162 — Leif Tilden: Actor inside Donatello Suit in TMNT 1990 & TMNT: The Secret of the Ooze

In time for the re-release of the 1990 film Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles this August 17th and 20th for the film's 35th anniversary, host Brian VanHooker chats with Leif Tilden, the actor inside the Donatello suit in both TMNT (1990) and TMNT: The Secret of the Ooze (1991). The two discuss what it was like for Tilden to stay in those turtle suits for hours a day, meeting Jim Henson and what it was like dancing with Vanilla Ice. He also talks a bit about doing the TGIF show Dinosaurs after TMNT. Sount engineering by Ian Williams. Follow TURTLE TRACKS PODCAST on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/turtle_tracks_podcast/

“Cowabunga!” - Turtlemania is Back! - Celebrate the 35th Anniversary of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles; Fathom Entertainment, Saga Arts, and Warner Bros. Motion Picture Group Bringing The ClassicMovie Back to the Big Screen August 17 and 20 Rediscover The Iconic Film - Exclusive “Turtles Unmasked” Featurette Offers Never-Before-Seen Footage from the Turtle Archives Get Tickets at FathomEntertainment.com

In this episode, host Brian VanHooker chats with Douglas De Azevedo, an animation director on Tales of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, which is now on Netflix. In their discussion, Douglas takes us deep into how the animation of Tales of the TMNT is produced and how the look of TMNT: Mutant Mayhem was adapted for the small screen. Sound engineering by Ian Williams. Follow Turtle Tracks Podcast on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/turtle_tracks_podcast/

This week, host Brian VanHooker welcomes a genuine animation legend onto the Turtle Tracks Podcast, Sue Blu. Having played characters like Arcee in 'Transformers' and Nanny Smurf, Blu moved over to voice direction where she became one of the most prolific voice directors of the 1980s, 1990s and 2000s. Among the many, many shows she's been a part of is the original Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles cartoon, which she voice directed for the show's entire run. Here she recalls working with the four turtle actors Rob Paulsen, Townsend Coleman, Cam Clarke and Barry Gordon, as well as Renae Jacobs, Pat Fraley and the late, great likes of Peter Reneday and James Avery. Sound engineering by Ian Williams. Follow TURTLE TRACKS PODCAST on Instgram: https://www.instagram.com/turtle_tracks_podcast/

In this episode, host Brian VanHooker chats with Sean Sevestre, an artist who was in the visual development department of the 2023 film Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem. Sevestre talks about creating the first painted representations of the characters designed by Woodrow White like Superfly, Bebop and Rocksteady and designing the Laird building in the movie and the process of lighting and coloring various scenes in the film. Sound engineering by Ian Williams. Follow Turtle Tracks Podcast on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/seansevestre/

In this episode, host Brian VanHooker welcomes artist Khary Randolph onto the podcast. Randolph wore several different hats for the 2003 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles series, originally working on licensing art and then on the series and its finale movie, Turtles Forever. Years later he returned to the TMNT via IDW comics working on a variety of projects including recent covers for the ongoing series. Sound engineering by Ian Williams. Follow TURTLE TRACKS PODCAST on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/turtle_tracks_podcast/

In this episode, host Brian VanHooker chats with Julio Galvez, owner of WE CAN BE HEROES COMICS in Chatsworth, California and founder of COMICS & COCKTAILS, a quarterly event in Burbank, CA. On June 21, 2025, Comics & Cocktails will be themed as TURTLECON 2025 bringing fans together with TMNT creators from the past and future, including Ken Mitchroney, Ben Bishop, Tom Waltz, Ciro Nieli, Mateus Santolouco, Luis Antonio Delgado, Ernie Reyes Jr. and the Escorza Brothers, along with many more!!! Spund engineering by Ian Williams. Follow TURTLE TRACKS PODCAST on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/turtle_tracks_podcast/

The second of two back-to-back Super7 interviews with Associate Art Director Kyle Wlodyga. In this interview with host Brian VanHooker, Wlodyga goes through the new 2003 TMNT line by Super7 including wave one of the four Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and the recently revealed Wave Two. Sound Engineering by Ian Williams. Follow TURTLE TRACKS PODCAST on Instagram: www.instagram.com/turtle_tracks_podcast/

The first of two back-to-back Super7 interviews with Associate Art Director Kyle Wlodyga. In his interview with host Brian VanHooker, Wlodyga goes through a series-by-series breakdown of the toys highlighting the unique challenges and experiences with each wave. And, he talks about whether we'll ever see Undercover Donatello and Heavy MEtal Raphael. Stay tuned to the next episode episode where they cover Super7's 2003 line. Sound Engineering by Ian Williams. Follow TURTLE TRACKS PODCAST on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/turtle_tracks_podcast/

In this episode, host Brian VanHooker is joined by writer Tom Waltz and artist Ben Bishop who discuss IDW's The Last Ronin II: Re-Evolution. In a spoiler-filled discussion on the entire five-issue series, Waltz talks following The Last Ronin with this next chapter and that shocking death at the end of the series. Meanwhile, Bishop shares the process of developing the new TMNT for the series. Sound engineering by Ian Williams. Follow TURTLE TRACKS PODCAST on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/turtle_tracks_podcast/