Tag: cartoon

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Ninja Turtles: Shell Shocked!

Here’s my concept on a Ninja Turtle cartoon that would be aimed at children. Despite what fans say, I really enjoyed Nickelodeon’s Rise of TMNT for what it was. It was a departure from what we got previously within the fandom of the TMNT, but sometimes you need change in order for decades old characters to evolve. It was fast, silly, and focused on comedy over action. Sort of a Teenage Mutant Titans Go! If you will. And the background art and animation was just fantastic.

I decided to take a lot of direction (visually) from what Rise gave us, but coupled it with more traditional character design. The pizza, Ninjitsu, and humor would still be present…but we’re dropping the “teenage” as the Ninja Turtles have been teenagers in every iteration of movie/television media so far. The idea of them being “celebrities” akin to say, Iron Man in the MCU, is another direction that could be explored. Social Media personally run by the Ninja Turtles and media appearances booked and handled by April herself could led to some very humorous and interesting storytelling. Not to mention something we’ve never seen before.  

I also think social media could be a very serious danger to younger generations. And certain episodes could deliver the message to young viewers on using this “new” technology safely and responsibly. Akin to the old G.I. Joe or “Sonic Says” safety messages, but updated for a modern generation. 

The series being titled “Shell Shocked!” is because that’s exactly what it is to the IP and something I always strive for in my “reimaginings”. Teenage Turtles? Nope. Now they’re adults. Splinter is dead. The Turtles are big celebrities. No Technodrome. No Dimension X. Shredder is a giant mutant freak. Keep shakin’ it up, dudes and dudettes!  

 
The TMNT are one of my favorite close personal characters and have been for decades. Yet I’ve never had “my take” on them. So this little concept was a ton of fun for me to do. I believe the Ninja Turtles are characters that are going to be similar to Scooby Doo or the Looney Tunes. They’ll have their peaks and valleys, but always be around for the new generation. I think the concept of them is so bizarre yet gripping that every little boy (or girl) is going to be gripping an empty wrapping paper tube and yelling “Cowabunga!” for decades to come.

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Frosty: Agent of I.C.E.

I partook in watching Rankin and Bass’s 1969 Frosty The Snowman cartoon a couple weeks back. We all know the one. I haven’t sat down and watched it in decades. It still looks great to this day and it’s remarkably shorter than I remember. I had Frosty on the mind (brain freeze?) the following days and most of this came to me in a dream. 

I literally woke up in the middle of the night recalling a snowman riding a polar bear. I continued and dreamt of Frosty with a snow-gun violently shooting snowballs. “Agent of ICE” echoed through my head. Perhaps this is a gift from God himself. 

If that’s the truth, it’s good to know he has a sense of humor.  

I’ve really been hitting a stride with my concepts this past year. Though bizarre and ridiculous, I feel like they present a neat little package of my art style and creativity. A snowman isn’t necessarily a Christmas thing. Where there’s snow, there’s snowmen. So an idea of an animated series centering around Frosty working for a secret counter terrorist organization was super enticing to me. Something not as, say, serious as G.I. Joe…but with the same firepower and action. For some reason Captain Planet was in the back of my mind when drawing these. 

Frosty still “laughs and plays”….but around Christmas time. What does he do all those other days? I mean, the magic he has…what is he capable of? He’s inherently good….can he protect us? A shower of solitude fit the other pieces of this into the puzzle. 

When Frosty first melted away, his remains were collected and studied by various factions of US Intelligence. Was it truly “magic in that old silk hat” or a mystery within the very molecules that made up the snowman? The conclusion wasn’t made public knowledge, but it was clear that Frosty was capable of more than “laugh and play”. 

Frosty the Snowman was recruited to the secret counter-terrorist organization International Crime Exterminators (I.C.E). Due to Frosty’s uniquely natural sub-zero abilities, he solely  operates within the winter division overseen by senior director Kris Kringle. 
Frosty’s potential has evolved beyond just ice and snow, as the “magic” he inhabits absorbs the abilities of any hat he wears. Making his set of skills near limitless. A mere fairy tale to us, Frosty the snowman is alive as he can be…and as dangerous. Villains beware, if you notice a sudden chill run up your spine, you’re about to face Frosty: Agent of I.C.E.!

I hope 2023 may be kind, healthy, and generous to us all. Personally speaking, I plan on doing more of the same content (but improving) when it comes to this website. Articles, comics, concepts, and (hopefully) a couple podcast episodes! All that cozy comic culture I’ve been sharing for the past going on 12 (!) years.

Merry (belated) Christmas to all!

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Lone Ranger: 3049

The Lone Ranger represents a bygone era of Americana that we may never experience again. Whether or not we need entertainment like that is up to your personal tastes, but regardless I still love to experience pop culture’s past and appreciate it in my own way. No, I do not mean taking “I Love Lucy” and reinventing with robots (I like that actually) but instead taking COWBOYS AND REINVENTING IT WITH ROBOTS DUH.

With concepts I create I always put myself in the situation where I need to re-conceptualize for no other reason than to disrupt what’s familiar. Take away everything that makes Yogi bear iconic. Take away Batman’s money and class. Take away Ghost Rider’s motorcycle and era. Make Sonic The Hedgehog for children and not adult misfits with a furry fetish. I believe I create like this because of my current disappointment in modern pop culture. The endless streams of reboots, retellings, retreads, and requels zapped of creativity, direction, and imagination.

It’s a mindframe of “reimagining” where I just think “Okay, let’s take away what people expect , dumb it down to modern direction, and maybe even disrespect the fanbase.” Is that the right way of going about a project? Of course not. But it’s certainly the current way. So I sort of imagine myself in these corporate cogs of creation where I’m given an intellectual property and give it a dumb ‘ol makeover. And here’s my newest one walkin’ the runway: The Lone Ranger: 3049.

Intrigued by this take, or even liking it, doesn’t make you part of the problem…mind you. I worked hard on this and had a great time regardless. I just know Lone Ranger fans (the 12 that are alive anyway) would roll their eyes at me and call it trash. And I take pride in that. Hi, Ho S1LV3R!