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

[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]

Originally Posted by Luckyday

^ 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.

[Redeemer]

Originally Posted by 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.

I know why right?????

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.

Originally Posted by Monte Williams

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....

[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.