Whats wrong with the turtles being silly?
 

For anyone who detests the franchise being goofy....why?

You're never in a million years going to tell the best possible stories or explore the premise to its full potential that way.

There's a lot of potential in the general concept that can go a thousand different directions, a lot of it STILL unexplored. But you're never going to get there by plucking low-hanging fruit or making jokes about pizza.

It's okay to have some fun here and there. But it's a set of handcuffs on a potentially very cool idea.

Once in a while? Why not. Inherently? Ninjas aren't supposed to be silly. If they're silly, then they become a sham. I don't like TMNT to be a sham.

It's up to personal preference really.

I enjoy the turtles having fun loving personalities and making corny jokes, but they still need to take their battles seriously and not be so self aware that there is nothing at stake anymore.

Ya when it’s appropriate there’s nothing wrong with including humor or silly situations. Nobody is super serious 24/7.

Well said.

I do like some silliness in TMNT, because its roots is in satire. However, the humor needs to come in small doses, and the focus should be on story and character development, and also action.

I have a friend named Greg who posts here on the reg (where you at, bud?) who I argue with about this.

He says, as adults we shouldn't accept TMNT (or any cartoon/superhero characters) that are juvenile. When I point out the OT show was juvenile, he rolls his eyes. The OT is the most iconic and maybe not the best but... if you don't apreciate silly TMNT, you can't appreciate that old cartoon.

I think if you're a TMNT fan, you have to accept, at least on some level, that the whole premise is pretty silly.

Inb4 Andrew comes in here and brings up Crisler's law.

Like Batman?

YES! All superheroes. All fictional crime fighting types... silly concepts. But fun as hell.

Who's Andrew? And what the hell is Crisler's Law? If you can't see the utter bufoonery of TMNT then c'mon, watch the cartoons... you'll see it.

It's not my fault it always seems to be inevitable.

Oh, you must be Andrew. Hi!
Well, dude... you have to admit, that TMNT on its face is pretty silly. That's what's so fun about it. It's not meant to be taken seriously! I mean they eat pizza and fly around with dimension-hopping teenagers and encounter all kinds of talking animals. How serious can it get?

Hello there. As a suggestion, go read the original Mirage comics at least once. Then you may understand where others are coming from. But, see, the thing about the TMNT is they can fit in any genera. Or combination of generas. All it takes is good writing, imagination, and truck loads of heart and respect.

I don't mind the Turtles being a little silly in context, as siblings interacting with each other, but I don't really want the franchise to be silly.

Personally, I enjoy the contrasts of them being serious ass kickers as ninjas and sometimes heroes, but then the few lucky enough to know them find out that they are lovable goofballs off the clock.

Look, i get it... TMNT started out as a comic, aimed at teens and young adults. but it became something fun... and for lovers of the absurd. So that's why i'm here. For the humor and imagination of it all.

The Eastman/Laird stuff is not for me. I want funny, fun and furry animals.

Turtles are not furry (I know what you meant though).

And there are plenty of fun, furry anthropomorphic characters that you can find in other cartoons and video games.

Yeah...I guess that's part of where we differ then.

I'm firmly in the camp that sees the TMNT as people first and foremost, not as animals, and in line with that I want said people taken seriously and not made into a joke. Want them to make the jokes (on occasion and where appropriate, NOT all the time and not forced), not be the joke.

I've had the same arguments at work with my friend, Greg. I'm used to this sentiment. He's all, "TMNT Should Be Gritty and Dark and Made For Adults" and I just can't agree. Just different aspects to the fandom I guess.

Kinda like how some prefer Adam West Batman to Neil Adams/Frank Miller version... or the serious Superman stuff to the George Reeves TV show and Superboy stuff. Different strokes for different folks as they say.

future TMNT series should Do it like 2k12 A little bit serious with some humor thrown in when it fits. No need for the turtles to be stupid goofballs all the time.