One of the most popular comic book series of all time has roots that run deep right here
in western New England.
For decades, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles comics were produced out of Mirage
Studios in Northampton, with its artists relocating to the area and making it home.
Since Viacom purchased the rights to the Turtles in 2009, some have moved on to new
ventures, including one who's keeping his art alive for anyone who wants to have it
forever. Connecting Point's, Ross Lippman takes us to Easthampton and the shop where
he's gone from turtles to tattoos.
Moms don't like tattoos.
When I got my first one, I don't think she talked to -- I don't think she spoke a word
to me for like, two weeks.
Inside Oxbow Tattoo in Easthampton, you get a sense that the artists are inspired by
similar work and collectively are on the same page.
Our shop's a little different from most shops , where we make all our decisions
collectively.
As was the case when bringing in its newest artist --
When you first start tattooing, it's just --
-- Eric Talbot.
-- seat of your pants, like terrifying, you know, ordeal, to be honest.
Eric's got quite a history as an illustrator.
He was a professional artist that a lot of these tattoo artists look up to.
A weird thing to be telling people when you -- I would tell people what I would do I
would say, "You know, I draw the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles" and they would just be
like, "What?"
In 1984, Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird published the first issue of the Teenage
Mutant Ninja Turtles comic, eventually becoming a global phenomenon, generating an
estimated six billion dollars in merchandise revenue in its first 10 years.
One of the great things I think about the turtles, I think you touched on a little bit
, was the fact that it wasn't like normal comic books.
And I think people still say that to me when I'm at conventions.
You could see the work.
It wasn't -- it maybe wasn't as polished as some of the, you know, mainstream comics, but
had that charm that it was like a Do-It-Yourself kind of DIY thing where we w
ere just kind of learning as we were going.
Do you have anything tomorrow at 3:00?
Now, Talbot, who no longer works on the Turtles comics, is trying his hand at a new
canvas.
Tattooing has always kind of been there as something I've thought about doing.
I've had offers from different people.
I think my art relates.
I mean I draw a lot of skulls, I draw a lot of creatures, I draw a lot of stuff that kind
of relates to tattoos.
It's kind of like an electrician deciding to be a plumber.
You're in the trades, but it's not the same job.
Talbot's artwork has a cult like following, and now that he's in the tattoo world, some
of his fans are trying to procure his art in a much more permanent way.
Matt Miller is here getting one of Talbert's signature reaper tattoos.
Is this your first tattoo that you've gotten done by Eric/
This would be my third.
Your third?
I usually just like to go in to artists.
I check out their stuff and if I really like it, I just tell them to do their thing.
And that way I think I'm like getting a better product out of it.
Tattooing is also physically demanding.
But, the more tattoos you do, the more comfortable you get with what to expect.
And for Talbot, who's 30 years working on the Turtles is not just a reflection of his
experience but also his ag, makes his switch to the tattoo world all the more
unique.
This is the first story like this I've ever heard of.
I've heard of other people transitioning into tattooing from the trades at a later
age. But as far as this, this is the first story of its kind of that I am aware of.
And then I told like a million people, but I was getting tattooed with a Ninja Turtle
guy. I thought it was dope.
It was it was very healthy for me to get outside my comfort zone and stay outside my
comfort zone. And that's actually one of the things I love about tattooing, is that I've
got a place to go every day and there's people around me.
You sit down and do a drawing for people to see, you're nervous and you choke up and you
don't grow.
The only way to grow is make mistakes, in my opinion.
And if you're not worried about making mistakes, you're going to make them, you
know?
Perhaps tattooing was in the cards for Talbot all along.
After all --
OK,
-- what are the odds?
So, as I started doing these interviews at some point, my wife mentioned this character
that I had designed.
And she consequently got me these for Christmas.
And what they are is this character called Tattoo that I designed for the Ninja Turtles.
And his name is actually Tattoo.
And I kind of forgot about this guy.
So, it's funny that tattooing has kind of just been there all along.