How you became a fan of the TMNT?

[Doc_ock_4mugen]

For me it started on the late 80s (87-89) don't remember exactly when. I remember that I fell in love with the TMNT.... Probably it was either with the Toon or when I saw the Wacky Action Michelangelo. (I'll lean more towards the Toon but it could've been the toy...)I was at a K-B toys and I saw him. It looked cool, a Turtle that was a Ninja! That screamed awesome to me. Plus he looked like a goofball with his tongue sticking out... That made me and by me I mean my dad spend $4.99 on him. After that I was hooked... I remember saving all of my spare lunch money in order to have $8.98 for the weekends that I spent with my dad. (Which ususally involved a stop at a toystore for me to spend my saved money...) I loved the Turtle toys and the old Toon. I do remember seeing one of the comics as a kid, but I wasn't That into comics at that age and I believe that I was a comic book racist... (I only enjoyed colored comics...)

It all changed when the Movie came out... My love for the toon wasn't exactly the same after the movie... I loved the movie even more... Then I hit the Teenage years, the age when it ain't cool to play with toys... But I still kept my TMNT... Somehow I lost most of my collection... (Probably my dad got rid of it... when we weren't getting along... Cause he was the first one on the Teenage Boys don't play with toys campaign...) I disliked the Next Mutation and My TMNT fix was nearly run dry... Then Came the 2k3 series... I was tempted to buy the toys, but I was already spoiled by the awesome combo of sculpt and articulation that was Marvel Legends. I was into the Toon, but not the Toys...

Then I found a match in heaven... The NECA TMNT figs... It combined the awesomeness of the TMNT and ML-like Artic. Also I found the first 2 TMNT movies on the bargain bins at Wal*Mart. Early 2009, I was able to read the earlier TMNT Issues... I discovered a whole new world that I've missed, but somehow felt familiar (2k3 Toon). Mike's been my fave because of his lighter attitude compared to his brothers, something that's remained constant in most of the incarnations of the TMNT that I've seen. Maybe the contrast of Mike's character vs his brothers' is what kept me a fan... Or maybe it is the link that I have between the TMNT and the better times that I had with my father... I'm not completely sure which one is it...

[CyberCubed]

As a kid:

Original cartoon, toys, the live-action movies, and the Archie series.

As a teen:

My first exposure to the Mirage universe. I started collecting all the Mirage comics throughout the years.

TMNT 2k3 series also started when I was about 18.

As an adult:

I loved TMNT in just about every incarnation, sans the Next Mutation.

[Mr._Mutant_Man]

The cartoon series when I was a kid. The Turtles were impossible to avoid at that time. I have no idea why it ended up being the turtles that caught my interest instead of Transformers or whatever else was out there.

I ended up regaining my interest years later when the official website starting putting the comics online.

[Scandia]

The old toon in the year 1989. I was in the 6th or 7th grade. I was SO into it, it's not even funny.

[triplexxx]

Suppose just one of the first things that caught my eye when I found out what TV was as a youngster, and ever since I just stuck to it.

[ToTheNines]

I loved the videogames, toys and first movie (It was kinda dark and scary for a kiddie flick) and thought the cartoon was alright as a kid.

Then when I moved to my grandma's for a while in '02 the only games/toys/VHS's at her house were TMNT. So my cousins, sister and I played with those (and Dollar Tree ninja weapons) everyday until the NT started and I've never really quit following them since.

[Powder]

My mom handed me two of their toys when i was like 2 and then i gained interest through the tv show and gradually became obsesed :]

[Jester]

The old toon and Archie comics, though as I've grown up, so have my tastes in Turtles. I really need to go after more Mirage stuff.

[Cowabunga Kiefer]

The 2007 film really got me properly introduced, ever since that Sunday afternoon it has been nonstop love for the TMNT and who they are. It feels good to say that too!

[thebrownranger]

Ever since I saw the first original 1990 movie on vhs with my brothers I was hooked.

[Eiko]

When i saw the first movie then the 1989 cartoon series love the turtles and never stopped

[Original TMNT Cartoon Fan]

This was discussed here: http://forums.thetechnodrome.com/showthread.php?t=26453. Continue or this thread?

[Doc_ock_4mugen]

If the mods agree that they're similar threads; can they merge this thread with that one or delete this one? I did search before posting this, but it did not appear in the search results...

[ToTheNines]

The old toon and Archie comics, though as I've grown up, so have my tastes in Turtles. I really need to go after more Mirage stuff.

So whatcha gonna do when you hit 65?

[Krang]

If the mods agree that they're similar threads; can they merge this thread with that one or delete this one? I did search before posting this, but it did not appear in the search results...
The two threads focus on different questions, so I think they're different enough to remain separate.

[Original TMNT Cartoon Fan]

OK. Here's my story.

August 1990. TMNT breakthrough in Sweden.
Mid 1991: I got hooked on TMNT.
Late 1993–early 1994: TMNT almost totally disappears from Sweden. I don't know how the stories continue.
Late November and early December 2003-Early 2004. Rediscover the TMNT because of the Internet, and get hooked again. Read a lot of fanfic on the Internet.
11 January 2006: I join the Technodrome Forums.

[Ginny]

Hmmm, I'd say I really became a fan around age 13 when the OT began. My dad and I never missed it. Cartoons, and Sci-Fi/ Fantasy movies and TV shows were about the only things my dad and I had in common. After he died in 1993, I kind of lost interest in everything like that. I guess I started getting back into them around 2004, and I watched them whenever I could. The 2007 movie really made me remember how much I used to love them though and I kind of made it a goal of mine to catch up on everything after seeing it. So, I am still trying to catch up on everything, well, mostly the comics at this point, I'm caught up on the shows now. :)

[NightwatchersOnlygirl]

The old toon and the 1st movie and Raphael

[Roland]

It was te old toon that got me hooked.I aslo had all 4 turtles , shredder, rock steady,splinter and april. Now i only have leo,shredder,rock steady,splinter and april. Then came the turtles next mutation watched the whole day marathon of it one saturday. We got the Mike action figure of that show (Remember turtle-flagde). I watched the new toon (2003) and we bought leo,raph and don without their active gear and leo,raph,mike and don with their active gear. So i call my old leo uncle picasso. Also have tmnt1 game and tmnt3 and the xbox 360 tmnt.

[Cipher]

I was sort of late hopping on to Turtle-mania. I was born in 1990 and saw the old toon via reruns, and the red sky seasons which aired through 1996. I got all the video games, and amassed a huge collection of toys via Toys R' Us and garage sales, nearly all of which are currently sitting in my parents garage. I enjoyed it passively until fifth grade, where my friends and I gave the one season of Next Mutation a chance, and after it ended I left Turtles behind for years.

As a child my parents had bought the first four issues of the Mirage series to show me (and presumably because they thought they were interesting as well). I enjoyed them, thought the darkness was odd, but didn't really think much of them. When the new toon came on I caught episodes here and there, was glad to see it followed the comics, but didn't bother following it.

In nineth grade (2004-2005) I had a fit of nostalgia and hauled out some of the old video tapes I had. They were a blast. I soon bought the DVD releases of the old toon, and recieved some issues of the comic (including most of "City at War") as a birthday gift. From here on I continued to passively enjoy Turtles again, but still didn't buy the comic or watch the new toon on a regular basis.

Finally, about junior year, seeing there were season-sized releases of the new toon, I decided to watch it on DVD. I have since seen most (but not all) of it via DVD, the internet, and was able to follow Ninja Tribunal and BTTS as they aired (way to only be there for the worst parts, huh?). At the same time I began to more regularly purchase batches of the comics, finally realizing how f---ing great they are, and have continued to consume new and old TMNT material since. I still haven't touched the toys since 1997, though.

Things I liked as a kid, stopped liking, and now enjoy again - TMNT, Transformers (shows and old comics only), Dragon Ball, and Pokemon (video games only). I had good taste as a kid.

[Type 97 Chi-ha]

The arcade game in 1989. The workmanship was poor on these machines, but once the game was in order, playing it was wonderful. A long entertaining experience and my hands weren't in pain afterward.