Throw on your Santa Hat and Ninja Bandana and head to the sewers as we take you back to the 90's! Without further ado, here is the 20 Years Before 2000 THROWBACK JAM OF THE WEEK!
Artist: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Song: The Wrap Rap Album: We Wish You A Turtle Christmas (1994) Peak Billboard Hot 100 Position: N/A Bonus Fun Fact: This song is from the direct to video 25 minute special "We Wish You A Turtle Christmas" which was released in 1994 by FHE!
This year Christmas is returning to a little bit of normalcy after last year's restrictions. Either way, nothing has stood in the way of my family taking part in some of our favorite Christmas traditions like watching Christmas Specials, decorating the tree and just enjoying the season together. Below may seem like another random dump of photos, but it is a peek into what the season is like in my household. I hope you and yours have an amazing holiday season. No matter how you celebrate or what you celebrate, appreciate those around you and just remember the good times. Feel free to let me know about your family's favorite traditions in the comment section below and have a MERRY CHRISTMAS!!
The kids and I watched "We Wish You A Turtle Christmas" this year. It was a first time viewing for my family and my kids really enjoyed the crude absurdity of the special. They are still singing about "4 Manhole Covers"!
Speaking of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, IDW did not disappoint with this years festive covers. These are always a welcome treat and addition to my ever growing TMNT comic collection.
Lastly, just wanted to share this Turtly Magnificent Christmas light set up that the wife and I took the kids to see this year. AMAZING! I hope your holiday is full of cheer and good times. From all of us at 20 Years Before 2000...MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!
Finally watched "We Wish You A Turtle Christmas" with the kids for the first time. It was so bad that they loved it! I have heard "Gotta Get A Gift For Splinter" over and over since then!!
I have a fairly big collection of loose figures from the 80s & 90s. The collection keeps expanding so right now, I would like to share a few of my faves with you at this time. Here we go!
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Hot Spot (Playmates, 1993) I bought this figure off the shelf in the early 90's and honestly had no interest in opening him up. You see, I was on the verge of my teens, so I didn't really play with toys anymore, but I still loved and collected TMNT stuff. He sat sealed in his packaging for a few years before my younger brother convinced me to open him up so he could play with him. I played the part of awesome older brother and opened Hot Spot. Years later I would find out that he is one of the rarest TMNT figures around. DANG! At least my brother and I had fun playing with him and he is still in my collection.
Here are some of the comics from my collection that I recently recovered from my Mom's house! Would be cool if I could grab all 15 long boxes, but I'm pretty sure they wouldn't allow that on the plane!
The comic book I am most excited to read this week is... TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES #122 (W) Sophie Campbell (A/CA) Jodie Nishijima The fallout from the confrontation between the Mutanimals and the TMNT continues with many questioning what direction Mutant Town is headed for. While the Turtles discuss their new path forward, Hob begins to set his sights on a new target: Baxter Stockman! SRP: $3.99 Synopsis Provided By: PreviewsWorld.com
I still love celebrating my birthday, but after all these years a little bit of the excitement has gone. Lucky for me, I have an amazing wife and kids that make sure each year's celebration is fantastic.
Here we have a pair of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle books I have been wanting for a while. The Official TMNT Treasury has been on my want list since it was first printed in 1991. It's a visual guide to a lot of the early TMNT merchandise. It's so cool to see everything from old toys to games to bath products that feature the Ninja Turtles. The TMNT Pizza Cookbook looks like a lot of fun to try at the next make your own pizza night! Oh, and we also had a Shaq-A-Roni pizza for dinner from Papa John's!
Recently while scrolling through my Twitter feed, I came across an old toy ad similar to the one above. The post asked "Which Toy Would You Want From This Ad?" and my immediate reaction was the Sewer Lair! We all know how AWESOME the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Sewer Playset was when it was released in 1989 by Playmates toys. It was on the wishlist of every turtle fan that year and for many years beyond that. I mean, who could resist this beautifully crafted playset that featured a High-Voltage Battle Swing, Real Working Elevator, Fire Hydrant Sewerscope and Realistic Sewer Pipe Passageways? I know it was on my list and my Mom knew this and that's where our story begins.
In 1989 I was about 8 years old and I don't like to admit it, but I had a thumb sucking problem! My Mom tried everything to get me to stop, but I kept on going. I would snuggle up with the Smurfs blanket my Mom made me and suck my thumb quite often. It was a real comfort thing for me and no matter what my Mom tried, I would not stop.
After exhausting all other possibilities, my Mom made a deal with me. If I could go one month without sucking my thumb, she would buy me the TMNT Sewer Lair! I was excited and totally determined to do this. I wanted that Sewer Lair so bad! Myself and my brother were and still are, huge Turtle fans and had all the figures and some of the vehicles, but we never in our wildest dreams thought we would have the opportunity to add this grail item to our collection!
For a while I was doing pretty godd, but then the draw of the thumb crept in and I would sneak around the house and find some hiding spots where my Mom wouldn't see me and suck my thumb. I thought I was brilliant and would never get caught. I vividly remember being 1 day away from the end of the month and my Mom caught me hiding behind the couch with my thumb in my mouth! I lost the deal and never received the playset of my dreams! I was so angry about this that it actually encouraged me to stop sucking my thumb. I no longer partake in that past time and I also have never owned a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Sewer Lair Playset. I see that they go for around $250 out of box on ebay. Maybe someday I'll be able to drop the cash and get one, but for now it remains "the one that got away"! Remember folks, no matter how sneaky or secretive you think you may be...momma always knows!
Back in 1988 I was 7 years old and had my first experience with what would become one of my all-time favorite cartoons, toys & comics...the TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES! That's right, my first exposure to the TMNT was via the Playmates Toys action figures. Myself and my older brother were drug along on another boring shopping trip to Kmart with my Mom. It seemed like those trips with her to the local stores like Ames and Shelby's in Newton, NJ took forever, but at least when we went out there was always the possibility that we would get a new toy based on behaviors. If we were good, didn't fight and kept from complaining, the chances of getting a toy were doubled. Also, Kmart was our favorite because it meant that there was also the chance we could grab lunch at the Kmart Cafe! Remember them? I loved their bacon cheeseburgers and hot dogs!!! Anyway, on this one trip to Kmart, my brother and I bolted to the toy section as usual, but this time there was something news on the pegs that really caught our eye and piqued our imagination. They were green, they were ninjas and they had AWESOME weapons! I grabbed a Donatello and my brother picked Raphael and we ran to my Mom. We hoped she would let us get these toys and after some persuading, she did!
A few trips later, Kmart had all of their Ninja Turtles toys on sale and my Mom in a moment of weakness bought us almost the entire first wave of figures. This time I got Leonardo, Rocksteady & a Foot Soldier and my brother was able to add Michelangelo, Shredder, Splinter and Bebop! He got one extra figure, I guess he was the favorite son. Below is a photo of those very Ninja Turtle toys! I still have them today and they hold a special place in my heart & collection almost 33 years later!
Now our collection was growing and we would bring our action figures over to our friends house and have epic battles of good versus evil in the backyard. A short time later we were introduced to the cartoon at a friends house and I was hooked for life!
These figures and characters were a huge part of my childhood and I was super excited to see that Playmates was returning these original figures to Walmart shelves this year. Yes, Playmates has re-released these figures multiple times, but for some reason they never did with the original backer card art. Luckily for me, I was able to fairly easily acquire a full set of the four Turtles and a Party Wagon after only about 5 or 6 visits. I know to some people it may seem silly, but having these figures in my hands again really brings me a lot of joy. The same joy I had as a 7 year old who held this wild looking, purple clad Ninja Turtle in his hands all those years ago. Here are some shots of those Turtles.
Thanks for taking this journey back in time with me. I hope you enjoyed it and it brought back some great memories from your childhood. TURTLE POWER!
Oh man! Can't believe I found one! Box is pretty banged up, but I had to pick it up. Never know when I'll see another on the shelves! Also got a Raph!!! Just need a Donatello!!!
