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| Watch out bad guys, headband-wearing turtles are coming to get you. |
Ask almost any kid during the late ‘80s and early ‘90s what their favorite TV show was and good chances the answer is going to be Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.
Confession, 7-year-old me was not one of those kids.
Confession, 7-year-old me was not one of those kids.
As I’ve mentioned before, I was a big Ghostbusters fan growing up. I watched the movies, the TV show, had the figures and the proton pack. It was an obsession, and for the most part left little room for me to follow other properties. Well, except for Batman.
There wasn’t a lack of exposure. Sure, I watched the cartoon, albeit not religiously, and even had some of the toys (I was a big fan of the morphing figures, which I owned a turtle morphing Michelangelo and an April O’Neal which turned into a tiger lady). I also watched the movies a few times (the second one with “The Ooze” more than the first), but they didn’t stick.
It was through friends and classmates that I had the bulk of my Turtles exposure. Other kids on the playground would play Ninja Turtles with each other, and no matter whose house you visited, they almost always had the one of the video games on their original Nintendo (which I remember seeing people play a lot because I died constantly). Every once in a while the toys would come out while I was hanging out with friends. I can remember a few people who had the van -- which almost edged out the coolness of the Ecto-1 because it shot pizzas.
I can say that whenever those toys came out or I was playing the game, the Turtle I always wanted to play as was Michelangelo. He was the funky one of the bunch, wore orange (my favorite color) and could put away pizzas like no one’s business. And this was the ‘90s -- pizza was basically currency for cool.
Sadly, the Ninja Turtles were not my favorite property growing up, but it wasn't for lack of trying. Maybe it didn't speak to me growing up, or I had moved on to comic books by the time my Ghostbusters obsessions had subsided some and I had little time for the Turtles. It's a strange thing not being into them because so many other people were, making it one of the few fads I did not get into (there would be others, mostly in the robot and digital pets category), but none that have persevered as hard as that series. Even today new comics, movies and cartoons are being introduced to the youth, and try as I might, I still have little care or appreciation for them.
To 7-year-old me, I apologize for having to drag you so far through the mud in revealing your secret. At least I'm still on board with your favorite property.
There wasn’t a lack of exposure. Sure, I watched the cartoon, albeit not religiously, and even had some of the toys (I was a big fan of the morphing figures, which I owned a turtle morphing Michelangelo and an April O’Neal which turned into a tiger lady). I also watched the movies a few times (the second one with “The Ooze” more than the first), but they didn’t stick.
It was through friends and classmates that I had the bulk of my Turtles exposure. Other kids on the playground would play Ninja Turtles with each other, and no matter whose house you visited, they almost always had the one of the video games on their original Nintendo (which I remember seeing people play a lot because I died constantly). Every once in a while the toys would come out while I was hanging out with friends. I can remember a few people who had the van -- which almost edged out the coolness of the Ecto-1 because it shot pizzas.
I can say that whenever those toys came out or I was playing the game, the Turtle I always wanted to play as was Michelangelo. He was the funky one of the bunch, wore orange (my favorite color) and could put away pizzas like no one’s business. And this was the ‘90s -- pizza was basically currency for cool.
Sadly, the Ninja Turtles were not my favorite property growing up, but it wasn't for lack of trying. Maybe it didn't speak to me growing up, or I had moved on to comic books by the time my Ghostbusters obsessions had subsided some and I had little time for the Turtles. It's a strange thing not being into them because so many other people were, making it one of the few fads I did not get into (there would be others, mostly in the robot and digital pets category), but none that have persevered as hard as that series. Even today new comics, movies and cartoons are being introduced to the youth, and try as I might, I still have little care or appreciation for them.
To 7-year-old me, I apologize for having to drag you so far through the mud in revealing your secret. At least I'm still on board with your favorite property.
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