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April O’Neil

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Vote for your favorite Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles toy!

by Kyle Tobey
written by Kyle Tobey

It was always hard to pick just 1 Ninja Turtles toy.

How could I? They were all weird and cool. My parents were great and I didn’t have to settle on one toy, thankfully! But what was your favorite? Which toy was the best and made all your friends jealous? I wish I had the Technodrome still! But we want to know what YOUR favorite toy was! This is only including the first two waves from 1988 and 1989.

The toys and show was a smash hit, but it almost never happened! Playmates would only consider making the toys if a television deal were acquired. A 5 episode mini-series was ordered. It aired in December 1987 and had to air 3 times before people caught on!

Before this, Playmates sold mostly dolls and plastic playsets. But they were looking to get in to the Action Figure market, so it was a perfect fit. In the first 4 years of being sold, the Ninja Turtles line made $1.1 billion dollars!

Of all those toys sold, we want to know which was your favorite! It’s a single elimination bracket, so you don’t have to choose out of all of them.

Check out the first round!

If you can’t remember what they look like,

or even if you’ve never seen them before but still want to vote, check out what they looked like below!

Leonardo  Raphael  Donatello  Michelangelo  April O’Neil  Shredder  Foot Soldier  Bebop  Rocksteady  Splinter

Ace Duck  Genghis Frog  Casey Jones  Metalhead  Usagi Yojimbo  General Tragg  Rat King  Leatherhead Baxter Stockman  Krang

Vote for your favorite in each group in the survey below. We’ll narrow it down over the next few weeks.

There are some big matchups ahead! Can Leatherhead take out both Donatello and Shredder in the first round? Casey jones versus Bebop?! It’s already hard to pick for your favorite. Maybe April and Leonardo will split the vote so General Tragg can pull off an upset victory.

I have my favorite that I hope wins (Metalhead!) but don’t let that sway you!

 

Create your own user feedback survey

You have until Saturday, April 14 at 11:59 to vote.

 

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April O’Neil – Our Favorite Lady in Yellow

by Kyle Tobey
written by Kyle Tobey

It’s finally April! We just got some fresh snow on the ground in New York, but Spring is right around the corner! To celebrate, here are some little known facts about everyone’s favorite news reporter, April O’Neil

April O’Neil was first introduced in the 1984 Mirage comic series as a computer Programmer working for Baxter Stockman.

However, she quit after finding out that Baxter Stockman was using the Mousers to break in to bank vaults and was forced to flee Baxter’s lab. She ran in to the sewers with several mousers on her tail. Luckily, 3 of the turtles found her and came to the rescue. The turtles brought her back where she met Splinter and learned their origin.

Her age fluctuates A LOT.

In the Mirage series, she starts working as Baxter’s assistant at the age of 27. She outs herself as being 28 years old in the original cartoon series, as revealed in the episode “Leatherhead – Terror of the Swamp.” by saying, “I’m doomed to be a decrepit 28-year-old hag!” In the 2003 series she is 23, and in the 2012 series she is 16 years old. Her age in the new series, Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, is yet to be determined.

In the series finale of the 2003 series, she and Casey Jones get married.

In Teenage Mutant Hero Turtles #50 the Krang dress a robot as April to infiltrate the turtles.

The plan failed, however, and Leonardo cut her in half.

Several big names were considered for the role of April.

Jennifer Beals, Marisa Tomei, Sandra Bullock, Nicole Kidman, Melanie Griffith, Sean Young, Lorraine Bracco, Winona Ryder, and Brooke Shields were all considered for the role of April O’Neil in the original film. But, Judith Hoag beat them all for the role.

Director Steve Barron wished to replicate April O’Neil’s jumpsuit look from the early Mirage comics and the cartoon.

However, Judith Hoag found the jumpsuit “horrifying” and the idea was nixed. The yellow raincoat April wears in the beginning of the movie is a homage to the yellow jumpsuit she wears in the 1987 cartoon. It is the only time she wears it in the film.

Photo - Viacom

When asked why she didn’t reprise her role as April, Judith Hoag says she wasn’t even asked!

But, she blames it on her complaints about the first movie.

“I thought the movie suffered because of that. It was something I spoke to the producers about, I think they thought I was too demanding, and moved on.”

Megan Fox received a Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Supporting Actress for her portrayal of April in the 2014 film.

She was nominated again in 2017. This time for Worst Actress category for her work in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows, but lost (or won depending how you look at it) to Becky Turner (as Hillary Clinton) in Hillary’s America: The Secret History of the Democratic Party.

Peter Laird’s original plan was to have April O’Neil as an Asian woman.

She ends up being portrayed as a Caucasian-looking woman in most published Mirage TMNT works. It’s been debated if April was meant to be mixed race or African American (it’s hard to tell in a black and white comic). But, she will officially be portrayed as an African American in Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.

Ok, so stay with me on this one.

In the Mirage series a young artist named Kirby (named after Jack Kirby) gets a crystal that makes anything he draws come to life.  At the end, however, the reveal is that April’s father had the same crystal at one point. Via time travel, she finds a sketch of a daughter Kirby would like to have one day. This is how April realizes she is a sketch that had come to life. Trippy.

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Celebrating the 28th Anniversary of the release of “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.”

by Kyle Tobey
written by Kyle Tobey

I still have a scar on my index finger from when I was young. I threw my talking Mickey Mouse plush into my framed Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles poster. It’s the one where all 4 of the turtles lift the sewer lid. The glass shatters, my tiny hand cuts open, and they put stitches in my fingers. I was 4 when Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles was first released in theaters. It came out 28 years ago today. Since its release in 1990, certain things stay with me now in to my 30’s. Including scars.

To celebrate the 28th Anniversary of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, I decided to rewatch it. The movie deserves to be celebrated. It’s incredible that the movie was ever made! It was turned down by every major studio, but it’s release, it became the highest grossing independent film of all time.

I knew there was only 1 way to celebrate, so shout out to Slice, my local pizza place for making this happen!!!

Here are 90 thoughts I had while rewatching the 1990 release of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.

1- I can’t believe I was only 4 when this came out. I remember it SO well!

2- New Yorkers have always look down at something. In the 90’s it’s newspapers.

3- Sid Vicious shirts in the 90’s mean you’re up to no good.

4- It’s New York City so no one thinks twice about the Foot Clan in a baby van. Yeesh.

5- Burger King Promotion!

6- April works for Channel 3 in this version.

7- She wears a  yellow raincoat, but this is the only time she wears yellow. Most other times she wears red.

Only time in the movie she’s in yellow.

8- Rats don’t phase New Yorkers, April! You quietly scream on the inside when one runs over your feet.

9- Raph glimpsing out from the sewer is still awesome.

10- The soundtrack is very 90’s. The end song is called “T-U-R-T-L-E Power!” by Partners in Kryme and oh my god. There’s a music video. Oh my god.

11- My fiancee says, “It stands out that it wasn’t put out by a big studio.”

12- Donatello- “Bossanova.” Oh, Donnie. You aren’t.

13- Raph said, “DAMN!”

14- I’m glad Raph calls it a sai. If he didn’t I’m not sure I would ever know what his weapon is.

15- Until this point, I called it a “weird fork.”

16- The turtles and all the puppetry is incredible. And still holds up.

17- A guy in a bulky turtle costume can fight.

18- And dance.

19- And skateboard.

20- “122 and an 1/8th.” I need to find this intersection.

21- Michelangelo is a born and raised New Yorker. He would never order Domino’s.

22- Then again… it’s only $10.

23- Raphael saw Critters. I don’t remember this one at all!

24- They were at Central Park West and 61st.

25- Casey Jones just tried to kill that guy with a golf club.

26- Raph is right about the Jose Canseco bat.

27- Casey Jones hates Punkers. Casey Jones is small minded in this movie.

28- I started saying “Whiffer” all the time after seeing this.

29- The cab driver is pretty accurate.

30- Raph Swears again!

31- I get that its a character thing, but if Splinter talked faster this movie would be half as long.

32- April’s place is at Bleeker & 11th.

33- When April’s boss says “He sticks his head in those things!” and it’s just headphones.

34- The Ninja Turtles have 1 black and white TV they found, while Shredder has like 19.

35- So it’s not like Shredder threw a knife at his only TV.

36- Danny got arrested real fast. Like, impressively quick.

37- The newspaper headline says “It’s Worse!”

38- April just misses her train. At like 3 am. That super sucks.

39- The first fight is at the City Hall train stop. Today, this would be off the N,R,W trains.

40- Hey, Raph got his Sai back! This plot is airtight guys!

41- It’s impressive how this was shot. In this scene there’s a closeup of Splinter’s leg while his face is in the mirror.

42- April freaking out is the only appropriate response to seeing the turtles and Splinter so far.

43- Origin story time!

44- I always wondered why the film looked so different in this scene.

45- Here we learn the Turtles are 15 years old!

46- The baby turtles look so bizarre.

Home movies

47- Their first word was “Pizza!”

48- “Radical” is a very advanced word for baby turtles.

49- Splinter names them in this version. There is still no explanation of his love of art.

50- April’s antique store is called “2nd Time Around Antiques & More”

It was also called this in the comics.

51- When I was younger I still hadn’t seen Rocky, so I didn’t get the impressions.

52- The Foot Clan broke in with a circle shaped hole in the door?

53- Angry Raph always gives me chills

54- Judith Hoag is a great April. She looks like the April from the original comics.

 

 

 

 

 

55- Danny wears eyeliner in his mugshot?

56- Why would they have a Danny and Donnie? It gets confusing. Name Danny anything else!

57- Anthony. Name him Anthony.

58- Is this really the only shirt that Anthony owns?

59- Anthony runs into the Bleeker St. Uptown 6 train station.

60- Featuring Oscar winner Sam Rockwell.

From this to Oscar winner? Definitely the most improved foot soldier!

61- A guy is gust playing Bass. He’s bad news.

62- The Foot Clan headquarters is a shanty town in “Ready Player One.”

63- Shredder looks surprisingly awesome in this.

64- He has metallic zebra pattern shoulder pads.

65- It’s cooler than it sounds.

66- Why is Charles always in April’s apartment. He needs to back off an live his life.

67- Especially if he’s willing to fire her.

68- She’s a reporter! Why silence her?!

69- Ugh, Anthony sucks so hard.

70- I like that Mikey and Donnie have a thing for when someone fights. “Let’s go!”

71- Now that I’m older, I want a sequel where the “Tortoise and the Hare” is a prequel to Usagi Yojimbo.

72- Raphael says “Damn!” again, but his voice cracks.

73- April must be super rich to afford 2 rents in the city of that size.

74- And a skylight!

75- I always love the scene with the nunchuckery between Mikey and the Foot Soldier.

76- The music cues are really good at heightening the tension!

77- Moonlighting is another reference I get now!

78- I would chop a carrot with a sword too if I had one, Casey.

79- Casey is way too aggro with April and everyone!

80- I love that by this point in the movie, everyone is so invested that we can take a Splinter “Jedi” scene with the 4 turtles around a campfire completely seriously.

81- The farmhouse is REALLY far from the city.

82- This is probably the most accurate representation of the comics so far, only because they pulled the farmhouse story right out of the books.

83- Ugh. Danny/Anthony is given nice art a gift and he just folds it and puts it in his pocket. Ungrateful.

84- As ninjas, they don’t master silence. It’s always “Hiyaah! Yaaaah!”

85- The end fight is on the only abandoned block in all NY.

86- Casey casually crushes the Shredder to death with an “Oops!”

87- Good for you, April! Get that raise!

88- I love the easter egg, “go to the East warehouse in the Lairdman Islands.”

89- Splinter ends it all with a “Cowabunga!”

90- The movie still holds up!

The movie really holds up. It’s a bit silly at times, but by the end it’s totally not weird to be crying for 4 turtles losing their father figure rat. I love this movie, and always have a reminder of it as a scar on my finger.

 

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Kat Graham was more than happy to talk about her new role as April on TRL. Image Source: MTV, Nickelodeon, Viacom.
NewsTV/Cartoon News

Kat Graham Talks TMNT on TRL

by Justin W
written by Justin W

It’s been roughly a month since Nickelodeon announced that Kat Graham will be playing the role of April O’Neil in Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Since then, a lot of fans have noted that this is the first time a black woman has portrayed the character, breaking down ethnic barriers and potentially bringing something new to the character. During a recent visit to TRL, Graham was given the opportunity to touch on this subject and give us her own thoughts on the matter.

“I was really excited, because… I watch the show, but I’ve been watching this cartoon that I never thought they would ever… revamp to have an African American play this cartoon [character], and so many of us watch these cartoons, and we maybe don’t see representations of ourselves on screen – even if it’s animation – so I think this is a cool step in a very progressive direction.”

 

Needless to say, we couldn’t agree more with this sentiment. Although quite a few people have pointed out that James Avery played the role of Shredder, it’s worth noting that this was a villain role for a male character. African American women typically have a much more difficult time being cast in projects such as this, so Kat’s role as April O’Neil is much more significant and important than you might have otherwise thought.

Not only are we seeing the industry open up to more people, but girls of all ages and from all backgrounds are now seeing a lot more representation in the media they enjoy. There’s a lot of work to be done, but as Kat Graham suggests, this is indeed a step in the right direction. Personally, I can’t wait to see what she does with the character, and I’m very excited to see how they choose to write April in Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.

What do you think about this Kat Graham interview? Are you happy to see that she got the role? Are you excited to see how she portrays the character of April O’Neil? Share your thoughts either in the comments below or on Facebook/Twitter.

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ReviewsTV/Cartoon Series

TMNT Series Finale – “Wanted: Bebop and Rocksteady” Review

by Dan Spitaliere
written by Dan Spitaliere

Maybe it’s the nostalgia. Maybe it’s the lighthearted nature of this adventure. Maybe it’s because this series was actually aimed at an older age group. Whatever the reason, “Wanted: Bebop and Rocksteady” was a blast! While we’ve seen the interdimensional crossover before, the addition of 1987 Krang and Shredder to the mix was really fun. It was entertaining to see the show team riff on the original series while still honoring it. They didn’t update the characters to reflect our current time. They were joyously stuck in the past, flaws front and center, with our current heroes ready to call them out on how ridiculous they are. Yet despite the general silliness, Shredder and Krang still proved to be a real threat, even validating the current versions of Bebop and Rocksteady in the process. It all came together in the end, with a big team up between the 2014 Turtles, the 87 Turtles, The Mighty Mutanimals, April and Casey, and Karai, Shinigami, and their Foot Clan.

The adventure begins when Shredder and Krang from the 1987 dimension travel to the 2014 dimension in order to escape their Turtles and take over the world! Since they left their Bebop and Rocksteady at home, they put out a help wanted ad looking for minions. Of course, the current Bebop and Rocksteady answer, dressed in their best interview attire (Bebop added a bow tie and Rocksteady put on a tie that looks like it would be worn by Soviet Donkey Kong!). The whole set up is ingenious and hilarious. Bebop and Rocksteady meet Shredder and Krang in a diner. It looks like it’s broad daylight outside and there are multiple patrons in the diner. The civilians all looked shocked when B & R enter, but they were apparently ok with a guy clad in ninja armor and a disembodied brain sitting in two booster seats. Bebop gave Krang professional head shots, while Rocksteady gave a resume written in crayon. It’s all just so silly, and really sets up the tone of the episode.

Shredder even challenges B&R and his look when they overcome him is priceless. His ego is shattered, but he still thinks of himself as the big bad. The fight with the 87 Turtles comes next, and B&R demolish them too. They rely on all the familiar tropes of the original cartoon; knocking over a stack of cardboard boxes, spinning your enemy on the playground roundabout, blasting your enemy with the water from a fire hydrant. Except this time, they all fail. These Turtles were heroes in their own dimension, but things work differently here. Here, they’re totally incompetent. They’re actively afraid of using their weapons, their fighting is more prank than combat, and their style is transparent to enemies like the 2014 B&R, who despite their usual aloofness, have seen their fair share of combat. Even their attempts at escape are predictable and watching Bebop and Rocksteady foil them is amusing.

Eventually the current Turtles rescue the old Turtles, after escaping capture themselves. The new mission, stop Bebop and Rocksteady from stealing some Kraang energy crystals and a microchip needed to open a portal to Dimension X. Despite the help of the Mutanimals and Karai and Shinigami, our heroes are unable to stop the warthog and rhino and their new army of classic Footbots. And despite insulting the pair at every turn, Shredder and Krang actually warm up to B&R, ultimately thanking them for their success, and giving them the acknowledgement they’ve always wanted.

Unfortunately, their success has made it possible for Shredder and Krang to enact their ultimate plan; open a portal to Dimension X and destroy the world! After some thought (and the realization that Rocksteady just really loves Soviet Russia?!) our new super villains decide they want to be new  heroes instead! Rocksteady takes out Krang’s body, setting off a chain reaction that stops the portal! What follows is a triumphant beatdown of the villains from all the heroes, with many catchphrases being tossed about.

Nick’s first foray into TMNT has proven to be an excellent series and “Wanted: Bebop and Rocksteady” distills down all the reasons why. There’s slick action, humor, heart, and lots of references to other Turtle properties. I loved lines like, “You can’t kill us! This is a kids show!” and the brief spot of both Donatello’s playing the alphabetical insult game was a small but excellent nod. I also loved the complete version of the Ice Cream Kitty music video, first shown at NYCC last year (note: was this on Nick when it aired? I buy episodes on Amazon Prime, so I’m unclear if that was aired or just a special feature).

“Wanted: Bebop and Rocksteady” was a solid series finale. It brought all the characters back for one final romp, paid homage to the history of the property, and just generally had a lot of fun with itself. It’s going to be difficult saying goodbye to this series. They found such a great balance of adventure, action, and character growth. I’m glad that they went out with a (rocket to the Technodrome) bang.

 

 

 

 

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