what happens when you sell used Playmates toys, from your "personal collection" on your website. Stuff like that does seem a little strange.

[Andrew NDB]

Originally Posted by AquaParade

But he is clearly passionate about comics and is putting his full heart in to The Last Ronin.

Well... that's not entirely true. If he was putting his "full heart" into TLR then surely he'd be writing it and drawing it. He is doing neither of those things.

[AquaParade]

Originally Posted by Andrew NDB

Well... that's not entirely true. If he was putting his "full heart" into TLR then surely he'd be writing it and drawing it. He is doing neither of those things.

Yeah he is.

He's doing 200+ pages of layouts, plotted it himself based on his and Laird's idea, and is scripting the whole thing in back and forth fashion with Tom, just like he did with Peter Laird, except with a bit more control on Kevin's side.
Multiple covers for every issue.
He is directing and collaborating in every aspect, on every single panel, like he did with the original Mirage books. Are we going to say his full heart wasn't in those, because Peter was involved?

The team is big, but he is involved heavily in every aspect. They've been on a short leash with the deadlines and it's 10 issues worth of comics, so it makes sense.

Yes, comics are a collaborative medium. When I say he is putting his full heart in it, it doesn't mean he is even doing the lettering and stapling the book himself. I'd even feel comfortable saying this if he was only doing one aspect of the book, such as writing. I think you're taking "full heart" a bit too literally, my man. It's a figurative thing.

[Andrew NDB]

Originally Posted by AquaParade

He's doing 200+ pages of layouts and plotting/scripting the whole thing in back and forth fashion with Tom, just like he did with Peter Laird, except with a bit more control on Kevin's side.
Multiple covers for every issue.
He is directing and collaborating in every aspect, on every single panel, like he did with the original Mirage books. Are we going to say his full heart wasn't in those, because Peter was involved?

No, but in lieu of Laird's involvement I would think Kevin would want to go at it himself. Also, I think that's what most fans would want. He's perfectly capable of writing and drawing his own comics, solo, and has in the past. Who better to capture the spirit and original vision of "The Last Ronin" than one of the only two guys who came up with it in 1987 who is willing to still work on TMNT today?

And I'm not sure I buy that Eastman is all that involved in the scripts. Maybe on a cursory basis or approval level, or maybe he has a suggestion about this line or that line or an action beat. But it's not like Kevin and Peter's collaboration. Both Kevin and Peter were wired pretty much 50/50 as writers and artists the whole way through (though I suspect Laird had more interest in story than Kevin). You bring in Tom Waltz, that guy is a dedicated writer who does one thing and that is story and it is script. His collaboration is going to be very different than what it was when it was Kevin and Peter.

Covers and layouts are great but that's not drawing or writing a book. That'd be like crediting the storyboard guy for movies as the lead cameraman, or any cameraman. Or crediting the storyboard guy as screenwriter. It's not remotely the same thing.

Yes, comics are a collaborative medium. When I say he is putting his full heart in it, it doesn't mean he is even doing the lettering and stapling the book himself.

What a really dumb thing to say. Did that read as clever before you typed it out? Let's not pretend this is about semantics. Obviously when I suggest he ought to be writing and drawing the book solo, it is because these are things he is known for doing -- and solo -- in the past. These aren't things that would be new to him, or even unusual at all for him to be doing.

[AquaParade]

Originally Posted by Andrew NDB

No, but in lieu of Laird's involvement I would think Kevin would want to go at it himself. Also, I think that's what most fans would want. He's perfectly capable of writing and drawing his own comics, solo, and has in the past. Who better to capture the spirit and original vision than one of the only two guys who came up with it who is willing to still work on TMNT today?

Covers and layouts are great but that's not drawing a book. That'd be like crediting the storyboard guy for movies as the lead cameraman, or any cameraman. It's not remotely the same thing.

Who says all of Kevin's fans want him drawing it all by himself? I've always loved him most on layouts and when he works with someone else, he shines. The same was true of his collabs with Peter.
Not to mention, as a bonus, there are pages in nearly every issue that Kevin completed by himself, which "captures the spirit" you are speaking of.

Your analogy doesn't hold water. Layouts are way closer to the final product in a comic, than layouts are to a 3d space like filmmaking. Especially when you are doing all the scripting and plotting. Kevin is the "director" in that analogy, and yeah, they do end up with a bit of credit for everything, don't they?

Originally Posted by Andrew NDB

What a really dumb thing to say. Did that read as clever before you typed it out? Let's not pretend this is about semantics. Obviously when I suggest he ought to be writing and drawing the book solo, it is because these are things he is known for doing -- and solo -- in the past. These aren't things that would be new to him, or even unusual at all for him to be doing.

No, I think the dumb thing to say was "his full heart can't really be in it, if he doesn't write and draw it all by himself." WhhAA?

Yeah, my exaggerated response may have been a little harsh, but it's just an odd judgement call to make that someone can't be fully passionate about a project, if they are collaborating with a team.

Especially in the comics medium.

Especially with a dude famous for his collaboration of "Eastman and Lairds TMNT".

And I'm not sure I buy that Eastman is all that involved in the scripts..

Yeah, but you didn't "buy" that this book would have a violence level beyond what was shown in the ongoing, or that it would show the turtles killing, and look how that turned out for you. Donatello rammed his staff through a guy's face last issue.
Kevin and Tom have stated that Kevin is in "the driver's seat" now, and they are working in a "completely different way" than how they worked on the ongoing. Kevin has said this is him taking the lead again.
So be skeptical, but also keep in mind this isn't the first time you've doubted what they were saying about the book and been proven wrong.

[shredder orokusaki]

Continue all the time. There must be new series comics and movies all the time! But only comics are doing this unfortunately as we dont have a new series for more than 1 year.

[CyberCubed]

When I become a millionaire the first thing I will do is buy the TMNT IP and only invite the best writers of the industry to reboot it with a new movie line, cartoon series, and comic.

[FredWolfLeonardo]

Originally Posted by CyberCubed

When I become a millionaire the first thing I will do is buy the TMNT IP and only invite the best writers of the industry to reboot it with a new movie line, cartoon series, and comic.

You're not too far from there since you already have $100,000+ in your bank account.

[shredder orokusaki]

Originally Posted by FredWolfLeonardo

You're not too far from there since you already have $100,000+ in your bank account.

How do you know how much money he has? Do you know him in person?

[FredWolfLeonardo]

Originally Posted by shredder orokusaki

How do you know how much money he has? Do you know him in person?

He has talked about it here before.

[terrorblade]

A 2 to 3 year break between cartoon shows would suffice, life's too short to get more than a 5 year break.

Let those who moved on from the franchise to move on permanently. I moved on from lots of other things used to enjoy when I was younger but I just can't see myself wishing those things to just stop existing because I'm done having fun with them.

[Coola Yagami]

In regards to Leo's hypothetical, I'd probably do it, and with luck the butterfly ripple effect will somehow make Corona never happen. Two birds, one stone.

[the_minimizer]

The way I see is 1987 tmnt is a done deal. Nothing will ever change that. 2k3 tmnt I never got into much. 2012 tmnt is done too. At worst, they get remade, reimagined or rebooted.

[oldmanwinters]

Nickelodeon's official Instagram posted that cool but uncredited artwork again, but with a new background pattern this time around:

https://www.instagram.com/p/CrlRBjLOvL6/

Spoiler:

[CyberCubed]

The Turtles have better designs here than in the new Mutant Mayhem movie. These art look like a cool mix of some of the Archie TMNT designs with the original cartoon ones.

I doubt it means anything though.