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The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: From Comics to CGI

Credit jimlawsonart.com
Orginal turtle art by Jim Lawson

Let me begin with a confession.  I'm part of a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle valley. I was too old for them when they made their debut in the mid-1980's and my son, born in 1989 missed their big wave and went straight to the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, the kid craze that finally bumped the turtles out of the spotlight. 

But, those Rangers are gone. And, for that matter, so is Pikachu.

Meanwhile, the Turtles are in yet another reboot. Their feature film existence alone started with three films in the 1990's before popping back up on the big screen in 2007 and now they're back at a multiplex near you again. 

Today on the show, we'll explore the mystery of that durability. Franchises come and go. Why are the Turtles not in a permanent discount bin?

Guests:

  • Kevin Eastman is the co-creator of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, now in San Diego running Kevin Eastman Studios KevinEastmanStudios.com  
  • Jim Lawson,comic artist, worked on the original TMNT comics
  • Randall Lobb, writer and director of the documentary Turtle Power: The Definitive History of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 
  • Sam Hatch, is a culture correspondent and film critic, otherwise known as a Culture Dog. You can hear him every Sunday night on WWUH 91.3 and he's the movie guy for the Damon Scott Show on TIC FM

Catie Talarski is Senior Director of Storytelling and Radio Programming at Connecticut Public.
Colin McEnroe is a radio host, newspaper columnist, magazine writer, author, playwright, lecturer, moderator, college instructor and occasional singer. Colin can be reached at colin@ctpublic.org.
Chion Wolf is the host of Audacious with Chion Wolf on Connecticut Public, spotlighting the stories of people whose experiences, professions, or conditions defy convention or are often misunderstood.
Betsy started as an intern at WNPR in 2011 after earning a Master's Degree in American and Museum Studies from Trinity College. She served as the Senior Producer for 'The Colin McEnroe Show' for several years before stepping down in 2021 and returning to her previous career as a registered nurse. She still produces shows with Colin and the team when her schedule allows.

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SOMOS CONNECTICUT is an initiative from Connecticut Public, the state’s local NPR and PBS station, to elevate Latino stories and expand programming that uplifts and informs our Latino communities. Visit CTPublic.org/latino for more stories and resources. For updates, sign up for the SOMOS CONNECTICUT newsletter at ctpublic.org/newsletters.

SOMOS CONNECTICUT es una iniciativa de Connecticut Public, la emisora local de NPR y PBS del estado, que busca elevar nuestras historias latinas y expandir programación que alza y informa nuestras comunidades latinas locales. Visita CTPublic.org/latino para más reportajes y recursos. Para noticias, suscríbase a nuestro boletín informativo en ctpublic.org/newsletters.

Fund the Facts

You just read trusted, local journalism that’s free for everyone, thanks to donors like you.

If that matters to you, now is the time to give. Join the 50,000+ members powering honest reporting and a more connected — and civil! — Connecticut.