TMNT Co-Creator Peter Laird Frowns Upon New Design

If you found yourself a touch disappointed at the new Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles design, you're not alone, if Internet comments in recent times are any indication. Going to arguably the most authoritative source on whether the new look holds up, co-creator Peter Laird was asked by Comic Book Movie about his thoughts on the trailer, towards which he has some criticisms.

One complaint involved the "extra stuff" added to the TMNTs' outfits, if outfits is the appropriate word, with Laird saying he thinks it is silly in some instances and that, though it may work in the end, he doesn't anticipate that being the case, and that the original — simpler — versions of the ninja turtles are better.

And speaking on the new facial design, which has been a big source of controversy among fans, he said:

...with those noses and very expressive lips, their faces look too human. Perhaps it is just my own personal preference, but the "noseless beak" look for the Turtles which Kevin and I used in all of our comics, and in pretty much all of the licensed material during the Mirage days (and which was really there from the very beginning, when Kevin drew that first "ninja turtle") is, in my opinion, a great way to immediately show that these guys are not human—they're mutated reptiles. Creatures.

He goes on to remark on possible directions the plot will take, saying, "I'm not sure there is enough revealed so far to allow a conclusive judgment." When asked, he said the apparent storyline change switching the TMNT's creation from an accident to a deliberate action "seems like a mistake," but likewise acknowledges no one can say for sure until they see the final movie.

VIA: Geekosystem