Ninja Turtles Environmental Justice Book

RossMay · 10-13-2026, 11:55 AM

My friend, Ian Boucher, has a new book out exploring Ninja Turtles and its long-running theme of environmentalism. People here might want to check it out!

"In Totally Radical, Boucher traces how 'Turtlemania' paralleled environmental politics in the United States and compared with the largest group of millennials elected to the House of Representatives in 2018. Drawing on comics, television episodes, films, political rhetoric, and more, Boucher shows how the TMNT radically revealed America’s struggles with environmental justice."

https://www.upress.state.ms.us/Books/T/Totally-Radical

https://www.amazon.com/dp/1496864158...ect=mhFallback

https://www.amazon.ca/Totally-Radica.../dp/1496864158

*ToTheNines* · 10-13-2026, 12:33 PM

Ross write us some comics

*oldmanwinters* · 10-13-2026, 12:34 PM

Impressive to see it coming through a University Press too!

*Andrew NDB* · 10-13-2026, 02:35 PM

Did TMNT have a lot of "environmental justice" stuff outside of the Archie book?

*neatoman* · 10-13-2026, 02:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Andrew NDB

Did TMNT have a lot of "environmental justice" stuff outside of the Archie book?

Maybe not "a lot" but Sons of the Silent Age is about nuclear waste being a threat to the survival of endangered species and that one got adapted into a TV episode.

RossMay · 10-13-2026, 02:48 PM

"Ross write us some comics"

Thanks. I'd like to again someday.

"Did TMNT have a lot of "environmental justice" stuff outside of the Archie book?"

Of course Steve Murphy, under any name, is going to feature large in the book. I've only read snippets so far, but I know the book will have a wider scope than just environmental positivity. Pointing out that the turtles are created from nuclear waste, for instance. The sewer or storm drains end up being a surprisingly recurring setting for them, etc.

*neatoman* · 10-13-2026, 02:52 PM

Not simply just nuclear waste as part of their origin I might add, waste of alien origins to boot, that's like... Extra pollution-y. Not only is it stuff that alters the environment, it's stuff that doesn't even belong on the planet.

*ToTheNines* · 10-13-2026, 03:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Andrew NDB

Did TMNT have a lot of "environmental justice" stuff outside of the Archie book?

Turtle Tips, there were a few kids books, the newspaper strip would occasionally just a big message about environmentally conscious.

*Roseangelo* · 10-13-2026, 03:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Andrew NDB

Did TMNT have a lot of "environmental justice" stuff outside of the Archie book?

Recycling and "Don't Pollute" were generally prominent themes in the early 90s.

So yeah, it came up here and there on TMNT items. But it was mostly Steve Murphy and the Archie book.

And this collaboration with the Archie book:

And also the Storm Drain Savers mini comic:

*neatoman* · 10-13-2026, 03:18 PM

... Oh, and the finale of the 2012 show is about finding a clean lake in a post-nuclear(?) wasteland to call home, so I guess that counts?

*ToTheNines* · 10-13-2026, 03:52 PM

I seem to remember either Tales v2 or Volume 4 having an ad to donate and help sea turtles in the back of some issues. Anyone else?

Great Hierophant · 10-13-2026, 04:51 PM

I read the introduction but I have not read the book, it reads more like an academic paper than a work of popular history.

The first few chapters focus on the early Turtles' incarnations, Mirage, Wolf, Archie, 1990-1991 Movies. And then it seems to jump about a quarter century to the 2018 elections. That is quite a bridge to span and there is a lot of Turtle-media in between. Millennials politicians mentioned, like Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, (born in Oct. 1989) would have been at the tail end of the Archie series (which ended in 1995) by the time she could have encountered it.

The first truly environmentally-conscious issue of Mirage TMNT was Tales #6, although TMNT #12 might arguably also fit the bill due to the nuclear element of the plot. TMNT #28 (Vol. 1) "Sons of the Silent Age" had the plea for the sea turtles. That story was scripted by Murphy, so that plea being in that volume was not coincidental. There are short stories like O-Deed which also deserve some exploration.

I hope the author discusses The Puma Blues in some depth, as you might not have had Archie TMNT Adventures #5 and later without it.

*Andrew NDB* · 10-13-2026, 05:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Roseangelo

Recycling and "Don't Pollute" were generally prominent themes in the early 90s.

But like IN-story stuff.

10-13-2026, 12:34 PM	#3
oldmanwinters Overlord Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Between yesterday and tomorrow! Posts: 15,482	Impressive to see it coming through a University Press too! __________________ Experience the TMNT Fan Commentaries! Check out my TMNT fan comic, "Nothing to Fear"! View my sketch work! I'm selling some of my hard-to-find TMNT items!

10-13-2026, 12:33 PM	#2
ToTheNines Col. Stinkmeaner Join Date: Mar 2007 Posts: 19,242	Ross write us some comics

10-13-2026, 02:35 PM	#4
Andrew NDB Weed Whacker Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Auburn, WA Posts: 34,459	Did TMNT have a lot of "environmental justice" stuff outside of the Archie book?

10-13-2026, 03:52 PM	#11
ToTheNines Col. Stinkmeaner Join Date: Mar 2007 Posts: 19,242	I seem to remember either Tales v2 or Volume 4 having an ad to donate and help sea turtles in the back of some issues. Anyone else?

10-13-2026, 04:51 PM	#12
Great Hierophant Thug Join Date: Jun 2025 Location: Plymouth, MA Posts: 51	I read the introduction but I have not read the book, it reads more like an academic paper than a work of popular history. The first few chapters focus on the early Turtles' incarnations, Mirage, Wolf, Archie, 1990-1991 Movies. And then it seems to jump about a quarter century to the 2018 elections. That is quite a bridge to span and there is a lot of Turtle-media in between. Millennials politicians mentioned, like Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, (born in Oct. 1989) would have been at the tail end of the Archie series (which ended in 1995) by the time she could have encountered it. The first truly environmentally-conscious issue of Mirage TMNT was Tales #6, although TMNT #12 might arguably also fit the bill due to the nuclear element of the plot. TMNT #28 (Vol. 1) "Sons of the Silent Age" had the plea for the sea turtles. That story was scripted by Murphy, so that plea being in that volume was not coincidental. There are short stories like O-Deed which also deserve some exploration. I hope the author discusses The Puma Blues in some depth, as you might not have had Archie TMNT Adventures #5 and later without it.