Heroes in a Half Shell

Heroes in a Half Shell

     It all started in New York with a small boy that owned four pet turtles. While walking the young boy trips and the turtles fall into the sewers. This is the beginning of the Teenage Mutant Ninja turtles. From the stories of 1986 to the modern day of today, the Turtles have fought for those unable to fight for themselves. First, how did the Turtles become ninja warriors? Second, who are they always fighting and where did they come from, and lastly what is the difference between the Turtles of old and the Turtles of today.
     The story begins in Japan, at the Foot Clan Doji, where Hamato Yoshi, was set up by his student Oroku Saki. Oroku Saki plants a knife in the Kai of Hamato Yoshi, and makes it appear that Yoshi is plotting to kill the master sensei. After this, Yoshi is ashamed and banished from the Foot Clan. In disgrace, Hamato flees to New York. When crawling around in the sewers the Turtles come into contact with “OOZE”. This ooze would turn anything it contacted into the animal they had the most recent contact with. Thus turning Hamato Yoshi into a rat, and the Turtles into human sized turtles. The Turtles named Hamato Yoshi, Splinter, because of his ability to turn wood into splinters of wood. Splinter then named the Turtles after his four favorite renaissance artists. Leonardo, Donatello, Raphael, and Michelangelo became the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Splinter trained them in the art of Ninjitsu. This came in very handy when fighting the Foot Clan.
     You may be asking yourself, who are the Turtles always fighting with? Still in Japan and without Hamato Yoshi in charge, Oroku Saki takes control of the Foot Clan. After the take over, the Foot Clan becomes an evil clan of ninjas. However, when Oroku Saki comes to New York, the Foot Clan are robots. Oroku Saki becomes the Shredder, which is not really explained in the cartoon. With the help of Kang, a bodiless head from Dimension X, and the ooze he steels, Shredder is able to create Bebop and Rocksteady. These two were the Shedders main henchmen. Two gang members turned into a Warthog and a Rhino that were stolen from the New York Zoo. With limitless resources from Krang, Shedder is also able use the Technodrome as a base. Krang was a general in the wars of Dimension X before being brought to New York by Shedder. Throughout the series several different mutant are brought from other dimensions and a few made by Shedder. Not all of those brought to Earth were bad dudes.
The main cartoon ran from December 1987 until November 1996(WordNet). With the series at an end; “The Next Mutation” started. It was a live action show that introduced a female turtle. The show lasted one year. It was very bad. After this flop, the series came back in 2003. It again introduced the Turtle, and Splinter and also The Shedder. However, the story line is very different then the story created in 1986.
     In comparing the old series with the new series, I conducted interviews with 3 2nd graders at Sunnyside Elementary School. I asked them questions related to characters of the old show and the new show. I also asked them to mention the plot of the new series. In those that watched to show did not know who Bepop, Rocksteady, Krang, or The RatKing was. They are either not the major villains they were in the ’86 series, or not in the story line at all. Furthermore, April and Casey Jones are now dating in the show, which was not even hinted at in the ’87 series. April was a female reporter who was saved from the gang that Shredder ran, by the turtles in the very first episode in 1986.
     In the 2003 series, a new human named Cody now fights along with the Turtles. Also, Shedders daughter was introduced, and now leads the foot clan after The Shedder’s death. The TMNT movie that came out last summer is based on the story line of the ’03 series. While the live action movies of the 90’s were based on none of the series. With a new story line for how Hamato Yoshi became Splinter.
     The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles’ have lived in the glory age of cartoons, and in the modern age of digital computer graphic cartoons. They have seen both live action and animated movies. From the beginnings in Japan to the sewers of New York, from Dimension X to Florida, the Turtles’ fight Shredder where ever he goes. If the Shredder is gone, the Turtles are fighting someone else who prays on the weak. Hiding in the shadows with the invisible art of Ninjitsu, one can never be sure if the Turtles are watching over the city and lurking on those evil villains.

Cowabunga Dudes.

WORKS CITED

WorldNet “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles” WorldNet ® 1.7.1, © 2006 Princeton University 20 Nov. 2007< http://www.search.com/reference/Teenage_Mutant_Ninja_Turtles>

Mirage Studios. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. DVD. FHI and Artisan, 2004