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The ongoingTeenage Mutant Ninja Turtlesseries from IDW is one of the most successful and influential tales ever spin about the iconic ' heroes in a half shell . ' In an exclusive consultation with Screen Rant , Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles # 140 - 144artist Gavin Smith discuss his late concluded time on the book , his connection to the beloved turtleneck squad , and what his dreamTMNTcrossover would be , featuring a rooter - favorite Marvel hero !
Expertly further the stories of brothers Leonardo , Donatello , Michelangelo , and Raphael in exciting and meaningful ways , writer Sophie Campbell and fellow artistic cooperator like Gavin have systematically delivered a series bursting at the crease with new and inspire takes on the franchise ’s ever - expanding lore .
Not onlydrawingTeenage Mutant Ninja Turtles ’ most recently conclude arc , Gavin has also worked on IDW’sStar Trek : The Mirror War , A Wave Blue World’sDead Legends , variousTMNTmain and discrepancy book binding , and more , with an upcoming cover charge forTMNT : The Last Ronin II - Re phylogeny # 2next up on the agenda for this talented artist .
Writer Sophie Campbell ’s honored run on IDW ’s Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles ongoing will conclude with Issue # 150 ; the route there get down now .
Screen Rant : First off , can you impart our readers up to speed on complete your chapter in the " Road to 150 " and what this experience has been like ?
Gavin : So a quick retread of 140 - 144 … post - Armageddon Game : we find the gang a piddling burnt out , finding themselves in a now mutant populated NYC . They realize they do n’t have to dwell in secrecy any longer , and while some of the turtles are cover this novel find lifestyle , others are wanting to hold on to the way thing have always been , and Donnie has just become a big bookworm studying hardcore witching clobber in any attack to thwart the incoming terror of Armaggon . Meanwhile , mutants all over the city are flex up murdered and Raph gets caught up in the investigation and arrested ! We get wind Leatherhead ’s been behind the murders but under the control of Dr. Barlow and his dragon ordered series trick . Raph ’s going through a mickle this arc as he discovers himself freshly unmarried after he and the turtle crew teamed up with Shredder to kill Rat King during Armageddon Game , and Alopex has carve up wholly from the polo-neck and taken the weasels under her backstage to form the brand young Claw Clan ! Barlow finally grow his deserts from the Splinter Clan , the Claw Clan , and their new ally Venus and her raw kin comprise of Bludgeon and Koya . At the remnant of the 144 , all the polo-neck are starting to realize they can have their own lives . Mikey is going to gravel around New York with Jennika , Leo ’s heading back to Northampton with his new crew of Carmen , Bob , and Lita , Raph decides to take a road trip , and Donnie and Venus are going to connect up some loose ends at the compound with Armaggon drawing nigh . WOO .
Anyway , to answer the 2nd part of your question … INCREDIBLE ! Did you say all of that ? These retiring five proceeds were jam - packed with floor that flux so well . I could n’t have require for a ripe story to debut with . Sophie wove that all together wonderfully and it was a pleasure to draw .
SR : What do you like to consider you contribute to the bequest of the Turtles ' longest - running comic featuring the brothers ? Or what do you desire reader take aside ?
Gavin : I opine just being able to be a part of this series is a huge contribution in and of itself . I ’m pretty certain that a turtleneck has never been hold back before , and outside of a cover song that Kevin Eastman and Sophie did , I got to draw the first show of all six turtle together for the first clip . And they ’re run through pizza !
I hope the reader take away a familiarity with my work . Like when they see me run a turtle book , they ’ll screw it ’s my work just at first glance .
SR : Your art style gibe right into the TMNT universe . What was the biggest challenge in making certain your Turtles looked the part , especially with their subtly different designs ( and drastically dissimilar personality ) ?
Gavin : I think the biggest challenge was the imperativeness of it being the Turtles because , like you said , they have to await the part . There were 139 take established before me by unbelievable artists ( not let in all of the miniseries / microseries / outcome beleaguer the ongoing ) , so it was gracious to have that templet in place , but IDW and Nickelodeon were exceedingly cool with me draw the Turtles the manner I draw the turtle . I ’ve been a huge fan of the series and enfranchisement my intact life , so the nicety to their designs , body oral communication , and personalities felt familiar come in .
Custom image by Brian Colucci
SR : You ’ve had the opportunity to absorb all six Turtles now , so we have to inquire : which one is your favorite to draw ?
Gavin : It ’s well Mikey . I could draw and quarter him all twenty-four hour period everyday forever and never get well-worn .
SR : Are there any standout succession you ’ll call back most fondly or a character you ’re expecting to get the most commission requests for down the route ?
Gavin : I conceive Raph in spades had the biggest impact in this arc … He got arrested , there was the mugshot blanket , and he got to time Leo in the face … plus he had that giving blowout line with Alopex . He ’s belike who I get asked to drag the most out of all the brothers . I wager I end up pull a heap more mugshots , haha .
SR : Any time a serious devotee takes over art duties , the audience needs to know about the easter eggs / court that were just too good to stand firm . Were there any you put into your issue work that devotee should look for ?
Gavin : I ’ll order you one salutary one , but the eternal rest you have to look for . In issue 141 in the police station , I drew the treasured post-horse of Milhouse from the episode of the Simpsons where he played Fall Out male child in the Radioactive Man flick . The rest I ’d say depend at picture physique and posters that are everywhere . Also , I gave Jennika a hoodie that had the initial of the spunk band I was in in my former XX . I wanted to throw a blind crimson - headed lawyer in the scope of the law place , but I did n’t think about doing that until after those pages were done .
At San Diego Comic - Con 2023 , Screen Rant posture down with Kevin Eastman , Tom Waltz , and Ben Bishop to discuss TMNT ’s upcoming Last Ronin subsequence .
Gavin Smith Is Continuing His Work in the TMNT Universe With A Cover ForLast Ronin II
SR : What can lector expect from your TMNT output move forwards ? Can you speak on yourLast Ronin # 2cover ? Any brainstorm into what might happen lead up to issue # 150 and beyond ?
Gavin : quell tune up ! As far as anything 145 - 150 go away … I ’m looking forward to reading as a fan again , so I have n’t involve Sophie or Vincenzo what ’s up yet ! It ’ll be dainty to be able-bodied to say the book as it ’s coming out .
SR : Lastly , what ’s your dream TMNT project ? And with all their amazing crossovers happening as of later , what ’s your dream TMNT crossover that has n’t been seen yet ?
Gavin : As far as my dreaming projection … I … do n’t need to bewitch it . I would wish to do a project that I compose and draw . I ’ll leave it at that . As far as crossovers I ’d like to see … that we ’d all like to see … I think that ’s obvious . We all want to see the temerarious crossover ! Actually … I’ll put that out there as a ambition labor I ’d care to draw .
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles # 140 - 144are now available from IDW Publishing andTMNT : The Last Ronin II - Re Evolution # 2will liberation in early 2024 , also from IDW Publishing .
