Wednesday, March 31, 2010

"It was twenty years ago today..."

I didn't realize it until I got online today -- apparently, it's the twentieth anniversary of the theatrical release of the first live-action TMNT movie. In honor of this day, I dug through some old photos and pulled out a few shots from our visit to the set of that first movie in North Carolina in 1989.

Kevin and I had been invited to visit the set, and we in turn invited pretty much the whole Mirage crew of that time. As I recall, Steve Lavigne, Eric Talbot, Mike Dooney, Ryan Brown, and Jim Lawson made it down, along with some of their wives and girlfriends, respectively. My wife Jeannine and our less-than-a-year-old daughter Emily also visited the set.

Here we are getting Em ready for her first visit to a movie set (actually, I think it was EVERYONE'S first visit to a movie set!).



Wandering around the back lot where many of the street scenes were filmed, with Steve Lavigne…



Steve tries to get into the dump truck (the one in which the Shredder later meets his "end") while Kevin looks on. Note fake wooden manhole cover in foreground…



This is one of the alley walls in the backlot street set. We were able to get some "Puma Blues" posters put up on this wall as set dressing…



Steve displays his awesome strength by lifting a fake fire hydrant. I think Eric also did this…



Here's Kevin taping on the back lot, using what was then a state-of-the-art consumer camcorder…



Ryan, Mike, Jim and Steve pose in front of a comic book store facade on the back lot street set…



Elias "Casey Jones" Koteas poses for a shot with me and Kevin…



Ryan chats with Elias (can you guess who has the REAL long hair?)…




Kevin talks with director Steve Barron during a night shoot…



… and the Mirage boys (and Emily) pose for a shot standing on a "rooftop" edge -- this was actually one of the interior sets, and I believe it was the one on which the rooftop fight with the Shredder was filmed.




As I recall, it was a fun trip. We saw lots of cool stuff and met some very interesting people. If I hadn't left a day before Kevin did, I would have gotten to meet Jim Henson, something I'll always regret. But it was certainly worth the drive down there. -- PL

P.S. I'd like to put a photo credit here, but I can't remember who took these photos.

Sunday, March 28, 2010

Blast from the Past #291: Michelangelo swinging 'chuks pin-up drawing

Here's one of my pin-up drawings, this one from 1986. It's another one from the days when I inked with a real brush and bottled ink.



I like the way that Michelangelo is swinging his nuchaku with apparent wild abandon here. -- PL

Tuesday, March 23, 2010

Blast from the Past #289: "Shredator" vehicle concept

I don't think this ever made it into production as a toy, but it could have been a fun vehicle for old Shredhead. -- PL

Saturday, March 13, 2010

Blast from the Past #285: Pencils for cover of TMNT Volume 2 #7

This is my pencil art for the cover of issue #7 of the Mirage color TMNT comic book series, also known as "Volume 2". I drew this based on a panel that Jim Lawson had drawn for the interior art.



I think Kevin Eastman inked this and I colored it in Photoshop for the printed cover. -- PL

Tuesday, March 9, 2010

Blast from the Past #284: Pencils for Archie "TMNT Adventures" #34

Here are my pencils for the cover of one of the Archie "TMNT Adventures" comics -- I believe it was #34.



I'm pretty sure Ryan Brown inked this one. -- PL

Thursday, March 4, 2010

"Mirage Group" illustration by Gale Benning

A couple of days ago, Mike Dooney alerted me to the existence of this piece of art:



I hadn't checked my blog's comments that day, so I had not yet seen this message:

"Peter,

It's my wish to present this homage to you and the Mirage Group as you all were a source of inspiration for me during my youth and as i continue in my career as an adult.

Mirage Group Illustration

Hope you enjoy it, and thank you for the past 25 years and for many to come!

Cheers

Mr. Gale Benning
Executive Producer / Director/ Production Designer
Philosophia Studios"


I aksed Gale if it would be okay if I posted his drawing on this blog, and he agreed. I like it -- it's quite a good portrait of the Mirage bunch. I'm curious as to Gale's technique here -- was a light table involved, or was this freehand drawing? Or is it some kind of computer-aided drawing? However it was done, I dig it and I appreciate the sentiment. Thanks, Gale! -- PL