We chat with the radical minds behind TMNT and explore how reinvention allows this franchise to thrive.
This week's episode has all the TMNT toppings. Kevin Eastman, Jeff Rowe, Tom Waltz, Gavin Smith, Vincenzo Federici, Sarah Myer, Ben Bishop, Esau Escorza, and Isaac Escorza. If you're a shellhead, you're already flipping out. If you're not, you soon will be.
There is no better time to be a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles fan. No matter your favorite iteration, there is a comic, cartoon, or movie for you. Brought forth from the sewers nearly forty years ago by Peter Laird and Kevin Eastman, the Ninja Turtles have since been filtered through numerous creative minds. From the moment the first toy was conceived, reinvention became critical to their success, and with each new interpretation, something radical was injected into their DNA.
Currently, we have a new movie (TMNT: Mutant Mayhem) streaming on Paramount+, the monthly ongoing IDW series, the Saturday Morning Adventures spin-off, and several gnarly crossovers, including encounters with Stranger Things and Street Fighter. In February, The Last Ronin II: Re-Evolution will hit comic book shops, satisfying a ravenous craving we've been holding onto since the first bestselling series dropped.
We transformed New York Comic-Con into a TMNT expedition. First, we spoke with Kevin Eastman one-on-one, navigating his experience with outside creative influence and exploring exactly how he felt about the changes and additions made to the lore in TMNT: Mutant Mayhem. Second, we moderated the big Saturday panel, "TMNT: The Next Mutation of Turtle Power from IDW Publishing," which featured all the totally tubular people listed in the first paragraph above.
Today's episode gets into everything that's cooking over at IDW, from exclusive details about The Last Ronin II to Sophie Campbell's historic climax on the main IDW line to director Jeff Rowe's dreams for a Mutant Mayhem sequel. We've discussed the Ninja Turtles several times before (see the links below), and it's all been building toward this episode.
As always, Omnibus, the Digital Comic Store and Reader, sponsors our Referrals segment. This week, we selected two comic book titles on the app that satisfy this episode's themes. We won't spoil what they are here, but if you click the links below, you'll be immediately escorted to the books.
Kevin Eastman, Jeff Rowe, and the TMNT Crew's Socials
Keep up to date on all things Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles by visiting the IDW Publishing page. And track all the creators through the various social media channels:
Other Relevant TMNT Links:
FINAL ROUND OF PLUGS (PHEW):
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