Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: 1987 version

Here's another classic yet a still cool cartoon that began it's popularity. I assume the title is called "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles" but before the 2003 version of it, there's the 80's version. I'll try to take notes on this one.

Before the height of popularity, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles or TMNT for short began as comic series in 1984. Originally created by Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird. The content of the comics were black and white strips. The four turtle characters wearing masks with different weapons each and act as cold-blooded reptiles with incredible martial art skills. Some characters and storyline were parodied and referenced from Marvel Comic's titles like Cerebus, Ronin, and Daredevil. Because there are no publishing companies to offer Eastman and Laird's work, both creators build their own studio known as Mirage Studios and published their first issue entitled Eastman and Laird's Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.

In the mainstream in the first issue, merchandising jumped into mainstream. In 1986, TMNT's merchandise began as action figures and expand to the market. Then in 1987, the first TMNT cartoon was born.

Clockwise: Raphael, Michelangelo, Leonardo and Donatello.

The first TMNT cartoon series began in 5-part miniseries and thus becoming a regular Saturday morning cartoon. The four mutated ninja turtles played as pizza-obsessed heroes with their different personality. They're also first appeared with their color-coded masks each plus their belts. The four turtles are guided with their mutated rat and martial arts sensei named Splinter. The turtles task is to save the city from enemies and alien invaders. Their toughest nemesis is named "The Shredder" or simply called Shredder.

The show doesn't contain darker tone from the original comics because the show aims to be suitable for children. The plot began when Splinter, before being a rat was a human named Hamato Yoshi. He was banished by Foot Clan in Japan lead of Oroku Saki and forced to live in sewers in New York City. Then one day, Yoshi found four turtles which they were accidentally drop by a young boy. Yoshi returned one day that the turtles were covered with green ooze known as mutagen and thus the turtles began to form into humanoids. While Hamato Yoshi, become a humanoid rat because of exposure to sewer rats and named himself Splinter. In some versions, Splinter raised the four turtles and treat them as his children. Splinter named the four turtles after his favorite Renaissance artists - Leonardo, Raphael, Michelangelo, and Donatello and taught them the art of ninjitsu. The four ninja turtles were born to protect the city against the invaders and meanwhile Oroku Saki left Japan to find Yoshi and become Shredder.

There are many characters from the comics appeared in the cartoons like the Foot Soldiers, April O' Neil and Casey Jones. There are also characters who were featured in cartoons only. While the story was heavily diverged from the original concept of comics. At first, the animated series wasn't considered canon in the Mirage Studios universe. Later on, because the cartoon showed it's wide-spread incarnation and helped increase the merchandise and phenomenal status it turned out into a pop-culture even today. Many people considered the cartoon as a canon and become the part of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles universe. Merchandises like soundtracks, cereals, skateboards, video games, Archie comics, magazines and pizza coupons are spawned successfully. Even a concert tour were held. There are catchphrases such as "Turtle power!" and "Cowabunga!" are used by many people especially fans.

What can I say about TMNT 1987 version? Well, aside from kid-friendly environment I pretty considered them as one of the greatest classic cartoons I watched aside from Transformers. When it comes to all TMNT cartoons and anime (yes, there were two anime versions of it) the 80's rocked the spot which means the first TMNT. With lots of casts and twisted storyline, I guess that TMNT helped explain their original counterparts and branched to the other TMNT successors. What might discourage me is that in later seasons around 1994, the environment became darker which kinda scary and removed numerous characters. Deep down, I don't mind about what doesn't seem right and besides 1987's Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles is really great and pretty nostalgic.

Currently, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles airs on Studio 23 every 8:00-8:30 AM Saturdays. Before that schedule, ABS-CBN aired that also together with the new season around mid-90's along with X-Men. In 2006 or 2007, the show moved to Studio 23 which aired every weekday nights before it moved to Saturday mornings. The opening theme here is catchy which seems that you'll almost sing the lyrics all day. Like any cartoons I've seen, I have no idea who composed or sang the TMNT opening song.

Monster Allergy

Are you a person who thinks getting hallucinations by seeing monsters around you? If you are, you and a young boy in that picture have in common. Monster Allergy proves to be another adventures by dealing other monsters. Monster Allergy is based on a comic book series created by Disney Italy (same does as W.I.T.C.H.) around year 2003. Then around 2006, it's series turned out to be animated series produced and directed by Iginio Straffiti under Rainbow S.p.A Productions, and ironically the creator of Winx Club.

The story of this series started when a young girl named Elena Potato moved to Old Mill Village together with her family. There, he met a young boy named Ezekiel Zick or"Zick" as his nickname who later showed that he possessed powers by controlling monsters. Unfortunately, Zick suffers from all sorts of allergies which it also helps seeing the monsters around. Together as best friends, they embark different sorts of adventures which deals the secret of the world of monsters, which they usually overcome them. They are aided by a cat named Timothy-Moth, Zick's cat,"tutor" and the guardian of imprisoned monsters who has unusual powers and ability to speak human language.

I swear I really miss this series despite that I never complete it's collection. The comic book series was released in September 2004 here in the Philippines by the Summit Media. It's issues contain great storyline and art created by some artists and writers from W.I.T.C.H. . What cool about it's comic series is that they have a guide about the world of monsters known as "Monster Tamer's Manual" and "Monster Keeper's Manual" which included every issue. Unfortunately, they stop publishing at #14. I didn't complete or buy it's past issues but instead, I donate my incomplete collection for my English project when I was in high school around early 2006. Few months later after that, while checking some random stuff in the internet I decided to search Monster Allergy until I found out that there was animated series about it. It really surprises me that they produced it for TV's. It bummed me later on that I won't be able to watch that animated because it only air in cable's only. Around 2007, Disney Channel Asia announced that Monster Allergy will premiere in the Philippines. Although I got nostalgic about the comic series, it's fine for me never to watch that because I've seen few episodes on Monster Allergy in Youtube but they got rid of it later on.

I was saying about the animated series not only the storyline much follows it comic series, it also emphasizes the look and design of the characters much like in their comic counterparts. You picture different monsters in the way through the Detention Oasis, Bibur-si through the world of evil monsters. Speaking of monsters, there are good and bad monsters that are invisible. Good monsters in the series like the bumbling Bombos, energetic Snyakutz and other monsters I couldn't remember. Bad or evil monsters like the Black Phantoms and Magnacats are the examples. There's a lot of mystery inside the world of Monster Allergy, including Zick's heritage and his own destiny to become a "Tamer". In the comics and animated series, "Tamers" are actually humans gifted with special powers to control and trap monsters with the use of canisters known as "Taming Box" and their Dom powers (gestures). Tamers aren't much consider as monsters however. Zick together with Elena expected more of their adventures to investigate the relation between monsters and humans. I don't know how many episodes that Monster Allergy produce but they got an opening theme in a different language. Even this series got their official site but it seems to be still under construction for one and a half years. Merchandises of it's series would be hit too like getting their official Monster Allergy TCG. Aside from their official site and stuff, fans made a dedication to it's comic and animated series called "The Unofficial Monster Allergy Forum". With it's good series, Monster Allergy really shows it's really, let's say "fantastically addicting" to watch. Getting ready to deal with monsters now....

Luckily, some staff from Monster Allergy show their original artworks and few strips on DeviantArt as a part of Italian artists project. You can view samples here, here, and here.