Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Celebrating 40 Years of Turtle Power 

It’s only April and already 2024 has been an exciting year in pop culture, not least because it marks some important anniversaries. One celebration that can’t be ignored is the 40th anniversary of the incredible Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles franchise.

Back in 1984, Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird could never have predicted that their comic, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, would become one of the biggest franchises of all time. They self-published the first issue through their company, Mirage Studios, using money from a tax refund and a loan from Eastman’s uncle. It was a gamble, but to say it paid off is an understatement – the audience was there then, and it’s still there 40 years later. 

Eastman and Laird really hit on a winning formula with TMNT. From the beginning, the four turtles, Leonardo, Donatello, Raphael, and Michelangelo, captivated audiences with their unique personalities, martial arts skills, and youthful exuberance – especially when it comes to pizza. For young readers and viewers, the franchise packs a powerful message about friendship, family, and responsibility. 

The TMNT franchise has established itself across many media in the last 40 years. Following on from the original comic series, the Turtles have been reimagined in a number of different publications, most recently by IDW Publishing. To date, there have been seven movies and four TV series. The most recent movie, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem, received a 95% score on Rotten Tomatoes, with one critic commenting, “Mutant Mayhem is worth acknowledging as the rare reboot that harkens back to its franchise origins while presenting something new.” There have been video games for all makes and shapes of consoles, theme park rides (including Shellraiser, the world’s steepest roller coaster, at Nickelodeon Universe American Dream in New Jersey), a musical (the less said about that, the better), and even a tabletop board game. 

TMNT action figures have dominated the toy scene since Playmates Toys released their first line in 1987. For every new adaptation and reiteration of the Turtles, new toy lines have been released. It’s any collector’s dream. Most recently, The Loyal Subjects’ BST AXN and Mutant Mayhem lines have blown fans away. With just the right balance of nostalgia and freshness, they’re perfect for old fans and new.

It’s rare and wonderful to see a franchise that has stayed true to itself in the way the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles has. Sure, there have been some missteps along the way, but there have been triumphs too. IDW Publishing has brought some incredible writers and artists to work on their relaunch of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles series, and we can’t wait to get our hands on it this summer. As discussed, the Mutant Mayhem movie released last year was a hit among fans and critics, and there is a lot of excitement about the follow-on animated series, Tales of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, coming our way later this year. With all of this ahead of us, I think we can look forward to another incredible forty years of Turtle Power.

Are you a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle fan? Tell us about your favorite TMNT production so far – was it the original animated series from 1987, the epic 1990 movie, or the latest installment, Mutant Mayhem? And don’t forget to subscribe to our newsletter to get the latest in TV, movies, online deals, and more.

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