Kirby, The Fifth Turtle

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Back when I posted about The Other Fourth Movie, someone requested to see the Kirby concept sketches from Kevin's Artobiography. Well, I just stumbled upon a snapshot of the sketches I took awhile ago, so here you are!

TMNT Flashback: Coloring Contest

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I found this piece in a promotional packet for the first TMNT movie. I find it particularly amusing because the transition from real picture to black and white line drawing wasn't completely successful. Mike and Raph don't look too horrible, Splinter just kinda looks sad, but both Don and Leo seem to have growths on their shoulders.

If anyone wants to take a crack at actually coloring it, feel free to email your effort to me.

The Other Fourth Movie

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When TMNT hit movie screens last year, it was the green guys' fourth big-screen adventure, with a 14 year gap since the last one. You may or may not be aware that a fourth adventure almost came much sooner, in the form of a live action movie.

Obviously that movie never happened, but it seems like production got further along that I ever expected it did. I recently purchased a 1996 Playmates toy catalog where to my surprise I found this page teasing this movie and the toys that Playmates intended to tie into it.

Details of this proposed movie aren't well documented, but it is known that it was to involve a 5th Turtle, who would have been named Kirby (after Jack Kirby) - Concept sketches of Kirby can be seen in the front and back cover of Kevin Eastman's Artobiography book. This page uses Michael Dooney art created for the TMNT magazine (Fall '92 issue) with a Turtle-in-shadow also featured (I believe the shadow was created using a piece of Leonardo art, also by Michael Dooney, that was used as a pinup poster in the TMNT magazine). The Turtle-in-shadow would presumably be Kirby.

The only plot hints given on this page, which don't include any talk of a 5th Turtle, are in the description of "a weird world of parallel dimensions and gothic proportions." Winter '96 is the given release date.

TMNT 3 Press Photo: Paige Turco with Elias Koteas

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I recently purchased a TMNT 3 press kit off eBay that included seven color slides. I received the kit today and was amazed at this particular slide, as I can't say I've ever see this photo before. And because it's such an adorable picture, I had to scan it and share it right away!!

Restored TMNT 1 Leonardo Movie Costume

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This is REALLY neat! Over at the Technodrom forums, Bmaga123 posted a link to a movie prop restoration service where on a page featuring examples of their work is an original Leonardo costume from the very first TMNT film! If you hit the link, you can see the amazing before and after. Consider me extremely impressed, both by the restoration work and by the simple existence of the costume in the first place!!

TMNT Flashback: The Good Ol' Days

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On the heel of today's big announcement, how about a moment of reflection on the days that were. Above is a press photo from the first Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movie with Peter Laird and Kevin Eastman on the set with Leonardo. Back when two men were able to work and collaborate together to create characters and stories that inspired and brought joy to millions of people around the world.

I can accept that business partnerships come and go, just as friendships do. But today's press release seems to be dripping with insincerity as far as Kevin and Peter's appreciation for each other goes. Kevin's sale of the TMNT to Peter shouldn't exclude him from being a creative mind that can occasionally be tapped for the purpose of good storytelling, but because the two of them are apparently unable to speak directly to each other, that's exactly what it does mean.

I can only hope that they'll be able to put aside they're differences just enough so that whatever participation Kevin has in next year's 25th anniversary events, there can be some sincerity showcased between these two creators. As it stands now, it seems they go as far as avoiding each other when they're at the same convention.

If the TMNT are ever going to get the respect they deserve from the world at large, there needs to be some reconciliation. There is no shame or lost pride in reconciliation; it's a standard show of being an adult.

TMNT Flashback: Ninja Rap is Born

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Here's a look at the photo that was used in TMNT II: The Secret of the Ooze for the newspaper at the end of the movie that declares: Ninja Rap Is Born!

Actually, if you compare it to a screen shot from the movie, this photo is slightly different, so it was most likely taken right before or after the photo that was actually used.