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The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles ('''TMNT''' or '''Ninja Turtles''') are a fictional team of four Anthropomorphic Turtles who were trained by their Sensei Master Splinter (a mutant rat) to become powerful ninjas. The story takes place when they are sixteen; from their home in the Sewer s of Manhattan , they battle petty criminals, evil megalomaniacs, and Alien Invasion s, all while remaining isolated from Society at large. The TMNT originated in an ' '' New Mutants '', which featured teenage mutants, and '' Daredevil '', which featured ninja Clans dueling for control of the New York City Underworld . Much of the Turtles' mainstream success is owed to Mark Freedman , a Licensing agent who sought out Eastman and Laird to propose wider Merchandising opportunities for the offbeat property. In January 1987, they visited the offices of Playmates Toys, a small California Toy company who wished to expand into the Action Figure market. Accompanied by the popular ''Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles '' Cartoon Series , the TMNT were soon catapulted into Pop Culture history. At the height of the frenzy, the Turtles' likenesses could be found on a wide range of children's merchandise, from PEZ dispensers to skateboards, breakfast cereal, and school supplies. Today, there is a resurgence in the Turtles' popularity with the success of the recent Animated Series , a new line of Playmates action figures, Konami Video Games , and a new Computer-animated Feature Film in production for a 2007 release. MAIN CHARACTERS See Also: List of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles characters
COMIC BOOKS Mirage Studios '']] The first issue of '' Eastman And Laird's Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles '' premiered in May, 1984 , at a comic book convention held at a local Sheraton Hotel in Portsmouth, New Hampshire . It was published by Mirage Studios in an oversized magazine-style format using black & white artwork on cheap newsprint, limited to a print run of only 3,000 copies. The small print runs made these early comics instant collector items, and within months they were trading for over fifty times their cover price. The name "Mirage Studios" was chosen because of Eastman and Laird's lack of a professional art Studio at the start of their career, before their invention made them both Multi-millionaires . As the TMNT phenomenon proliferated to other media, Eastman and Laird would find themselves administrating an international merchandising juggernaut. Unfortunately, this prevented the two creators from participating in the day-to-day work of writing and illustrating a monthly comic book. For this reason, many guest artists were invited to showcase their unique talents in the TMNT Universe . The breadth of diversity found in the various short stories gave the series a disjointed, Anthology-like feel. Fans stuck with the series, and what was originally intended as a one-shot parody became a continuing series that lasted for 76 issues spanning two separate volumes. In June, 1996, Image Comics published ''Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles'', Volume 3, as a more action-oriented TMNT series. Although notable for inflicting major physical changes on the main characters, these events have been dropped from continuity and Volume 3 is no longer considered canonical. Mirage Studios resumed publication in December, 2001, under the simple title ''TMNT'', Volume 4. It continues to be published on a bi-monthly basis to this day. Archie Comics '' Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Adventures '' was a comic book series published from August 1988 to October 1995 by Archie Comics . The initial storylines were close adaptations of the 1987 Animated Series . Eventually, the comic diverged from the cartoon series to develop many original story arcs, often incorporating social, Environmentalist , and Animal Rights themes. A daily comic strip written and illustrated by Dan Berger, was published in Syndication until its cancellation in December, 1996. At its highest point in popularity, it was published in over 250 newspapers. Dreamwave Productions A monthly comic inspired by the 2003 Animated Series was published by Dreamwave Productions from June to December 2003. It was written by Peter David and illustrated by LeSean Thomas . In the first four issues, which were the only ones directly adapted from the TV series, the story was told from the perspectives of April, Baxter, Casey, and a pair of NYC cops, instead of the Turtles. Manga The Turtles have appeared in many mini-series. Also of note was ''Myutanto Tatorusu III'', an adaptation of the third feature film. TELEVISION SERIES 1987 animated series See Also: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (1987 TV series) On December 10 , 1987 , the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles' first cartoon series began, starting as a 5-part miniseries and became a regular Thursday morning syndicated series on September 8 , 1988 with 13 more episodes. Starting on September 4, 1989 , the series was expanded to weekdays and had 65 more episodes for the new season. On September 8, 1990 , the series (with different opening sequence and end credits) began it's run on CBS. The weekend edition presented a full hour of Turtle Power, initially airing a couple of (then) Saturday exclusive episodes back to back. The series ran until November 2, 1996 . The popularity of the series gave rise to numerous imitators, including the Battletoads , Cheetahmen , Street Sharks , and Biker Mice From Mars . In animation, the Ninja Turtles are four wise-cracking, pizza-obsessed superheroes who fight the forces of evil from their sewer hideout. The series was produced by Murakami-Wolf-Swenson Film Productions Inc. Mirage Studios does not own the rights to the old 1987 TMNT cartoon series, so changes made in this version of the TMNT have not translated to other versions. However, several allusions to the old cartoons have been incorporated into the 2003 animated series. The cast included new and different characters like Bebop And Rocksteady and the Neutrinos. Original characters like Shredder and the Foot Soldiers stayed true to the comics in appearance and alignment only. Krang , one of the series' most memorable villains, was inspired by the design of the Utrom , a benevolent alien race from the Mirage comics. The animated Krang, however, was instead an evil warlord from Dimension X . The 1987 animated series is available on its Out Of Print VHS tapes. Currently, only the first forty-two episodes are available on DVD . Ninja Turtles: The Next Mutation See Also: Ninja Turtles: The Next Mutation In '', a similar live-action superhero show that was popular at the time {Link without Title} . However, ''The Next Mutation'' never caught on with fans, and it was canceled after one season of twenty-six episodes. Since its cancellation, the program has been considered apocryphal by the TMNT fanbase, and Laird and Eastman have disavowed all knowledge of the character Venus de Milo. 2003 animated series See Also: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (2003 TV series) On February 8, 2003, the Fox Network revived the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles franchise with the help of 4Kids Entertainment as a Saturday morning cartoon in the "FoxBox" programming block, which has since been renamed " 4Kids TV ". The 2003 TMNT cartoon series is produced by Mirage Studios {Link without Title} , and Mirage owns one-third of the rights to the series. Mirage's significant stake in creative control results in a cartoon that hews more closely to the original comics, creating a darker and edgier feel than the 1987 cartoon, but still remaining lighthearted enough to be considered appropriate for children. The new series is notable for its complex long-term plotlines, character development, mature themes, moral up-keeping, and well-crafted animation. In the upcoming sixth season of the series, the storyline will leap 99 years into the future under the subtitle ''Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Fast Forward''. According to a Playmates Toys press release: "Brought to the future by Cody Jones, the grandson of Casey Jones (TMNT) and April O’Neil, Leonardo, Michelangelo, Donatello and Raphael are forced to adapt to a whole new world – without their home, junk food or Shredder... The lighter and funnier-than-ever series... is set to bow 26 stand alone episodes in September 2006 on 4KidsTV." {Link without Title} . Unfortunately, as a result, the fifth season, which resolves the cliffhanger of the season four finale, will not air on TV and will be DVD only. Anime In addition to the American series, a , Krang , Bebop And Rocksteady gained super-villain powers with the use of a "Dark Muta-Stone." The show's characters resembled those in the original American animated series, but with very different personalities. The cartoon was aimed at a much younger audience, incorporating many elements of Sentai and Superhero comics. FEATURE FILMS TMNT: The Movie The first film, simply titled '' Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles '', closely follows the storyline from the Mirage comic books, in addition to some of the more lighthearted elements of the cartoons. This movie presents the origin story of Splinter and the Turtles, their initial encounters with April and Casey, and their first confrontation with Shredder and his Foot Clan. Directed by Steve Barron and released by New Line Cinema , showcased the innovative Puppetry techniques of Jim Henson's Creature Shop . It remains one of the highest grossing Independent Film s of all time. {Link without Title} TMNT II: The Secret of the Ooze The second film, entitled '', and a mutated Super-Shredder. The original story was to include Rocksteady and Bebop at the insistence of the studio, but Laird and Eastman fought tooth and nail to prevent their inclusion, and created Tokka and Rahzar as a way of compromising. The original ending to "Ooze" would also reveal the benevolent TGRI scientist, Jordon Perry, to have been an Utrom. But due to budget constraints, plus the fear he may be mistaken for the character Krang , the plot twist was abandoned. TMNT III The third film in the series was '' Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III '', which featured the return of Elias Koteas reprising his role as the character Casey Jones (TMNT) . The plot revolves around the "Sacred Sands of Time," a mystical scepter which transports the Turtles back in time to feudal Japan, where they become embroiled in a conflict between the Daimyo and British traders. Animated feature The Turtles' Fourth Feature Film is currently in pre-production, with a theatrical release date scheduled for March 30 , 2007 . Unlike the previous films, it will be using 100% Computer-generated Imagery , produced by Imagi Animation Studios and distributed by The Weinstein Company and Warner Bros. Pictures . According to a press release, "the PG-rated movie will derive its tone from the original comic-book series and will be slightly grittier than the previous live-action pictures. The animation will be created in Imagi’s state-of-the-art facility in Hong Kong." {Link without Title} TOYS AND MERCHANDISE Among the first licensed products to feature the Ninja Turtles was a pen and paper RPG entitled '' Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles And Other Strangeness '', published by Palladium Books in 1985. The game features a large list of animals, including pandas and sparrows, that are available as mutant Player Character s. Dark Horse Miniatures produced an attendant set of Lead Figurines . During the run of the 1987 cartoon, Playmates Toys produced hundreds of TMNT Action Figure s, along with vehicles, play sets, and accessories, becoming one of the top collectibles for children. Artists at Mirage Studios provided conceptual designs for many of the figures and vehicles. The line featured many different variants of the TMNT, such as "Farmer Mike" and "Classic Rocker Leo." In addition, Playmates produced a series of TMNT/ Star Trek crossover figures, due to Playmates holding the Star Trek action figure license at the time. Playmates continues to produce TMNT action figures based on the 2003 animated series. In addition, the Turtles are currently licensed to Upper Deck Entertainment , Mega Blocks, and Hanes, among other companies. Video games See Also: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (video games) The first Famicom/ NES TMNT game was the single-player '' Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles '', released by Konami /Ultra in 1989. It was unique in that at any point, the player could switch from one turtle to the next to take advantage of each Turtle's strengths. In addition, the player starts off in a strategic map where the player may explore sewer holes as well as engage patrolling enemy foot soldiers before entering any in-game portals. Also released by Konami in 1989 was the first '', would be released in 1991, on the Super Nintendo . As the video game series progressed, programmers began to incorporate unique signature moves for each Turtle, as well as game features such as "Versus mode" and "Time Attack mode." When the Ninja Turtles' popularity began to decline in the mid-nineties, the video games changed direction. '''' was released as a one-on-one fighting game similar to the '' Street Fighter '' series. Konami also acquired the license to adapt the 2003 animated series into a video game franchise, resulting in a new series of games with the same Button Mashing gameplay as the old TMNT "beat 'em ups." Ubisoft has recently announced they will create games based on the upcoming 2007 animated feature film {Link without Title} . Food tie-ins See Also: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles food tie-ins During the height of their popularity ('88-'91) the Turtles had a number of food tie-ins. Among the most notable of these products was Ninja Turtles Cereal, produced by Ralston-Purina as a kind of "Chex with TMNT-themed marshmallows;" Pizza Crunchabungas, pizza flavored corn snacks in the shape of pizzas (the commercial starred the Ninja Turtles as Will Vinton -created claymations); Hostess Ninja Turtles Pudding Pies, featuring a sugar crust and "green ooze" vanilla pudding inside; and Royal OOZE Gelatin Desserts, distributed by Nabisco under "Royal Gelatin" in three different flavors: orange, strawberry, and lime. LIVE APPEARANCES Concert tour To further add to the Turtles' popularity, a concert tour was held in 1990, premiering at Radio City Music Hall . The 'Comin' Out of Their Shells Tour' featured live-action turtles (in costumes similar to the films) playing music on stage around a familiar plotline: April O'Neil is kidnapped by the Shredder, the turtle guys have to rescue her. A pay-per-view special highlighting the concert was shown, and an album featuring the songs was released. The track listing is as follows: Since the tour was sponsored by Pizza Hut in real life, there are many references to their pizza. Empty Pizza Hut boxes are seen onscreen during the "Behind The Shells" VHS. As part of a cross-marketing strategy, Pizza Hut restaurants gave away posters, cassette tapes, and "Official Tour Guides" as premiums. The original show of the tour was released on video with a making of video also released. In 1994 two more twenty-five minute videos were released featuring some of the same songs plus some others. They were called "We Wish You a Turtle Christmas", and "Turtle Tunes." Disney-MGM Studios On July 1, 1990 the TMNT arrived in the "New York Street" section of the park. They would arrive in their Turtle Party Wagon, on stage they would dance/show off "ninja moves" while April performed the theme song to the show. After the main show was done they would pose for pictures and sign autographs. The Turtles made appearances in Walt Disney's "Very Merry Christmas Parade" to sing their own rendition of "Santa Claus is Coming to Town". They also appeared during the Easter parade dancing to their hit tour single "Pizza Power"! The Turtles show and appearances were dropped in 1996. SATIRE At the height of their success in the mainstream, the TMNT were ripe for parody. '' Cracked '' took charge, putting the TMNT in almost every issue in '90 and '91. They spoofed the three feature films and the Turtles merchandising craze, but never went after the cartoon. '' MAD Magazine '' didn't feature the TMNT as prominently as ''Cracked''; they parodied the first and second films, along with a few minor occurrences scattered throughout issues in the early 1990's. The Wacky Packages 1991 Series card #36 was called "Old-age Mutant Nasty Turkeys", and featured a spoof drawing of the TMNT toy packaging. An episode of the 1990s sitcom '' Dinosaurs '' featured a poster of cavemen with brightly colored masks with the caption "Teenage Mutant Ninja Humans." The film National Lampoon's '' Loaded Weapon 1 '' featured the main character, Jack Colt, going down a manhole and walking in front of the screen of the first TMNT movie (when they were playing Trivial Pursuit). Judge Dredd faced off against the ''Eldster Ninja Mud-Wrestling Vigilantes" in prog 601 of 2000ad (11/19/88). CONTROVERSY Mainstreaming an underground sensation Given the content of the early Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles comics, it seemed unlikely that they would hit it big. In keeping with their parody of "grim 'n gritty" comics of the early 1980's, the Turtles engaged in a greater amount of overt Violence in the pages of the Mirage comic book series. As the TMNT were introduced into the Mainstream , they were radically redesigned for a younger audience. This evolution incensed a core group of fans who had faithfully collected the independently-published comic series from its inception. They accused Eastman and Laird of "selling-out" their indie roots in favor of corporate greed. In issue #19 of ''Eastman and Laird's Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles'', the creators published an Editorial addressing these concerns. It stated, in part: "We've allowed the wacky side to happen, and enjoy it very much. All the while, though, we've kept the originals very much ours--forty pages of what we enjoy and want to see in our books, whether it comes from our own hands or from those of the talented people we work with." Children and consumerism For many parents in the late 1980's, the Ninja Turtles phenomenon represented the latest in a series of shrewd cartoon-toy marketing strategies, a trend that had proven very profitable with Masters Of The Universe , Transformers , and a host of other "good vs. evil" action-adventure franchises. Parents often found themselves at odds with children who demanded scads of toys and accessories after being subjected to so-called "30 minute commercials" delivered via after-school television. Censorship and Hero Turtles Upon TMNT's first arrival in the United Kingdom , the name was changed to "Teenage Mutant ''Hero'' Turtles" (or TMHT, for short), since local Censorship policies deemed the word ''ninja'' to have excessively violent connotations for a children's program. Consequently, everything related to the Turtles had to be renamed before being released in the UK. The lyrics were also changed, such as changing "Splinter taught them to be ''ninja'' teens" to "Splinter taught them to be ''fighting'' teens." The policies also had other effects, such as removing Michelangelo's Nunchaku s (which were at the time banned from appearing in even 18-rated movies) and generally toning down the usage of all the turtles' weapons. After many seasons of never using his Nunchaku s, they eventually disappeared entirely, replaced by a rope with a shell on the end that held small hooks. By the time of the 2003 TV series, these censorship policies had been abolished, and no changes have occurred in the content of the show. The name "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles" remained unchanged for the 2003 show. As a result, in the U.K., the 1987 show is still called ''Teenage Mutant Hero Turtles'' and the 2003 show is called ''Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.'' SEE ALSO
REFERENCES
EXTERNAL LINKS
Comic books 1987 TV series
2003 TV series Movies
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