What did you think of TMNT as a kid?

[Garfield]

Loved it to the max.

There really isn't anything that I'm more nostalgic for than Ninja Turtles. I still have some TMNT things from my child hood around the house. I loved and Still love the OT toy line. Loved the cartoon, comics, movies. Turtles galore.

[blindturtle02]

Originally Posted by Original TMNT Cartoon Fan

Sounds cool. Around which year was that? (so I can know which season was around back thenn, anf se if there were many Technodrome break-in episodes)

I always liked episodes with Technodrome out of power-Bebop and Rocksteady must break into power stations.

That would have been around 90/91. So let's see. The show would have been on CBS over here in the states anyway. Season 4 would have been airing in 90/91. But we also played in 92 before I moved to Arkansas and season 5 was definitely in reruns during spring of 92. I remember it snowing a bit one weekend in early Feb and there were large patches of it on the playground so it helped with the arctic bit.

[Original TMNT Cartoon Fan]

Originally Posted by blindturtle02

That would have been around 90/91. So let's see. The show would have been on CBS over here in the states anyway. Season 4 would have been airing in 90/91. But we also played in 92 before I moved to Arkansas and season 5 was definitely in reruns during spring of 92. I remember it snowing a bit one weekend in early Feb and there were large patches of it on the playground so it helped with the arctic bit.

Season 4 aired in late 1990. Easter episodes aired during Easter 1991.

Season 5 aired in late 1991.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_o...ries)_episodes

[Refractive Reflections]

During 1987-1989 when it was in syndication during the afternoons (and maybe occasionally Saturdays), I hardly got a chance to watch them since both of my parents worked and I never got a chance to see Weekday cartoons unless miraculously they didn't have work that day. During those three years as a very small kid, it was interesting and on my radar, but I didn't take much notice of it. When 1989 arrived (beginning of Turtlemania) with waves of merchandise (video games and clothes), I was feeling a bit left out about all of the excitement of my peers because I only caught some episodes here and there. I understood the premise, but wasn't really immersed in the whole OT universe of things, and even lightly joked about how silly and ridiculous the whole premise was, because I mean... Pssh... who wants to be a mutant Turtle?!?

Around 1990 when CBS picked it up and it aired on Saturday mornings, I finally understood what the excitement was about. While it was interesting before that, I didn't find it fascinating because I thought it was the standard action/adventure beat 'em up cartoon about defeating or fighting some sci-fi/fantasy bad guy with the usual fighting, acquiring powers, blah blah blah... standard fare stuff.

After noticing several subsequent episodes at a time, I noticed how rich the characters were in personality (yes, even OT Leonardo ), and how the humor and plots were engaging and not flat and mundane, even incorporating morals. I appreciated the fact that the show was humble enough to not take the premise of TMNT too seriously by breaking the fourth wall, and even the characters making fun of its own premise, because I mean c'mon now... Turtles... that are mutated... and live in the sewers... and ninja trained... that's a huge willing suspension of disbelief. And remember, this was a time when TMNT was in its infancy to the mainstream, and it was already so dismissively outlandish and ridiculous to most parents.

With the OT show acknowledging and establishing the premise's inherent ridiculousness, in my eyes, the only way the show could go was up, and wow did it ever go up! I have to say the show was very effective in balancing the humor and action in a way where the fighting wasn't too heavy (i.e. Batman: The Animated Series) for a child and was enjoyable viewing it, but yet still had a sense of seriousness that didn't cross over into being extremely comical as say Tiny Toons or Animaniacs.

One thing I greatly valued was that the OT showed the life of the Turtles outside of fighting, where it could help the viewer (especially kids) relate to the characters when so many other aspects of the cartoon are unrelatable (being a teenager, fighting crime, being martial arts trained with weapons, a part of a Japanese feud, the sci-fi elements, shall I go on? ) Even though sometimes they were the mundane, boring scenes of everyday, ordinary life (i.e. "Polly Wanna Pizza"), they managed to always put a humorous spin on them, plus it at least gave the viewer family/friend interactions and situations that we could all relate to, which for me, elevated it beyond most action cartoons that I would dismiss. I felt more of a connection to the characters because of those scenes, where not only were they great fighters, but you could also imagine them as great friends you could bond with. Thus making me even more enthusiastic to cheer them on, so to speak, and be progressively more invested in the series. (And this is one particular strong point I usually bring up with any type of action/adventure/sci-fi cartoon series [even with other Turtles' series], the premise and characters are so abstract and unrelatable to the average viewer, the story occasionally needs these ordinary or mundane scenes to make the characters more tangible and "real", otherwise it makes the characters more or less obscure figments of an imagination.)

So anyways, as for the Red Sky Seasons, I understood by then that the landscape of cartoons had changed dramatically and was willing to go along with the trend, but it just incorporated too many other aspects from other more gritty and darker cartoons, but most significantly it removed the "life outside of fighting" aspect within the series, and these four unique individuals who were bonded by family and fighting for good, became more of a "group of four" fighters and I was losing interest fast, especially by season 9 when so many unique OT elements were being removed.

...But I definitely enjoyed the OT ride all the way through though.

[RaphAndDonnie]

On some level I was aware of TMNT, I mean it was a pretty big part of pop culture! But I didn't really know or care about it. I was content with my Spongebob, Animaniacs and Teen Titans. Being born two years after the show's original run ended doesn't really help matters either.

Now of course I love it but back then I barely even knew who Shredder and Krang were.

[Davetello]

Let's just say that knowing that this is a fictional franchise and that Leonardo, Donatello, Michelangelo and Raphael don't actually exist is pretty depressing and something i don't like to think about too much. In my mind they're in the sewers under Manhattan right at this moment.

[Powder]

Can't tell ya how many sewers I yelled into as a kid.

...& as a teen, and adult.

[Shark_Blade]

Originally Posted by Davetello

Let's just say that knowing that this is a fictional franchise and that Leonardo, Donatello, Michelangelo and Raphael don't actually exist is pretty depressing and something i don't like to think about too much. In my mind they're in the sewers under Manhattan right at this moment.

You could say that about all other fictional franchises: Harry Potter, Star Wars, LOTR, etc..

But the fans keep on believing and that's what's fascinating about the human mind. They believe in those worlds, that it is all true and possible.

Heck I met a stranger in the train and we talked about Sherlock Holmes all the way. He believes that Sherlock was a real person! (I don't blame him, many people does too). Since I didn't want to sound rude to him (me being somewhat a bit well versed with Holmes books and movies). I didn't object to what he believes in, didn't want to spoil it and say he's fictional, maybe later when I get to know him a little bit more. And so we talked on and on about it, so he kinda a pleasant acquaintance now.

[Davetello]

Originally Posted by Shark_Blade

You could say that about all other fictional franchises: Harry Potter, Star Wars, LOTR, etc..

But the fans keep on believing and that's what's fascinating about the human mind. They believe in those worlds, that it is all true and possible.

Heck I met a stranger in the train and we talked about Sherlock Holmes all the way. He believes that Sherlock was a real person! (I don't blame him, many people does too). Since I didn't want to sound rude to him (me being somewhat a bit well versed with Holmes books and movies). I didn't object to what he believes in, didn't want to spoil it and say he's fictional, maybe later when I get to know him a little bit more. And so we talked on and on about it, so he kinda a pleasant acquaintance now.

Yep, that was my point - that if someone cares about something that is fictional, they don't like to dwell on that fact. They want to suspend their disbelief for as long as possible. Look at wrestling fans, for example.

I find it quite endearing that he's so enamoured with Sherlock Holmes that he's actually convinced himself the guy was real and actually existed. There's nothing wrong with that - it's a harmless way to live your life really. I'm glad you've sort of befriended him, he sounds interesting

[Prowler]

I kinda viewed them as older brothers I never had or as the "cool" kids in school. Naturally I thought they were badass and they were my heroes. Then, as I watched more of the show I realized that it was pretty much a comedy and that they made pretty absurd decisions such as letting the villains get away all the time even if they had a clear chance to finish them off. Although, I still had some hope that they'd kill Shredder in the final episode or something

[BubblyShell22]

Originally Posted by Powder

Can't tell ya how many sewers I yelled into as a kid.

...& as a teen, and adult.

Ha, my brother and I used to do that, too. Sometimes, my BF and I will jokingly yell at a sewer grate when we're out on a walk.

[Michelangelo]

I don't think I thought much past them being awesome. The whirlwind ride that was the cartoon, toys, trading cards, video games, comics, movies and more just swept me away in it's awesomeness and then I grew up. The ride was over and over time I forgot all about them. Then recently I thought back to what was important to me when I was younger and TMNTs just hit me. I started looking into them and quickly fell in love all over again. A romance I had forgotten about had come back and matured into a fully realised love of all things TMNT. So a bunch of weapon wielding mutants were hiding in the shadows of my mind waiting for the right time to come back and take over my life. Things were much simpler when I was child, my parents would just say no to things but now I can do whatever I like. Sometimes I wish my parents would say no to me now so I'd stop buying so much TMNT stuff. I don't think I can get my brother around to reenact TMNT fights scenes in the backyard like we used to. That usually ended with him getting hurt and me getting in trouble. I always remember my first TMNT toy. It was Michelangelo. I had seen the toys down at the shop only minutes before and my Dad went back and got one for me. I had to go to cub scouts that night but I remember staring at my new friend in awe the whole time keeping him in the packaging. I even took him cub scouts with me and left him in the car for me see when I finished and went home. That night I had a new friend to sleep next to me and fill my head full of all kinds of TMNT fun. I really hope he's waiting for me in a box in the shed at my parents place. I miss my Mikey

[Original TMNT Cartoon Fan]

Originally Posted by Shark_Blade

You could say that about all other fictional franchises: Harry Potter, Star Wars, LOTR, etc..

But the fans keep on believing and that's what's fascinating about the human mind. They believe in those worlds, that it is all true and possible.

Heck I met a stranger in the train and we talked about Sherlock Holmes all the way. He believes that Sherlock was a real person! (I don't blame him, many people does too). Since I didn't want to sound rude to him (me being somewhat a bit well versed with Holmes books and movies). I didn't object to what he believes in, didn't want to spoil it and say he's fictional, maybe later when I get to know him a little bit more. And so we talked on and on about it, so he kinda a pleasant acquaintance now.

I thought Sherlock Holmes was real after watching "Elementary, My Dear Turtle". I'd never heard of him before. What else would someone who'd never heard of him believe when Leonardo asks if he is Sherlock Holmes.

[miru]

I thought Shredder was a robot, that fly from Turtles in Tome was not Baxter, and the series started as a Nintendo game.