ANN/THE STAR – This year marks the 40th anniversary of the first appearance of the four pizza-chomping ninja turtles, known as ‘anthropomorphic ninja turtles’ and ‘The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles’ (TMNT).
Most of us have grown up knew Raphael, Donatello, Leonardo and Michelangelo as ‘anthropomorphic ninja turtles’, whether it was through TV shows, movies, or a milk product freebie comic book.
For me, the first time I came across TMNT was in the mid-80s when I stumbled upon an unusual comic featuring four ninja turtles… but in turtle form!
I’m not a ‘super pet’ lover (which is why I’m not a huge fan of Krypto or Ace the Bat-hound), but the TMNT are an exception.
Despite its colourless facade and odd-sized print, the storytelling by its co-creators, Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird, had a very uniquely nostalgic and energetic feel to it.
Being big fans of Jack “The King” Kirby and Frank Miller, the creative duo paid tribute to the comic legends by channeling both legends’ style and influence into their comic works.
Equally legendary is Eastman and Laird’s ‘start-up tale’, which is fuelled by passion and sacrifices made in producing their first comic book. The first issue of TMNT had a meagre print run of 3,000 copies (vs Spidey’s 300,000 print run then) and was funded by a tax refund and a loan from Eastman’s uncle. The reaction was unimaginable as it led to multiple print runs and Eastman and Laird’s full-time dedication towards TMNT.
Today, we revisit TMNT’s four-decade long history and understand how heroes in a half shell morphed from a half-baked idea to a global phenomenon.
WHEN EASTMAN MET LAIRD
The unorthodox idea of a turtle as a ninja originated from Eastman, who shared with Laird a drawing of a ‘Ninja turtle’ standing on its hind legs armed with nunchucks (!).
Laird improvised by adding the words ‘teenage mutant’, in tandem with the (then) popularity of DC’s New Teen Titans and Marvel’s Uncanny X-Men. To further spice things up, they named the turtles after Italian Renaissance artists and gave their origins a touch of Kirby and Miller’s Daredevil stories.
SECRET OF THE OOZE
While this sub-headier may remind you of the 1991 TMNT movie sequel title, it is also the substance behind the creation of the Turtles. Taking a leaf from the pages of Marvel Comics’ Daredevil, the pre-ninja turtles were bathed in a radioactive ooze substance from the same ‘canister’ that blinded Matt Murdock. While the encounter with the canister gave Murdock enhanced senses, it transformed the Turtles into fighting machines (not sure whether it caused the ‘pizza addiction’ though).
This ‘unofficial crossover’ with Marvel did not end here, as the Turtles’ sensei, aka Splinter, is modelled after DD’s mentor aka Stick, and the Turtles’ arch nemesis is a ninja group aka The Foot as opposed to DD’s The Hand!
HEROES IN A HALF-SHELL
Based in the Big Apple’s sewers, TMNT comprises Leonardo (the team’s katana wielding leader), Raphael (strongest member who uses a pair of sai), Donatello (the team’s inventor who prefers a bo staff) and Michelangelo (the carefree member who uses nunchucks). They were raised and guided by a “mutant rat” sensei named Splinter. Beyond the sewers, the turtles have two good friends, ie news reporter April O’Neil and vigilante Casey Jones.
Completing the TMNT ecosystem are villains such as the Shredder, The Foot, Karai (Shredder’s daughter), Krang (alien warlord), Baxter Stockman (evil scientist), Bebop (a mutant warthog) and Rocksteady (a mutant rhinoceros).
While the animated series may use all these characters in a routine/mundane cycle, efforts to generate more depth and diversity have been happening in the comic books. A notable breakthrough in recent years is the introduction of a “fifth turtle” aka Jennika.
PRINT RUNS
TMNT’s comics journey began via Eastman and Laird’s Mirage Studios, which published 129 issues over four separate volumes from 1984 to 2014. Personally, the best TMNT stories were in the first 11 issues, which had heavy influences from the co-creators.
With the media franchise later dominating the co-creators’ attention, assistance from publishers such as Archie Comics, Image Comics and Dreamwave Productions were sought but the stories were rather “soulless” without the co-creators.
Over the years, the TMNT have also had crossovers with the likes of Batman, Usagi Yojimbo, Savage Dragon, Ghostbusters, and even TV franchises like The X-Files and Stranger Things! – Kaleon Rahan
