Top 30 For 30

[Allio]

Well...since this year is the 30th anniversary for the turtle, we need to decide the top 30 moments in the franchise

so post your top 10 favorite moments in the franchise (be it a comic, episode, movie, fight scene, joke, whatever you want - like one of my favorite moments is the issue of Klunk's death)

then we will tally it up

[Powder]

Ooof. This is gonna be hard.
Not just because there's so much to choose from but because I imagine many of us will make choices then later remember more we may have used in place of others.

Hmmm... I guess I'll give this a shot, but in no particular order.

1. Splinter's fireside speech from the first film. The whole movie, really, but that scene in particular stands out for reasons I need not explain.
2. Raphael becoming the Shredder in Vol. 3, the Image comics.
3. Issues 13 & 14 of Tales Of The TMNT Vol. 2 in which 4 Leonardos from the same timeline (Child, teen, adult, senior) team up to take on a very important task.
4. An Archie Future Tense scene in which the turtles go back in time, revealing that the reason Hitler killed himself was because he encountered the turtles & feared they were demons sent from hell to retrieve his soul. So badass.
5. Mark Martin's Homage To Coolidge painting (The turtles parodying an infamous picture of dogs playing poker). This was done for the sake of a print collection put out by Mirage in the early 90's. It's always been a favorite of mine and I own the original art.
6. The Big Cufflink Caper, my favorite episode of the OT. I'm a big fan of mafia films & the like, so to have the turtles dress up like mobsters and subsequently play the part too, well, that's just awesome.
7. The NECA TMNT figures. Finally a toy for us fans of the source material. My B&W boxed set & loose colored set (w/stands) will always be a proud part of my collection. Great sculpts.
8. Playmates' Sewer Playset. No birthday gift ever topped that. To this day I have it on display, the thing is just so darn cool. Sewer and city all in one! For a turtle fan, that's perfection.
9. Same As It Never Was, virtually everyones favorite episode of the 4kids series. It's just so grim and gritty, and it even pulls at your heart strings. What a heavy 22 minutes that was.
10. Mutant Turtles: Choujin Densetsu-hen AKA Japans answer to the OT. A wildly over the top 2 episode anime of the TMNT done to promote various wacky variants from Playmates toys. They're so insane and deliciously Japanese. Can't help but love the character designs and nutty humor of it all.

Honorable mention for the Ninja Rap scene in Secret Of The Ooze.

I think I did alright here...

EDIT: Damn, already I've come up with something I wish I could have squeezed in there somehow- Krang. One of the best characters of any series, ever. Fffffffff...

DOUBLE EDIT: The Nick series is one of the best things to ever happen to the property. Make note of that too!

[The Fifth Turtle]

Here is my chronological list of all the important TMNT milestones/my favorites from birth to present day.

1) May 5th 1984- Volume 1 issue 1. (Where it all started.)
2) 1987 - OT airs (The start of a phenomenon)
3) The 1st movie (The boys find their way onto the silver screen)
4) Volume 1 issue #50 (Founders reunite for a collaboration that spans 12 issues)
5) February 8, 2003- 2k series airs (A cartoon drawing from its' roots)
6) October 19, 2009- Laird sells the TMNT to Nickelodeon (Changing of the guard)
7) Tales of the TMNT vol. 2 #70 (The end of an era.)
8 ) August 2011- IDW vol. 1 #1 (Reinvigorates the comics)
9) September 29th 2012- Nick toon airs (Revitalization of the franchise)
10) 2014- The TMNT turn 30!!!! (A true milestone)

[turtlefanforever]

There's just no way. Like, I really tried. I can't number them or pick just 10 or even pick just 30 >.<

[pannoni1]

My Top 30:

30. In 2013 Nick/IDW launches a spinoff comic based on its CGI series, entitled The New Animated Adventures. It should prove to last longer than the failed DW comics supporting the 4kids series.
29. In 1990 the Coming Out of the Shells live stage show premiers. It gives the brand a musical theater take, and despite mixed reviews still felt entertaining at the time for those who were there, and even spawned a sequel tour.
28. In 2009 some fans decided to launch a Turtledocumentary project that remains unfinished to this day. However, based on some pre-release material and a proto-trailer, contains perhaps some of the best information that has yet to be unconvered about the brand. When released, this could easily rank higher on my list.
27. In 2013, the first video game is released for the Nick Series: Out of the Shadows for PS3 and XBOX 360. Reviews are mixed, but it does expand the videogameverse to a new generation.
26. In 2006 the 4kids series launches Fast Forward, offering the most dramatic shift in any TMNT series to date. It launched its own toyline and remains notable for the new characters used.
25. In 1996 Japan releases a two-episode OVA loosely based on the Western OT and provides a superpower element not found there.
24. In 2003 the 4kids series gets their own video games for Playstation 2 and Gamecube. They aren't great games, but follow the series pretty well and is satisfying to play at least once; they also get two sequels.
23. In 1993 Vol. 2 of Mirage is published, expanding upon Vol. 1 while introducing the series in color.
22. In 1993 Konami releases Tournament Fighters for NES, SNES, and Genesis/Mega Drive. All have unique takes on a basic idea, and remain fun fighter games that are typical of the early-mid '90s. They also mark the last classic-era TMNT video games.
21. In 1990 CBS picks up the OT and expands it to an hour and episodes continue to air in syndication, making it the only current cartoon at the time to air six days a week. It also spawns Turtle Tips to promote environmental consciousness.
20. In 1996, the Image comics releases a take on the TMNT that's so unlike the Mirage Vol. 1 and 2 and remains the darkest comics incarnation to date.
19. In 1997 Saban released Ninja Turtles: The Next Mutation. Although considered "the black sheep" of the franchise, there is still some cult followers of it, mainly due to the fact that it contains Venus, Shredder not being a main threat, having loose continuity from the '90s movies, a Power Rangers crossover, and some campy special effects. With reruns still airing on the Hub and DVD releases, it will still have its own fans.
18. In 2001 Mirage launches Vol. 4 of the comics, proving that the franchise isn't a thing of the past, and while it doesn't have a definitive conclusion like Vol. 1 did, had some interesting issues in both its main and Tales Vol. 2 series.
17. In 1989 Ultra Games releases the first TMNT video game for the NES. While it has mixed reviews, it was a big seller and its challenge is a good reason why its so fun to play along with being different from later beat-em-up games.
16. In 2010 Michele Ivey launches Cowabunga Corner, a popular web series showcasing numerous TMNT personality and reviews of a variety of items coming from one the brand's biggest fans.
15. In 1991, New Line releases The Secret of the Ooze to follow up the first movie. While not as good as the first such as a weak final battle with Super Shredder, it has some good campy value and featured the introduction of Tokka and Rahzar.
14. In 1985 Palladium RPG publishes Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: And Other Strangeness. It remains a great Tabletop to play for those who are into it and was another step into the brand's rise.
13. In 1992 Mirage publishes its City At War Arc, providing a long by rewarding conclusion to Vol. 1.
12. In 1989 Konami launches the an arcade cabinet for arcades, later porting it to the NES. 4-player action makes it one of the best beat 'em ups of all time.
11. In 2009 4kids releases the 25th anniversary "reunion special" Turtles Forever. It provided an epic storyline combining the 4kids, Fred Wolf, and Mirage Vol. 1 comics that's still enjoyable to watch today. If only the OT voices could be redubbed.
10. In 1991 Konami follows up its arcade cabinet with Turtles in Time. Another success, it gets ported onto the SNES and becomes arguablly the greatest TMNT video game ever made. The Sega Genesis/Mega Drive's Hyperstone Heist gives a nice alternative, part of the classic 16-bit rivalry.
9. In 2007 Warner Bros. releases the first computer-animated version of the Turtles. It gave some public awareness back on the brand and had a loose continuity on the earlier movies and The Next Mutation, and even spawned its own video game and toylines.
8. In 2012 Nickelodeon premieres its own TV series, the first in CGI. It combines elements from previous series to please the older fans, along with providing fresh takes on numerous features. It still leaves room for all-new characters such as Snakeweed and Mr. Murakami.
7. In 2011 IDW launches a brand new TMNT comic and with the help of new artists such as Tom Waltz while still having the classic support of Kevin Eastman, takes an entire new adventure that has some of the best quality of any series, even rivaling the best Mirage arcs.
6. In 1989 Archie comics does something unique: after similarly following the Fred Wolf cartoon for seven issues, spins off to its own universe, and ends up selling more than the Mirage comic. Many specials were even created, and more importantly was in color compared to the B&W Mirage counterpart.
5. In 2003 4kids Entertainment relaunches Ninja Turtles for a brand new animated series that not only remains more faithful to the Mirage comics, it also creates some new characters of its own such as Garbageman, Hun, and Bishop. It fully pulled the brand out of its dark age of the late '90s/early '00s and while the series remained under the radar compared to the first, remains well loved by fans and many still feel its the best animated series.
4. In 1984 Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird first publish the Mirage comic, and despite a small run is a hit, and there was no looking back as the indie fandom steadily grew, with lead figures released within a year along with other merchandise such as T-shirts. The comics are still going strong today with IDW.
3. In 1988 Playmates Toys releases the first wave of action figures and vehicles. An instant hit, it became a runaway hit rivaling Nintendo for hottest toy of the year in 1989 and in 1990 made the Turtles a billion dollar brand. It continues to this day with the Nick series and Paramount movie.
2. In 1990 the Turtles launch on the big screen, becoming the highest grossing film by an independent studio and taking the popularity to new heights never seen since. It also popularly introduced the idea that the TMNT are more truly a multiverse.
1. In 1987 the Fred Wolf cartoon starts to air, having the greatest impact to the popularity of the franchise, spawning Playmates toys, video games, Archie comics, and even influencing the '90s movies. It continues to provide some the most popular original elements of the brand, from pizza, battle cries like "Turtle Power" and "Cowabunga", charachters such as Krang, Bebop & Rocksteady, the Technodrome, April as a reporter, Splinter's human origin, and the color-coded bandanas.

Who new that TMNT at 30 would be still active and special? Here's to celebrate!

[Lord Nightwalker]

I thought about this, and I just can not make a list. Yes, I could list things that I really liked, stories and story lines, quotes, artist styles, but in the end..I enjoy almost all of it. Seriously. I didn't care for the Hadden Mcweeny stuff that much, but I did have an appreciation for it. I wasn't a fan of the 80's toons over the top antics, but I loved the pilot for it and several episodes through out it's run.
I didn't like a lot of next mutation, but not because of the designs or the "girl turtle" But because I expected more from it and it let me down. But, Dooneys artwork for it was really cool. So instead, let me just toast the franchise on it's 30th anniversary! May there be many many more!

[mca19]

July 2013 - the month my kids discovered my old turtles and started playing with them.

[Powder]

That's adorable and everything but hardly the point of the thread.

[gutterpunk13]

Originally Posted by Powder

That's adorable and everything but hardly the point of the thread.

I think its entirely the point of this thread. We have thirty years of awesome TMNT material to share and pass on to the next generation of fans, and that's something to celebrate.

[Powder]

That's not a moment 'in the franchise'. Not by any means.