The masks - why?

[Keroscene]

This has been bugging me for a while. I mean, in the cartoon series, there's an obvious reason for the masks - they differentiate the Turtles from each other. That doesn't apply to the Mirage/Image comics where they all have the same colour and it's in black and white anyway. And the masks hardly act as a disguise.

Is it a "Ronin" reference (ashamed to say I've never read it)? Or is it a psychological thing (makes them feel more like ninjas)?

[DrSpengler]

I'm not sure why they wear them. I guess Laird/Eastman threw the masks in to give the TMNT a more fearsome appearance and a little more character.

Besides, aren't bandanas usuall worn on the forehead?

[malignant]

They're Ninja's.

[raphael_is_cool]

They keep the sweat out of their eyes...and make their pupils disappear so they look cooler

[Donatello]

one reason, they look cool

[JohnnyPsycho]

my guess is that because of how "dome" like the turtles' heads are, bandanas wouldn't really tie around their foreheads without slipping off, so they had to tie them further down their face over their eyes... If you look close, the tops of their heads are kind of short, so they don't have much in the way of foreheads to begin with anyway. I haven't read that far back into the mythos of the TMNT, but there is also the possibility that the red bandanas were originally supposed to act like their "clan colors" or something... maybe Splinter decided on these bandana/masks as a way to "announce" to other ninja clans that these turtles were his students, or that they were "descendents" of master Yoshi's teachings and methods...

then again, in an artistic sense, red bandanas on green skin (being complimentary colors) probably just looked good, so Eastman and Laird just went with it...

[malignant]

They're Ninja's.

[Ryona]

Everything you said, JohnnyPsycho makes sense.

Y'know, the boys wearing elbow pads and knee pads dosn't make much sense. I mean, it does when they are growing up and training. It's good protection for sparring and such, but now that they are pretty much masters in their own right (they're probably between 5th dan to 8th dan) and that they fight in real battles wearing that stuff, it just seems a little off to me; that and when they wear that gear, their elbows and knees are not as effective as weapons.

Another thing is seeing that they are ninja, they could wear the full ninja outfit. It would cover up their features so that even if they were spotted, their true selves would be hidden from site.

...Of course when you get down to it, it's all about style, representation, image, and originality. Kevin Eastman & Peter Laird made the guys look the way they do because it makes them look unique and original.

This is where creativity outweighs logic. They just look cool the way they look! :tsmile:

[KROW]

Before it's said again:

They're ninjas.

[batraph]

I actually don't mind the masks for battle, but when the guys are just hanging out I don't think they should need to wear them so much, which is something about the new series and volume 4 that irks me

[Keroscene]

They're Ninja's.

So?

[Whitewolf89]

What's the big deal? That's the way Kev and Pete designed the guys' look and I think it looks cool, personally. Besides, the SWAT Kats are vigilantes and THEY wear masks, albeit BLACK ones that look like the ones that the new toon Turtles wore as toddlers., and it was a good look for them.

So MY take on it? Whatever was good enough for Kev and Pete is good enough for me. 'Nuff said.

[KROW]

Okay. I'm going to answer this question once and for all. The reason why the TMNT wear the masks is:

BECAUSE.

There we go. Question answered. :D

[Buslady]

The bandanas/masks/whatever just look cool. And yeah they couldnt tie em on thier short forehead.
And I wondered about their knee & elbow pads...why would they need them? Joints are the weakest point on the libs, those things gives them a little protection in fights.

[Serp]

Because they want to wear mask, hell why does Superman wear a cape?

[Kid Icarus]

The TMNT wear masks to show off their clan. It's an ancient Japanese tradition.

Sorta like how the Foot had the Foot symbol in the old toon, the TMNT wear their red masks.

Where's Heritic when you need him?

[moonfog]

i think its all about disguising themselves to the humankind, a trenchcoat and hat just wont do, however, add a bandana and you could pass as a really hideously deformed human, but not as a turtle :wink: makes sense?
also that forehead description mentioned makes sense too

[Gokhan]

the knee an elbow pads act like they are supposed to as protection. wouldntu rather have some kinda o fprotection aginst cuts an stuff than none. skaters an stuff wear it all the time