Has anybody ever seen your love for TMNT as a shortcoming?

[CyberCubed]

Originally Posted by Prowler

Well what did you think you'd be doing at age 30-31 if not playing games, reading comics or watching cartons? What do you think your hobbies would be?

I don't have any "real" hobbies outside of games/shows/comics.

[Andrew NDB]

Originally Posted by Original TMNT Cartoon Fan

When I watched cartoons and some other TV-series in secret by 12, I first checked out nobody else was where the TV-set was standing in a corner. If someone came down, I changed channel. Also, I tried to not have the volume too loud.

There were windows (through which you can see what programme is watched), and sometimes I checked them. Even if I knew there was noone in the garden, it always felt someone was watching through. So every fifth minute or so I had to catch an eye onto the windows. But then it was like the entire world was watching and listening outside the windows in the garden.

Has anyone else been in that situation?

[ABrown]

[IndigoErth]

Originally Posted by Original TMNT Cartoon Fan

When I watched cartoons and some other TV-series in secret by 12, I first checked out nobody else was where the TV-set was standing in a corner. If someone came down, I changed channel. Also, I tried to not have the volume too loud.

There were windows (through which you can see what programme is watched), and sometimes I checked them. Even if I knew there was noone in the garden, it always felt someone was watching through. So every fifth minute or so I had to catch an eye onto the windows. But then it was like the entire world was watching and listening outside the windows in the garden.

Has anyone else been in that situation?

Not really, by the time I started getting judged at home for still being into TMNT I had a small tv of my own in my room anyhow and relatively low risk so I wasn't overly vigilant. I probably kept the volume down though and muted it if someone came knocking on my door.

Little bit of irony there that trying to watch innocent cartoons at a certain age ends up treated as scandalous as trying to have a peek an porn. lol Imagine the relief of any parent who notices suspicious behavior, suspects the worst, then it turns out it's just harmless cartoons.

[Original TMNT Cartoon Fan]

Originally Posted by IndigoErth

Not really, by the time I started getting judged at home for still being into TMNT I had a small tv of my own in my room anyhow and relatively low risk so I wasn't overly vigilant. I probably kept the volume down though and muted it if someone came knocking on my door.

Little bit of irony there that trying to watch innocent cartoons at a certain age ends up treated as scandalous as trying to have a peek an porn. lol Imagine the relief of any parent who notices suspicious behavior, suspects the worst, then it turns out it's just harmless cartoons.

I also had an own TV-set in my room by the age of 12, mostly to watch ice hockey and soccer games, films and and play videogames. However it had not connection to the parabolic antenna, so I couldn't use it to watch most channels airing cartoons. TMNT no longer aired at the time in Sweden, but I really liked action-cartoons.

Another thing I hated was that I felt ashamed for reading Archie, said up subscription, and felt embarassed to go buying it at the shop. By this time, the Archie comics had become darker which was OK as I was now 12.

I never outgrow TMNT, but by the age of 14 it was just a great childhood memory. Sometimes when getting ordinary ill and home from school, I would watch videotapes with recorded episodes (nothing to feel shame for when you're ill). At my Archie comics, the logotype said "Eastman and Larid's Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles". Sometimes I searched encyclopedia books (who sometimes seemed to have missed anything post-1850) who these guys where, without finding anything.

But one day in late-2003 I became TMNT-nostalgic, searched the Internet (pre-broadband) and by April-2004 I'd learned of it's origins, and there was a new cartoon out there since February 2003.

[Jester]

I've developed a habit to turn on closed captions so I could keep the volume on my TV low...but mainly because I was a night owl and didn't want to wake my family.

[plastroncafe]

Originally Posted by Jester

I've developed a habit to turn on closed captions so I could keep the volume on my TV low...but mainly because I was a night owl and didn't want to wake my family.

Late night viewing is what prompted me to update my Roku Box.
The newer ones come with a headphone jack in the remote, so you can watch tv with sound without waking the fam...or in my case, the roommates.

As for being judged for watching cartoons.
I did get some flack for it in Jr High, but in hindsight that had less to do with the cartoons and more to do with my utter lack of social skills.

[Andrew NDB]

Headphones, and turn brightness/contrast way down. And I'd still get caught watching Arsenio and TNG and/or Perfect Strangers.

[Jester]

Originally Posted by plastroncafe

Late night viewing is what prompted me to update my Roku Box.
The newer ones come with a headphone jack in the remote, so you can watch tv with sound without waking the fam...or in my case, the roommates.

As for being judged for watching cartoons.
I did get some flack for it in Jr High, but in hindsight that had less to do with the cartoons and more to do with my utter lack of social skills.

Originally Posted by Andrew NDB

Headphones, and turn brightness/contrast way down. And I'd still get caught watching Arsenio and TNG and/or Perfect Strangers.

I've done all of that too. My Roku TV doesn't have the jack in the remote, but the app puts that functionality on my phone...

[Coola Yagami]

When it first became a daily series, I was 12, but only had one friend to share the excitement with. Everyone else was in the 'too cool for cartoons' stage or they liked other stuff that was 'more acceptable and bad ass' like GI Joe and Transformers. The turtles were aight but back then those two were The Big Two. I bought the Archie comics without shame, noone I knew was going there anyway and I'd rarely bring them to school. Anyone who did would bring batman comics or anything marvel but not the turtles. Some kids would tease that I only ate pizza or that I was naive enough to think the turtles on tour were the actual real life turtles, um no, even as a kid I knew crappy costumes when I saw them. But that's about it. I learned at a young age to not blurt out my Fandom too much at the risk of not fitting in. Funny how what seems so important as a kid means nothing now. Who cares if you fit in a classroom full of people you'd never see again?

By the time I was in high school the turtles were slowly on their way out and it was the era of street fighter for me. Noone talked about cartoons then, it was all about being cool and getting laid, so I knew to keep my tmnt and videogame Fandom mostly to myself except for a select few like minded individuals.

[Spitfire]

When I was a little one, back in the 4th grade, I got picked on for liking Ninja Turtles. This was towards the end of their first life cycle and kids had all moved onto Pokemon and Dragon Ball Z.

Post that though everyone always thought it was "cool". Which is as surprising to me as I am sure it is to you. Actually, everything I grew up being told was lame or nerdy has now become acceptable by the general public thanks to the influx of blockbuster comic book films. I am now the pop culture guy who people ask questions like "Who the hell is Doctor Strange?, "Why is there a talking raccoon in that movie?", and "What is up with this guy who talks to ants and changes size?".

If I drank I could be a bar trivia powerhouse but alas I do not drink. My vices remain collecting but I have since switched from toys and statues to posters and blurays.

[ToTheNines]

Spit! Welcome back dude!

[Spitfire]

Originally Posted by ToTheNines

Spit! Welcome back dude!

It has been a very long time. Good see some of the old faces are still around. Hope you're doing well!

[DisKosh]

Originally Posted by IndigoErth

Yeah, I wish Nick would have aged this version up more than they did, at least in terms of behavior/interaction.

I disagree, I like the more childlike turtles. We've had versions where they've acted adult but not very many when they feel like modern teenagers (which may be while some people don't like them, but my sister's around that age so I'm used to it).

I've been a geek for years and I was never very good at hiding it (as an interesting note, I think part of that was because I have Asperger's, it doesn't affect everyone this way but I was very lacking in self awareness when I was younger). I loved Star Trek and Babylon 5 (still very into B5, hence the username), I also became a brony so when I rediscovered TMNT as an adult, no one batted an eyelid.

The main downside is some people in work treat me like a kid, though part of that could be because I am the youngest in my particular department.
This seems to lure them into a false perception of me based on stereotypes which makes it difficult to talk about some of my other more adult interests for instance, my favourite writer being Victor Hugo. When I say I enjoy his books people find that pretentious. It's like they can't understand that I can get excited about the latest TMNT episodes and then start complaining that they left some parts of the book out of the Les Mis stage musical.

[Original TMNT Cartoon Fan]

Originally Posted by Coola Yagami

When it first became a daily series, I was 12, but only had one friend to share the excitement with. Everyone else was in the 'too cool for cartoons' stage or they liked other stuff that was 'more acceptable and bad ass' like GI Joe and Transformers. The turtles were aight but back then those two were The Big Two. I bought the Archie comics without shame, noone I knew was going there anyway and I'd rarely bring them to school. Anyone who did would bring batman comics or anything marvel but not the turtles. Some kids would tease that I only ate pizza or that I was naive enough to think the turtles on tour were the actual real life turtles, um no, even as a kid I knew crappy costumes when I saw them. But that's about it. I learned at a young age to not blurt out my Fandom too much at the risk of not fitting in. Funny how what seems so important as a kid means nothing now. Who cares if you fit in a classroom full of people you'd never see again?

By the time I was in high school the turtles were slowly on their way out and it was the era of street fighter for me. Noone talked about cartoons then, it was all about being cool and getting laid, so I knew to keep my tmnt and videogame Fandom mostly to myself except for a select few like minded individuals.

I didn't care for fitting into a gang, but would still feel embarassed.

[Prowler]

Originally Posted by CyberCubed

I don't have any "real" hobbies outside of games/shows/comics.

So why did you expect not to still be playing games and watching cartoons in your 30s? What did you expect to be doing instead? Watching sports with beer in your hand and bitching about the government?

[CyberCubed]

When we were all teenagers, did any of us think we'd still be watching cartoons, playing videogames, thinking about comics and movies...in our late 20's or early 30's?

Of course not. We were all told or expected to grow out of this. Instead it seems like our generation has embraced it. We've all become manchildren, so to speak. Our parents would be appalled.

[plastroncafe]

Originally Posted by CyberCubed

When we were all teenagers, did any of us think we'd still be watching cartoons, playing videogames, thinking about comics and movies...in our late 20's or early 30's?

[ToTheNines]

Yeah, I knew I'd be a nerd for life.

[DestronMirage22]

Originally Posted by CyberCubed

When we were all teenagers, did any of us think we'd still be watching cartoons, playing videogames, thinking about comics and movies...in our late 20's or early 30's?

Of course not. We were all told or expected to grow out of this. Instead it seems like our generation has embraced it. We've all become manchildren, so to speak. Our parents would be appalled.

If you really enjoy something, why would you ever want to stop?
I, for one, have never even thought about changing my lifestyle, or about not doing the things I love. I plan to be watching 'toons, reading comics, and buying toys and such 'till I physically can't anymore.