‘Turtle Power’ took the world by storm in the late 1980’s and never let go. If you were a kid in the 90’s, chances are you watched or read some form of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, battled with their action figures, attended a TMNT pizza party, played one of the video games based on the series, or otherwise interacted with the franchise. I fondly remember doing many of those things, mostly while I was in the TMNT sleeping bag that I used just about every night (and day). At Denver Comic Con this year, a childhood dream was realized when I got the chance to sit in on an exclusive press conference with TMNT co-creator Kevin Eastman. There, he treated us to a history of his life and of the Turtles, discussed the generational impact of his creation, and shared stories from its rise to fame.

Like many comic creators, Kevin Eastman started off just like you and I: as a fan. As a child, Eastman lived in a small town in Maine that provided little in the way of entertainment. He kept himself busy with a paper route and stayed entertained by reading comics. He would save up and buy them from a local drug store when money allowed. He read various Jack Kirby titles and followed Gene Colan’s Daredevil.  
 
If you haven’t yet heard the tale of how the Turtles were created, it’s a fascinating one. Eastman and TMNT co-creator Peter Laird were roommates who enjoyed bad TV shows. One day, they were pondering what species Bruce Lee would be if he were an animal. Eastman started by sketching a turtle standing up on his hind legs and in a martial arts pose. The two laughed at the silliness of it before Laird responded by trying to one-up Eastman. Laird drew a cooler looking turtle with a weapon. Eastman topped that by drawing four turtles, each one holding a different weapon. Next came the words ‘Ninja Turtles’ floating above the drawing. Ultimately, for the sake of ridiculousness, ‘Teenage Mutant’ was added to the front of that. What started as a ‘dumb joke’ became the primary focus of the comic-creating duo, as they saw potential in the story.
 
Eastman and Laird began to flesh everything out, creating a universe for the four sketched fighting turtles they had created. Much of the inspiration for the TMNT backstory came from those early Daredevil comics that Eastman used to read. You know the radioactive canister that blinded a young Matt Murdock and destined him for a life as Daredevil? Well, in the TMNT universe, that canister rolls down the street and collides with a man carrying a fishbowl containing his four pet baby turtles. That’s where the ‘mutant’ part of things comes into play. The canister keeps rolling and falls into a sewer, where a rat who would become known as Master Splinter finds it. Additionally, that name for the Turtles’ rodent leader and martial arts guru is a play on ‘Stick’, the name of the man holding a similar role in Daredevil. Finally, just as Daredevil battles ‘The Hand’, an imposing and mystical order of ninjas, the Turtles fight ‘The Foot Clan’.

For all the inspiration TMNT took from Daredevil, it remains one of the most imaginative and unique franchises of our time. Perhaps that’s what sparked the immediate boom when it went public. After Eastman and Laird self-published one issue of TMNT and introduced it at a small comic convention in a New Hampshire hotel, it took off like a rocket. The duo struck a mega licensing deal that sent the comic’s characters into every avenue of mainstream merchandising. From the mid-80’s to today, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles have sparked the imaginations of kids everywhere.
 
During the press conference, Eastman was asked about the generational impact of his work, and what it means to him to have seen so many people enjoy it over its decades-long run. He said it is mind-blowing and humbling to see how much people enjoy his creation. Growing up reading comics and looking up to writers and artists, Eastman now sees a little bit of himself in those kids that love TMNT. He’s blown away when he sees that people who have grown up with his work have now passed their love for it down to their own kids.
 
To my absolute thrill, and to that of my inner-child, I was able to ask Eastman a question during the press conference. I asked when it really hit him that his creation had become a major part of pop culture. He offered up three different moments. First was when the TMNT animated series had made it into TV Guide. He received a phone call from his ecstatic mother after she saw it listed in that week’s issue. Second was when he received an equally jubilant call from his grandmother, who wanted to let him know that the Turtles were the answer to a question on that day’s episode of Jeopardy! The final shock came after TMNT toys started to hit the shelves in 1988. Eastman drove to the nearest KB Toys to see if the action figures were really there and what that looked like. Not only did he find a large display waiting on the shelves, he also arrived just in time to find a mother telling her son that she wasn’t ‘going to buy him one of those stupid turtles’. (That’s how you know you’ve made it big!) Eastman admitted that it was hard to see the rise of TMNT when he and Laird were in the middle of it, working 80-90 hours a week. Those small moments allowed him to step back and see just what TMNT had become.
 
Thirty years later, both Eastman and the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles are holding strong in the world of comics and pop culture. New movies, stories, and TV shows have captured the imaginations of a new generation of fans. Eastman has seen plenty of changes in the styles of and approaches to creating comics, but he’s stuck with his tried and true methods. While he appreciates computer-based artwork and the work that it takes, he says ‘I’m not that smart…and I like the physicality of pen to paper’. Eastman is currently busy working on a run of TMNT comics through IDW Publishing, as well as the Drawing Blood Comic and Heavy Metal Magazine. I unfortunately wasn’t able to meet Eastman personally at Denver Comic Con, but the long lines at his table, the time he spent meeting with fans, and the joy on the faces of the people who got to chat with him are all testaments the influence of his wacky, beloved creation. Here’s to another thirty years of Turtle Power!

A myriad of quotes exists about the importance and beauty of giving. There are few places where the joys of giving are on display as much as they are at Denver Comic Con. At DCC, charity and education are ingrained in the entirety of the event, though that is sometimes easy to forget amidst all the excitement. Lost in the sea of art, cosplayers, celebrity guests, and merch, there’s a chance you were having so much fun you didn’t quite realize how much you were giving back.
 
Denver Comic Con is an educational event put on by Pop Culture Classroom, a local organization that aims to introduce comics and pop culture to kids in need as a means to increase literacy, foster a love of learning, and make an impact in the classroom. DCC has firmly established itself as one of the biggest conventions in the nation, only trailing New York and San Diego in attendance. The 100,000-plus annual attendees of DCC contribute to the cause just by walking in the door, as all proceeds from ticket sales fund the classroom program, including staffing and supplies.
 
Children’s education is at the forefront of what Pop Culture Classroom and DCC both do. That is evident when strolling through DCC, as over 9,000 square feet of the convention is used for the ‘Kids’ Laboratory’, an area that gives children their own panels, activities, and chances to engage with comics, art, STEAM learning, and other programming. I had a blast just walking through the Kids’ Lab and seeing the excitement and wonder on kids’ faces.
 
One particular highlight was watching former Denver Bronco and Super Bowl 50 champion David Bruton’s story time. Clad in an Iron Man and Spider-Man team up shirt, Bruton read Quit Calling Me a Monster to the kids in attendance before fielding questions from them, chatting with them, and taking pictures. Bruton, a former substitute teacher and founder of his own reading-centric charity ‘Bruton’s Books’, is a true champion in the realm of children’s literacy. Seeing all of the kids that were so engaged when he read was just one example of the power of community and learning that was evident all weekend long. 

In addition to their focus on the kids, Pop Culture Classroom and Denver Comic Con also make it a point to give back to teachers. This year’s con schedule featured a slew of programming specifically aimed at educators of all levels, including panels on starting a school book club, using meaningful gaming in education, creating standards-based lesson plans for graphic novels, and incorporating comics into college classrooms. I had the chance to chat with a few educators that attended some of these panels and all of them talked about how fired up they were to try some of the new approaches they discovered.
 
I’d like to give a personal testimony on Pop Culture Classroom’s staff and their commitment to the organization’s mission. Last December, I made a small donation to Pop Culture Classroom on Colorado Gives Day, the state’s annual donation campaign. Not long after I donated, I received a personal call from Vicki Carey-Davis, PCC’s Development and Sponsorship Director. She thanked me for my donation, asked me why the Pop Culture Classroom mission was important to me, and discussed other opportunities to stay connected and get involved. That call let me know that they are an organization that is passionate about what they do and that they truly care about the impact they have on kids across the state.
 
We attend Denver Comic Con and similar conventions because superheroes or fictional worlds or fantastical stories have captured our imagination. Right behind us is a generation seeking the same adventures. Unfortunately, not all kids have the same access to books or haven’t yet found comics that might pull them into reading. Good news is, there are plenty of opportunities to change that! You can donate used books, money, or your time. You can see what great organizations like Pop Culture Classroom and Bruton’s Books are doing. You can spend some time reading with a younger family member or personally introduce them to comics. And keep in mind when you’re taking a trip to Denver Comic Con next year, even that helps put books and comics in the hands of kids who need them.