Then and Now : TMNT

The Ninja Turtles have been around for almost my entire existence. That's why I was so befuddled when I recently had an interaction with some people who claim to have never seen the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. They didn't even know their names. So lets start by getting acquainted with the four turtles.

 Leonardo wears a blue mask and wields two long and razor-sharp katanas that slice through nearly anything solid. As the oldest of the four he is the leader.

Michelangelo wears an orange mask and wields a pair of nunchakus. He is an easy-going, fun-loving, and free-spirited being.

Donatello wears a purple mask and wields a bo staff. He prefers to use his knowledge to solve conflicts, but never hesitates to defend his brothers.

Raphael wears a dark red mask and wields a pair of sai. The team's bad boy. He has an aggressive nature, and seldom hesitates to throw the first punch.

Eastman and Laird's Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles premiered in May, 1984, at a comic book convention. It was published in an over-sized magazine-style format using black and white artwork on cheap newsprint. The public's interest was piqued and thus began the Turtle phenomenon.

Note that they all have the same color mask. They didn't get their individually colored masked until they became animated.

The first animated series ran from 1987 – 1996. This is the TMNT I grew up with. In my heart this is how they will always look.

 In 1990 came the first ever live action Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movie.

Followed by two sequels in 1991 and 1993.

I love these movies movies. They are campy, and funny, and childish. Watching them is like taking a time machine back to my childhood. I can't think about TMNT without remembering Vanilla Ice's Debut in the second movie. Go Ninja Go Ninja Go!

In 1996 a Japan-exclusive two-episode anime OVA series was made, titled Mutant Turtles: Choujin Densetsu-hen.

In 1997 – 1998, the Turtles starred in a live-action television series called Ninja Turtles: The Next Mutation that directly follows the events of the first three movies. A fifth turtle was introduced, a female named Venus de Milo. Anthropomorphic sexiness.

There was a second animated series from 2003 - 2009.

The fourth film that was released is a CGI-animated film titled simply TMNT and released in 2007. A reboot is currently in production, and is due to be released in 2014, maybe.

A third animated series started in 2012. Which is still currently on the air. I can't say I'm crazy about their new look; but I am glad they are still on TV for younger generations to enjoy.

I am really looking forward to seeing the new live action Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movie that's coming out this year. I love their new look. At the risk of sounding a little weird, I think they're kind of sexy to be honest.