Tim Lattie’s journey from TMNT fan to comic book artist
New Orleans-area comic book artist Tim Lattie turned a childhood fascination with Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles into a career drawing the characters he grew up watching. In this POP nakaro video interview, Lattie shares his path to IDW Publishing’s Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Saturday Morning Adventures, his work on Ghostbusters and his contributions to TMNT: Shredder’s Revenge.
His journey began with local comic shops, supportive teachers and an education at the New Orleans Center for Creative Arts and Savannah College of Art and Design. Encouragement from Michael Turner and opportunities through editors David Hedgecock and Tom Waltz helped him move from aspiring illustrator to professional comics. Working with longtime Ninja Turtles artist Steve Lavigne brought another connection to the franchise that first captured his imagination.
Lattie also recalls creating artwork for Kevin Smith’s Jay and Silent Bob Reboot and meeting the filmmaker whose movies helped him imagine a future in comics.
From early assignments with Ape Entertainment to work involving G.I. Joe, Masters of the Universe and Plants vs. Zombies, Lattie’s career reflects years of persistence and a willingness to keep learning. He discusses developing his own artistic voice, meeting his heroes and treating fans with the generosity he once received.
The conversation takes an unexpected turn into his backyard, where a flock of chickens became inspiration for background characters in his Ninja Turtles comics. Their appearances grew into a recurring creative thread—and the foundation for his original comic, Chicken Strips.
