#Allan Eastman

[haveyouseenthisromcom]

[thecomicsnexus]

TMNT: 40TH ANNIVERSARY COMICS CELEBRATION

July 2024

By Kevin Eastman, Edgar Alan Poe, Jim Lawson, Tristan Jones, Gary Carlson, Chris Allan, Erik Burnham, Lloyd Goldfine, Ciro Nieli, Andy Suriano, Tom Waltz, Ronda Pattison , Tom Napolitano, Steve Lavigne, Paul Harmon, Frank Fosco, Adam Guzowski, Sarah Myer, Luis Antonio Delgado, Shawn Lee, Khary Randolph, Emilio Lopez, Michael Dialynas, Pablo Tunica, Freddie E. Williams II, David Petersen, Ken Mitchroney, Aaron Hazouri, Dan Duncan, Sophie Campbell, Jodi Nishijima, Stan Sakai, and Emi Fujii.

Come and enjoy stories that will remind you of the 40 years of turtle history.

SCORE: 10 *

* Assuming you are familiar with these iterations.

This is a strange read, and curiously, there are three or four highlights for me, and they are not exactly the ones you would imagine.

Spoilers after the break...

The first story by Kevin Eastman is in the Mirage section of the book but... well... I'll leave at that... I wouldn't call it the Mirage we knew.

There is a story by Lawson and Lavigne with the Rat King that... it's fun. But, you know... I wouldn't even try to fit it in canon... the amount of continuity physics you need to bend to place this story is not worth the time. Just enjoy as a new story by these two iconic Mirage artists.

This other story by Tristan H. Jones and Paul Harmon requires more analysis. I'll revisit it on my gang wars video and try to give it more context... but unfortunately... it's just too vague. All I can say for sure is that it happens in the future of that incomplete saga, but the narrator just takes too many artistic choices to be taken at face value.

Also... I believe this is the first official (frontal) appearance of Agent Bishop (unless I got the character wrong, but Jones already tried to introduce him in this saga). I think he is still holding on to it, and I really hope he gets to tell his story. I wouldn't mind a mini-series... just saying!

The Volume 3 story was... not for me. The dialogue alone felt tired.

The Archie adventure was short, eventful, and funny... and it looks amazing too!

In just four pages a new character was introduced and... a new love story was implied! And it's not just a gratuitous cameo... this is a funny sequence.

The Saturday Morning Adventures (the de facto 87 story) looks amazing as usual, but I didn't find the story that interesting. However, it started a theme that would run across most of the stories in this special after this one: Master Splinter.

The 2003 story is a... loose canon?

Hun is Slash, and Shredder is back... so make of that what you want. All I'm going to say is that this felt a lot like watching the beginning of a 2003 episode, with the narration setting the tone.

The 2012 story was one of the least interesting in the previews, but I have to say... it was probably one of the best. It brought back a villain and it technically serves as an excuse to continue the series?

But to me the best thing about the story is the art. I am surprised Ciro Nieli didn't do more comic book work for the Turtles all these years. In fact, if they somehow decided to continue the 2012 universe in 2D in this style... I'm all in. Well, who am I kidding... I would be in anyway... but this looks amazing.

Andy Suriano did probably the most interesting story in the book. Now, I am not sure if his style doesn't translate well to static panels or what the problem is with the comic format... but it doesn't matter... this small story brought in a lot of things that ended on the editing floor after the show's second season was reduced to a few more episodes. There was a rumor about a female turtle, and not only it is here in all its glory, but there is also a brother?

And come on... it's so Lou Jitsu to die with a cliffhanger.

There are two IDW stories. One is another Splinter story, but the other one is perhaps one of the best in this book.

The Ronda Pattison story takes place just before the Armageddon game, and it shows the five turtles in full sibling dynamic (even Jennika). It was refreshing to see these turtles having fun for a change.

There are no stories by the new team, but... well... that's just starting.

[dirtyriver]

"Alone", preview of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 40th Anniversary Comics Celebragion, poem by Edgar Allan Poe illustrated by Peter Laird and Kevin Eastman

From childhood’s hour I have not been As others were—I have not seen As others saw—I could not bring My passions from a common spring— From the same source I have not taken My sorrow—I could not awaken My heart to joy at the same tone— And all I lov’d—I lov’d alone— Then—in my childhood—in the dawn Of a most stormy life—was drawn From ev’ry depth of good and ill The mystery which binds me still— From the torrent, or the fountain— From the red cliff of the mountain— From the sun that ’round me roll’d In its autumn tint of gold— From the lightning in the sky As it pass’d me flying by— From the thunder, and the storm— And the cloud that took the form (When the rest of Heaven was blue) Of a demon in my view—

[panzerdrako]

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

40th Anniversary Comic Celebration

"Mirage 1 Story"

[the-gershomite]

Eastman and Laird's Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Adventures #23

-August 1991- Archie Comics

"Search and Destroy"

script by Dean Clarrain

art by Chris Allan

inked by Brian Thomas

lettered by Gary Fields

colored by Barry Grossman

[graphicpolicy]

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and IDW celebrate 40 years this July

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and IDW celebrate 40 years this July #comics #comicbooks #tmnt

After the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (TMNT) made their debut in a black-and-white comic by Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird in 1984, the Heroes in a Half Shell went on to become a global phenomenon. Over the next forty years, countless talented people across the entertainment industry worked passionately with the beloved franchise, allowing adventures with new iterations of TMNT to consistently…

[culturedarm]

Culturedarm dips into contemporary classical music, picking out a handful of the year's best albums from the lustrous poetry and Coney Island rhapsodies of Alex Weiser to the stygian drones of Sarah Davachi and Christopher Cerrone's ode to the beauty and elegance of the Beaufort scale.

https://culturedarm.com/culturedarms-contemporary-classical-records-of-2024/

[ironsaguaro]

TMNT 40th Anniversary Comics Celebration! Creators From Across 40 Years ...

[urbaneturtle]

Review: IDW Publishing's Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 40th Anniversary Comics Celebration has something for everyone

Reviewing the everything you could hope for TMNT 40th Anniversary Celebration!

The name of this website and my general online presence was not consciously a reference to Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, but my love of the TMNT is well documented both on here and in every aspect of my public and private life. I’ve ragged on cash-in anniversary celebration issues in the past. They can often feel manufactured or arbitrary. But Ninja Turtles turning 40 feels like a genuine…

[tavolgisvist]

Chris Charlesworth, Paul's interview for Melody Maker and John's furious letter to Paul published in Melody Maker

I know, it's long read, sorry, but I need to figure out when all got wrong, because - just look:

John’s John. John wants to wipe everything away and start again, but in doing so he never wipes anything away. He wants it to be him and Yoko against the world, or whatever, but he`s still in with all the others, in with all the contracts and going into the meetings and everything.“He’s getting pissed off with it though – I sense it. I’ve had a couple of good conversations recently with just John, and I’ve felt a lot of common ground with him.* And I watched him on the Parkinson show, and really a lot of the things he’s into, we’re into as well.”

(Paul McCartney, Nov 1971, interview with Steve Peacock for Sounds)

*after John’s ‘Imagine’ with HDYS but befor John's letter to Paul in Melody Maker

There’s no hard feelings or anything, but you just don’t hang around with your ex-wife. We’ve completely finished. ’Cos, you know, I’m just not that keen on John after all he’s done. I mean, you can be friendly with someone, and they can shit on you, and you’re just a fool if you keep friends with them. I’m not just going to lie down and let him shit on me again. I think he’s a bit daft, to tell you the truth. I talked to him about the Klein thing, and he’s so misinformed it’s ridiculous.**

(Paul McCartney interviewed by student journalist Ian McNulty for the Hull University Torch, May 1972 [From The McCartney Legacy, Volume 1: 1969 – 1973 by Allan Kozinn and Adrian Sinclair, 2022)

**after John's letter to Paul in Melody Maker (published 4th Dec 1971)

What happened?

November 11th (or 10th), 1971 Paul says to Chris Charlesworth:

The joke is, though, that we don’t have to do trials. It’s not necessary. If the four Beatles signed a bit of paper, or even ripped the old contract up and said, “This contract is no longer valid, we all hereby said it, we all legally direct the shareholders…” the whole thing, to wind it all up, we could do it. And if that’s really what he wants, he could do it this minute. [snaps fingers] I’d prefer not to ever talk about the Beatles thing again in these kinds of terms, and just get on with what I’m doing. I really would prefer to do that. If they’d let me. It’s really down to them, you know. They don’t think it’s down to them. I think they think it’s down to me, somehow. Like he was saying, you know. But I don’t – I’m sure it isn’t. I’m in the minority, I’m being out-voted. And like I say, if the majority agreed to it, we could do it. See, I said [to them], “Look, the thing is, we’ve got all these advisors and all this sort of stuff. I think what would be good to do is the four of us just get a document – we don’t even have to meet for long, we just get some kind of document – and sit down and say, without even asking Klein, Eastmans, anybody, without saying to anyone, we’ll just write a little thing saying, ‘We hereby split up, and everything’s got to be shared by four,’ and then just lay it out on them. Say, ‘Here, now, sort it out.’” And I was saying that would be good. But John’s saying, “Oh, yeah, but that’s like asking us to stop the bombing in Vietnam.” What do you mean? Don’t put me – don’t call me the bloody American, I’m not the aggressor. That’s what I mean. They think I’m like – ’cause I’ve done the High Court action, ’cause I look like the aggressor, they’re sort of thinking of me in terms of America. But really, I’m Vietnam! I’m the one getting screwed, you know! I mean, they’re – I’m not… you know. We eventually decided we were all Vietnamese. [laughs]

And circa November 20th John reads in Melody Maker:

“I just want the four of us to get together somewhere and sign a piece of paper saying it’s all over, and we want to divide the money four ways.” “No one else would be there, not even Linda or Yoko, or Allen Klein. We’d just sign the paper and hand it to the business people and let them sort it all out. That’s all I want now. But John won’t do it. Everybody thinks I am the aggressor but I’m not you know. I just want out.”

November 11th (or 10th), 1971 Paul says to Chris Charlesworth:

I don’t want to go putting the other three down particularly. That’s – that’s my trouble really. I probably should. I probably should, really, just rant and rave and call them the biggest shits on earth, you know, because they’re certainly not cool, what they’re doing. [pause] But you know. They don’t believe – they don’t think what I’m saying is true. They think that I’m just pulling a fast one. Klein’s told them I’m trying to get control of the company and everything. He keeps saying, “He’s trying to get the song publishing” and all those kind of little red herrings everywhere. But I tell you, I just happen to know that the Eastmans just are… just more moral, than Klein. I mean, really, the reason that turned me on to them is they said they don’t ever sign people. They don’t sign people. They just get paid a fee. They don’t bother with the other fees. Just pay a fee. I just pay them a fee. ‘Cause I don’t like having everything in a sack. I’m not into them for anything. … He [Klein] sort of says, “Why? I’ll buy it for you, and I’ll give it to you.” Well, bloody hell, you know, he wants to get in with the Beatles so bad he’s got to give them big things to show them he’s a good player. But he’s not good enough. He’s not good enough, I don’t think. I don’t think he’s really really got it. I don’t think he’s really got the goods. I think he’s a fantastic talker, he’s a fantastic all of that, you know, and he’s told George and John that he’s got ’em Newsweek and Time. He told me all that, you know. He said, “I’m going to make the Beatles bigger than they’ve ever been.” But all I have to say is as far as I’m concerned, he’s never really come up with it. I mean, I saw him in his Playboy interview, he says, “McCartney said,” “McCartney rang up George…” He’s being careful, he sets the whole thing up in the interview. He says, “McCartney was asked to do the Madison Square Garden in aid of the Pakistani refugees.” [derisive laughter] You know, “pakistani refugees”. “McCartney was asked to do it, and you know what the guy said? He said, ‘Sure, I’ll do it! If you dissolve the partnership.’ What kind of shit is that?” That was Klein’s kind of thing. The main thing was I said to George that the reason I can’t do it is if I come it’s, “The Beatles have got together again.” And it’s the press, and it’s all that [inaudible], and it’s all for [Klein]! And his shares shoot up, and I… go and make him happy, you know. I mean, if I’dve gone, you never know, John might’ve gone, and the Beatles are together again, and for the press and the world that would’ve been your story, you know? So I’ve got to think that. I’m forced to think that way now. But you can say what I would’ve done had it not have been Klein in, you know. I don’t know. I might’ve easily done it. I might’ve done it. The fact of the matter is, Klein was in there, and the reason why I couldn’t do it was ’cause if I go do it, then I’m supporting Klein. Then he’s organising the contract, and all he has to do there is put in a little picture with the Beatles in Billboard next week, you know. But, Allen’s a nice fella, a good talker, and the others really dig him. They really like him. So you can’t say anything bad there, you can’t – you can’t tell them not to. I think I’ve made a mistake, actually, in trying to advise them. Every time I ring up I say, “Look, he’s had a million and a half, and you haven’t got it,” and I think it pisses them off. I think that also – I think they sort of secretly think I might be right, too.

When Let It Be came out, for the first time ever, there was a little bit of hype on the back of the Beatles album, and it said, “A new-phase Beatles album”. And what it really meant was… you know. “The Beatles have split.” But that’s what I object to. “A new-phase Beatles album” is what they put on the back of it. You see, that is to me, that doesn’t really sort of tell – I can’t, I don’t dig it, you know. I see John, and his whole sort of image is very honest and open and all that. And I’m sure, I know he is, you know! LINDA: He believes [Klein]! PAUL: He’s alright, John. But I mean he manoeuvred, and he knows he manoeuvred. He did a whole lot of it. He said in that Rolling Stone article [conducted by Jann Wenner], he manoeuvred all that Klein bit. And I don’t think anyone was really into manoeuvring at that time outside of John and Klein, you know. It was very definitely sort of a manoeuvre. It was done – like I said, “a new-phase Beatles album”, [and then be told to] sign a new contract just after we’ve been told we’re not gonna play together again. I said, “Well, isn’t that a bit silly?” And Klein said, “It doesn’t make any difference. You get a new royalty, if you don’t do any more stuff, you still get more [royalties] than you’ve made ever.” Now what I didn’t realise was yeah, that was all true, but you’d have to sign yourself up again. ... Like I say, I think it’ll just be a whole lot healthier when I do get out. Just for them, too. ‘Cause I don’t like all this stuff, where I’ve got to… Because if I read a thing, whereas I would have read it with some sympathy towards the Beatles and Klein, I can’t any longer. I read it – and I tend to see the other side of it, you know.

And circa November 20th John reads in Melody Maker:

Paul’s bitterness towards Allen Klein is obvious, but his attitude towards the other three Beatles seems more of concern than of dislike. He worries about their affairs but is tired of warning them. They are tired of his warnings, so Paul just wants to get out.

and

…Linda, whose hand is in constant contact with Paul. “He’s talking about money now. That’s one of his pet points. He’ll never stop. Denny and Denny are protesting, but there’s nothing I can do,” she says before I face the action.

and

“I said to George the reason I couldn’t do it was because it would mean that all the world’s press would scream that The Beatles had got back together again and I know that would have made Klein very happy. It would have been a historical event and Klein would have taken the credit. “I didn’t really fancy playing anyway. If it wasn’t for Klein I might have had second thoughts about it but I don’t know, really. Allen’s a good talker. The others really dig him, but I’ve made the mistake of trying to advise them against him and that pissed them off. I think they might secretly feel that I am right though.

November 11th (or 10th), 1971 Paul says to Chris Charlesworth:

Paul: I liked Imagine. Yeah, I think Imagine’s good. I didn’t like the others. CH: You didn’t like the others. Paul: No. Well, I just sort of give them one listen-through and see if there’s anything I can pinch. [pause] [John] says, “You live with straights.” Yeah… so what? What’s so criminal about that? You know, I like straights. I quite like some straight people. I have straight babies! [laughter] But saying to me ‘Yesterday’’s the only thing I’ll ever do, well… you know. That doesn’t bother me. Hey, it’s not bad. If it is the only thing I’ve ever done, then that’ll do me. But it isn’t! And he bloody knows it. It’s not the only ever thing. Because he’s sat here, in this very room, and he’s watched me do takes, and he’s dug it. And he knows it, you know. But he’s trying to sort of wipe it all away. John’s – John’s – you know. John’s John. ’Cause I talked to him, I had a couple of good conversations recently – with only John, really… But I felt common ground with him. I saw him on the Parkinson show, and really most of what he’s saying is what we’re into. What we want. 

And circa November 20th John reads in Melody Maker:

“John and Yoko are not cool in what they’re doing. I saw them on television the other night and thought that what they were saying about what they wanted to do together was basically the same as what Linda and I want to do“. “John’s whole image now is very honest and open. He’s alright is John. I like his ‘Imagine’ album, but I didn’t like the others. ‘Imagine’ is what John is really like, but there was too much political stuff on the other albums. You know, I only really listen to them to see if there is something I can pinch,” he laughs. CH: And how do you sleep? “I think it’s silly. So what if I live with straights? I like straights. I have straight babies. It doesn’t affect him. He says the only thing I did was ‘Yesterday’ and he knows that’s wrong.” Paul motions to the studio below. “I used to sit down there and play and John would watch me from up here and he’d really dig some of the stuff I played to him. He can’t say all I did was ‘Yesterday’ because he knows and I know it’s not true.” ‘Yesterday’, it seems, is a bone of contention with Paul; in fact, all the Beatles classics that he is associated with. He doesn’t own them but feels he ought to.

Why Chris wrote like that? I suppose, it (shit) happened because he was badly biased and unprofessional.

And you know what? November 20th not only Melody Maker publishes Paul's interview. Steve Peacock in Sounds tells very similar story. We can compare - and what we'll see?

Before John said he was leaving The Beatles I was lying in bed at home one night and I thought I would like to get a band together like his Plastic Ono Band. I felt the urge because we had never played live for four years. We all wanted to appear on a stage but not with The Beatles. We couldn’t do it as The Beatles because it would be so big. We’d have to find a million seater hall or something.

(Paul McCartney, November 11th, 1971, interview with Chris Charlesworth for Melody Maker) and

The night before John said he was leaving the group and all that, we were at home and it suddenly dawned on me “If everyone else doesnt want to do it, I’ll get my own band, even if it’s just a little country and western thing or something like Johnny Cash, just so I can get in there and have a sing.” Because thats all I wanted, just to play. … Everyone did really, everyone was trying to play, but no one wanted to do it with the Beatles.

(Paul McCartney, Nov 1971, interview with Steve Peacock for Sounds)

‘We hereby split up, and everything’s got to be shared by four,’ and then just lay it out on them. Say, ‘Here, now, sort it out.’” And I was saying that would be good. But John’s saying, “Oh, yeah, but that’s like asking us to stop the bombing in Vietnam.” What do you mean? Don’t put me – don’t call me the bloody American, I’m not the aggressor. That’s what I mean. They think I’m like – ’cause I’ve done the High Court action, ’cause I look like the aggressor, they’re sort of thinking of me in terms of America. But really, I’m Vietnam! I’m the one getting screwed, you know! I mean, they’re – I’m not… you know. We eventually decided we were all Vietnamese. [laughs]

(Paul McCartney, November 11th, 1971, interview with Chris Charlesworth for Melody Maker) and

“And John said, “Yeah, but that’s like asking us to stop the bombing in Vietnam.” We eventually decided that we were all Vietnamese, so that’s all right… “But I keep wanting to send him postcards saying ‘The war’s over if you want it’ – tell him what he’s saying. It’s just crazy, I’m sure the truth’s a whole lot more simple than it’s made out.”

(Paul McCartney, Nov 1971, interview with Steve Peacock for Sounds)

John’s – John’s – you know. John’s John. ’Cause I talked to him, I had a couple of good conversations recently – with only John, really… But I felt common ground with him. I saw him on the Parkinson show, and really most of what he’s saying is what we’re into. What we want.

(Paul McCartney, November 11th, 1971, interview with Chris Charlesworth for Melody Maker) and

“John’s John. John wants to wipe everything away and start again, but in doing so he never wipes anything away. He wants it to be him and Yoko against the world, or whatever, but he`s still in with all the others, in with all the contracts and going into the meetings and everything. “He’s getting pissed off with it though – I sense it. I’ve had a couple of good conversations recently with just John, and I’ve felt a lot of common ground with him. And I watched him on the Parkinson show, and really a lot of the things he’s into, we’re into as well.”

(Paul McCartney, Nov 1971, interview with Steve Peacock for Sounds)

Paul: I liked Imagine. Yeah, I think Imagine’s good. I didn’t like the others. CH: You didn’t like the others. Paul: No. Well, I just sort of give them one listen-through and see if there’s anything I can pinch.

(Paul McCartney, November 11th, 1971, interview with Chris Charlesworth for Melody Maker) and

“I liked ‘Imagine’, I didn’t like the others much. But really, there’s so much political shit on at the moment that I tend to play them through once to see if there’s anything I can pinch.”

(Paul McCartney, Nov 1971, interview with Steve Peacock for Sounds)

“We will start by just turning up at a place we fancy visiting and just playing a straightforward gig. We might use another name to keep it quiet. We have rehearsed and we can play live together. In fact, it sounds quite good. It doesn’t really matter that much. “I don’t want Wings to become a media group, with our signatures on knickers which are sold for promotion. I don’t like that now. I was happy with that situation in The Beatles, but it died in the end. We are starting off as a new band, but if we ever get to be huge like The Beatles it will be very difficult.”

(Paul McCartney, November 11th, 1971, interview with Chris Charlesworth for Melody Maker)

and

“With this band, we play good together live because nobody’s too hung up about what he’s playing. We’ll go round to Denny’s house and just sit there playing songs that we half-know. It’s good. “We don’t want to be a media group – we don’t want to go everywhere and plug everything and have knickers with our name on them and all that. That won’t work for me now – it’s all done. It was great while it lasted but it’s over now.” “Yeah, it was great, obviously, and I did enjoy it, loved it, but it got to be a bit tight at the end. It was when we got to be Beatles with a big B that things began to be difficult because even if we wanted to go out and play, how the hell could we do it? We’d have had to have done a big million seater thing, and that’s why I was suggesting them that we all just go away somewhere and play, like I want to do with Wings. Ricky and the Redstreaks at Slough Town Hall or something – and everyone turns up for the Saturday night dance and finds it’s us. “We’re all musicians, and the fun of being a musician is being able to play live to people. For us, it might be a year, it might be two years, or it might be next week. We don’t know, we might not even fancy going live in the end, and if that happens it’s all right too.

(Paul McCartney, Nov 1971, interview with Steve Peacock for Sounds)

My best playing days were at the Cavern lunchtime sessions. We’d go on stage with a cheese roll and a cigarette and we felt we had really something going. The amps used to fuse and we’d stop and sing a Sunblest bread commercial while they were repaired.

(Paul McCartney, November 11th, 1971, interview with Chris Charlesworth for Melody Maker) and

My best playing days were at the Cavern, lunchtime sessions, when you’d just go on stage with a cheese roll and a coke and a ciggie, and people would give you a few requests, and you’d sing them in between eating your cheese roll. That was great to me, I think we got something great going in those days – we really got a rapport there, which we never got again with an audience. And if an amp blew up or something, it didn’t matter, because we’d just pick up an acoustic and sing the Sunblest commercial or something – and they’d all join in.

(Paul McCartney, Nov 1971, interview with Steve Peacock for Sounds)

It seems like the same conversation, isn't it? But if it's so, Paul about HDYS said not “I think it’s silly. So what if I live with straights? I like straights. I have straight babies. It doesn’t affect him. He says the only thing I did was ‘Yesterday’ and he knows that’s wrong.” as it tells Chris in Melody Maker. Paul said:

“I think it’s silly. If he was going to do me he could have done me, but he didn’t. That didn’t phase me one bit. ‘You live with straights’. Yeah, so what? Half the f-king world’s straight; I don`t wanna be surrounded by hobnailed boots. I quite like some straight people, I’ve got straight babies. ‘The only thing you did was Yesterday’. That doesn’t bother me. Even if that was the only thing I did, that’s not bad, that’ll do me. But it isn’t, and he bloody knows it isn’t because he’s sat in this very room and watched me do tapes, and he’s dug it.”

(Paul McCartney, Nov 1971, interview with Steve Peacock for Sounds)

And not only this. Look,

Paul: “I thought ‘Go Now’ was fabulous. He came round to see me and brought a guitar and we played some things together and it was great. We just rehearsed a couple of numbers together.” It seems that, within reason, just about everybody plays everything on the album. The drums, naturally enough, are Denny’s main concern, although additional percussion is contributed by all. Paul plays most of the lead guitar – “I’d always fancied myself as a lead guitar” – while Denny plays harmony lead, chords and some bass. Paul too plays bass and mainly the basslines on the album have been overdubbed. Linda plays most of the piano and organ lines. “Linda isn’t very experienced so the keyboard parts tend to be very simple and that is, I think, very valuable. It has an innocence rather like a child’s painting,” said Paul.

(Paul McCartney, November 11th, 1971, interview with Chris Charlesworth for Melody Maker)

and

“I play all the lead guitar on the album,” said Paul, “except for a few places where Denny (Laine) and I play in harmony. I fancy myself as a guitarist, see. He did have a solo but I took it off him.” Denny smiled. Linda sings, writes with Paul, and plays a lot of keyboards. “I like what she does. Her style isn’t like that old, hard pro thing that’s got all the technique, but it’s like children’s drawings. That’s not a very good simile, but it’s got what children’s drawings have got… innocence.”

(Paul McCartney, Nov 1971, interview with Steve Peacock for Sounds)

Talk turned to Beatles live shows – or lack of them. “John wanted to do a big thing in Toronto but I didn’t dig that at all. I hear that before he went onstage for that thing he was sick, and that’s just what I didn’t want. Like anybody else, I’d have been nervous because of the Beatle thing.

(Paul McCartney, November 11th, 1971, interview with Chris Charlesworth for Melody Maker)

and

“My best playing days were at the Cavern… That was great to me, I think we got something great going in those days – we really got a rapport there, which we never got again with an audience… … “That was the stage with the Beatles I thought was best, and thats the way Id like to be able to play again – if a few people happen to turn up to a gig then its usually great, but if youre all sitting there like penguins waiting to judge me, then Im going to be nervous, and Im not going to enjoy it. Im not like John, who swallows his nerves in Toronto and be sick just before he goes on – that Im not going to go through thank you. Its not necessary, and if its not necessary, I`m not going to do it.

(Paul McCartney, Nov 1971, interview with Steve Peacock for Sounds)

I might be wrong but the Chris Charlesworth looks like a snake or like immature Mark our Lewisohn who loves to manipulate words for to get the truth as he imagine it. The Chris' truth is 'there was no love lost between Paul and the other three Beatles, especially John' and he pictures it. And his article led John to anger, he wrote the letter - and we all know what happened then.

So, may be he had any reasons to think that? May be he knew Paul and John many years and can see how much their relationship changed?

…I first met Paul on Monday November 8, 1971, at a party to celebrate the launch of his group Wings and their album Wild Life at the Empire Ballroom in London’s Leicester Square. He was wearing a loud check jacket and, like John would do, seemed much smaller in real life than I’d always imagined him to be. He was surrounded by people all night but at some stage in the evening I asked John Entwistle, another guest, to introduce me. I figured that since John was in the same trade he’d know Paul and sure enough he did. We managed to push past everyone and I had a brief chat, the first time I’d ever spoken to a real live Beatle. Me: “Why the Empire Ballroom on a Monday night?” Paul: “Why not?” Linda: “We thought it would be a nice idea to invite a whole lot of our friends to a big party where they could bring their wives.” Paul: “EMI are paying for it.” Me: “When will we hear Wings live?” Paul: “Well, it should be soon now. We want to start in a very small way, maybe do some unadvertised concerts or something.” As I would do two years later with John, I simply requested from Paul a more in-depth interview in the near future, and a session was granted for Wednesday, November 10 at Abbey Road Studios. The interview took place in the control room of Studio Two, the studio where The Beatles had recorded almost all of their songs. I tried not to show it but I was in awe not just of Paul but also my surroundings. Here it was, I remember thinking, that all four of them sat and listened to playbacks of everything from ‘She Loves You’ through Sgt Pepper to Abbey Road. If these walls could speak… Although ostensibly to promote his new band and album, the interview strayed into Beatles-related topics and I certainly came away with the impression that there was no love lost between Paul and the other three Beatles, especially John. This probably explains why my subsequent story in MM was headed “Why Lennon Is Uncool.” <…> This was the only substantial interview I ever did with Paul, although I would encounter him many times again over the years.

(Chris Charlesworth, 2014, 'PAUL McCARTNEY - Here There And Everywhere')

add to this

[geekcavepodcast]

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Celebrates 40th Anniversary

IDW Publishing is celebrating the 40th anniversary of Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird's debut of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles with a 40th Anniversary Comics Celebration. The 70-page one-shot will contain new stories and pinups from different TMNT eras. Creatives in the comic include Eastman, Jim Lawson, Ciro Nieli, Tristan Jones, Paul Harmon, Steve Lavigne, Andy Suriano, Ronda Pattison, Pablo Tunica, Freddie E. Williams II, Sophie Campbell, Tom Waltz, Michael Dialynas, Lloyd Goldfine, Khary Randolph, Emilio Lopez, Dan Duncan, Erik Burnham, Sarah Myer, Luis Antonio Delgado, Chris Allan, and more.

Covers for the issue include a primary cover with pencils by Laird that have been inked by Eastman, as well as covers by Sophie Campbell, Isaac and Esau Escorza, Simon Bisley, Michael Dialynas, Vincenzo Federici, Khary Randolph, Emilio Lopez, Michael Cho, Dave Wachter, and Ben Bishop (an IDW Exclusive).

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: 40th Anniversary Comics Celebration will hit comic shops on July 10, 2024. Fan can preorder the comic until June 3, 2024, at their local comic shop.

(Image via IDW Publishing- Peter Laird and Kevin Eastman's Cover of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: 40th Anniversary Comics Celebration)

[dirtyriver]

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 40th Anniversary Comics Celebration, 72-page one-shot featuring contributions by various creators associated to the series like Jim Lawson, Ciro Nieli, Tristan Jones, Paul Harmon, Steve Lavigne, Andy Suriano, Ronda Pattison, Pablo Tunica, Freddie E. Williams II, Sophie Campbell, Tom Waltz, Lloyd Goldfine, Khary Randolph, Emilio Lopez, Dan Duncan, Erik Burnham, Sarah Myer, Luis Antonio Delgado, Chris Allan and more.

Main cover by Peter Laird (old unused pencils) and Kevin Eastman, variant covers by Sophie Campbell, Isaac and Esau Escorza, Simon Bisley, Michael Dialynas, Vincenzo Federici, Khary Randolph, Emilio Lopez, Michael Cho, Dave Wachter, and Ben Bishop

[fridaythe13ththeseries]

Hate on Your Dial

Episode Recap #59: Hate on Your Dial Original Airdate: November 18, 1989

Starring: Louise Robey as Micki Foster Steve Monarque as Johnny Ventura (as Steven Monarque) Chris Wiggins as Jack Marshak

Guest cast: Michael Rhoades as Ray Pierce Vlasta Vrana as Sheriff Robert A. Silverman as Archie Pierce (as Robert Silverman) Melanie Miller as Margaret Pierce Martin Doyle as Steve Pierce Henry Czerny as Joe Nelson Richard Mills as Elliot Marc Gomes as Henry Emmett Gene Mack as Ben Wilten Jackie Richardson as Frances Jan Taylor Hendricks as Waitress / Edna (as Jan Waterhouse) Jamie Near as Young Archie

Written by Nancy Ann Miller Directed by Allan Eastman

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It is night time and we are at a modest home. Mr. Sandman on the radio. Two men in a garage cleaning an old car. They are brothers, Ray and Archie. Ray appears to be older and have special needs. His brother teases him. Their old mother comes into the garage with coffee. She doesn't like them reminiscing and leaves. Archie reads the date (May 17, 1954) on the photo, and Ray says it was "Black Monday" when "white folks got in trouble" and their daddy had "no choice."

Just then a little boy named Elliot shows up, admiring the car. Archie is happy to see him, but racist Ray reacts badly, knocking the fundraising candy out of the boy's hands. He pulls a screwdriver on Elliot, then shoves him, causing his engine parts to scatter. Ray gets even madder and pulls a shotgun off the wall, to frighten Elliot, who runs off. Ray says he'll get him another time.

Cut to credits.

Curious Goods, and a woman has brought a box of old items to the store for an appraisal. Johnny doesn't know what to offer, but they settle on $25 for the box. She leaves as Archie enters. He is browsing for a gift for his brother. Johnny takes a car radio out of the box he just bought and Archie identifies it as from a '54 Chevy. He says him and Ray have their daddy's '54 Chevy and Ray is always working on it. He wants to buy the radio, but he doesn't think he can afford it. Johnny gives him a good deal on it.

Next we are back in the garage, and Ray is finishing installing the radio his brother gifted him, saying it will now be just like when their daddy had it. But Archie says their father never drove it much, he went away cause he killed a man. Ray says the man was a "colored sharecropper" and thinks a black lawyer who got some mystery witness was the reason their dad got executed. Archie tells Ray he doesn't like how racist he is, especially to his friend Elliot. Ray says Archie may be slow, but he doesn't have to be stupid. He pulls out a photo album of their father in full KKK gear, and crosses they had burned. Ray obviously idolizes this time in history and his father's role in it.

At the store, Johnny is cleaning when Micki comes in. She says Jack's flight has been delayed a couple of hours. Johnny tells her about the car radio he bought and then quickly sold. Micki, already anticipating the answer, asks if he checked the manifest first. As she checks she finds a '54 Chevy radio listed. Johnny can't believe it and Micki seems to cut him some slack, but then Jack arrives home. From the looks on their faces, he knows it's bad news. Johnny says what he did, and Jack is frustrated at him. But Johnny remembers the car wash logo on Archie's shirt. Johnny and Micki head out, but Johnny stops to apologize again to Jack, who is clearly ticked off.

Next, we see Elliot playing alone at a basketball court. Ray pulls up in the old Chevy, clearly drinking as well. He gets out with his bottle, taunting Elliot, who doesn't trust him. Ray pulls a gun and shoots the hoop, then at Elliot's feet. Ray continues his racist rant, scaring Elliot as he waves his gun, shooting. Elliot is panicked and falls as Ray shoots again, this time hitting the kid. Ray touches him, gets blood on his hand and at the sound of police sirens, takes off.

Driving away, he is nervous and goes to turn on the car radio, getting Elliot's blood on the dials. This activates the curse, and the radio glows, then it envelops the car in a blinding light. Suddenly, Ray and the Chevy are in black and white, having traveled back in time. The radio says it is night in Mississippi as Ray cruises the streets, surprised. He stops the car and checks a newspaper, happy to realize where and when he is.

He goes in to a diner. He asks about his parents, and as the waitress gives directions, the place falls silent as a black man enters. He just wants to buy a loaf of bread, but the racist waitress refuses, telling him to go. He makes the mistake of grabbing her arm, and a man stands up, calling him "boy". He confronts the man, continuing the racist bull, even slapping the man. Fed up, the black man picks up the other and slams him in to a table, but the other man present gang up on him. Ray, who is loving all of this, hits the man himself until the sheriff arrives and pulls him off. He tells the black man to go, and merely chastises the group, Ray included. Another man introduces himself to Ray and buy him a shake.

Jack is still researching the radio when Micki and Johnny come back. They found where Archie works, but he won't be back until Monday. They also learned his name and that he has a brother, which further irritates Jack. Johnny tells him to rip his head off, but Jack is still snippy. Micki is shocked, Johnny says he look for it himself, but Jack calls out. He says he isn't angry with Johnny, just their situation, and that they done the same thing he did. Johnny says it all just keeps on happening.

Back to the past and Ray and his new friend are walking. Ray loves how "pure" the place feels and warns the other man things will change, going into yet another racist rant. He takes Ray to a meeting of men at a house. These men are already mad about the Supreme Court decision and think "their" colored people aren't unhappy and know their place. Ray realizes the man is his father when his wife comes in and recognizes his mother, pregnant with himself. Archie is there too, a young boy. Ray is introduced to his father and told what happened in the diner. He's invited along on their mission that night.

In the present, Johnny and Micki arrive and see Archie with his mother. Johnny says he wants to buy back the radio, but Archie says it's already in the car, and their mom says he's out driving and sometimes isn't back for days. They leave their card with Archie and leave, but decide to wait outside for Ray to return.

In the past, the men are in full KKK robes and burning a cross and an effigy of a judge to protest the end of segregation. They head off to teach the black man a lesson. Ray realizes what is about to happen is what got his father executed and tries to warn the men. But they say they'll kill the lawyer, too. Ray says they have to make sure they kill the woman who was a witness, too. The men agree, too amped up to understand what Ray's saying.

Later, they are dragging the black man, Ben Wilten, to a barn, his hands tied up and hooked up so they can beat him and lash him with a whip, just for touching the waitress. His hands get loose and he is able to hit the mask off, revealing the face of one man, and he is beaten more for that. He collapses and is whipped again.

Jack arrives at Micki and Johnny's stakeout with some food. He says he found some clippings Lewis had from 1954, and is thinking time travel.

Back in '54, the men are all hyped up from their attack, Ray included. He thinks maybe he changed things in his father's favor. They all drive off. As Ray drives, he notices Elliot's blood still on the radio. He wipes it off and him and the car are transported back to the present. Micki and the guys see his happen. Ray is pissed, pulling into his garage. Jack thinks Ray just came from the past.

Inside, Ray tells Archie to be quiet and asks his mother where his father is, hoping he changed things. But she says Mississippi hung him. Jack eavesdrops while Micki and Johnny attempt to slip into the garage. Ray says there was no witness back then, but he can't understand why their daddy didn't survive. Ray looks in the old album to see what the lawyer from back then looked like, so he can try again to change the past. Archie tries to talk to his brother, but Ray heads outside.

Micki sees Ray coming and her and Johnny hide. Archie keeps trying to get his brother's attention, but Ray ignores him and heads into the garage, saying he needs to kill another of his little black friends, shoving Archie, who realizes his brother killed Elliot. He grabs a hammer, but Ray takes it. Johnny and Micki try to get in as Ray beats his brother with the hammer. Johnny and Jack try to stop Ray as Micki goes to Archie. Ray jumps in the Chevy and wipes his brother's blood on the radio. It begins to glow and is transported back to Mississippi in 1954, this time with Ray, Johnny and Jack. Ray speeds off, leaving them in the road.

Ray goes to his parent's house, trying to warn his father to get out of town. His mother and Archie are their, and she listens as Ray tells them about the judge and what's going to happen. As Ray continues to try and get through to his father, Archie starts repeating over and over "Daddy killed a Negro." Ray tells his father this all going to ruin him unless they get the clan together to kill the lawyer. The man agrees and Ray goes to find the lawyer. Archie continues ranting and his father hits him hard, his mother too late to help.

Jack and Johnny are shocked to be in 1954, but Jack thinks Ray wants to change his father's fate. They see a commotion at the courthouse, townsfolk angry about the lawyer here to get justice for the murder of the sharecropper, Ben Wilton. The sheriff arrives to break things up. The lawyer, Henry Emmet, and he wants the sheriff to arrest the clan. But the sheriff wants him to have some witness or there is no case, but then goes on to threaten this supposed witness. Things break up, Johnny is shocked by this, but Jack says the present isn't much better.

Jack goes to speak to the lawyer, but the man and his friends are understandably wary. Jack tries to warn them about the men in town, and that his life is in jeopardy. But Emmet thinks Jack's warnings are really veiled threats. Jack is speechless.

In the present, Micki is telling the cops as much as she is able about Ray's disappearance after killing Archie. She tries to comfort the mother, who says she knew something like this would happen.

In the past, we see the mother comforting a hurt Archie. Ray arrives looking for his father, but she says he's at work. He is happy to have found the lawyer, but she isn't happy. She doesn't seem to carry the racism like her husband, and Ray. He asks what's up with Archie and she says his daddy hits him, and one day it will be too much.

Jack finds Johnny, who says he'll need a screwdriver to get the radio out. Jack says no, it is their only way home. They need to stop Ray before heading back. Johnny has the album from the car, and Jack recognizes some of the men from town. He takes off.

Later, after having shown the sheriff the album and identifying the man who killed Ben, Jack is surprised the sheriff doesn't head right off to arrest him. Jack then sees the clan dragging the lawyer into a car and goes to help, but is tossed into the car, too. The clan speed off.

In a field, with another cross on fire, the men in robes arrive and drag Jack and Emmet out. The grand dragon tells the others they also have a spy in their midst, who has been lying to them about helping. Johnny slips out of the trunk of Ray's Chevy. The spy is identified as Ray, who the man thinks is their to turn them in to the FBI. Ray is tied up as he protests.

Johnny hotwires the Chevy, turns it on and drives toward the group, causing them to scatter. He jumps out and shoots off the shotgun, and Jack tells Emmet they need to get in the car. Johnny again shoots the gun, stopping one of the men so they can drive off. The clan decides to deal with things here first, and tie up Ray and his friend from the diner, thinking they are traitors. They light the men on fire as Ray begs his daddy for help. As Ray burns, his father realizes the witness must be his wife.

After dropping Emmet off, Johnny and Jack drive the Chevy to where they arrived in the past. Johnny wipes the blood off the radio. The car glows and they go back to the present, appearing in front of Micki and the mother of Archie and Ray, who realizes both her sons are gone.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

My thoughts:

Heavy, to say the least. I wrote a huge summary because it felt wrong to leave off details here. But I hated writing so much of Ray's racist nonsense. Just felt so skeevy doing it. I can't fathom how a person could think that way about other people.

But Jack is right. Johnny calls the past bad, Jack says the present isn't much better, and here we are another 30 something years even from that and there are still monsters among us.

The time travel radio is cool, but the usage is so dark. Poor Elliot. Kid did literally nothing wrong, and Ray hated him. Sad, to say the least.

And Archie, too. I'm actually surprised his mother let Ray stay with them, when we find out she was the one who told about her husband in the past. I guess she ended up relying on Ray, but I'm surprised she didn't snap before then.

Weird how Ray's prophetic information was just laughed at by the clan. I would think the other men would have thought he was insane. And how shocked was the sheriff by the album when Jack brought it in. And who was taking the photos at those clan burnings?

I like how Micki was easy to cut Johnny some slack about the radio. Her and Ryan sold a ton of antiques when they first got to the store. But it made sense that Jack would be ticked off, at least at first. Johnny learned a lesson here, for sure.

Near the end, when the father had the thought of his wife being the witness, I thought we were going to see that the future had changed, but it apparently went no where. Odd to include that, then.

Dark episode. But kudos for the show in taking it on.

Next week: Night Prey

[thecomicsnexus]

TMNT: BLACK, WHITE, AND GREEN #1

May 2024

By Declan Shalvey, Dave Baker, Jesse Lonergan, Gigi Dutreix, Lorenzo Hall, Paulina Ganucheau , and Nathan Widick.

Four stories about our favorite mutant turtles.

SCORE: 6

I'm going to be fair here... I don't expect this book to score higher than 6. There are 4 stories in it, and the quality will never be consistent.

That's not necessarily a bad thing. If the book can keep itself consistent throughout its run, then I suppose that is a good thing.

Let's go over the positive stuff. Having a book like this is actually pretty cool. It allows for different voices to come in and do something with the franchise.

Anthology series are not new to the franchise, but this is not the same type of anthology. This is more akin to anniversary specials and event books (like "Shell Shock"). The nature of the book is great for indie artists to come in and experiment with Nickelodeon's toys.

Of course, bringing guest artists to do four stories about Donatello doing machines, demands the existence of a good editor, unfortunately, this book has an editor per story (kind of). So there is no unifying mind across.

And that includes the way the green is used. I get it, each artist uses it the way they find it more fitting. But there is one story in this book that simply didn't know what to do with it (it's all shades of green).

When I compared it to "Shell Shock" I think I hit the nail on what is missing with this book. The stories lack imagination and when they do have some of it... it just doesn't translate well into the art.

Okay, the snot turtle looks cool and reminds me of the turtle ice cream, but the story was a bit uninspired.

If I was one of these editors, I would make it a point to bring at least one veteran TMNT artist per issue to do a story (Lawson, Berger, Dooney, Lavigne, Murphy, Allan, Mitchroney, Farley, Bissette, Brizuela, Harmon, Eastman!, etc). Keep it 75% new artists, but bring one veteran artist to broaden the appeal. They might even inspire the new artists!

And I know that this may sound weird, since one of the stories involves Leo getting sucked into a fantasy world and becoming their protector, but between the confusing art and the deflated climax, things just didn't work out for me.

If you are wondering whether this book fits in any continuity, the answer is... I don't know, and it is probably better if it remains non-canon. If the editors want these artists to go wild, then I am fine with the book not staying in a particular continuity. At the same time, nothing would stop artists from making stories set in a particular universe (without saying so). I'm totally OK with this book becoming more experimental.

Perhaps they could put two stories per issue instead of four? Or break them down in two or three parts? I don't know... I would experiment with the length of the stories depending on the needs of the artist.

But I would definitely put one editor to supervise the whole book. We don't want four stories of Donnie trying to make something work... do we?

[if-you-fan-a-fire]

“CAREER OF ALLAN IS TOLD IN COURT,” Montreal Star. November 18, 1931. Page 23. --- Former Provincial Policeman Found Guilty of Robbery ---- SHERBROOKE, Que., Nov. 18 - (Star Special.) - A startling story of the activities of Frank Allan, of Lewiston, Maine, alias Joseph Renaud, ex-member of the provincial police force, was unfolded before the Court of King's Bench, yesterday, by Paul Larochelle, of Eastman, Que.. who faced the petit jury on a charge of theft from B. Martin Raymond B of Sawyerville. Starting from the time he had made Allan's acquaintance while serving a sentence in St. Vincent de Paul penitentiary, LaRochelle traced his relations with the detective during the past two years which terminated when the Pair were arrested in Coaticook in possession of a large quantity of fire-arms which had illegally transported to Canada. When he had completed his testimony, Larochelle. changed his plea and the jury returned a verdict of guilty, recommending clemency on account of the the accused had made of the matter.

Before the accused entered the witness stand on his own behalf, Martin, his brother, his nephew and a friend and Allan himself gave evidence on behalf of the Crown. Colonel Emile Rioux, counsel for Larochelle, did not cross-examine any until Allan testified. Then, by cross questioning, the the defense laid bare Allan's Then, record. The witness admitted that he had become a member of the force under the name of Renaud shortly after he had been released from the penitentiary, but denied that he was a a party to the Limoilou bank robbery which had occurred some time after his release. Allan claimed that the $500 worth of firearms which had been found in his possession when of firearms In his posses heerted chased at Colbrook. N.H., for $90 and not stolen from the Raymond Livernoin store at Brunswick, Me. Asked how he had brought the weapons lato this count country, Allan stated that he cached them be fore crossing the border himself and had then recovered them with the Intention of disposing of them In Canada. He denied that he had stolen a watch and money from Martin, explaining that he had found them. SUGGESTED BANK HOLDUP Larochelle testified that Allan had suggested robbing several banks in Quebec City. Bromptonville, Patrie and St. Edwidge and had perpetrated the robbery in the Livernois store are in Brunswick, Me., that he claimed since his arrest he had been threatened by Allan and the latter had even muttered "look out" as he left the witness stand. The accused swore that he had seen Allan rifle and the watch from Martin's pockets and further stated that his former companion had stolen an automobile in St. Georges de Beauce

Allan then faced a similar accusation and the same proof was used. The prisoner was undefended and called no witnesses on his behalf. He did not take the stand and the panel required but a few minutes to return a verdict of guilt. of the will be sentenced at the end of the term on two separate charges. They had previously pleaded guilty to charges of the illegal transportation of firearms into Canada.

Mr. Justice Charles D. White, presided in the absence of Mr. Justice Joseph Archambault who was detained in Montreal by bereavement In his family. Judge Archambault's absence had raised a problem in local court circles. Both the King Bench and Superior Court are scheduled to proceed today, but it is expected that the actions before the latter court will be postponed to allow the Criminal Assizes to continue.

[videomessiah]

Crazy Moon (1987)