It’s no secret thatFrank Millerwas a huge influence on the creators of theTeenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, but one iconic work in particular cast a large shadow over Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird. It may not be as well-known asThe Dark Knight ReturnsandSin City, but Miller’sRoninhas been just as influential throughout the years, particularly on the Turtles.
Released between 1983 and 1984 by DC Comics,Roninwas a six-issue series by Miller and Lynn Varley. The story took place in a dystopian future New York, where a ronin from feudal Japan is seemingly reincarnated to fight an ancient demon that has taken control of the city.
Speaking withThe Comics Journalin 1998,Eastman talks about how much of an influence Miller was onTeenage Mutant Ninja Turtles#1:
We pretty much blatantly ripped off the cover and its style, the jagged balloons, the Miller style. The roughness of the drawing…I was without a doubt an absolutely huge Frank Miller fan and I don’t think Frank’s ever forgiven me for that.
Frank Miller’sRoninWas a Major Influence on the Style of the OriginalTeenage Mutant Ninja TurtlesSeries
Separated at Birth…
Much has been made about how Miller’sDaredevilinfluencedTMNT’s creation, to the point where both Matt Murdock and the Turtles even unofficially share an origin. YetRoninis perhaps an even greater inspiration, as Miller’s design of theRonincovers provided thetemplate for Eastman and Laird’s now iconic cover toTeenage Mutant Ninja Turtles#1.Comparing theTMNTcover to Miller’sRonin: Book Onemakes it obvious – everything from the creator credits to the title treatment to the heavily cross-hatched, expressionistic drawing style is present. The two covers even share a similar coloring scheme, both popping with monochromatic red.
The influence ofRoninonTurtleswas pretty instantaneous, considering thatTeenage Mutant Ninja Turtles#1 came out on May 1st, 1984, a mere eight days before the last issue ofRoninhit stores on May 8th. Eastman explains how hekept up with Miller’s workthroughout the years, admiring the writer/artist’s willingness to push himself with each new project:
Miller always experiments and tries different things and really is one of those people that moves the comics industry along, pushes the limits, and creates new heights that it should rise to, withRonin, andDark Knight, and evenSin City.
Roninwas much hyped at the time of its release, being that it was the first original work that Miller produced following his game-changing run onDaredevil. While not a sales success at the time,Roninhas been more warmly received in recent decades as a true classic.
Another franchise that was similarly influenced byRoninwasSamurai Jack, a Cartoon Network original show that told a similar story of a samurai sent to the distant future to fight a powerful demon.
While many have been influenced by Miller, it’s important to highlight some of the work that influenced the writer/artist for his own work.Roninis perhaps the work where Miller’s influences are most apparent. Chief among them is the work of artist Goseki Kojima, whose blistering samurai action inLone Wolf and Cubcan be felt on every page ofRonin. Miller was also looking to European comics for his portrayal of the futuristic, sci-fi world. The intricate and grimy settings most recall the work ofFrench comics legend Moebius.
RoninIs Frank Miller’s Underrated Masterpiece
TMNTMay Not Exist WithoutRonin
What’s truly remarkable aboutRoninis thegrowth that Miller displays as both an artist and a storytelleracross all six issues. It’s almost as if the writer/artist reinvents himself every fifteen pages or so, learning new tricks as he pushes himself with each new page. Miller’s growth as an artist also inspired Eastman, who cites his work onDaredevilas a prime example:
The coolest thing even today when I look back at the growth period of Frank Miller between #158 and #191 or #192, his last issue on Daredevil, it’s pretty phenomenal. He was, I think, very Kirby-esque in that he had a very dynamic style of storytelling. I was very inspired.
Roninwas overshadowed by Miller’s later work onThe Dark Knight Returns,which helped to change the entire industry when DC released the first issue in 1986. But the techniques shown inThe Dark Knight Returnsthat have influenced generations of comic book creators were refined during Miller’s time working onRonin, where he was given unprecedented levels of freedom by DC to create comics how he saw fit.
Interestingly enough, while Eastman was a huge fan ofRonin, he admits that hisTMNTco-creator, Laird, wasn’t as enamored. “Pete’s never really likedRoninthat much,” Eastman admits, confessing that the Miller aesthetic came more from his side of their collaboration: “The roughness of the drawing, I probably pushed that on Pete." It’s important to note thatTMNT#1 was dedicated to both Miller and Jack Kirby, and it’s clear thatKirby was the bigger influence on Laird, given his contributions to the earlyTMNTissues.
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The influence ofRoninonTeenage Mutant Ninja Turtlesshows that nothing is created in a vacuum. Miller was influenced by the likes of Kojima and Moebius in creatingRonin, and he wound up influencing Eastman and Laird when they revolutionized the industry with their little indie, black-and-white comic. Miller continues to influence the TMNT franchise to this day, most notably with the hidden connection betweenThe Last RoninandTheDark Knight Returns. But it all started withFrank Miller’sRonin, whose striking cover design inspired Eastman and Laird to create their own iconic image withTeenage Mutant Ninja Turtles#1.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (TMNT) is a multi-media franchise that began with Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird’s comics in the 1980s. Throughout the years, their comic books expanded to movies, TV shows, video games, and toys. Most notably, the animated Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles ran for nearly a decade and has become a nostalgic staple of the ‘80s and ‘90s. Several other movies have featured the four anthropomorphic turtle brothers (Leonardo, Michelangelo, Donatello, and Raphael), including the trilogy of live-action films in the ‘90s and the more recent movies Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and its sequel Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows.
Frank Miller
Discover the latest news and filmography for Frank Miller, known for Sin City and 300.
