Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

Jim Henson with the Creature Shop's animatronic Ninja Turtles

Muppet Babies as pseudo-Turtles

Ninja Monsters

Gonzo Morris points to turtles.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Cavemen

2023 Creature Shop costumes

A TV station gofer on Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.

The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles are a popular superhero team of anthropomorphic reptiles who began in a series of comics in 1984 and gained greater fame with an animated series which ran from 1987 to 1996. In 1990, the Jim Henson Creature Shop supplied animatronic versions of the characters for a theatrical film adaptation and its sequel. The subsequent live-action films following the sequel and an animatronic television series, The Next Mutation, were produced entirely without the involvement of Henson.

In 2023, Jim Henson's Creature Shop made walk-around suits of the Turtles to promote the animated film Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem.

Muppet Mentions

• The opening narration of "Attack of the Mousers", an episode from the 2003 animated series, begins: "A very wise frog once said, 'It's not easy bein' green.' But believe me, he didn't know the half of it."

• A leaked 2012 draft script for the 2014 film has Raphael saying a similar line: "That damn frog was right. It ain’t easy being green."

• In the episode "Cloak and Swaggert" from the 2018 series Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, one of the TV station crew members is a panicked assistant resembling Scooter (The Muppet Show's gofer).

• In the Tales of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles episode "Mikey Takes Charge", Angel of the Purple Dragons refers to Genghis Frog as "Kermit".

Appearances

• Michaelangelo appeared with Baby Kermit, Baby Piggy, Baby Gonzo and other characters in Cartoon All-Stars to the Rescue.

References

• When Baby Piggy dons a ninja outfit to play Donkey Kong in the Muppet Babies episode "It's Only Pretendo", she dubs herself a Baby Mutant Ninja Piggy.

• In the Muppet Babies episode "A Punch Line to the Tummy," Baby Gonzo plays the role of Gonzo Morris, Baby Fozzie's comedy agent. After some bad reviews of his comedy debut, Gonzo assures him that critics don't always know true stardom when they see it. He points to a photo of some live turtles with masks over their eyes and claims the critics found them simply "just a bunch of turtles."

• The 1990 Muppet Babies episode "Sing a Song of Superheroes" featured Baby Kermit, Baby Fozzie, Baby Animal, Baby Bean, and Baby Rowlf as the Ninja Turtles.

• Herry Monster's room is decorated with a "Ninja Monsters" poster in the 1992 book Too Little!

• In a Sesame Street sketch, The Count asks his bats if they'd like to see the latest flick, Teenage Mutant Ninja Bats (starring Bat Midler).

• On Dinosaurs, a poster depicting the Teenage Mutant Ninja Cavemen appeared as a recurring background element in Robbie's bedroom.

• In the first episode of Muppets Tonight, "Teenage Mutant Ninja Truffles" can be seen on the KMUP schedule.

• In Episode 4201 of Sesame Street, an alligator carries what he calls a "turtle lover's" pizza in reference to the Ninja Turtles' adoration for pizza.

• In the 2011 film The Muppets, Rico Rodriguez asks Kermit the Frog if he's one of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Kermit jokingly says he is.

• Sesame Street Episode 5019 features the comic book "Karate Geckos in Space", a parody of the franchise featuring characters with multi-hued hair (rather than masks) and an affinity for Italian food (spaghetti rather than pizza).

Connections

• Will Arnett played Vernon Fenwick in the 2014 film
• Dee Bradley Baker played Chompy Picasso in the 2012 series
• Eric Bauza played Tiger Claw, Hun and additional voices in the 2012 series, Splinter in Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (2018), and Leonardo in Batman vs Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (2019)
• Greg Berg substituted as Donatello in several episodes of the 1989 season
• Rose Byrne played Leatherhead in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem (2023 film)
• John Cena played Baron Draxum on Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (2018 series) and Rocksteady in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem (2023 film)
• Townsend Coleman played Michaelangelo and other minor characters on the 1987 series and made a cameo as "'80s Michelangelo" in the 2012 series episode "Wormquake!" AKA "The Manhattan Project" (2014)
• Darren Criss voiced Raphael in the animated movie Batman vs Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
• Ice Cube played Superfly in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem (2023 film)
• Peter Cullen played Smash in the original series episode "Return of the Shredder" (1988)
• Jessica DiCicco played Mira in the 2012 series
• Michael Dorn played Captain Mozar in the 2012 series
• Giancarlo Esposito played Baxter Stockman in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem (2023 film)
• Laurence Fishburne played the narrator in TMNT (2007 film)
• Corey Feldman played Slash in the 2012 series
• Brad Garrett voiced Krang in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows (2016 film)
• Sarah Michelle Gellar played April O'Neil in TMNT (2007 film)
• Whoopi Goldberg played Bernadett Thompson in the 2014 film
• Gilbert Gottfried played Kraang Sub-Prime on the 2012 series
• Kat Graham voiced April O'Neil in Rise Of The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (2018 series)
• Seth Green played Leonardo in the 2012 series beginning in the third season
• Mark Hamill played Kavaxas in the 2012 series
• Maurice LaMarche voiced Chronos in the 1987 series episode "Split-Second", Attila and Rasputin in the 2012 series, and Foot Brute in Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (2018 series)
• Kate Micucci played Irma in the 2012 series
• Brady Noon played Raphael in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem (2023 film)
• Haley Joel Osment voiced Casey Jones in Rise Of The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Movie (2022 film)
• Rob Paulsen played Raphael on the 1987 series, Donatello on the 2012 series, and voice directed Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (2018 series)
• Hal Rayle substituted as Raphael in several 1990 episodes
• Kevin Michael Richardson played General Aguila in TMNT (2007 film) and Oroku Saki/The Shredder and additional voices in the 2012 series.
• Seth Rogen produced, wrote and played Bebop in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem (2023 film)
• Paul Rudd played Monda Gecko in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem (2023 film)
• Maya Rudolph played Cynthia Utrom in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem (2023 film)
• Ben Schwartz played Leonardo on Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (2018 series)
• Tony Shalhoub voiced Splinter in the 2014 film
• Laura Sreebny worked as a production manager for several episodes of the 2012 series and related shorts
• Patrick Stewart played Winters in TMNT (2007 film)
• Cree Summer voiced Jessica Jaclyn on Rise Of The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (2018 series)
• David Tennant played the Fugitoid/Professor Zayton Honeycutt in the 2012 series
• Danny Trejo played Newtralizer in the 2012 series episodes "Newtralized!" and "When World's Collide"