Terry Teo (finally) back on Television!

Above: The new Terry Teo series. Copyright Semi-Professional Pictures 2016.

Terry Teo is back on television! After much media discussion and controversy earlier this year when the new TV series adaptation of Bob Kerr & Stephen Ballantyne's 1980s Terry Teo graphic novels debuted on TVNZ's OnDemand, it has finally found a place on the network's schedule: debuting on Sunday 27th of November at 7pm on TVNZ 2 with a 2 hour double episode update of the 'Terry Teo The Gunrunners' storyline. The next four episodes will air weekly, or you can stream the whole series OnDemand HERE.

If you're after a copy of the classic original graphic novel, remastered with a background history of Terry Teo and the making of the TV series, it's available over at my publishing house, Earth's End Publishing HERE.

Terry Teo and the Gunrunners TV Tie-in edition

Bob Kerr & Stephen Ballantyne
Paperback, 56 pages, full-colour
ISBN: 9780473330675
Suitable for All Ages
RRP: $24.99

Synopsis:

Terry Teo is not your average schoolboy - he's a skateboarding super-sleuth about to embark on his very first adventure!

When he stumbles headfirst into the criminal schemes of the villainous Ray Vegas, Terry finds himself embroiled in a dastardly gun smuggling operation. Along with his karate-chopping sister, Polly, and older brother Ted, Terry must use all his street smarts to avoid Vegas' henchmen, defeat the smugglers, and save the day!

Reviews:

"Great adventures. No iPhones, no internet. I think I even saw a red telephone box in there. Lots of car chases, bad accents, worse jokes...It's going to be popular with young boys." 

- John McIntyre, Children's Book Reviewer - Nine to Noon, National Radio

"It’s all jolly good nostalgic fun, with a distinctly kiwi flavour to the illustrations – including the charmingly-named small town Kaupati (say it aloud) with its tiny police station and A&P show. This is truly like travelling back into a time before cellphones, before the internet, into a world where kids get to have the adventures – because the adults are too oblivious or silly to solve the problems themselves. With its fast pace and humour, this graphic novel can now be enjoyed by a new generation, and may especially be embraced by the more reluctant reader."

- Angela Oliver, Booksellers New Zealand Blog

"Bob Kerr’s cartoons are terrific as always and there are lots of little in-house jokes and Kiwi things going on that are smilers when you see one. Stephen Ballantyne’s written text is to the point and captures the whole Kiwi attitude. This book has high appeal for reluctant readers and is certain to win fans at primary and intermediate schools all over again." 

- Bob Doherty, Bobs Book Blog

- AK!

Terry Teo Returns to the Small Screen!

Above: The cast of the new Terry Teo TV series. From right: Kahn West as Terry Teo, Drew Brice Ford as Caleb, Hanna Tevita as Polly, and Manon Blackman as Penelope Butterworth. Copyright Semi-Professional Pictures 2016.

This week sees the release of the new Terry Teo TV series on TVNZ Ondemand, a modern interpretation of the classic NZ graphic novel Terry Teo and the Gunrunners by Bob Kerr & Stephen Ballantyne, and the fondly remembered 1980s TV series starring Adrian Bell, Billy T James and Sir Robert Muldoon.

With his skateboarding skills and crime-solving street smarts, Terry become an unlikely kiwi icon - joining Footrot Flats as one of our best known local comic book characters. When Housebound filmmaker Gerard Johnstone was looking for his next project, the idea of rebooting Terry Teo was an appealing opportunity. "Which has never really been done before with a local property," explains Johnstone. "He's the only character we've got that I can think of that was a comic and had broad recognition with the public. In New Zealand the only chance we may get to make our own version of a Batman or Spider-Man, is probably Terry Teo."

The new TV series updates the material for a modern audience, recasting Terry as a petty criminal and gang prospect, who turns his life around when he learns that his policeman father has been killed in action. This leads Terry to investigate his father's murder and take on Auckland's criminal underworld - beginning with crime boss, Ray Vagas.

In maintaining the balance of action and humour that made the source material so appealing, the creators of the new show drew criticism from broadcaster TVNZ, who expressed concern when episodes of the show were classified PG instead of the preferred family friendly G rating. 

Johnstone and producer Luke Sharpe were quick to defend their take on the comic book character. "We've got shootouts, car chases, kung-fu fights, it's very full on", Johnstone explained. "And you don't want to talk down to kids. My favourite shows from when I was a kid were The A-Team and MacGyver, which weren't made for children. So the idea was to do something that had that same kind of appeal. I really don't think of this as a kids' show - it should have something for everyone".

Above: Terry Teo Co-Creator and artist, Bob Kerr. Photo copyright Nick Reed.

The graphic novel's co-author and artist Bob Kerr appreciated that certain changes would be made in bringing the character up to date for the small screen. In an interview with the NZ Herald this week, Kerr commented on the new interpretation, "it's darker and sharper. Terry's now 17 and he drives a car and he's got a cellphone. It's a hang of a lot of fun but it's a wildly different world to the romantic era we depicted".

Looking back on Terry's legacy, Kerr reflects, "we weren't thinking about any of this when we started. We were probably a bit naive. We just wanted to create a story featuring some local kids having a ripping adventure with heaps of laughs along the way, and somehow that connected with readers. Steve [Ballantyne] and I are delighted that Terry has been remembered and that 30 odd years later he is having another outing both in print and on the telly".

Terry Teo and the Gunrunners by Bob Kerr & Stephen Ballantyne is available now from bookstores and online at www.earthsend.co.nz

Terry Teo is now streaming on TVNZ Ondemand HERE.

- AK!

Terry Teo Returns!

Revealing the return of a classic kiwi icon, and a tie-in edition to the new TV series Terry Teo, to air soon on TVNZ!

At Earth’s End Publishing we are proud to announce the return of the classic kiwi kids graphic novel, Terry Teo and the Gunrunners by Stephen Ballantyne & Bob Kerr, to be published on 6th November 2015.

Originally released in 1982 as Terry and the Gunrunners, this distinctly local take on the Tintin graphic novel format was an instant hit with children across the nation. The popularity of the book made Terry an instantly iconic kiwi character – inspiring two sequels, and the much loved television adaptation, Terry and the Gunrunners (1985), starring Adrian Bell, Michael Bentine and Billy T. James.

Above: Remastered artwork by Bob Kerr from Terry Teo and the Gunrunners.

This new edition has been digitally remastered and restored from the original artwork and archives, allowing readers to experience Terry’s first adventure in vibrant watercolour – capturing all of the detail and delights of this action-packed, family favourite adventure!

There is also an exclusive behind the scenes look at the history of this kiwi icon, and the brand new TV series, Terry Teo (2015). Due to air soon on TVNZ, the new series is produced by Gerard Johnstone and Luke Sharp, the team behind the recent hit movie Housebound (2014). Starring Kahn West as Terry Teo, Kimberley Crossman and Michael Hurst, the series is produced by Semi-Professional Pictures.

Above: A first look at the new Terry Teo TV series cast. From right: Kahn West as Terry Teo, Drew Brice Ford as Caleb, Hanna Tevita as Polly, and Manon Blackman as Penelope Butterworth. Copyright Semi-Professional Pictures 2015.

The continued interest in this classic character came as a pleasant surprise to Terry Teo artist and co-creator Bob Kerr. “We weren't thinking about any of this when we started. We were probably rather naïve. We just wanted to create a story featuring some local kids having a ripping adventure with heaps of laughs along the way, and somehow that connected with readers. Steve and I are delighted that Terry has been remembered, and that 30 odd years later he is having another outing both in print and on the telly”.

Above: Remastered artwork by Bob Kerr from Terry Teo and the Gunrunners.

Synopsis:
Terry Teo is not your average schoolboy - he's a skateboarding super-sleuth about to embark on his very first adventure!

When he stumbles headfirst into the criminal schemes of the villainous Ray Vegas, Terry finds himself embroiled in a dastardly gun smuggling operation. Along with his karate-chopping sister, Polly, and older brother Ted, Terry must use all his street smarts to avoid Vegas' henchmen, defeat the smugglers, and save the day!

Ordering Information:

Copies of Terry Teo and the Gunrunners are now available for order from Earths End Publishing. Email: earthsendpublishing@gmail.com.

Please do not hesitate to contact us if you have any queries or require further information. You can also follow us on Twitter: @EarthsEndComics and Facebook: www.facebook/EarthsEndPublishing.

Publishing Details:

Terry Teo and the Gunrunners
Bob Kerr & Stephen Ballantyne
Trade paperback 260mmx210mm
56 pages, full-colour
RRP: $24.99
Release date: 6th November 2015
ISBN - 978-0-473-33067-5

For more information, visit the Earth's End Publishing website HERE.

- AK!