Are you a bigger TMNT fan now, than when you were a kid?

[FoxBoxKid]

I was introduced to Ninja Turtles through the 4Kids show when I was 6. As I'm sure most of you can relate, I was really into it. But now, as I'm about to enter college, less than a month away from my 18th birthday, I think I'm a bigger fan of TMNT than I've ever been. Thoughts?

[Seedkiller]

Not really. But I do/did like the new series. I'm having a problem with it now because it seems like every single episode, they're introducing a new character just so they can sell a new toy. Back in the day it was the other way around. They use produce a lot of different characters and maybe eventually put them in the show. It's super annoying.

[Hannurdock]

I was a big fan then, I am a big fan now :D Nothing much has changed.

[Mzx10484]

As a child, I was just a fan like today. But at that time I could not raise so many things. I had only the bare minimum (for example one Foot Soldier with a glued leg :-? )

[ToTheNines]

Growing up, I was probably more passionate about Power Rangers, Pokemon, DBZ, Crash Bandicoot, and a couple other things at various times. But I just never "outgrew" Turtles for some reason.

[IndigoErth]

Hmm... Hard to say, as a kid I was pretty well obsessed with it. Many years later as a renewed fan I'm not sure I could official say if it's more or less than years ago. It's more of a new, older, different kind of appreciation for them now. No obsession this time around, but a bit addicted to them again for sure. ;)

[Seedkiller]

Few things are constant for me no matter what age I reach.
Macross/Robotech
Street Fighter (even though I suck at playin it)
G.I. Joe
And of course Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

Ever since I was a kid until now, I've gotten every single line of turtles. People always looked at me crazy when I picked up the lines when they came out because I couldn't ever let go.

[DarkFell]

I'm enjoying the humor that I missed as a kid. It's nice to know that a cartoon can have some humor in it that an adult would enjoy.

[miru]

Yes. In fact, I barely cared about them when I was little.

[turtlefanforever]

Much much more into them now. I always loved them but as you grow older you really begging to appreciate a lot of the things you didn't pick up on.

[Warhorse]

I would say yes. Back then, except for when the 1990 movie came out, I was totally out of the TMNT for quite some time. It wouldn't be until I finally was out of college and had my first job and was doing well, that I got on the internet, remembering the stuff I liked as a kid, and found out that TMNT had a new series on TV. I would have to say it was 2k3 that brought me back.

[Slade]

Probably. Since back then, all I knew about was the OT and the movies. I've learned a lot more about them since I've gotten older. Even have more toys of them now then when I was a kid. :lol:

[Powder]

Yes, but that's not to say I wasn't insanely dedicated back then. It's just that now I have my own money to blow on turtle merch, I'm of an age where it's legal to get them tattooed, I have the brains to fully enjoy Mirage comics, etc. My age & wage allows for more turtley awesome experiences. Both as a kid, & now, I wear them on hats & shirts allllll the time, eat pizza religiously, spout references to the OT & films, & so on.

I guess the only real distinction between then & now is that they started out as something I thought was cool & ended up being the thing that kept me from suicide. So I guess I have a greater appreciation/attachment as an "adult" for that reason.

[PizzaPower]

I'm the same as I was as a kid, probably a little more. Although I dont collect anymore. I do have a 3 year old that loves the TMNT just as much as I do and he found them himself. So guess what I did? I gave him my TMNT toys to play with.

[CyberCubed]

It's the same. TMNT was my #1 thing when I was 3 years old and its still my #1 thing at the age of 28.

Goddamn.

[oldmanwinters]

All things considered, I probably am. I just like to think I'm a more educated fan now who appreciates the franchise's history, its highs and lows, and understands what aspects are more valuable than others.

My fan art is definitely a bit better now than it was back in the day... even if I don't quite draw as often as my kid self did.

Also, I bought Ninja Turtles manga off ebay. So... I guess that means I'm pretty hardcore.

[RaphAndDonnie]

I'm definetly a bigger fan now, considering I had almost no inkling of TMNT when I was younger.

[Prowler]

Probably. Since back then, all I knew about was the OT and the movies. I've learned a lot more about them since I've gotten older. Even have more toys of them now then when I was a kid. :lol:

Yes, but that's not to say I wasn't insanely dedicated back then. It's just that now I have my own money to blow on turtle merch, I'm of an age where it's legal to get them tattooed, I have the brains to fully enjoy Mirage comics, etc. My age & wage allows for more turtley awesome experiences. Both as a kid, & now, I wear them on hats & shirts allllll the time, eat pizza religiously, spout references to the OT & films, & so on.

I guess the only real distinction between then & now is that they started out as something I thought was cool & ended up being the thing that kept me from suicide. So I guess I have a greater appreciation/attachment as an "adult" for that reason.

It's the same. TMNT was my #1 thing when I was 3 years old and its still my #1 thing at the age of 28.

Goddamn.

Yep. Pretty much this.

[sdp]

No way. Now I can say I am more fond of the turtles, I find them entertaining and they tickle my nostalgia. I know more information about the franchise and understand it a lot better than as a kid but it in no way compares to being a kid during turtle mania, sure I didn't know the history of the franchise nor how awesome the turtles universe could be, but my imagination filled those gaps perfectly and I just loved them in a way that I can't as an adult.

[Eiko]

Yes. loved them when was little love em even more now.

[RaphaelinSTL]

I don't remember too much from my earliest childhood obsession with the Turtles, but my family freely admits that I was the easiest kid to shop for back in the day as anything Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles was something that I just ate up completely.

It's funny because I can remember the times in my life when I'd be out of the Turtles in favor for something else but then I would get obsessed all over again. In particularly I am fond of being super into them before Next Mutation came out in 1997 and then freaking out over the idea of the 2003 series.

Just recently, I've been getting back into the Turtles again and it's probably been the strongest it's been in years. I had been putting off reading the IDW comic and being ignorant about it because I wasn't a fan of the art direction. I much preferred the early Mirage stylings, but after hearing how great the series has been...I've been wanting to jump right in and read everything. Now I end up feeling really silly as the first 20 or so issues have my favorite art in it now compared to the current run. Still dig it though.

On top of that, I'm collecting any back issue Mirage stuff I can find & I want to get all of the 1996 Image run if possible too. Gonna take some time I'm sure but it'll be worth it. Oh and I recently got the TMNT 1987 series box set for my birthday and have decided to watch the entire series on my free time.

[ProactiveMan]

Probably about the same. The Ninja Turtles were my last childhood obsession; I was too old to get into Power Rangers or Pokemon after that, but I held onto the Turtles. My love of TMNT is broader now, but it was probably more intense as a child.

[cup-mikey-gertha]

It's hard to tell.

I was introduced to TMNT back in 1987 when I first saw it on TV. It was an instant hit for me. I was only 3 years old back then. The series had a long run until the early 90s and I literally grew up with the cartoon. I remember that we had a crappy television channel signal reception back then, and I cried so hard everytime I miss an episode. Moreover, I can only get my hands on TMNT merchandise that my Mom bought for me like a kiddie TMNT T-shirt and a poster. My Dad brought me and my sibling to the movie house to watch the first three films for TMNT in the 90s. I was limited to what a small child can do. Well, I was happy. Hehe.

I was in college when the 2003 series was released. By that time, I was already earning some money as most teenagers do. I started collecting TMNT merchandise myself.

Fast forward to present, I'm almost 30 years old. I have a vast collection of TMNT comic books (including the first black and white Mirage editions), the toys and episodes.

Am I a bigger fan than when I was merely three years old? Hard to tell, really. What I can say is that my passion for the Turtles in three decades did not change.

:twink::twink:

[Shark_Blade]

Still am, bigger fan than ever thanks to the internet! :tcool:

[Darthchubby]

I would say I'm less of a fan now compared to when I was a kid. Some of my favorite memories involve them. As an adult i havent had those same type of memories with them. I attribute that to the variety of other things I'm passionate about. And while Turtles will always be one of my nerd loves I enjoy other things a bit more at this stage in life. But I know when I become a parent I will encourage my mini me to give the Turtles a shot.

[Davetello]

I wouldn't say I am a 'bigger fan' in terms of being more enthusiastic, but I am certainly far more knowledgeable about the franchise as a whole now that I've had exposure to Mirage. I'd say the fact that I know more about the history of the turtles means I am more educated, and with education comes more pleasure and comprehension of what you're reading or watching or playing. Turtle wikis pages on the internet (as well as this site) is something which made me aware of Mirage and from there my enjoyment of the comics and the 4kids series really started, and I developed a new appreciation for the original film as well (it was confusing as a child since I wasn't aware of the source material it drew heavily on).

I'd suspect the above is true of many of us eighties kids.

[neatoman]

If you don't consider teenagers to be children I was never a TMNT as I fan as a kid, I knew what it was because of some merch still left around but all the market hype and what not had died down over here by the time I was around three years old. When the 2003 series hit here I was around twelve but I didn't have the right tv-channel at the time.

If you do consider teenagers to be children, then it's yes. I only got to collecting the comics last year and it's the IDW series that has made me a fan for real. Oh yeah sure, the 2003 show, the 2012 show and the Mirage are all pretty nice but the first two suffer from kids' show limits and the third is mostly clunky amateur work. The IDW series has everything I ever wanted from the franchise.

[Rusty Shackleford]

i'm a way bigger fan now than i was as a kid.i only got to see the original series every now and then on vhs tapes and the like.so basically i liked what i saw but didn't get to see much of it so it didn't stick out in my mind as much as other cartoons i watched back then.later i got to see the first two movies and i enjoyed those a lot.and then they came out with the 2003 series which i never cared for very much and still don't till this day.but then earlier this year i gave the new nick series a try and now i'm hooked.bigger tmnt fan then ever and buy way more merch than i ever did as a kid.

[fridaynightdestination]

Yeah I'd say so. As a kid I just 'liked' the Ninja Turtles, but now I'm a huge fan! But Godzilla is still the #1 thing I'm a fan of :D Speaking of which, there is a Godzilla forum out there called TohoKingdom, but the community there isn't very pleasant so that's why I post here so much.

[THGhost]

Definitely a bigger fan now that I'm in my 20s. When I was a kid I loved the 2K3 series and that was it, now I like pretty much all iterations.

[Leofan26]

Yah I am, I watched the 80s films with my siblings and enjoyed them, barley remember much of the 80s Animated series though, my brother was more of a fan back when that was airing than I was.

Now, I watched the 2003 series and was obsessed with it back when it was airing. Than I went back to watch the 80s series and found it to be fun and am really enjoying the 2012 series every now and than, mostly when it's focused on the Shredder plots.

[Allio]

Now that I am old enough to appreciate the Turtles more than I was a child (past the "SO COOL" aspect) yeah, I'm a much bigger fan of the TUrtles

[Gunpowder]

Most definitely. I didn't even "like" TMNT when I was younger; I remember being in summer camp as a kid and seeing the 2003 reruns on TV, but didn't think anything of it at all. I just got big into the Turtles this year, and after having watched the 2003 version again, I absolutely adore it, and really admire the art style. (I even recognized some of the episodes I had seen when I was younger, and it was cool because there were certain lines I always remembered; then when I heard them, I'd be like, "I remember that part!")

Just shows you don't have to be a kid to love these guys.

[Gorilla Grodd]

It's tough to say. Probably more so as a kid because I had less going on so TMNT was essentially my main focus in life. I still love it, but it's one of many loves now.

[tmntpower1988]

When I watch the 80s show now I can't really get back into it unfortunately. Bit sad really since it did make my child hood great. I still like the 2003 series though, I like the serious tone and how dark some of the episodes are. The battles the turtles have with Shredder and the foot in season 1 always makes me smile, just plain awesome. 2012 is OK but the show can be really irritating at times. I still am a turtles fan just not as crazy about it as I used to be.

[Freeman]

Like most of you have said, the approach is different now from when I was a child too.

We all are adults and have works now, and let's not forget we have internet, a tool that didn't exist in 1988. Now we can search the net for comics, attend to conventions and buy awesome figures even before they are in the warehouses (I'm looking at you Revoltech ^__^)

We have one space or even a whole room to display our collections and we can reread and rewatch all the comics and episodes we want.

But I do feel there's something I don't do now. I used to draw ninja turtles like crazy. I used to play with them and create extravagant plots. I used to do crossover stories with my Power Rangers and MOTU figures.

Of course I smile more when I go out with my custom B/W turtles hat and I'm super proud of my shell backpack, but some inocent joy of playing with the toys and drawing has been lost.

Now we are more ambicious and more disciplined about the "knowing the stuff and collecting the stuff" but I don't play with my figs anymore, I instead keep them boxed.

Maybe that will change when I become a father and have the chance to play with my kids :roll:

[Monte Williams]

I am struck, reading this thread, at the fact that so many forum folk are much younger than I am. It took me a minute to realize why this was so surprising; as a G.I. Joe fan, I am accustomed to fellow fans being my age or older, 'cause the brand hasn't caught the attention of a younger generation in any meaningful way in decades.

It's nice to see that the 2003 series brought in a new generation, and clearly the Nick series is a massive hit with kids, so presumably we'll have a new generation of college-age men and women frequenting the Technodrome in ten or fifteen years.

Whatever the case, I was thirteen years old in 1990, when the first live-action film hit theaters. I'd been watching the cartoon for, what, two or three years by that time?

In 1990, in my town at least, it wasn't really socially acceptable to like toys and cartoons once you were a teenager, but I rebelled; inspired by a photo of Faith No More vocalist Mike Patton wearing a Looney Tunes shirt (and I can't really convey how startling and funny that was, 'cause of course these days everyone wears shirts adorned with cartoon characters and the like), I wore a Ninja Turtles shirt to middle school on those rare days when I wasn't wearing my Anthrax or AC/DC or Cult shirts.

I had thirty or so figures from the original action figure series. I eventually sold them for $20 to buy LSD, and Vanilla Ice's cameo in the second live-action film was the final nail in the coffin of my initial fandom.

From there, I have maintained a steady nostalgic affection for the franchise, with occasional spikes leading to short periods of intense interest. And yet despite having been a fan for decades, there are still major gaps in my fandom; I've only ever read a handful of the comics, I've seen maybe a dozen episodes of the 2003 cartoon, I haven't seen the Nickelodeon series yet (although I do intend to pursue it)...

I am currently enjoying one of my periods of intense, consuming interest in the property. I loved the initial Nickelodeon figures of the four Turtles, and when a friend custom-weathered them for me I became obsessed. I managed to enjoy the new movie despite its many flaws, and I have been photographing the ever-loving hell out of my toys. :)

https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3913/14872042630_2f9d2b53b4.jpg

https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3881/14599252068_1942a3a0b7.jpg https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3841/15104738892_74e22017a8.jpg

https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3871/14964479848_f0da742b4b.jpg https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5558/14777064807_5df4acf59f.jpg

[TheBlueTurtle1]

I guess the question has a 2 ended answer. My interest in the franchise has changed. I still liked what I did as a kid, but now I like the franchise in much deeper sense.

As a kid I loved the cartoon, toys and the the 4 turtles. As I got older I love the darker mature comics and the expanded universe outside of the turtles, splinter and Shredder.

I can appericate it now MORE than I could as a Kid.

[smitbro2]

I think I was a bigger fan overall when I was a kid. But being a fan as something as a kid and as an adult is different in a way. I guess you appreciate different things over time.

[Luckyday]

I don't think I was no where as big as fan as I am now. Before having know about the mirage series, my only exposure to TMNT was the 2k3 series. I don't why, but that series had never really appealed to me.

[Kilowog]

Bigger now. The Fred Wolf cartoon ended when I was like 3 and while I enjoyed the 4kids show I didnt get much of a chance to see it when it aired because of family stuff.

[jenna]

It's actually a completely different beast now.

As a child, it was all about the OT and I was 8 and I was obsessed in a way that only an 8 year-old can be. But then, I only really watched seasons 2 and 3. Then it was all about the films.

Now I'm 33, my interest in the TMNT has developed into something deeper. I'm not obsessed anymore, but I have a fascination for the lore, the characterisation and the culture - things which were not prevalent in the OT and things I didn't really give a sh!t about as an 8 year-old.

Until 2k3 came out, my love for TMNT was nostalgia-based, although I loved the Steve Barron film and watched it regularly. I even wrote a paper about it for my film studies degree.

Then 2k3 appeared and everything changed. I think I was about 25 when I first saw it (a few years after it started). It had the ripples of the Barron film all the way through it and it was steeped in the Japanese philosophy, martial arts, relationships, characters etc (minus Raph, who was very poorly handled). Members of this forum introduced me to the comic books and helped me get hold of the entire series of Mirage Vol 1 and it's been a big part of my life ever since.

Everything has changed. The things I love about it changed, I changed. The only thing that has never wavered was that my favourite turtle was Raphael.

The thread asks about being a bigger 'fan'. I was more 'fanatical' about it as a child, but have a deeper, more academic love for it now, albeit less 'fanatical'.

[Luckyday]

^ So in a way, you have become more open to new ideas and interpretations of the franchise?

[Fourcylinder]

I would say I have grown as a fan since I was a kid. When I was a kid I really only enjoyed the OT, original movie, and toys. Now, I have branched out into the comics etc. I definitely care more about the franchise as a whole now than I did as a child.

[ShelleyQuick]

I was a huge fan when I was a kid, it was always a hard to decision to finish the Disney Afternoon or turn it to the Turtles. As an adult I think I love them even more, especially with the liberties that come with being an adult. Having my own money to buy stuff and not having to fight older siblings for the t.v. As the youngest, I pretty much had to do what the older ones said.

[jenna]

^ So in a way, you have become more open to new ideas and interpretations of the franchise?

Sort of. I wouldn't say that exactly because it wasn't that I was 'closed to new ideas', I was just... ignorant. :)

I didn't really know the comic books existed. It was seeing 2k3 and joining this forum which educated me in the vastness of the franchise. Since learning of the existence of incarnations beyond OT and the 90s films, I have tried everything. Even Next Mutation. Can't say I love it all, but I've definitely been open to trying any new incarnation and don't stick rigidly to my idea of one supreme incarnation. I love elements of them all. Even Next Mutation had some nice moments (Splinter playing Chess with the blind man in the park). I think they are all rich in their own way. If I was to come up with a definitive version of TMNT, it would contain elements of all incarnations. :D

[Redeemer]

Bigger now. The Fred Wolf cartoon ended when I was like 3 and while I enjoyed the 4kids show I didnt get much of a chance to see it when it aired because of family stuff.

I know why right????? :lol:

I was I think 4 or 5 when the fred wolf series ended so I am with you I knew I watched it, but I could't remember it, but I was able to watch the 2k3 series and It pretty much launched me into the Mirage comics they had up on the Ninja Turtle site and the comics has kept me going!!!!

I guess its more of a evolution with my fandom

[Shiro Kame]

Yeah, after the 2nd cartoon ended, I didn't get into the series very much until I saw the 3rd cartoon and played TMNT 2 - BN.

[Necrotique]

Definitely! I was raised in a very frugal family and as the youngest, got hand-me-down toys. Never got any TMNT toys but always found them cool. I did collect LOTR film models though, as my parents loved the books.

[DanMar]

That's a hard question to answer for me personally. I haven't consumed much in the way of TMNT media in the last few years. I was born in '85, so for me the original series was in the middle of it's run when I was old enough to appreciate it in some fashion. I collected a few figures when my parents could spare the money, but they were never a focus of my collecting. I enjoyed most of the older games from NES to the Super NES, but lost track after that. I enjoyed the 2003 series, but never finished it off properly. Even though the current show is on and people say it's great I don't watch enough tv to make time for it atm. I've also never read a TMNT comic to this day (something I plan to change in the near future). I loved most of the theatrical releases, but haven't seen the newest version as of yet.


All that said, I don't think my love for them has ever gone away. I realized this just yesterday, while watching a movie with my older brother. For some reason we started pulling up videos from youtube and playing them out of nostalgia. We went through a few older cartoon intros, but one in particular got me excited. The original TMNT intro song! Man, it put me back in those early years and the memories came rushing back. The TMNT universe holds a special place in my heart more so than most properties.


I managed to enjoy the new movie despite its many flaws, and I have been photographing the ever-loving hell out of my toys. :)

I LOVE those photos. I couldn't tell at first they were actual figures of yours. Great job man. It reminded me of my youth when I enjoyed making scenarios for all my little figures. Even digging up dirt and making trenches. Those were the days.

[Monte Williams]

Thanks, DanMar!

My TMNT fandom has been similar to yours, in that there are many significant media gaps.

[victory_angel]

I would say I am more of a TMNT fan then I was when I was younger.

This past week I have been staffing at the Dreamforce Convention in San Francisco. Yesterday we were given pin back buttons to give out to the attendees and I know the colors of the buttons are purely coincidental but....

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/Er5IMLvF4jY0GpV0vUzbwqQ_4LsCURefNx86SEtS8t4=w300-h207-p-no

[hypnock]

I became a fan of TMNT recently. I didn't get to watch TMNT medias as a kid. I'm only into Nick animation and most comics. I don't watch OT because of um... old animation. I had tried 4Kids, but not really into it.