Peter Laird facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Peter Laird |
|
|---|---|
Laird at the 2008 New York Comic Con
|
|
| Born | Peter Alan Laird January 27, 1954 North Adams, Massachusetts, U.S. |
| Area(s) |
|
|
Notable works
|
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles |
|
Notable collaborations
|
Kevin Eastman, Jim Lawson |
| Awards | Inkpot Award (1989) |
Peter Alan Laird, born on January 27, 1954, is an American writer and artist who creates comic books. He is super famous for helping create the amazing Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles with his friend, Kevin Eastman!
Contents
Early Life and Creative Start
Peter Laird was born in North Adams, Massachusetts. Before becoming famous, he worked as an illustrator. In 1983, he drew pictures for a local newspaper in Dover, New Hampshire. He also drew for fan magazines, showing his early passion for art.
The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Story
In May 1984, Peter Laird and Kevin Eastman published their very first Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles comic book. It was a black and white comic, 40 pages long, and they printed 3,000 copies. They started their own company called Mirage Studios. They chose this name because they didn't have a real office, just kitchen tables and couches!
To get the word out, Peter and Kevin made a special press kit. They sent it to TV and radio stations, and to big news agencies. This helped the Turtles become very popular, very quickly! People were excited about the comic, and the second issue got 15,000 advance orders. This success allowed Peter and Kevin to work on the Turtles full-time.
In 1984, they went to their first comic convention in Atlanta. By 1985, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles comic changed to a smaller, more common size. Other companies also started making books about how to draw the Turtles and even martial arts training manuals based on them.
Surprising Success and Challenges
The huge success of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles surprised both Peter and Kevin. It grew so fast that it brought a lot of pressure. Peter even found it hard to draw for a while because of all the business demands. He realized he wasn't enjoying drawing as much as he used to, which was a big shock for him.
The Turtles became a worldwide sensation! Peter and Kevin had to take breaks from making comics to manage their huge multimedia business. In 2000, Kevin Eastman sold his part of the franchise to Peter. Then, in 2008, Peter bought Kevin's remaining rights, and they went their separate ways. Peter later sold the franchise to Viacom, the company that owns Nickelodeon, in 2009. However, Peter still has the right to create and publish new black-and-white Turtles comics each year.
Turtles in Animation
Peter Laird was involved in the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles cartoons. He didn't have much to do with the very first cartoon series (from 1987) or the Next Mutation series. He really didn't like the female turtle character, Venus, from the Next Mutation show.
However, Peter took a much bigger role in the 2003 animated series. He worked as a consultant, helping with story ideas, scripts, and even designing characters. He enjoyed seeing his ideas come to life on screen. Around this time, he also restarted the official Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles comic books with artist Jim Lawson. When the new cartoon was popular, he also brought back Tales of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles comics.
Later, Peter paused the main comic series to help develop a new Turtles movie. He planned to return to the comics, and it was confirmed that new digital comics would be released by Mirage Studios.
Mirage Studios: The Home of the Turtles
After the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles became a hit, Peter and Kevin hired more artists to help with all the work. Steve Lavigne joined in 1984 to add the lettering to the comics.
In 1985, Ryan Brown joined as an inker, and then Jim Lawson (who drew the comics) and Michael Dooney (who painted covers) joined in 1986. These artists helped Mirage Studios create many spin-off comics, like Tales of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, which filled in gaps in the main story.
The team, including Peter, Kevin, and the other artists, traveled a lot. They met fans and attended many comic conventions. As the Turtles grew even more popular, more people joined the studio, like Eric Talbot, writer Stephen Murphy, and Dan Berger. These people stayed with Mirage Studios for a long time. In 1988, Mirage Studios helped create the Creator's Bill of Rights, which was a document to protect the rights of comic book creators.
The Xeric Foundation: Helping Other Artists
Peter Laird also started something special called the Xeric Foundation. This is a nonprofit organization that gives money to artists who want to publish their own comic books. Peter wanted to give back to the comic world.
He felt that his experience with self-publishing the Turtles was very valuable. He learned a lot about business and life, and he wanted to help others have that same learning experience. The Xeric Foundation is unique because it gives grants, which means the money does not have to be paid back. Peter remembered that a loan from Kevin's uncle helped them start the Turtles. He thought about how a small amount of money could make a huge difference for other artists.
The foundation also helps charitable organizations. Peter credits Kendall Clark for doing a wonderful job running the foundation. The name "Xeric" came from a Scrabble game Peter played with his brother. It doesn't have any special meaning related to the foundation itself.
The foundation has a committee of people from the comic industry who review applications. Peter makes the final decisions based on their advice. He hopes that the foundation can give out even more money in the future to support many more projects.
Other Creative Projects
Peter Laird has also found time to work on other comic books. He published Stupid Heroes and a graphic novel series called Planet Racers with Jim Lawson. Interestingly, the 2003 TMNT cartoon series even had episodes based on the Planet Racers theme!
In 2019, a new comic project called The Last Ronin was teased. This project brought up the idea of Peter Laird and Kevin Eastman working together again. It was confirmed in 2020 and finally released later that year.
Images for kids
-
Laird at the 2008 New York Comic Con
-
New Hampshire Historical Marker for the “Creation of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles” in Dover, New Hampshire
See also
In Spanish: Peter Laird para niños
