Over the years, I’ve lost various bits and pieces of my Ninja Turtles collection. I lost mostly comics and collections of various artwork I drew in celebration of my favorite halfshell heroes. .
This is why I am proud that I still have the first ever TMNT Drawing I produced in 1990 at the age of 12 during ‘8th Grade’. Despite being 26 years old, going through various home moves and survived a bottle of aftershave being spilled on it (the smell has gone now!) I have been able to immortalize this for more to see.
Ninja Turtles back then for me was at times more of a closet thing. I was dictated to by peers and adults that 12 was not an appropriate age to be liking ‘this sort of thing’. I defied that Status Quo, but at times hedgehogged away with my love of drawing and these characters – just to keep the peace from the ‘populars n plastics’. There is only so many times one can serve detentions and suspensions.
Pop Culture that many years ago seemingly wasn’t as accepted as it is today. Looking back, I can’t help but be smug about also being told I would grow out of ‘this sort of thing’ in the next 20 years.
So, I proudly showcase once again my simple ‘from reference’ illustration of Raphael popping up from the ‘Manhatten’ Sewers. I am just as proud of the Ninja Turtles brand today as I was back then, only without the occasional ‘hedgehogging’.
-HERO
