Who is your favorite TMNT Adventures (Archie) artist?

[Andrew NDB]

Let's head to the polls!

[Nortock Diab]

I would have chosen Jim Lawson anytime but in the specific frame of Archie continuity, Chris Allan is a no-brainer.

I particularly loved how his turtles are both cartoony and very class.
Issue #50 cover, I'm looking at you .

[Leo656]

Allan for sure. Although I liked Mitchroney just fine too, as a strictly FW cartoon style. But Allan sure drew some nice women.

Point of fact, this is where my loathing of Lawson's artwork began. I remember early on they jumped from Mitchroney to having Lawson on a few issues, and I was like "YUCK!" Suddenly the Turtles all have square heads and all the humans have a ton of crossed eyes and underbite. Hated it! I was SO glad when Allan came on permanently.

My one nitpick about Allan - and this is a total Me Problem - is how he always drew Leo's shoulder straps like suspenders instead of the "X". I know, I know! Realistically, with how Leo's swords would be strapped to his back, the way he draws them is more correct. But it just looks weird! I'm more of a "two straps over one shoulder" kind of guy, whenever I draw him. But that or the X looks fine. Allan's choice makes logical sense but it looks wrong. I can't help it, it drives me nuts!

[member_removed]

Tough one here.

I ended up voting for Mitchroney, pure nostalgia really. He was the guy when I was buying the book off the local news stands. Buy the Time Allan took over Turtlemania was dying off here in Australia, I was growing up and started reading the First Publishing Mirage collections.

Allen does absolute amazing work and as mentioned straddled that fine line between cartoon and serious styles.

Lawson, now I like Lawson's mirage work these days, but as a kid I didn't care for his Archie work. Even now it looks like rushed "for work" to earn a quick few bucks in between Mirage gigs.

The Mitchroney look is just an iconic part of my childhood.

[Roseangelo]

Chris Allan, for sure.

But my appreciation for Ken has grown a lot. I like that he collaborated with NECA on some of the upcoming figures. But what I really hope is that we might eventually get some collaboration with Allan on some designs from later in the series.

[Andrew NDB]

I gotta go Mitchroney. I love, LOVE Allan, but no one will be more iconic to TMNTA -- to me -- than Mitchroney. And I don't think he's even all that similar to Fred Wolf "style," honestly.

He does a lot with expressions and stuff. It's cutesy but still has a little edge and it's so darned endearing.

[Leo656]

Oh, yeah, Ken did great facial expressions.

To be honest it's a pretty close race between Allan and Mitchroney, to me. I guess what puts Allan ahead at all is the women, the style being a bit "cleaner", and the fact he was one the book longer and so his look is synonymous with it in my mind. But I mean, it's pretty even between them.

Even if I liked Lawson's style - and I don't, although I can see how it kind of fits the Mirage aesthetic - it just looks completely wrong for the type of TMNT book that the Archie comic was. Between the tone of the stories and the coloring of the book in general, his pencils just did not fit that series well. In my opinion, of course.

I mean, it kinda fit the "Terracide" story but that barely even felt like an Archie storyline to begin with. SO much stuff in TMNTA - and Sonic - back in those days only saw print because the Archie editors were asleep at the wheel not paying attention to anything at all. At least, that's the story various Sonic writers, artists, and editors have given. I have to assume it was the case with TMNTA, as well, because... how the f*ck else does "Terracide" even exist as an "Archie"-branded comic book? No WAY that thing underwent any kind of approvals process. I can only imagine the letters they got from parents who were outraged that Little Timmy got a new TMNT comic and saw the entire supporting cast blown away in a hail of gunfire.

Come to think of it... the book didn't actually last much longer after that. Any idea if that storyline - and the reaction to it - had anything to do with that? Wouldn't shock me, in hindsight. Parents were always "iffy" on the book to begin with for being more mature than the cartoons; I can see that arc starting a domino effect of parental complaints, poor sales, and eventual cancellation.

But I don't know, since I wasn't there, so I'm asking. At the time, I just thought it was bizarre that story even saw print. But now, looking back and realizing the book didn't last much longer past that, I have to wonder.

[ChosenOne]

Ah, the eternal balancing act between "No one is safe!" and "Think of the children!"... Although one has to wonder if a comic where Ninjara explicitly daydreams about getting Eiffel Towered by two Raphs is meant for kids anyway.

I went with Allan. Just legendary.

[neatoman]

Well most of the artwork in the Archie comics is... Bad. So it shouldn't be difficult to pick one. And indeed it is not because I'm just going to say Gray Morrow.

Because this actually looks good.

Spoiler:

Unlike most art on the book, which looks pretty typical for a children's comic with low effort, this looks like something Marvel or DC would have been putting out in the mid-80's, it's one of the few times I was genuinely impressed by the art of this book.

[AquaParade]

Chris Allan is one of my favorite TMNT artists, so I'd have to go with him. I really like Jim Lawson in the right context as well.

I think figures of Chris Allan's TMNT would be a lot of fun.

[frank_one]

Jim Lawson, I loved it as a kid and I still find his style fascinating, different.

Originally Posted by neatoman

Unlike most art on the book, which looks pretty typical for a children's comic with low effort, this looks like something Marvel or DC would have been putting out in the mid-80's

And that's why I don't like it. TMNT Adventures was not supposed to be a Marvel/DC comics.

[Jester]

I voted Chris Allen but it was not an easy choice. I really dig Ken Mitchroney's stuff but when I think of the most iconic stories in the Archie Comics they're mostly drawn by Allen.

I will say though where is some of the love for other Archie artists? I was looking through some issues the other day (I think it was to see if I could find a drawing of Slash by Ken) and forgot how much I love Garrett Ho's Style.

[AquaParade]

Ken Mitchroney's TMNT art does little-to-nothing for me. I respect the obvious talent on display, it's just subjective taste.

[Jester]

Going through issues and found this homage by Mitchroney.

[Andrew NDB]

Originally Posted by AquaParade

Ken Mitchroney's TMNT art does little-to-nothing for me. I respect the obvious talent on display, it's just subjective taste.

[AquaParade]

Originally Posted by Andrew NDB

https://c.tenor.com/gJOOxQYbaA0AAAAC/wrong.gif

Maybe it's just in comparison to Chris Allan. When I pick up an issue of Archie and see Ken, I'm not excited. I did think his box art for the neca 4-pack was nice looking, but mostly in a nostalgic way.

[Lord Nightwalker]

Hmmm. I don't have a favorite.
And I want to give Dooney a shout out since he did the initial miniseries. I actually read the Archie minis first issue before I watch the Saturday morning cartoon show. I remember seeing it at the grocery store, and immediately thought "hey, that's a different Ninja Turtles book!"
Had to have it.

[neatoman]

Originally Posted by frank_one

And that's why I don't like it. TMNT Adventures was not supposed to be a Marvel/DC comics.

Eh... Maybe not but to be honest, I don't exactly like it when the characters look like they did in the Fred Wolf cartoon and/or would fit into it. When it comes to the turtles themselves, it honestly bugs me whenever they are depicted primarily with pupils and friendly smiles, rather than blank eyes and gritted teeth. This applies to most characters, not just the turtles, there really is something about the art direction of the Fred Wolf cartoon and most of Archie that rubs me the wrong way.

So if looks good and avoid the design elements I hate, I really don't see much of a reason to care, even if it's off brand (and especially if I don't like what's on brand).

[Leo656]

Turtles have pupils, though.

I'll be honest, and I've mentioned it before, but I never liked the "blank eyes" thing. Makes no sense. They even look like that with their masks off! Why? Batman, kinda makes sense, he has "special lenses" in his mask, and the movies don't even bother trying to replicate it because it's more trouble than it's worth even when it has a plausible explanation. So they just "let" his eyes be visible even though technically they should be blank because that's how it looks in the comics.

But no, turtles have pupils. Even mutant ones, I assume. The blank eyes make them look... I'unno... "soulless".

[Darth Knuckles]

I had to go with Chris Allan personally. When I think of TMNT Adventures I always think of Chris Allan first and then Ken Mitchroney. I enjoy them both but for me it's Chris's art I think of first. Like I said in a previous thread, Chris's art made me take the Archie series in a more serious way than I had before. It's just the tone I prefer and think of first for this particular series.