ninja turtles music tour

When the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Went On a Live Concert Tour

By jake rossen | sep 28, 2023.

Radio City Music Hall in New York City has played host to some legendary performing acts over the years, from the iconic Rockettes to Mariah Carey to Pink Floyd. But Radio City’s audience was completely enraptured on September 26, 1990, when four animatronic turtles stepped on stage to awkwardly pluck at instruments and lip-sync to tracks like “Pizza Power.”

The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles were starting the first leg of the “Coming Out of Their Shells” tour, and soon the world would experience a concert spectacle that was the Taylor Swift phenomenon of its time: watching a man in a Turtle costume trying to play a saxophone.

Shell and Back

The Turtles were the product of comic book creators Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird, who in 1983 decided to parody the overwrought and afflicted heroes of the genre by conceiving of four anthropomorphic turtles named after Renaissance artists: Donatello, Raphael, Leonardo, and Michelangelo. They loved pizza. They grew large after being exposed to radioactive ooze and became accomplished martial artists thanks to lessons from master Splinter (a mutated rat who was also exposed to the ooze). And once their animated series, action figures, and live-action 1990 feature film hit, they became a pop culture phenomenon. What adults found virtually indecipherable—wisecracking ninja turtles—kids found irresistible.

The Turtles were also spawned at a time in the zeitgeist when live stage shows aimed at children were doing big business. Ice Capades , Sesame Street Live , and more toured the country on the premise that kids could get a glimpse of their favorite characters in the flesh—or at least in a rubber costume sported by performers.

The trend did not go unnoticed by Bob Bejan and Godfrey Nelson, a songwriting duo who believed the Turtles had potential as a stage attraction. The two wrote some songs, developed a premise, and then cold-called Eastman and Laird to pitch them on the idea a full two months before the first TMNT feature film debuted. “Bob and I drove up there and told them the concept we had and played them the songs and they said, ‘Wow, this is great. Let’s do it,’” Nelson told GameSpot in 2020.

With partner Steven Leber, a former manager for Aerosmith, the production secured a sponsorship deal with Pizza Hut worth a staggering $29 million—$9 million for production, and $20 million in marketing, or about $68 million total today. In exchange, Pizza Hut would get 3 million copies of the show’s album to peddle in its restaurants. (If there was any awkwardness as a result of rival Domino’s Pizza being plugged in the movie, it went unmentioned.)

A full track list was completed, with Bejan doing the voice for Michelangelo and Nelson as the Turtles’ mentor, Splinter. But the key would be the stage show. And to mount that effectively, the pair believed, they would have to take the same approach that Jim Henson took with his Muppets . They would have to treat the Turtles as being totally real.

Entertainment Weekly profiled the touring Turtles in the fall of 1990, and the outlet was given strict instructions by the quartet’s publicist. “They are not actors dressed in costumes,” she cautioned. “They are the Ninja Turtles, and they’ve learned to play rock ‘n roll.” When the writer was dispatched to interview “Michelangelo,” the turtle would be spoken to as though he were a serious musician.

“So when you talk to Michelangelo, talk to him as Michelangelo,” the spokesperson continued. “Say, ‘Hey, dude, how’d you come up with the sets and costumes?”

Often, Raphael was the designated Turtle for print interviews. “Cowabunga, babe,” he said to one journalist via telephone. “What’s happening?” He went on to insist the show’s music was performed live, unless the Turtles were dancing. He also defended their questionable aptitude with instruments.

“We’ve only got three fingers,” he said.

Turtle Power

This suspension of disbelief was intended to survive through a 40-city (sometimes referred to as a “40-sewer”) tour, though fans would be challenged by it. For one thing, the foursome would appear without their trademark shells—the heavy costume had prompted two performers to faint during rehearsals, necessitating its removal. And while the pre-recorded tracks played , the Turtles’ mouths would sometimes be out of sync, or not move at all. Ditto their instruments, which were unworkable props.

The show’s plot was somewhat pedestrian. The Turtles want to rock; their archnemesis, Shredder, wants to destroy music, a sentiment he somewhat contradictorily expresses by rapping. There’s some mild violence—the Turtles were known for using their martial arts to fight the Shredder and the Foot Clan, after all—but both sides mostly express their opinions via melody.

The conflict was a formidable thing to mount live. It took seven trucks’ worth of equipment and up to 14 hours to set up at each stop.

As with many shows aimed at kids, producers encouraged the audience to participate. “Right from the minute kids walk in, they’re involved with the show,” Bejan told The Tampa Bay Times in 1990. “It just builds from there until the end when the audience leads the comeback attack against Shredder, who has taken over the stage.”

While all this seemed intolerable from the point of view of an adult, reviews were generou s. The Chicago Tribune called the show “absurdly amusing” and the Turtles “the world’s first reptilian air band.” The Tampa Bay Times declared it a “treat for anyone with an open mind for clean entertainment.” The Miami Herald declared it “bodacious.” Others applauded the Turtles for an anti-drug song, “Walk Straight.”

The “Coming Out of Their Shells” tour got as much mileage as one would think possible. A VHS making-of tape was released; a pay-per-view was offered for those unable to make a live tour date. The show went to Europe and even had a second lap, the “Getting Down in Your Town” tour. At each stop, frenetic children could stock up on Turtles merchandise. By October 1990, 2 million Pizza Hut albums had been sold .

Turtle mania has waxed and waned over time. Periodic feature film and animation revivals keep the brand alive. But no one has attempted a new live Turtles show, and the production went largely forgotten until 2020, when toy company NECA released the ultimate tribute: a series of figures modeled after the Turtles as they appeared on the tour, sparkly denim vests and all.

Coming Out of Their Shells

• View history

Coming Out Of Their Shells was a studio album, and subsequent live musical tour that occurred from 1990 to 1991 (in 1992 , it toured overseas). The tour was endorsed and sponsored by Pizza Hut . The very first showing of the tour was broadcast live on Pay-Per-View. A VHS recording of the broadcast was made released, as well as a "Making Of" direct to home video. The tour is generally lambasted for its terrible costumes and wafer-thin plot. The band featured Donatello on keys, Leonardo on bass guitar, Michelangelo on guitar/lead vocals & Raphael on drums/percussion/tenor saxophone/vocals. Guest vocalists include Master Splinter , April O'Neil , and The Shredder . A spin-off from this concert lead to a smaller concert set called " Gettin' Down in Your Town ".

• 2.1 Album credits
• 2.2 Tracklisting
• 2.4 Tracks not included on album
• 2.5 Tracks not included on VHS
• 3 Slated appearances
• 4 Appearances
• 7 Home releases
• 11.1.1 Costume/special effect errors
• 11.1.2 Production errors
• 11.1.3 Logic errors
• 13 References

Summary [ ]

Promotional shot from 1990

The Ninja Turtles have decided to travel around the world to meet their fans face to face. Singing songs they wrote such as "Coming Out of Our Shells" , "Pizza Power" , "Skipping Stones" , "Walk Straight" , and "Tubin'" . Though while the Turtles are enjoying their time singing and dancing for the fans, Shredder decides to make an attempt to stop the Turtles from making people happy. Shredder, with the help of Baxter Stockman comes forth with his De-Harmonic Convergence Converter. Using this device they will steal all the music in the world; it also weakens the Turtles if they stand in front of it. Once Shredder arrives on stage with the De-Harmonic Controller the Turtles have to retreat and come up with a plan to save the day.

Album cover

The album was recorded in a studio with the singers listed as "Vocal Coaching" their various characters on the album. It was released on MCA Records on cassette tape in 1990, during that year it went "Triple Platinum", {3 million albums sold}. [1] The songs were credited as being written by: "Michaelangelo, Raphael, Bob Bejan, and Godfrey Nelson, with the exception of 'Count On Us', which was written by the above and Keith Forsey."

Album credits [ ]

• Bass – Barry Johnson, Donald Triggs, Jimmy Johnson [2]
• Executive-Producer – Bob Bejan, Steven E. Leben [2]
• Guitar – Spaceman, Godfrey Nelson, Michael Thompson, Paul Pimsler [2]
• Keyboards – Donald Blackmon, Phil Shenale, Lorraine Wolf [2]
• Percussion – Basheri Johnson, Michael Finlayson [2]
• Programmed By, Effects – Phil Shenale [2]
• Saxophone – Roger Byan [2]
• Vocal Coaching [April O' Neil] – Dana Calitri [2]
• Vocal Coaching [Donatello] – Frank Simms [2]
• Vocal Coaching [Leonardo] – Lawrence Forsey [2]
• Vocal Coaching [Michaelangelo] – Bob Bejan [2]
• Vocal Coaching [Raphael] – Scott Maynard [2]
• Vocal Coaching [Splinter] – Godfrey Nelson [2]

Tracklisting [ ]

The tracklist of the studio album is as follows:

• " Coming Out of Our Shells! " performed by Raphael
• " Sing About It " performed by Raphael
• " Tubin' ' " performed by Michelangelo
• " Skipping Stones " performed by Master Splinter
• " Pizza Power " performed by all four turtles
• " Walk Straight " performed by Raphael
• " No Treaties " performed by Raphael
• " Cowabunga " performed by Michelangelo
• " April's Ballad " performed by April O'Neil
• " Count On Us " performed by all four turtles

A single was released, its extremely hard to find however. Some dine-in Pizza Huts that have jukeboxes had the single to promote the soundtrack and tour.

• " Coming Out Of Our Shells! (Rock Version) " performed by Raphael
• " Count On Us (Dance Mix) "performed by all four turtles

Tracks not included on album [ ]

Also used in the tour but not included on the soundtrack.

• " I Hate Music " performed by The Shredder
• " Follow Your Heart " performed by Michelangelo

Tracks not included on VHS [ ]

These tracks appear on the album but not on the VHS, but later added to the "Getting Down in Your Town" concerts.

Slated appearances [ ]

According to the scroll at the end of the Pay-per-view, the band played at these locations on the following dates*:

September 26, 1990- October 7, 1990: Radio City Music Hall, New York City, New York

October 10, 1990- October 14, 1990: Bradley Center, Milwaukee, Wisconsin

October 17, 1990- October 21, 1990: Masonic Auditorium, Detroit, Michigan

October 23, 1990- October 28, 1990: Airie Crown Theatre, Chicago, Illinois

October 31, 1990- November 4, 1990: Kiel Auditorium, St. Louis, Missouri

November 6, 1990- November 8, 1990: Grand Old Opry, Nashville, Tennessee

November 10, 1990- November 11, 1990: Kansas Coliseum, Wichita, Kansas

November 14, 1990- November 18, 1990: Denver Coliseum, Denver, Colorado

November 22, 1990- November 25, 1990: Universal Amphitheater, Universal City, California

November 28, 1990- December 2, 1990: San Diego Sports Arena, San Diego, California

December 5, 1990- December 9, 1990: The Desert Sky Pavilion, Phoenix, Arizona

December 13, 1990- December 16, 1990: Suncoast Dome, St. Petersburg, Florida

December 19, 1990- December 23, 1990: Miami Night Center, Miami, Florida

December 27, 1990- December 31, 1990: Philadelphia Civic Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

January 2, 1991- January 6, 1991: Patriot Center, Fairfax, Virginia

January 9, 1991- January 13, 1991: Baltimore Arena, Baltimore, Maryland

January 15, 1991- January 20, 1991: Wang Center, Boston, Massachusetts

January 23, 1991- January 27, 1991: Springfield Civic Center, Springfield, Massachusetts

January 31, 1991- February 3, 1991: Mid South Coliseum, Memphis, Tennessee

February 6, 1991- February 10, 1991: Louisville Gardens, Louisville, Kentucky

February 14, 1991- February 17, 1991: Lakefront Arena, New Orleans, Louisiana

February 19, 1991- February 24, 1991: Fox Theatre, Atlanta, Georgia

February 28, 1991- March 3, 1991: Orlando Arena, Orlando, Florida

March 7, 1991- March 10, 1991: Boutwell Coliseum, Birmingham, Alabama

March 14, 1991- March 17, 1991: Astrodome, Houston, Texas

March 18, 1991- March 24, 1991: Convention Center Arena, Dallas, Texas

March 28, 1991- March 31, 1991: Lawlor Arena, Reno, Nevada

April 1, 1991- April 7, 1991: Cow Palace, San Francisco, California

April 8, 1991- April 14, 1991: Seattle Center Arena, Seattle, Washington

April 16, 1991- April 21, 1991: Chiles Center, Portland, Oregon

April 22, 1991- April 23, 1991: Salt Palace, Salt Lake City, Utah

April 25, 1991- April 28, 1991, Thomas and Mack Center, Las Vegas, Nevada

May 1, 1991- May 5, 1991: Target Arena, Minneapolis, Minnesota

May 8, 1991- May 12, 1991: Dayton Hara Arena, Dayton, Ohio

May 15, 1991- May 19, 1991: Public Hall, Cleveland, Ohio

May 22, 1991- May 26, 1991: Franklin Veteran’s Memorial Auditorium, Columbus, Ohio

May 29, 1991, June 2, 1991: Palumbo Center, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

June 5, 1991- June 9, 1991: Toronto Skydome, Toronto, Ontario, Canada

June 12, 1991- June 16, 1991: Montreal Forum, Montreal, Quebec, Canada

June 19, 1991- June 23, 1991: Nassau Coliseum, Uniondale, New York

June 26, 1991- June 30, 1991: Brendan Byrne Arena, East Rutherford, New Jersey

Some of the names of the areas may be different as the last show was over 30 years ago.

The band had made special appearances on:

• Live! With Regis & Kathie Lee (aired Sept. 24, 1990)
• Larry King Live
• Oprah Winfrey Show

*Most of these dates and appearances were changed due to low ticket sales caused by the impending Gulf War and venues cancelling. [3]

Appearances [ ]

These are the stops the tour ended up making after the aforementioned setbacks. This show ran from August 1990 to 1992 in addition to a small-scale run at Six Flags and other amusement parks. [4] NOTE: The specifics of a few of these appearances are incomplete due to insufficient information / missing articles. [5]

August 1, 1990: Radio City Music Hall, New York City, New York (Preview)

September 14, 1990- September 16, 1990: Providence Performing Arts Center, Providence, Rhode Island (Preview)

September 21, 1990- September 23, 1990: Glens Falls Civic Center, Glens Falls, New York (Preview)

September 26, 1990- October 7, 1990: Radio City Music Hall, New York City, New York (Debut)

October 23, 1990- October 28, 1990: Arie Crown Theatre, Chicago, Illinois

November 21, 1990-November 25, 1990: Universal Amphitheater, Los Angeles, California

December 6, 1990- December 9, 1990: Dorton Arena, Raleigh, North Carolina

December 12, 1990- December 16, 1990: Tampa Convention Center, Tampa, Florida

December 21, 1990- December 23, 1990: James L. Knight Center, Miami, Florida

January 16, 1991: The Shrine Mosque, St. Louis, Missouri

January 17, 1991: Memorial Hall, Joplin, Missouri

January 18, 1991: The Expo, ???

January 19, 1991- January 20, 1991: Civic Center Grand Hall, El Paso, Texas

January 22, 1991- January 23, 1991: Municipal Auditorium, San Antonio, Texas

January 25, 1991- January 27, 1991: Desert Sky Pavilion, Phoenix, Arizona

January 29, 1991: Tingley Coliseum, Albuquerque, New Mexico

January 30, 1991: Tucson Convention Center Arena, Tucson, Arizona

February 1, 1991: Thomas and Mack Center, Las Vegas, Nevada

February 2, 1991: Lawlor Events Center, Reno, Nevada

February 4, 1991: Salt Palace, Salt Lake City, Utah

February 5, 1991: BSU Pavilion, Boise, Idaho

February 6, 1991: MetraPark, Billings, Montana

February 8, 1991: The Opera House, Spokane, Wasshington

February 10, 1991: Oregon Convention Center, Portland, Oregon

February 11, 1991: Salt Palace Acord Arena, Salt Lake City, Utah

February 12, 1991: Saroyan Theater, Fresno, California

February 13, 1991: Sacramento Community Center, Sacramento, California

February 15, 1991: Burbank Center for the Arts, Burbank, California

February 16, 1991: San Jose Center, San Jose, California

February 17, 1991: University of the Pacific, Stockton, California

February 21, 1991: Capital Convention Center, Springfield, Illinois

February 22, 1991: Civic Auditorium, Omaha, Nebraska

February 23, 1991: Kemper Arena, Kansas City, Missouri

February 24, 1991: Louisville Gardens, Louisville, Kentucky

February 25, 1991: Columbus Convention Center, Columbus, Ohio

February 26, 1991: Hara Arena, Dayton, Ohio

February 28, 1991: Five Seasons Center, Cedar Rapids, Iowa

March 2, 1991: Sioux Falls Arena, Sioux Falls, South Dakota

March 3, 1991: Met Center, Bloomington, Minnesota

March 5, 1991: Dane County Coliseum, Madison, Wisconsin

March 7, 1991: Kellogg Arena, Battle Creek, Michigan

March 8, 1991: Cincinnati Gardens, Cincinnati, Ohio

March 13, 1991: Oil Palace, Tyler, Texas

March 14, 1991: Memorial Auditorium, Wichita Falls, Texas

March 16, 1991: Taylor County Coliseum, Abilene, Texas

March 19, 1991: Palmer Auditorium, Austin, Texas

March 20, 1991: Montagne Center, Beaumont, Texas

March 21, 1991: Mississippi Coast Coliseum, Biloxi, Mississippi

March 22, 1991: Centroplex, Baton Rouge, Louisiana

March 23, 1991: Saenger Theatre, New Orleans, Louisiana

March 24, 1991: Mobile Civic Center, Mobile, Alabama

March 26, 1991: Von Braun Civic Center, Huntsville, Alabama

March 28, 1991: UAB Arena, Birmingham, Alabama

March 29, 1991- March 30, 1991: Atlanta Civic Center, Atlanta, Georgia

March 31, 1991: Gaillard Auditorium, Charleston, South Carolina

April 2, 1991: West Palm Beach Auditorium, West Palm Beach, Florida

April 3, 1991: Maxwell C. King Center for the Performing Arts, Melbourne, Florida

April 9, 1991: Cumberland County Civic Center Arena, Fayetteville, North Carolina

April 10, 1991: Charlotte Coliseum, Charlotte, North Carolina

April 11, 1991: Salem Civic Center, Salem, Virginia

April 12, 1991: Wicomo Youth & Civic Center, Salisbury, Maryland

April 13, 1991: Hampton Coliseum, Hampton, Virginia

April 14, 1991: The Mosque, Richmond, Virginia

April 17, 1991: Freedom Hall Civic Center, Johnson City, Tennessee

April 18, 1991: Knoxville Civic Coliseum, Knoxville, Tennessee

April 19, 1991: Greenville Memorial Auditorium, Greenville, South Carolina

April 20, 1991: Lawrence Joel Veterans Memorial Coliseum, Winston-Salem, North Carolina

April 23, 1991: Stabler Arena, Bethlehem, Pennsylvania

April 24, 1991- April 25, 1991: Kingston Armory, Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania

April 26, 1991: A.J. Palumbo Center, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

April 27, 1991: Veterans Memorial Arena, Binghamton, New York

April 28, 1991: Onondaga County War Memorial Auditorium, Syracuse, New York

April 31, 1991: Memorial Centre, Kingston, Ontario

May 2, 1991: Montreal Forum, Montreal, Quebec

May 3, 1991: Ottawa Civic Centre Arena, Ottawa, Ontario

May 4, 1991- May 5, 1991: SkyDome, Toronto, Ontario

May 7, 1991: Rupp Arena, Lexington, Kentucky

May 11, 1991: Mud Island Amphitheater, Memphis, Tennessee

May 12, 1991: Oman Arena, Jackson, Tennessee

May 14, 1991: Civic Arena, St. Joseph, Missouri

May 15, 1991: Kansas Expocentre, Topeka, Kansas

May 17, 1991: Pine Bluff Convention Center, Pine Bluff, Arkansas

May 19, 1991: Starplex, Dallas, Texas

May 31, 1991: Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion Houston, Texas

June 2, 1991: Cajundome, Lafayette, Louisiana

June 3, 1991: Crossroads Coliseum, Alexandria, Louisiana

June 5, 1991: University of Notre Dame Joyce ACC, South Bend, Indiana

June 6, 1991: Adler Arena, Davenport, Iowa

June 7, 1991: World Music Theatre, Tinley Park, Illinois

June 8, 1991: Roberts Stadium, Evansville, Indiana

June 11, 1991: Starwood Amphitheatre, Nashville, Tennessee

June 13, 1991: Cooper Stadium, Columbus, Ohio

June 15, 1991: Pine Knob Music Theatre, Clarkston, Michigan

June 16, 1991: The Coliseum, Richfield, Minnesota

June 17, 1991: Deer Creek Music Center, Indianapolis, Indiana

June 18, 1991: Mabee Center Tulsa, Oklahoma

June 19, 1991: David S. Palmer Civic Center, Danville, Illinois

June 20, 1991: Peoria Civic Center Arena, Peoria, Illinois

June 22, 1991: Veterans Memorial Auditorium, West Des Moines, Iowa

June 23, 1991: Municipal Auditorium, Sioux City, South Dakota

June 25, 1991: Rushmore Plaza Civic Center, Rapid City, South Dakota

June 26, 1991: Casper Events Center, Casper, Wyoming

June 29, 1991: Ector County Coliseum, Odessa, Texas

July 13, 1991: Open Air Theatre, San Diego, California

July 21, 1991: Enchanted Parks Amphitheater, Federal Way, Washington

July 22, 1991: The Coliseum, Vancouver, British Columbia

July 24, 1991: Edmonton Convention Centre, Edmonton, Alberta

July 25, 1991: SaskPlace, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan

July 26, 1991: Saddledome, Calgary, Alberta

July 27, 1991: Agridome, Regina, Saskatchewan

July 29, 1991: Winnipeg Arena, Winnipeg, Manitoba

August 28, 1991: Memorial Auditorium, Buffalo, New York

August 29, 1991: Mid-Hudson Civic Center, Poughkeepsie, New York

August 30, 1991: Thames River Pavilion, Groton, Connecticut

August 31, 1991: Great Woods Center for the Performing Arts, Boston, Massachusetts

September 2, 1991: Saratoga Performing Arts Center, Saratoga Springs, New York

Six Flags run:

May 30, 1991- June 1, 1991: Six Flags Over Georgia, Austell, Georgia

June 8, 1991- June 9, 1991: Carowinds, Charlotte, North Carolina

June 14, 1991- June 23, 1991: Six Flags Magic Mountain, Valencia, California

June 27, 1991- July 4, 1991: Six Flags Great Adventure, Jackson, New Jersey

July 6, 1991- July 16, 1991: Six Flags Great America, Gurnee, Illinois

July 19, 1991- July 28, 1991: Six Flags Astroworld Houston, Texas

August 2, 1991- August 11, 1991: Six Flags Over Texas, Arlington, Texas

August 16, 1991- August 25, 1991: Six Flags Over Mid-America, Eureka, Missouri

Beau Allen as The Shredder

• Roger Kachel (later replaced by Alfredo Miller [4] )
• Lawrence Forsey (singing voice)
• Gregory Garrison (later replaced by Eric Anzalone [6] )
• Frank Simms (singing voice)

Heidi Mollenhauer as April O'Neil

• Scott Maynard (singing voice)

Michelangelo

• David Shatraw (temporarily replaced by Danyol Leon)
• Bob Bejan (singing voice)

April O'Neil

• Sherie Rene Scott (original run, was replaced by Heidi Mollenhauer as an understudy) [7]
• Dana Calitri (singing voice)
• Godfrey Nelson (singing voice)

Baxter Stockman

Kip Reading

• David Ruprecht

Footclanners

• John Bantay
• Gregory Butler
• Clete Larkey
• Alfredo Miller
• Michael Steuber (Also a Donatello understudy)
• Written by Bob Bejan
• Directed by Thomas White
• Produced by Bob Bejan, Steven E. Leber , Godfrey Nelson , Adrian Selby and Thomas White
• Songs written by Bob Bejan and Godfrey Nelson
• Casting by Stuart Howard , Howard Meltzer and Amy Schector
• Costume Design by Jonathan Bixby
• Choreography by Patty Columbo

Home releases [ ]

• Coming Out of Their Shells The Concert (VHS 1990, 90 mins.) . Full concert live set at Radio City Music Hall, New York City.
• The Making of Coming Out of Their Shells (VHS 1990, 30 mins.) . In depth documentary and behind the scene look how the concerts were arranged and set up. Also see the story behind why the Turtles decided to use musical instruments. Note: This documentary is set up as if the concert and Turtles are real.
• Kip (during the PPV preshow): There's no need to be buggin' when it's a Ninja Turtle you're huggin'!
• (During the preshow, April is trying to get the Turtles out of their dressing room for an interview)
• Michelangelo (in a woman's falsetto): Oh April, we're not dressed yet. Ha ha!
• Raphael: Yeah, we're out of our shells!
• Michelangelo: "Sometimes you feel like a foot, and sometimes, you don't!" ... Uh..... what ?
• Donatello ( beating up Foot Soldiers with the bō staff ): This is the one thing that bo don't know! Get it, bo?

[NOTE: The following exchange only appeared on the Live Pay-Per-View broadcast. It was edited out of the VHS release]

• Kip (interviewing random kids during intermission): Doesn't Shredder scare you a little bit?
• Random Boy: No!
• Kip: Boy, he scares me! What does he even look like? He looks kinda silly doesn't he?
• Random Boy: I'd say he looked better in the movie!
• Kip (Trying to hold back laughing): Oh, ya did?
• Kip: Did you see Shredder?
• Raphael: Duh!
• Michelangelo: Of course, we were up there fighting him! Aw, god!
• Baxter Stockman : AHAHAHAHAHAHA.... AHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!
• Shredder: Oh....shut. UP.

[NOTE: The following exchange appears exclusively on the VHS Tape]

• Shredder: *pointing to kid in audience* What's your name?
• Kid: Peter!
• Shredder: ....is that your sister?
• Kid: Cousin!
• Shredder: Cousin? What's the matter, couldn't get a date?
• Shredder: Ah, Flo and Eddie. I hate these Turtles much as I hate the Ninja Turtles!      
• Shredder: Does anyone want a New Kids on the Block album?
• (Girls in the audience can be heard screaming)
• Shredder (throwing the album in his music destroyer): I hear they're breaking up!
• There was a special behind-the-scenes VHS made of this show called "The Making of: The Coming Out of Their Shells Tour."
• The tour's very first show at Radio City Music Hall was broadcast live on Pay-Per-View. The broadcast was released on VHS, though it was edited. The Pay-Per-View showing contained a pre-show made to look like Channel Six were the ones broadcasting the concert live, with reporter Kip Reading  giving some back story on why the Turtles started a band (Including a "home movie" of Raphael and Michelangelo writing and practicing the studio version of "Coming Out of Their Shells"  in the sewer, which was only shown during the pre show) and explaining that Donatello created all the Turtles' instruments and that they could be set to play by themselves (As an excuse as to why the music would keep playing i even if the Turtles weren't seen playing them). They also showed April warming up the audience as well as her going around the lobby asking kids who their favorite turtle was. This pre-show was removed from the VHS release. During the intermission, an extra scene with Kip interviewing the kids on the second floor of the lobby was removed (Probably because of the one quote listed above. Instead, the VHS just cuts from the end of the first act to Kip on the ground floor of the lobby. As a result Kip is also given no introduction on the VHS), as well as ads that were played to give the pay-per-view audience something to watch while Kip moved from the Radio City lobby to his scene with the Turtles in the basement (The most strangest of these ads was an environmental awareness one with a spinning Mother Earth with a human face bashing us for tearing down the rain forest and such).
• Kip Reading only appeared in-person during the Pay-Per-View broadcast because the main point of the character was to entertain the live audience before the show and during the intermission. Kip's scenes with him stumbling around looking for the Turtles and his meeting with them was just for the live broadcast and VHS tape. On the actual tour, Kip was only shown twice using pre-recorded footage of him in the Channel 6 newsroom; once to introduce April before her preshow audience warm-up, and later in the second act when Shredder stole his voice.
• Most of the songs were lip-synced but on occasion the normal voice actors would speak during the song.
• After the tour's first run, it then went out on a second run of smaller cities. However, the show was scaled down due to a reduced budget. April was played by a different actress, and the only characters that appeared on stage were the Turtles, April, Shredder, and Baxter. Splinter was only shown on the stage monitors in footage shot for the second run. The giant prop for Shredder's machine was too expensive to carry around on the smaller budget and was reduced to just the small console on stage. All extra characters that would randomly appear on stage and dance with the Turtles did not appear. Most notably, the hula dancing alligators (see below in Trivia) were replaced with Leonardo and Donatello in grass skirts.
• It was demanded that interviewees treat the Turtles as real beings as opposed to people in costumes. Thus, many "interviews" pertaining to the concert were done by either Michelangelo or Raphael.
• In 1991 and 1992, the tour was taken to Mexico , Puerto Rico, France , Sweden , and Argentina.

Gallery [ ]

• Coming Out of Their Shells/Gallery

Continuity errors [ ]

• During the Pay-Per-View broadcast preshow, Kip mentions that they have a "home movie" of the Turtles writing and practicing their first song, which is shown to be Raph and Mike writing the studio version of "Coming Out of Their Shells" in the sewer (Mike is shown writing the lyrics on a Pizza Hut box before Raph sings the song). However, in the actual show Mike says the first song they wrote was "Pizza Power."
• Shredder says that to prevent the audience from leaving the building, "he's locked all the doors." Obviously, in reality that wasn't true and people could still walk out.

Costume/special effect errors [ ]

• Shredder's mouthpiece is actually below his mouth, making it quite visible. This might have been intentional as the audience mightn't understand him talking through a closed mouthpiece , but it looks very odd. More-so when it makes the fact that the actor playing him is trying not to laugh that much more apparent.
• There are black spot splatters all over the Turtles' stage costumes. Not only is this a continuity error with the smooth green costumes we see in the behind the scenes footage, but it looks less organic, and more like somebody sprayed ink all over their heads.
• The backstage costumes don't fare much better. While the stage costumes have their problems, at least they were limber enough to move around freely. This set, on the other hand, is stiff, cause the actors to lean awkwardly to one side, and have a problem where the Turtles' mouths continue to hang open.

Production errors [ ]

• There were times when the Turtles would appear on stage, and the music would begin before the Turtles started to play their instruments (In the Pay-Per-View broadcast preshow, Kip mentioned that Donatello rigged the instruments to play on their own as an excuse to get around this).
• There are way too many times where a Turtle would talk or sing, but his mouth would either stay shut, move completely out of sync with the words, or remain completely open.
• The colors of Mike and Raph's bandanas made it difficult for some people to tell them apart. Luckily, they wear big, black armbands with their initials on them during the show.
• During the show's scaled-down second run, the Foot Soldiers were absent, leaving Shredder and Baxter as the only on-stage villains. During the part where the Turtles are supposed to fight the Foot Soldiers, the dialogue for the fight still played, but all the Turtles did was just walk back and forth across the stage spouting their one-liners despite not fighting anyone.

Logic errors [ ]

• When Michelangelo tells Leonardo that "There's no need to be bugging'!" he strums his microphone on his guitar, producing some notes. However, the way he's rubbing it can't possibly produce those chords (or any at all, since he's basically moving the microphone along the string.)
• Leonardo plays a one-string bass, effectively a diddley bow , which would make it impossible for him to play chords.
• The full version to the " Pizza Power " song from the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Turtles in Time arcade game is heard.
• On that note, on the VHS tape of that tour, tons of changes we're done due to Union reasons: most of the lines and songs from the actual shows were cut out, Casey had to keep his mask on the whole time, there were less energy from the actors and actual show, and it had to be filmed in a closed location only specifically for the VHS tape.
• On a side-note, the Song from the "Coming Out of Our Shells" tour album, " Sing About It ", was performed in this show, since the first show didn't perform the song, just played part of it when they were showing the scene where Splinter is telling the Turtles on the Heart of Music
• A VHS recording of the show's Pay-Per-View broadcast was available. In the middle of the show, a reporter ( Kip Reading ) interviewed kids asking about the Turtles' whereabouts. David Ruphrect of Supermarket Sweep (1990) played the reporter.
• There were apparently two sets of Turtle costumes made for this production. One was used for the behind the scenes footage (the ones that leaned awkwardly) and the other set (the ones without the shells) was used for the show.
• Splinter is the one who sings " Skipping Stones " during the concert.
• Splinter's right ear is partially missing as homage to the Splinter from the first two live action movies.
• In the song " No Treaties " Raph starts the song using Shredder's voice filter.
• Shredder mentions " Krang " and " Technodrome " as key words from the 1987 TV series .
• There are two studio versions of " Coming Out Of Their Shells! ", one is the slow version, the other, a rock version.
• During " Tubin' ", one of the gator's tail gets caught in the elevated sewer on the stage as they come up and right when they walk.
• The second set of the Turtle costumes (the backstage costumes) were also used in some of the toy commercials.
• Raphael played both the drums and the sax. Recording the studio soundtrack, it's possible for him to play both instruments in a same song using split-track recording, or track dubbing, however, since the fact the music played is actually pre-recorded, the need for having both instruments was rendered null (in the Pay-Per-View preshow, Kip mentioned that the drum set had an "automatic saxophone.")

References [ ]

• ↑ "Spin" magazine July 1991, page 32. "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Coming Out Of Their Shells... went triple platinum in 1990."
• ↑ 2.00 2.01 2.02 2.03 2.04 2.05 2.06 2.07 2.08 2.09 2.10 2.11 2.12 Discogs.com album credits for "Coming Out Of Their Shells". [1] .
• ↑ https://www.teenagemutantninjaturtles.com/2015/07/29/interview-w-coming-out-of-their-shells-tour-david-shatraw/
• ↑ 4.0 4.1 https://web.archive.org/web/20140717194510/http://www.cowabungacorner.com/content/2005-interview-eric-anzalone
• ↑ newspaperarchive.com
• ↑ http://www.officialvillagepeople.com/eric-anzalone-biker/
• ↑ Huntsville Times, 03-27-1991, page 27.
• 1 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (2012 TV series)
• 2 IDW Chronology

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Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Coming Out of Their Shells Tour

With the help of the fans and April O'Neil, the Ninja Turtles have to stop Shredder and Baxter Stockman from destroying all of the music in the world. With the help of the fans and April O'Neil, the Ninja Turtles have to stop Shredder and Baxter Stockman from destroying all of the music in the world. With the help of the fans and April O'Neil, the Ninja Turtles have to stop Shredder and Baxter Stockman from destroying all of the music in the world.

• Lorenzo Jordan
• Thomas White
• Kevin Eastman
• Gregorey Garrison
• Roger Kachel
• David Shatraw
• 14 User reviews
• 3 Critic reviews

• (as Gregory Garrison)

• Michelangelo

• April O'Neil
• (as Sherri Scott)
• Baxter Stockman …

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• Thomas White (stage production)
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• Mar 20, 2007
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• October 3, 1990 (United States)
• United States
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• Radio City Music Hall - 1260 6th Avenue, Rockefeller Center, Manhattan, New York City, New York, USA
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Read this: At long last, the story of how the Ninja Turtles became a rock band

Ah, the ’90s.

Today’s “sure, that sounds interesting, I’ll go ahead and click on that, whoops 10 minutes have gone by and I am riveted” read is this story from (of all places) GameSpot: A surprising look at the origins of the Coming Out Of Our Shells Tour, a live show in the form of a concert-with-plot centered on an up-and-coming rock band. And who was in that band, precisely? Why, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, of course.

You could be forgiven for thinking that this tour, which saw audio-animatronic heads lip-syncing to original Turtle tunes, was cooked up in some marketing executive’s office. The idea seems on its surface like a soulless cash grab based in pizza chain synergy (the tour was sponsored by Pizza Hut) and the hope that audience members would buy T-shirts, toys, and those flashy magic wand things you can get at entertainment events aimed at children. Not so!

In reality, this entire endeavor was born out of a desire two “punky little kids” had to change musical theater. “I started out as a musical theater performer in New York, working as a dancer and a singer in musical theater and industrials,” Bob Bejan, who co-wrote the album and wrote and produced the live show, told GameSpot. At the time, though—the mid-1980s—Broadway musicals were a lot different than they are in 2020, and Bejan had the first-person experience to know it after performing in revivals of both West Side Story and Grease. “There really [was] not, other than like Andrew Lloyd Webber musicals, a lot of rock and roll in the theater like it is now,” he said. “I wanted to be more than a dancer, and just a performer. And I always thought I had an aspiration for a bigger creative vision,” Bejan remembered. “I wrote a musical, and I had this very strong point of view that popular music was something that Broadway needed.”

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So Bejan and co-writer Godfrey Nelson got their hands on a copy of the first TMNT graphic novel, and then sat down and wrote four songs. And here’s where things get really nuts. They went from reading a comic to a budget in the millions for a series of international live tours, all by just randomly cold-calling people and pitching this idea. Seriously:

“We literally cold-called Eastman and Laird and just went, ‘Hey, we’ve got an idea. Can we pitch it to you?’” Bejan admitted. Then in January 1990, two months before the movie debuted in theaters, the two traveled to North Hampton, Massachusetts for their first meeting with the two men that created the Turtles.

“I read an article in the Wall Street Journal [about] Steven Leber, who was going to ultimately be my partner on the producing side,” he remembered. “But I read the Wall Street Journal [that] he was bringing the Moscow Circus to Broadway and to the United States, and I literally cold-called him.” One call and a short meeting later, Bejan secured the funding from Leber—as well as a seasoned producing partner to help bring their vision to life. “He wrote a check for $50,000 [and] we signed the licensing rights and got the rights to all live touring, music, video exploitation, merchandising,” he said. “It was unbelievable.”

“We called up the heads of marketing of Pizza Hut, Little Caesars, and Domino’s and said, ‘We have the rights to do this show, we want to come and talk to you about it,’” Bejan said. By this point, the movie had now released and suddenly the popularity of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles had shot through the roof. So, together, Bejan and Nelson traveled the country, meeting with the marketing departments of the three pizza chains. 10 days later, the duo struck a deal with Pizza Hut.

Like the Turtles themselves, it would seem that Bejan and Nelson had loads of confidence. The article—which is really worth a read —is rich with those kinds of “wow, that really happens?” details, up to and including the fictionalized making-of documentary that tells the story of how the tour came to be (and goes into detail about Donatello as an inventor of weird instruments):

Anyway, the moral is: Sometimes you can just call a rich guy you read about and ask him for $50,000 and it works, apparently.

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That Time the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Toured As a Rock Band

Did you know that the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles once toured as a rock band back in 1990? The tour, rife with head-scratching moments, took the sewer-dwelling reptilian heroes from "cowabunga" to cowa-bungled.

It was an exciting new decade — artists were crossing over and hip-hop had started to take on an extreme edge never heard before in music. Naturally, it got entangled with rock 'n' roll, and the Turtles cashed in on the new craze, shilling for Pizza Hut, who sponsored the tour and, now that we're writing about it almost 30 years later, are still getting their money's worth out of it all.

The very first live performance was televised on Pay-Per-View (and can be seen at the bottom of the page). Astonishingly, people still bought tickets to the other gigs despite the wholesale buffoonery that was on display for a national audience, proving that kids don't really have a filter when it comes to this kind of stuff.

The whole thing comes off as a G-rated GWAR show — instead of mangled genitals, decapitated celebrities and the ever-flowing blood shower, we've got clap-along rap-rock jams, totally bodacious drum synths and... a keytar.

While GWAR's intent is to slaughter anything with a pulse, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles work to stop wanton destruction as foe Shredder (unfortunately, none of the guitarists can be described as "shredder") and evil scientist Baxter Stockman aim to wipe out all of the music in the whole wide world. (This is the part where you tent your hands and go, "MWOOHAHAHA!")

Not that it matters one bit, but here's the breakdown of the group: Donatello (keyboards), Leonardo (bass), Michaelangelo (lead vocals, guitar), Raphael (drums, percussion, tenor saxaphone, vocals). Work it, Raphael.

Even more ludicrous than the 90-minute concert, is the "making-of" mockumentary, which gives chase to  This Is Spinal Tap  for blurring the lines between reality and satire.

Bob Bejan, producer and goober extraordinaire behind the tour, commented, "Watching them come out of their shells literally now as they go out on the road, it's great. It's incredibly fun for myself and my partner Gottfried just to be around it and watch it because these guys are truly a band in the best sense of the word because they're brothers and have been together forever and the music really reflects that. Now that they're taking it out, it's tremendous."

"Bob was telling me all about this incredible group that was playing underground in the sewers of New York and it was the most exciting thing he said he's ever seen," Steven E. Leber, another producer/goober, said, picking up where Bejan left off.

"Of course, we manage some of the biggest rock 'n' roll bands in the world — Aerosmith , AC/DC , Ted Nugent , the Scorpions — and we knew that something new and exciting had to happen in the '90s," Leber went on. "Bob told me about this group, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. I couldn't believe that they were gonna sing. Bob brought me down and what I saw was incredible. It was the most unbelievable, best new rock 'n' roll band I had ever seen. I just had to sign them."

So, carve out a good two hours of your life you don't mind never getting back and watch it all below. You might want to order some Pizza Hut — or not. Chain pizza kinda sucks.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, "Coming Out of Their Shells" Tour - Full Concert

The Making of the "Coming Out of Their Shells" Tour

The Best Metal Song of Each Year Since 1970

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Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Coming Out Of Thier Shells Tour (1990)

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Teenage mutant ninja turtles: the coming out of their shells tour.

Directed by Lorenzo Jordan , Thomas White

Count On Us!

A live concert video, with the help of the fans and April O'Neil, the Ninja Turtles have to stop Shredder and Baxter Stockman from destroying all of the music in the world.

Cam Clarke Roger Kachel Gregory Garrison Ronn K. Smith David Shatraw Bob Bejan Sherie Rene Scott Mark Enis Jack William Scott Beau Allen

Directors Directors

Lorenzo Jordan Thomas White

Producer Producer

Michael Pillot

Writers Writers

Bob Bejan Thomas White

Executive Producer Exec. Producer

Robert B. Meyrowitz

Composers Composers

Godfrey Nelson Bob Bejan

Tour-toiseshell Inc Tortoiseshell Spectacles GoodTimes Entertainment Mirage Studios

Alternative Titles

TMNT: Coming Out of Their Shells Tour, Las Tortugas Ninja: Saliendo de sus Caparazones

Releases by Date

03 oct 1990, releases by country.

90 mins   More at IMDb TMDb Report this page

Popular reviews

Review by Feck ★★★½

SHREDDER (to a child in the audience) : Who's that? Your sister?

SHREDDER : Who, then, your friend?!

KID'S PARENT : IT'S HIS COUSIN!!!!

SHREDDER : Your COUSIN?! What's the matter, COULDN'T GET A DATE!?

Review by Justin Decloux ★★★★★ 3

This was their coke period.

Review by Andrew Orange ½ 1

This is proof that Jesus died in vain

Review by jjackson_101 ★★★★★

Shredder roasts children and then hits on their mums. Pretty epic.

Review by OrochiLeona ★★

A completely surreal and shockingly dated stage show featuring lots of terrible tracks and a plotline involving The Shredder's plan to end all music.

Filmed at the height of the Ninja Turtles craze, which I admit to being a part of, Coming Out of Their Shells is a strange mix of concert and pantomime, with the Turtles forming a band and playing their (s)hit songs to a rammed audience of nunchaku weilding kids and their bored looking parents. Being the early 90s, this music is of course horribly dated and features god-awful lyrics about surfing and pizza. Its amusing to picture studio session guys having to sing this stuff. The danicing is all done in that hard-stamping, jerky armed, Paula…

Review by laura ✨

My junkie uncle was a roadie on this tour in 1990 and had a jean jacket with the turtles playing guitars on it.

Review by apriletmanski

I played video games all day then I watched this. My brain is not happy with me right now.

Review by grant

🎵 skipping stones... 🎶

Review by Joe Jatcko

Keytar? C'mon, Donatello is totally the bass player of the Ninja Turtles.

Review by Josh Keslinger ½

I hate bets

Review by DrAshleyWho (‘Once upon a time, late on Christmas Eve, a stranger came to the church on Ruby Road.’) ★ 2

Note; this is a review of Ninja Turtles: The Next Mutation, as with the star rating. I’ve put it here since this is apparently the worst-rated TMNT thing on here.

I will confess that when it comes to Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, I didn’t really have a massive childhood obsession with it. I remember watching some episodes of the 2003 series way back when growing up, but with the sub-genre of ‘action shows for young boys’ I was more a part of the Power Rangers crowd before the gradual move to my lifelong love of science fiction and Doctor Who. Also, I absolutely consider We Wish You A Turtle Christmas to be a massive ‘so-bad-it’s-excellent’ Christmas classic. And yet even…

Review by Chris Jones ½

I didn't grow up in the 1980s but Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles has always been one of those properties where every time I think about it, I think 'Wow, what a fun idea. I should really watch more of their stuff.'

And then I end up watching shit like this and immediately regret it and start thinking 'Oh...nevermind. I guess I shouldn't watch more of their stuff after all.'

Select your preferred poster

Revisiting the Nightmare of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Musical, 'Coming Out of Their Shells'

Get back in your shells, please.

In 1990, a live-musical tour based on the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles was produced. Called The Coming Out of Their Shells Tour , the show was part live-action Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movie, part rock concert. The show premiered at Radio City Music Hall in New York and was sponsored by none other than Pizza Hut.

It is terrible.

Shamelessly consumerist, and a bizarre amalgam of all the things that made the early ‘90s the early ‘90s, Coming Out of Their Shells is such a strange part of pop culture I can’t decide whether it should be applauded or forgotten. Luckily, you don’t need to watch it to know how terrible it is, because I’ve done that for you. Released on Pay-Per-View and VHS, I went ahead and found a video of the concert online and watched the whole thing for your reading pleasure. Or horror.

The Power of Music

So the story is that one day, the Ninja Turtles decide that music is better than ninjutsu when it comes to spreading peace and love across the world. With that in mind, they set out to spread their music to “all who would listen, dude.” With Leonardo on bass, Donatello on keyboard, Raphael on the drums and saxophone (early ‘90s), and Michelangelo pulling double duty as guitarist and lead singer, the Turtles emerge from the sewers as bonafide rock stars.

Brought to you by Pizza Hut

It’s a simple premise that sets up the hour-and-a-half long music extravaganza. The turtles come out wearing jean vests and studded leather chokers, and begin jamming out immediately with their first single, “Coming Out of Our Shells.”

It’s not that I don’t get where the producers were coming from — you need to make the Ninja Turtles less ninja-y and more hair metal, but there’s a weird malicious consumerism that lurks beneath the whole thing. Deep down, buried below the abandoned Hasbro factory are boxes of unsold “Rock Star Michelangelo” action figures;m I’m certain of this.

A Real Variety Hour (and a Half)

If there’s one thing I can say, it’s that the Turtles aren’t afraid to mix it up with music genres. The first couple of songs are decidedly ‘80s rock ‘n’ roll, but then, out of nowhere, Master Splinter appears to deliver a weird, Creed-esque power ballad called, “Skipping Stones.” When I say deliver, I mean deliver . The lights dim, the smoke rises, and Master Splinter is giving it all singing and dancing across stage. All the while, the Turtles are acting as his backup dancers, because: obviously. It was schmaltzy and I had to look up whether or not Michael Bolton lent his voice to sing as Splinter (he didn’t).

Master Splinter

At some point, April O’Neil gets captured and does a great Madonna-like song about not being afraid. To the actress’s credit, she actually did a pretty great job singing and sounding like April at the same time — which is more than I can say about the Turtles and Splinter.

Shredder Doesn’t Like Shredding

Turns out Shredder hates music. Obviously. His plot involves using a machine that would destroy all the music in the world, and without the hope music provides he can finally take over the whole planet. He hates music so much, he doesn’t even get a musical number, instead Shredder belts out a little rap halfway through the show.

This begs the question: Do the producers of the concert not consider rap to be music? I mean, they must not, because Shredder — who is decidedly anti-music — is the only one who raps in the whole show. I found this as a really problematic association of the rap genre with villainy and anti-music, that I suppose was normal for the ‘90s. Either way, the rap was terrible, so I guess it doesn’t really matter.

Ready to rock

I love pop culture that bridges disparate genres. For that, I applaud The Coming Out of Their Shells Tour as it blends together all the fun of theater, music, and the live-action Ninja Turtle films. I, however, can’t help but shake the constant shadow of pizza and toy advertisements that plague the whole thing. Kudos to the actors and musicians for dancing around a stage in full costume. Unfortunately, this sets the terrible precedent of a possible re-staging of the show, only with holographic versions of the CGI Ninja Turtles you’ll see soon in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows . Only this time. I’m sure everyone will rap, because it’s no longer the ‘90s, and rap is cool now.

The Coming Out of Their Shells Tour Official Tour Guide

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• TMNT: The IDW Collection HC
• TMNT: The Kevin Eastman Covers HC
• TMNT: The Kevin Eastman Notebook Series HC
• TMNT: The Last Ronin Director’s Cut HC
• TMNT: The Last Ronin HC
• TMNT: The Last Ronin-The Lost Years HC
• TMNT: The Last Ronin-The Lost Years-The Covers HC
• TMNT: The Last Ronin-The Covers HC
• TMNT: The Ultimate Collection HC
• TMNT/Ghostbusters Deluxe Edition HC
• TMNT/Stranger Things HC
• TMNT/Usagi Yojimbo One-Shot HC
• TMNT/Usagi Yojimbo: Expanded Edition HC
• Batman/TMNT Adventures TPB
• Batman/TMNT TPB (DC)
• Batman/TMNT II TPB (DC)
• Batman/TMNT III TPB (DC)
• Deviations TPB
• Drawing Blood TPB (KES)
• Funko Universe TPB
• Infestation 2 TPB
• Kevin Eastman’s Roninbebop TPB
• Mighty Morphin Power Rangers/TMNT TPB (BOOM!)
• Mighty Morphin Power Rangers/TMNT II TPB (BOOM!)
• Rise of the TMNT TPB
• San Diego Comic Art Gallery: Kevin Eastman Exhibition Collection TPB
• Tales of the TMNT TPB
• The Secret History of the Foot Clan TPB
• The TMNT 100 Project TPB
• TMNT Adventures TPB
• TMNT Amazing Adventures TPB
• TMNT Amazing Adventures Omnibus TPB
• TMNT Animated TPB
• TMNT Color Classics TPB
• TMNT Classics TPB
• TMNT Macro-Series TPB
• TMNT Micro-Series TPB
• TMNT New Animated Adventures Omnibus TPB
• TMNT New Animated Adventures TPB
• TMNT Saturday Morning Adventures TPB
• TMNT Universe TPB
• TMNT Villain Micro-Series TPB
• TMNT Vol. V TPB
• TMNT vs. Street Fighter TPB
• TMNT: Allies & Enemies TPB
• TMNT: Bebop & Rocksteady Destroy Everything TPB
• TMNT: Bebop & Rocksteady Hit the Road TPB
• TMNT: Best of TPB
• TMNT: Black, White, & Green TPB
• TMNT: Casey & April TPB
• TMNT: Dimension X TPB
• TMNT: Jennika TPB
• TMNT: Jennika II TPB
• TMNT: Jennika-The Fifth Turtle TPB
• TMNT: Mutanimals TPB
• TMNT: Shredder In Hell TPB
• TMNT: The Armageddon Game-Opening Moves TPB
• TMNT: The Armageddon Game-The Alliance TPB
• TMNT: The Box Set TPB
• TMNT: The IDW Collection TPB
• TMNT: The Ultimate Collection TPB
• TMNT: The Ultimate Comic Art Poster Book TPB
• TMNT: Turtle Power Pack TPB
• TMNT: Turtles In Time TPB
• TMNT: Urban Legends TPB
• TMNT: Utrom Empire TPB
• TMNT/Ghostbusters TPB
• TMNT/Ghostbusters II TPB
• TMNT/Stranger Things TPB
• TMNT/Usagi Yojimbo: WhereWhen TPB
• Usagi Yojimbo/TMNT: The Complete Collection TPB (Dark Horse)

Upcoming TMNT Comics

Tmnt publications updates, the tmnt #1 production negatives – 2024 scheduled exhibitions, bring the tmnt #1 production negatives exhibit to your local convention / event , tmnt vol. i #02 (idw), tmnt vol. i #03 (idw), tmnt 40th anniversary comics celebration one-shot (idw), tmnt vol. vi #001 (idw), tmnt: the armageddon game deluxe edition hc (idw), tmnt: black, white, & green #01 (idw), tmnt: alpha one-shot (idw), tmnt 40th anniversary comics celebration one-shot deluxe edition hc (idw), tmnt: the idw collection, vol. 05 tpb (idw), the untold destiny of the foot clan #04 (idw), tmnt sourcebook #04 (idw), tmnt vol. v #001 (idw), tmnt/usagi yojimbo: saturday morning adventures one-shot (idw), tomorrow tmnt vol. i #01 1st printing 40th anniversary reproduction on-sale, tmnt vol. i #01 (tmnt: a collection), tmnt vol. v #150 (idw), tmnt color classics #01 (idw), tmnt: best of slash (idw), set your alarms tmnt vol. i #01 1st printing 40th anniversary reproduction on-sale, collection updates, {idw} tmnt vol. i – 03 (1st-cover re-adidas edition) < 9.2-9.7 nm >, {idw} tmnt vol. i – 02 (1st-cover re-adidas edition) < 9.2-9.7 nm >, {idw} tmnt vol. i – 01 (1st-cover re-adidas edition) < 9.2-9.7 nm >, {idw} tmnt vol. vi – 001 (1st-cover re-wonderland comics b) < 9.2-9.7 nm >, {idw} tmnt vol. vi – 001 (1st-cover re-wonderland comics a) < 9.2-9.7 nm >, {idw} tmnt 40th anniversary comics celebration – one-shot (1st-cover re-2nd time around toys & comics) < 9.2-9.7 nm >, {idw} tmnt vol. vi – 001 (1st-cover re-eclectables comics c) < 9.2-9.7 nm >, {idw} tmnt vol. vi – 001 (1st-cover re-eclectables comics b) < 9.2-9.7 nm >, {idw} tmnt vol. vi – 001 (1st-cover re-eclectables comics a) < 9.2-9.7 nm >, {idw} tmnt vol. vi – 001 (1st-cover re-2nd time around toys & comics) < 9.2-9.7 nm >, {idw} tmnt vol. vi – 001 (1st-cover re-octa-ink comics) < 9.2-9.7 nm >, {idw} tmnt vol. vi – 001 (1st-cover re-southern comics cartel c) < 9.2-9.7 nm >, {idw} tmnt vol. vi – 001 (1st-cover re-southern comics cartel b) < 9.2-9.7 nm >, {idw} tmnt vol. vi – 001 (1st-cover re-southern comics cartel a) < 9.2-9.7 nm >, {idw} tmnt saturday morning adventures – 14 (1st-cover a) < 9.2-9.7 nm >, {idw} tmnt saturday morning adventures – 14 (1st-cover b) < 9.2-9.7 nm >, {idw} tmnt saturday morning adventures – 13 (1st-cover b) < 9.2-9.7 nm >, {idw} tmnt saturday morning adventures – 13 (1st-cover a) < 9.2-9.7 nm >, {original artwork} kevin eastman last ronin #5 re tmnt: a collection a (12-artist) artwork, {mirage studios} tmnt vol. i – 01-04 & raphael (bound) < 9.2-9.7 nm >, {clothing} team eastman 2024 t-shirt, {clothing} team eastman 2018 t-shirt, {clothing} team eastman 2019 t-shirt, {clothing} first turtle baseball hats, {clothing} turtlemania t-shirt, {clothing} tmnt: a collection 2014 t-shirt, {clothing} tmnt: a collection 2013 t-shirt, {clothing} tmnt: a collection 2023 t-shirt, {clothing} tmnt t-shirt, {clothing} team eastman 2016 t-shirt, {clothing} team eastman 2015 t-shirt, {clothing} 2nd time around t-shirt, {clothing} radically rearranged ronin ragdolls t-shirt, {clothing} leonardo t-shirt, {clothing} first turtle t-shirt, {clothing} chet’s toys t-shirt, {clothing} denver broncos/tmnt t-shirt, {clothing} bishart kids club – raph killer t-shirt, {clothing} bishart kids club t-shirt, {automotive} colorado license plate – tmnt, {artwork / crafts} first turtle clay figure, {posters / wall hangings} “turtle crossing” wooden sign, {fan club} kevin eastman fan club – 5 year membership pin, {household items} cheese grater – shredder’s origin, {candy / food} tmnt whiskey – dfw whiskey club, {toys} hot wheels tmnt party wagon, {coins} tmnt 40th anniversary kevin eastman studios exclusive commemorative coin, {miscellaneous} dover dirt, {miscellaneous} tmnt poker chips – joshua johnson, {miscellaneous} portsmouth mini-con 40 poker chips, {tmnt: a collection} tmnt vol. i – 01 (1st-cover re-kevin eastman fan club c) < 9.2-9.7 nm >, {tmnt: a collection} tmnt vol. i – 01 (1st-cover re-kevin eastman fan club b) < 9.2-9.7 nm >, {tmnt: a collection} tmnt vol. i – 01 (1st-cover re-kevin eastman fan club a) < 9.2-9.7 nm >, {tmnt: a collection} tmnt vol. i – 01 (1st-cover re-jetpack comics / pmc40) < 9.2-9.7 nm >, {tmnt: a collection} tmnt vol. i – 01 (1st-regular) < 9.2-9.7 nm >, {idw} tmnt: black white & green – 01 (1st-cover ri) < 9.2-9.7 nm >, {idw} tmnt: black white & green – 01 (1st-cover c) < 9.2-9.7 nm >, {idw} tmnt: black white & green – 01 (1st-cover b) < 9.2-9.7 nm >, {idw} tmnt: black white & green – 01 (1st-cover a) < 9.2-9.7 nm >, blog archives.

Here’s a running list detailing the scheduled appearances of The TMNT #1 Production Negatives exhibit in 2024. Come out and see comic book history in person! Hope to see you on the road in 2024 to celebrate the 40th Anniversary of TMNT in the most unique and authentic way possible! April 5-7 – Vegas ToyCon […]

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It’s time for your convention / event to receive an upgrade !!! Are you a convention or event organizer looking to feature something unique while also enhancing the overall experience for your attendees? Maybe you’re a pop-culture fan with a favorite local show where you’d love to see something different and extraordinary. When it comes […]

TMNT Vol. I #03 from IDW. These are the IDW re-printings of TMNT Vol. I #3 originally from Mirage Studios. Release details for each listed below. Cover RE Adidas Edition (Peter Laird) – A reprint of TMNT #1 (Mirage Studios) included with the Adidas TMNT Shelltoe Splinter shoes.

DUE TO VACATION, ALL IN-STOCK ORDERS PLACED MAY 20-28 WILL SHIP WEDNESDAY, MAY 29 Dismiss

SDCC 2020 Exclusive Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Musical Mutagen Tour 4-Pack by NECA – Toyark Advanced Photo Shoot

By Joe Moore on July 14, 2020 at 3:34 pm under Random Photo Shoot , San Diego Comic Con , Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Toy News

One of NECA ‘s most anticipated San Diego Comic-Con 2020 Exclusives is the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Musical Mutagen Tour 7″ Scale Figure 4-Pack . The upcoming set is based on the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Coming Out Of Their Shells Tour , where the four Turtles became rock stars. Each of the Turtles gets a rock star makeover, complete with musical instruments, denim jackets, and more. The figures will be available in Target stores and online for US customers, and TheNecaStore.com for international buyers. See those details below.

Release Date – July 23, 2020 Available in Target Stores on Thursday(7/23) – $124.99 USD Available online (Bundled w/ Accessory Pack) through target.com on Thursday(7/23) – $149.99 USD Available online (International only) through thenecastore.com on Thursday(7/23) – $149.99 USD Note: Some stores may have inventory ahead of scheduled date

Our friends at NECA were kind enough to let Toyark get an advanced look at the set. After the jump, you can check out nearly 80 photos and a full review.

San Diego Comic-Con 2020 Exclusives is the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Musical Mutagen Tour 7″ Scale Figure 4-Pack by NECA

• Figures look way better than the live action Turtles they are based on
• Great packaging that acts as a diorama concert stage
• Lots of interchangeable hands
• Denim jackets look fantastic in hand
• Hinged jaws work pretty well
• Great paint work
• New outfit additions don’t hinder range of motion
• Can swap pretty much any parts with the movie Turtles
• Probably not a set for all TMNT fans
• Raphael’s guitar frets can get damaged with the grip hand

Overall The TMNT Musical Mutagen Tour figures come packaged in a VHS style slipcover, over a fold out flapped window box. The front of the packaging features great new art from the legendary James Groman ( @jgroman60 ). James has worked on numerous classic toy lines such as Madballs and Barnyard Commandos. The back of the slipcover features the names of everyone who worked on the set, and a cut out Raphel mask. When you remove the slipcover, you find a faux steel case that opens up to reveal the figures. when fully opened, the case forms a complete stage diorama for the set. Leonardo, Donatello, Michelangelo, and Raphael are included. Leo includes a one-strong bass, Donnie includes a keytar, Mikey has a saxophone and a synthesizer, and Raph comes with a guitar. There are also four additional sets of interchangeable hands, and a pizza accessory.

I’m going to be honest, I am surprised at how much I enjoyed this set. Like many TMNT fans, my love for the live action iterations ends after Secret of the Ooze. TMNT 3, The Next Mutation, and the Coming Out Of Their Shells Tour were all things that didn’t interest me at all growing up. But, when done right, action figures can take something that doesn’t quite work in live action, and turn it into a really enjoyable addition to a collection. That is absolutely the case here, as NECA opted to avoid an exact one-to-one translation of the tour costumes. They took the designs and tweaked them just enough to feel like a more natural extensions of their movie figures. The heads and hands were scaled down to feel more proportionally correct, and NECA used their TMNT movie bodies as the base, as opposed to going with the more rubbery look of the tour costumes. The changes make all the difference and the figures feel like live action versions of some of the old Playmates Toys crossover figures from the early 90’s.

For the most part, the new costume additions are sculpted plastic, and replace costume pieces from the movie turtles. The exceptions are the denim jacket, and the fabric leg warmers. The jackets are one of the big highlights of the set. The detail work is excellent, with different patches throughout. On the back of each jacket is a printed version of the packaging art. The other big new addition to the figures are the new head sculpts based on the touring Turtles. The designs were nowhere near as believable as the ones used in the original TMNT live action film, looking far more exaggerated and cartoonish. The head sculpts are pretty spot on representations of those designs, and the first NECA turtles to include hinged jaws for singing poses. If you have NECA’s movie turtles, you can swap out the heads if you so like, as well as the hands or any accessories. All the heads  pretty easily, and they all use the same ball joint, so no customization work is needed to get them to fit.

Paint work on the whole is excellent, with bright colors used on the costume pieces, and highly detailed paint apps used on the Turtles themselves. None of the paint lines were messy and everything looked crisp and clean in-hand. Articulation is solid, with about 25 or so points on each figure. None of the new costuming hinders range of motion, and none of the joints were paint locked. There are two costume eye accessories included, which are meant for Leonardo and Michelangelo. Those simply peg into the bandana openings of the eyes, and can be used on any of the four Turtles. The new instruments all look great, and pretty accurate to their live action counterparts. Be mindful that the tighter grip hands can damage the frets on Raphael’s guitar neck, so use caution when posing him.

The Musical Mutagen Tour set is a fun, and unique take on the Turtles, and works so much better in figure form than they did in live action. This is not a set for everyone for sure, as everything is a bit exaggerated and cartoonish compared to the more realistic look of the movie figures up to this point. But, for those that do invest, they will find a fun set of figures, with a fantastic presentation. check out a selection of photos below, and the full gallery after that.

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Companies NECA Characters Leonardo Raphael Michelangelo Donatello Scale 7 Inch

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Cowabunga! A Look Back at 40 Years of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

Jessica Plummer

Jessica Plummer has lived her whole life in New York City, but she prefers to think of it as Metropolis. Her day job is in books, her side hustle is in books, and she writes books on the side (including a short story in Sword Stone Table from Vintage). She loves running, knitting, and thinking about superheroes, and knows an unnecessary amount of things about Donald Duck. Follow her on Twitter at @jess_plummer .

View All posts by Jessica Plummer

Forty years ago, in May of 1984, two young, unknown men sat at a table at a comic book convention in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. It was the first-ever Portsmouth Mini-Con, a tiny, local event with about 200 attendees. The two young creators had brought along their new comic, which they had published through their own independent publishing company, Mirage Studios, with an initial print run of 3,275 copies. It was printed in black and white on cheap newsprint, and copies sold for $1.50 each.

There was no reason to believe that this deliberately silly, cheaply produced comic would change comics and pop culture history or that one of those $1.50 copies would someday be worth thousands, if not tens of thousands, of dollars on the collectors’ market. But this was the debut outing of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #1.

The Turtles were the brainchild of Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird. The year before, they’d been goofing around, and Eastman had drawn a turtle standing on its hind legs, wielding nunchucks. Laird added the words “teenage mutant.” They were riffing on the most popular comics of the era: the teens of DC’s The New Teen Titans , the mutants of Marvel’s Uncanny X-Men , and the ninjas of Marvel’s Daredevil . (The turtle part was the punchline, but it played into a strong comic tradition of funny animals.)

That first turtle was given three brothers, and the brothers were given the names of Italian Renaissance artists — Leonardo, Donatello, Raphael, and Michelangelo (as if you didn’t already know that) — as a bit of added silliness. The creators drew a comic, emptied their bank accounts and borrowed money to print it, ran a full-page ad in Comic Buyer’s Guide to get retailers’ attention, and set up their table in Portsmouth.

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The gamble worked. Within weeks, they sold out and had to reprint. Demand was so high that they decided to turn their one-shot into a series. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #2 had 15,000 preorders. Issue #3 had 50,000 preorders. Cowabunga!

If you’re around my age — I am one month older than the Turtles — you don’t need to be told about the total world domination (turtle world domination?) that stemmed from that little comic that could. As a kid, I knew the Turtles as a glitzy corporate franchise, with a long-running cartoon, live-action movies, video games, action figures, Hostess Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle Pies (they were green!), and a live show at Radio City Music Hall. But for this anniversary, I thought I’d dive into TMNT #1 and see where Turtlemania all began.

That “where” is a dark alley, with the Turtles taking on 15 members of a street gang as their first outing as ninjas. They efficiently demolish the gang, then return to the sewers where their sensei and adoptive father, the rat Splinter, welcomes them. He then embarks on a lengthy eight pages of exposition of how he came to be a giant rat who knows ninjitsu (short version: ninja love triangle) and the Turtles’ own origin. (There’s a not-so-subtle reference to the Daredevil inspiration as Eastman and Laird show that the same radioactive ooze that blinded young Matt Murdock and heightened his other senses also mutated the then-infant turtles. So yes, technically, there’s an unauthorized Daredevil cameo in this book. The other DD reference: the evil Foot Clan the TMNT fight is a parody of Marvel’s Hand ninjas.)

Splinter sends Raphael to deliver a challenge to the evil ninja, the Shredder, who killed his former owner years ago as part of the aforementioned ninja love triangle. Shredder accepts, and there’s an 11-page fight scene between the Turtles and Shredder and the Foot Clan. At the end, Shredder falls to his death…or does he?

If you’re expecting the pizza-twirling silliness of the ’80s cartoon or even the cuddliness of the Jim Henson-created Turtles of the 1990 movie — the highest-grossing independent film of all time when it released! — the original comic is jarring. The art is engaging but relatively crude, with a slapdash, (accurately) homemade feel. Though they have their characteristic weapons (Leonardo’s katana, Raphael’s sai, Donatello’s bo staff, and Michelangelo’s nunchucks), the Turtles are missing their color-coded bandanas because the comic is in black and white, and they have almost nothing in the way of distinct personalities except for a slight restlessness and extra relish for violence from Raphael.

More startlingly, there is one joke, and it’s the premise. The humor comes entirely from an uber-violent tale of ninjas and revenge being told with deadly seriousness about…turtles. The unrelentingly grim Turtles kill their enemies without pity or regret and, at one point, demand that Shredder commit seppuku. (Remember, the ’80s were the decade of grim ‘n’ gritty, comics-aren’t-just-for-kids-anymore boundary-pushing.) It’s incongruous enough to be funny at first, but the shock value of the joke wears off pretty quickly, and there’s barely enough story left over to fill the 40 pages Eastman and Laird gave themselves.

In other words, there isn’t much to indicate that this book would become a sensation. But it did. Though the comics were successful, Turtlemania was really thanks to the 1987 cartoon, which ran for nearly a decade and significantly softened the Turtles for a child audience, making them much broader comedic characters and taking out all the, um, murder. Eastman and Laird have both expressed regret over the changes the show made, which…did you forget this was supposed to be a joke to begin with, guys?

From there, the Turtles went on to star in four more cartoons, seven theatrical feature films, a live-action TV show, and more. I don’t have the space for an exhaustive rundown of their career, but here are a few highlights:

• Actors who have appeared in Turtle movies and shows include: Corey Feldman, Sam Rockwell, Skeet Ulrich, Chris Evans, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Kevin Smith, Patrick Stewart, Ziyi Zhang, Laurence Fishburne, Jason Biggs, Seth Green, Sean Astin, Mae Whitman, Megan Fox, Will Arnett, Whoopi Goldberg, Tony Shalhoub, Laura Linney, Tyler Perry, Ben Schwartz, John Cena, Chelsea Peretti, Johnny Rotten, Lena Headey, Ayo Edebiri, Maya Rudolph, Seth Rogen, Rose Byrne, Jackie Chan, Ice Cube, and Paul Rudd. Okay!
• In 1990, Pizza Hut sponsored a live musical called Coming Out of Their Shells , which starred the Turtles as a rock band. It kicked off at Radio City Music Hall before embarking on a 40-show tour, plus an appearance on Oprah.
• I feel like it’s obligatory to mention Venus de Milo, the sister turtle introduced in the live-action TV show The Next Mutation , who was pretty universally reviled. And, well. I’m always in favor of more female characters, but this one was, uh…underthought. (She had turtle boobs.)
• On a sadder note, early ’90s Turtlemania led to the importation of about 250,000 red-eared sliders into the UK for kids who wanted them as pets, not knowing that they can a) grow to the size of a dinner plate and b) live for 30 years. Many of those turtles were abandoned in streams and ponds, devastating local ecosystems and leading to them being banned by the EU. As someone who has had a red-eared slider for 22 years, I take this one pretty personally.

If all this has gotten you craving some heroes on the half shell, last year’s animated theatrical film Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem was critically acclaimed, and a sequel series, Tales of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles , is set to premiere this summer. If you want to go back to the Turtles’ comics roots, IDW currently holds the TMNT license. The most recent volume (and longest-running Turtles comic ever) just ended with #150, but IDW plans to launch a new volume in July, written by Jason Aaron and drawn by a quartet of superstar artists (Joëlle Jones, Rafael Albuquerque, Cliff Chiang, and Chris Burnham).

Finally, I leave you with perhaps American pop culture’s greatest artistic achievement: the “Ninja Rap” scene from 1991’s Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 2: Secret of the Ooze , featuring Vanilla Ice:

Happy birthday, boys. Go ninja, go ninja, go, indeed.

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Where to find free outdoor movies in parks across San Diego County this summer

Free outdoor movie screenings this year include popular movies from ‘Barbie’ and ‘The Sandlot’ to Disney favorites ‘The Little Mermaid’ and ‘Encanto’

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San Diego County’s series of more than 100 summer movie screenings in various parks returns this Friday with a showing of “Barbie.”

Locals can meet at Waterfront Park in downtown San Diego for the event starting at 6 p.m. The opening of the summer movie season will be highlighted with additional activities, including bounce houses, crafts, music and games.

The series will continue on May 31 with a showing of “The Little Mermaid” at Fallbrook Community Center and “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem” at the Torrey Highlands Neighborhood Park in Carmel Valley. Also next weekend, “The Sandlot” will be shown at Standley Recreation Center in University City on Saturday.

Parks in all corners of the county are participating this summer in places such as Ramona, Julian, Escondido, North Park, Golden Hill, Imperial Beach, San Ysidro and Chula Vista. The film selections are described as family-friendly, with movies that debuted as recently as 2023 along with classics going as far back as “Rear Window” from 1954.

The screenings will continue through October and end with a final film, “The Book of Life,” on Nov. 1 at Old Town State Park. The movies start 15 minutes after sunset on each date. Attendees can bring their own blankets, beach chairs and picnics, and some locations may offer pre-movie activities.

For more information, go to summermoviesinthepark.com .

May 24 Waterfront Park Downtown: “Barbie”

May 31 Fallbrook Community Center: “The Little Mermaid”

May 31 Torrey Highlands Neighborhood Park: “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem”

June 1 Standley Recreation Center: “The Sandlot”

June 7 Pacific Beach/Taylor Library: “The Little Mermaid”

June 7 Scripps Ranch Community Park: Trolls Band Together”

June 8 Sweetwater Place Park: “The Little Mermaid

June 8 Dos Picos County Park: “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem”

June 8 Rolling Hills Park: “The Sandlot”

June 8 Morley Field Sports Complex: “The Sandlot”

June 14 Pine Valley County Park: “The Little Mermaid”

June 14 Golden Hill Recreation Center: “Shrek”

June 14 Doyle Recreation Center: “Wonka”

June 15 Poway Community Park: “The Little Mermaid”

June 15 Buena Vista Softball Field: “The Princess Bride”

June 15 Flinn Springs County Park: “Cars”

June 15 Cesar Solis Community Park: “Migration”

June 21 Encanto Recreation Center: “Luca”

June 21 Colina Del Sol Park: “Wonka”

June 22 Jess Martin County Park: “Jungle Cruise”

June 22 Potrero County Park: “Wonka”

June 22 Wegeforth Elementary Joint Use Field: “Monsters Inc”

June 22 Crown Point Park: “Luca”

June 28 Waterfront Park: “Trolls Band Together”

June 28 Nobel Recreation Center: “Finding Nemo”

June 28 Veterans Park Imperial Beach: “Migration”

June 29 Poway Community Park: “Migration”

June 29 Otay Lakes County Park: “Trolls Band Together”

June 29 University City Village: “E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial”

July 6 Lincoln Acres County Park: “Elemental”

July 12 Lindo Lake County Park: “Migration”

July 12 Sabre Springs Recreation Center: “Kung Fu Panda 4”

July 12 Naval Training Center (NTC Park): “Lyle, Lyle, Crocodile”

July 12 Silver Wing Recreation Center: “Wonka”

July 12 Berry Street Park: Migration

July 12 Willie Henderson Sports Complex: “Kung Fu Panda 4”

July 13 Poway Swim Center: “Elemental”

July 13 Brengle Terrace Softball Field: “Wish”

July 13 Lake Morena County Park: “Kung Fu Panda 4”

July 13 Morley Field Sports Complex: “Beauty and the Beast”

July 13 Rancho Bernardo Glassman Recreation Center: “Trolls Band Together”

July 13 Santa Clara Recreation Center: “Wish”

July 19 Pine Valley County Park: “Barbie”

July 19 Cesar Chavez Community Center: “Trolls Band Together”

July 19 Villa La Jolla Park: “Migration”

July 19 Mt. View Community Center: “Raya and The Last Dragon”

July 19 Linda Vista Recreation Center: “The Addams Family”

July 20 Horse Creek Ridge County Park: “Migration”

July 20 Marcy Park: “The Greatest Showman”

July 20 South Clairemont Park: “Wall-E”

July 20 Memorial Recreation Center: “Migration”

July 26 Sweetwater Summit Regional Park: “Migration”

July 26 La Mesa Municipal Pool: “Elemental”

July 26 Dusty Rhodes Park: “Kung Fu Panda 4”

July 26 Bay Terraces Community Park: “Wonka”

July 26 Cadman Recreation Center Clairemont “Shrek”

July 27 Poway Community Park Poway: “Kung Fu Panda 4”

July 27 Hilton Head Park: “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem”

July 27 Collier County Park: “Guardians of the Galaxy”

July 27 University City Gardens: “Wonka”

July 27 El Monte County Park: “Trolls Band Together”

July 27 Pacific Highlands Ranch Recreation Center: “Migration”

Aug. 2 Cesar Solis Community Park: “Kung Fu Panda 4”

Aug. 2 Los Peñasquitos Canyon Preserve: “Migration”

Aug. 2 North Park Recreation Center: “Shrek”

Aug. 2 Cabrillo Recreation Center: “Ice Age”

Aug. 2 Martin Luther King Jr. Recreation Center: “Kung Fu Panda 4”

Aug. 3 Ocean Air Recreation Center: “Elemental”

Aug. 3 Tecolote Recreation Center: “Monsters Inc”

Aug. 3 Montgomery-Waller Community Park: “Elemental”

Aug. 3 Memorial Recreation Center: “Wonka”

Aug. 6 Pacific Beach Library: “The Princess Bride”

Aug. 6 Officer Jeremy Henwood Memorial Park: “Toy Story 4”

Aug. 9 San Carlos Recreation Center: “Kung Fu Panda 4”

Aug. 9 Spring Valley County Park: “Ruby Gillman, Teenage Kraken”

Aug. 9 Robert Egger Sr. South Bay Recreation Center: “Under The Boardwalk”

Aug. 9 Colina Del Sol Park: “Kung Fu Panda 4”

Aug. 9 Adams Recreation Center Ballfield: “The Secret Life of Pets”

Aug. 9 Berry Street Park: “Kung Fu Panda 4”

Aug. 10 Old Poway Park: “Hook”

Aug. 10 Brengle Terrace Softball Field: “Barbie”

Aug. 10 Otay Lakes County Park: “Barbie”

Aug. 10 Santee Lakes: “Migration”

Aug. 10 Rolando Elementary School: “E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial”

Aug. 10 Rancho Bernardo Recreation Center: “The Little Mermaid”

Aug. 16 4S Ranch Sports Park: “Elemental”

Aug. 16 Fallbrook Community Center: “Trolls Band Together “

Aug. 16 Azalea Recreation Center: “Migration”

Aug. 16 Mountain View Community Center: “Elemental”

Aug. 16 Cherokee Joint Use Field: “Kung Fu Panda 4”

Aug. 17 Morley Field Sports Complex: “Trolls Band Together”

Aug. 17 Flinn Springs County Park: “The Sandlot”

Aug. 17 Tierrasanta Recreation Center: “Trolls Band Together”

Aug. 17 Chollas Lake Amphitheater: “The Little Mermaid”

Aug. 17 North Clairemont Recreation Center: “Migration”

Aug. 23 San Dieguito County Park: “How to Train Your Dragon”

Aug. 23 Collier Park: “Wish”

Aug. 23 Robb Athletic Field: “Migration”

Aug. 23 Nobel Recreation Center: “Kung Fu Panda 4”

Aug. 23 Lopez Ridge Recreation Center: “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem”

Aug. 24 Jess Martin County Park: “Lady and the Tramp”

Aug. 24 Felicita County Park: “The Goonies”

Aug. 24 Heritage County Park: “Rear Window”

Aug. 24 Allied Gardens Recreation Center: “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem”

Aug. 24 Clay Park: “Elemental”

Aug. 30 Ocean Beach: “Lilo and Stitch”

Aug. 31 Waterfront Park: “Elemental”

Aug. 31 Lincoln Acres County Park: “Mrs. Doubtfire”

Sept. 7 La Jolla Recreation Center: “Wonka”

Sept. 13 Spring Valley County Park: “Elemental”

Sept. 13 Lindo Lake County Park: “Little Giants”

Sept. 13 Point Loma Community Park: “Wonka”

Sept. 14 Stagecoach Park: “Toy Story”

Sept. 20 La Mesita Park: “Wonka”

Sept. 21 Sweetwater Summit Regional Park: “A Million Miles Away”

Sept. 21 Flinn Springs County Park: “Barbie”

Sept. 21 Town Center Community Park: “Encanto”

Sept. 21 Felicita County Park: “The Sandlot”

Sept. 21 Heritage County Park: “Mean Girls”

Sept. 28 Rancho Guajome Adobe County Park: “Nacho Libre”

Oct. 5 Waterfront Park: “Haunted Mansion”

Oct. 11 North Park Mini Park: “The Greatest Showman”

Oct. 11 Nobel Recreation Center: “Coco”

Oct. 12 Hellhole Canyon Preserve: “Mt. Kung Fu Panda 4”

Oct.12 Lake Morena County Park: “Hocus Pocus”

Oct. 12 Felicita County Park: “Coco” (in Spanish)

Oct. 12 Hilltop Recreation Center: “The Goonies”

Oct. 18 MacArthur Park: “Trolls Band Together”

Oct. 19 Otay Lakes County Park: “Hocus Pocus”

Oct. 19 Live Oak County Park: “The Nightmare Before Christmas”

Oct. 19 Mira Mesa Recreation Center: “Hotel Transylvania 4”

Oct. 19 Mt. Hope Cemetery: “Monster House”

Oct. 25 Torrey Highlands Neighborhood Park: “The Nightmare Before Christmas”

Oct. 25 Pacific Beach Recreation Center: “Hotel Transylvania”

Oct. 25 Ocean Beach Recreation Center: “Hotel Transylvania 2”

Oct. 25 Presidio Recreation Center: “Trolls Band Together”

Oct. 26 Agua Caliente County Park: “Ghostbusters: Afterlife”

Oct. 26 Horse Creek Ridge County Park: “Scooby-Doo on Zombie Island”

Oct. 26 Standley Recreation Center: “Hotel Transylvania 3”

Nov. 1 Old Town State Park: “The Book of Life”

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23 episodes

Ryan Sickler and his guests take a seat in “The Wayback” for a nostalgic, wild ride filled with laughter, fond memories, and a touch of wistful reflection. Buckle up.

The Wayback with Ryan Sickler Ryan Sickler

• 4.9 • 587 Ratings
• MAY 23, 2024

The Wayback #21 | Brad Williams

This week Brad Williams takes a seat in the Wayback! Make sure to check out his newest special "Starfish" on YouTube, his Showtime special "Fun Size," and his special on Netflix "The Degenerates." In this ride, we dive into all things '80s toys, collectibles, and fashion. As a self-proclaimed 'action figure king,' Brad tells us about collecting G.I. Joes, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, X-Men, Transformers, and the often-forgotten Exo Squad. Sparking a memory of his own, Ryan shares the time his mom gave him a Go-Bot's lunchbox beatdown and when he used a Cabbage Patch Doll in quite the creative way. Ryan and Brad discuss some footwear of the '80s, like KangaROOS, Zips, and LA Gear. We even find out Brad's middle school band name and one of the raps he still remembers to this day. SUBSCRIBE to my YouTube & turn notifications ON! https://youtube.com/@rsickler SUBSCRIBE to The HoneyDew & turn notifications ON! https://youtube.com/@rsickler SUBSCRIBE TO MY PATREON, The HoneyDew with Y’all, where I Highlight the Lowlights with Y’all PLUS get audio and video of The HoneyDew a day early, ad-free at no additional cost! It’s only $5/month! https://www.patreon.com/TheHoneyDew If you or someone you know has a story that has to be heard, please submit it to [email protected] COME SEE ME ON TOUR https://www.ryansickler.com/tour GET YOUR MERCH! https://shop.ryansickler.com/ http://ryansickler.com/ https://thehoneydewpodcast.com/ SUBSCRIBE TO THE CRABFEAST PODCAST https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-crabfeast-with-ryan-sickler-and-jay-larson/id1452403187 SPONSORS: Rocket Money -Cancel your unwanted subscriptions by going to https://www.RocketMoney.com/WAYBACK Shopify -Sign up for a one-dollar-per-month trial period at https://www.Shopify.com/wayback

• MAY 16, 2024

The Wayback #20 | Drew Lynch

This week Drew Lynch (Did I Stutter Podcast) joins me in the Wayback to talk about all the ways he used to get in trouble as a kid. Our wild ride takes us everywhere from getting kicked out of daycares, hacking vending machines, to blasting strangers with water balloons, and breaking into construction sites. Drew also shares some of the fun made-up games he and the other neighborhood kids would play. As a perfect conclusion to our stories about mischief, we even touch on the memories of the spankings that followed! SUBSCRIBE to my YouTube & turn notifications ON! https://youtube.com/@rsickler SUBSCRIBE to The HoneyDew & turn notifications ON! https://youtube.com/@rsickler SUBSCRIBE TO MY PATREON, The HoneyDew with Y’all, where I Highlight the Lowlights with Y’all PLUS get audio and video of The HoneyDew a day early, ad-free at no additional cost! It’s only $5/month! https://www.patreon.com/TheHoneyDew If you or someone you know has a story that has to be heard, please submit it to [email protected] COME SEE ME ON TOUR https://www.ryansickler.com/tour GET YOUR MERCH! https://shop.ryansickler.com/ http://ryansickler.com/ https://thehoneydewpodcast.com/ SUBSCRIBE TO THE CRABFEAST PODCAST https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-crabfeast-with-ryan-sickler-and-jay-larson/id1452403187 SPONSORS: Calm -Get 40% off a Calm Premium Subscription at https://www.Calm.com/WAYBACK The Farmer’s Dog -Get 50% off your first box plus free shipping when you go to https://www.TheFarmersDog.com/WAYBACK

• MAY 9, 2024

The Wayback #19 | Andrew Santino

This week Andrew Santino takes a seat in The Wayback! (Whiskey Ginger, Bad Friends Podcast)  We get nostalgic about carpools with strangers, leaving the car running, bmx bikes, high school talent shows, and growing up a Chicago Bulls fan.  We also have our first phone call on The Wayback, when Andrew and his mom tell the story of how back in the 80s, someone stole the family car, and whether it was all Andrew's fault! SUBSCRIBE to my YouTube & turn notifications ON! https://youtube.com/@rsickler SUBSCRIBE to The HoneyDew & turn notifications ON! https://youtube.com/@rsickler SUBSCRIBE TO MY PATREON, The HoneyDew with Y’all, where I Highlight the Lowlights with Y’all PLUS get audio and video of The HoneyDew a day early, ad-free at no additional cost! It’s only $5/month! https://www.patreon.com/TheHoneyDew If you or someone you know has a story that has to be heard, please submit it to [email protected] COME SEE ME ON TOUR https://www.ryansickler.com/tour Los Angeles, CA | May 12th GET YOUR MERCH! https://shop.ryansickler.com/ http://ryansickler.com/ https://thehoneydewpodcast.com/ SUBSCRIBE TO THE CRABFEAST PODCAST https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-crabfeast-with-ryan-sickler-and-jay-larson/id1452403187 SPONSORS: Liquid I.V. -Get 20% off your first order when you shop better hydration using promo code WAYBACK at https://www.LiquidIV.com DraftKings -Download the new DraftKings Pick Six app now using code SICKLER and take on the competition with your best NBA player picks!

• MAY 2, 2024

The Wayback #18 | Chad Daniels

Chad Daniels joins me on a new episode of The Wayback!  We get nostalgic about old school cable TV, dirty 80s comedies, waterbeds, and childhood pranks. SUBSCRIBE to my YouTube & turn notifications ON! https://youtube.com/@rsickler SUBSCRIBE to The HoneyDew & turn notifications ON! https://youtube.com/@rsickler SUBSCRIBE TO MY PATREON, The HoneyDew with Y’all, where I Highlight the Lowlights with Y’all PLUS get audio and video of The HoneyDew a day early, ad-free at no additional cost! It’s only $5/month! https://www.patreon.com/TheHoneyDew If you or someone you know has a story that has to be heard, please submit it to [email protected] COME SEE ME ON TOUR https://www.ryansickler.com/tour Los Angeles, CA | May 12th Miami, FL | June 7th & 8th GET YOUR MERCH! https://shop.ryansickler.com/ http://ryansickler.com/ https://thehoneydewpodcast.com/ SUBSCRIBE TO THE CRABFEAST PODCAST https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-crabfeast-with-ryan-sickler-and-jay-larson/id1452403187 SPONSORS: Rocket Money -Cancel your unwanted subscriptions by going to https://www.RocketMoney.com/WAYBACK

• APR 25, 2024

The Wayback #17 | Sam Tallent

Sam Tallent joins me on a new episode of The Wayback! We get nostalgic about being a youth football prodigy, old school coaches, childhood obesity and childhood fears. SUBSCRIBE to my YouTube & turn notifications ON! https://youtube.com/@rsickler SUBSCRIBE to The HoneyDew & turn notifications ON! https://youtube.com/@rsickler SUBSCRIBE TO MY PATREON, The HoneyDew with Y’all, where I Highlight the Lowlights with Y’all PLUS get audio and video of The HoneyDew a day early, ad-free at no additional cost! It’s only $5/month! https://www.patreon.com/TheHoneyDew If you or someone you know has a story that has to be heard, please submit it to [email protected] COME SEE ME ON TOUR https://www.ryansickler.com/tour Toledo, OH | April 26th & 27th Los Angeles, CA | May 12th Miami, FL | June 7th & 8th GET YOUR MERCH! https://shop.ryansickler.com/ http://ryansickler.com/ https://thehoneydewpodcast.com/ SUBSCRIBE TO THE CRABFEAST PODCAST https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-crabfeast-with-ryan-sickler-and-jay-larson/id1452403187 SPONSORS: Shopify -Sign up for a one-dollar-per-month trial period at https://www.Shopify.com/wayback DraftKings -Download the new DraftKings Pick Six app now using code SICKLER and take on the competition with your best NBA player picks!

• APR 18, 2024

The Wayback #16 | Dan Cummins

Dan Cummins joins me on a new episode of The Wayback! We get nostalgic about ghost stories, and making love for the first time to people and things SUBSCRIBE to my YouTube & turn notifications ON! https://youtube.com/@rsickler SUBSCRIBE to The HoneyDew & turn notifications ON! https://youtube.com/@rsickler SUBSCRIBE TO MY PATREON, The HoneyDew with Y’all, where I Highlight the Lowlights with Y’all PLUS get audio and video of The HoneyDew a day early, ad-free at no additional cost! It’s only $5/month! https://www.patreon.com/TheHoneyDew If you or someone you know has a story that has to be heard, please submit it to [email protected] COME SEE ME ON TOUR https://www.ryansickler.com/tour Toledo, OH | April 26th & 27th Los Angeles, CA | May 12th Miami, FL | June 7th & 8th GET YOUR MERCH! https://shop.ryansickler.com/ http://ryansickler.com/ https://thehoneydewpodcast.com/ SUBSCRIBE TO THE CRABFEAST PODCAST https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-crabfeast-with-ryan-sickler-and-jay-larson/id1452403187 SPONSORS: DraftKings --Download the new DraftKings Pick Six app now using code SICKLER and take on the competition with your best NBA player picks! Calm -- The Wayback is sponsored by Calm.  Get 40% off a Calm Premium Subscription at https://www.calm.com/WAYBACK BetterHelp -- The Wayback is sponsored by BetterHelp.  Get 10% off your first month at https://www.Betterhelp.com/wayback

Customer Reviews

587 Ratings

Longer please

Ryan Sickler is amazing in every project he does and any podcast he’s on and this is no exception… I just wish it was longer than 30 min.

One of best

Ryan Sickler is hilarious and thoughtful. Great podcast

Awesome Dude!

Love everything Sickler does!! Huge fan and still listen to The Crabfeast as a fall back favorite!!

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