the first one is the plus || arc (kirby’s introduction and integration with the tmnt) and the second is the poster for the double mutated arc (the tmnt get transported to a different planet via portal)
rambling about the symbolism and my design choices and connections to lore under cut😋
for the first:
everything behind him represents all the things that torment him.
The purpley pink vines is the kraang because of his long kraangification, he gets dreams about kraang, entire the color pink triggers ptsd (which is sad since HIS COLOR used to be pink), his marks his marks are now forever pink after the krangification permanently stained pink from the kraang.
The yellow and the eye represents Venus. Venus is the missing sister that has been trying to reach out to Kirby telepathically through his dreams. Since Venus is not extremely skilled with her mystic powers, her message does not translate well to kirby. His venus dreams end up scaring him and further developing his somniphobia.
The alligator is his father leatherhead, whom he has not seen since before the invasion. Leatherhead is dead but Kirby doesnt know that yet!!! because leatherhead died while kirby was still kraangified!! he does however ignore that possibility and lets his delusions run wild. saying stuff like “oh boy dad’ll looove to hear about this” (he hasnt seen his dad in months and his house is vacant and hes nowhere to be found). While he thinks these things on the surface, part of him misses his father and feels deep guilt and sadness that cant be treated with self gaslighting.
and obviously on the right is the hamato crest respresenting how he has a whole new and loving family that can help him put that stuff behind him. though hes weary
some other little details
kirby’s shell and leatherheads teeth dig into eachothers skin showing how they both are so attached to eachother and they hurt in their absence
the glint of teal in venus’s eye because thats her color
the tear in leatherheads eye representing the depressed spiral he went down after the invasion and kirby was missing
some of venus’s fire is burning kraang bits
for the second:
The purple side represents the planet Axolia and the blue side represents earth. Kirby is on earth because he didnt fall through the portal, but with the help of april and casey jr, hes trying to tap into his ninpo to get them back. Mikey is on the Axolian side because hes is the one of the brothers who didnt get double mutated and turned feral.
The thing that mikey is breaking is a flask of the Axolian mutagen. The bugs that took over axolia produce them and the native axolians (axolotl yokai, much like salamandrians) drink them much like they would water. But its toxic to foreign entities and materials. Mikey is breaking it because though he was not mutated by accident like his brothers, he has to take the mutagen in small quantities to gain enough power to learn the immunification and purification spells from the Axolians. this mutates him in the process but he doesnt lose his mind, but his body progressively changes (ex: the yellow spots forming on his hand in the art where he breaks the flask)
The white shape going through the middle represents the mystic powers at play. which is why its connected to kirby and mikey, who are both tapping into new mystic powers in order to help save their brothers
Leo donnie and raph are all on the cusp of this mystic barrier. on the earth side it shows their normal form, and on the axolian side it shows the new form they take after the mutation.
If donnies design looks a little different than raph and leos you would be right. for donnie, the mutagen didnt hit his skin or shell like raph and leos, the mutagen hit his battle shell, which ended up covering most of his body in mutated metal, making him look like a robot of some sort.
Some lore about planet axolia here and under #stained info #stained au
