Things you learned from TMNT?

[Prowler]

Thought this would be a fun thread.

I've learned a few basic things regarding Japanese martial arts from TMNT. Probably my first exposure to the words "ninja", "ninjutsu", "sushi", "sai", "katana", "nunchaku", "kimono", "bo" and to Japanese names like Saki, Oroku, Yoshi and Hamato. Granted, TMNT and the FW series in particular aren't exactly very accurate depictions of Japanese culture and history but I'd say that's where the seeds in me were planted for my future interest in anime, Japanese stuff and East Asian culture in general. Kinda interesting how TMNT has a lot of Japanese references/stuff when that wasn't a common thing in American cartoons at the time.

I guess it was also the TMNT that taught me that turtles are both reptiles and amphibians? And ofc, the words "mutant" and "mutation".

...other than that, I don't see what else I might have learned from TMNT. I've never watched those Turtle tips vignette shorts. They must have been US exclusive by the CBS network or something. The FW series was never a very educational cartoon. In fact, I remember reading a question from a fan on the old Mirage website many years ago where he asked why the FW series eventually lost popularity and got cancelled and the answer more or less said that the Turtles weren't educational enough... or am I remembering it wrongly? This was in like 2002-2003 already, so a lot of time has passed since then.

So hum... I think I first learned from FW TMNT that NYC is also known as the "Big Apple"? Shredder calls it the Big Apple in episode 6 and I was like 6-7 years old when I first watched that episode, so yeah...

What about you?

[Icebot]

Well the names of the turtles definitely helped me learn a lot about the renaissance painters they were named after.

I learned that it’s beyond dangerously hot in the earths core in a high school science class but a TMNT episode helped me remember it (because Shredder was like “yeah and into this even stuffier earths core”).

I also like to learn things by taking advice from Splinter, like when he said “doing good should be your primary purpose because the good you do for others will come back to you in abundance” “winning is nothing, doing your best and acting with honor are the only things that matter”, “things are not always what they appear to be”, “when the eagle is ready to fly, there is nothing to be gained by remaining in the nest”. There’s many more, too many to list and probably some I forgot about. But I always thought his advice were great things to learn.

[Prowler]

Originally Posted by Icebot

Well the names of the turtles definitely helped me learn a lot about the renaissance painters they were named after.

I learned that it’s beyond dangerously hot in the earths core in a high school science class but a TMNT episode helped me remember it (because Shredder was like “yeah and into this even stuffier earths core”).

I also like to learn things by taking advice from Splinter, like when he said “doing good should be your primary purpose because the good you do for others will come back to you in abundance” “winning is nothing, doing your best and acting with honor are the only things that matter”, “things are not always what they appear to be”, “when the eagle is ready to fly, there is nothing to be gained by remaining in the nest”. There’s many more, too many to list and probably some I forgot about. But I always thought his advice were great things to learn.

Lol how could I forget this haha. Eventually I'd hear of Leonardo Da Vinci and Michelangelo the Sistine Chapel painter, but I dunno if I'd ever hear about the guys Raphael and Donatello were named after if it wasn't for TMNT.

[80gmrp]

Yeah, once I learned more about art history, I myself was initially confused between the Renaissance artists and the turtles. XD Especially since Leonardo daVinci remains one of the most well known classical artists to this day.

As for other things I learned:

1. It MIGHT have been the 80s cartoon that got me into pizza? Don't remember as it's been quite a while since I first heard of the franchise...

2. Admittedly a bit more personal, but TMNT had helped skyrocket my love of reptiles, even if moreso the carnivorous reptiles, to the point that a fair chunk of my teenage years was spent reading about them.

[Original TMNT Cartoon Fan]

New York City is called the Big Apple (Turtles in Time)

Elevator is called ascenseur in French (Tower of Power)

Main basics of Buddhism and Islam (Archie Comics)

The People's Republic of China occupied Tibet in 1950 (Archie Comics)

Global warming may raise the water level in the oceans on Earth, and affect coastal towns (mostly Archie Comics)

The Orient Express was a passenger train service (Turtles on the Orient Express)

[MsMarvelDuckie]

One that sticks out for me- Splinter's sage words in TMNT SotO: "the true ninja is a master of all things; a master of himself, and a master of his environment." I used to use this as a mantra while exercising in gym during high school, particularly while running laps on the track- and it worked! Was able to control breathing and heart rate enough that I could keep going a steady pace long adter everyone else had tired. Guess Splinter was right....

[MrPliggins]

I learned that in Japan, a person's first name is their surname.
I learned to draw by constantly filling sketchbooks with TMNT as a kid.

[The-Shredder]

There's probably a lot that I learned, but one that sticks out to me is the Turtle Tip about balloons getting caught on power lines. Ever since I saw that, I have looked down upon people who gleefully let go of balloons into the sky.

[Prowler]

Originally Posted by MrPliggins

I learned that in Japan, a person's first name is their surname.
I learned to draw by constantly filling sketchbooks with TMNT as a kid.

I think I learned that from anime.

[pferreira]

Flushing random chemicals down a drain is bad for the environment and that the person you think might be the most different from you probably has more in common with you than you realise.

Originally Posted by The-Shredder

There's probably a lot that I learned, but one that sticks out to me is the Turtle Tip about balloons getting caught on power lines. Ever since I saw that, I have looked down upon people who gleefully let go of balloons into the sky.

So what years did they produce Turtle Tips from and how many were made?

[MrPliggins]

Turtle Tips started in the 1990 season when the show went to CBS. It would air in the middle of the hour-long block. I think they they aired until the end of the show's run, but I think new ones were only produced for a year or two.

[pferreira]

Originally Posted by MrPliggins

Turtle Tips started in the 1990 season when the show went to CBS. It would air in the middle of the hour-long block. I think they they aired until the end of the show's run, but I think new ones were only produced for a year or two.

Thanks. I know there's YT compilations but has anyone catalogued everyone. Would be interesting to see how many were made and for which episodes.

[IndigoErth]

Simple answer: Integrity.

I doubt they were the only influence in my youth, but they (esp my boy, Leo) were probably very likely one of them.

[Ninjinister]

I learned what a Zamboni was from The Big Cufflink Caper episode. I don't think I'd ever even seen one before that point.

[statik]

Don't like money.

[Shark_Blade]

Girls can look great in yellow.

[CyberCubed]

Everything.

[Prowler]

Originally Posted by CyberCubed

Everything.

That explains a lot.

[IndigoErth]

Cubed, are you saying you can't tie your shoes, since the Turtles never taught that?

[The Great Saiyaman]

Surfer slang: words like "Dude", "Exactomundo" and of course...



But more recently that when reading the IDW comics, the characters aren't really all that different from what they were in the 2012 series.


This exchange between Leo and Karai for example, when reading it, I SO could hear Kelly Hu and Jason Biggs' voices.