Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles is a franchise that started as a comic book in 1984 and became a hit TV show in 1987. It follows four turtle brothers who were mutated by a mysterious ooze and trained in ninjutsu by their rat sensei Splinter. They live in the sewers of New York City and fight villains while eating lots of pizza.

The Four Brothers

Leonardo wears a blue mask and leads the team with his twin katana swords. Raphael wears red and is the tough, hot-headed one with sai weapons. Donatello wears purple and is the tech genius who uses a bo staff. Michelangelo wears orange and is the fun-loving one who fights with nunchucks.

Cowabunga Dude

The Turtles fight against the Shredder and his Foot Clan. Their human friends include April O'Neil, a journalist, and Casey Jones, a hockey mask-wearing vigilante. The franchise has been rebooted many times with new cartoons and movies. Each version brings something new while keeping the core of four brothers who love pizza and fighting bad guys.

Fun Facts

• The turtles are named after Renaissance artists: Leonardo, Raphael, Donatello, and Michelangelo.
• The original comic book was created as a parody.
• Cowabunga became a famous catchphrase thanks to the show.

Did You Know?

The original Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles comic was created by Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird in their kitchen. They made it as a joke, combining the most popular comic book trends of the 1980s: teenagers, mutants, ninjas, and funny animals. They never expected it to become one of the biggest franchises in the world!