Everyone loves trivia about their favorite animated features and series, but with over 100 years of animation history behind us right now, there’s always some new obscure fact to learn. That’s why ComicsAlliance is going deep into the minutiae of your favorite names in cartoons in this continuing video series. You think you know cartoons? Well, here’s a few things you might not know!

This week we're taking a look at the heroes in a half-shell, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles! The first TMNT cartoon launched in 1987 and, together with the Playmates toyline, turned a black-and-white self-published Frank Miller parody comic book into a cultural juggernaut whose influence can still be felt to this day. This video takes a look at the animated history of the franchise, from the 1987 original, to the 2003 reboot, the 2009 special that teamed them up, to the still currently running 2012 series.

Show notes:

  • You can check out our video on the history of  Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles comics here.
  • This video does not talk about The Next Mutation, because this is "You Think You Know Cartoons" not "You Think You Know Grotesque Puppet Charades."
  • You can get the entirety of the original 1987 series, all 10 seasons --- inside a sweet Turtle van --- here.
  • You can get the beginning of the 2003 TMNT series on DVD here, or watch it on Amazon Video here. You can watch the Turtles Forever telefilm on Amazon Video here.
  • The 2012 TMNT series rules, and if you haven't watched it, you can get the complete first and second seasons here.

Check out some installments of our other video series below, and let us know which cartoon series you think we should cover next in You Think You Know Cartoons?

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