RetroBlasting's mega feature on Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles begins here with the history of the comic and original cartoon in Part 1: Perfect Shell Game! #RetroBlasting #TeenageMutantNinjaTurtles
i was one of the lucky people to be introduced to the turtles via the OG black and white comics. i was enamoured and drew the turtles in my art class sketch book. my teacher didn't know what the eff i was drawing and gave me a near failing grade.
I had a few of the Mirage era comics, and drew them constantly. The first time I saw the animated Turtles I was like WTF! Why do they have colors on their bandanas and initials on their belts? Why is Mikey screaming Cowabunga?!
@@SciFiFan2012 but in the mirage comics they say cowabunga too... even Mikey's first word after mutating in the comics was cowabunga... so... WAHT U TALKIN ABOUT
Being born in the 80's I loved the Turtles. I loved the cartoon series. I wouldn't say it all went down after season 2. Episodes that introduce Leatherhead, The Rat king ex... Were good but I agree there was more goofier episodes. The introduction of their odd Mutations in season 8 I believe geared it towards the movie seriousness.
I was one of the people who 1st learned about TMNT from the early comics and the RPG back in '86 or '87. When the toys and cartoon came out, I was really disappointed they turned the TMNT franchise into a kids show. I never bought any of the TMNT toys, but for some reason, I loved the 4 player arcade game!
I can understand what you mean, but you have to understand that if it wasn't for the original cartoon series, the TMNT franchise probably wouldn't have been as popular if it hadn't appealed to kids growing up in the 1980s and 1990s, but at least the 1990 live-action movie and the 2003 cartoon series were more faithful to the original source (even if the latter had a few minor changes done to it).
17:09 - 17:52: In other words, despite Laird's mutual feelings towards the Fred Wolf cartoon, he would later have an understanding why it was popular, as proven by the awesome TMNT crossover: Turtles Forever.
Apart from having no TIE-Fighters in it, it's a very interesting and informative video. The Turtles live action movie is one of my craziest cinematic experiences. Me and a friend saw it at a small cinema in a small village somewhere in northern germany in 1991. The cinema featured plush couches with small tables and two waitresses taking orders for crispies and coke and bringing it to your table. That was pretty cool.
Actually Shredder gets his ass kicked quite a lot. I believe every turtle single handedly defeats Shredder through the course of the show. He rarely stands a chance and often shows he's afraid of the turtles. The 2012 series accurately shows how's powerful a ninja master should be.
Really great videos, especially this one. Fun fact: here in Germany they were also the "Teenage Mutant Hero Turtles". Now I know I got Margaret Thatcher to thank for that :D
What's funny is that I've always had zero interest in Kung Fu and Japanese culture..but I sure was (still am) super duper into TMNT when the show aired back in '87.
This show was a blast! I love the episode where Shredder takes over Octopus Inc and Night of The Rogues and also, Turtles At The Earth's Core. But the miniseries is my oveall fave.
Dude!!!! Best episode ever. I just turned 40 this year and was there at the beginning of "turtle mania". The original wave of toys were the last toys I revived for Christmas before I was to "old to play with toys" . Again I was right in the middle of all this and can vividly remember this era. You and Malinda have again just knocked it out of the park!!! You guys are buy far my favorite channel on RU-vid!!!!!
Well back then, you had parents complaining about the violence on TMNT. So, they made it more goofy. The same thing happen to the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers...
Boy, was it painfully obvious when the animated show became aimed at younger and younger audiences to the point it became unwatchable to anyone with an IQ above a sea slug but no matter what, TMNT will always mutate again for a new bunch of fans.
man I so miss the 80's and 90's of cartoons. Thundarr the barbarian, Pirates of Darkwater (which I wish someone would put on DVD), TMNTs. oh to be young again. Thanks for the video that was a great walk down memory lane.
@Shawn Payne Yeah that was producer Fred Wolf worried about UK views on his weapons and as the show was partly animated in Dublin he was probably worried about the hate he'd get in the industry.
RetroBlasting continues to be my favorite RU-vid channel! Thanks for all you do! PS - don't forget about Megacon in April. Even if you come as normal guests and not presenters, it would be awesome to meet you both!
You guys should do a video on the original 1964 G I Joes/Action Man toys. PS I love your videos. They are by far the best quality toy review/retrospectives on RU-vid.
The last cartoon of my childhood I got into. But my younger brothers actually bought the toys. I started playing NES by that point. Great vid guys... awesome you put Starriors at the beginning
I first saw the turtles in a weird block of cartoons that would rotate week to week , I remember being pissed that the turtles were on instead of the Inhumanoids!
Yeah I grew out of Turtles around Summer of 91. I was more into my video games got a Genesis that fall. 1992 I got into Batman and X-Men due to the cartoon series.
I remember watching the original miniseries when I was in 1st grade. After the last episode of that miniseries all I wanted was more Turtles. The only problem was that in San Antonio Turtles came out on KABB at the same time that Ducktales came out on KRRT. Great video as always!
Actually, the He-Man VHS/Beta releases were the first cartoon videos priced to sell, at $29.95 a tape-and Filmation and RCA/Columbia made out like bandits. The problem is that the earliest tapes could only have two episodes (unless packaged as a movie) because the original VHS and Beta standards (but mostly Beta) only allowed for an hour of playback, so there just wasn't a way for 100ish episode series to be released on home video (Star Trek was the only exception). As for TMNT, the show got dumber for a lot of reasons, but the outcry against violence in the show, followed up by the catastrophic decision to leave syndication for CBS, who ordered things toned down even more (they were as much at fault for Michelangelo losing his nunchucks as anything related to the UK and Irish airings of the show) that were the biggest problems. And then there's the issue with other writers. Jack Mendelsohn was the initial story editor instead of David Wise, which is why fantastically stupid things like hiring Francis Moss AT ALL happened (and worse, letting him be an assistant story editor). And the less said about the "red sky" episodes, the better (although, rather ironically, it was the push towards all-educational content on Saturday mornings that did TMNT in as much as those seasons).
FYI, the final few "alien overlord" seasons were written by Scientologist Jeffrey Scott. So the TMNT were basically fighting Lord Xenu. He also put Scientology stuff into Muppet Babies and other cartoons. www.reocities.com/TimesSquare/Realm/4173/scott.html
GarrettCRW Actually Francis Moss wrote some great episodes, I even bought some copies of his scripts off him. Jeffrey Scott was only involved with the last season. The consensus is that he had real trouble writing for the show.
But he also wrote Shredderville and Splinter Vanishes, two classic episodes. I put any blame for the goofiness on Jack Mendelsohn as he was in charge of the story editing from Season 2. Moss was only around as story editor for Season 4 and the show had already got goofy by that point.
***** Yes, that always bothered me, the was the weakest part of the original movie with the rat mimicking moves in the cage or the recent movie where Splinter happens upon a book. The toon story makes more sense. Keep up the good work with the videos, can't wait for part 2.
I remember getting the VHS tapes of the first episodes from Pizza Hut. I flipped my shit with excitement. *Shit..was it Burger King? It seems like it was both now. Talk about the matrix messing with me.
It's amazing how times have changed with what's considered children shows now since we got the really dark and very gruesome 2012 TMNT series by Nickelodeon but they have always been that way with there stuff. TMNT 1987 series was at its best in season 1, 3, and I would honestly bring up the Red Sky arc cause in those episodes, the TMNT did kill off certain villains of there's.
@@YamiAnubisX I agree about the best seasons of classic TMNT. I've been rewatching it for nostalgia and found second season to be a real let down, even going into it remembering that classic TMNT was kinda cheesy. I was surprised, however, by third season, which has better animation, better fights, and better stories. It's still a kids show from the 80s, but, honestly, third season impresses and I actually like it more than the first season miniseries. Maltese Hamster was an episode I still remembered vividly from my childhood. I love Donny's narration in it, and the film noir vibes, even if they've been made kid friendly. I remember being super disappointed by fourth through seventh season as a kid and by the time of the Red Sky arcs I had grown out of it and never watched any of them. I think I'll likely skip the middle seasons after third and just check out the red sky series. See what I missed. It helps that they were only like 8 episodes to a season.
I dont understand the haters who say it went bad after season 1, 2, or 3. Seasons 4 - 7 were full of great episodes except for the European vacation ones.
Sentience doesn't determine whether or not the killing of a given thing should be regarded as wrong. Whether or not a sentient being has a conscience does.
I inherited my black and white comic from my father (he was born in 1975, and 1992 for me), so we both got to see this show on tv regularly at times. The comics he left me was part of the original line of reprints for the first few comics. Not from the original run.. but from the VERY first reprint lineup... so to me, it's special.
So my older brother who was a pretty avid comic book collector back then had an original black-and-white volume one TMNT and I was only like nine years old and did not know what it was and colored in a few of the turtles with some crayons, yeah I know, I'm going straight to hell
Thanks for the update - I've been following the Baxter Stockman case for sometime. I wonder if the wheels of justice will ever turn on this tragic story...
I love tmnt and all this franchise (classic ones). Games, cartoons, movies,merchandise but especially action figs. I dont know why but it s like magic to me. If i see a related merchandise i have to buy it..I buy everything i find at decent prices and I m very happy that playmates and neca brought my childhood again through their figures
Oh man, these videos are always such a treat to watch. Thank you so much for the blast from the past, always well written and tons of fun. TMNT always did tickle my nostalgic fancy. Michael and Melinda, you guys always do amazing work!
" ..nor location specific" Nah uh. They're in New York. Didn't matter if the cartoon said it or not; it was certainly NY to me and everyone I knew..then the movie sealed the deal.
I can believe that Playmates didn't want to go beyond the minseries. As the glut of toy-promoting cartoons had caused a depression in toy sales and TV ratings by '86. By the time the miniseries aired at the end of '87, all of the Sunbow/Marvel shows had finished or were about to finish as Hasbro had decided against funding any more cartoons. .
Great episode I enjoyed both the toy focused episode, and this, cartoon focused one, I never understood the issue with Mikeys nunchucku's, I swear Leo is packing swords, that can damage and destroy the robotic foot soldiers, among others, not to mention Raphs Sias whichever equally as dangerous as Leo's swords, why was everyone so worried about Mikey's nunchucks?
They at least changed it so that they only used their weapons against the robots, aliens or Shredder and Co. That would change throughout the series; especially towards the end. Michaelangelo's Nunchuks could do serious damage to robots, especially in Enter The Shredder. So that could be a reason why they mainly stuck to Shredder as a villain until Saturday mornings came along.
I used to finish the konami videogame with one coin(three lifes) playing with Donatello and doíng more than a thousand points. That game is one of the best, sure a blast of fun and action!
I really enjoy your research. Some of it is nostalgia, but much is learning the trends and production "drama" behind these toys. I caught the start of the turtles, and bought the first four action figures, but was already entering my teens and didn't really "play" anymore. The comic book speculator market was a side-story to this. I remember the turtles comic, a bi-monthly on paper, had a maddeningly irregular schedule as Laird and Eastman drifted toward commercializing the turtle instead of focusing on the comics (and who can blame them? the turtles were an accidental gag from their perspective). The turtles did have some fun team-ups. Cerebus the Aardvark teamed up with the turtles in issue #7 or 8.
Also, your mention of the VHS tapes and how difficult they were to obtain was something I'd forgotten. "Video Rental Store" culture in general was a feature of the 80s and 90s that is gone now.
Tim Hammack my favorite characters to team up with the turtles were the Power Rangers and Venus DeMilo, lol. I still love the Usagi Yojimbo Ronin rabbit.
I guess because there was a brief scare about kids getting their hands on martial arts weapons, director of the BBFC (like a British MPAA) James Ferman had a real problem with nun-chucks in all media. Even as late at the PS1 game, Soul Edge/Blade, and for years the Enter The Dragon cover looked like Bruce Lee was holding a massive French loaf. Can't wait for part 2
My dad was a 80s kid but he was 10 when tmnt came out however my uncle who was into turtles gave me his Leonardo wacky action rapheal donatello wackey action michealangelo wacky action shredder splinter and bebop and rocksteady
Yoshi/Splinter makes way more sense in the cartoon. I always hated the idea from the comic. How the hell does a rat learn martial arts from watching a human? Very stupid idea.
shinmusashi44 yeah I'll admit that part was stupid but what if the guy was teaching a karate class and the rat listening to his instructions for the kids, learned martial arts.
I hear ya, dude. Ain't no way in hell a real rat (a real normal rat) can either understand human speech or mimic martial arts moves, never mind caring to as all rats really want to do is eat and screw. You also can't become a master of a martial art by simply mimicking others or reading from a book, you have to train with a master to become a master. Splinter's origin in the 87' cartoon is the only one that makes sense - PERIOD!
shinmusashi44 . . .Now that I think about it. Why would Splinter want to move to NYC after being banished from the dojo? And why would he move into the sewers? And why would he not go into a homeless shelter? And the whole transformation thing based on whatever you touch last doesn't really make a whole lot of sense either if you think about it. . . Point is, BOTH TMNT comic AND cartoon backstories for the turtles don't make a whole lot of sense if you think about it logically. And let's not forget that this series is called TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES. So I believe suspension of disbelief is needed to fully enjoy this series.
I remember seeing promo art at the local comic stores for the original comic after 1984, but I was reading X-Men and other Marvel titles at that time, and not independent comics. The cartoon appeared, but I was a junior in high school and not interested in new series at that time (and GI Joe, Transformers and Jem were wrapping up at that time too with Hasbro putting a stop to Sunbow productions). But my college roommate my sophomore year was big into the original comic TMNT and introduced me to it (and Robotech anime). I read his copies of the entire original comic series, so TMNT to me is the gritty comic characters and events, not the saccharine TV series. I didn't even know about the initial cartoon series being better than later seasons. I went to see the 1989 movie with him, and we were pleasantly surprised at how close to the comic it was.
I remember being very excited for the 4 player arcade cabinet game ( still play it on an emulator). I was 13 or so when younger cousins got into it ( being 3 or 4 years old), so I remember the toys and the thought that the April O'Neal figure was going to be rare. The obvious tie in was TMNT and Pizza Hut, but when the music and tours came around I said " Okay, I'm out."
I knew it!! I knew the origins of the Turtles were tied in with how Matt Murdock lost his sight. And, I share your pain in how the series in the UK was renamed "Teenage Mutant Hero Turtles". The late 80's/early 90's were the apex of the ultra-right wing and ultra-retarded Campaign for Decency in Television, headed by elderly busybody Mary Whitehouse and other religious types who, to this day, still interfere with matters that do not concern them or have any knowledge about. The renaming, plus the removal of the nunchucks, were unfortunate victims of their wrath.
Peter Laired maybe angry but Kevin Eastman isn't cause that money is paying his bills and Kevin is still making comics, like the art for Platinums TMNT game was actually from his comic book series at the time, which is still going on, I believe but Peter should be more thankful to that cartoon cause it's paying his bills.
Ahoyhoy There, Fellow RU-vidrino! I'm getting some Semi Vintage, Demi Damaged, 2003 TMNT figures from EBay. See , the Leonardo Fold Out Baby Turtle I'm getting has no arms, I found one of my other Leonardo Figure's arms in the field outside my house. I figured I'd save this Leo that I found listed on Ebay and give him at least one arm.
To the poster of this video: Raph being an angry teenager isn't a product of "modernization" as so many believe. he was like that in the comics and the original movies too. He's SUPPOSED to be like that.. It's this cartoon that changed things by making him a smartass.
+Ted Michel Not really. The series came BEFORE the movie. And in the comic they were pretty much the same character. Boring in fact. They most were all the same personality until later.
I'm going to have to disagree with you. The comic book (the Mirage one. Not the Archie one) Came out in 1984. In those comics, Raph was not only angry, he was damn near psychotic. The cartoon came out three years later, in 1987. They changed his personality because they thought his anger would be too much for a kid's show. The 1990 movie and the 2003 cartoon are both (loosely) based on the 1984 comic, thus, retaining his ORIGINAL personality: the angry, frustrated turtle.
I'm also going to add that the Archie Comics series that were based on this cartoon also depicted Raph as the angry hotheaded rebel (although toned down) he is known for 99% of the time.
I was going into high school when TMNT became big, well till I started college.I was already kinda old enough to not get interested much in the show as the tone were for more younger viewers. But I loved the toy commercials and back then I always knew that the cartoon clips they used in their toy commercials were different from the actual show, higher in both quality and action. Turns out they were clips from the pilot mini-series which I don't think was released here.
***** Indeed, but I thank you for reminding me of some of the better and darker episodes like Baxter Stockman's escape from Dimension X. (Love the Dateline parody) Although my high school interests were piqued when I saw the episode where April got turned into a werecat. ;D
I found out about these characters from that five part miniseries you mentioned, and I didn’t know they are based on a comic book years later, exactly it was back when that first live action movie was out at the the time, and I had read t(at it was based on a comic book💁🏻♂.
i loved the first movie but at the time wondered why it was so different from the cartoon,it was later when i realized it more closely followed the plot of the comic books. this was another great feature video,can't wait for part 2.
I love your videos. This one had me rolling in laughter with the Baxter Stockman wanted for killing Krang's soldiers..... just great stuff thank you for OP
Thank you for another wonderful video and nostalgia trip! TMNT always marks a dividing point in my childhood. Up until then I was always into the toys of the cartoons I watched. Transfomers, Gobots, G.I.Joe, MOTU, Thundercats, etc. I guess I started phasing out with Real Ghostbusters and Captain Power, but still I had a few toys from those series. With TMNT I had none - except for the 4 Star Trek Turtles I had to get, but I never opened or played with them. With Turtles I was into the cartoon, but not the toys. Also, I only really got into the cartoon because my nephews loved it. They would come over for the weekend and we'd rent the original mini-series to watch. Getting into the series by way of them, I stuck with it for a while even when I was on my own. I'd watch it after school every day up to a point, I guess season 3. I remember the mutant frogs, catwoman April and a few other storylines mentioned. When the live-action TMNT movie came out I remember standing in line on a Saturday for an hour or two - with my nephews - and we all saw it together and loved it. I had 3 nephews that frequently visited at the time, so that made 4 of us, the perfect group for the arcade game. I remember one day changing a $20 into tokens and we went at it, and we beat the game...so satisfying!!! Never played it in the arcade again, but I did get the NES game based on it, I only rented the other previous NES game once or twice. After season 3, I think I started fading out of even watching the cartoon though. I still watched afternoon cartoons, loved Batman TAS, X-Men, and Spider-man but I got away from TMNT long before 1996.
Love your videos on toys of the past, I grew up on most of the things you cover and always enjoy the trips down memory lane when I watch the videos especially when you do one one the more obscure lines like the Ghostbusters, wheeled warriors,
Awesome to learn all that history. I remember when first hearing "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles" and laughing at how ridiculous that sounded. Then I saw the corny commercials for the toys... then there was the cartoon, and yeah I was hooked. I agree the episodes did get a little too childish and absurd in the later years... like how many mutants and aliens can appear in this show! It made the "mutant" situation of the turtles kinda irrelevant. And glad to see the arcade game referenced at the end! STILL love to play that game!