#but these boys will be mixed in with my turtle art

[arsoniiii]

theres never a bad time to watch skating videos.

[mechanicalinfection]

FIRST DIGITAL ART OF THE BOY OH OH AHSJXJJWNSJ

Gonna need some working tho

[untitled-tmnt-blog]

Now that 2024 is coming to a close:

1) Of everything you've made this year, which ones are you the most proud of?

2) What are a few of your favorite things (art, comics, fics, etc) that someone else has made this past year?

As far as my own stuff, I would have to say:

This Hide and Seek animatic -- I love making animatics, but they end up taking me a LONG time! That does mean that when I finally finish one though, it's very rewarding to see the full thing!

This scene, for the rottmnt cut intro project -- It's a short scene, but was a lot of fun to do! I also think it shows how much I've improved, even from my first scene for this same project.

This hardcopy of IMBI -- I'd never tried bookbinding before, but I had so much fun learning how and was really happy with how it turned out!

These mixed media collages -- It was one of my first times experimenting with mixed media, and I think they ended up looking pretty cool! Plus, just like the others... I had a lot of fun with it! (I suppose it makes sense that my favorite pieces are kind of just the ones I had the most fun doing, huh?)

And then, for other people's stuff... I'm sorry, but I'm just so indecisive! I have to at least pick a few things from each category!

"Long" Comics:

Here There Be Turtles (by @theelvishfiddler) -- This is hands-down one of the most impressive fan comics I've ever seen! Not only does it have incredible art, but the characterization is spot-on, and the storyline is so engaging that I am absolutely dying to see what happens next after every single update! I've seen people saying that the quality is even better than the official comics, and... yeah, no doubt about it, it really is! This comic is INSANELY good!

You've Been Portal Jacked! (by @wickcipher) -- This comic has such an interesting premise, with an artstyle that I love and SO much potential! I was immediately hooked by the first chapter, and was so excited to see it continue! Very much looking forward to seeing where things go from here!

"Short" Comics:

This Raph comic (by @e-turn) -- Raph and Leo tug at my heartstrings sooooo much! And the effect of Raph's time spent under the krangs' control is something that I never get tired of seeing explored. He loves his brothers so much, and would never EVER want to hurt them... but now he has these memories of himself doing exactly that, and those memories are just so much at war with who he is as a person, and AAAARRRRRGGHHHH!!!! I love it.

This Splinter comic (by @charcoaldustonmyfingers) -- THE EMOTIONS. I enjoy seeing this one every time it crosses my dash, and it has yet to lose its impact. Splinter loves his boys so much!!

This alternate movie ending, and part 2 (by @magisav) -- Beautiful, and heartbreaking. Both at the same time. The look on Leo's face is ingrained in my memory forever.

This Firefight fan comic (by @sludge-city) -- This one is such a well-done adaptation of some of the most emotional moments in this incredible fic! It was heartbreaking enough reading it the first time, and seeing those emotions depicted on Leo and Donnie's faces ripped my heart to shreds.

This redrawn IDW scene (by @purplepixel) -- The redrawn panels are beautiful, and I love the coloring! But also... man, this hurts so much knowing what comes next! Donnie, nooooo!

Multi-Chapter Fics:

Emotional Support Water Bottles (by @dandylovesturtles) -- This series is easily one of my favorites! Poor Leo goes through so much... and yet even when it's over, that kind of experience will undoubtedly leave some scars behind. Not physical scars, but very real nonetheless, and I've loved seeing Leo and his family try to navigate their way through that.

Firefight (by @remedyturtles) -- A true classic, at this point. With probably some of the most intensely emotional scenes I have ever read. Highly recommend, if you can handle that level of hurt before the comfort!

DFL's Whumptober 2024 (by @daflangstlairde-art) -- Technically a series of fics, which are unrelated to one another. But they are related in one important way: making me FEEL THINGS. Each one is so well-written, and I've been hooked all the way from the first fic to the last!

Oneshots:

The Shadows May Go (by @remedyturtles) -- This fic. THIS FIC. It made me cry. Splinter loves his sons so much, and even in his darkest moments (perhaps especially in his darkest moments), Leo knows that.

Now the Darkness Comes Alive (@goodlucktai) -- The role-reversal that I didn't know I needed. It's beautifully written, and like I said, Raph and Leo tug at my heartstrings so much! I started drawing something for this fic a while back, and desperately want to finish when I have some more free time on my hands again!!

Bed Sheets (by @dandylovesturtles) -- Splinter is not a perfect parent, by any means. But he loves his sons so much!! This fic is practically the embodiment of those two things, and it makes me emotional every. Single. Time.

Art:

This drawing of April and Karai (by @darkpolicepsycho) -- absolutely beautiful!! I love how you can just feel the power of Karai's ninpo flowing through April.

This drawing of Raph with cherry blossoms (by @pelmenya-owo) -- soooooo pretty!!! The colors. The lighting. I cannot possibly overstate how gorgeous this drawing is!!

These Undertale-style drawings of April, Raph, Leo, Donnie, and Mikey (also by @pelmenya-owo) -- I've never played Undertale, but I love these little animations so much!! Very cool.

This drawing of Samurai Leo (by @kathaynesart) -- I showed this drawing to my husband, and he immediately asked for it on a T-shirt. It is PHENOMENAL.

This Hollow Mind drawing (by @grey-viridian) -- I haven't read the fic that this is from yet, but oh man, the emotion in this scene!! Family protecting family. I love it so much.

This drawing of Leo (by @oh-lordy-lord-save-me) -- The colors. The colors!! The absolutely STUNNING colors!!!

This TNV art (by @windide-blog) -- I'll admit, I still need to read TNV. But even without context, the scene depicted here is amazingly well-done! I can only hope to be able to draw scenes as beautiful as this one day.

This art of Leo falling through the sky (by @sad-leon) -- The background is beautiful. The imagery is beautiful. The animation is beautiful. All around: beautiful.

This drawing of FMA Sprout, plus this one (by @intotheelliwoods) -- I just love these so much! Brotherhood is probably my favorite anime, and man, Sprout makes a great Edward Elric.

This drawing for the Turtles Together zine (by @andva-ri) -- This one has everything. Splinter. April. Draxum. Big Mama. The turtles, of course! I love all the different scenes, and how seamlessly they come together into an absolutely gorgeous art piece! This is a level of skill that I can only hope to one day come close to reaching!

This drawing, also for the Turtles Together zine (by @staticwither) -- Just look at those bright, beautiful colors! Truly incredible. This scene was already great in the finale, but this art piece somehow manages to take that energy and multiply it tenfold! It's beautiful.

This drawing of Leo with water lilies (by @tangledinink) -- I absolutely LOVE the paint-like style of this one! The level of detail on this is insane, and it's just downright one of the most beautiful art pieces I think I've ever seen. I want it on a throw blanket.

This Kingdom Hearts AU drawing (by @boxfullaturtles) -- I have very minimal knowledge of Kingdom Hearts. But even without that context, this drawing is just SO GOOD! I love the stained-glass design! And the way all the characters are in their own circles, and Leo's head is lined up inside of one as well, but continues down into a full-body drawing. Gorgeous.

AUs:

Posessed AU (by @grey-viridian) -- Such an interesting premise!! It somehow manages to be absolutely heartbreaking, but also so much fun at the same time.

Tiz Sep AU (by @tizeline) -- I love the comic. I love the characterizations. I was hooked on this AU from the moment Leo starting infodumping about Sonic! But also, Mikey campaigning for president of the multiverse while Donnie works against him was perfection. I just love seeing these characters do literally anything, because they're just so enjoyable to watch!

"The Besties" (2AL by @intotheelliwoods & SLAU by @dianagj-art) -- I'm aware this is like, an AU crossover within an AU kind of situation, but man is it so much fun! And also, so much more emotional than you'd expect turtle multiverse shenanigans to be.

Animations:

Rottmnt Restored (by @emichen88 & @powerauerart) -- Incredible. Amazing. Phenomenal. Astounding. 100% would watch again and again and again.

This JJK WIP (by @seasaltcosmos) -- I don't care if it's unfinished, I LOVE this!!

That was... slightly more than "a few." And I'm sure I still forgot some. I could go on and on about all the awesome stuff people here have made, but I had to cut it off somewhere!

[httpvomitello]

Surprise *⁠.⁠✧

The evening had finally arrived, and your nerves buzzed with excitement and trepidation. You were about to become a parent, and Mikey had been at your side, as ever, from the start. He was already over the moon about the prospect of fatherhood, and the idea of having a mini-version of himself to carry on his unique humor and boundless optimism made him giddy with joy. Every day, he’d proudly tell everyone that he was going to be a “rad dad” to his son.

You were both convinced you were having a boy—it was just something you felt so strongly. Maybe it was the way Mikey talked about his “little dude” or the way he was sure the kid would love pizza as much as he did. There’d been tons of conversations about teaching him to skateboard, introducing him to all the cartoons Mikey loved, and, of course, raising him on turtle classics like comics and pizza nights.

Labor was a whirlwind. Mikey was a bundle of nerves but doing his best to keep you calm. He’d whisper soft jokes in your ear, rub your back, and even sneak in a quick pep talk about how awesome you were doing. His face was flushed, his hands a little shaky, but his energy was 100% focused on being there for you.

Finally, after what felt like forever, the room was filled with the sound of tiny, powerful cries. Donnie smiled and announced, “Congratulations, it’s a girl!”

Mikey’s jaw dropped. “Wait…a girl?” His eyes sparkled, and a grin split his face as the reality sank in. “No way, dudette! We got ourselves a little princess?” He looked at you, his gaze a mix of shock and awe, and then, seeing your exhausted yet overjoyed expression, he let out a heartfelt laugh.

In his arms, you watched his gentle, stunned expression as he held his daughter for the first time, marveling at her tiny fingers and soft features. You could already see how fiercely he loved her. “My little girl…” he murmured, a kind of softness to his voice you’d never heard before.

His jokes about “the little dude” faded instantly. Now, he was already talking about “his little lady,” daydreaming about introducing her to art, making her laugh, and one day teaching her about all the things that mattered most to him. It wasn’t what he’d expected, but somehow, it felt like exactly what you both needed.

[thebrokenmechanicalpencil]

OK so yep turtle child. I seem to have fallen back into all my old artistic phases once again, Tmnt included in that roster.

I get a brain worm sometimes, it sits and annoys me and wont go away because of course I cant be inspired to draw normal things. Oh well, this is Mucha (pronounced Moo-kah) named after a painter from the art nouveau period. He is the son of our favorite leader in blue, Leo. YES ok wait before anyone gets me, no oc shipping made him. He and his cousin's were made through the art of ✨science✨

Lets say in the bay movies (because those have a soft spot in my heart I'm so sorry I know theyr kinda ugly-) some baddie gets the blood samples from the brothers and instead of trying to make a pandemic (havnt watched the movies in forever forgive me) they try recreating the experiment to try and create super soldiers (overused plot line dontworryaboutit) they mix the mutation agent with four turtles they have on standby, along with the DNA of each brother. Welp mutation happens but before they can get too far the boys swoop in thinking it was some sort of beep bop and rock steady situation. They discover the four recently mutated infant turtles and the rest goes from there.

sorta like the last Ronin but no sads, and before you know it the baby turtles have favorites and now they are sorta parent big brothers. As they get older and the babies grow they lean into the fatherly aspect. Or something.

Now this is the baby who gravitated toward Leo and he to him, and has Leo as a top roll model in his life. Sure all the boys help raise the new set, but again the kids all have favorites. Naturally. (I will mess with this later, but for now this is the wobbly idea) Well Mucha has Leo the stern when leading, silly when the weight is off his shoulders, overly bossy and slightly controlling Leo. Leo who would die for his family but can be cruel and very blunt. Who is also really young in his own right. Being the top role model for a child. Well they have a relationship were Mucha adores him, wants to be like him. But can never seem to live up to his expectations, tries so hard to impress him. He has a loving father figure who teaches him but also tries to helicopter him so much. Control so much, who is blunt when frustrated or angry. This kid is terrified of disappointing him, but wants deep within himself to impress his father his OWN way. Being Mucha not little Leo. He falls where Leo did when chosen as leader, under pressure without his parent even realizing it.

Leo does love him, but as we have seen he is a control freak. So his child naturally rebels, snapping and arguing with him when he's having a bad day. Not wanting to listen to him, because Leo wont listen to MUCHA. As Mucha gets older their relationship becomes strained.

K well I'm stuck in this now. This was mostly a thought post, read a thing about Leo wanting so badly to be a parent. Started wondering how it would go, will continue to work on this. Probably. The reason Mucha's art is so angsty is because that's where the pen went. Hes actually not that bad, usually.

OH well the second, white turtle. He gets his own post later :D

[separatedleoau]

One's favorite food and animal? Does he know...Lou Jitsu? (I don't know if I wrote it right)

Will your Usagi be Miyamoto or Yuichi?

Any recommendations of songs that you like?

What inspired you to create One?

How do you rate the level of idiocy that One can do?

Does he like flowers?

If One had to choose between his brothers who would it be?

Sorry for the questions...I love your Au!

Take care!

1) Favorite food is homemade shio ramen (made by Draxum), I don't think he's got a favorite animal? there is an animal/creature related thing that's gonna happen in the comic at some point but I don't wanna spoil that part, but is probably that one lmao

1.2) He does know Lou Jitsu! thought his knowledge of him comes from being a nexus champion, not a movie star. He likes Lou but he cant even admit that to even himself because there is a lot of hatred towards humans on his heart, he has a certain level of respect but thats pretty much it.

altough... he started doing martial arts because Draxum showed him a recording of Lou's fights on the nexus and he fell in love with the fighting style, immediately wanted to learn martial arts and be a ninja afterwards

also the golden marks on his mask reminds him of his yellow glasses and is the reason he likes that detail of his uniform so much, even when it was actually made to match Draxum

(old art jumpscare)

2) One's little rival is gonna be Usagi Yuichi

3) my music taste is very meh and I always forget what I like when asked about it and end up just saying Imagine Dragons lmao. but since we're talking slau give Oh No! by Marina a listen, it fits One so much and I'm doing an animatic with it

4) When I start an AU is pretty much because I suddenly have a scene stuck in my head and end up building everything around it (something something, plaged by visions) for SLAU and One it was One's introduction what got me to start this AU.

I was reading some separated aus on ao3 (dont ask which because I dont remmeber and haven't kept up with any of them since I started my own) and that image of One dropping in in the middle of the fight got stuck in my brain and I was shooked that no one thought of making that the introduction of any of the sep turtles, that mixed with there was one of those aus that was a separated leo that I felt like they weren't using "leo raised by draxum" at its full potential and it was frustraiting me so I just went "fine, I'll do it myself"

5) idk, it depends I guess? One is very smart and clever, he's highly skilled and succedes at pretty much everything (the being Number One has gotten into his head for a reason) but! he's also a dumb 14yo teenage boy

6) I don't think One is a flower guy, he likes plants and helps Draxum take care of the ones they got on a greenhouse, but I don't think he particularly likes any flower

7) right now? none of them<3

[vdragon-creations]

TMayNT Day 13: Best Don

Day 13 of @tmaynt Prompt: Best Don!

Oh my sweet, how I've waited for this day! It should probably come as no surprise to anyone who fallows me or anyone who saw my Day 1 entry that Donnie is my favorite turtle! Hands down, no contest!

But here comes the hard part. Choosing my favorite! Gunna be honest, it's a very hard decision. Each Donnie has a quality to them that I just adore! Intelligence! I don't like to think of myself as that smart, at least not in the way Donnie is! And I love me some soft nerdy types! And when it comes to personality, it gets even harder to pick, because literally ALL of them are just precious.

87 is smart but a bit of a dork! 2003 is...goals. Sweet, kind, has a tiny bit of spice to him, and still has the skills to pay the bills! 2007, while not having much screen time, is a reliable man.

IDW, tbh, I've yet to read the comics in full, but from what I can see, he seems a lot like a mix of both 2003, 2007, and 87 Don. As in, while he's a little more softspoken then the others, he can still hold his own in a fight! And despite having been through some clearly otherworldly shit, he's a skeptic when it comes to magic. But I love the way they wrote him! (And his death scene still makes me cry! And seeing him still deal with pain from that incident is just *Chef's kiss*!)

2012....well...I don't have much to say about him. Frankly he's my least favorite out of the bunch, and all because the writers really wanted to play fanfic writer and they leaned whyyyyy too hard into the nerd stereotype. Resulting in making him borderline creepy to April. (Not that she's perfect either because goddess on a stick I'm not getting into that today.) The one thing I'll give him is that his sarcasm in this one made his very funny to hear in banter, and I apricate that they were trying to do more then just change the skin colors to make the boys stand out from one another. (But guys...really....the gap in the teeth was just not necessary..)

The Bayverse Donnie was one that had to grow on me a little, cause I'm part of the crowed that thought they looked a bit rough. But I agree that that's kinda the point, they're mutants. They more then likely would be a little rough looking irl. But after aa bit, he does start looking pretty cute anyway! And his voice is on par with 2003, in that he just sounds so sweet! I wanna hug him! (PLUS, THE FUCKER IS 6'8"! I'M 5'3"! And I do have a weakness for taller dudes. Bonus if they wear glasses! :3)

Now, for Rise. I was once part of the Cowaboomer crowed that thought that since RISE was so different from the other versions, it was there for ruined. I've since watched it, and the movie, and if anything, I've proven that I no longer think this way! RISE Donnie tho...he had to grow on me. At first I really didn't like him. His personality was such a stark contrast from all the other versions that it was almost like he was a whole new character! And with the art style of RISE being so different, his design was quite a jolt too. (The eyebrows are...a choice.) But after a while, that smug fucking smile had me feeling a type of way. The way he'd make me laugh was starting to become infectious! And the next thing I knew, I fell for this version too! Pretty hard I might say. And while 2003 Donnie is the sweetest bean to ever grace my screen, RISE became the living definition of the meme "I'm a luxury few can afford!"! And I love him!

After that, we had the batman cross over that brought us another Donnie! Once that I'm happy didn't lean too heavy on the other versions. He looked a little like 2012, but was like a gentle mix or 2003 and Bayverse! He also got a lot more lines and personality in that movie! (As well as a broken arm! RIP)

Then Mutant Mayhem showed up, and oh my god if he isn't the same insufferable anime fan I was when I was a teen! He made me laugh, and was still an adorable little dork!

And then we have Fortnite Donnie, who...i gotta be honest, I don't play Fortnite. So I'm not sure if he or the others get much of a personality or story outside of the same story of the turtles that we all know by now. So i can't judge him based on personality. But...I do like his design. Tho I will continue to say Fortnite had NO RIGHT to make him THAT damn fine!

In the end, I love all Donnies! Some more then others, but they all mean something to me! And it was hard to choose! but in the end, I chose the two that had the most influence on me!

[tangledinink]

If you want to answer, I have some questions for the footsquad au bc it seems so cool.

Is there any romance?

Will we get to see splinter in this au?

Do the boys still love Lou jitsu?(bc Cassandra was oblivious but foot lieutenants knew his movies)And do the boys retain any of their old interests.

And are they all the same ranking within the foot? Bc the show made some jokes about the hierarchy and one of the positions was like toe or something lmao. So I’m curious if any outrank each other or Cassandra or even where April falls!

April was kind of a sister to the turtles in the series. Is it still like that or has the dynamic shifted or changed in some way?

I feel like this is a lot but I just really like the idea of this au. Hope you have a good day!

Ah yes!!! I would!!! Love to!!! I love talking about my AU's hehehe.

Is there any romance?

Perhaps.

Will we get to see Splinter in this AU?

We absolutely will! He plays a fairly significant role! He currently lives alone and as inconspicuously as possible in the Hidden City. He has no idea that any of his sons survived the lab explosion that mutated him, but he may or may not end up running into someone at some point who happens to be familiar with them...

Do the boys still love Lou Jitsu? Do they retain their old interests?

Absolutely! Punch Chowder is their collective favorite. They have had many movie nights with Lt. and Brute in the past and probably will continue to do so in the future! Casey doesn't really get their obsession (they're good, but not that good,) but has watched all the movies with them anyway. The boys do have a lot of the same interests! But... slightly to the left? Mikey still loves art and graffiti-- New York is littered with the Foot Clan's symbol, which doubles as his tag. Raph still loves wrestling, and he usually gets his fix by visiting the Battle Nexus to watch competitors tear each other limb from limbety-limb. Donnie still loves tech and science, though with a lot more mystic elements mixed in. And the Foot Clan doesn't mind if he makes bombs! They even encourage it! :)

Are they all the same rank in the Foot?

More or less! They're all still young and relatively low ranking amongst the organization. Casey is the 'leader' and is considered in charge of the rest of them, but that basically went kind of like this:

If you were to organize them by rank, it'd go Casey -> Raph -> Everyone Else, with most of the rest of the clan above them, save for other, newer recruits. That being said, the turtles sort of hold a special, unofficial 'rank' given that they've been with the clan since infancy, and this unspoken status also extends to Casey and April (to an extent) by association.

April was kind of a sister to the turtles in the series. Is it still like that or has the dynamic shifted or changed in some way?

Kind of! They're all definitely still super close, but they met April much later in life than they did in canon. April also had to go through a huge adjustment period when she ran away from home and joined the Clan (duh) which led to their relationship being a tiny bit volatile/strained for a period of time until she settled in. (April also ended up growing very close with Casey during this time. The brothers have been with the Foot for basically their entire lives; this has always been their world. But Casey remembers when she first joined the Clan. She had to adjust, too.) They all definitely consider her their best friend and would do just about anything for her. And if you asked the boys if they have a sister, they'd still say yes-- and then they'd point you towards Casey.

[trilobitepunch]

What are some of your favorite character relationships/dynamics in TMNT, and why? Is there anything that you particularly like seeing explored with them in fan works (art, writing, comics, etc)?

Awww I gotta get my brain into answer-questions-mode...

Le's see....

What I really love is the exploration of family bonds, especially in the last two show iterations for 2012 and 2018. The original 198something one didn't really seem to dip too much into it, from what I remember, anyway, and only in hindsight do I realize they didn't really seem very teenagerish either, or at least that aspect just seemed lost to me. It's been a bajillion years and I know I never watched its entirety. Not even touching the comics realm- no idea what's going on there.

I completely missed 2003, but 2012's version was the first one that made it clear that they were- aside from being mutants trained as ninja in the sewers by a rat father- teenagers who loved each other but also could be annoyed at each other and mad at each other, tease and fight but still remember who they are to each other by the end of things. I'll tell you now, I've never been a big romance-oriented person and I don't think those relationships in that show really added much to anything. Funny at times, amusing, yes, but that seemed to be about it. Friendship bonds can be just as strong and meaningful!

Where 2012 dipped into relations between the brothers, 2018 pushed it further. The lads were mostly on their own due to a negligent father, although this new aspect of Splinter was refreshing and I love the idea of all of them basically trying to find their way around things and this nebulous duty bound to their family. I love that April's become more of a big sister to them and still shares some bond even with Splinter, similar to 2012's for the whole master and student angle. I think her relationship with Donnie is a fun one, her go-to for technical issues, for hanging out and homework checks, but she's not afraid to speak her mind and set the boy right when his brain is working too much.

The layers and directions they take with each character just makes it a fun mix when they throw everything together. I love that they don't even outright hate the villains and some of the villains don't even know why they hate the turtles but hey! We'll fight 'em just cuz! Ahaha, these poor kids. I do have to add that I'm also glad that no one's overly lamented about the fact that they've been mutated in this show except for poor Splinter at first, but all the villains basically kinda vibe with it like 'oh, I guess this is how my life is now /shrug'.

I like Raph's self-instated role as the oldest to be the protector, and how he especially looks after Donnie when things get sweaty. Or tries to, anyway, look- his heart's in the right place, even if half the time he ends up smashing his squishy brother by accident. I like the competition that goes on between Mikey and Leo, whether it's just at who's better or who's right, it's a fun dynamic. Of course I love Leo and Donnie antics too, and even though there aren't too many, the implications that they have dove into many a hair-brained scheme is just too funny. ...just going to go through all of them I guess. I'M SORRY, THIS GOT SO LONG AGH Right, Mikey and Donnie, a classic team-up, I love that they support each other so much, and the chaos they can get up to. Even funnier, I love that they actually succeed most of the time. And then Mikey and Raph's little bro vs oldest bro dynamic, which is in a way the same as Leo and Raph in that they can see eye-to-eye and get along, but when they clash, they clash hard. Classic.

...sorry I'm still not done, one more section...!!

When it comes to fanworks, I just like to see more of what was set up in the shows and the movie, but I also like being pleasantly surprised by wild and creative takes now and then. It's like... the reason I RP a character is to get more story, to see how so-and-so goes through and deals with this situation or another, the friends and enemies they might make in a different setting or opportunity. Fanart has glimpses of such things, fanfics and comics explore them in depth. Y'all are amazing, for the record, just saying.

OKAY SHUTTING UP NOW, here's my term paper *hits submit*

[spectralsleuth]

You mentioned that the Hamato household in LSoW and LSoE looks like a wizard's house and that it is filled with furniture that Yoshi inherited from his family... Can you imagine how much historians and antique collectors would be just going gaga about all the priceless stuff in the Hamato home. Like every room has original hand-crafted tables, desks, etc. that can be dated back hundreds of years, the walls have scrolls and weapons crafted by famous masters from 300 years ago. I can just imagine that Yoshi agreed to an interview in his home and, never mind his turtle kids, someone points out the furniture and wall art and people go nuts! This aging action star is just casually mentioning how his sons used to teeth on the chair legs and antique collectors around the world die a little, all while he is sitting on an old chair that was made from a rare tree in Japan worth as much as a down payment on the house and just sipping tea like it's nothing.

Yoshi tapped his foot irritably.

"I really don't understand what the problem is- you sound like my Grandfather." Not a flattering comparison.

"You're not even using a coaster." The camera man looked as if he was in pain, and Yoshi could honestly say that he had not had this much chit-chat from any crew member he'd ever had in his home.

The house was still in a slight state of disarray from the move- there were boxes in the master bedroom stacked to the ceiling, and Blue and Purple had not been separated long enough to be convinced of the benefits of their own bedroom. As a result, both of their bedrooms were half unpacked and mixed together.

Yoshi wasn't particularly passionate about separating the two, but considering every single day it seemed they broke into screaming matches and biting, you would think they would enjoy having their own space as much as Orange and Red did.

It was not so. He could barely get them to sleep in their own bed at this point, but since they were only eight he thought it was prudent to take the separation slow. (At least that was what Dr. Harper had said, when he had floated the idea of encouragement via booby traps and spray bottles by her.)

"It is a piece of furniture- it is meant to be used." It wasn't often that Yoshi thought he was mistranslating English- but he thought this might be one of those situations. The confused looks the Vanity Fair reporter was giving him was selling that impression, and he did not much care for it. "I set things on it? I put- items, in the drawers?" What was the other word for items- funny words, like, oh what was it. "Knick knacks." Sounded like a word for underwear if you asked him.

"This is from the Meiji era." The camera man explained, reverently removing Yoshi's coffee mug from the polished wooden surface. A lost cause, since there was already many overlapping rings of differing shades of brown covering the surface.

There were chips and scuffs covering the top, small marks where Red had rolled over the top during chases with his brothers and left shell-shaped divots, and where Blue and Purple had scratched with idle claws while watching the Mr. Nye TV show. There were crayon marks on the sides, where Orange had run off of his paper with his crayons. He was a good boy and did not draw on furniture on purpose, but accidents happened, and Xander often could not keep up.

"Yes, my great great grandfather commissioned it. I believe from the Emperor's carpenters, to celebrate the new constitution and property they bought in- well, I honestly do not recall. Is this relevant?" Yoshi asked wearily, feeling a twinge of displeasure at even starting to sound like his Ojii lecturing on history.

"There's only about fifty pieces made total in this style- there's no nails in the construction, look it's all joinery on the shelves-" The camera-man was saying, and to Yoshi's displeasure the reporter was still recording using the small device in her hand.

"I thought we were discussing my new movie." Yoshi pointed out, not plaintively, because he was a grown man with four children. "I mean, I have older furniture than that in the bathroom."

The camera man paused, and stared at him. "... Sorry?"

"The bathroom." Yoshi pointed out, and (sensing another translation issue possibly), said "It is where you piss."

"Piss!" Orange yelled from the hallway, where he went sprinting by with the tap-tap-tap of feet.

"DO NOT REPEAT THAT!" Yoshi called out. He was drowned out by Blue and Red fast on Oranges tail, screaming with laughter. It was nice to hear Red's laughter for a change, but since his eldest was also chasing his brothers with a stock pot and a spoon, Yoshi thought he should intervene. "Excuse me, one moment."

Red was only willing to trade the stockpot for a yardstick, which he began beating on Blue and Orange's shells respectively. Since his two youngest were giggling wildly, Yoshi left them to it and turned on cartoons in one of the bedrooms for them to watch when they grew tired of hitting each other.

By the time he got back to the Vanity Fair crew, they had gathered in the hallway, and were being shown the bathroom by a very pleased looking Purple.

"Ah Purple, excellent work my son- ah. I was kidding about the furniture-"

"No you weren't." The cameraman accused, looking frantic and pale. "This is a silver backed oriental mirror from under- oh I don't know. Kōmei? Ninkō?

"Kōka." Yoshi corrected, hating himself. "So, both probably."

Purple tugged on the cameraman's sleeve, and (looking hesitant) the camera man bent down to listen as Purple cupped hands around his snout in order to whisper in his ear.

"YOU WRITE ON IT?" The man gasped, looking appalled.

"I have raised a tattle-taler." Yoshi said mournfully, as Purple looked smugly at him from behind the reporter's legs. "Why don't you go help smack your brothers you snitch?"

Purple's tail started thumping against the cabinet at the idea, and he dropped to all fours to put on speed as he darted out between Yosh's legs and down the hall.

"Why are you so obsessed with furniture anyway?" Yoshi asked the cameraman after Purple had disappeared down the stairs, and he heard Blue and Orange start squealing in delight.

"My parents own a museum exhibit." The camera man said idly, pulling the mirror back from the wall enough to peer behind, and make a wounded noise. "It has the manufacturer seal on it still."

"Oh course it does. All Hamato furniture is authentic."

"It has crayon on it." The camera man looked close to tears.

"Yes?" Yoshi didn't understand the question. He looked at the reporter, who was still recording and writing furiously. "You are going to want to put this into the article, aren't you?" Yoshi sighed.

The reporter gave him a winning smile. "I think our readers would enjoy this very much Mr. Hamato."

[snackugaki-jestsjapesjokes]

blep blah, here have some old ass backrooms doodle content when the topic of "the beach episode" concept came up bluhp blooh brain nyooming but art hand isn't arting

i think what is super cute in modern fandom expression that I've seen is that in terms of making OCs or AUs is that sound seems to have a bigger role now than from what I remember when I was young. which I'm thinking has a lot to do with being able to clip audio easily or being able to make multi-track playlists whenever. y'all out here with reels of your art with voice claims and some of the most thoughtfully and artfully crafted soundtracks-- not even playlists, some of that shit is a straight up soundtrack level be real

89% tempted to try one of those shady "free" video/audio editing programs to make a LoFi chill beats study girl visualizer playlist with my iteration's boys ...

anyway gonna contemplate music headcanons for my iteration under the cut

From Turtle Tracks fan letter section, Archie run, #24

so real quick, my iteration is literally just them chilling, hanging out, being together in their mid 30s- early 40s, and then sometimes flashing back to their child/teen years in the 90s because tl;dr i have miiiiiinor beef my childhood turtles weren't quite as "90s" as they "could have been" (nvm I'm cackling at the milennial pop culture refs in Mutant Mayhem drop kicking me back into my adolescence)

but mehehehehe, keeping that they listened to Public Enemy and The Jungle Brothers

and aside from Top 40 musicians of the time... I feel like being outsiders themselves, having to sneak around to explore and learn about people and what's above the sewers had them eavesdropping into a lot of nighttime venues and getting into the underground and various niche subculture scenes that daytime Top 40 didn't play.

cannot tell me the lights, thumping and noise from bands playing hardcore or house or hosting cyphers or raves didn't attract these curious and funky little green dudes like moths to a flame

... Leo definitely fell in deep with the gregorian chant phase, soothing sounds of nature fads , a big fan of Orbital and he fell into that electronic, house, trance, eurodance rabbit hole right after. he also got into Celtic folk music but when his brothers caught his ass studying Michael Flatley to incorporate Riverdance footwork into his ninjutsu he got teased so mercilessly that he took great care to hide listening to it... which just made his stealth better so joke's on them heehoo

Not to mention they're from New York City, the underground music scene is always bangin' no matter the decade; feel like rap and punk got a lot of tracks on their mix tapes back in the day

Raph getting into the metal scene in his own exploring the city trips, and then progressed to music with that boom bap sound (cuz baby boy needs a way to come down off those high intensity moods idk ijs)

Donnie... just the amalgamation of his brothers, he needs that background noise while he's chewing on schematics and protoype development, he would definitely have been the mixtape maker/recording bootlegger (along with Mikey)

Mikey absolutely tagged along with his brothers sometimes whenever they went to their spots for music, though he himself backflipped into ska 'cuz Mikey is always for the people

my tmnt  iteration (where everyone made it past their 20s, splinter’s alive just old, venus is here, and they deserve some goddamn respite and shenanigans)

tmnt  iteration part 1 | part 2 | part 3 | part 4 | part 5 | part 6 | part 7 | part 8 | part 9 | part 10 | part 11

tmnt  iteration omake 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11

lny visit 1 | 2

Keep reading

[trashlama]

Yan future mikey with a chubby reader beimg all cute and shit and then the crazy kicks in (I beg you for some future boys contest-hope you're oki bye)

Hmmmm fluffy and crazy? I think I can work with this~

Instead of the usual future Yan turtles where they're usually depicted in the apocalyptic future. This one will take place in the fixed timeline future. Sorry I suck at explaining things.

This is basically a mix between a one-shot/drabble/headcanon

Like I started with Headcanons became drabble/one shot.

Sorry for being so late on this! Last week was hectic between work and my personal life.

I could've probably proofread it some more but, I didn't.

Ahhhh I hope you guys like this!

Cause personally I feel like I could've done better/more but, I suck. Anyways—

Warning! This is pretty fluffy. Seek your dentist for any fluff related cavities.

Enjoy!

I do not own this meme just found it on Pinterest and thought it was funny.

∆∆∆∆∆∆∆∆∆∆∆∆∆∆∆∆∆∆∆∆∆∆∆∆∆∆∆∆

Mikey is such a good boyfriend.

A spontaneous ball of dorky energy the box turtle was artistic both in and out of the kitchen. His kindness did not discriminate. Good or bad typically, if the youngest Hamato could help it he would rather make peace not war.

It was something you liked about the orange clad mutant. Especially since he didn't mind your self-proclaimed defects.

You love adult ninja turtle you really do. However regardless the little voice in the back of your mind continued to plant seeds of doubt.

Was Michaelangelo satisfied with you?

You hadn't tried to express it often— but you had your trepidations about sharing your insecurities with anyone, even your boyfriend. You didn't want to be annoying.

These fears were silly, you knew this. Mikey loves you. The mystic mutant recited all the time how beautiful you are. To him apparently despite your self criticism you were a devine work of art. Love handles, pouches, wings, fupas— he adored them all. You didn't need to wear a size nine to fit in his heart.

It didn't matter. For all the reasons that the box turtle gave you for why you were a perfect match for him. The insecurities still sat there. Like a sunken stone at the bottom of the lake. It sitting there always. Forever.

Regularly wondering if Michelangelo really did prefer a ugly pumpkin to a picture perfect apple. Had it been a ruse? Was he just playin' the role of a good partner? Sayin' and doin' what you're supposed to tell a person you want to be intimate with.

Lately these polluting thoughts began to resurface again. Reanimated by the recent onslaught of teasing from some dumb college kids that were enrolled at the same University as you. A group of well-known douche-bags that you avoided like the plague on campus; but unfortunately shared a physics class with. The dumbass brigade like vultures, waited for opportunities to feed their fragile masculinities. Receiving petty pleasure from belittling any flawed individuals that crossed their starving gazes. Ravishing in whatever responses they could elicite.

For the better part of the first semester of third-year physics you had somehow managed to go undetected by said frat squad. Camouflaged in fluffy sweaters and poofy joggers had aided you in being incognito for the first nine weeks but, now the weather was changing. Spring has finally come and has gifted you the middle finger. As temperatures fluctuated so did your wardrobe.

You hated the warmer months just for this reason.

The months of hiding your jiggling stretch marked shame behind winter attire has come to an end. Forcing your hand with high temps to make you wear thinner layers. Baggy jeans and big shirts were your new seasonal battle armor. Unlike your impenetrable winter suit, the spring set was far more vulnerable. The thinner layers and lack of long sleeves basically painted a bullseye on you that the frat group gladly shot at on a daily basis. In spite of your countless efforts to starve the scavengers; the group of boys still hurt you. Conceal don't feel, you certainly didn't let it show. Their poking fun at your voluptuous figure and big tits were nothing new. Nor the endless questioning of your innocence and intelligence. It was just another schoolyard taunt that you didn't bother with a response.

Until you did. Maybe not vocally but the show of your shaky figure fleeing the classroom gave the gaggle of boys all the satisfaction they'd desired as their mocking laughter chasing you out as you retreated out into the university's hallway. Fleeing the campus without a second thought.

The crude harassment is why you were here traversing The Big Apple's sewers. Thanking whatever gods were present for the low water pressure in the channel that ran beneath the soles of your sneakers.

You hated being feeling weak like this but, instinctively your legs drove you to the Mad Dog's Lair. Not bothering to properly shove all your crap into your school bag when you fled the classroom. Doubting that your shit will still be there tomorrow knowing today's luck. But you didn't care. Couldn't be bothered to deal with any more of the relentless bullying nor your professors' chosen path of nativity to the problem. You needed a break.

Entering the base every inhabiting soul was asleep. Evident by the various snores that you passed as you b-lined to Mikey's chambers.

Surprising the mystic mutant with your unannounced visit as he awoke to your shadowy plump figure climbing into his hammock. To the twenty-five year old's shame due to the fact that he had initially missed the salty streaks that drenched your supple (skin tone) cheeks. Immediately noticing your state once you were laying in his bed. The suspended mat's natural physics pressed you into his colorfully decorated plastron.

" ......Hun? Aww sweet babie what's got my muse spillin' tears for? " Mikey cooed muscular moss green appendages like snakes slithered around your waist. Entrapping you in his tired but, strong embrace. Pressing your soft figure into his firm one. Embarrassment heated your tear drenched cheeks as you returned the squeeze. Shaking your head 'no' as you just laid it against his shoulder.

He understood you just needed a moment.

For a minute outside the occasional sob or gasp for air, no words were spoken between the two. The calmness of the dimly orange lite room and your boyfriend's secure embrace provided the elements to allow you to relax. Tip-toeing on the line of slumber, had it not been for Mikey's quiet humming that at some point filled in the background noise to kept you grounded.

Once he had you calmed down, Michaelangelo tried to approach the subject again. He didn't want to reignite your pain but, the thought of someone/something making you cry like this was unforgivable. Whoever did this was gonna pay dearly for the precious tears that beaded your pained (e/c) gaze.

The last two weeks he suspected something was up. You had been absent from your guys' weekly hangout sessions. Despite the obviously differing schedules you and Mikey typically tried to meet at least four times a week. Even if sometimes the encounter was brief. However lately you haven't been attending. Stating over texts how you needed space to work some things out. That had the orange clad Hamato pulling at his imaginary strands with worry. Head lost in a tizzy as he had pooled over what could've driven you away. At first he feared it was him. Something must've come to light.

Did you find his little makeshift shrine for you?

Perhaps you came across his favorite box of tokens he scrounged up from around your apartment?

Or did you finally capture footage of his unannounced nightly visits?

Maybe one of his brothers found or saw something and told you something they shouldn't have?

The never ending list had the moss green box turtle biting his nails. Waiting at the edge of his seat for anticipated ball to drop.

Although he didn't want to thank Gram Gram for his luck when you came sniffling into his quarters. It hurt the mutant when you cried. He wasn't gonna lie the breath of relief upon your arrival. His muse wasn't trying to leave him. For a moment there the mystic mutant had been worried he was going to have to help you remember how much you needed your devoted follower.

"...(Y/n)?....Sweetie, what's wrong?" Mikey began sitting up a little tugging you along with him as he maneuvered the two of you in a more comfortable position. With your face resting against his shoulder, legs thrown over his lap so you were sitting in it in a lounging manner. The moss green box turtle's hold not once loosening from around your full figure. "....You knooow...my ears are always open to listen." The orange coded ninja turtle hummed. Unmasked the warm grey eyes of Michaelangelo's lovingly bore into your soul. Traveling through glossy (e/c) gateways as they searched within you for answers that you wouldn't speak.

Your bottom lip trembled as a new spout of tears ran down your flushed (skin tone) cheeks at his words. Easily hiding your face in the crook of the mutant's jugular. Taking a moment before answering. " I'm sorry for being a bother... I just had a bad day. " You answered quietly. Not necessarily eager to delve into the issue.

Aww his poor babie. However it wasn't the answer he was looking for. It looks like he's gonna have to go through them again. At least this time he was just looking not altering any of your memories. He needed to know what was wrong. He needed his divinity happy and if she wasn't happy— well Mikey wasn't happy.

Sporting his signature gapped tooth grin Mikey began the process.

First it began with focusing his energy. Preparing to start the spell.. It worked perfectly last time. It should be just as successful again. "Shhhh... It's okay babie..." The mutated Hamato hushed.

"..It's all good... I understand... you just need a little guidance...".

With your face hidden you neglected to notice his illuminated three digit grasp leaving your waist. "...let Dr. Delicate Touch help you~" the box turtle concluded as he pressed his glowing three digit right hand into the left side of your forehead. In an instant a bright shine of light blotched out your vision. Right before everything went black. Knocking you out before you could asset the situation.

To any onlooker what he was doing was wrong. An invasion of your privacy which he shouldn't be prying into. However the box turtle preferred to look at it from a more positive perspective.

He was helping you!

The mystic turtle knew you had a hard time expressing your feelings.

Although you didn't say it Michelangelo knew you had a hard time expressing feelings. A bad habit leftover from surviving your formative years. It's okay though. He'll help you.

To any onlooker would say what the youngest Hamato . What he was doing was wrong, inhumane but, Mikey preferred to look at it from a different less negative perspective. He was helping!

You just needed a little fixing. Then you'll be just like new again.

As he sorted through your most recent short term memories the orange color coded ninja turtle kept in mind he couldn't dabble with them too long. He was on a clock dictated by the amount of stamina he's able to input into a single spell. As of right now? Not too much. Especially if he wants to make quick work of whatever issue stood in between him and (y/n) time. The offense will not be tolerated by whomever the perpetrator.

Shifting through the chains that connected the linear timeline in your mind Michaelangelo found the issue. A group of fraternity brats who didn't have any manners. Bastards thought they had the right to defame his muse? His very own David?(That's a reference to one of the renaissance artist's works).

They had to be dealt with.

Like a candle in the wind the group was snuffed out in a single night.

Upon the arrival of the new day you awoke to find yourself back at home in your dingy apartment with no exact clue of how you got back there.

In the faded ripples of your mind you tried to fill in the blanks of the how's and when's. When did you leave the lair? How did you make it back to your apartment? Especially when the last thing you recalled was sniffling in your boyfriend's arms. You must've fallen asleep and gotten up at some point and just don't remember.

Probably was just too tired to re-call anything.

Getting up from the warm sanctuary of your bed sheets you ambled around the apartment to begin your morning routine. Throwing together a bowl of cereal and a coke before scuttling into the living room. Placing your meager feast down onto the coffee table momentarily as you shuffled through your pockets to find your phone.

A few months ago you lost the remote to your tv and unfortunately as a broke ass college student making minimum wage you didn't have the funds to purchase a new TV remote. Instead like every other millennial you download the app. Cheaper than trying to get a new remote. Quicker too.

Tapping awake your screen delivered a mountain of notifications.

Inside the group chat that you were a part of for your physics class was blowing up. Investigating further just left you in shock. Swiping through the populating messages, you discovered the bullies who had been preying on you and your classmates were missing. Somehow all five of them were gone within a night without a single trace.

With the disappearance not being a full twenty-four hours yet the police wasn't taking the matter seriously. Claiming probably just some fraternity shit. Meanwhile the university's faculty wasted no time on morning the frats possie's passing. Sending their cookie-cutter condolences and offering their typical therapy sessions for anyone close to the victims.

What a waste. Although they were assholes they were young assholes who hadn't yet got the chance to live their lives. Make mistakes and learn from them. How unfortunate.

Backing out of the chat your phone buzzed with a new message from Mikey. The afro mentioned adult box turtle was inquiring about how you were doing today and if you wanted to hangout later? Your mutated boyfriend even going as far as decorating the message in emoji hearts and puppy dog stickers.

As of late you haven't been up for hanging out with the twenty-five year old orange clad Hamato. Mucky feelings and overwhelming thoughts clouded your head. Upon seeing the previously mentioned messages about the vultures in your life being gone you felt oddly relieved about their disappearance. Although revolted with your passive reaction you somehow is still able to keep it down. Every time you thought of Michaelangelo the negative feelings and bad memories would keep fading farther and father away.

It was like all it took was a night's rest (and some brain spring cleaning) and everything was back to normal. With a small smile you replied with "I'm doin' good" and "yes" on his invitation.

Next thing you knew it you were spiraling down a rabbit hole of back to back texting like it was the beginning of your guys relationship.

Back then when your best friend had ghosted you. Mikey had been there for you like this then too. Always so supportive. He really was such a good person.

Aren't you lucky that you have such a good boyfriend like Mikey?

[sabrondabrainrot]

I forget I can just ramble and rant my thoughts!

I try to focus on sharing just my art but I also do writing and try to have a bit of a critical mind when it comes to media I consume.

Now that it has been a few months since I watched all of TMNT 12 I do have some thoughts and opinions and kind of want to just ramble about it before I forget, in an informal manner.

I at first really liked it, it was the second TMNT show I watched after Rise, now that I've been watching the 87 and 03 shows my opinions on 12 did change just a bit but I still do like it!

Literally all the turtles are my son's now. Especially Leonardo (he's blue coded so-). I just think they're so cute and neat!!!

I'm going to put thoughts to spoiler stuff of 12 so if you plan to watch the show then don't click beyond this point!

🐢💙🐢♥️🐢🧡🐢💜

So in the last season of TMNT 12 it kind of feels like all the scrapped ideas or random plots that couldn't be fit into the prior seasons were put in this one? I really like the new op it gives of Cowboy Bebop vibes. The op song change is really nice to because I never really looked the tmnt 12 op song before.

However, the plots feel all over the place? There's a mini ark where they're jumping through time meeting Halloween monsters and then another ark where Mikey defeats Satan? Then we get another really tiring ark that's this implied alternate madmax fury road parody that is honestly so depressing? Donnie is just dead.

Which btw, the show likes killing ppl off for dramatic effect. They killed Master Splinter three times and had Mikey and Donnie get scattered to atoms on two separate occasions. I should also mention Leo was in a coma for 3 months with no IV or anything and he woke up relatively fine.

Anyways, going into the last season and stuff leading up to it... They kind of ended with the 87 turtles and the 12 boys finding new passion and inspiration from teaching the 87 boys. I didn't really vibe with it because it just made the 87s the butt of the joke and made them out to be incompetent silly little guys.

They ARE silly little guys but the thing is they're not incompetent. The 87 boys have done some insanely incredible things even when unarmed. Especially when unarmed. I actually think the angle of finding a new way to help people as a means to end the series on an inspired note is fine, the 87 boys even carried on the will and told Bebop and Rocksteady they can be more than Shredder's mutant henchmen. It is very cute and wholesome. I just think they could have maybe done it differently?

Why not set up for them to teach Chi arts? The turtles of 87 don't have any mystical abilities and it would have been interesting to do a set up like that? There are ways to write the finale without just dumping on the original source.

Focusing back on the ending of 12, we also leave on a seriously alarming note. It's just a big mixed bag. After Master Splinter went to run on the hamster wheel in the sky, Leonardo was handed the reigns of the family. He was told "You're the teacher now Leonardo. You're the father. Look after your brothers" and Splinter then willingly walked into his own death. I think the writers maybe thought this was amazing and inspirational or something but I found it incredibly messed up? We start tmnt 12 on all 4 boys birthday. Meaning Splinter himself considers them all to be the same age. And since the series was running they haven't on screen celebrated a birthday and from the implied weather changes most of the seasons 1-4 seem to take place over just a year??? We don't get a definitive timeline (or I'm a bad audience and didn't notice).

So one can only assume Master Splinter was telling his...15 year old son to be the father to his other 15 year old children.

Why do I bring this up at all? After Leonardo takes over the family and he KILLS shredder they go into this rushed cult demon resurrection arc that culminates in the classic dead walk the earth and Mikey defeats Satan. In this arc we meet a ghost splinter who does not even go to see his kids, he just helps Casey and April. But throughout and the lead up to this we have moments of Leo having conversations with what we can perceive as Sensei's ghost in the dojo.

But the climax of the arc cements splinters ghost has not once visited his son's.

So Leonardo is quite literally having full on conversations, in the dojo for his brothers to hear, with a hallucination of his dead dad. He's coping this way. His family does nothing about this.

Tmnt 2012 has the worst Splinter. He ignored his son's and chose favorites. He told Leonardo to die (season 1 finale). He calls Mikey dumb and insights the others to do it too. He told Raph his anger makes him exactly like Shredder and never elaborates or teaches him how to better work through his issues. And he straight up calls Donnie useless.

None of that is even an exaggeration. Adding context just makes it worse.

Here's a list:

Do you know the turtles are the equivalent of helicopter raised homeschool boys? They've never stepped foot outside of the lair except at the start of ep 1.

They learn ALL of their lessons from old shows and cartoons. The show writers even sometimes use the cartoons to set up the theme of the episodes!

When Leonardo rescues Mikey he pats him on the head to comfort him.

Literally almost all of their ninja weapons have hidden weapons. I love it I wish I saw more of them using them.

Michelangelo is the family chef because somehow none of the rest have any life skills. Not even Splinter (explains so much).

They all have such cute shape language. I love bean pole Donnie, blocky buff Raph, perfect pear Leo, and round freckled Mikey.

They also now have unique eye colors. I love their eyes. Donnie with his big beautiful brown eyes (sometimes they look red). Raph with his acid green stare into your soul eyes, they look like they would glow like mako eyes in ff7. Mikey with bright blue eyes all big and round. And then Leo with the cunning dark blue eyes!

I just want to pinch their cheeks and kiss their foreheads and give them hugs.

Also, Leo is so affectionate to kids and his brothers??? My heart??? Couldn't take it??? He just randomly hugs them?? He had a tea party??? He wore a pink feather boa? The way he just immediately held baby Miwa??? Too good. Too good. He's such a good big bro.

Raph is also such a soft guy. Like yes he's a Butthead that beats up his brothers and takes every single violent urge out on Leo when he's even minorly inconvenienced but he does learn to do better. He helps Leo a lot and he even is there for the others a lot too.

Raphael also does art and seems to like fine arts.

Raph, like Leo, is a resident baby man. He loved tiny helpless creatures. He had a pet turtle he loved with his entire being and then later on adopted a space alien baby turtle that he also loved with his entire being.

I love Donnie in this, his cute little tooth gap, his gentle demeanor, the fact he'd rather be in the lab than training. I feel bad for him tho cause he clearly wants Splinter and Leo's approval with his inventions and efforts but very rarely gets it (Leo is the only one to really praise him and get what he does). He's also a good team player but he has so much stress and no confidence.

Donnie needs a big ol hug.

Mikey is so cute. But he is so weird. Why did they write girly pop collecting underwear. Why did they have him cannibalize a mutant pizza man? They do the most random things with Mikey. I like that he avidly tries cheering ppl up. He tries so hard for his bros. He's just a sweet little guy. I wish they did more with the baby bro.

Mikey should have kept his lightning powers.

They fight a lot but all the brothers love each other. I think they're just stressed and cooped up too much.

I like drama tho it's juicy when they argue.

I read on the wiki that Donnie is supposed to be canon OCD and Mikey canon ADHD and it makes so much sense in the show.

I really like all their voices. I miss Leo's first voice he was so dorky and sweet. The new voice is all sad and serious. Raph sounds perfect. I like Donnie's voice but instead of him always yelling why not have him do the low angry science rant because that's a good time. I like Mikey's voice he sounds like a high pitched beast boy.

But despite the occasionally baffling writing choices of the show I still like it. It's entertaining in the same way as a telenovela or kdrama. They literally have a plot where one of the turtles falls in love with his secret half sister. Something I've seen in telenovelas and kdramas.

2012 tmnt makes a great dogblooded drama.

I think the CGI art can get pretty bad at times but other times it looks great. The music is pretty good and I really like the voice cast. I actually totally see why so many people like this show but I definitely don't think it's the best one. From what I've seen thus far, I think the 2003 TMNT show might actually be a masterpiece. Better than Avatar the Last Airbender levels of masterpiece (not a competition just giving an example of another show I find monumental).

That's it, that's the rant, thanks for reading!

Btw if any one has any good 12 fic recs pls hand them over. I need 12 hurt comfort, or fem Leo, or transfem Leo, or anything introspective, or just anything with a fun plot. Pls I'm dying here send fics.

Thank you :)

[thegayhimbo]

Stranger Things x Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Crossover Review

If you haven't yet, be sure to check out my other Stranger Things Reviews. Like, Reblog, and let me know what your thoughts are about the show or the upcoming final season! :)

Stranger Things Reviews/Theories

Stranger Things Comics/Graphic Novels:

Stranger Things Six

Stranger Things Halloween Special

Stranger Things The Other Side

Stranger Things Zombie Boys

Stranger Things The Bully

Stranger Things Winter Special

Stranger Things Tomb of Ybwen

Stranger Things Into The Fire

Stranger Things Science Camp

Stranger Things “The Game Master” and “Erica’s Quest”

Stranger Things and Dungeons and Dragons

Stranger Things Kamchatka

Stranger Things Erica The Great

Stranger Things “Creature Feature” and “Summer Special”

Stranger Things Tales From Hawkins

Stranger Things Tie-In Books:

Stranger Things Suspicious Minds

Stranger Things Runaway Max (Part 1 of 3)

Stranger Things Runaway Max (Part 2 of 3)

Stranger Things Runaway Max (Part 3 of 3)

Stranger Things Darkness On The Edge Of Town (Part 1 of 3)

Stranger Things Darkness On The Edge Of Town (Part 2 of 3)

Stranger Things Darkness On The Edge Of Town (Part 3 of 3)

Stranger Things Rebel Robin Book and Podcast (Part 1 of 2)

Stranger Things Rebel Robin Book and Podcast (Part 2 of 2)

Stranger Things Hawkins Horrors Review

Stranger Things Flight Of Icarus

Stranger Things Lucas On The Line

Stranger Things Episode Reviews:

The Vanishing of Will Byers (Part 1 of 2)

The Vanishing of Will Byers (Part 2 of 2)

Synopsis: Set before the events of Season 3, Mike, Will, Lucas, Dustin, and Max take a field trip with Mr. Clarke's class to New York City (with El secretly tagging along) to explore all the sights in the Big Apple. However, when the group gets separated from the class and encounters an old enemy, they're forced to join with some unexpected allies as they attempt to stop a world-ending threat........

Observations:

This is one of those comics where I wish I had been in the writers room so I could understand what their thought-process was.

The premise: Sometime in 1985, the Party is in New York City on a field-trip with Scott Clarke's class (why and how they get this trip arranged is never explained). Along the way, they split from the main group and end up lost in the underground subway. As they try to come up with a plan, they hear sounds coming from the tunnels and go to investigate. Guess who they end up running into?

DEMODOGS...........except with robotic parts attached to them?!

To make this more surreal, the Party gets saved by (you guessed it) the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (TMMTs for short):

Later on, after introductions are made and explanations given, the kids and TMNTs (with encouragement from their sensei Splinter) discover that:

a.) The robotic demodogs (referred to as Demomousers by Dustin) are being controlled by Baxter Stockman, a mad scientist who's one of the Turtles adversaries.

And b.) There's a gate in NYC allowing demodogs and demogorgons to come through, and the Mind Flayer is preparing to invade.

Realizing they need to join forces, the Party and TMNTs attempt to take down Baxter and the Mind Flayer before they bring ruin to the city.

If all of this sounds weird, you now know how I felt reading it.

I'll admit when it comes to the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, I'm not an expert. I have some knowledge of the franchise from when I was growing up, mainly from the 1987 cartoon and the first two live-action TMNT movies (no, NOT the Michael Bay produced ones), but as far as the comics go, I've never read the original ones. In terms of my knowledge:

I know the 4 turtles are named after famous Italian Renaissance artists: Leonardo, Donatello, Raphael, and Michelangelo.

I know they have a sensei named Splinter, a former human martial arts instructor from Japan named Hamato Yoshi who was transformed into a rat via a chemical mutagen (since the chemical mixes the DNA of living beings who've been in contact with one another, and Splinter had constantly been in contact with rats while living in the sewers).

I know that the turtles were originally ordinary turtles that Splinter adopted in the sewers before they also got infected with the chemical and (because they were in contact with Splinter when he was human) became humanoid turtles.

I know Splinter named and trained the turtles in ninjutsu, adopting them as his students/children.

I know Splinter and the Turtles arch-enemy is Oroku Saki, aka The Shredder. He was responsible for dumping the chemical that transformed them, he runs a criminal ninja organization called "The Foot Clan," and (in the 1987 TV show at least), he has two animal/human hybrid henchmen named Rocksteady and Bebop. Also, Shredder aims for world-domination.

I know Shredder was allied with an alien brain named Krang from Dimension X, and they operated from a station called the Technodrome.

I know there was a scientist named Baxter Stockmam (who's one of the main antagonists in this comic) who created MOUSERS (also present here) that did his bidding and reeked havoc.

I know about April O'Neil, the news reporter who is an ally to the turtles, and Casey Jones, a violent vigilante who wears an ice hokey mask and has a bag of weapons, who is also an ally to the turtles. They make a brief appearance in this comic towards the end:

Finally, I know about this earworm of a song:

Like I said, my knowledge primarily comes from the 1987 show and the first two movies. What little I'm aware of about the original comics is that the turtles all wore the same red-eye masks before later media would color-code each turtle (likely so audiences could tell them apart). In typical 80s fashion, the comics were dark and gritty. Judging by how the Turtles are depicted here in this crossover, it appears they based the Turtles characterizations off their original comic book iterations:

This brings me to one of my problems with the crossover: Because it's dead-set on portraying the characters in a grim fashion, it doesn't leave much room for humorous interactions between the turtles and the kids. What little humor is present is either forced, or just recycled jokes from the show. Stranger Things is rooted in the science-fiction/horror genre, but it balances it out by having funny moments between the characters to level out the tension. Same thing can be said for the 1987 TMNT cartoon: Part of what made that work is the creators realized how absurd the premise was, and embraced the weirdness while having fun with it. This comic expects the reader to take the story solemnly, and all it does is highlight the ridiculousness of its premise.

Another issue I have is the whole crossover aspect. I know this isn't unique to TMNT and characters from this franchise have done crossovers with Batman, Power Rangers, Street Fighter, Transformers, Archie Comics, etc. The difference though is that 1.) These were usually done with other superhero or cartoon characters franchises, and 2.) To my understanding, most of those crossovers weren't usually considered canon in either universe.

This comic on the other hand tries REALLY HARD to make itself canon in the Stranger Things universe by setting it between seasons 2 and 3, before The Battle of Starcourt:

On top of that, when the kids and the Turtles finally confront Baxter at his lab about his motivations, he reveals he was a colleague of Dr. Brenner, which is how he knew about El:

This ends up creating several plot-holes:

1.) You'd think that if the events in this comic took place in the show's continuity, the kids would have talked about it at least once during seasons 3-4. I have a hard time imagining, for instance, that Dustin wouldn't have been chatting Steve's ear off about encountering a bunch of humanoid turtles living in NYC sewers, or the Demomousers they had to fight off.

2.) Same problem with Baxter Stockman and Dr. Brenner's relationship: No mention of it on the show? That's not even including how this relationship is at odds with Brenner's character since he considered other people (even fellow scientists) to be beneath him in terms of intellect. Brenner was NOT a man who saw others as his equal.

3.) Since Stranger Things is a show set on referencing 80s media and paying homages to it, and since the TMNTs were a big franchise in the 80s, does that mean the first volumes of the TMNT comics that came out in 1984 don't exist in this universe? Especially when the kids reactions to first encountering the TMNTs is not knowing who they are:

I get that Stranger Things is a fictional show that requires suspension of disbelief when it comes to its science-fiction elements (i.e. The Upside Down, El's powers, etc), but for the most part, it was grounded in a believable way. By that, I mean its universe was set up to be one that could conceivably take place in this reality. From its references to historical moments that occurred in real life, to its disturbingly realistic portrayals of bullying, bigotry, Cold War paranoia, homophobia, racism, government corruption, abuse, forced conformity, trauma and grief, and other social issues, to the whole dynamic of the Party being outcasts trying to survive middle school and high school. It's a coming-of-age story that also acts as a deconstruction of the 80s, and uses science-fiction elements in service of that goal. I've talked before about the Upside Down being a not-so-subtle metaphor for Hawkins and the 80s as a whole: Things look shiny, bright, and appealing on the surface (especially since the 80s continues to be a decade our current culture is obsessed with romanticizing), but when you actually dig deeper, there is rot underneath.

By setting the Stranger Things universe in the TMNT universe, it breaks that illusion in favor of turning it into popcorn entertainment. Some would argue Stranger Things was already this to begin with, but considering how the Duffer Brothers incorporated the themes I've just described into their work when they could have ignored them altogether, and considering how Stranger Things has a passionate fanbase dedicated to analyzing the show, its characters, and how it acts as a commentary for events and situations in the present, I would argue the show transcends that in a way TMNT never could. This comic tries to achieve this, with the Turtles (and Splinter) preaching about the importance of friendship, how everyone has challenges, not being defined by where you come from, etc, but all of these themes were already examined on the show way before this comic ever came out (and in a much more satisfying manner). Here, it comes off as repetitive without offering anything new to the table.

This isn't to say that the comic itself is bad. It still has cool moments and impressive visuals, and the fights between the heroes and the monsters of the Upside Down are a treat to behold:

The levels of detail put into these images is impressive, and it's neat seeing each member of the Party take up weapons to deliver damage to the Mind Flayer and his monsters.

On top of that, there were elements in the comic that (whether intentional or not) tie into the show and leave a lot to chew on.

For example, the whole fight against Baxter Stockman's forces and the Mind Flayer gives an idea of what we might see in Season 5. Whether it's the main characters dealing with Colonel Sullivan (who's still set on capturing El) or Vecna's impending invasion.

Even Baxter Stockman and his ambush of the heroes reminds me of Colonel Sullivan and the soldiers under his command from S4:

There's also Will's description of the Upside Down being worldwide and how the dimension isn't just limited to Hawkins (which is something S4 also confirmed):

There's also the Turtles speculating that El's powers are tied to the Upside Down, which is something I've discussed in my reviews (specifically Six and Suspicious Minds):

Additionally, the comic introduces the idea that there are other dimensions out there besides the Upside Down that can be traveled to.

While I doubt the Utroms (i.e. the alien brains) that the Mind Flayer possesses will be making an appearance in season 5 (or the TMNTs for that matter), the idea of multiple dimensions is something the Duffer Brothers could explore in the final season. It could also give more detail about what the Upside Down is, and whether the Mind Flayer really was just black particles with no conscious that Vecna formed into his avatar, or it was a multi-dimensional conqueror (as I've seen speculated by parts of this fandom) and it was simply dormant until Vecna woke it up and started collaborating with it:

But like I said, this is all speculation.

Overall, my feelings about this comic are mixed: On its own, it's a decent read and has plenty of cool moments and creative imagery. However, when you look closely at the story and how it's supposed to tie into the Stranger Things universe.........it starts falling apart. I think fans will enjoy this crossover for the sheer entertainment of it, but I seriously doubt this is going to be counted as canon.

[fyreflys]

I drew the turtles! I haven’t arted in a LONG ASS TIME, but I’m pleased with how this turned out!

Here’s the boys, with how I imagine them, with some info from my own headcannons/AU. Obviously took some inspo from 2018 rise, but tried to mix in some other versions of them all into one. Maybe someday I’ll draw my version of Splinter, April, & Casey. :)

Individual character sheets & timelapse below

- - - - - -

Here’s a Timelapse of my progress! The group shot took me…almost 17 hours…& here it is sped up to 2 1/2 minutes. 😅 warning, there is some flickering!

Here’s my info for each of the boys (let’s ignore the empty spots in the bottom right corners- really wasn’t sure what to put there)

[misteria247]

Now i kinda want mikey who's desperately trying to make himself believe that all those memories are true(he knows they're true but where is the evidence? Where is Karai? Lotus? Casey Marie? Where is Usagi? Where are they, if they ever existed?) So he just draws them(trying not to focus about the short and angrier version of his red brother, who was good at drawing) and then throws it away right after because he doesn't want his brothers to know, to remember. But forgets to do it one time and Leon and the others find it. How would they react? Who were these people? Why do they seem so familiar?

Actually-! My lovely Anon our favorite boy actually does keep documentations of this kind of thing!

It helps him when the memories become too much, when he finds himself questioning and he's overwhelmed by the familiar yet foriegn faces that plague his mind. So he draws them, he writes about them. Every little detail that he can recall, every single memory of the people he's met in one of his past lives he makes sure to document it. The evidence of these memories being true is just how well he can recall these memories and just how detailed his drawings and little notes are.

Drawings of Usagi Yojimbo that's so realistic that he's drawn his friend down to the small knicks and scars that are hard to find unless you were looking. Small paintings of Karai dressed in blacks and armor and reds, her dark eyes piercing and menacing or mischievous depending on the one he draws. Sketches of Lotus Blossom when she'd been training with them, her body almost coming to life on the paper. Writings and outlines of Casey Marie, drawn with a touch of parental love. So many drawings and notes. And Mikey he's careful with these things, always making sure that no one sees them. The box shell doesn't know how to explain everything, doesn't know how to explain the memories of their past lives.

But on the chance that one of his brothers finding this little "project" of his it'd go something like this-

When Leo, Raph and Donnie find the drawing of one of these people they're at first awed by how detailed they were. They knew that Mikey was talented in this area, knew that he was creative but these drawings they were different from their little brother's usual creations. These drawings had more time put into them, had more details added to them. There's this sense of care and desperation to them, as if Mikey had been determined to get everything correct in these art projects. Once the awe died down, they would then realize that these drawings they were familiar.

Donnie takes a look at the drawings of the strange robot (12 Metalhead) and of the large alligator in the lab coat (03 Leatherhead) and feels this sense of loss and sorrow. Almost as if he had lost someone who was important, and it spooks him quite a bit. Especially when he sees the drawing of a boy dressed in a turtle costume who was smiling brightly (12 Timothy).

Raph takes a look of the drawings of the beautiful salamanders, one with gorgeous brown locks and a cute pink scarf around her neck (87 Mona Lisa) and the other of a strong and otherworldly beauty dressed in strange clothes and the most beautiful teal blue hues that he'd ever seen (12 Mona Lisa). And it makes him yearn in a way that was so familiar yet so foriegn that it leaves him reeling for a moment from just how strong these emotions were.

Leo takes a look at the drawings of the rabbit dressed in samurai clothing, three different versions of this mysterious rabbit, (87 Usagi, 03 Usagi and 12 Usagi), and he feels a pang in his chest of loneliness. He sees the drawings of the assassin with the silky black hair and beautiful yet fierce face, (87 Lotus Blossom) and his heart twists a bit. Then he sees the drawings of the woman dressed in the dark clothing and armor with the haunting eyes, (03 Karai, 07 Karai, and 12 Karai) and he gets a mixed bag of fear as well as sorrow.

They see these drawings of all these people, of faces that are vastly different from one another in every way possible yet they were the same person. They see them and it's like something is trying to break through an invisible door in their minds. An uncomfortable prickling sensation of something being scarily familiar about these people yet they can't put their finger on it. After awhile they put the drawings away, not wanting to be caught by the box shell who would surely give them hell if he found them snooping in his things. The trio don't bring up the drawings and writings to Mikey, not sure how to approach the subject with the youngest Hamato without possibly upsetting him. So they keep quiet about their discovery, keeping a close eye on their baby brother to see if there was anything off about him. Catching glimpses of a hardened gaze during battle or exhaustion and sorrow and bitterness that lurks beneath the usual sweet smiles and chipper tone. The flashes of fear whenever one of the boys get hurt or nearly escape the clutches of death by the back of their shells. It's the little things that they didn't really notice before that suddenly become more clearer than it was before. An air to their little brother that he carries with him, an air of someone who's older than they actually are.

It was like they were looking at a stranger when those moments happened.

And it scared Raph, Donnie and Leo.

Let's just say that the trio is left deeply rattled by everything. They might not remember the memories, but their souls and hearts know that something's wrong with their little brother.

And there was nothing they could do to help him.