Peter Laird – Greg Goldstein's Comic Art Gallery

Erik Larsen — Blasted Idiots

July 15, 2021 Greg Goldstein Original Art and The Artists

Savage Dragon #2, July 1993

We continue with our month long celebration of the “Independents” — Independent creators and projects that continue to impact the comic book medium.

Two independent creations collide in the second issue of Erik Larsen’s Savage Dragon ongoing series in 1993, as the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles drop in. Literally.

The large top panel of this fun action page inspired the cover for the issue.

Larsen and TMNT creators Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird share much more than just a passion for all things Jack Kirby. (I would bet that at one time, no one owned more DC Kirby art than the three of them.) They tell their stories with endless energy and panache, something that is often missing from more “mainstream” titles.

Larsen made headlines recently with the announcement that he was relaunching Ant, another Image creator-owned project originally created by Mario Gully. (Larsen purchased the character in 2012, and included her in the Spawn series he wrote shortly thereafter.)

Issue #1 of the new Larsen Ant series launches next month.

Meanwhile, Savage Dragon is now one of the longest running independent creator-owned series of all time. Issue #260 hits the stands in August as well.

Back here next Tuesday (7/20) with Frank Miller. Have a good weekend.

*Larsen’s August 2021 releases: Savage Dragon #260 and Ant #1.*

Kevin Eastman — In A New York Minute

November 19, 2019 Greg Goldstein Original Art and The Artists

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #1, 30th Anniversary Reprint, July 2014 (SDCC)

Continuing a celebration of the TMNT 35th anniversary, with a look back at the 30th.

One Minute Later. 30 Seconds Later. 10 Seconds Later. It doesn’t really matter. If a comic book cover is a snapshot of a moment of time, the idea here was to illustrate what the characters on an iconic cover would be doing just after that moment. Kevin and I spitballed this idea for a few minutes and he ran with it. If the Turtles were ready for action on the original cover, they would be jumping into action a moment later.

They are, after all, the Turtles.

IDW offered two versions of the comic book at SDCC that year. A color version that was penciled by Kevin and inked separately by co-creator Peter Laird on a lightbox copy. (Look carefully to see some subtle but interesting differences.) The second version, more limited, is this one, featuring Kevin’s tight pencils only and printed in black and white. I might be biased, but I think it’s a beauty.

For a look at the all the versions and re-do’s of the original cover, check out this great article. Ironically it omits this specific cover, but hopefully catches all the rest.