Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Evolution, Mutation & Reboot

Isaac's Latest Video
7 months ago – Sat, Nov 01, 2025 at 09:22:57 AM

Hey all, you can see Isaac's video below, which I mercilessly nagged him to make and therefore, you should imagine when you're watching this that he's actually talking to me and trying to explain to me where he's at and what he's doing currently because I know about 1/10th of 0% of what he knows about toys and figs and manufacturing and the inputs therein.

The latest from the toy factory is coming up
7 months ago – Fri, Oct 24, 2025 at 04:51:02 PM

Randall here with a quick update prior to a real update, which will be next week. I've just nagged Isaac about a giving us a video update to catch us all up on the layers of production  issues that have been slowing us down. That should be mid next week.

I'm not going to even try to predict where we'll be with all the shipping and border-crossing issues that have affected almost everything we've been doing (and trying to do). I know you all see the news, so you know it's hard to forecast exactly how things will end up. One unforeseen benefit of the slowdowns we've had has been that we all have some time to hopefully see at least some of the issues resolved before it's time for deliveries. 

The Book: I've had  new reader reactions to the text and there is a suggested round of deeper cuts to tighten the focus even more. I will note that one particular reader is not a hardcore TMNT fan, so I will have to consider his notes carefully. In short, he thinks I should really focus on the Q&As and strip out more of the context material I wrote to bridge the interviews. I wanted to set the table and build flavour, so I don't know if he's right or not, but I guess I could ask you: Do you think it's more appealing to read the collected Q&As with the people we've had in the doc without me adding much in the way of my own perspective or colour? His main note is that you folks would probably prefer to get your gifts (the interviews) without the gaudy wrapping (my words). What say you?

On the editing front, Isaac has been through a forced and panicky rebuilding of the project after a computer crash that erased a big chunk of his most recent work and, tempting as it is to yell and want to throw rocks at Apple for planting a crappy logic board in his rig, and rather than freak out at him for disabling Autosave (which, to be fair, slows him down like crazy when he's in a flow because of how long each save takes, what with the different kinds and qualities of footage in the timelines) I think it maybe turned out to be useful. Having a tech issue like that after working out a new flow for a bunch of material he's super familiar with allowed him to gain some new perspective and, once he had his rig back up and working, he had some new ideas, new solutions to old problems and some fresh ways to reframe some sequences that felt a little long in the tooth. Nice!

I'm not whining here (well, I hope you don't see it as whining), but there's a thing that can happen with any project  you've been on for a long time, wherein you start to see the movie you know rather than the one you've got laid out in your Premiere timeline. It happens to all of us in different ways. Like, if you have kids, you maybe almost have them in your mind at a certain age, regardless of how old they really are, and it can almost be a shock to realize how much they've changed without you really seeing it. So much of what we do in our lives gets done on autopilot and it's only when you're forced to step back and see those familiar things from a distance that you realize what's really there. Okay, I didn't know I was going to say this, but now that I'm writing it, I realize my oldest child is about to turn 30 and how did that even happen? Wait. Am I really that  old? 

In ending, let me say that I'm sure  I'm not the only one gnashing teeth about how long all this is taking, but we're a small team doing the best we can and this project is personal for us and we don't want it to be great, we need it to be great. We've come to be friends with both Peter and Kevin over the years and when we release any material about them, it's important to us that they like it. We also want their families, the creators they've worked with over the years and the people who look up to them to like it as well. It's a lot of pressure, but it's good pressure and it inspires us to push through. And we will! Thanks to you people, for which we are grateful.  See you soon with a progress video... 

Varner MiniDoc Update
9 months ago – Tue, Sep 09, 2025 at 05:02:15 PM

Hey all, Isaac indeed returned from his LA production swing with some interesting new material and there were some even more surprising results of Isaac being there. Steve is selling some treasures!

I'm going to pressure to get his head out of the toy factory for a while to write something up about his latest time with Steve (and with somebody else) and share some pics shortly, but for now, you can see at least some of what Isaac was up to by checking out this video from Pixel Dan, a true friend, supporter and Turtle fan, who was excited to see what Isaac discovered. 

Note that some of what you see in this quick piece below is material that will be part of that Varner minidoc and it is a unique look at some very cool TMNT history - and more...

A Reminder for Address Changers!
10 months ago – Thu, Jul 31, 2025 at 10:02:42 AM

Hello!

For those who want/need to change their addresses, please take a read below: 

First thing is that there is lots of time. We're still working on things and you can change info easily before we lock any addresses. Once we lock, then we have to make all changes. 

So, for backers who need to change info, do this:

Go to our project page. (It is HERE)

Click on your pledge information.

Select “Survey” and then “Edit Address” (which you should be able to do for a while yet)

We are also using Backerkit, so that can also be done there by going to our Backerkit page HERE

Login using the email you use on Kickstarter. 

Click on your survey.

Find the section labeled "Shipping Info" or "Address"

Click "Edit" or "Update Address" to make any necessary changes.

Click "Save".

(if you lost your link, you can probably retrieve it HERE)

This has been a handy PSA!

A Summer Update!
10 months ago – Tue, Jul 29, 2025 at 06:47:40 AM

Hey all, we're still here! We're still working. We're making progress. It is challenging, but we are winning and getting closer every day. Are we super close? Well, we have a lot more to do, but we're still doing it every day. 

First up: Production on the Movies

As you know, we have gone through ridiculous changes in the business, so we have been struggling to get the final chunk of production lined up and I am here to tell you that Isaac is finally set to go to LA in a few weeks to work with Steve Varner on that final set of production pieces! I'm not going to list all the things that have happened in our collective lives (meaning you, us, the world), but let me tell you, everyone involved (including Steve) has had way too many big life changes and we're hoping for a much more normal 2025 ahead. Please? 

To that end, the movie work should be back on track after Isaac shoots out this final round of production and we can begin incorporating this material into the existing cuts. For those who are concerned about the movie, fear not. Producing movies is exactly what we are best positioned to do. This only challenge here is managing the amount of footage and putting it together in the most effective, efficient way to get in front of you. I guess there is one pinch point here, and it's the most obvious one. Even though we have other editors in our circle (including a new one who is my only begotten son), Isaac is the only person conversant enough with the footage to hold it all in his head, find the right moments and lay them into the different cuts. He is truly the Keeper of the Archives and he is being pulled in every direction, as you will soon see. Literally, because I have nagged him to put together a short video showing you the insanity of his work in the factory he's building to make the best possible toys.

However, once he comes back from this final LA swing, I'll nag him again to put together some video of what he did out there and I'll get that up here for you.

By now, you've probably seen the ad he made as well (HERE IT IS) but did you also know that one of the other things at which we've been working? 

THIS and THIS?

Yes, we're helping make Fathom's 35th Anniversary screening of the beloved 1990 TMNT movie even more exciting with some unseen footage from our archives and a few tidbits from Isaac's re-watch with Steve Barron. Check your local listings for a chance to see the movie again AND to see a little bit of what you'll be getting more of once we've finally finished this massive undertaking. 

Second: Toy Talk

I know we've said it before, but this is the single biggest and most demanding part of the Kickstarter. That is because Isaac is a Toy Guy and so many of the TMNT fans are also Toy People with high expectations and Isaac needs our toy rewards to be the best that they can be. The amount of R&D and design and care and worry and (I'm being honest here) time and money that he's pouring into these toy rewards has far surpassed our expectations. And his. Because he is, like so many of you, a Turtle Fan as well as a Toy Guy, he has been exacting in his requirements. The details are everything here and he is trying to do everything in a way that ticks all the boxes and gets people excited. Having said that, it is agonizing. You can learn a little more about all the wild collector's mania involved in the process of what he's trying to make for you.

 HERE it is! 

Note that this video was put together by Isaac, at the factory, very quickly as he works and howls and battles the machines and clenches his fists at the sky.

And finally, my Book Update.

In this part of the update, we again realize that books are long. Maybe too long. 

As of April, I had cut the way-too-many words-for-one-book down to a more manageable count, but as we started to lay it out for production quotes, we realized that we would be pinching the photos which are so much a part of this story. We have a lot of photos and I had a lot of words. That meant I had to do another round of editing and friends. Friends, this is a huge book, it is intense.

 This time, I did some restructuring, which has helped. I'm currently finished Chapter 9 (an excerpt of which I will include below) and then I have only four more chapters to be done (again, again). In the spirit of transparency, I'll share that my Nickelodeon chapter is still too long and so I have to make some deeper cuts there. These will be cuts for redundancy, which means that I will be further trimming the interviews we did with artists working on the 2012 series, since I am loathe to trim any more of the conversations we had with Ciro, in particular. 

As a further comment, my daughter is a fantasy novelist (M.K. Lobb if you're in a bookstore) and I've watched her wrestle with editing and page count over the last few years, but I have never seen a look of horror on her face comparable to the look on her face after I told her the first word count of this book. It's a monster, but I'll tame it to the right length for the photo inclusion, which I hope goes much more smoothly and with less sitting at a computer banging my head on the keyboard. For those completists among you worried about me cutting truly good stuff, fear not. I'm ONLY cutting redundancy and cruft. No deep cuts!

And now, here is the excerpt for your perusal:

What follows is an excerpt from Chapter 9 of the book and deals with IDW’s assumption of the TMNT franchise which, of course, includes Kevin’s triumphant return to working on the Turtles. This section is comprised of two separate interviews with Kevin and the excerpt I’m including here is a chunk from a 2016 on-camera sit-down with him at his IDW office in San Diego. At the time, we were shooting interviews at Nickelodeon’s Burbank studio and really focusing on the 2012 series and this was a kind of capper to that. PS how surprised would I have been to know how much more was ahead of us…

Kevin had an amazing office at the San Diego Comic Art Gallery, which had the exact kinds of  treasures you'd expect. We hadn’t seen him in a while and it was great to catch up, but after greeting him, something felt different. That’s why I’ve included this particular excerpt here. During this interview, Isaac and I found Kevin to be surprisingly revealing, far more open to discussing some issues than he’d been more hesitant years before. Yes, he was more comfortable with us because of how long we’d been working on these docs, but it was more than that. Clearly, something had changed in his life. 

This was a few years after Turtle Power came out, which means after Kevin and Peter reunited, something with which we were involved, as it turned out. Here, you’ll see Kevin’s description of that happened and how it affected him. Most people know Kevin to be incredibly generous and kind, but here, looking back on his past, we saw more poignant introspection. For us too. After the interview, I was once again struck by the impact these people have had on our lives. The only reason any of this was possible was thanks to the kindness, honesty and openness of Kevin Eastman, Peter Laird and the people in Turtle world who were willing to share their stories with us over the years and I am so grateful.   

Definitive: You’re back in creator mode, like the old days!

Kevin: It's incredible! Peter and I were just two guys hanging on for dear life, barely keeping up with the success. I mean, we put out the first self-published comic in 1984, and by 1988, the cartoon was airing. That's four years! It was a whirlwind, and we were working 90-hour weeks just to keep up with everything. People might assume we were off lounging somewhere, but honestly, it was intense, nonstop work.

Definitive: It’s amazing when artists engage with a franchise with that passion and excitement. 

Kevin Eastman: The creative people I work with now, like Tom and Ciro, grew up with the Turtles, and they're passionate. They pour love into every episode and comic book and they don’t want their jobs because it’s cool, they want to tell the best Turtle stories they can. They want to take what Pete and I created, and go beyond it. That’s what’s cool. 

Definitive: Turtles fans from one generation are now the creators shaping it for the next.

Kevin Eastman: That's what makes it special. At conventions, I see original fans who are now parents, bringing their kids to the Turtles. Working alongside creators who are just as passionate, it's like we're passing the torch. This isn't just about creating a comic; it's about continuing a legacy with people who truly love and respect what the Turtles mean to so many.

Definitive: Do you like how you and Pete have become so inspirational for other artists?

Kevin Eastman: I joke that I "hate" these artists, but really it's just pure admiration. They draw the Turtles better than I do! It's surreal to meet talented folks like Matteus Santolouco, for example, and see the level they bring to the series. It's this whole new layer of coolness. And really, hearing that we inspired the artists is humbling. I genuinely feel unworthy.

Definitive: That admiration goes both ways, man. 

Kevin Eastman: (laughs) That's funny. I went to Nick's animation studios once, and Ciro had these blown-up prints of the original covers that Peter and I did. He called it his "Bible." Those early issues and one-shots were his foundation for everything. He wanted that original vibe, to go  back to the sewers, back to that first-time discovery of family, pizza, and brotherhood. That's what they were going for, and I was thrilled to see how they were putting their own twist on it.

Definitive: What did you think about the fans' reaction? I remember some worry about CGI.

Kevin Eastman: Oh, fans were skeptical at first but I saw the test footage and knew how smart and funny the new series was. I just kept telling fans, "Wait and see, it's going to be fantastic." And they nailed it. There's so much heart and detail, even down to the martial arts moves. I love the parallels between the Nickelodeon animated series and the IDW universe. What Ciro and Tom did, respectively, was create a whole new universe, taking parts from our comics, the animated series, the 2000s series, and combining the best of everything into a foundation for new stories. I watched some of those episodes, and they're really funny, clever, and well-written. The in-jokes are great, and some of the stuff they get away with is really freaky, like the pizza zombies and things like that. When I do presentations at conventions, I always bring up the most important character in the new Turtles animated series, which we all know is Ice Cream Kitty.

Definitive: So, who's the voice of Ice Cream Kitty again?

Kevin Eastman: I think it’s Brad Pitt. (Ahem, Ice Cream Kitty is Kevin) That was so funny. Anytime I go to L.A., I stop by the studio to see Ciro and the crew. Early on, they were like, "We want you to do a voice, maybe a cool good guy or bad guy." Then, at Comic-Con, Courtney and I were sitting in the audience, and they showed this character development, a cat that April found, which Michelangelo took over and accidentally exposed to mutagen. I was like, "Okay, that’s the one." And they said, "No, no, that's stupid." But I was serious, "I want to be Ice Cream Kitty." 

Definitive: TMNT was always so layered with pop culture references. It's so meta and now-

Kevin Eastman: -that's so great about what Ciro’s doing!. When you break down the storylines, like the Out of Space Odyssey, you see how he takes pieces from the comics or the animated series, and turns them into something new. He adds in-jokes and Ciro-isms like referencing monster movies and 1950s films. It's very clever. I think Ciro is doing exactly what Peter and I did at the beginning. We wrote stories for ourselves and hoped people would like them. He writes does that and the same goes for the IDW series. I remember when Tom came up with the idea for the Neutrinos. In the original animated series, they were hot-rodding teenagers from Dimension X. Tom reimagined them as freedom fighters barely surviving a war with Krang. Taking an idea like that and spinning it makes it fun for us, and we hope the fans love it too.

Definitive: There's a real magic in that passion. It can't be manufactured.

Kevin Eastman: Absolutely. Ciro and his team write what they'd want to watch, like Peter and I wrote what we wanted to read. You're not catering to anyone else, you’re creating from a place of passion and the fans pick up on it. It's that excitement and authenticity that make it work.

Definitive: You and Peter created something special with the Turtles, but the pressures of success and business helped build a distance between you. How do you look back on that now?

Kevin Eastman: (sighs) Well, looking back, it's easy to think, "I was an idiot." We were so young, and the success was overwhelming, financially, creatively, everything. When you're in your early twenties, there's this invulnerability you feel, like you can do anything. I got swept up in that rock-star mentality, travelling all over the place, going to premieres, trying out all these projects, it was nonstop. I guess you could say I was like the lead singer who lets it all go to his head and, in a way, almost destroys the group. It took a while for me to really understand that.

Peter’s one of those solid personalities: nothing could throw him off course. But I wanted to explore everything - just because I could. Hindsight is 20/20 and yeah, there were things I said or did that I wish I could take back. What I'm grateful for is that foundation we had together. Peter and I shared a rhythm in those early days that I've never had with anyone else. Sitting in that room, passing pages back and forth was, hands down, the most creative period of my life.

Definitive: For the record, I don't think you were an idiot. Not at all. You were just a kid who had a level of success that few people could handle. How could you be ready for that? 

Kevin Eastman: You know, working on all aspects of the creative process with the early issues of Turtles, that was the greatest time creatively in my life. But when the business took off, there was so much to handle, and the distance between us happened almost naturally. We still talked about the animated show and everything else, but there was so much work. It was like being married for the sake of the kids. Every time we saw each other, there was a problem, a lawsuit, something we had to deal with. The joy of sitting down and creating was gone. We were just businessmen, and every time we got together, it was intense and not always pleasant. The joy of creating together was buried under the weight of managing this massive franchise. It's regretful. But what Peter and I created together is one of the best parts of my life, even with all the ups and downs. The Turtles are woven into who I am, and I think that's true for him too, in his own way. 

Definitive: You and Peter balanced each other out, not unlike the Turtles themselves.

Kevin Eastman: Oh, absolutely. Peter is the Donatello to my Raphael. Peter was methodical, thoughtful, and careful. I was more impulsive, the "let's go, go, go" type. He'd say, "Let's slow down and think this through." (laughs) I used to complain that he was overthinking everything, but honestly, that's why it worked so well. We had that yin and yang and that's why it worked in the first place. He needed me as much as I needed him. It was a perfect storm of creativity.

Definitive: You're bringing that same passion to projects today, like those Batman covers…

Kevin Eastman: Those crossovers were a dream. I mean, here I am, sketching layouts with Batman and the Turtles. "Is this really happening?" At one point, I pitched a crossover with Kamandi, Jack Kirby's character, since, you know, they're both these mutant-animal universes. But DC came back and said, "How about Batman?" And I was like, "Wait… really?" I never imagined I'd have the chance to blend those worlds. Working on those covers was a huge fanboy moment for me. I wanted to get Batman just right, there's so much history in that character. Once I figured out how to make the story work, they brought in James Tynion, who wrote it. He did a fantastic job bringing all the Turtle universe, Turtle characters, and their personalities into the Batman world. He gave each of the characters their moments, handling them really well. And then, of course, the incredible Freddie Williams did the artwork, which was amazing. I met him at a show for the first time, and I just ran over and gave him a huge hug because his work was fantastic. At first, I just asked, "Can I do covers?" and they said, "Yeah, we want you to do variant covers." I remember sitting down to do the layouts and thinking, "I'm doing roughs with Turtles and Batman that might actually be covers for DC." I figured I'd send them in and DC would reject them, saying, "These are terrible." But no, they actually became covers! Never in my wildest dreams, as successful as the Turtles have been, would I think I'd get to work on Batman. Batman is iconic. I had the biggest personal geek-out moment ever, tried not to mess up Batman and had so much fun. I still shake my head. I can't believe I got to do that!

Definitive: Before we wrap up, can you talk a bit about us going back to the Dover house?

Kevin Eastman: Sure. That was in 2014, the 30th anniversary of the Turtles. Pete and I had been emailing a bit, and I'd been wanting to work with him again. He agreed to do two covers with me, and as we got closer to the official anniversary date, which coincided with Free Comic Book Day, Ralph DiBernardo, who hosted the first convention where the Turtles premiered, was having an event and we agreed to meet there. It was the first time we'd been together in 20 years. It was a huge turnout, which was awesome. And it was great timing with the documentary we were working on with you guys. We went down to the Dover house, where it all started, and it was pretty emotional. The house was in bad shape even when we lived there, so it wasn't surprising that it had been flattened. But being there with Peter, spending time together again in that spot where Mirage Studios started, that was something special. We spent so much time there, drawing on second hand furniture, and creating the first issue of Turtles. It was cool to be back.

Definitive: Did you know that Peter stayed behind after you left? After we all left.

Kevin Eastman: Yeah, I had to catch a plane, but Peter stayed. He wanted to be there a bit longer, which was interesting. It showed how much that place still meant to him. You know, seeing Peter there with us, after all those years, that was something I'll always cherish.

Definitive: Peter seems to sell himself a bit short sometimes, right? He's such a good guy with a big heart, but I don't think he realizes how awesome he is, how impactful to other people.

Kevin Eastman: Absolutely. He's always been very kind and supportive, but I think sometimes he doesn't see himself that way. He's an awesome guy who loves nostalgia, history, and family. He's just not into the spotlight like I am. While I wanted to travel the world and go to Turtles premieres in Paris, that wasn't him. He preferred to stay home, have a bagel and tea, and read a great book. It took me a while to understand that. And, you know, I have to give credit where it's due, Peter has always been incredibly kind to me. He's been supportive through some tough times and when we reconnected for the documentary at our old studio, it was emotional. It brought back that camaraderie and creative connection we had, even if just for a moment.

Definitive: Do you think that reunion changes anything in your relationship with Peter?

Kevin Eastman: It reinforced our connection. Over the years, we had our ups and downs and things got in the way. We'd exchange emails here and there, and he was always gracious and kind, but being physically together, especially in that place, felt like closing a loop, you know? We'll always share that bond, even if our lives go in different directions. It was being reminded of why we started all this in the first place, back when it was all about the joy of creating.

Definitive: And that moment was recorded as part of the documentary! It's crazy. 

Kevin Eastman: Peter even suggested it! We weren't planning to record that specific moment. But at Shellback Artworks, he just turned to you guys and said, "You know, it would be nice to document this." I was blown away. I had no idea he felt that way. It was an honour to have that reunion on film, especially knowing how much it meant to both of us. And honestly, it's amazing that it was captured. It brought everything full circle. It was cool, emotional, and fantastic.

Definitive: After all this time, what's it like seeing this story finally get told in the documentary?

Kevin Eastman: Honestly, it's incredible. It's funny, because that New England humour of mine sometimes gets me in trouble, and I'd joke about you guys being "my favourite stalkers." But really, that was just my way of saying how much I appreciated your dedication. You poured everything into this project, your time, finances, personal sacrifices. It took years of commitment. And the results speak for themselves. You've crafted something really special that captures the heart of what this journey has been for Peter and me. And it wasn't just the film, it was the way you all approached it. From the first time you came by a convention to say hi, or when you stopped by my place in Northampton, I could see how genuine you were. And you didn't just talk about doing it; you showed up, time and again, year after year. That's why, when it came time to film in the old Dover house or those other big moments, it just felt right having you there to document it.

Definitive: That's really special to hear. 

Kevin Eastman: Well, it's been an honour. Peter and I shared a unique bond, and seeing that part of our lives preserved in this way is something I'll always be grateful for. I couldn't ask for more.