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Predictions for 2024

by Kyle Tobey January 7, 2024

written by Kyle Tobey

The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles are turning 40 years old this year.

While certain characters and franchises can only try to replicate the success they had in previous years, the Ninja Turtles are more popular than ever! The Last Ronin is still firmly in the New York Times Best selling list, IDW has multiple ongoing TMNT series, Mutant Mayhem was surprisingly GREAT, new figures are sold out as soon as they’re released, and new video games are being released to critical and fan acclaim. TMNT is now in the same ether as Superman, Spider-Man, the Simpsons, Mickey Mouse, the Peanuts, and WWE. There is a machine behind them to keep them fresh for a new generation all while keeping older fans invested with new material.

It’s time to take a look at the upcoming year and make some predictions (and wild speculations) on what the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles have in store for their 40th anniversary.

A New TV Show

Really the only form of media entertainment not touched on in the last year was Television. We already know this is changing when new series “Tales of the TMNT” is released on Paramount+ later this year. All we know so far is that it’s animated in 2-D, it takes place immediately following the “Mutant Mayhem” film, and it will follow the turtles in to territory not yet encountered by the brothers- High School. The voice cast is returning and we don’t know who the main villains will be or how this will play out long-term for the movies.

Last Ronin Video Game Release

So far we only have an announcement and concept art. But knowing the Last Ronin Story, we’re in for one hell of a game. It’s been described by the developer as “God of War-like” and I think it’s perfect for a single player adventure. We could get flashback sequences, but we’ll likely be playing as Mikey during the majority of the campaign. This is an instant pre-order for me.

New Toy Lines

With Ninja Turtles toys being a main focus of so many companies, it’s becoming harder and harder to stand out. But Loyal Subjects has been doing interesting things based on the IDW comic artwork- a route that hasn’t been seen outside of NECA and The Last Ronin. Loyal Subjects has already released a figure based on the “Shredder in Hell” mini series, as well as designs based on Mateus Santuloluco’s artwork. It helps the line stand out from everything else being released. I think we’re going to see a focus on different artists and new characters featured in the IDW series. I think we’ll see figures based on Sophie Campbell artwork and characters like Old Hob and Aloplex finally making their figure debut.

Also on the toy front, NECA and Super7 have been shipping their Turtle Van to customers. Super7 especially has been known to release large scale vehicles to fit the figures they release. I think in 2024 we won’t see the release of a new large scale project, but I do think we’ll see a preorder become available for a Technodrome play set. The time is right, and given what the company has done with their Turtle Van, I’m really excited for the potential of what they have in store.

A New Comic writer

Sophie Campbell has had a PHENOMENAL run with the IDW comic. It was announced they’ll be leaving after issue #150 is released. We still haven’t heard who will be taking the reigns. I don’t know who out there has an exclusive contract with who, or who would even be interested in the job. But, wildly speculating, how cool would it be to have Jason Latour (Spider-Gwen and Southern Bastards) take over for a run?

Sneak Peek at Shredder in Mutant Mayhem

I’m really excited for the next iteration of the Mutant Mayhem universe. Although we’ll get an immediate continuation of the movie series with “Tales from the TMNT”, they can’t unleash all their big guns just yet. (Spoiler) We saw a brief clip of Shredder at the end of “Mutant Mayhem”, but if was only from behind, and only for a second. I think we won’t see a Mutant Mayhem sequel release until 2025, but I do think we’ll get a full reveal of Shredder in 2024. We’ll likely see a trailer for the sequel before the end of the year. I would love to see a return to acting from Jet Li for the role.

Events

This is going to be a huge year for the TMNT. There has to be some live events to celebrate, right?! Kevin Eastman has released his tour schedule for the year, but he always ends up adding days as they get closer. I have something planned what could be HUGE, and we’ll need the TMNT community to show up, but we’ll see if it pans out. I also hope Peter Laird makes a few more appearances. I’m super bias, but could he PLEASE make an appearance at NYCC this year?

A personal hope is to see a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles art show hosted by one of the larger pop culture galleries. Gallery1988 or Spoke would be a great host. Bottleneck Gallery does a ton with the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles as it is, so maybe they would be a contender. Either way, I’m hoping a large group show happens to celebrate the anniversary.

More Last Ronin

The Last Ronin gave the TMNT a return to more adult oriented content- and it worked. Nothing was done for shock, and everything had a place in the story. But it’s a brutal story about revenge, which is a huge departure from the cartoons and movies most of us are used to. There were rumblings in the past of a different iteration of the TMNT in media. If I recall, Colin and Casey Jost were attached to the project. Maybe, possibly, we could see a full fledged Last Ronin film. Last Ronin is expanding, with toy lines and sequel comics. It’s only a matter of time before we see a live action adaption of full length movie of some kind. Why not intersect it between Mutant Mayhem films? Maybe we’ll even see it as a mini-series on Paramount+.

Check out our interview with the Last Ronin crew HERE!

More vintage TMNT

We’re seeing a huge resurgence of the Turtle designs and show from the 1987 cartoon. Nickelodeon has finally acquired rights to the original series, and the Saturday Morning Adventures comic has become a big hit with young and older readers. I wonder if we could see a reboot of the original cartoon for Paramount+ featuring the original voice cast. They would need to find a suitable replacement for the incredible James Avery, but I could absolutely see them bringing back this animation style for a new series.

Playmates has also been reissuing the original toy lines in box sets and individual carded figures. I don’t expect them to stop. We’re going to see a huge run of reissued figures coming to toy stores everywhere.

Shredder’s Revenge was released with huge critical acclaim from both fans and critics. The DLC was really expensive and we got new play styles for fan favorite characters. I hope we can expect a sequel of the retro side scroller in 2024.

Those are our predictions for the upcoming year! It’s going to be huge! Stay tuned for more events and news for 2024.

Do you have any wild predictions for this year? Is there anything you want to happen? Let us know in the comments!

January 7, 2024 0 comment

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Holiday Shopping Guide 2023

by Kyle Tobey November 28, 2023

written by Kyle Tobey

The holidays are already sneaking up on us! Don’t panic!

We put together the definitive shopping list for even the biggest TMNT fan on your list! From toys, video games, and even socks, we scoured the internet for some of the coolest Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles collectibles and merch out there. For old school fans and Mutant Mayhem fans, for fans of Last Ronin and the Mirage era, we have everyone covered.

For the figure collector

Let’s kick it off with what got most of us in to the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles to begin with- TOYS!

There are a few notable adult action figure producers out there for the TMNT. A personal favorite of mine has been Super 7.

The Super 7 Ultimates line is, honestly, one of the highest quality figures I’ve ever seen produced for a price under $100. Each comes with several accessories and multiple head sculpts for out of box collectors. And for those of us monsters who decide to keep their figures in the box- the window display packaging ales it really easy to still show off your toys.

Another unique toy line Super 7 releases is their ReAction figure line. These 3.75 inch figures are reminiscent of figures we got as a kid with the plastic bubble shell and card back. These are smaller scale figures (3.75”) and look great with the card art on full display.

Super 7 just released their version of the Turtle Van and it look’s PHENOMENAL. It’s huge and highly detailed. It runs a steep price tag ($499) and pre-orders are long over. People are starting to get their preorders and there are a few more popping up in the wild. If you can manage to get your hands on one, it will be absolutely worth it.

Super 7 also puts out quality apparel and has toys, clothes, and other fun products across multiple licenses including Godzilla, Peanuts, and Disney. Check out what they have at their site HERE!

Another figure company that deserves mention is NECA toys. Their figures from the original TMNT movie are what really got me in to collecting their line. These are screen accurate figures! These are the toys I wanted when the original movie was released. Until December 15, NECA is running a preorder on 3 separate TMNT figure sets. Their 4-pack of Mirage turtles has been released in the wild for a few months, but this was really exciting for anyone who couldn’t find the pack in stores. A Rerelease of Shredder from TMNT 2: Secret of the Ooze was a nice surprise, as well as a debut of a 2-pack of Professor Perry. Please NECA, give us more minor characters from the original films.

NECA has also been releasing figures based on the Last Ronin comic, the Mirage comics, the original cartoon, and the Archie comics. Whatever line you’re interested in, NECA will have something for you.

Unless you’re interested in the IDW comics. In which case, you’ll want to check out Loyal Subjects.

Their IDW collections are super absolutely impressive, especially at the price point. I love their sets based on Mateus Santuluoco artwork. We wrote a feature on them from New York Toy Fair (which you can check out here) but what you can find now is only the start for what they have lined up.

And of course, you can’t talk about Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles toys without talking about the original producers of TMNT toys! Playmates are still releasing the must current version of figures for the Ninja Turtles, and their Mutant Mayhem figures are a ton of fun! The figures based on the newest iteration of the turtles are bright, colorful, and I just really love their vibe! There’s a wide array of figures out, as well as vehicles and play sets. With much of the main line of figures running for under $15, these are a great introduction for young fans and for older fans who know the value of hanging on to the first wave for a few years.

For anyone looking for some sculpted collectibles

First, Iron Studios has been putting out 1/10th scale statues with their original versions of the turtles and crew. I currently have the turtles, Shredder, and Casey, with April, Bebop, Rocksteady, Splinter, and Krang on preorder. These are much heavier than I thought they would be, but the details are astounding. They packed a ton in to such a small scale series. They look great as a complete set or if you just want to pick up your favorite character.

Also from Iron Studios, they released their Mini Co line of statues, featuring smaller PVC statues at an extremely affordable price. I love the SDCC version released with the eyes whited out, but based on what I saw at this year’s New York Toy Fair, we could be seeing black and white versions coming in the future.

For the ridiculously expensive statue collector

If you have someone on your list who has everything TMNT related, or you have enough disposable income to grab one of these, Sideshow has a collection of HUGE statues. Some from Last Ronin, a Shredder, and an ongoing series of each turtle. The detail in each of these is impressive and any of these would be a focal point of any collection. I’m jealous of anyone with any of these.

For someone looking for a wardrobe upgrade

If you’re shopping for someone who is looking for something a bit more practical, and maybe something wearable, there are a couple great, and tasteful, options for every Ninja Turtles fan.

RSVLTS puts out great quality shirts for any occasion. They have original as well as licensed designs from brands like Disney, Garfield, Godzilla, and , of course, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.

These shirts are great for a grown up fans looking to add some fun to their wardrobe. I grabbed a few designs myself, but my favorite is the one based on the bedsheet design. I knew I needed it. They work for an office or Comic Con, and the quality is great.

For something a bit more casual, check out Heroes and Villains TMNT collection. They have a great range of shirts and accessories with designs that are a bit more subtle than you might see elsewhere.

Look, I get it. Socks aren’t the best gift to get on any holiday. But, Stance finally released their TMNT pack of socks, and they make the best socks I’ve ever worn. They are super soft and durable. If you’re going to get someone socks for someone’s stocking, why not get comfortable ones featuring everyone’s favorite turtles ninjas?

For the comics fan

The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles originated with the comics, so why not check out what IDW has been releasing with any of their limited or ongoing series? IDW has been releasing everything comics for Ninja Turtles and other franchises like Godzilla and Sonic the Hedgehog. What’s crazy to me is that the stories they’re releasing are actually good! Nothing here belongs in the 1$ bin.

The Last Ronin collection is still on the New York Times best seller list (check out our interview with some of the creative team here and here). The collection of “The Lost Years” is also available with an exclusive cover from the IDW shop. The ongoing series is about to go through a creative change with Sophie Campbell soon leaving. But it is the longest running TMNT comic series of all time, and the stories are absolutely fantastic. The hardcover collections are a great place to start, or you can go to your local comic shop and pick up the latest issue.

Another series that’s been a fan favorite is Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Saturday Morning Adventures. It’s a really funny book filled with jokes and Easter eggs that any fan of the original cartoon would appreciate. (Check out our interview with artist Sarah Meyer here!) This is a great series for both young readers as well as older fans. Each book is it’s own story so you can pick up any issue and not get lost.

For the gamer

I really can’t stand the term “Gamer.” It feels like it was invented as a derogatory term. Everyone plays games of some kind. Whether it’s streaming on twitch or doing the crossword in the Sunday paper. That note aside, I think most people have a “gamer” in their life.

Shredder’s Revenge was released last year, and has released a DLC pack that feels worth the additional price. Tribute Games added characters Usagi Yojimbo and Karai, with a giant selection of color palettes based on just about every iteration of TMNT you could think of. But, most importantly, the game is really fun. This side scrolling Beat-Em-Up takes cues from the original arcade games while feeling fresh and new. It even introduced a few villains who haven’t been showcased in videos games before. Shredder’s Revenge is available for Xbox, Steam, PlayStation, and Switch and is absolutely worth it.

For gaming accessories, Skullcandy recently released a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles crossover. Whether you’re looking for a wireless gaming headset or in ear buds, these add a bit of TMNT flair to your headsets.

For the fan who wants something unique

Of course, you could always get something completely unique for the TMNT fan in your life! There are more than a few fantastic artists out there who you can ask for a commission from. Check out your favorite artists on most social media platforms and reach out. You might be able to have them draw you a completely original piece of art, and you’re supporting an artist in the process. There are also Etsy shops and artists shops where they already have great pieces of fan art and parody merch for sale. Some artists have Patreons you can join. I know Ben Bishop has a fan club where you can get exclusive art and merch. The point it- support the artists that make the things. Not everything needs to be mass produced, and it’s a gift the recipient will absolutely remember.

Finally, the holidays aren’t just about getting gifts. It’s also about giving back! Here’s a small list of charities the TMNT fan in your life would be proud to know they contributed to.

I hope you get everything on your list! Did we miss anything? What are you hoping you get for the holidays? Let us know1

November 28, 2023 0 comment

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NYCC ‘23 Interview with the Last Ronin Team Tom Waltz, Ben Bishop, and the Escorza Brothers: Part 2

by Kyle Tobey November 21, 2023

written by Kyle Tobey

The Last Ronin” changed the entire Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles franchise.

The book shot the Ninja Turtles back in to the spotlight, even for lapsed fans who haven’t kept up with the turtles in decades. Telling a story of revenge for the sole remaining turtle, the tale is a gritty, bloody adventure set in a bleak future with familiar faces, and tragic endings. It’s popularity is spawning collectibles, a video game, and a sequel comic series. The Last Ronin answered the call that fans have been asking for- a dark TMNT book. Similar to their early days at Mirage comics.

For Part 2 of our New York Comic Con 2023 interview, I was able to sit down with part of the Last Ronin team to talk about the new characters driving the story, how their own lives have changed, and their favorite adopted child!

Be sure to check out Part 1 HERE!

Editors note: The Escorza Brothers communicated via an on-site translator for this interview.

TMNT.com: Speaking of the original script, which was originally conceived by Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird, how much of that original script continued in to the Final Cut?

Tom Waltz: Do you know what? The concept itself is their concept. This idea that there was a last turtle seeking vengeance for his family against the Foot Clan- that’s all there. And certain things like Fugitoid. Fugitoid was something that that Peter had put into the outline that, the way it was presented in the outline we didn’t follow exactly, but we were never gonna let that go. That was always going to be in the story. That was a big part, from what Kevin (Eastman) has told me, Fugitoid is very important to Peter. We’re gonna find a way to make that work. You know it’s funny, going back to your last question, at first I felt like “How do we get this robot in there? How do we make that make sense? But once we sat down and talked about it, we do have a story for Fugitoid that’s different than the Mirage story, but still close enough to know where the inspired by that. So for long time fans, and even casual fans, it’s close enough to where they know who he is, and what he is, and why he is. You don’t have to to be detailed.

But the reality is, there is no “Last Ronin” without that original outline. At all. Because that’s the inspiration. And, whether we followed it to the “T” or we deviated, we wouldn’t have been able to deviate if there wasn’t something over there to deviate from. So that was inspiration. And like I said, we wanted to the original first volume to be that based on that.

The fact that we’ve got sequels now, and prequels, is just a result of us falling in love with this universe, and as it evolved. It doesn’t hurt that fans love it.

Ben Bishop: And having more stories to tell. You’re like “Oh, wouldn’t it be great to tell this story and that story. And even reading the reviews was like, Ronin was finished and they were out- there were a lot of people saying it needed to be longer. “I wish it was longer!” We wish it was longer too! And it’s like, they wanted to see what happened right after they took Raph out of the water. They wanna see the turtles grieving. And we’ve just got to say, “Well, hopefully we do.”

Those stories are always there. How does Casey Marie get the half mask? What’s the circumstances? I think fans want to read them as much as we want to draw them.

Isaac Escorza: Kevin helps a lot. He would lay in the full New York City skyscraper and everything, there are little details he actually put in there that we weren’t aware of. He gave us the basics to think the way the city would materialize. And now with Ronin 2, we’re getting to see a totally new view of Kevin and how he’s seeing the future of New York. His actual vision is what [we] are logging right now. It feels like the turtles, it feels like New York, but it’s him.

TW: That’s one thing I will say, you know, I worked with Kevin for many years on the ongoing [series] at IDW. I was more the main writer, then I was driving story, and Kevin was working with us to create great plots. But when Kevin took over- This is definitely Kevin’s baby. Ronin is Kevin’s baby. He’s is the Batman I am the Robin on this on, without a doubt. There’s a reason he’s a legend in this industry. It’s fascinating to watch someone with such a great instincts. He’ll come with ideas and it first I’ll be like “That seems so specific-“

BB: Donnie’s hat! He showed me what he wanted to do with Donnie and I was like “Can I make that hat look badass?” And it’s the most bad ass! He knew!

TW: Yeah! One thing I will say about Kevin is that, this is a creator in tune with his fandom. I mean, he knows what they love. He knows what they’re gonna notice. He knows what they’re gonna dig, what they won’t dig and I just follow his lead. And he’s been right. There’s been times where I thought “This is cool, I’m not sure if someone will notice it” and it ends up being like the first thing they’re writing about in an article that says “did you see this thing!” Kevin was right again! So, that’s been a lot of fun for me, after all these years in this industry, to be able to still be learning, and be excited by it. To be surprised by things has been one of the best parts of this experience for me.

Esau Escorza: As Thomas mentioned, Kevin really know the turtles.

(Tom Waltz laughs)

He see the story behind the turtles have never been greater. People think that they know the turtles, but Kevin ACTUALLY knows the turtles. They’re like an extension of his being. So particularly for me, when I started working on Ronin, There were certain things that were not part of the story yet. We were like “Why Mike? Why not Raphael? And as soon as we started moving forward on the project, we started to see exactly why Mike was the Ronin. We saw why Kevin chose Mike as the Ronin. It represented all that Kevin knows about the turtles. So, for us, to see something amazing point that Kevin has on the story. That’s part of why the Turtles are such a success and they want to keep going with the story, like Ben said. To keep growing the universe of the Ronin.

TMNT.com: You guys (the Escorza Brothers) got your start at Heavy Metal Magazine, you (Tom Waltz) have been at IDW for years, and you (Ben Bishop) were stuck in the Small Press area for years-

BB: Fake it ‘til you make it! Draw a bunch of fake covers until they give you a real one. And wait years for it to come out. And then maybe they’ll put you on the inside. It really took Kevin saying “Ben is drawing this.”

TMNT.com: So it’s an overnight success.

BB: (Laughs) Yeah! Yeah, just thinking, like, since I met Kevin, right around when I turned 30. And I’m 38 now, it’s been going like 1,000,000 miles an hour. I realize it’s been the entirety of my 30’s! My life is flashing before my eyes. But I’ve made all the stuff! And it’s going well! It’s like, “OK, well I’ll give it a couple more years before I slow down.” It’s been amazing.

TMNT.com: How else has your lives changed since, now Last Ronin has become a New York Times Best Selling book?

BB: Still! It’s been out for like three years now!

TW: We were just talking- I think this month was the first month we weren’t number, we were number two in a more than a year on some graphic novel list, or whatever. Which is pretty amazing, in general, but for $29.99 book competing against cheaper manga volumes and stuff. And that’s been exciting. We can thank the fans for that. The video game announcement didn’t hurt! For me personally, it is like Kevin said. I’m kind of like a 20 year overnight success, I guess. So, yeah, I’ve been in the trenches for many, many years. We talk about turtles- Turtles is interesting because, all the success, you see our name on lists above Batman and the other big ones, and they still consider us like that little indie book that “Oh yeah! There’s also turtles in this industry!” Do you know we’re selling more than you? But thats part of the fun.

BB: It’s the most successful indie thing. And it’s the most successful main stream thing. So, I feel like the comics community as a whole is just like “Yeah, that’s happening.” But they don’t necessarily- it’s not like it’s Spider-Man. It’s not like it’s Batman. For whatever reason we’re still just a turtle guys.

TW: But I love that! I’m not gonna lie, you know, my situation at IDW has changed. I was an editor for many years and now I’ve gone freelance. There’s been jobs that have opened up for me that I’m currently working on. Some stuff for the “Big 2” that I can’t talk about. But the reality is, as exciting as that is for me personally, it’s always fun and broaden your horizons and try some new things creatively- I’ll always be turtles first. Because I know those things aren’t happening without the turtles.

It’s like the new turtles. The new turtles don’t exist without old turtles. So, whatever Tom is doing now is happening because all those years the turtles been so good to me. I still get excited when we have meetings, creative meetings, not just about Ronin but about turtles in general. I’ve done video games. I’ve done other comics, and it’s still a property that means the world to me and it feels like this team is my family. Turtles is my family. It’ll always be turtles first. It certainly has, I think, given me attention I didn’t have before. But, you know, it’s like Ben says, when you’re in the middle of it- you’re just working. I think someday maybe when I’m an old man, and if I ever do stop, maybe I can look back on it and say “Oh, that was pretty cool!” but right I’ve got four deadlines and that’s all I’m thinking about right now.

BB: The most like visual, like oh yeah, slap in the face of how big all of this has gotten, how fortunate and grateful I am, is all the toys that I get to draw the packagings for. I’m going to play with those toys on the floor in front of the cartoons like I did when I was 10! It’s just- I’ve got drawings at Target! I’ve got drawings at Best Buy- so that part has been, very obviously, a big wow moment for me.

But, we talked about how every other comment online has been , “This book got me back into comics!” “This is the first time I’ve even read a turtle comic!”

TW: That means more to me than anything!

BB: And you’ve still got people just still discovering it! Every hardcover I’ve sold at this show, there’s still people who haven’t read it yet. “I can’t wait to read it!” and I’m like “That’s crazy. It’s been out for 3 years. It’s huge! I think that’s why it remains on the list. All these new people finding out about it and having to pick it up.

IE: For me personally, it has been a complete game changer after the turtles. Now it a constant presence. There may come a day where we actually dress up as turtles. We have a lot of Turtle games, and toys, and things like that. People close to us, our friends, call us “Turtle Guys”. Our family thinks we’re turtle guys now.

Everything around us looks like turtles. Our lives are turtles right now. We have bandanas, the weapons, we have some real props. We’re now appearing that we’re appearing at a convention, and as Ben mentioned, we see our drawings. We see our covers, and people coming to us asking for a picture or an autograph. Our lives are completely different now. It’s all thanks to Kevin and the Turtles team.

The success, I think, no one was expecting. We’re really grateful.

EE: Our life completely changed. We have a lot of work that we didn’t have before!

(Everyone laughs)

We are always working on the next turtle, the next page, my life became a complete Turtling. (The translator let me know that Esau used Turtle as a verb, so they didn’t have a translation)

We have breakfast, dinner, lunch, and everything related to turtles. We have a new fame that we weren’t expecting. We consider ourselves as hands working on the comic.

Before turtles, no one recognized us. No one knew who we were. We think we have something we don’t deserve. We’re here now, and people recognize us. Hearing people come to our table saying “You’re a great artist” or “You did a great job.” I just say “Thank you” and keep drawing because I don’t believe you. But we have to believe now. We do our best to give something back to the fans. Because of the love that they have passed on to us.

BB: One more story on that- I was on the phone the other day with AT&T support for my cell phone. I was having issues, and we were waiting for an update to go through, and the guys like “So, what are you doing this weekend?” I’m like, “Hopefully working. I think I have the studio all to myself.”

He’s like, “A studio? What are you do, music?” And I was like “No, I’m an artist. I like to just zone out on the weekends and get the pages done.” And he’s like, “Oh pages? What are you doing?”

“Comics”

“Comics?”

“Turtles.”

And said, “You didn’t do the Last Ronin, did you?” And I was like, “What?!” And I was like, “I’m one of the guys that did that!”

Then he goes “Oh my God! I was just talking to my-“ and it’s the AT&T guy about my cell phone, and then it turns out, he’s like “I was just talking about it with my friend. I haven’t got it yet but I think it’s coming out here in Mexico soon!” And I was like “Oh, well did you know the other two artists and Luis Antonio Delgado (colorist) are in the same city as you? The guy was in Mexico City. And I was just like, “What a crazy moment! That this random AT&T call, knew the book, and then I was able to tell him half the team is in his- around him! It was amazing!

TMNT.com: Did he fix the problem?

BB: Yeah. AT&T support is pretty damn good.

TW: What I love about the universe, is that it has a way of humbling you. And I think that’s important because if people ask you like to be famous, I go “I don’t know, ask Taylor, Swift.” But the thing is that-

BB: She probably thinks that way about some other people.

TW: Yeah, the thing is that there’s always an imposter syndrome. I think everybody kind of deal with it in their own way. Because we know how unglamorous it is behind the scenes. It’s a grind. You don’t get days off, doing comics. You just don’t. And you feel guilty when you do take a day off! I was in the store with my daughter, and we happen to see this display. It had one of the variant covers on sale that Kevin and I had signed somewhere along the line, I don’t remember. It was going for like $400. The store owner came over to me and he said, “Oh, yeah? You like that?” I go “Yeah.” He goes “You should read it, it’s pretty good!”

That’s the universe saying “Don’t get too big of a head, dude.”

TMNT.com: Before I let you guys go, who is your favorite of the new turtles?

BB: So hard! I can never answer this. I try to think of it like, maybe who’s my favorite to draw? And I think as a baby, Oden was definitely my favorite to draw. I think that was the first one where I was like, “That’s the cutest thing I could ever draw.” And then Yi now, I’d say, is my favorite to draw because she could be serious, and she’s got the markings, and I like her costume- it’s got all these nods that I won’t get into, but I think she’s fun to draw.

TW: Yeah, it’s tough. It’s kind of like the four originals. I get asked that a lot and I always feel like, I don’t know. The originals feel like my step children and I love them all. And then these feel like my babies now. But I don’t know if I could pick a favorite! It’s fascinating to me because this is really an opportunity for me to kind of explore even my own personal quirks through these characters. So I have a favorite at different times for different reasons. But right now, if you said today, because we had some really neat plans for Moja. Moja’s been in my mind a lot.

BB: (Under his breath) That’s ironic.

TW: That is ironic. But, you it’s funny in my house- I will say it’s Uno. Uno is the favorite. My wife loves Uno, know that’s that’s her favorite. Seeing that she has a favorite shows me the fans will have favorites. I thought for sure my wife would like Odyn. He’s like, the cute, goofy one. I go “You know, he’s kind of a bastard.”

And she was like “Nope, I still like him!” I think what that showed me was- This will be a new generation of Turtles where, we will have, and I’ve always seen this during signing, we will ask fans. And it’s almost 25 percent, 25 percent, 25 percent, down the line. There’s never a lot of Leo fans and nobody else. There’s Leo fans, and Raph fans, Donatello, Mikey. They all have their favorite, and it’s pretty much equal. And I think that’s gonna happen with these new characters as well.

IE: My favorite is Odyn. Same as Ben. Because, this turtle, everything is difficult for them. And that extra effort, has to be put down by Odyn, to be different. So you feel empathy with them. It’s big, it’s a little fatty. So, it’s harder for them than anyone else. So we notice the extra effort to keep the peace. That’s why I think Odyn- right now.But we’re still getting to know the others. Maybe that will change in the future.

EE: I may sound like a simple guy, but Uno is my favorite. There are a lot of things around, but it looks like the leader. But, mainly because of the graphic design. The actual design. The color being so- white, it’s easy to contrast everything. You want a dark background? Uno in Front! Uno will shine! If we need, Uno can change color and we can do something different! So we can contrast Uno well. The actual shell is completely different from the others. It looks like there is a wrap around it. So that’s my favorite right now. Especially, Spanish, Uno is my language- so, you know.

TW: One thing I will say that I am really enjoying, is this continuation of the April and Casey Marie story on. And there’s gonna be a lot that happens with them in this. We kind of set the table in “Lost Days” and then we’re definitely picking up from there. It’s not gonna be- this is not an easy journey, for either one of them. This is not rainbows and unicorns bringing these new turtles in existence, and in the aftermath of what happened in the Last Ronin. April in particular, April is such a mainstay, obviously, in turtle world this is really going to be a chance, I think, to really expand, not only her role, but I think I saw her overall importance to this to this brand, and this title. It’s a fun challenge. I’m really excited about that and I think fans are gonna dig it I really do. I hope so.

Once again, a huge thank you to Tom Waltz, Ben Bishop, the Escorza Brothers, and Gregg Katzman for putting this together!

Be sure to pick up The Last Ronin and Last Ronin: the Lost Years now available at comic shops and retailers everywhere!

Last Ronin 2 is set for release February 28, 2024. Add it to your pull list at your local comic shop!

November 21, 2023 0 comment

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NYCC ‘23 Interview with the Last Ronin Team Tom Waltz, Ben Bishop, and the Escorza Brothers

by Kyle Tobey November 5, 2023

written by Kyle Tobey

“The Last Ronin” changed the entire Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles franchise.

At New York Comic Con 2023, I was able to sit down with part of the Last Ronin team to talk about killing their heroes, the potential of future versions of characters, and predicting the future.

Editors note: The Escorza Brothers communicated via an on-site translator for this interview.

TeenageMutantNinjaTurtles.com: Thank you guys so much for being with me! Good morning, everybody. So, I guess my first question is- What was it like to murder the Ninja Turtles?

(All laugh)

Tom Waltz: Cathartic!

Ben Bishop: People call me the turtle killer, and I always just say I was under orders! I just do what I was told and sending them out in the most honorable way I could, and doing my best. Obviously, as a kid born in ‘86, grew up with all these guys, it was just as painful for me. Every, every scene I was drawing, I had chills, and it really was just making sure to do it right. And make sure they went out in a way fans would say like, “That makes sense for him.” That was their call, of course, but keeping it you know, respectful and honorable and emotional, and I think that’s why Kevin wanted me to do it. I make people cry in a lot of my books.

TW: That was the challenge, too, because the flip to that was the story what we wanted to tell ultimately was vengeance is futile. There’s no reason to pursue revenge because you’re really hurting yourself. And so, the death were amazing and they were honorable- but at the same time, we wanted to kind of present this idea that, “OK, now they’re dead. Now What? You know? Was it worth it worth this long family feud just to lose everybody? I mean on both sides, really! I think that was the key to us kind of “End-capping” that was the “No Peace” thing. So, the whole idea was, there was never any peace. In the end, Michelangelo, once this family feud was finished realized really, the only thing that matters is having peace. That’s what you should be seeking because- we’re all dead. We’re all gone, and for what? What we wanna do now in the new series is take that a step further. OK, was is it worth it? What comes out of that destruction now? And is it good? Or is it bad? Or is it both? And that’s the thing we’re going to be exploring.

Isaac Escorza: It has been a privilege to work on the project on the project. I think this is the best thing we, as brothers, have worked on in our professional careers. We never imagine that through the death of the turtles. So, actually following a script from Tom and Kevin, was like “Ok, we’re killing the turtles. We’re going to keep killing the turtles.” Kevin sometimes says, “Don’t think of all the designs, the layouts, everything they gave to us to look at. Everything related to the print, what we have experienced has been a complete different experience from what we have experienced before.

And now, we have Ninja Turtles in everything. We know as the story continues, now we have a new family to follow. It’s not over. The things that started two years ago are continuing now, and we have new things to tell to all the people.

Esau Escorza: Working the Turtles is something that was completely unexpected for me. I always followed the turtles. I always liked the cartoons, and the video games. In the 90’s I used to watch the movies, and stuff like. When we’re drawing human beings- actual human beings- some superheroes, we never saw each other drawing something like a mutant. And less- Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. I have drawn so few turtles, some realistic turtles, I used to draw a cartoon version just for myself. I never imagined that I would be drawing these professionally. It has been something completely surprising for me time. It has been something really nice. It has been a great experience. I learned a lot about it. It was such a short notice that when we were already starting to draw the Ninja Turtles! So we kept working the script and drawing- because we weren’t given a clean script. We were given a few pages here and there. And the story kept changing and moving. So, we were fans actually following the comic! What’s going to happen? What happened here? What happens next? When the story was over, Kevin and Tom already knew what was going to happen. They had surprises for the fans. It was a complete revelation for (us). It was an amazing experience. I was like a fan- reading then drawing. We had a complete year to read, so we had to wait the whole time for it to be complete. So that is something unique for us.

TMNT.com: At the end of the Last Ronin series, we got a glimpse of the next batch of turtles that are now coming out. When you had that teaser- was there already a plan in place? Did you have any personalities ready to go?

TW: No, honestly. This is how that came about. So, as we were coming to the end- it was a long process, as mentioned, there were delays- and then we wanted to make sure we had this kind of epilogue. The epilogue obviously dealt with Casey training, kind of that idea was more of Casey Marie was the one carrying the traditions and the torch. Kevin (Eastman) said, “Oh you know what? Let’s blow everybody’s mind and have a terrarium with 4 turtles in it. I said “OK.” (Tom shrugs this off)

We weren’t even sure! We had talked about sequels, and we had ideas for sequels- again, a lot of the stuff is kind of centered on Casey and her story. So he (Kevin) says “Let’s just throw those four turtles in there and see what happens!

But, again, it’s the kind of thing where ideas beget ideas, right? And sometimes, teasers beget ideas. And once we did that, and Last Ronin has been amazing to us, and we start to feel like this is its own universe. This Ronin-verse can be something bigger than than what we actually initially had planned. Then we started talking about “What we can they be? Who are they? What are they? Then we got really hyper into the weeds looking at different different species of turtles, all kinds of things. But the original idea was more of this kind of cool Easter egg that maybe fans go “OH!” and it maybe filled in with their own headspace and their own fan fiction in their mind. This is what would happen if they were four more turtles! But the idea grew on us too, and then the rest is history.

TMNT.com: Are there any versions of current villains that might make an appearance?

BB: We maybe can’t say.

TW: Nothing is off the board! One of the things that we want to do with Ronan that we’ve always done with turtles at IDW is- Nothing will happen in serves the story. For long time I wrote the ongoing series and we would never bring in characters, like big villains and guys like Leatherhead, until later in the series when it made sense. I mean, when we created Jennika, Kevin and I wanted to make a female turtle from the very beginning. She didn’t become a female turtle until issue 9! And we didn’t even know who she was going to be until [issues] 50’s 60’s when we realized “Oh! Jennika’s our turtle! How do we make that happen? And it took us 30 issues to make it happen. Same approach for Ronan. We’re not gonna force feed anything. We do you want there to be, the same, this new world and new characters. At the same time, we never forget about the four original turtles. We don’t forget about the history that has inspired these new turtles. So, I’m hoping that we do have some cool flashback stuff to take a look back and maybe some of those those classic villains or characters will appear.

TMNT.com: Were there any ideas that- I know it’s a very collaborative process- but were there any ideas that maybe Kevin through out that was a little bit too far gone?

BB: Things that didn’t make the cut?

TW: There were things we talked about that didn’t happen.We thought we were gonna go left and we went right with certain storylines and certain characters, but to be honest, it’s been a pretty grounded experience because it’s such a serious story. If anything, I think it’s the opposite was true. When Kevin showed me the original outline, and it was written ‘87 and it was like 30 years in the future? The future wasn’t futuristic enough! In 1987 it was! Peter Laird (co-creator of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles) is Nostradamus, is what I call him because he just predicted things that happen!

BB: Flip phones that run on batteries- It says in the script “It would be able to last a whole day! And you would watch your sports on it!

TW: It looked like a modern flip phone! It blew my mind! There are diagrams and-

BB: It was right under a drawing of Fugitoid’s head and I was like “Is Fugitoid coming? Is this real?

TW: So what I said to Kevin was, “We’re going to have to make it a little more futuristic because everything exists that’s in this story! We had to go in the opposite direction and get a little more crazy! As far as like the other characters themselves and the concept, we’re trying to stay in an area that’s grounded. We don’t want to get away from graphic storytelling or the excitement of comics and in action adventure. But, at the same time, it’s a very serious story of a family that’s gone and the family that’s come, you know? And what problems do they deal with the other ones didn’t, but what are some of the same issues? It’s never been a thing where I felt like like “Nope! You can’t have robots from Mars on this thing!” Does that mean we can’t later on? Maybe we will. Only if it makes sense to the story.

The truth is that I will always felt like all of us have had this kind of weird synchronicity- all the way through our colorist, Luis Antonio Delgado, where we we know the mood we’re trying to set, we know the story we’re trying to tell, and we’ve all come together, both story-wise and design-wise to make that happen.

TMNT.com: Speaking of the original script, which was originally conceived by Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird, how much of that original script continued in to the Final Cut?

Stay tuned for part 2 of our interview with this part of the Last Ronin Team where we tackle the original script and how their own lives have changed!

Huge thank you to Gregg Katzman and IDW comics for the opportunity to talk to the team, and thank you to Tom Waltz, Ben Bishop and the Escorza brothers for their time!

Be sure to pick up “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Last Ronin” collection in bookstores everywhere now!

“The Last Ronin: The Lost Years” collection is also available now, and “The Last Ronin 2” issue #1 will release in comic shops everywhere December 13, 2023.

November 5, 2023 0 comment

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New York Toy Fair 2023 Spotlight: The Loyal Subjects

by Kyle Tobey October 9, 2023

written by Kyle Tobey

New York Toy Fair is where exhibitors showcase their upcoming products, existing toys, and maybe a glimpse at what’s to come. It’s where industry professionals and influencers meet to see what’s coming up and what trends will be for the coming year.

The Loyal Subjects is starting to carve their own niche in the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle Toy world, and they brought a ton of previews to Toy Fair. The Loyal Subjects have exclusively been bringing the world of the IDW series and Mateus Santolouco’s artwork to life inside a window display box. I was able to get a small preview of what they have coming up in their Ninja Turtles line, and they are going to make fans of the IDW series very happy.

The turtle brothers themselves have been released in a few color ways already. My personal favorite is the Black and grey Comic Con exclusive. Each turtle comes featuring the fantastic artwork of Mateus on the box and, for those brave enough to take your figures out of the box, a limited trading card! These work really well in bringing the comic book artwork to life. Each figure here, and with all of Loyal Subjects lines, are highly pose-able. Even with tiny feet (comic accurate, baby) they can be posed to not fall, even without a stand. Or- you could get a Raphael figure with motorcycle. I need this figure. Turtles have a long history with vehicles, but it’s rare they look this grounded in reality.

I think the best in show for the Loyal Subjects was their upcoming Shredder in Hell figure.

The figure has a slight orange tint that doesn’t look unnatural, but gives it a tone that feels different than the others. The Shredder in Hell Issue #1 cover is the box art and, it’s such a fantastic cover, why change it?

Continuing the comic lines are more combo figure and comic packs. Super Shredder and Super Size Krang Both look accurate to their cartoon and big screen counterpart. I love the bright purple on Super Shredder. Each figure also comes with an included comic from IDW.

Figures we’ve already seen was on display as well! We got a good look at Raphael with his motorcycle at SDCC, and I’m VERY jealous of everyone who got the gold variant for the Motorcycle. What I love on each of these is that Mateus made exclusive artwork for the box on each.

I’m so so excited to see what Loyal Subjects does with their IDW line.

What they brought to Toy Fair really stood out among the vendors for adult collectors. They are the only one doing figures for the continuing IDW series and I’m sure they have new characters, artists, and figures on the horizon. Or- at least I hope they do! I would love to see what they do with Sophie Campbell or Ben Bishop contributing artwork. And think of the characters they could release!

On the animated series side of the table, we got another look a few figures already in stores. Bebop and Rocksteady both come with a swappable permutation head as well! Loyal Subjects could have easily made this a separate figure, but I appreciate that they didn’t release the same figure with 1 minor difference. The turtles in disguise are a fun version of the 4 brothers not seen very often. With each of these, theres a chance of a rarer variant. Each variant also comes with exclusive accessories. The prototype variant is limited to only 100! If you are lucky enough to find one, please let us know! I still haven’t seen one yet.

Tokka and Razar are getting figures for their animated forms. Slash is getting his animated version. Classic versions of Casey and April are hitting stores. I think this animated line will have enough variety to keep collectors interested and returning.

Look, I’ve been wanting an IDW line of figures for a long time. I think the designs that Mateus created are going to be timeless version of the turtles and the figures really do his artwork justice. I’m absolutely thrilled to see Shredder in Hell getting a figure. It was an absolute standout for me. I’m excited to see this show up and give the book it’s due. It’s an exciting time to be a TMNT collector! I’m excited to get my hands on more figures from the Loyal Subjects, and can’t wait to see what’s next.

What do you think? Will you be picking up any of their figures? Check out what’s available and preorder here! Let us know in the comments! And check out another article here!