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While TMNT began as a comic, the 1987 TMNT TV series that would re-brand these dark comic vigilantes into a group of friendly and lighthearted heroes, and bring them into the mainstream. The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles franchise would include several new TV series, including the current one which debuted in 2012 (currently in its second season).

The TMNT 2012 TV series features a group of turtles that are a bit more serious than their 1987 counterparts, but still far more friendly than their 1984 rendition. Just like their predecessors, they continue to fight crime in New York City, and provide entertainment for TMNT fans of all ages!

Make sure to keep visit (or subscribe to our RSS feed) to stay informed on the TMNT TV series. As always, your comments are welcome as we appreciate hearing the insights of fellow TMNT fans!

As the series draws to a close, let's pay some respect to one of the best iterations we've ever seen of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Image Source: Nickelodeon.
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Booyakabunga: Saying Goodbye to Nickelodeon’s Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

by Justin W
written by Justin W

When I took this role several years ago, all I knew was that Nickelodeon had plans for a new television show that would hit the air in 2012. We hadn’t even seen a trailer yet, but I was still very excited about the possibilities. Little did I know that I would come to regard this newest version of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles as the best iteration of the franchise we have ever seen. Now that the series is coming to an end, it’s time for a retrospective.

Clocking in at only five seasons in length, this won’t go down as the longest running animated series in the TMNT franchise. That being said, there were several elements which made this version of our heroes in a half shell particularly noteworthy. After going back to the fourth season recently, I noticed some very interesting themes on display which made me appreciate the series even more. With that in mind, let’s talk about a few moments from SSN 4 that prove the quality of this series. Prepare for some potential spoilers.

RESPECT FOR TMNT HISTORY

Although this series is literally chock full of references to past iterations of the TMNT, moments such as their visit to Zayfod’s Cantina show a profound respect for the history of this franchise. For those who may not have been aware, this was actually a moment taken right out of the comic books. Their reason for visiting might have been different, and the events may have changed, but the turtles visited a bar in space while fleeing the Triceratons – and that’s accurate to some of the first comic books that Kevin Eastman & Peter Laird ever created.

This scene in the series was pulled directly from a moment in the Mirage comics. Image Source: Nickelodeon.

This scene in the series was pulled directly from a moment in the Mirage comics. Image Source: Nickelodeon.

Another moment of comic book accuracy came when the turtles had to take on various enemies in gladiatorial combat in order to escape from the Triceratons. These are just two moments from the fourth season, but there are several other notable scenes and episodes from throughout Nickelodeon’s Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles which are taken directly from other iterations of the TMNT. Say what you will about the style of animation they chose, but at least the plot pays homage to all of the different versions of the turtles that came before.

Oh, and “Zayfod’s Cantina”? That has got to be a sly reference to Zaphod Beeblebrox, an important character from Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy.

DEEP AND COMPLEX CHARACTERS

After taking the turtles on an adventure through the universe, Fugitoid makes an admission which shakes his newfound friends to their core. This is the very moment when the audience discovers that Professor Honeycutt is actually a flawed character. Learning about his true motivations not only reveals that he is an imperfect hero, it also sets up his brilliant moment of redemption. Eventually, he selfishly makes the kind of sacrifice that only he is capable of making.

Later on in the season, we see Super Shredder and Splinter fighting one another. Oroku Saki’s desire to see Hamato Yoshi’s destruction has lead him to make a brash decision which has, as Splinter rightfully points out, made him a monster “both inside and out.” Moments after making this statement, we see Shredder literally smash Splinter’s foot. This might just seem like a random act of violence, but remember that Shredder is actually the leader of the Foot Clan. There is an unmistakable symbolism behind seeing the leader of the ‘Foot’ literally smashing a foot.

Super Shredder faced off against Splinter during SSN 4 and the results weren't pretty. Image Source: Nickelodeon.

Super Shredder faced off against Splinter during SSN 4 and the results weren’t pretty. Image Source: Nickelodeon.

No matter how you look at it, there was a lot of wonderful subtext just beneath the surface of Nickelodeon’s Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. These undertones not only provided much needed depth for notable characters, they also created a much more meaningful universe for the turtles.

NOSTALGIA AND CREATIVITY

Needless to say, nostalgia played a large factor in making Nickelodeon’s Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles successful. The reverence shown to past comics, cartoons, movies and games undoubtedly made this series even better. With that said, it took the creative minds of Ciro Nieli and Brandon Auman (among many others) to make this show a possibility. It was likely thanks to them that all of these subtle little details came together to produce such an excellent and largely cohesive story.

On November 12th, 2017, Nickelodeon will air the series finale of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Although it’s sad to see this version of our heroes in a half shell come to an end, it’s nice to know that we’ll be getting an entirely new TMNT series in 2018. We can only hope that this cartoon will live up to the standards that have been set over the past 5 years, but that remains to be seen. All we can do right now is show some love to all of the amazing people who made the 2k12 series possible.

As far as I’m concerned, you’ve all earned your rightful place in the history of this franchise.

What did you think of Nickelodeon’s Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles? Are you sad to see this animated series come to an end? Are you hopeful for the future? Share your thoughts and feelings either in the comments below or on Facebook/Twitter.

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Who could say no to some turtley awesome videos with these adorable baby turtles? Image Source: Nickelodeon.
BlogOtherTV Series

Turtley Awesome Videos: Animated Antics

by Justin W
written by Justin W

Although we may be watching the last official season of Nickelodeon’s Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, the results have been undeniably entertaining so far. The recent inclusion of Usagi Yojimbo is something that many fans have been awaiting for several years. That being said, there’s still a lot to look forward to this season, and it’s clear that Nickelodeon has no intention of dropping the franchise entirely. If you need proof of that, look no further than these turtley awesome videos!

TURTLES VS USAGI | “YOJIMBO” ANIMATIC

In this first video, Nickelodeon has given us a closer look at the process of creating storyboards and animatics for animation. Although the show itself is rendered in CGI, someone has to plot the actions out beforehand and feed that information into the correct program. Here we get to see how a scene began and how the finished product turned out in the bottom left corner. Needless to say, they did an excellent job with this episode, and the results were absolutely fantastic. Check out our review of the episode here.

SPLINTER NAMES THE TURTLES

The Tales of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles continue with an episode written by co-creator Kevin Eastman himself — an origin story for our heroes in a half shell. In this clip, we get to see Splinter naming his mutant turtles after his favorite artists. Interestingly enough, this is not very far off from the actual story of how the turtles got their names. Although we’ve all probably seen enough TMNT origin stories to last a lifetime, something tells me this episode is going to be great. Who could possibly say no to baby turtles?

TMNT SUMMER SHORTS: WE STRIKE HARD & FADE INTO THE NIGHT

Despite the fact that some shellheads didn’t know how to feel about these summer shorts, I think we can all agree that this one was pretty darn awesome. The style of animation is definitely different, but there’s plenty of excellent action in this video. There’s a saying in filmmaking: “show, don’t tell.” Although we don’t hear anyone explicitly state what April O’Neil has in her hands, they eventually show us what the object does and reveal why it might be so important to the Foot clan. I love this animated short, and I hope they make more just like it!

Which of these turtley awesome videos was your favorite? Are you excited for more Tales of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles? Was this the best of the TMNT Summer Shorts? Share your thoughts and opinions either in the comments below or on Facebook/Twitter.

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Oh yeah, these TMNT fans are definitely up to no good. Image Source: Thames News.
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Watch This Guy Compare Young TMNT Fans of the 80’s to Drug Addicts

by Justin W
written by Justin W

Back in the late 80’s and early 90’s, a lot of parents were very concerned about this odd “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles” cartoon and comic series. Not only was it just plain weird, but the heroes of this story practiced all kinds of violent acts that kids could imitate. With toy weapons being sold at stores around the world, it wasn’t all too surprising to see articles and news segments dedicated to making sure that adults were aware of the disturbing images that their children were seeing each day.

In the UK, local censorship laws forbid the word ninja from being used because it was deemed “too violent” for younger fans. As a result, British viewers and readers got the “Teenage Mutant Hero Turtles” instead. Unfortunately, it was an environment such as this which lead some people to make pretty ridiculous statements about the so-called threat posed by the TMNT. Some parents even forbade their children from reading the comics or watching the animated series.

Recently, Thames News decided to post rare archive footage featuring a story about a private school that took matters into their own hands. In this story, a newswoman (not unlike April O’Neil) reveals how this school crafted a lesson plan all about the “evils” of TMNT comics. Needless to say, it didn’t take long before one of the educators went so far as to compare fans of the franchise to drug addicts.

After making that statement, the teacher in question went on to make the bold claim that “nothing in the whole of human history has ever been marketed in such an effective and massive way.” To be honest, I don’t know if that was meant to be an insult or a compliment, but the merit of this argument is definitely questionable. Heck, one could easily make the claim that Star Wars had a much more effective marketing campaign.

Regardless, it’s always interesting to look back and see how parents originally reacted to the TMNT. Before you get too upset, let’s show some respect to the comic reader who shared his thoughts on the matter during the latter half of this news segment. He made several valid arguments about how Tom & Jerry were no better and violent comic books had been around for several decades at that point in history.

The reality is that our heroes in a half shell were simply a convenient scapegoat for parents desperately seeking an explanation for the behavior of their sometimes rambunctious children. Sadly, this really isn’t anything new, as older generations have always been on the lookout for something to dislike about the trends that their children follow. Heck, rock & roll music performed by artists such as The Beatles and Elvis Presley were once derided for sending a disturbing message which supposedly corrupted young minds.

Pizza is the only thing even remotely as addictive as drugs that these turtles promote. Image Source: Archie Comics, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Adventures.

Pizza is the only thing even remotely as addictive as drugs that these turtles promote. Image Source: Archie Comics, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Adventures.

Although this facet of human civilization may never fully disappear, it’s oddly satisfying to note that one of our favorite franchises was once chosen as a scapegoat for an entire generation of parents. After all, if history has proven anything, it is that these martyrs of youth are also likely to live on for years to come and inspire creators of the future to take their inventions to the next level.

It might be weird to think of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles as an influential form of art, but just remember: there was a time when nobody could have foreseen the music of Chuck Berry floating through space, awaiting discovery by an alien species. Who knows? Perhaps the turtles will someday be used as an example of human ingenuity and creativity! One thing is for sure — they won’t go down in history for leading children down the path of violence and corruption.

Modern parents of turtle loving children understand something very important: the kids are alright.

What do you think of this TMNT video? Was this teacher way off base, or was this just another example of parents over-reacting to the latest trend? Share your thoughts and feelings either in the comments below or on Facebook/Twitter.

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Nickelodeon's TMNT has acquired the help of several celebrity voice actors. If you ever wanted to know more about them, check out this video! Image Source: Nickelodeon.
BlogTV Series

The Celebrity Voice Actors of Nickelodeon’s Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

by Justin W
written by Justin W

When this animated series first began, there was no way of knowing how popular it would become. Although it started off on the right foot with notable voice actors like Jason Biggs, Rob Paulsen and Sean Astin, we had no idea that so many other talented individuals would also lend their skills to the cartoon. Most fans know that Seth Green took over as Leonardo halfway through the series, but what about all of the guest actors who also played important roles in Nickelodeon’s Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles?

There were several notable voices behind Nick’s TMNT, and you can learn about most of them just by watching this video. The Cartoon Gamer has lent his own vocal talents to this effort, explaining why some of these characters sound so familiar. In addition to making note of the celebrity voice actors in this animated series, he also provides the context behind their fame. If you’ve ever wondered why these guest actors were so significant, make sure to watch the video for more information.

Although we don’t know who Nickelodeon will hire to voice the characters behind Rise of the TMNT, it’s clear that TMNT 2k12 has had some excellent voice acting. If I had to pick a favorite guest actor, I’d say that Gilbert Gottfried was both the most shocking and pleasing surprise in the series. It’s always fun when a voice you know very well suddenly comes from the mouth of a character on your favorite television show!

I’m sure that some of you will disagree with me about this, but that’s perfectly fine; there have been so many notable names behind this cartoon that it’s easy for everyone to have their own personal favorite. With that in mind, we invite all of you to share your favorite TMNT voice actor in the comments section here or on Youtube. Oh, and make sure to like, comment and subscribe to our Youtube channel and to The Cartoon Gamer!

Did you know about all of the celebrity voice actors discussed in this video? Which guest actor was your favorite in the series? Share your thoughts either in the comments below, on the video itself, or on Facebook/Twitter

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Which lyric do you remember from your childhood? is it "cool, but rude" or "cool, but crude"? Image Source: Fred Wolf Films.
BlogTV Series

Is Raphael ‘Cool, but Rude’ or ‘Cool, but Crude’?

by Justin W
written by Justin W

An interesting discussion seems to have started up on the TMNT subreddit. This argument isn’t actually new, but it does seem to pop up from time to time. Every now and then, a fan will make a point of correcting other fans when it comes to the lyrics for the original Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles animated series. Most of these lines have been well worn into our memory banks, but there is one particular lyric which appears to be a subject of contention between shellheads. While some maintain that Raphael is “cool, but rude,” others are convinced that he is “cool, but crude.”

This appears to be another case of the Mandela Effect. The noted social oddity is named after a group of people who were convinced that Nelson Mandela died in prison despite the fact that he did not. Other notable examples of this effect include the instance where fans of the Berenstain Bears were convinced that the actual spelling of these beloved children’s books was “Berenstein Bears.” In much the same fashion, it would appear that there are a lot of TMNT fans who believe that the original lyric from the theme song described Raphael as crude instead of rude.

As a point of fact, one reddit user revealed that the subtitles on the DVD sets reveal the line to be “cool, but rude.” Of course, this isn’t going to be enough evidence for everyone, so it probably shouldn’t come as too much of a surprise that one fan even went so far as to ask Rob Paulsen about it on Twitter. Surely Paulsen, who originally voiced the character, would know whether or not Raph was rude or crude? Well, it would appear that Paulsen has decided to stay out of this debate, as his response was simply “Sure.”

To be honest, if we really want to know the answer, perhaps we should ask Chuck Lorre? After all, he wrote the theme song and even performed the spoken parts! Unfortunately, he doesn’t have a confirmed presence on Twitter, so it’s not exactly easy to contact him and ask about this somewhat interesting example of the Mandela Effect. Personally, I’m of the opinion that Raphael is and has always been “cool, but rude.” Something tells me that at least a few readers here will tell me about how wrong I am.

What do you think? Is Raph rude or crude? Whatever the case, he’s definitely cool! Share your thoughts either in the comments below or on Facebook/Twitter.

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