EPISODE 339 - We take a look at the show that brought huge fame for the Turtle -- the original Saturday morning TV show.

Although primarily made as a way to promote the new toy line, the creators of this TV show also wanted it to be good. So there was a lot of thought put into this show. They took a lot of visual designs from the comic, but simplified the story considerable. They added new characters (Rocksteady and BeBop), half-new characters (Krang the talking brain) and gave April a more specific consistent personality.

We look at the first five episodes, which is the entire first season and which tell a single story. The story gets complicated, but it's fun and thoughtful and... pretty darn good.

Hey, maybe these Turtles are gonna be around for a while.

In Loose Screws, we talk about the new season of Stranger Things.

Next week we go over the first TMNT live action movie!

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EPISODE 338 - Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles - Dark Knight Returns style!

We go over the 2020(ish) mini series The Last Ronin. This takes place in a bleak future version of our world, where only one turtle is still alive, and he is fighting to avenge his fallen brothers and father. It was a hit story and mostly very well received by fans! There is a very clear influence from Frank Miller's mid-1980s Batman story The Dark Knight Returns, but it's still very much a TMNT story, albeit one in the "mature, violent" category.

Kevin Eastman collaborated on this, using an outline he and Peter Laird had done in 1987 as a starting point. Along with writer Tom Waltz and a cadre of brilliant arists (Esau and Isaac Escorza, Ben Bishop as well as Kevin Eastman), they craft a dark post-apocalyptic (not technically, but it feels like a fallen world) landscape.

We visit most of the main cast of Turtles lore (in the comics) one way or the other.

Despite all the harshness and sad turns, it's very fun!

In Loose Screws, we talk about Batman: Dark Patterns, which Kevin loves (and Will has not read).

EPISODE 337 - We review the three issue arc "Return To New York" which was one of the last true Eastman/Laird TMNT stories ... ever? Sort of ever! It's a gritty violent story that almost feels like a defiant statement in contrast to the then-brand-new TMNT television cartoons which were coming out.

We do like it, though it's missing some of the humor and humanity of the previous Eastman/Laird issues.

For Loose Screws, Will talks about The Pitt and Kevin discusses how Stranger Things mentions War Games, which means we also have an episode of our sub podcast Screw It, We're Just Going To Talk About War Games.

EPISODE 336 - We are at issue 11 of the original run of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Comics. April and the gang are recovering in a New England farm. April writes in a diary, and we see through her eyes how each of the other characters recovers from the crushing defeat they had at the hands of Shredder last issue. It's a contemplative, emotional and dare we say it --- extremely patient and grown-up issue! The comic that started at least partly as a laugh and a lark has matured into a full world with feelings and integrity! We love this issue!

In a way, this is the end of the first era of these comics. From this point on, it's rare that both creators Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird would be involved at the same time making the comics. There are some exceptions (We will cover the trilogy they did the next year in our next episode). But this is the end of their initial run.

We forgo Loose Screws this episode to instead discuss a "Relevant Screw." We discuss the most successful of the Turtle rip-off comics: Adolescent Radioactive Black Belt Hamsters. is it good? Well, no. But there's something kinda fun amidst the mess!

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EPISODE 335 - We're approaching the end of the first batch of Eastman/Laird issues on Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. This issue is an action packed issue-long battle between the full team of Turtles/Splinter/April versus the newly-returned Shredder!!! Very fun!

In Loose Screws, Kevin discusses the book Project Hail Mary and the Enforcers card in the Marvel themed Magic card deck. And Will starts an episode of Screw It, We're Just Gonna Talk About War Games to discuss the new Kathryn Bigelow movie A House Of Dynamite.

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In the early days of TMNT comics, the creators published four separate one-issue "micro-series" for each of the four turtles. Basically one-shot stories for each one. We reviewed the Raphael one-shot a bit earlier in this season. This episode we take a look at the stories for Donatello, Michelangelo and Leonardo.

In general we liked these just a bit more than the "regular" issues the creators were doing at the same time. These one-shots are simple and uncluttered and really fun.

For Loose Screws, Kevin talks Peacemaker season 2 and what it's like to be out of sync with the opinions presented on social media. Will talks about the video game Baby Steps.

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We are up to issue 9 of the original run of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle comics. This is a stand-alone adventure in which the young turtled and splinter help an old man pass on the honoable samurai magic of his family to his grandson.

We are seeing Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird pull back from working on the comic. This issue they wrote and helped ink but did not do the pencils for. As the Turtles get more popular, this will be the pattern!

Next episode we go over the one-shot comics for Leonardo, Donatello and Michaelangelo.

For Loose Screws, Will talks about the Marx Brothers and Kevin talks about The Knives by Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips.

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We go over Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #7! This is the end of the "outer space" arc. It's a very busy issue with lots of exposition but the art is beautiful and the comic remains fun.

For Loose Screws, Kevin discusses two recent graphic novel biographies of Jack Kirby and Stan Lee!

EPISODE 331 - We go over Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #6! This is a continuation of the epic "space" arc in which the Turtles meet Fugatoid, the Triceratons and the Federation (something like that?) The art is more ambitious than ever! The action is fun and compelling! The dialogue is... out of control with huge Stan Lee levels of exposition on almost every page! But the comic is fun!

For Loose Screws, we talk about staying in Christopher Reeve's house and also Spinal Tap! Now that's loose!

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EPISODE 330 - We go over TMNT#5. Stuff gets very wild as we meet Fugitoid and the Triceritons. Oh and the, er, Federations? Some human army. Anyway, the Turtles are in space and in the middle of a three-way battle for a scientist trapped in a runaway robot's body. Again, this is issue number FIVE.

Loose screws: Kevin talks Alien Earth and will talks Spaghetti Westerns.

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