#HTB-TMNT ⭐️ Directors Commentary

[heretherebeturtles-comic]

⭐ for the ask game. 😄

Here There Be - Director's Commentary

Chapter 1 - Part 2 (pages 5-9)

aka I had a dream about the turtles being hurt/sad/scared limping through a sewer being chased by something and it made me sad so I decided to inflict it on everyone else ( owo)b

MINI-SHELLDON!!! Donnie and SHELLY are completely running offline at the moment. Despite being disconnected from his larger mental server, the little guy is doing a good job scouting ahead and building a rough map for the turtles.

Pizza Rat <3

Page 5 - Panel 5 is where I first experimented with the painting style for the comic. I wanted a watercolour look, but a thicker paint look comes more naturally to me. Finding the right colour to fit the vibe took some time. I was originally going for a more sickly colour, but there is a lot to be said about the struggle of putting characters with green skin in a green environment.

Mikey walks ahead alone, impatient, pulling them forward. Leo supports a struggling Raph; by no fault of their own, the two dictate the slow progress forward. Donnie drifts behind, disconnected. Or maybe they are just walking in a sewer ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

In the movie, Leo wears his swords over his right shoulder, but here he has them at his hip and out of the way so Raph’s arm can rest over his shoulders. This is only partially because I kept forgetting to draw the weapons.

THIS PANEL ^^^ made me feel dizzy while I was working on it >:( I'm not quite satisfied with the final effect here, but I'm not really sure how I could have done it differently? I look forward to solving that puzzle someday with more experience.

Page 8 - The page where I felt bad \( T^T)/ what kind of monster would hurt them like this? Raph is trying his best to not worry his siblings, but oh buddy... Anyway, do you know how scary it is when your older sibling is injured? You can know that they are human and capable of being hurt, but that doesn't stop how earth shattering it can feel to see them fighting tears and down for the count. (my older sibling I know you just followed this blog, don't even worry about it, ilyyy)

In the series we see that they are all capable of lifting super heavy objects, Mikey in particular is comically strong, so the struggle here isn't being unable to lift Raph up, but in trying to support him while he struggles to stay upright despite his injuries.

I prefer stories where the characters get equal attention and screentime. Each and every turtle is going through multiple things the same time even if it's not stated outright, don't even worry about it :)

Page 9 - OH boy, some of the faces on this page are so rough and off model, but redoing the first chapter is the comic killer. Returning to improve the beginning of a story is an endless cycle of perfectionism and the reason many web comics and fanfics end. Plus! I think its cool to be able to look back and see the progress! To watch page by page as a comic artist's skills grow over time!

My storytelling style, while frequently lighthearted and silly, is a bit more down to earth than ROTTMNT's usual high comedy tone. I'm glad folks seem to be vibing with it so far!