My name is Paul Eaton, I own Galactic Comics and Collectibles in Bangor, Maine. The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles have been a huge part of my life since I was young and to celebrate Capes and Tights’ TMNT week here is my story.
So there I was, standing in Rich’s Department Stores toy department at the ripe old age of 6-or-7; looking over all of the action figures when something new caught my eye. A turtle wearing a purple bandana over his eyes and with purple being my favorite color I asked my Uncle what it was and after flipping it over and checking he announced it to be a “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle.”
My uncle gave me the choice of what action figure I would be buying that fateful day. After that, I was hooked.
I had to race home from school once the cartoon started airing everyday. I collected more figures, wore the t-shirts and bought a Mirage TMNT poster from my local comic shop to hang in my bedroom.
I remember standing in line for an hour or more to see the first live action movie, waiting in the front of the line so I could sit exactly where I wanted in the theater. This is back when you had to get there early to get a good seat, unlike now where you can buy tickets online and pick your seat.
Like most kids, I grew up loving numerous toy lines and shows, but TMNT was the one prominent one that you could count on other kids loving too. You could always ask a kid when meeting for the first time who their favorite Turtle was and have an immediate friend.
It’s amazing to look back on what’s going on 40-years and see Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles still going strong for new generations to discover. I love to see kids come into Galactic Comics and find their first TMNT action figure or grab their first comic book.
Thank you to Kevin Eastman, Peter Laird, Jim Lawson, Steve Lavigne and all the others who worked hard to create one of my favorite lines of all time!
