Etsy is an interesting place. I go there and search every once in a while but I think I’ve only bought things a couple times. Out of curiosity today I searched for Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles to see what popped up, and what follows are some of the coolest items I found.

Some people seem to confuse Etsy with eBay, so I didn’t include anything like vintage clothes, action figures, or things that weren’t made by someone (or at least upcycled). These are all things I would buy if I felt like dropping money on more TMNT stuff for my collection.

Shredder Cup Cozy by SmakJamCreations

Knitted things and crocheted things pop in to my mind first when I think of Etsy, so how appropriate that I found this adorable cup cozy featuring the Turtles’ arch-nemesis, The Shredder. There’s a lot to love about this, and when else will you get to use Shredder and cozy in the same sentence?
Read More

I just finished recording the first episode of a new podcast (details coming soon) with blogging buddies Jaime Hood of ShezCrafti and Shawn Robare of Branded in the 80s, and one of the things that got brought up was the 1990 song ‘Turtle Power’ from the first TMNT movie.

I remember rocking that song on cassette back in the day, and a brief trip down the I-wonder-what-happened-to-those-guys road led me to his awesome video of a live performance in 1990.

Partners in Kryme have what might be the saddest Wikipedia page ever, but they do have a Facebook page and don’t seem to be ashamed of their TMNT past, so kudos to them. Maybe they’d be up for being on a podcast and rapping for us all. The world would be a better place if they did.

Also, is it just me or are their back-up dancers dressed like Scorpion from Mortal Kombat?

The Top Hat Sasquatch team reads a lot of blog posts every day, and some slip through the crack or just don’t warrant their own post. That’s where Missing Links comes in. Every few days we collect the best links we’ve come across and pass them on to you.

Like I’m NOT going to post this TMNT Gangnam Style video featuring Vanilla Ice. | ShezCrafti
I totally missed the boat with the 'Gangnam Style' viral video, but I'm more than fine getting caught up to speed by the Turtles.

‘Wreck-It Ralph’ International Trailer: See An 8-Bit Disney Logo And Tons Of New Footage
Is it November 2nd yet?

Watch a ‘Lilo & Stitch’ Deleted Scene That Tackled Racism, Obnoxious Tourists | /Film
Very cool deleted scene from a Disney movie that I wish I knew was awesome when it came out. It's one I go back and watch quite a bit now. Too bad they didn't leave this scene in.

3.9 Million Watch TMNT Premiere Episodes; Series Renewed for 2nd Season
Awesome news. I love the new show and cant wait for new episodes.

joeyblog: PBS Kids Democracy Project
Cool new illustration project from our buddy Joey Ellis.

What next for Genndy? | Cartoon Brew
Genndy seems like a great choice to helm a CG Popeye movie, and I hope he keeps it faithful to the classic animation and comic strips. I love Popeye and I'll be first in line to see an awesome new version in theaters.

I don’t think I’ve ever been as excited about a new cartoon as I’ve been about Nickelodeon’s new TMNT show, and that’s saying a lot. I’ve been pumped about it for months and it finally premiered this Saturday morning with the one-hour Rise of the Turtles. What did I think of it?

I thought it was awesome, and I’m really excited to see where it goes this season.
Read More

Being a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles fan often means embracing the good (the comics, the first movie, the ’87 cartoon) and the bad (Coming out of Our Shells Tour). The Turtles’ inherent wackiness keeps me from ever taking it too seriously, but one piece of TMNT history always gives me that weird embarrassed feeling, and that is Ninja Turtles: The Next Mutation.

In case you didn’t turn on your TV for the five minutes that NT:TNM aired in the late nineties or you’ve just done a better job than me of repressing the memories of this show, I’ll fill you in. The Next Mutation was the first (and only) live-action TMNT show, and it was made by Saban, of Power Rangers fame. The costumes were pretty horrible, April and Casey are nowhere to be found, and the Shredder barely shows up at all. Sounds like a formula for a great TMNT show!
Read More