TurtleTracksPodcast

In this episode, host Brian VanHooker chats with George Goodchild, who was the character designer on the 1987 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles cartoon for most of the series. Goodchild designed the baby Turtles, Kerma, Hokum Hare and many others. He also adapted characters like Groundchuck and Dirtbag from their toy form into their animated incarnations! Sound engineering by Ian Williams. Follow Turtl...

In this very special episode, host Brian VanHooker is joined by Tom Waltz and Sophie Campbell, the writers behind IDW's ongoing Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles series. With issue #150 on the horizon — coming out 4/24/2024 — both writers reflect on the longest, most in-depth run in the entire history of the TMNT. Waltz talks about the first 100 issues, including the reincarnation origin story and Spli...

In this epsiode, host Brian VanHooker is joined by Justin Ishmael, a toy designer who has been behind a number of awesome TMNT releases over the past decade. As the Creative Director and CEO of Mondo Toys, he oversaw the creation of the 1/6 Mondo set of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and the "First Turtle" based on Kevin Eastman's original TMNT drawing. More recently, in collaboration with Bottlenec...

NECA artist Aaron Hazouri returns to Turtle Tracks Podcast with host Brian VanHooker to chat about the new releases for this year's Target Haulathon. Hazouri did the box art for the new Pizza Club versions of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and he breaks down the development of that artwork with NECA and Nickelodeon. Sound engineering by Ian Williams. Follow Turtle Tracks Podcast on Instagram: ht...

In this episode, host Brian VanHooker is joined by writer Patrick Ehlers. Ehlers is the author of the IDW's TMNT oral history featured alongside issue #100 as well as the new TMNT sourcebook. The two of them discuss IDW's amazing run of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles comics and the first part of Ehler's four-part sourcebook. Part Two is on sale 4/3/2024. Sound engineering by Ian Williams. Follow Tur...

In this episode, host Brian VanHooker chats with Vincenzo Federici, an artist on the IDW Comics Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles series. Here, Vincenzo discusses developing his take on the TMNT and what Turtle-Mania was like in his native Italy. Sound Engineering by Ian Williams. Follow Turtle Tracks Podcast on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/turtle_tracks_podcast/

In this episode, host Brian VanHooker chats with Beth Mitchroney about the old days of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles at Mirage Studios. In addition to writing Archie's Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Adventures comics issues #3 and #4 — along with her husband, artist Ken Mitchroney — Beth was in charge of responding to fan mail sent into Mirage. In this episode, she recalls working on the TMNT Adventu...

In this episode, host Brian VanHooker interviews comic book artist Dan Shoening, who is a regular penciler on IDW's Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Saturday Morning Adventures. The two discuss how Shoening so perfectly captures the look of the 1987 TMNT cartoon, as well as his favorite characters to work with. Sound engineering by Ian Williams. Follow Turtle Tracks Podcast on Instagram: https://www....

In this episode, host Brian VanHooker chats with Dan Duncan, who penciled the first 12 issues of the IDW Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles series. The two discuss his take on the turtles, his designs for characters like Shredder, Old Hob and General Krang as well as what it was like to return for issue #150. Sound engineering by Ian Williams. Follow Turtle Tracks Podcast on Instagram: https://www.insta...

For the 100th episode of Turtle Tracks Podcast, host Brian VanHooker is joined by the stars of the original 1987 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles cartoon series, Cam Clarke (Leonardo), Barry Gordon (Donatello), Rob Paulsen (Raphael) and Townsend Coleman (Michelangelo). In lieu of a standard interview, the foursome compete in a quiz show called "Name That Mutant," based on trivia from TMNT 1987. Sound...

In this episode, host Brian VanHooker welcomes the prolific actor, writer, director, creator Robert Ben Garant, best known for playing Junior on 'Reno 911!' (a show which he also co-created). For nine months, from 1990 to 1991, Robert Ben Garant was part of the advance team for the Pizza Hut-sponsored 'Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Coming Out of Their Shells' music tour. Dressed as Michelangelo, G...

In this episode, host Brian VanHooker chats with Gary Dolan, the executive accounts manager for Bull Airs Sneaker company. In addition to being a TMNT collector and super fan, Dolan has been a big part of the Bull Airs sneaker company, which specializes in custom-made pop-culture infused sneakers, including a wide array of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles sneakers. Sound Engineering by Ian Williams.

In this episode, host Brian VanHooker chats with Sarah Myer, a regular artist on IDW's Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Saturday Morning Adventures. Myer shares the influence the 1987 TMNT cartoon had on them and shares how they developed their own take on the chracters. The two also nerd out pretty hard over that cartoon and it's bizarre and often hilarious sensibilities. Sound Engineering by Ian Wil...

In this episode, host Brian VanHooker chats with actress Paige Turco, who played April O'Neil in the second and third Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles films. In it, she recounts what it was like conversing with the Jim Henson suits and how uncomfortable her outfit was in TMNT III. She also shares an exclusive, never-before-revealed piece of TMNT history about herself and TMNT co-creator Kevin Eastman....

In this episode, host Brian VanHooker talks with Shawn Lee, the letterer on IDW's Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles series. Lee has been with the series since issue #2 back in 2011, and here he reviews more than a decade of being on the longest running TMNT series in any medium. Sound engineering by Ian Williams

In his second appearance on Turtle Tracks, Ralph DiBernardo of Jetpack Comics shares details about Portmouth Mini-Con 40, coming April 27th and 28th to Portsmouth, New Hampshire in 2024. He even makes a guest announcment EXCLUSIVE to Turtle Tracks! Sound Engineering by Ian Williams

In this holiday-themed edition of the Turtle Tracks Podcast, host Brian VanHooker explores one of the more bizarre deep cuts in TMNT history: the direct-to-VHS musical special "We Wish You a Turtle Christmas." Guest Tish Rabe is the author of over 200 best-selling children's books, but she's also the writer of "We Wish You a Turtle Christmas" and "Turtle Tunes," two live-action specials from 1994...

In this episode, host Brian VanHooker chats with Gavin Smith of IDW comics. Gavin has done work on the ongoing IDW Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles series and he discusses what influenced his take on the TMNT. He also talks growing up in the TMNT fandom during Turtle-Mania. Sound Engineering by Ian Williams

In this episode, Brian VanHooker interviews Paul Allor, a prolific writer for IDW comics. In addition to writing several stories in the main IDW TMNT continuity, they are the writer for the recent Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles vs Street Fighter series, which featured a number of epic fights between the main characters in each franchise. Allor also discusses some of the original characters they've h...

In this episode, host Brian VanHooker welcomes his friend Aaron Hazouri, an artist over at NECA Toys. Hazouri is also the artist behind the Turtle Tracks Podcast logo and his art is beloved in the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles fan community. The two discuss Hazouri's path to NECA and major influences on his artwork, including the classic TMNT artitsts at Mirage Studios. Sound engineering by Ian Wil...

In this episode, host Brian VanHooker interviews IDW comics writer Erik Burnham. Burnham is the ongoing writer for Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Saturday Morning Adventures, which continues the adventures of the 1987 TMNT. Burnham talks about that original series and translating the humor to a new medium. He also goes into his work on the TMNT/Ghostbusters crossover and other comics for IDW. Sound...

In this episode, host Brian VanHooker is joined by screenwriter Christopher Yost, who, in addition to writing blockbuster movies like "Thor: Ragnorok", has been a part of three different chapters in TMNT history. He wrote more than a dozen episodes of the 2003 cartoon series, including episodes focused on Bishop and Usagi Yojimbo as well as the Battle Nexus and Ninja Tribunal storylines. He wrote...

In this episode, host Brian VanHooker chats with Stu Gillard, writer and director of the 1993 time travel adventure, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III. In addition to addressing the change in creature effects from the previous films, Gillard talks about developing the story, filming in Oregon and the input he got from Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird. Sound engineering by Ian Williams.

Coverage of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem continues when host Brian VanHooker interviews Andrew Joustra. Joustra served as the Script and Recording Coordinator on the new TMNT film and he recalls stories about watching the four young actors playing the Turtles recording together as well as with Ice Cube. He also sheds some light on earlier versions of the script. Sound Engineering by...

In this episode, host Brian VanHooker interviews artist Vernon Smith, who did one of the covers for IDW Comics' Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Saturday Morning Adventures Halloween Special, coming out October 11, 2023. Smith talks about developing his cover, the classic influences on his style and rejected ideas. Sound Engineering by Ian Williams