So since our illustrious boss asked Peter a question, I figured I would too. (tOkKa, that’s your cue to re-post you’re questions and response too…;)) So here it is:
Peter,
It’s never too late. You could try something new artistically. It’s not like you don’t have the talent. Why should Mirage only have one major property. Create something great that has nothing to do with the Turtles. Just make sure it’s not like Howard the Duck. (If that came out unclear, here’s the reasoning: Lucas produced the film Howard the Duck…and Stephan referenced Lucas earlier…you know what…you’re adults you can read.)
My question is if you had it all to do over again, is there anything you would have changed? Would you have kept the Turtle toon grittier earlier? Would you have ever given the “green light” to Coming out of their Shells, Turtle Tunes/We Wish You A Turtles Christmas, and NT:TNM? Would you have pushed for movies more inline with Barron’s 1990 film?
If you’ve answered these before then…PASS!! 😀
And as quick as I posted it (I seriously only posted this this morning,) Mr. Laird responded:
My question is if you had it all to do over again, is there anything you would have changed?
Absolutely.
“Would you have kept the Turtle toon grittier earlier?”
I think so.
“Would you have ever given the “green light” to Coming out of their Shells,”
Yes — I actually liked that music!
” Turtle Tunes/We Wish You A Turtles Christmas,”
Maybe not… to be honest, I don’t remember what those were like!
” and NT:TNM?”
No.
” Would you have pushed for movies more inline with Barron’s 1990 film?”
Yes.
As the old saying goes, “Hindsight is 20/20.” What is important to keep in mind is that when the crazy licensing boom began, Kevin and I had ZERO experience in any of this stuff. We were artists, not businesspeople. The business stuff we learned (or tried to learn) as we went. If we HAD been more savvy about it, perhaps the deals we made could have been structured better, allowing us to retain the character of the comics in the licensed material.
However…
… it could be argued that doing so might not have resulted in the huge success that the TMNT had starting in 1987 in the world of animation, toys and related merchandising. Maybe a grittier TMNT which hewed more closely to its comic book roots wouldn’t have touched the nerve that the goofier, more kid-friendly version did. Who knows? It’s one of those imponderables.
Another VERY important point to consider is that back in 1986, when we made the deal with Playmates, they might very well have balked if we had demanded that they do it exactly the way we wanted it done. After all, they were the ones sinking millions of dollars into this effort, and the were the ones with the knowledge of the toy business. And the proof, as they say, is in the pudding. That iteration of the TMNT was a gigantic success.
Would it have been as successful if it had been done “our way”? That’s something we will never know. — PL
And to be honest, I agree with the man. I mean, it would have been a cool “what if?” is Peter and Kevin could have kept the Turtles all hard-core and Mirage style, but I for one know I came to the Ninja Turtles through the “goofy kids stuff.” If it weren’t for the original animated series, the Playmates toys, and the Archie comics, I think I wouldn’t be a fan today. So thank you Pete, for creating a franchise that could appeal to the many stages of my development. You the man!
I am neither illustrious, nor your boss 😛
Should I have said “illustrated”?
See it’s a tattoo joke….oh never mind.