SAN DIEGO — Comic-Con has a way of bringing out the kid in everyone. In this Zevely Zone, I received an unexpected surprise. What's old is new again, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles are back. Imagine my surprise when an old outfit I started wearing twenty years ago was suddenly the hottest costume at the Con. "Hi, Raphael, what's up? Cowabunga," said a representative from Nickelodeon when I hit the convention floor. After years of being sheltered from the human world the 'Turtles' are back.
If you need a refresher course. "They are pretty bad ass, they like pizza, they like to fight crime and best of all they just look cool," said a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle fan. The new movie Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem opens in theaters on August 2nd. "With this new movie coming out I think it is going to be a new revival for the Ninja Turtles and they are going to have more fans. I am really excited," said a super fan named Robbie.
I was excited too, when an old costume that's been gathering dust in a box in my garage was suddenly streamed across the world. "This is live?" I asked when a dad and son started streaming me on their phone. Who knew turtles would be in such high demand? "Does your mother know you do this for a living?" asked a lady holding puppets. I thought it was a fair question. I mean I was after all a middle-aged man dressed up as a turtle.
I may be as slow as a turtle, but Ninja Turtle collector items are flying off the shelves. "Can I get behind the counter and help you sell this stuff," I asked. "Look at that? Sold out. Sold out. Sold out." Luckily, we had the real thing in person. "Are you aware of how many crunches I have to do a day to be this ripped," I joked.
That much turtle love had me coming out of my shell. "Oh, my long, lost cousin, it's like a family reunion," I said as I hugged another super fan dressed up as Raphael. The only thing that could have made the day better was some hype music. "Go Ninja, go Ninja go," sang another super fan.
Comic-Con may be filled with every superhero in the universe, but in 2023 it's good to be lean, mean and green. 'Mutant Mayhem' premieres on August 2 and stars Seth Rogen and Jackie Chan. The voice of my character Raphael will be performed by Brady Noon.
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