Master Splinter

Self-published in 1984 by the struggling comics team of Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles is the greatest success story in the history of independent comics. The first issue (a parody of '80s X-men and Frank Miller's groundbreaking Ronin and Daredevil) went into multiple reprints practically overnight. An almost immediate rags-to-riches story, the New England creative duo of Eastman and Laird went from obscurity to overseeing a merchandising and media juggernaut.

I focused on Splinter as the subject of this piece. A mutated rat, created by the same "ooze" that evolved the Turtles, Splinter was well versed in the art of ninjitsu. I looked at many artistic interpretations of the character before I started on this drawing. Most of them, I found, made the ninja master look too dog-like in the design of his face. Often resembling a terrier, I wanted to avoid this. Rats are tenacious and when provoked, extremely viscious. So, while the character is noble and wise, I also wanted to show his "don't fuck with me" nature that is often exsemplified by rats . . .