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How the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles became obsessed with pizza
Dude, they've got that pizza power!
Pepperoni and ice cream, jellybeans and mushrooms, anchovies and peanut butter - all these are pizza topping combinations from the first episode of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. From the get-go, the TMNT cartoons shouted loudly and proudly that these turtles loved pizza and were willing to experiment with it for max flavor capacity.
But the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles didn't always eat pizza.
It's almost impossible to imagine, but in the original comic books, the TMNT didn't eat pizza and were disgusted by the concept. Naturally, Michelangelo was the only turtle interested in trying pizza, but the others rejected the idea. So, what did the turtles eat and drink in the comic books? Beer. It's the only beverage (or food) regularly consumed by the turtles in the comic books.
The original comic books differ significantly from the cartoon series, not just in terms of pizza. In the comics, the Turtles all wear red masks, Splinter's origin story differs, and the battle scenes are much more violent and gory.
For a self-published comic, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles was a huge hit, and creators Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird went from being struggling artists to cofounding Mirage Studios to expand the TMNT production. As they expanded their business, licensing agent Mark Freedman stumbled upon the comics and saw a huge branding opportunity for toys and more.
Freedman loved the TMNT but suggested some changes to Eastman and Laird to make the Turtles more family-friendly for kids. Little changes, like changing the bandana colors to make the turtles stand out more, and swapping the beer for something more wholesome. Eastman and Laird ate a lot of pizza while working on the comics, so they made the fateful choice to turn the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles into pizza lovers.
Led by Freedman, Eastman and Laird licensed the TMNT to Playmates Toys, which then led to the development of the cartoon series with Murakami-Wolf-Swenson animation studio. At this point, pizza was in the comic books as the turtles' favorite food, but the creation of the cartoon series made pizza as big of a character as the turtles.
When the cartoon premiered in 1987, pizza was eaten at least once an episode. Pizza provided a moment for the Turtles to discuss the episode's situation or unwind after a battle. It became a core part of the show and the brand, and for the 1990 feature film, pizza led to a game-changing partnership with Pizza Hut.
For the VHS release of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, each tape included a commercial for Pizza Hut and a Pizza Hut coupon book worth $20. You could order pizza while you watched the movie! The product placement didn't end there; the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles arcade game soon became a staple in many Pizza Hut locations. The game itself featured Pizza Hut branding and Pizza Power Ups to level up characters. Pizza Hut even sponsored the live Coming Out of Their Shells Tour, a concert tour of the Turtles performing songs from the movie, such as "Pizza Power".
While co-creator Peter Laird later admitted that he felt the TMNT had maybe overdone it on the pizza, many fans still love how much the turtles love pizza.
