Iconic Origins: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

Before the cartoons, the toys, and the catchphrases, it started with a single sketch—just one dumb joke to make a friend laugh. Kevin Eastman drew a turtle with nunchucks. Peter Laird added a mask and attitude. Back and forth they went, one-upping each other until a bizarre, brilliant idea took shape. This is the story of that night, that drawing, and how two broke artists turned nothing into something legendary. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Before the billion-dollar empire, before the Saturday morning cartoons and pizza-shouting action figures, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles were just a joke. A dumb sketch made by two broke artists with zero expectations. This is the wild, funny, and unexpectedly emotional true story of how a scrappy indie comic became a global phenomenon - and how it nearly destroyed the friendship that created it. Hosted by Ben De Almeida, this eight-part series follows the rise, reinvention, and ripple effects of a franchise that mutated far beyond anyone’s control. New episodes every Thursday starting October 9. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices