Back in My Day

I think some of the cartoons I "grew up with" were probably already old when I was a little kid. I honestly don't remember what the plot was for many of them outside of "stop (insert evil villain name here) from (insert diabolical scheme here). Yet I still feel like they were so much better than what we have today.

There were many good ones and I'm not dedicated enough to pay tribute to all of them right here and now, but the ones I remember watching the most are He-man, Smurfs, and of course Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.

I actually feel this incredibly deep bond with Leonardo, Donatello, Michelangelo, and Rafael. Whenever I find someone else who grew up watching them, I feel like we're connected somehow. Whenever I hear somebody talk about TMNT I want to stand up and announce in a loud voice, "I KNOW THEM . . . I DO, I KNOW THEM!"

One thing that made the heroes in a half shell so great (beside their ninja skills, love for pizza, and witty remarks they'd pull out in the middle of a crisis while fighting for their lives) were their enemies.

Master Shredder, um, hellooooo?!? If I ever ran into a ninja who wore a cape to go along with his metal face mask and helmet that had sharp shards of metal jabbing out of it I'd probably wet myself. And yet some how Shred Head isn't terrifying, probably because his goons (a giant rhino and a giant warthog) comically screw up every plan he has to start ruling the world.
And Shredder is just the start, who can forget about Krang? How solid is it that the arch nemesis for a bunch of mutant turtles is an over sized pink brain that wheels himself around on a tripod. Well obviously not good enough, because Krang eventually gets his body. Yes, a giant man with a tiny head who is wearing nothing more than boots and some red underwear. Oh and the brain fits in the stomach where he controls all the body's movements, naturally.

Krang, Krang, Krang, Krang, Krang. I miss your evil antics so much. For some time now, I've secretly wanted to go back and have marathons watching hours of my old cartoons. Unfortunately, I'm grown up now and don't really have the time. My only way back in is to start having kids that I can watch them with. Now I understand why people get married. Speaking of marriage, that April O'Neal sure is something else. I don't know of anyone else who can pull of a yellow jumpsuit so well. mhmm!