Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles is enjoying a renaissance in 2022, with multiple projects being released between movies, television, and games. But co-creator Kevin Eastman, who helped draw the comics that made the Turtles so famous, still has a special love for the original Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movie.
Eastman, who was on-hand for an event promoting Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Cowabunga Collection at San Diego Comic-Con 2022, recently spoke with IGN about how the original film was "the best one ever done" and how he enjoyed Konami's arcade game (he likes to pick Donatello). He also talked about Seth Rogen's upcoming project, which is currently slated for release in 2023.
Calling himself a "big fan" of Rogen, Eastman said Rogen's desire to reflect the "teenage" part of TMNT makes sense in light of the original source material. After all, the turtles were only 15-years-old in the original comic, which depicted their first time above ground.
Eastman, however, says he doesn't have any involvement in Rogen's film, nor has he spoken with him.
"No, I have not spoken to him, and that's also awesome because I do feel like different parts of the Turtles, different universes that Nickelodeon would bring me to work on. The comic books for example, of the animated TV series. I worked most recently on the 2012 series and some on Rise. And some times that they want the creator that's … Like the Turtles versus Batman. That was something that was unique and one director's vision and they didn't need me. I did a couple drawings and sketches, but otherwise it was done on their own," Eastman explains.
"And so that's what I think is special. Because I don't want him to feel intimidated or think that if he asks me a question, I tell him, 'Well, you should do this,' that he should do that. It's his vision and his idea. And I think that's, what's personally exciting to me and I think that's, what's going to be exciting for the fans when they finally see the movie."
Eastman did, however, consult on the infamous Michael Bay films, which reimagined the classic turtle designs in grotesque ways. First released in 2014, the film eventually received a sequel, and Bay is attached to produce a third live-action film alongside Colin Jost and Casey Jost.
"They were a unique vision," Eastman says. "I had a number of meetings with the director, Jonathan Liebesman and he really went into it with heart and soul…He said, 'I want to tell the best Turtle movie ever, do the best turtle movie ever.' And his intent was pure."
However, it's clear that Eastman was at least a little bit at odds with that vision, even if he's otherwise complimentary of Liebesman and Bay.
"Sometimes the studio system can not be as accommodating as you like," Eastman says. "And I think there were some frustrations and there were things that I suggested that maybe they reconsider, but again, it's a unique and a individual artist's vision. And between Liebesman and Michael Bay, they had a story and a kind of movie that they wanted to tell. They told it. There was some great stuff in it. There's some stuff I would've done differently, but it's definitely right in the middle. Because my high watermark is the original Turtles movie and it'll always be the best Turtle movie ever done."
Eastman himself is still at it, working with fellow co-creator Peter Laird to produce a Turtles finale titled The Last Ronin, which he compares to Frank Miller's Dark Knight. The Cowabunga Collection is also not too far away, with a release date set for August 30 on a variety of platforms.
We're fully in the thick of San Diego Comic-Con, so make sure to keep an eye on IGN for everything announced at Comic-Con as the show continues.
Kat Bailey is a Senior News Editor at IGN as well as co-host of Nintendo Voice Chat. Have a tip? Send her a DM at @the_katbot.