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| Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles |
| FAQ |
| Do you want to learn more about the Ninja Turtles? Do you have a burning question that you've been pondering about for years? Do you want to know the meaning of life? Well, I'll try to help you out by answering questions as best as I can. |
| This dude seems to have lots of questions swirling around his mind..... |
| Okay, so how did this all start? What were the origins of the TMNT? Well, it all began during a night of boredom back in 1983. Two artists, Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird, were messing around with sketches while they were watching TV. Kevin drew a masked turtle, standing on two feet, wielding a pair of nunchucks. He showed it to Peter, and they got the idea of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. The rest, as they say, is history. Click here to go to the official site and read the origin story in full detail! Don't forget to check out the first turtle sketches that Mr. Eastman and Mr. Laird drew. |
| So, they were in comic books, movies, and cartoons. Was there anything else? Why yes, of course! There have been numerous "universes" that the ninja turtles have been in. Here's a break down of all of the main types of entertainment that the turtles have been in: Comics: Mirage (Original) -- This is the original comic book series that introduced the TMNT to the world. The first issue sold out quickly, and the series as a whole was a big hit. This "universe" had the turtles being more dark and gritty, and they didn't hesitate to kill any of their enemies. Foot Soldiers were human, and blood was spilled. The first volume of comic books was all in black and white, the second volume was a short color series. Archie -- This comic book series started as a spin-off of the cartoon. It eventually evolved into it's own universe, putting the TMNT through unique adventures that didn't happen in the cartoon. This series was probably the lightest out of all the comic book series. Image -- Ah yes, the Image comic book series. Many TMNT fans despised what Image did to their beloved turtles. This series is infamous for doing shocking things to TMNT characters. Leonardo had his hand bitten off by a mutant, Raphael had half his face blown off, Donatello became a cyborg, and Splinter turned into a bat. Mikey was the only one who escaped getting mutilated. This run is volume three of the original Mirage series. Mirage (New) -- Mr. Laird has recently started a new comic book series for the TMNT with the help of Mr. Lawson. This is volume four of the TMNT Mirage comics. Issue number two was just recently released, and everything looks very promising. Peter wishes to bring the turtles back to their original roots in this series. TV/Movies: The Cartoon -- The most famous form of entertainment that the turtles have been in. This is what started the craze. It made every kid want their own ninja turtle, and started a pizza frenzy throughout the world. Everyone and their parents knew what "Cowabunga" meant, and many more started using the surfer dialogue during regular conversations. Phrases such as "Dude," "Bodacious," "Tubular," and many others became commonplace. The cartoon turned off a lot of the fans who had loved the original comic books, since the Turtles were "purified" so kids could watch. They rarely used their weapons, and Raphael was changed from an angry, brooding turtle, to a sarcastic, joke-telling, fun loving guy. The series lasted from 1987 to 1996. The Movies -- Another famous form of entertainment that the TMNT have participated in. The first movie was very, very close to the first comic book of the original Mirage series. The second movie strayed away from the comic books and used a little more of the cartoon as inspiration. The third went off on a completely different tangent, causing many fans to lose faith in the Turtles. The costumes in the first two movies were done by Jim Henson's company, while the third movie was not, and it showed. Ninja Turtles: The Next Mutation -- This was a short-lived live action show on Fox, made by Saban. Saban was the company responsible for the Power Rangers, and many TMNT fans weren't too happy with the way Saban handled the show. It was famous (or infamous in some people's opinions) for introducing Venus De Milo, a fifth ninja turtle. Why did this send shockwaves throughout TMNT fan land? Because Venus was a female mutant turtle. Loved her or hated her, fans still watched the show until it was canceled 26 episodes later. After the show went under, Peter Laird erased Venus from the TMNT world because he believed she was a threat to the idea that the turtles were supposed to be alone in the world and unable to reproduce. Music: The Coming Out of Their Shells Tour -- Yes, the ninja turtles starred in their very own live concert that toured America during the early nineties. They sang such songs as "Pizza Power," "Sing About It," "No Treaties," and many more. Even April and Splinter got into the act, each performing their own song. The songs were a big hit with the younger fans, and the album was quickly picked up by many (including yours truly). The concert was released on video, so that fans who were unable to see it live would be able to experience the fun at home. Others -- The turtles also appeared in several sing-along videos, including a Christmas special called "We Wish You a Turtle Christmas." These videos are now very rare and hard to find. They also did a second, but limited concert tour entitled "Down in Your Town." No video was made of this concert. Misc: The turtles have been in several other things, including videogames. Turtles in Time, The Manhattan Project, and TMNT: Tournament Fighters are just a few examples. They've appeared in comercials, talk shows, t-shirts, ice cream, and almost everything else you could imagine. There were countless numbers of action figures and vehicles made that many are still trying to collect. Whether you're a turtle fan or not, you've got to admit that they hit the public's eye right in the middle. (Thanks to HorseTurtle for providing some of the info. on the TMNT Mirage comics!) |
| Wow, that's a lot! Are they making any appearances any time soon? The new comic book series has already been started, so make sure to pick up your copy before they're all gone. The turtles were supposed to appear in a CGI show, but it got canceled. A deal has been struck with Kids WB to show another Ninja Turtle's cartoon. A fourth movie is in the works, which will be in CGI rather than live action. John Woo has already agreed to direct this movie. There have also been reports that a new TMNT videogame is in the works for the newest batch of consoles (X-Box, PS2, Gamecube). It looks like the TMNT are ready to make a come back. Cross your fingers and hope for the best. |
| Hey, what's the deal with Michaelangelo's name? Isn't is supposed to be spelled 'Michelangelo,' without the 'a'? Yes, Michaelangelo's name was misspelled when Peter and Kevin made the first issue. There wasn't a spellchecker in the computer that they used, and the spelling error went by unnoticed 'til it was too late. I recently got an e-mail from Dan Berger (The official TMNT website's 'Web Guy'), and he told me that Mr. Laird regretted the error for years. If you check the new comic book, his name's been changed to the correct spelling. I don't know for sure if the pronunciation will be changed for the movie and cartoon. |
| Do you still have any unanswered questions? E-mail me and I'll do my best to answer them. Please e-mail me if you find any mistakes, or have more info. to add to my FAQ! Thanks. |