The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles first stepped out of the shadows in Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird's Mirage Studios comic series back in 1984, but it was the 1987 animated series that put the four mutant brothers in the spotlight. The cartoon turned the Ninja Turtles into a phenomenon, and turtlemania took over the planet as kids everywhere couldn't get enough of the Heroes in a Half Shell. Now, IDW Publishing is bringing the Ninja Turtles back to a world inspired by the '80s cartoon in a limited series appropriately titled Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Saturday Morning Adventures.
Written by Erik Burnham with art by Tim Lattie, the upcoming four-issue limited series will feature episodic storytelling that aims to present new adventures featuring the four mutant brothers and other familiar faces from the hit show. In an exclusive interview with CBR, Burnham talked about fan expectations and the tone of the upcoming comic. He also teased some plot details and character appearances.
CBR: Returning to the world of the beloved 1987 cartoon -- or at least a world inspired by it -- means expectations from fans will be high. They'll want to feel like they're experiencing the show they know and love all over again. How did you approach trying to capture that magic feeling of nostalgia and fan service in the pages of this comic?
ERIK BURNHAM: It's difficult. I've already seen a bunch of reactions, and no two of the vocal fans seem to want the same thing. Some want to see stories set exclusively to the tone of the animation that plays under the theme song. Some want the Batman: The Animated Series-inspired "Red Sky" tone of later episodes. But the bulk of the show at its peak was absurd comedy and high adventure. So artist Tim Lattie and I are looking to keep those elements as the north star and do the best we can.
The 1987 cartoon kicked off turtlemania by introducing Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird's creations to a whole new audience. While the '87 show was clearly aimed at younger audiences, how do you respect the tone of the animated world while crafting a story that readers of any age can enjoy?
Some episodes aimed a little harder than others! But that's the trick. The only thing I can do is present the character voices as accurately as I can, keep their reactions honest through whatever nonsense they're put through, and not intentionally write down. It's going to be weird, but hopefully, that's a selling point for folks who enjoyed the show and want to experience that world again.
Capturing the voice and the tone of the cartoon is essential, but comics are a visual medium, and a great script will fall flat without the right artist. Talk about Tim Lattie's art and why it was the right fit to welcome fans back to the familiar setting of the '87 cartoon.
Tim is an expressive artist and brings great acting to the characters -- a must when comedy is involved. He's a huge Turtles fan and has had more ideas than he could fit into any given panel! Though he has his artistic flourishes, the TMNT, Shredder, and his crew [are] all on-model and recognizable at a glance as the cartoon version of the characters. You'd think, "Isn't that a low bar to set?" No. It's a skill to get things so right while working within the confines of what a comic needs. Tim's killing it.
Tim's promo piece features a lot of familiar foes. Will we be seeing each of them in the four-issue limited series? Can you tease any other cameos that fans may be excited to see?
There will absolutely be more villains! The first issue is set inside a video game Donatello programmed to have versions of their bad guys, and a note I got on the script was, "Add more villains. More!" Tim is going to have carpal tunnel when he gets through with that scene because I think I asked for everybody. Does that technically count as an appearance? He still has to draw them! As for more cameos, we'll see what the future holds. I still have some issues left to write!
Erik, you know I absolutely loved your work on The Secret History of the Foot Clan. In my opinion, it's one of the best modern TMNT comics. Talk about how it felt returning to the Heroes in a Half Shell. Why are they so fun to write and what do you hope fans take away from this experience?
First, thank you. I wish I could take more credit, but Secret History of the Foot Clan was artist Mateus Santolouco's baby. I just got to take that baby away for a while, buy it some weird clothes, and teach it new words. I know I added some value, but he got things started. It's always good to come back to the TMNT. They fit into a wide range of stories, from the kinetic recent Rise of the TMNT cartoon to the darker stories of the original run and back. They can play in every genre, and it's their personalities that make that work. One who just wants to be friendly and keep things easy. One who wants to fight. Another that is curious about everything, and finally, a problem solver. Those four types will get you into and out of trouble anywhere, and that makes storytelling easy. As far as what I hope fans take away -- honestly, as with most of my work, I just hope they're entertained.
The standalone story approach makes sense for this comic. What were some of the advantages and challenges with episodic storytelling, especially for a franchise that already has so much history? And with only four issues, how difficult was it to determine the right direction for each issue?
Boy, I tell ya -- all of the scripts I've done so far had me wondering if I made the right call because every concept we have could be expanded out to two or three issues, easily. Twenty pages with so many characters does leave a lot less room for fooling around. But I suppose, better to leave folks wanting more? By the same token, the advantage is you're in and out and on to something new in a couple dozen pages or less. As far as choosing a direction, when I first pitched, I pitched done-in-ones with a throughline that connected them. Later, I just submitted a couple dozen ideas and let the powers that be choose which ones they liked, and the order they'd go in! Weirdly, that means that some of the issues run in an out-of-show-continuity order, but I figure that makes it more like watching in syndication.
With four turtles and four issues, is it safe to assume each issue will allow a different Ninja Turtle to have some time in the spotlight?
It probably would have been smart to do it that way! And if we get to do more, that's on the agenda. But for these, we just kept them as a unit, front and center.
Will Splinter, Casey, and April also be in the series?
Of course! It wouldn't be right to do the book without them! Will Casey's weird Faux-Eastwood inflection come through in the text? We'll have to wait and see!
Who do I need to annoy at IDW to get more than four issues of this? But seriously, if fans are already wanting to see more of this, what can they do to let IDW know the demand is there?
Buy the book! Spread the word! Write letters to IDW! It all matters, especially the sales. All of us are ready to continue if the demand is there -- though maybe I'll make things easier on myself and throw in some two-parters if we do!
Is there anything else you'd like to say to Ninja Turtles fans about this upcoming series?
I want to thank everybody for the interest and support. We're all having the time of our lives playing in this corner of the sandbox, and we hope you have as much fun as we are with the books we're putting together.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Saturday Morning Adventures #1 goes on sale Sept. 28 and is available for preorder at your local comic shop.