It’s Turtle Tuesday! And what better way to celebrate than learning more about our favorite on screen Turtles? Here are some facts that you may (or may not) know about TMNT!
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5. They once had an anime adaption called Mutant Turtles: Superman Legend
There was once a time when the Turtles got an anime treatment. The short lived adaption, with a whopping two episodes, had the turtle gang transform into beefy green…mecha? Hey, at least they still love pizza in the show.
4. “Uncle Phil” voiced Shredder
It’s always a treat to find out who the voice actors are in your favorite animated series or films. James Avery aka “Uncle Phil” from The Fresh Prince of Bel Air was the voice of Shredder in the animated series. He remained on the show for nearly seven seasons.
3. There was almost a 5th turtle
A fourth film that was in the works was meant to feature a fifth turtle. Kirby, named after the famed Marvel Comics writer and artist Jack Kirby, was scrapped once the film didn’t fall into place. Take a look at some of the cool sketches below. Think there’s still a chance for Kirby to make his debut?
2. The turtles are all named after famous artists
This one is probably painfully obvious but all of the Turtles are named after famously Italian artists. Why? Well the creators Peter Laird and Kevin Eastman are both art history lovers themselves.
1. The turtles were almost played by comedians
Back in the 1980s when Eastman and Laird receiving pitches for the film, they originally suggested four comedians to star as the famed Turtles. While hard to imagine now, the four actors pitched to play them were Billy Crystal, Sam Kinison, Bobcat Goldthwait, and Gallagher. Luckily that didn’t make the cut.
