While Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles creators Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird have been upfront about their influences throughout the years, none seem more important than comics legend Jack Kirby. The King of Comics himself even went the extra mile for the TMNT duo, showing his appreciation by gifting them with an original piece of art.
Little did Eastman and Laird know that, when they embarked upon self-publishing their black-and-white indie comic in 1984, they would be birthing a multimedia juggernaut that is still going strong almost 40 years later. In that way, the creative team has had almost as large an effect on popular culture as Jack Kirby, whose superhero creations are the dominant force in the current media landscape. Eastman and Laird weren’t shy about their love of the King and the influence he had on them, so Kirby himself decided to pay it forward in a rather touching way.
Jack Kirby’s Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Original Art
Making a recent appearance on the Cartoonist Kayfabe YouTube channel, Eastman and Laird joined hosts Ed Piskor and Jim Rugg to break down issues #2 and #3 of the original Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles series. The wide-ranging interview eventually turned to the pair’s influences, and it wasn’t long before Kirby entered the conversation. Eastman and Laird discussed how they bonded over a piece of original Kirby art that Laird owned, solidifying their friendship and ultimately leading them on the path to becoming creative collaborators. Laird also retrieved a piece of original art the King drew for them only a few years before he died; a touching gesture that clearly meant the world to the TMNT creators.
“It was such an awesome and incredible and thoughtful gesture on Jack Kirby and his amazing, wonderful wife Roz,” Eastman elaborates. “Jack was getting on in years and wasn’t doing as much drawing as he used to...But we’d asked him for a pin-up at one time, and Roz got him to do (those pencils) and we about passed out.”
Eastman would later ink Kirby’s pencils and release it as a variant cover for the 50th issue of the IDW TMNT series, and Kirby would contribute another piece for the anthology series Turtle Soup, along with artist Mike Thibodeaux. Eastman and Laird were more than happy to pay tribute to an artist whose legacy served as something of a warning for the generations of comic book creators who came after. Unlike Eastman and Laird, Jack Kirby didn’t retain ownership of his many creations that have gone on to make billions of dollars for the corporations that own them.
Jack Kirby's Real Gift To The TMNT Creators
Yet, in spite of having every reason to be bitter or jealous, Eastman and Laird maintain that Kirby was always kind and appreciative towards them. “I met some heroes of mine that I’ve been very disappointed (in), but Kirby was all that and so much more,” Eastman goes on to say. “The fact that he did that drawing embodied everything that made him such an incredible guy.” Jack Kirby may have given the Teenage Mutant Nina Turtles creators Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird a once-in-a-lifetime gift, but the greatest gift of all wound up being his generosity and kindness.
Source: Cartoonist Kayfabe