>> THE TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES HAVE BEEN A PHENOMENON
SINCE 1984, AND THEY WERE BORN OUT OF THE MINDS OF TWO MEN
BASED IN NORTHAMPTON.
PETER LAIRD AND KEVIN EASTMAN.
EAST CO-CREATING THE ICONIC TURTLES, KEVIN EASTMAN HAS SEEN
HIS CREATIONS ADORN PRETTY MUCH ANYTHING AND EVERYTHING AND FIND
THEIR WAY INTO POP CULTURE.
NOW, BASED ON THE WEST COAST, MR.
EASTMAN SPOKE TO THE PRODUCER TONY DUNNE AND TOOK A
LOOK BACK ON 30 YEARS OF THE TURTLES AND HIS TIME LIVING AND
WORKING RIGHT HERE IN WESTERN MASSACHUSETTS.
>> THE FACT THAT WE'RE SITTING HERE TALKING ABOUT TURTLES 0 --
30 YEARS AFTER THEY WERE BORN IS MIND-BLOWING TO ME, AND IT DOES
-- A BIT OF HEAD SCRATCHING AND WHAT IS IT THAT PEOPLE LIKE
ABOUT THEM, BUT I AM JUST GLAD THAT THEY DO.
IT WAS IN NORTHAMPTON, MASSACHUSETTS, THAT I WAS TRYING
TO SELL MY ARTWORK TO A VERY SMALL PUBLICATION SO-CALLED
SCAT.
AT THAT TIME, THEY REALLY HAD STOPPED DOING THEIR MAGAZINE BUT
SAID YOU DRAW THE SAME KIND OF COMICY STUFF THAT THIS GUY,
PETER LAIRD DRAWS.
YOU SHOULD MEET HIM.
I VISITED HIM IN HIS STUDIO, HIS TINY STUDIO AT 56 MAIN STREET
ABOVE WHERE STELL TOWS IS NOW.
WE HIT IT OFF.
LATE ONE NIGHT I BRAGGED TO PETE I WILL COME WITH THIS THING AND
I DID A SKETCH OF A TURTLE WITH A MASK ON, AND IT MADE PETE
LAUGH.
HE DID A SKETCH TO TOP MINE, AND I HAD TO ONE UP HIM SO I DID A
SKETCH OF FOUR TURTLES, IN PENCIL WITH DIFFERENT WEAPONS
AND I CALLED THEM NINJA TURTLES.
WHEN HE INKED THEM IN, HE HE ADD TEENAGE MUTANT, AND IT WAS THE
SILLY IDEA WE HAD EVER SEEN, AND THE NEXT MORNING WE SAID, WE
DON'T HAVE ANY DISTRACTING PAYING WORK GOING ON SO WE DON'T
WE SELF PUBLISH OUR OWN STORY OF HOW THEY CAME TO BE, AND THAT
WAS IN 1983, THE FIRST COPY CAME OUT IN 1984.
WE FELT AT HOME IN WESTERN MASSACHUSETTS.
I GREW UP IN MAINE.
I AM A NEW ENGLANDER.
PETE IS A BORN AND RAISED, I THINK, NORTH ADAMS WAS HIS HOME.
IT FELT LIKE THE EXACT RIGHT PLACE FOR THE TURTLES TO CALL
HOME, AND THAT'S WHERE WE CALL HOME, AND IT'S GREAT THAT THEY A
PRICE BRACED -- EMBRACED US.
>> WE ARE STANDING IN THIS MUSEUM.
IT'S A CAVE, AND WHAT I WANTED TO DO AND SAY WITH THIS IS A
COMBINATION OF TELLING STORIES BY WORDS AND PICTURES OR JUST
VISUALS THEMSELVES HAS BEEN AROUND SINCE THE DAWN OF MAN.
THE FIRST CARTOONISTS WERE THE CAVE ARTISTS.
>> WHEN I ESTABLISHED THE WORDS AND PICTURES OF THE MUSEUM MANY
YEARS AGO, UP IN NORTHAMPTON, IT WAS A VERY PERSONAL PROJECT
WHERE I WANTED TO SHOWCASE COMIC BOOKS IN A MUSEUM SETTING
BECAUSE I REMEMBER GROWING UP AND TELLING, YOU KNOW, EVEN
ARTISTS I WANTED TO DRAW COMIC BOOKS, AND THEY WOULD SAY THAT'S
NICE BUT YOU NEED A REAL JOB BECAUSE REALLY NOT AN ART FORM,
JUST COMIC BOOKS, THROW AWAY, TRASH, DISPOSABLE ENTERTAINMENT,
AND I WAS LIKE NO.
I DON'T CARE IF IT'S A VELVET ELVIS OR A JACKSON POLLACK BUT
EVERYTHING IN BETWEEN, THIS IS WHAT I THINK IS ART AND WHAT I
WANTED DEDICATE MY LIFE TO.
WHEN WE DID THE FIRST COMIC BOOK WE NEVER THOUGHT WE WOULD SELL A
SINGLE COPY.
I DON'T KNOW HOW MANY FANS HAVE SAID, YOU KNOW, WHEN I WAS
YOUNGER I WENT THROUGH TOUGH TIMES, AND WHAT THE TURTLES
COULD GO THROUGH AND SURVIVE AND STILL RISE ABOVE IT REALLY
INSPIRED ME TO GET THROUGH TOUGH TIMES.
AND TO ME, THAT'S LIKE HOLY SMOKES, THAT'S A HUGE, HUGE
THING TO SAY, AND I CAN SPEAK FOR BOTH PETE AND I, THE DREAM
CAME TRUE FOR US WHEN WE COULD PAY BILLS BY DOING COMIC BOOKS
AND TO BE HERE 301 YEARS LATER STILL TALKING ABOUT TURTLES IS
AN HONOR.
IT'S AN AMAZING LEGACY THAT I THANK MY LUCKY STARS FOR EVERY
THE TURTLES AND WANTS MYS ABOUT- AUTOGRAPH OR TO POSE FOR A
PICTURE.
IT HAS GIVEN ME THE BEST JOB I COULD HAVE EVER DREAMED FOR, AND
I OFTEN DREAMED ABOUT IT GROWING UP, SO THEY ARE SO IMPORTANT TO
ME.