(This was meant to be me just talking about Rise, but I got off track 💀)
Look at that! It's Rise art book day! Time for me to show just how much raw emotion I can pack into a post! (If you don't want to read my ramblings about my history with TMNT, how cool Rise is, and the value of loving things, swipe away)
Rise of the TMNT came out in 2018, when I was very much still a child. I did not watch the show then. In fact, I didn't watch any TMNT show seriously growing up. Sure, when TMNT 2012 came on, we watched it sometimes, but I never got into TMNT when I was a kid. I was a Disney and PBS kid, not Nickelodeon. I thought TMNT was an interesting concept, but I didn't really get it, as an outsider. If it wasn't for the designs in Rise and the impeccable animation, I never would have watched it.
I started watching Rise in late 2023, thanks to YouTube recommending me clip compilations (seriously, can't thank these channels enough) and the first episode (which at some point was on YT in its entirety, don't know if it still is). At this time, I wasn't in fandom spaces at all. I had never read a fanfic. I had never been on Tumblr. But, as I was getting into the show, YouTube kept recommending more things. Inevitably, what won me over to the fandom side was the comic dubs, which I find very funny, since I used to be obsessed with BAB:TQFTIM comic dubs (props if you know what that is). @somerandomdudelmao's Cass Apocalyptic Series was the first, of course. Very shortly after, I happened upon a video that wasn't even a dub, it was just a comic put in video form. That video was of @cupcakeslushie's Empyrean Weeping AU. But oh no, it left on a cliffhanger! So, of course, I sought out the original source. One thing led to another, and I got a Tumblr for the sake of reading comics.
My world only blew up from there.
There were so many AUs that I explored throughout the early times. I have to particularly mention @probably-not-a-rutabaga's Aberration iteration and @tangledinink's Gemini AU, two of those that I can remember diving into headfirst and adoring alongside Empyrean Weeping. Especially Aberration, since that series introduced me to the idea of original iterations!
I lurked on Tumblr for a time, writing my fics for my own eyes. I would sit in classes with my phone beneath my desk, writing out chapter after chapter when I probably should have been paying attention. Fun fact, despite posting it after Second Shot, the first fic I wrote seriously was How to be Homeless for my Mud Dogz AU!
It was only when I saw the announcement for the 2024 @tmnt-fandom-family-reunion that something clicked. I had yet to post anything, but I had three chapters for Second Shot, my original iteration, written. I don't know what it was, but I so desperately wanted to connect with the fandom. I knew that this was my shot (haha). I needed to be part of it. So, I posted the first few chapters within the span of a few days, purely so I could submit myself for the event. I can never be more grateful to that version of myself- the version of me that was in the deepest pit of misery I've ever been in- for taking that leap.
I met some of the kindest people through that summer. @languajix, @belleyells, @justalittleobsessed, and most importantly, @cadoodledoodleydoo. I've talked before on here about how grateful I am for Cadoo, but I don't think I can ever truly capture the real magnitude of the change she's had on my life, and I'm so happy that even after almost 2 years (which is crazy, btw), we're still just as close. Most of my creative endeavors wouldn't exist if it weren't for her input and kindness. She is truly one of the closest friends I have ever had, and I don't say that lightly.
I participated in the FFR last year as well, and while it wasn't as influential on me as 2024, I'm still grateful for the friends I made there, namely @misshowdoyoudo and @lasanya539. You guys rock! Thanks for loving my ratty little thieves!
I'm not the most popular creator on here. Not by a long shot. But even the measly 76 followers I have feels insurmountable. And all the love I've gotten on AO3 is something I could have never expected. The fact that anyone has read my writing- without me having to beg them on my knees- and enjoyed it? Absolutely wild.
Anyways, back to Rise. If I hadn't stumbled upon Rise, none of this would have happened. I would have been stuck in the worst job I've ever worked, in one of the worst conditions medically and mentally I've ever been in, without any light at the end of the tunnel. If I'm being honest, I might not still be here. Rise has such a beautiful story, beautiful art, beautiful writing- it's such a lovely show. This show has pulled some of the strongest emotions from me. If you asked me in early 2023 if I would ever be a diehard TMNT fan because of a cartoon from 2018, I never would have said yes. I never could have predicted just how much this show matters to me now.
I never really had something I could claim as my "favorite thing" growing up. Yes, I watched cartoons. I listened to D&D podcasts (and still actively do, watch JRWI!). But I never had something that was both something people made a lot of content for and something I felt extremely passionate about. I never latched onto things. The posters in my room were for Pokémon and Minecraft, things I liked, but couldn't claim to love. Splatoon came pretty close, but I just don't play video games that often. I always loved animation, but every beautifully animated thing was just something I experienced, appreciated, and moved on from. Rise was different. Something about the underdog story, the dynamics of the characters, the art style, the broad expanse of emotions that the writing went on- something called to me. From that, the basics of TMNT followed.
I know it sounds a little cringy, but I didn't feel like a real, full, confident person before I found TMNT. I was scared to show my emotions. I was scared to show my passion. I was scared to love things. TMNT is so hard to simplify down to a single message, but the importance of identity is so significant in every iteration. Despite being so removed from society, the turtles have the confidence to express their own identities amongst their family. They connect. They squabble. But, at the end of the day, they are genuine. Sometimes, to a fault. Regardless of their mutant nature, they are so brutally human.
It's a story I needed. It's something that's fundamentally changed my identity, how I act, how I carry myself. Rise did that. Two seasons and a movie (plus a fandom) did that. Rise not only kept me alive, it changed my life.
Andy Suriano and Ant Ward, thank you. I know you'll probably never read this, but if you hadn't pitched this silly little concept, my story would have a very different end. So sincerely, from the bottom of my heart, thank you.
And, extra thank you to Colin Stein, for putting the art book that spurred this ramble on!
And the fandom. If you're reading this, you're most likely part of it (I don't think a non-TMNT fan would have gotten this far). Thank you. I've never felt so secure and welcome, even if I've never seen almost all of your faces. You are what makes this place so incredible. You are what keeps me going. You are what keeps me joyful. You should be proud.
And, if you're new to the fandom and for some reason happening upon this, welcome! This place is awesome! You should totally check out all those guys I tagged! And just like,, check my following page! I can't tag all of them, but there's so many great creators for you to discover!
Anyways, long story short, I love ROTTMNT, I'm so happy to have the art book in my grubby little hands, and I can't be happier with the community I've chosen. Thanks for reading this far. Take care!
