TMNT Tuesday is back, and this week’s column digs into the creative mind behind one of the franchise’s most intriguing recent additions: Fugitoid. From childhood fandom rooted in the ’87 cartoon and classic toys to shaping a brand-new take on the character, Andrew Joustra walks us through how a lifelong love of the Turtles turned into an opportunity to leave his own mark on the mythos. Joustra’s run on Tales of TMNT kicked off with issue #4, along with exceptional art by Louie Joyce.
Answering your fan questions, we get insight into the characters he’s always wanted to write, the design choices behind Fugitoid’s updated look, and how deep the well of TMNT inspiration really goes.
But that’s just scratching the surface. This week’s answers also tease bigger questions about the world of Tales of the TMNT, including where characters like Bishop fit into the larger power structure, whether Fugitoid’s story is far from over, and which fan-favorite characters could appear next. There are even a few fun hypotheticals, from dream voice casting to who would win in a clash of machines. As always, it’s a mix of behind-the-scenes detail and forward-looking hints, with plenty for longtime fans to latch onto.
That’s not all, get an exclusive look at two unlettered pages from Tales of the TMNT #5 (out April 15th)!
Without further ado, let’s dive in!
Courtesy Paramount/IDW
carceralityTiffany asks: How did your love of Turtles start?
Andrew Joustra: I saw some of the ‘87 cartoon as a kid and had the 1990 movie on VHS, which I loved. My parents got me some of the toys for Christmas one year and I think that’s what really drew me in. Then, when the 2003 show came out, I got into it even more and started reading some of the old comics. It’s been a thing I’ve loved and gone back to throughout my life, so now getting to be a part of it is pretty incredible.
Polaris asks: Are there any characters you’ve always wanted to write?
AJ: In the world of TMNT, Fugitoid is quite honestly the one I wanted to write the most. He’s my favorite character from the franchise, so I’m still in awe that I got to help create a new version of him.
Outside of TMNT… so many. I have a handful of originals that I’m hoping I’ll get to write at some point. But just to name a few from other IP (in no particular order): the Power Rangers, Godzilla, Samus Aran, Terry McGinnis, Optimus Prime, and Geordi La Forge.
Fugitoid, from Tales of TMNT #4.
Courtesy Paramount/IDW
OtterFan asks: Is Bishop part of the EPF in the comic? If she is, is she higher than Blanque in the hierarchy or lower? Or are they on the same level? Why doesn’t she have the insignia? If she isn’t, why? She was recruited for the show.
AJ: Bishop is part of the E.P.F. at this point. I think Blanque might be a little higher in the chain of command, but they’re in different departments. Bishop is in research and development (not a field agent at this point), which is why she’s not wearing a tactical uniform. After Honeycutt destroyed his research, Bishop was brought in to try to piece together what was left to recreate his menta-wave helmet. She was eager to help because of its potential capability to control mutants telepathically.
Felestina asks: Really enjoying your take on the Fugitoid so far, so I can’t help but ask: Will we see the guy again after Fugitoid Frenzy is over? Perhaps more comics, or, better yet, a cameo in the next movie? (I know you can’t tease anything about the sequel yet, but still)
AJ: I don’t want to spoil anything, but I think it’s safe to say you’ll see him again in the comics. Beyond that, I’m not sure. I’d love to do more stories with him (whether it’s in this continuity or another one). I think a manga-inspired graphic novel would be a lot of fun. But that all depends on how much demand there is for more Fuguitoid stories, so if you want to see more, please pick up the comics!
Pickle asks: Does Fugitoid run on Windows, macOS, Linux, or an old IBM?
AJ: Haha – I think before Zayton’s consciousness was transferred, it would have been running on a proprietary operating system.
Mason Everstone asks: Do you think characters like Shini/Shinigami (from TMNT 2012 and just made her debut in TMNT IDW, Alopex, Tigerclaw, more of Scratch and/or Hobbs, Casey, Slash, Karai, Leatherhead, and/or etc.) might show up in the Tales of the TMNT comic?
AJ: You never know! It would be fun to see a lot of those characters in this world, so hopefully we can make it happen.
Blake! Asks: Having also written Chrome Alone, do you think Fugitoid & Chrome Dome could get along? If not, who’d win in a fight?
AJ: They would not get along at all, haha. Chrome Dome would view Fugitoid as some kind of lesser machine because of his human consciousness. Fugitoid would resent Chrome Dome for stealing other people’s ideas (and trying to kill his friends).
As for who would win in a fight… if you keep reading the Tales comic, you just might get an answer.
A moment from the Chrome Alone 2 trailer.
Courtesy Paramount
Feletina asks: Which TMNT villains (aside from already established ones) you’d like to reimagine in TOTTMNT?
AJ: I think Armaggon would be a fun one. Slash, Lord Dregg, and Granitor are also high on my list.
Genesis B. asks: Who are the Turtles’ favorite artists and singers? Like, I think they talked about Shakira when Mikey said -Yo quiero conocer a la que factura- in the Spanish dub, so it makes me curious haha. Thank you for reading this and goodbye :3
AJ: Great question! I’m not sure about all of them, but we know Donnie likes BTS from Mutant Mayhem. I would imagine he also likes The Pillows or Radwimps. At one point, we had him listening to the Evangelion theme in the movie (but that got cut at some point). I feel like Mikey is into all kinds of music and could absolutely see him vibing to Shakira.
MushroomGrenade asks: There are new characters in the comic! And Fugitoid! Just out of curiosity, if you can pick, who would you like to voice these characters?
AJ: Definitely Honeycutt/Fugitoid since I put a lot of myself in this version of the character and wrote his dialogue similar to how I talk.
Blake asks: Did you have any input in the design of Fugitoid? It being based predominantly on the original toy’s design is quite a unique decision compared to the other versions of him we’ve seen throughout Turtles’ history!
AJ: I did! That was one thing I was very insistent on, and thankfully IDW/Paramount indulged me. I love that original Playmates toy and wanted to use its color scheme and some of the more “homemade” looking aspects of it. Our design philosophy on the movies has always been to look at those classic toys for inspiration first, and I wanted to continue that into the comics.
I’m not a very good illustrator, but I did several mockups of what I had in mind and wrote up detailed notes that I sent to Rustam Hasanov, who was a character designer for the Tales TV series. He went off and did a handful of designs, and I sent notes back until we landed on the final one, which I was thrilled with.
Rustam Hasanov’s design.
Courtesy Paramount/IDW
Otter Fan asks: What happened to Zayton’s family, and can I adopt him if they don’t want him?
AJ: Sadly, we didn’t have much time to explore Zayton’s family, but he will mention them briefly in issue #6! The E.P.F. covered up Zayton’s “death,” claiming it was an accident, so at the moment, they are under the impression that he’s gone for good.
With your answers to your questions read, check out two unlettered preview pages from Tales of the TMNT #5, out April 15th! Wait, is that Zog in action!?
And that’s a wrap on TMNT Tuesday #53! Stay tuned, readers, as we have editor Jake Thomas’ answers on the way, and the column is always good for exclusive art!
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