There's more to the TMNT than just pizza and corny catchphrases!

[Jephael]

A few days ago my dad was asking me about the Ninja Turtles. All he seemed to know about them was that they liked to say "Cowabunga". I had to admit I was a little annoyed by that statement and I really didn't feel like getting into a conversation about the TMNT with him, mostly because I kinda felt like he was teasing me. My mom on the other hand has actually become a little curious about the Ninja Turtles. She's watched a little bit of the cartoon and the third movie.

Anyway, whenever someone in my family asks what it is about the TMNT that I like so much I really don't know what to say. I can think of a few words like "family" and "honor", but then I just draw a blank. How would you describe the Ninja Turtles to someone who asks what you like about them?

[Fugitoid Jones]

I would say that I love the Turtles because of the absurdity of the idea, mutant ninja turtles, and I love the chemistry between the characters and the humor and the ninja action.
There are so many different aspects of this property that it's possible to give many very different reasons why you would be interested in it.

[Luzmagica]

^ As rapid response and that do a general idea to themselves of that is what I like most: first I compare the TMNT with " Dartañan and 3 musketeers " of Dumas (A classic everybody knows, if the one you are talking to dont know about this classic then avoid any talk and run :lol: :lol:)....... from there already you have caught his attention and you explain every archetype of personality to him, his relation like family joined against the adversity and after that, you comment to him on typically " the good ones and the villains " in several versions!!! It works for me!! ...

[PizzaPower]

thats a good question, i just like them because there lean mean green fighting machines.

[Jester]

For me it's the humor. I loved Raph Paulsen's delivery on almost every line he had. The shattered 4th wall is what made TMNT so much fun as a kid, and now as an adult.

[BubblyShell22]

For me, it's the family dynamic and how the Turtles fight. Old Toon was more of a happy-go-lucky type thing without much in the way of danger (which isn't a bad thing at all). But with 2K3 there was more involved with the danger and how the Turtles were fighting for their lives. So, yeah, that's what I say whenever anyone asks, though no one really does. My family knows I like them and they don't care.

[Clown Prince of Crime]

For me, one major aspect about it was always about the action and adventure. I think that might be why I like the old toon less as an adult, since as a kid, I didn't really notice the goofiness since I was so very young when I got into it.

Besides the action and adventure, though, I have to admit that I really enjoy the creativeness, and the characters. My favorite incarnation right now is the comics, though, and I'm not sure I'd use that to describe the TMNT to my parents, but I would definitely use it to describe it to any of my peers.

[ssjup81]

For me it's the humor. I loved Raph Paulsen's delivery on almost every line he had. The shattered 4th wall is what made TMNT so much fun as a kid, and now as an adult.Same for me. I loved the 4th wall humor the series had. Humor in general is what did it for me along with the slapstick. Even as an adult, I still like stuff of that nature.

That aside, my father saw the episode Leonardo Loosens Up, and he loved it. I showed it to him a couple of weeks ago. Granted, he's never seen an ep of TMNT. If anyone would've seen it (when I was a kid), it would've been my mother since she was home when it was on, usually. Like I was saying, my dad was laughing his head off at the bad puns and jokes, and always references the episode, joking about Strongium 90.

[ToTheNines]

The thing I love about TMNT is the diversity amongst the property. You've got your pizza and corny catchphrases, your gritty black-and-white indie comics, your epic beat-em-up games, amazing animatronics (or laughably sh*tty animatronics depending what you're looking at), awesome toys, crossovers with other characters, the list goes on.

Ninja Turtles just has something for pretty much any kind of mood I'm in.

[Redeemer]

This is what TMNT is for me!

Characters who have been rejected by society banned together as a family, leaning on each other. Fight together for not only themselves, but for the society that rejects them. They aren't given super powers or special abilities persay, but simply rely on their fighting skills and their brotherhood.

[Logan]

As a kid, I loved it for the action and the colorful characters.

Nowadays, I think I appreciate it for taking what would normally be considered a comedic concept and treating it with seriousness and respect. I don't think anything that has topped TMNT in that regard.

[Andrew NDB]

Fight together for not only themselves, but for the society that rejects them.

But they don't (and shouldn't). At least in anything beyond the cartoons.

[Redeemer]

But they don't (and shouldn't). At least in anything beyond the cartoons.

Yeah, I haven't gotten to read too many of the comics unfortunately. Ive read 1-19 of the original but that it. But then again the cartoon is the most seen interpretation of the turtles so IDK, but what I posted previosly is what TMNT is to me

[Spitfire]

I just hand people the first comic. "Read this and tell me it isn't awesome." Turtles is something you either get or don't. I was never able to explain my fascination with them either. My Dad asked me what it was that drew me to them and my answer was similar, I just don't know. He said it'd make an interesting topic for a documentary...

[Jester]

That works sometimes, Spit. For me TMNT will always be the Fred Wolf stuff first, despite the comics being the true basis. Maybe I could hand them the "pilot" of TMNT and say, "Tell me this isn't awesome!"

[ToTheNines]

Yeah, I haven't gotten to read too many of the comics unfortunately. Ive read 1-19 of the original but that it. But then again the cartoon is the most seen interpretation of the turtles so IDK, but what I posted previosly is what TMNT is to me

You've read Return to New York part 1 but not the other 2? Talk about blue balls...

[plasticturtle]

There are many things I love about the Turtles. The original cartoon was one of the very few cartoons of the era that I actually found funny. Most other 80s toons had lame attempts at humor at best. But I actually laughed out loud at a lot of stuff in the old toon especially Raph's smart assery and the 4th wall breaking stuff.
Also I've always loved fantastic creatures. Mutant Ninja Turtles! There's nothing about that that isn't awesome. The movies have some awesome creature effects for the era ( though 1 and 2 more than 3 ). Very lifelike and believable. They weren't just animatronic suits they were characters you could actually care about.
The games were fantastic! The Beat em' up is still my all time favorite gaming genre due largely to the first Turtles arcade game. I remember the first time I played it. I was completely focused on the game. I was concentrating, saying nothing, focusing on kicking ass while the kid playing the game next to me was spewing death threats at Rocksteady.
As I said in my introductory post to the forum there are very few things from the 80s I still care about. Offhand I can only think of four things. ALF, Gremlins, Masters Of The Universe and of course TMNT. I don't count dog related things like Pound Puppies, Fluppy Dogs and Spuds Mackenzie because I love dog stuff no matter the decade. I'm a fan of those old Farfel Nestle commercials even though they're way before my time.
To this day, Every Christmas I hang two TMNT ornaments on the tree. I acquired them during the original craze and I hope to always have them. One is in bad shape but I hope it hangs in there.
The 80s and 90s were miserable for me, but there are a few shining moments here and there. TMNT is one of them.

[Ulisa]

If someone were to ask me what it was about TMNT that I like, I'd hafta say it was the characters, or to be more accurate, the character interactions.

Be it OT or 2k3 or the movies (I have yet to read the comics) I love the way the TMNT interact with other characters but I am really fond of the way they interact with each other.

In the OT, I love seeing Leo and Mike interact, because of their contrasting personalities but also because regardless of the universe, I love Leo's "big brother" mode. I think it's touching.

For the 2k3, seeing any of the TMNT interact with one another was done so well. The way they can respect, love, annoy and support one another was a very realistic approach and remains one of my favorite aspects of the 2k3.

Ulisa:)

[FlippytheMaster]

A few days ago my dad was asking me about the Ninja Turtles. All he seemed to know about them was that they liked to say "Cowabunga". I had to admit I was a little annoyed by that statement and I really didn't feel like getting into a conversation about the TMNT with him, mostly because I kinda felt like he was teasing me. My mom on the other hand has actually become a little curious about the Ninja Turtles. She's watched a little bit of the cartoon and the third movie.

Anyway, whenever someone in my family asks what it is about the TMNT that I like so much I really don't know what to say. I can think of a few words like "family" and "honor", but then I just draw a blank. How would you describe the Ninja Turtles to someone who asks what you like about them?
I'll be honest, showing your mom the third movie while trying to show that the TMNT are more than turtles that say "Cowabunga" is probably not the best idea. As far as corny jokes go, that movie is the supreme king.

[Jephael]

I was watching the movie to entertain myself, not to show her. She just happened to have gotten home from work while I was watching it.

[cartoonistaaron]

My dad was telling me the other night of the first time he saw the black and white comics. He was heavily into Batman in the early 1980s and a musician buddy of him was chuckling over what my dad called "this weird black and white thing." Dad kinda forgot about it but a couple years later, he was at a local home and patio show, and there were guys in Turtle mascot suits. Shortly after that, he caught a couple episodes of the cartoon.

That was around the time I started getting into it, and I remember he lamented how they had "softened it up" and taken away that gritty edge. He really liked the first movie, though. We both did. I think that first movie might be the best realization of the Turtles though I love the old cartoon.