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Description
A lot of ninja turtle fans probably started back during the "cowabunga" days of the cartoon. I was lucky enough to become a fan during the original black & white comic run in the '80s. I remember at the time, basically for me I was get the Joe & Transformers comics...an occasional Spidey or Hulk comic. But then came across that weird looking black & white turtle book. Back then, they were reprinting the first few issues like crazy, since they were selling out and hard to come by. I think I probably started around issue 9 and then grabbed as many reprints to get caught up. And instantly I was hooked. Gritty art, cool villains...it made waiting for the next issue tough, as I'd get them at a magazine shop the few times I'd go downtown to eat. Ah memories!

Anyways here's a bunch of characters that just sorta sprung to pen today. Wanted to do a more realistic turtle (and it ended up unintentionally looking like a stand-in for Kung Fu Panda). Got a Foot Soldier in there, Shredder (that "Return To NY" storyline still to me is the peak that the comic got to), Casey Jones, and a Triceraton Commando. I even liked the two different headbands they'd use...that full skulled one they work when they were briefly seen as "pre-teenage", and then the normal short mask they wore the rest of the time.

I feel very lucky to have gotten the chance to do some work for Mirage Studios. That frontispiece was a lot of fun. But at that time, my style was still a bit stiff. Wish I'd get another shot cuz I'd love to do something a bit more animated.

- D

Description
A lot of ninja turtle fans probably started back during the "cowabunga" days of the cartoon. I was lucky enough to become a fan during the original black & white comic run in the '80s. I remember at the time, basically for me I was get the Joe & Transformers comics...an occasional Spidey or Hulk comic. But then came across that weird looking black & white turtle book. Back then, they were reprinting the first few issues like crazy, since they were selling out and hard to come by. I think I probably started around issue 9 and then grabbed as many reprints to get caught up. And instantly I was hooked. Gritty art, cool villains...it made waiting for the next issue tough, as I'd get them at a magazine shop the few times I'd go downtown to eat. Ah memories!

Anyways here's a bunch of characters that just sorta sprung to pen today. Wanted to do a more realistic turtle (and it ended up unintentionally looking like a stand-in for Kung Fu Panda). Got a Foot Soldier in there, Shredder (that "Return To NY" storyline still to me is the peak that the comic got to), Casey Jones, and a Triceraton Commando. I even liked the two different headbands they'd use...that full skulled one they work when they were briefly seen as "pre-teenage", and then the normal short mask they wore the rest of the time.

I feel very lucky to have gotten the chance to do some work for Mirage Studios. That frontispiece was a lot of fun. But at that time, my style was still a bit stiff. Wish I'd get another shot cuz I'd love to do something a bit more animated.

- D