The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles were created by Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird for an initial run of 3,000 black-and-white comic books. They financed the books themselves because nobody at Marvel or DC was interested in a book about turtles. Turtles? You’re kidding, right?
No, not really, and almost 20 years later the Turtle Power is still going strong, with multiple lines of comics, animated shows, films, and a long list of profitable licensed products from action figures to sleeping bags to ... well, video games.
For longtime fans of TMNT, the arrival of the X-Men and Daredevil on the mainstream stage is an interesting development. Very few of the more recent arrivals to turtle fandom are aware of the origins of their favorite “heroes in a half shell.” The Turtles owe their existence to both of those popular franchises, providing you know enough about the two comic legends to get the jokes.
When Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles was created in the mid eighties, the X-Men were an easy target—everyone seemed to have a mania for teenage mutants—but the connections with Daredevil are more pronounced. Obviously influenced by the now-legendary work that Frank Miller did on the Daredevil comic, Eastman and Laird implied that the radioactive waste that struck Matt Murdock, granting him the powers he used to become Daredevil, later washed down into a sewer grate where it covered some hapless baby turtles. Further, Daredevil was tutored by the master known as Stick, while the Turtles turn to their own Sensei, Splinter, as their spiritual guide. Daredevil fought hard against the evil ninja clan known as The Hand. It’s not a tough connection for those who know that the Turtles’ main adversary is The Foot.
It’s also not a big mystery as to what makes the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles such an enduring phenomena—it’s the turtles: Michelangelo, Leonardo, Raphael, and Donatello. Named for famous Renaissance artists, the four turtles are a wonderfully dysfunctional family, making their way with only the guidance of their Sensei, Splinter. The rat. Didn’t I mention that he’s a rat? Must’ve slipped my mind.
The four turtles look largely the same to most people, being distinguished only by their weapons and the color of their masks (lucky for you young whippersnappers who never had to figure it out back when the comics were black and white).
Leonardo Weapon: KatanasLeonardo is the most mature of the Turtles and takes the responsibility of leading his brothers into battle very seriously. He’s often troubled by the lack of control that Raphael and Michelangelo demonstrate and worries that someday it will cost them more than they realize. He likes to have fun as much as the next man-sized anthropomorphic talking turtle, but fighting Foot Clan ninjas is serious business!
Raphael Weapon: Sai Raphael is the stereotypical angry young ... um, turtle. He sees something wrong, and he wants to take care of the problem, right here and right now. Planning isn’t his strong suit, and long strategy sessions only seem like a waste of time to him. In the thick of battle, he’s not likely to follow the plan, much to Leonardo’s annoyance. Though he likes to put on a bad tempered air, Raph is really a good guy, and the thing most likely to get his temper up is seeing injustice done. Regardless of the consequences, he’ll jump right in to help.
Michelangelo Weapon: Nunchaku When you hear the Turtle catchphrase “Cowabunga!” that’s Michelangelo. With Raphael acting so cynical, Leonardo so serious, and Donatello so withdrawn, Michelangelo tries to compensate by being outgoing enough for all his brothers combined. He’s optimistic, upbeat, eager, and energetic, and when it comes to kicking Foot Clan butt, he knows right where to put all that enthusiasm.
Donatello Weapon: Bo (Staff) Donatello is the smart turtle. Not necessarily a bookworm, but the fellow who’s handy with machines and able to come up with that certain gadget when the plot calls for it. He tends to think a lot, sometimes too much, and doesn’t object as much as his other two brothers to Leo’s insistence on training and planning. Don’s first instinct is to talk his way through a situation, but he usually doesn’t get the chance when Raphael leaps right to the fight scene.
