neverheroes

[neverheroes]

[neverheroes]

A like reminded me this was a thing and now I’m re-obsessed.

Imagine if Yoshi (Splinter) adopting Leonardo was the reason Saki (Shredder) assassinated them (IDW origin the guys are reincarnations of brothers who Saki murdered).

Not only would we have got this whole explanation for Leonardo’s innate arrogance (having Saki for a dad - Apple, tree) but also the insufferable self-sacrificing and perfectionism because he’d blame himself forever that his actually loving family were killed just for caring about him and be driven to pay that debt eternally.

It would also open the door for so much actually valid contention, it wouldn’t just be Raph griping about Leo always being in charge it would be Leo I always in charge and he’s not even really one of us. I’m sure he’d take it back in a second but JEEEZ LOIISEEE Gimmie the dramaaaaah

DUDE I just found out that an alternate story in the IDW City Fall story they were actually considering was making Leonardo not blood brothers with the others but Saki’s son that Yoshi adopted because Saki was such a shitty father and I want it. I want that. I wanna read that. I want that to be canon on a timeline. Literally as juicy as Saki stealing Yoshi’s daughter and raising her to be Karai I just am hnnnng the dramaaah give itttt.

[neverheroes]

Episode 3 of sneaking turtles into my Instagram story until someone notices

Someone noticed but called them tortoises so I don’t know if that counts. Guess I’ll just have to keep sneaking them in 👀

[neverheroes]

Episode 3 of sneaking turtles into my Instagram story until someone notices

[neverheroes]

Episode 2 of sneaking turtle tots into my socials.

It’s going to be really hot tomorrow in Sydney 40°C (104 f) so I put a story on my Insta to remind people to put water out for wildlife, keep their pets indoors, wear sunscreen, drink water, wear breathable cotton or linen or rayon clothing, and not ignore dizziness or signs of heatstroke in themselves or others. Also, this quick drawing.

[neverheroes]

Couldn't resist after the last episode 🐎

[neverheroes]

Okay I’m trying animation for the first time and this is so hard and terrifying and all I have is the drawing version of procreate with “animation assist” and uh oh.

My friend sent me a sound that made me snort laughing and all I could think about was… the thing I’ll be showing you if it’s ever done. Oh please oh please let me finish something.

Huuuuu I’m going to post this train wreck and you’re all gonna be

Update. It has taken me ten hours battling with my stupid ADHD but I have *checks sound* three seconds of stuff that kind of moves on a screen.

[neverheroes]

I’m crying laugh laugh crying. It’s so bad. It’s SO BAD.

So, completely unmentioned above in the advertisement there was an RPG tabletop game called Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles & Other Strangeness published before it was ever a television show for children that you could use these figures in. It was like a D&D game and used the Palladium system. Allegedly the character building was fun, you rolled and it would gather the qualities for your character but, yep, trigger warning homophobia.

“The original edition … was published with a section detailing a comprehensive list of mental illnesses ostensibly drawn from [an already outdated] DSM. Players could either select a form of insanity as an optional step in character creation or randomly assign one during the course of gameplay as a result of their characters undergoing some kind of trauma … This section also featured an extensive list of sexual deviations which included pedophilia and homosexuality [a trauma could make your character turn gay], despite the latter having been officially declassified as a mental illness [in 1976]. After parents of younger players objected to the list [which was also in other Palladium rulebooks] … Subsequent printings removed the list of mental illnesses entirely.”

Considering that it was an already established system kind of slapped on to the game and there were others using it, I’m going to go ahead and call that Kevin & Peter didn’t create those rules, but wows, they had to have signed off on it and I extend them the grace of it being the understood science of the time but also, and I mean this: 😭

Am I surprised a mid-1980’s game was homophobic and ableist? No. I grew up with the kids around me screaming the f slur for fun and calling anything or anyone they didn’t like “gay”, but has this random fact still got me like…

Yes.

Anyway you heard it here first Leo has the most trauma and is therefore the most gay. (See: If I don’t make a joke about this I’m gonna cry)

Nertles, I have a problem. It’s not even that I want this. It’s that I want to buy this and open it. It’s a really cool piece of ninja turtle history.

This is a first packaging, so first run, of the very first ninja turtles figures ever produced. The TV show didn’t exist yet! They’re little lead figures from Dark Horse who made miniatures for dungeons and dragons in the 1980s. They were then released in more formal branded packaging, and then in a release with Leonardo in a different pose.

Second issue ↓

↑ The set with both Leonardo poses.

You purchased them out of a comic book.

I just think they’re so neat.

[neverheroes]

Nertles, I have a problem. It’s not even that I want this. It’s that I want to buy this and open it. It’s a really cool piece of ninja turtle history.

This is a first packaging, so first run, of the very first ninja turtles figures ever produced. The TV show didn’t exist yet! They’re little lead figures from Dark Horse who made miniatures for dungeons and dragons in the 1980s. They were then released in more formal branded packaging, and then in a release with Leonardo in a different pose.

Second issue ↓

↑ The set with both Leonardo poses.

You purchased them out of a comic book.

I just think they’re so neat.

[neverheroes]

My wish list of statue things I would buy if I woke up with like a hundred times as much money in the bank.

This PCS 1/3 Leo …actually the set is so good, I’ll take all thank you Kateyki

This glowing PCS diorama of the lil baybies is coming out in June 2025 and I’m actually like damn damn do I just spend the $700 damn oh no I might.

This insanely miserable utterly gorgeous thing

This greatest duo of all time

[neverheroes]

Vent vent vent vent vent post, being so unserious and annoyed for a pinch. Every time just Leo comes up as the subject of a damn Instagram post there are people screaming at each-other over whether Rise Leo is the worst or best version and I can fix it for all of them, neither, both, it doesn’t fucking matter. You’re welcome, people, here, here’s this

(∩｀-´)⊃━☆ﾟ.*･｡ﾟ Let People Enjoy Things. Let People Dislike Things.

Literally he’s just a different take and depending on if he was your first Leonardo or not he’s going to hit really differently. He’s everyone’s first Leon. The amount Rise Leo talks alone is wildly off-brand (Leo has like 6 lines in the entire secret of the ooze movie) and the frolicking was certainly a choice. A good one that I loved. Haaa had you there for a sec. Writers are always a bit ‘wtf do we do with Leo’ and Laird (co-creator of TMNT) has said before that Leonardo speaks formally so we know Rise Leo is on that shit list. But I don’t think the point of Rise was a reiteration, but a reimagining.

Leo, by design, is the responsible kid who despite age always falls into the brother-dad role and ends up in charge of wrangling his brothers (and it being all his fault when they fail). Subsequently he gets a lot of gloomy emo plot lines, a bunch of trauma, and when he does have fun ends up punished for it somehow (the 24 comic line is slapping this guy too- a Leo who loses mercy is actually terrifying. I love the brutality but am also begging them to just let him be happy at some point)

Rise Leo had that older brother role taken which I found refreshing, and then noticed he’d had a core quality stripped and that was really hard to adapt to. He was taken from skilled ninja due to extreme dedication to his craft and let’s face it, obsession with martial arts *cough special interest cough* to being a guy who ditches practice and was just good at fighting anyway; shiny gifted kid aura and full Mary Sue. Rise Leo had his strategic nature was so well written in but he also had no right being any good in a fight, and I have a theory that’s pretty much what pissed off all the people you see so annoyed about Rise Leo and angry about it (that aren’t just raging homophobes who can’t deal with a little queer coding) Leo bi icon real. Immediately, sorry, I have to share this thought, 03 looking 12 straight in the eyes and locking in just to really deliberately say “Gross.” over the Karai thing. 12 staring back “Rabbit.” “That’s not even canon. …D” “Don’t you dare ask me if I think he likes you.” And rise Leo piping in like “Ew 12 is allergic to being interesting, ask anyway, so who’s this guy and be honest does he like 3 furthermore is he also absolutely jacked because that is a lot of turtle, like a lot a lot of one you know what I mean, What are you Saying 12 get out of here, that is so inappropriate.” 12 just staring at him horrified. LMAO hello I’m insufferable, Moving on.

It was nice to have him not parentified straight out of the gate, and I really liked the spin on his personality (that again was a writer choice because Leo is allegedly both really difficult and not much fun to write) but as someone who came into the 87’s as my sentience was forming, Rise really is like a ‘What If’ version of the turtles that had always been varying degrees of the same people for such a long time.

I completely get the obsessive group of Rise fans. If that was my first turtles I’d be just as in love with it (although I hope not the same breed as those Insta comment kids wtf is that behaviour) but I also get why people hate on it. To a lot of fans it’s like Rise are caricatures or a fan fiction. But the thing is- that’s so fine!? Why the fuck not. It’s good, well written, immensely entertaining and so well animated (Rise is the single best animated television version of TMNT, objectively). Basically the whole of the last IDW comic run read like a big fan fiction too and it was awesome…

So yeah, Wise man say just let people enjoy things and also if someone says they don’t like a thing you do, you can be like ‘that’s fine’ and totally leave them alone. You can just like stuff without everyone else also liking it, abandon the binary 👍

Rant rant rant vent rant vent

[neverheroes]

DUDE I just found out that an alternate story in the IDW City Fall story they were actually considering was making Leonardo not blood brothers with the others but Saki’s son that Yoshi adopted because Saki was such a shitty father and I want it. I want that. I wanna read that. I want that to be canon on a timeline. Literally as juicy as Saki stealing Yoshi’s daughter and raising her to be Karai I just am hnnnng the dramaaah give itttt.

[neverheroes]

This is such a one-off weirdo fan post but I don’t even know anything about Naruto and am telling you this TMNT crossover is INCREDIBLE. Even if you don’t rate the story this is some of the most dynamic and inspiring TMNT comic art on covers and in pages ever!

Just give them all of the awards. All of them, all these peoples, award showers. Look at this ATMOSPHERE. Inks, awards. Colourists, straight to awards. Character designs, that’s awards.

I want every cover of every issue.

[neverheroes]

Here’s my stupid autism cupboard

I just outfit my broadly named “ninja turtle cupboard” (that it would be far more accurate to call “Leonardo shelves”). I bought the book shelves 2 months ago and had most of this just sitting out in the open. Last month I added the programmable LED strip and tonight I finished it off with a pleather barrier along the front of the shelves so they don’t leave dots in my vision if I look in their direction at the wrong angle (It made them go from having big light aura to this).

The old school figure is just from the first re-issue, the oldest thing in there is the cheapskate. I’m definitely cracking that Donnie-Spock open if I ever get my hands on an original SpockDon so they can play science officers together. I was hoping to share this with the Batman twin pack I got myself but the delivery company had marked it as delivered despite no evidence of it ever arriving at my house while I was home 😀 cool. MOTU Leo is just there by himself what a loser (oh my gosh I want more MOTU figs they’re so cool).

Update! IT ARRIVED hello ma baybee hello ma haneee hello ma Batman Leo

… update… I got the baby turtles. NO REGRETS.

[neverheroes]

Okay nertles, I need Bayverse help on my little investigation and appreciation journey. Today I’m looking into the kanji on the turtle designs, please help me fill in the blanks and correct me!

Leonardo’s shell has a painted 子 for son, and also “ne” sign of the rat in the zodiac (which isn’t just interesting in the Splinter way, but in the way that the ninja turtles were first conceived of in 1983 but published in May of 1984, making the franchise’s “birth year” the year of the Rat). His bandanna tails either say 忍 子 patience and son or just son 息子

Raphael’s scarification on his right arm, bandanna, and shell are all the same, “憤”indignant/hate, but beneath it on his shell is “怒” which means to get angry (like ok, we get it), and his bandanna appears to say “beast” 獣.

Donatello’s bandanna tails have bright 明 on them.

And Michelangelo has this, and I can’t find anyone talking about this at all but it looks like poorly written kanji for naka, go-between/relationship “仲”, which would make so much sense with his being the heart of the group and most socially outgoing.

I’m so sure there’s more, pretty sure Mike and Don both also have shell paint but I can’t find good screens. Will update this as people add if they do.

[neverheroes]

‘You were my new dream’ or however the fuck that scene went

[neverheroes]

Okay nertles, I need Bayverse help on my little investigation and appreciation journey. Today I’m looking into the kanji on the turtle designs, please help me fill in the blanks and correct me!

Leonardo’s shell has a painted 子 for son, and also “ne” sign of the rat in the zodiac (which isn’t just interesting in the Splinter way, but in the way that the ninja turtles were first conceived of in 1983 but published in May of 1984, making the franchise’s “birth year” the year of the Rat). His bandanna tails either say 忍 子 patience and son or just son 息子

Raphael’s scarification on his right arm, bandanna, and shell are all the same, “憤”indignant/hate, but beneath it on his shell is “怒” which means to get angry (like ok, we get it), and his bandanna appears to say “beast” 獣.

Donatello’s bandanna tails have bright 明 on them.

And Michelangelo has this, and I can’t find anyone talking about this at all but it looks like poorly written kanji for naka, go-between/relationship “仲”, which would make so much sense with his being the heart of the group and most socially outgoing.

I’m so sure there’s more, pretty sure Mike and Don both also have shell paint but I can’t find good screens. Will update this as people add if they do.

→ @snackugaki-jestsjapesjokes expanded on a lot! Many of these are like half-written sentiments and very weeb which they say tracks for being taught everything they know out of some random how to be a ninja for dummies book. Cool read, hit up the quotes.