As someone who grew up watching such cartoons as TMNT, Voltron and Saber Rider, I must admit that the Ninja Turtles as reimagined by Dave Rapoza brought back some really nice memories.
Dave Rapoza is a Boston-based freelance artist who did more than just breathing new life into the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, but for the time being I will stick to these characters that look meaner and more amazing than ever. Bear in mind that he did not only redesign the four heroes, but also the other important characters from the series.
Besides Donatello, Leonardo, Michelangelo and Rafael, there are also some terrific ones of Splinter, Shredder, April O’Neil, Casey Jones. Dave Rapoza went even further, so you should not get scared if you find some metalhead Ninja Turtles when digging into his portfolio. The fact that the TMNT characters look violent is something, but I’m not sure that all of them would be appropriate for kids. Considering the scars and the blood on Rafael’s face, for example, it might be wiser to conclude that these are meant for grown-ups who watched TMNT during their childhoods and who want to see some of their favorite characters in a new light.
At the end of September 2011, the artist offered for sale 40 sets of 4 TMNT portraits, each measuring 18 by 24 inches. Obviously, the set included only the portraits of the 4 turtles, and according to Dave Rapoza, they were museum grade prints. Hence, the ones who are fonder of Splinter, Shredder, Casey Jones or April O’Neil will have to wait till their portraits will be up for sale. Despite being a limited offer, the price of $160 for the 4 portraits may seem a bit steep, but the high quality of the prints, as well as their size, should justify it.
There are many places where you can see these portraits in all of their glory, so you can head to Gorilla ArtFare, Deviant Art or even the artist’s personal blog. Make sure you check these to discover the portraits of secondary TMNT characters.
If you liked this post, please check the TMNT coffee mug and these 22 TMNT gadgets.
