If you haven't realized how big of a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle fan I am, you are obviously not paying close enough attention. Back in the late 1980's, my father worked a lot, and at bizarre hours. I vaguely remember those days, but I do recall that he'd sleep all day and I'd rarely see him. When we did spend time together, it was normally to watch martial arts films, particularly those of Bruce Lee.
So when I saw that there was this new cartoon coming on with ninja in it, that had anthropomorphic animals as the heroes, I was excited. While the fact was that the show ended up being more slapstick than hardcore grappling and bone breaks, this did not deter me from falling completely in love with this show.
As my father was rarely present during these years, I somehow found a surrogate father and male role model in this program; that of the Turtles' sensei and father, Master Splinter. A ninjutsu master transformed into a ratman by his arch-nemesis (at least in this continuity), Splinter was wise, honorable, compassionate, and overall, he kicked major gluteus maximus!
Since Splinter was ostensibly my father figure, I began to see his sons, the Turtles, as my brothers. This regard was helped by the fact that at this time, I had no siblings. Throughout my years, I began to see how viewing this madcap gang of mutants as a second family actually helped shape my personality: the wisdom of Splinter, leadership of Leonardo, technological affinity of Donatello, easygoing attitude of Michelangelo, and, although it rarely flares, the temper of Raphael. All traits that I can attribute to these Turtles and their adoptive father.
Other than introducing me to the world of martial arts that lead me to finding and growing fond of the Turtles, my father was also the catalyst of my massive TMNT action figure collection.
Sometime in 1989, my family went on vacation to visit friends. My mother had failed to pack any playthings to keep me occupied (I cannot recall just why this was), so she had my father stop at the local Fred Meyer and get a toy for me (amongst other things). My father, not quite knowing a lot about what I was into other than dinosaurs and Bruce Lee flicks, saw the word "ninja" on a toy, and thought I'd like it. When he returned to the car with this figure in hand, I swear I could see my own eyes light up.
Behold, Rock N' Roll Michaelangelo, my very first TMNT figure - the first of many (though this obviously is not a photo of my figure :p ). This figure is still in my collection to this very day, and although fairly common, old and playworn, it is still one of my most prized figures - compare it, I suppose, to Scrooge McDuck's lucky #1 dime.
The origins of the Turtles actually precede my own. As the legend goes, in 1983, to friends, Peter Laird and Kevin Eastman, sat around eating pizza and watching "bad tv". Eastman had sketched a squat, anthropomorphic turtle with an eyemask and nunchaku strapped to its forearms. The two of them decided to run with this concept, creating four such beings, and using a tax refund as well as a loan from Eastman's uncle, they self-published their first book, titled "Eastman and Laird's Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles".
The comic was intended to be a one-shot issue, parodying popular comics of the day such as Daredevil and Frank Miller's Ronin. The comic, in contrast to the franchise's now-better known kid oriented material, was quite dark and gritty, a tale of revenge and murder with art that fit an underground comic. Eastman and Laird were surprised, however, when positive response for the comic was overwhelming - at least as much as possible for an independent book published with limited release and budget. Later that year the duo published a second issue, and from there, the series really took off. Before long, Eastman and Laird were discussing a cartoon show and action figures with Surge Licensing, and the rest is history. Well, this has all been history, but that's just a saying. Come to think of it, it's a very strange saying... bah... I'm going on a tangent.
Now here we are, 25 years from the first issue's release. As detailed in previous entries, I do have misgivings about what seems to be a misfire in a "shell-abration" (I hate that overused pun), but there are things that are looking quite gravy this year. Of especial note is that there are at least two TMNT video games coming out in 2009. The first of which is Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Smash-Up, a four-player platforming versus fighter by the guys that made Super Smash Bros. Brawl and former Team Ninja members (responsible for Ninja Gaiden and Dead or Alive). As of this writing, only the four Turtles and Splinter are confirmed as playable, but publisher Ubisoft promises "many surprises" in the roster, including ones that "the older fans" would enjoy. Here's to hoping that what they choose is satisfying....The other game slated to release this year, on Xbox 360's "LIVE Arcade" service, and possibly Wii, is a remake of the classic game Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Turtles in Time, with 3D graphics. This game has actually, as of this time, still not been announced by Ubisoft, but was seen in playable demo form during some of the 25th anniversary festivities. The game seems to be based on the arcade version, as the Shredder masthead and Tokka as a boss in Skull & Crossbones would indicate.
Man... I can't tell if it's the game footage or the chicken fried rice that's making me salivate....
Anyway, even with things looking sort of bleak for the comic (if sales don't pick up by the year's end, it may go bye-bye), I'm going to still support the Turtles through everything. Hey, there's also a new movie coming in 2011, which will be here before we know it. Epic!
