I was a little hesitant to share this but...manifesting dreams has been working out okay for me so far, so why not.
It's been such an honor/joy getting to write some Fugitoid stories for Tales of the TMNT and I'd love to do more. I honestly don't know if a spinoff or standalone story of this character is in the cards, but I want to send Honeycutt on more adventures (in the Tales continuity or a different one altogether).
The little team I set up with him, Lonae and Zog is one that means a lot to me and hope I can spend more time with. Maybe if there's enough interest it can happen someday.
And please forgive my very rough mockup - I promise someone else would illustrate it, haha. But I had this visual in my mind and wanted to get a rough sense of how it would look.
Long ago (maybe like, 10 years ago or something?) I was hired to work on a TMNT Facebook sticker set at Titmouse. It was supposed to be reminiscent of the OG Eastman and Laird Mirage ones, but simplified (they had to read since they were so small), which I love since that version is still my favorite. (I really wanted them to have all red masks, but I was overruled) I think it was one of the last times I did freelance, because I realized it just wasn't worth it. I think I also got sick during it, which sucked because it was a pretty fast turnaround. I don't remember much about where the individual sticker ideas came from. But I do remember that "rough day" was originally just Raph panting, but then they wanted him to be rubbing grit away from his face (didn't even get to finish coloring before the change). Each one could only be 12 frames, so that made it difficult to make some of the ideas read. Like "smooth move" where Leo is supposed to dodge and do a cool pose or something. And I don't remember which version of "Big Beatdown" they went with, either the one with the Foot or without. One of them, "We're Here, " I straight up traced from page one of the original comic, more or less. Nice thing about them being so small was I could be pretty sloppy. I think I had fun on this? I would have had more fun if I wasn't sick I think. And had more time. And wasn't working on whatever my main job was at the time, which I don't even remember what it was.
Gulp I've been a little nervous to post this- I'm quite new to animating so it's not exactly what I have hoped for, but I kinda like how it turned out 🥲
(it's just a little thing I saw on tiktok so I just decided to animate it and see how it goes 🥹)
In Tales of the TMNT 6, Fugitoid skateboards past a poster for a Bugman movie!
I was having a really tough day while working on Mutant Mayhem. One of those negative downward spirals that’s difficult to get yourself out of. I threw on a random episode of the ‘87 series (Mikey Meets Bugman) just trying to force myself away from the bad thoughts. And for whatever reason it cheered me up.
Happy Fugitoid Friday! Here's another panel from issue 6 that's packed with symbols, references, and Fugitoid on a skateboard! Let's do a breakdown of each one:
When we meet Zayton in issue 4 he's under a waxing crescent moon, representing new beginnings. In issue 6, he rides past graffiti of a first quarter moon, symbolic of growth and moving from intention to action.
The Latin phrase "Cogito, ergo sum," made famous by philosopher René Descartes, can be seen on the wall, which means "I think, therefore I am." Zayton is now confident that, regardless of his robotic body, he is still in fact himself.
The hercules beetle (Dynastes hercules) represents resilience and transformation. These little guys can lift far more than their own weight, demonstrating strength through perseverance. I also included one of these as an homage to my wife, Tina, who designs cute beetles (and gives me strength or some sappy thing like that).
And I had to throw in a nod to "Project 2501" from Ghost in the Shell, which we also referenced in issue 4. The manga/anime wrestles with the complexities of what makes us human (and blew my mind the first time I saw it).
The new TOTTMNT comics fulfilled my long time desire to see Honeycutt in clothes because I think he deserves to feel more human and be confident in his identity 🙏 fanart of his hotel attire and nerd boy swagger I put him in myself... also I love his cartoony smile in the comics, but I hate to admit, I always though his "mouth" was actually his "nose" he's like Jack Skellington to me lol. Individuals and print credits under the cut
The date totally passed me by BUT I read the final part of Fugitoid Frenzy and I loved it!!! Spoilers under the cut
I need to collect my thoughts a bit more, but I really really like the tables turning with Honeycutt being the one to come in and save the turtles. Him being accepted into Splinter's fold and given a proper mask makes me SO happy! He's part of the group!!
I also love how it ends on a hopeful note with him being with Zog and Lonae. It's not quite the life he envisioned for himself but he looks comfortable in his own skin and that's such a huge obstacle for him to overcome. I love love love this panel towards the end:
Despite everything, he still has a future to live for.
I've been really loving this new take on Honeycutt and I hope we can see him again in the future!
Don't worry guys - I already discussed TADC leaks in private and won't post about it until the episode's official release...instead, I'm gonna
Geek out over "Fugitoid Frenzy" #3: a review | SPOILER WARNING
note: this one is a lot less structured then the previous ones so you'll just have to bare with me
In short - I liked it! A lot! But, as always, I'm gonna talk a bit about things that bugged me first:
• It's nice to see the two talk their feelings through, but I genuinely don't get what Zayton's apologizing for here?...
• As promised, this issue did answer some questions I had before - which is great, don't get me wrong - but now I have some new ones. Honeycutt doesn't want to put his family in danger (makes sense) and went into hiding in a robot hotel (again, makes sense) but Zog is there too I guess?...Did everyone just assume he's a mutant so he gets to have a job too? Does everyone think he's a dinosaur animatronic and that's why he's at the robot hotel? Even the investigator April's talking to is more concerned about the existence of a robot with human consciousness than the unadressed triceratops in the room
Speaking of the robot hotel!
I'm so glad Zayton got a happy ending he deserved! Not gonna lie, I was fully ready to cry a river because of that TMNT 2003 vagueposting by the comic's writer AND all the possible outcomes of the situation me and friends made up in our DMs...we were so scared and cynical we forgot that "robot jobs" can actually be wholesome 😭
Anyway! Onto more things I enjoyed:
• OMG METALHEAD CAMEO I was so glad to see him, I wish he got a chance to fight alongside Honeycutt but it's ok
• Thank you Louie Joyce for giving us skater boy Zayton I didn't know I even needed it but now I know I do
• That part where General Blanque says "You couldn't just follow simple directions. How very human of you" is SO good
• I already said that before, but I'll say it again - that ending was really wholesome! I'm sure nothing bad will happen to Honeycutt again and he won't be kidnapped again by some other villain/delusional
Genuinely my honest reaction this morning MY GUUUUUYYYYY
Final score for the whole comic: 10/10 (with multiple bonus points just because it greatly improved my mood) thank god my copy is FINALLY arriving soon (yes. the issue four. yes only now. i know how insane it must sound to my american followers 😭)
It’s a bittersweet feeling; for me to reimagine Honeycutt truly took the stars aligning and I’m so honored and proud to have gotten the chance. I hope I did him justice.
While this story is coming to an end and I say goodbye to Fugitoid (for now) there may be some more Tales of the TMNT left to tell…
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