It was a big moment in the TMNT universe, with two iconic characters stepping into the spotlight, and fans, you brought a fever with your questions!
This week on Tuesday, AIPT asked questions with Dan Watters, author of the upcoming Shredder Miniseries, and Alex Pacnadel, who directs the Casey Jones series, delving into what makes these complicated anti-heroes ticking. From character research in Arage-as-As-Armor to action-packed martial arts mayhem, both writers are carving out a bold new corner in the IDW TMNT universe.
What makes TMNT so timeless? How violent is shredder? Which Casey Jones is the best Casey Jones? You asked – Dan and Alex answered. Plus, take a look at interior art you’ve never seen outside the TMNT panels these days!
Grab the slices, grab the straps of a hockey mask or the gauntlet of Doom, and dive into a deep dish of fan fuel that proves again. There are no small characters in the world of TMNT. It’s just a big story waiting to be told.
Let’s go cowabunga!
Don’t miss out on a recent interview for more answers from Dan and Alex.
Courtesy IDW
Courtesy IDW
aipt: Hello Dan and Alex, David Brook are here from aipt. I’m excited about both series. To get things started, I have a question for each of you, then we dive into the fan questions!
First, Dan, your shredder miniseries will take on the mission of revenge, stripping him of his leg clan as Ronin. What was the biggest storytelling challenge in reconstructing such an iconic villain like a lonely, revengeful anti-hero?
Dan: Honestly, the approach wasn’t a challenge. It was a chance to bring the character back to his core. Taking away the resources he has accumulated for himself gives Shredder the opportunity to show us what he has done. He was always a man with the blade and will to bend the universe to his will, but how does he do it when the blades have? That’s what I want to write about.
AIPT: Alex, your Casey Jones series divides into his recovery and being shot, giving him a certain working class vulnerability. How did you balance the balance between his raw, crude energy and this more reflexive, emotionally grounded version of the character?
Alex: As I see, raw, crude energy is the deep, reflexive, emotionally grounded man’s armor. There are no contradictions. In my eyes, the character’s mirage and IDW iterations (and everything in between) are completely complementary. They nest dolls. Therefore, I felt I could pursue this line with confidence. It’s a dream for writers. Because you have this guy whose anger is a mask, yet still has this rich and very subtle emotional reality. He has a crowd and I feel I can explore it forever.
AIPT: Fan questions time!
For both of you from Brent Jackson: Do you think TMNT is a precious and continuous franchise? It has been around since 1984, as seen with Shredder and Casey Jones. Even side characters and villains are just as popular as the Turtle Brothers. Are you interested in what the latest TMNT “spinoff” writers are thinking about it?
Alex: This would look a bit romantic, but honestly, I think it’s the youthful energy of Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird. Here were two young guys who put everything into this crude indie book – everything they thought was cool – from samurai films to New York’s doodle culture – and it became this giant. There were all these discrepancies that shouldn’t have worked together, but somehow the infinite glow of these two guys and the young man made it work. Ten years older, they’ll “know” that you can do mutant turtles or ninjas, but that doesn’t work, so you definitely can’t do both, right? Except for that. Everything they stirred into the pan enhanced the flavor. It’s like Kirby’s – it has so much energy that it keeps it for decades. It’s really beautiful.
Dan: Franchises with this kind of longevity tend to be flexible, but that’s true here. TMNT has been improved and reinvented dozens of times. You have a cute and cute incarnation, and you have a place where Raphael tears half of his face. You have a Pizza Hut Music Tour and you have the last Ronin. These characters have cores that include side characters such as Shredder and Casey. The bottom line is that they are symbolic and versatile. In other words, they never get old. There are always new takes and they can always spend time.
Courtesy IDW
aipt: George J. Ask: Mr. Paknadel, how much do you like Casey?
Alex: I love Casey – because he’s everything I don’t. I’m pretty quiet and reserved, and of course I’m an incredibly physical co-sick. Casey, on the other hand, is rude and stubborn, and he has never left the battle of life. That said, I grew up in the eastern edge of London and knew many people like Casey. Split knuckles, painful past, and lastly faithful. Someone like Casey would intervene when I was cornered in the schoolyard. They are the people who step up when no one else does. I promise I’m not being cheeky here, but I feel like I’ve met a guy dozen times.
AIPT: Andrés Galindo-Olarte asks: in the case of Dan Watters, does TMNT’s previous execution, which found the heroic and peaceful shredder of shredders inform this new view on shredders?
Dan: I haven’t notified our previous execution. We continue directly from there. However, I insist that the shredders never came to peace. He was last seen in the off-world of the Armageddon game and the world. Because he couldn’t face returning to Earth. He also has so much blood in his hands, so let’s not let him go off the hook for that.
Snow Leopard Mutant.
Courtesy IDW
AIPT: Brent Jackson asks: I’ve always loved Casey Jones. I don’t know if it’s the character design that draws me to him or if his attitude is what attracts me to him. In a world filled with mutants, ninjas, aliens and all the other madness in the TMNT universe, do you think he has become such a persuasive character?
Alex: I think you nailed it with your question, Brent. It’s about contrast. He is a blue-collar man with the inside of a sports goods store hanging on his shoulders in the world of ancient blood feuds, aliens and ninjas. He is a underdog and we love him. I also think he has a Greek chorus side, especially in the continuity of IDW, as he acts as a kind of reader proxy. We have this typical diamond (this typical New Yorker) at hand and we’re grounding everything this far away. Because in some respects he is our entry point into this world.
AIPT: Alex, Charlie wants to know if you have a favorite iteration of Casey Jones?
Alex: Hello, Charlie! I do, but I need to warn this by saying I love all iterations. That being said, on my head, I have to use the Mirage version. Because I’m a huge fan of all the inspiration for the character. Street punk movies from the late 70s and 80s are very jams for me. So I love Casey when he is the demon of this Tasmanian bone-shattering violence and sports quips.
aipt: Echo wonders if there are any fun facts about the characters you love.
Dan: The fact that Shredder was killed in his first appearance in the first turtle comic – in a brutal way – and then they realized that they had hit their hands, until they had Shredder consciousness chasing the Turtles and the worm had soaked shark mutants, so they were revived in increasingly byzantine ways.
aipt: From @batmanyhypeguy, what is your favorite TMNT character so far?
Dan: I write men honestly. I always enjoy the villain the most. My background is scary, so it’s my bread and butter. I’ve been rooting for shredders to defeat those nasty turtles since I was about 3 years old.
AIPT: Andrew Isidro asks because this is both TMNT’s first foray into the world. What was their favourite part of delving into the universe? What was the most frightening part?
Dan: A world with decades of lore exists, always energising. We dig into old stories, find ideas that can be shaped to induce new ideas and match the tone of the story we want to tell. That’s one of the joys of comic books. There is weight to taking over the narrative of a beloved character inevitably, but honestly, fear is death when it comes to writing. You have to box your parts somewhere behind your head and continue writing.
aipt: Muhammad asks: Hello, Dan. Will other TMNT comic characters appear here or will they be standalone? thank you
Dan: At the beginning of our story, we focus on establishing shredders on his own terms. However, the book coexists in the same world and in fact in the same city, and Shredder’s actions set him on a collision course with the characters you know and beloved. We’re talking about ourselves, but it certainly isn’t silent, and at some point I think the turtle wants the word.
Courtesy IDW
Courtesy IDW
aipt: From George J: Mr. Watters, how violent is Shredder?
Dan: He’s wearing a knife and is pretty upset. So there is a measure of violence. Michele has painted pictures from raids and other modern martial arts films. This is an action-rich comic book with several sets featuring art teams choreographing hell.
AIPT: How excited are you to build a side plot line for the ongoing IDW TMNT series! ?
Dan: Jason Aaron, the current TMNT series, is joined by a line of murderer artists. It’s a fresh start to honor those that came before, but a slightly grounded tone despite the fact that it thrusts twigs into the hornet nests of all sorts of corners in the myth. Magic, crazy science, mutants, oh.
Courtesy IDW
Courtesy IDW
AIPT: Both books explore characters that work outside the Central TMNT team. Did that story freedom allow you to explore thematically? And have you worked together in any way to ensure that Shredder and Casey Jones’ emotional or tone arcs complement each other across the wider TMNT universe?
Dan: Alex and I work together frequently, so we talked about this. We don’t want to step on the same ground at the same time, but books talk to each other. We both have an off-quilter approach in general, so we are heading in different directions to explore different preconceptions.
To my title alone, I think that not having a big ensemble cast to write gives me certain freedom. It makes the book a nymble. We can dance and delve into the way one character thinks and history. I think we’re going to show off the sides for shredders you’ve never seen before. We look forward to seeing readers begin this journey.
And that’s the latest fan-driven TMNT rap on Tuesday! Make sure to come back as AIPT sees the most exclusive Ninja Turtle every week!
