#TCRI

[indieyuugure]

(Ink-tober/TMNT-tober 5: Map/Adventure)

The boys’ mission of trying to investigate the Kraang and their origins gone very wrong. They definitely weren’t expecting a reality defying maze of corridors that send you walking in circles indefinitely, lol, they’ll figure it out eventually.

Leo’s inner monologue: “can you retire at 16?”

[phoebepheebsphibs]

I just now discovered that within the TMNT universe there is a company called "TCRI" which stands for "Techno Cosmic Research Institute" and in many iterations they are responsible for the mutations of the turtles.....

dang I wish I'd have known that earlier

[turtlesoup1990]

"The little ones were crawling into a strange glowing ooze from a broken canister..."

[tmnt-raph-fan-art]

Sketchbook class 2024 Prompt: Limited colour

[deebrisbyfish]

An Abandoned Homage...

So, it’s no secret that I LOVE making homages to my favorite cartoonists and comic artists for “Finding Dee”. I’ve done a bunch for strips that inspired me such as “Garfield”, “Peanuts”, “Calvin & Hobbes” and more. I’ve also done a few for different styles of comics, like the work of Mike Mignola, Walter Simonson and even Al Williamson. Those, however, are a little different. In those, the “model” for my cartoon avatar is basically still the way I draw it, with the rendering style of the artists I admire pasted over them. Those are kinda more… style OVERLAYS as opposed to direct style homages. And, it turns out, there’s a very good REASON for this. A reason that became abundantly clear with a strip idea that has since been abandoned. See the above piece… That was to be an homage to Frank Miller’s classic “Batman: The Dark Knight Returns”. It was a massively influential book on me and one I had a script for a strip that I wanted to homage. This was… to put it mildly… as far as I got. This was the 3rd attempt, with the first two having proportions MUCH closer to Miller's famous cover of issue #2 of DKR. Those I outright loathed seeing, so I altered the proportions more to my own model sheet, trying instead to just overlay the rough, craggly line style Miller used on the comic. This was coming out fine, but was causing me some AGRESSIVELY uncomfortable gender dysphoria drawing. I couldn't look at it without seeing the image I really try to NOT see when I look in the mirror, and not in a good way. It was making me hear every jerk and transphobe snickering in the back of my mind, and that is NOT a good or healthy thing. I poured over Miller’s work, and found a remarkably thin selection of women that weren’t his specific brand of hyper-sexualized cartooning or… well… women that looked like bloated tree trunks. There was not a lot of middle ground. I did not want to draw an entire comic strip where, in order to homage the Dark Knight Returns, I had to draw myself like a gnarled, knotted rhino-mutation. That would NOT do well with my sense of self-esteem. I mean, I’m not always kind to myself in cartoon form, but I’m not this:

Curse you, TCRI!!

Now, and I say this KNOWING it will be more controversial, this is the same reason I’ve yet to pull off a Jack Kirby homage. I could homage his stylistic quirks and rendering style, but to try and draw MYSELF like a Kirby woman would be… unsettling. The King drew a LOT of lovely ladies, but anyone that wasn’t a pin-up model started looking a smidge on the... rough side, too. So, if you’re wondering why I almost EXCLUSIVELY homage comic STRIP and cartoony artists when I do homages, this is a BIG part of why. I don’t mind drawing myself like a potato. I just don’t want that potato to look like it was grown in Chernobyl.

[leisi-lilacdreams]

when you have free time at work and access to autocad and feel like dusting off old cad skills from 10+ years ago to model something so you can use it to make new merch.....

normal adult things ovo

[bobauthorman]

(Twilight Zone theme plays)

[radarrider87]

Just a little Mikey doodle for fans of the 2012 show. Greg Cipes' performance is fantastic, of course, and the mixed media, stop-motion look of the show is so cool. Plus, Rob Paulsen is back? Yes, please!

Original ink drawing (RadarRider87)

[shadowwingtronix]

"Yesterday's" Comic> Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #7

BW's "Yesterday's" Comic> Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #7

Leave it to the Turtles to turn the pineapple topping debate into…this. By the way, how are anchovies doing? Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #7 Mirage Publishing (March, 1986) WRITERS/ARTISTS: Kevin Eastman & Peter Laird LETTERER: Steve Lavigne Continue reading Untitled

[soulscamper]

My new TMNT SHAKER KEYCHAIN will be for sale next month! 🐢🐢🐢🐢✨

Im going to sell it at events this year, but I thought I’d post it here in case anyone was interested in it

I have more tmnt related merch but I was not sure of posting it here 🐢🐢🐢🐢

[galactickit]

"Smoke and Mirrors"

Leo when he's a bit older and a bit more powerful. It's not a great descriptor of what this move entails, but that'll come later >:3

Also I'm gonna try and be more active here now that Elon is apparently just feeding every post into his new AI. Uh, my art ain't goin' in there MuskMan. Ick.

[bulbabutt]

so this armoured truck chasing the turtles isnt the police its TCRI but wait! whos that!

could that be CYNTHIA UTROM?

[phoebepheebsphibs]

Double-Mutated Mikey

Chapter 37: Autophobia

Continued from the short story written by @boots-with-the-fur-club

Prev || Next

The vehicle pulls into the garage and after the driver swipes a keycard, they are taken down below to a sublevel. April watches nervously through the window as they go lower and lower and lower. The parking garage gets darker and darker and darker... unnatural light hits the walls at odd angles and gives the entire area a sense of growing dread, like being trapped in a fever dream. April starts to get sick from the constant driving down in a circle motion. Eventually the van parks. A few EPF guards open the doors, and everyone is directed inside. It's a dramatic change, from a dirty and dark stone and concrete world to one of blindingly bright fluorescent lights in an icy cold hallway made of white walls and floors.

"Have they assigned you to a sector yet?" Dr. Finn asks April, placing a hand on her shoulder.

"No," she responds as casually as she can.

"Well, you can stick with me until they do," Abigail says with a smile. "Come on, we've got work to do."

"On the guys? Uh, I mean, turtles?"

"Not yet. But hopefully soon!" Dr. Finn answers. "For the moment, we'll be conducting some research on Mikey's bloodwork. We also got a few samples from the others, thanks to him."

April shivers.

"How... how do you know his name is 'Mikey'?" April asks. "I mean... if he never spoke, how'd you come up with that name?"

"I think the story is that when they initially captured him, he had a cellphone and was calling someone. Probably even those mutants we have now. While he was on the phone, one of the doctors heard someone on the other end call him 'Mikey'. After detaining him, they found weapons on his person that also had the name 'Mikey' carved into them, so--"

Dr. Finn is interrupted by a hand that stops her. A woman in a tight dress and pulled back hair stands in their path, holding up a single hand as she stares them down.

"Ms. Campbell!" Dr. Finn gasps. "I didn't see you there. What do you want?"

"Who is this accompanying you?" Ms. Campbell asks, eyeing April carefully.

"One of the interns, she -- actually, I didn't quite get your name?"

"April... O'Neural?" she offers.

"April O'Neural," Dr. Finn repeats with a nod. "She wasn't assigned anywhere, so I was going to take her with me."

"That won't be necessary," Ms. Campbell says with a smile. "I'll take it from here. I'm sure I can find where she's been sanctioned."

"Oh. Very well then," Abigail shrugs, leaving April with Ms. Campbell.

April follows nervously after the strange woman until she directs her into a long corridor. Something doesn't feel right...

"Uh, where does this lead--"

"MOVE."

April is shoved forwards. When she tries to run back the way they came, the woman grabs her by the wrist and forearm and pulls her along. April finds that the lady is practically carrying her, walking swiftly with a scowl on her face. There's something cold and unnatural about her eyes...

Ms. Campbell drags April to a door at the far end, opening it to reveal a man in a white coat sitting behind a desk.

"Ah, Ms. Campbell. Who is this?"

"She came in under the pretense of being a newly hired intern. I ran facial recognition and found no matching ID within our system. But she did come up as a companion to the turtle mutants we found, based on security footage from the past two years."

April stares at Ms. Campbell in shock. How did she--?!

"Ah, I see. Does she have a name?" the man asks.

"April O'Neil, according to her college ID, job applications, resumé, drivers license, Warren Stone fanclub membership, and birth certificate."

"Wait, h-how -- where did you--" April stammers, before being interrupted by the man behind the desk.

"Thank you, Ms. Campbell. We can assume she's here for our new subjects. I think it would be wise to place her in our detention ward for now. A missing person will attract unwanted attention, but she can't be allowed to reveal anything. Hmm... inform Dr. Timothy that we'll be conducting neural surgery with the purpose of memory erasure within the next two days."

"HOLD UP!" April shouts. "You can't just do that! I have rights, this is illegal! This is crazy, and --"

"Sweetheart, we're above the government," the man says with a sneer. "I can do anything I want. That will be all, Ms. Campbell."

"Yes sir, Dr. Chaplin."

April is dragged away kicking and screaming and shouting some very targeted four-letter words describing various places they can visit and exactly where they can shove their insane ideals.

.

.

.

"...And that's what happened," CJ says, gasping for air after the long explanation he just went through. "Everyone's at the new site on Staten Island!"

"Then that's where we'll be going, too," Splinter says with a determined nod. "My boys need me."

"But--"

"And me," Cass says, whipping out her hockey stick and mask with a flourish. "There's no way that I'm being excluded from this fight!"

"What about you, Draxum?" Splinter asks, turning towards his former nemesis.

"Of course," the sheep Yokai says, a deep and guttural anger in his voice. "These humans are a scourge. They will plague the rest of humanity with their crimes unless we stop them."

"I'm not sure the Baron or Master Splinter should come," Casey interjects. "If these guys are hunting down mutants and Yokai, it would be better for you two to stay here."

"I will not abandon my sons--!" Splinter argues, before Draxum places a hand on his shoulder.

"...He's right," Draxum growls. "I hate to admit it, but if we go in, it is possible that we may make the situation worse."

"How can you say that?!" Splinter shouts. "I thought you cared--!!"

"I do. But I also care about the Yokai and Mutant populations. Their very existence is in threat, and I will do whatever I can to assist their safety. We can help from afar, though, running surveillance with Donatello's technology and providing the transportation when needed. And, I can assist in one other way..."

Draxum takes Casey Jr.'s hand and places a tiny vial of glowing blue liquid in his palm.

"Is... is this the cure?" Casey asks.

"It is the prototype, but it should work," Draxum says quietly so Splinter doesn't overhear his slight uncertainty. "I used his blood as a base for the formula to avoid, but the majority of this formula is actually an anti-serum variation of the chemicals O'Neil discovered."

"That illegal herbicide?" CJ asks, eyes wide. "Won't that kill him?"

"No; as I stated, I've altered it to ensure it will not destroy any of his originally mutated DNA. It will target everything else, especially the Krang."

"Will it hurt him?"

"If it's working properly, he should be in excruciating pain. But it won't damage him, if that's what you're worried about," Draxum says glibly. "But be careful with it, that's the only formula I have. I would hope you don't need to use it so soon, but if worst comes to worst -- administer the retro-mutagen to him. I suspect that the TCRI won't want him as badly if he's no longer their monster..."

"Okay... how do I administer it?" CJ asks.

"Inject it directly into his bloodstream. It should take immediate effect."

"Got it," CJ nods, taking the vial and placing it in his fanny pack. "Now... let's go save our family."

.

.

.

"Let me go!" April shouts as Ms. Campbell carries her down through the TCRI building.

Eventually, they arrives at a floor filled with dimly lit glass rooms and grey linoleum flooring. Fluorescent blue lights offer minimal luminance, casting long shadows down the corridors. Ms. Campbell walks down the hall, opens a door, and flings April inside. She lands with a thud against the wall, her back aching from the impact. Even still, she gets up immediately with a battlecry and runs to the door. It shuts with a loud clang, the glass walls glazing over until they become blurry and semi-opaque. April watches the silhouette of Ms. Campbell leave.

"Hey! Don't you walk away from me! Open this door!!" April shouts, banging her fists against the cell door.

"Who's that?" a voice from the next cell over asks hoarsely.

April flinches and turns to find the voice. Through the strange smoky glass, she can see a small figure sitting limply against the wall in the room beside her.

"Who are you?" April asks quietly, stepping away. "What are you doing here?"

"My name's John," the voice responds quietly. "John Bishop."

"You're the secret agent Casey told us about," April gasps.

"You know Casey?"

"Yeah, I do. He said we could trust you."

"'We'... so, you know Mikey and his family too, huh?" Bishop chuckles. "Are they okay? Did they....... they're here, aren't they?"

"...Yeah..."

"They found him. And they caught his brothers too?"

"...Yup."

"And you came here to rescue them?" Bishop asks, his voice conveying his surprise. "By yourself?"

"Well, no... to be honest, nothing's gone according to plan. We came to get Mikey after they tricked him and kidnapped him again. But... I think they used some funky machine or whatever on him. I heard one of the scientists say that they made him fight his brothers..."

"The A.L.P.H.A. device," Bishop sighs.

"What is the A.L.P.H.A. device thingy?" April asks.

"It's essentially a mind-control machine for anyone infected with Krang. They used it on Mikey the day he was taken back by his family," Bishop explains.

"Why would they make that?" April asks. "I mean, obviously mind control does not sound like a good thing, right??"

"They don't care about good or bad here, in case you missed it," Bishop groans.

He hisses, and April can just catch his blurry figure clutching his side.

"What... what happened to you? What did they do to you?" she asks nervously.

He chuckles, the laugh turning into a cough.

"Don't worry about me," he sighs. ".It's just a calling card from the EPF and TCRI. Besides... I might deserve it. I saw what they were doing to Mikey and I did nothing to stop it... I knew it was wrong. But I let them get away with it all... And now this is karma."

"Look, karma or not, you did the right thing in the end," April responds. "And that's gotta count for something. I know a few people who've made some pretty messed-up life choices, but when the time came, they chose right, and it changed everything for them."

"I bet they didn't end up in a cage..."

"Well, no. One guy got his soul sucked out and went from being a warlord living in luxury to a lunch lady undergoing physical therapy in a run-down apartment. Another finally got the thing she always wanted, but discovered her victory wasn't so great after all. But they both decided to do the right thing, and change their ways, and fight for what was right."

Bishop leans his head against the wall.

"Well... good for them."

"Now come on, we need to get out of here."

"I've been here for days, kid. There's no way out unless someone on the outside releases us."

"We have to try!" April yells back, kicking at the door.

"...Keep hoping, kid. Maybe you'll find a way before it's too late..."

.

.

.

"Uugggghhhh..."

Leo groans once he realizes he's conscious. His head pounds, there's a throbbing pain on the right side of his temple. He presses a hand to it as he tries to sit up.

"Leo?"

His eyes open sluggishly, slowly. At first he's not sure that he's even opened them, the room is so dark. But once his vision adjusts, he sees that he's trapped in an iron cage. Raph is trapped in a separate cell across from him; the cage is much too small for the mutant snapping turtle. Donnie is in a cage to Leo's left, fidgeting with the wraps on his hands. His headgear and battle-shell have been removed.

"Guys...? Is everyone okay?"

Donnie huffs, an empty laugh. Leo sees his hands shaking. Ever since his experience on the Krang ship, Donnie has been extra uncomfortable without his protective shell. And in a place like this, with danger all around them, Donnie's anxieties are only doubled.

"We're fine," Raph answers half-heartedly. "Everyone is okay, no damage done... How are you doin'?"

"Ohhh... my head," Leo groans again, the room spinning softly. He leans against the bars to steady himself. "Mikey really got me with that kick--"

Raph clears his throat, a warning for Leo.

Why? What is he --

Leo suddenly hears sniffling. A quiet, stifled sob. It's coming from a cage further away in the far corner of the room.

"Oh. Is he... Mikey's in here too, huh?" he whispers.

Raph nods sadly.

We woke up some time before you did. Mikey's... he's having a rough time. He knows what he did. Apparently Dr. Chaplin told him everything.

Everything...?

Be gentle, Donnie adds.

Leo tries to get up, but finds that his ankles are bound with heavy shackles and chains. He can't really stand, and even if he were unbound, his headache and possible concussion would have still been a deterrent.

"Mikey? Buddy, you okay?"

Mikey doesn't respond. In the darkness, he can just barely see him curl into a ball, clutching himself tightly as he cries.

Leo crawls in his direction, hands and knees scraping the floor as he drags himself to the edge of the cage.

"Mikey, I know you can hear me. Are you alright? Are you hurt?"

Mikey stifles a sob.

"I... I hurt you..."

"You didn't mean to. That wasn't even you, Mikey!" Leo retorts. "It's okay, we'll find a way out of here."

"But... I-I deserve to be here..." Mikey whispers. "He was right... he was always right, I am a monster... I'm nothing but a monster... I hurt you, I only ever hurt, kill, destroy... I even destroyed myself... I destroyed my family..."

"Mikey--"

"I'M NOT MIKEY!" he shouts back, turning back to glare at Leo, his eyes sparking light in the darkness. "I'M JUST THE MONSTER HE LEFT BEHIND! I am not Mikey, I'll never be Mikey again after this! I can't be! I ruined it, I ruined him, I ruined everything! I'm not even your brother anymore!"

Leo reels, trying to find an argument he can use. He's too stunned to say anything... fortunately, his brothers tag team the conversation.

"Mikey, you're still our brother! Just because you... did that... doesn't mean we don't still want you!" Raph responds.

"But I don't want me!" he weeps. "Don't you get it?! Don't you understand?! I know you think I'm a monster! You'll never be safe with me around, a-and I'll never be who you want me to be! I can't! You don't know what I did, you don't know what I had to do --"

"Mikey, I saw the footage," Donnie interjects calmly. "We all did. We know everything."

"...Then you know I'm right," Mikey sighs, curling back up into himself, his back turned to them all. "I really am a monster. You... you all would have been better off without me."

"Never!" Leo shouts. "Mikey, you gotta stop thinking like that! You're still a member of this family! We'd do anything for you--"

"JUST STOP IT!" Mikey shrieks, his tail barbing in anger. "Just STOP! I don't WANT YOU TO! I hate this, I hate me, I want you to stop!! Stop lying to me!!"

"Lying?"

"I know you all wish I was the Mikey I used to be! I know you're scared of me, scared of what I do and why and how!! You say that I'm not broken -- HOW CAN YOU SAY THAT?! How can you say that I'm not broken and scarred and destroyed -- You're all acting like you want to pretend that I'm not different anymore, but I AM! I'm NOT Mikey anymore! I'm not, I'm not, I'm not, I'm... I'm not.... I...."

Mikey sobs as he buries his face. Leo can see Raph start to cry as well, hiding his own face in his hands to keep them from seeing. Donnie sits frozen in place, staring wide-eyed at Mikey's outburst.

"I... I'm not your brother anymore. I... I killed him. He's gone. He died."

"...Mikey..." Leo tries, his voice hushed and cautious. "...M-Mikey, please... we didn't... I didn't mean to make you feel like... I-I'm sorry, Mikey, I'm so sorry..."

Mikey's tail wraps around himself.

"...You shouldn't be. This is all my fault. I shouldn't have yelled, I... I just wanted.... I thought that maybe I could be better, for you, I... but I should have known. All I'll ever do is hurt you… You'd be better off without me. I'm just the monster."

Leo feels tears running down his face, as Mikey starts to feel even farther and farther away. The yards between them become miles apart, countries, worlds... until Mikey is lost in his own Prison Dimension, and Leo can't reach him anymore.

"...It's all I'll ever be."

Prev || Next

[baxterstockmanisthecenterfold]

Stockman's businesses over the years

[ask-maplessleo]

"Something else might come through!"

"What do we do now?!"

"Leatherhead! Something else is coming through!"

"We'll be back."

[oddly-casual]

I love her with all my heart and soul but genuinely what was she thinking trying to walk into an isolated space where a thief stole her scooter and she was just gonna???ask for it back???