Turtle is defined as follows by dictionary.com, any of various aquatic or terrestrial reptiles of the order Testudines (or Chelonia), having horny toothless jaws and a bony or leathery shell into which the head, limbs, and tail can be withdrawn in most species.
Perhaps the oldest tale about the green hard-shelled fellow first impacted society with a positive message, The Tortoise and the Hare says slow and steady wins the race. There are many different beliefs about what the true meaning of the children’s story is but one might assume the true meaning is to teach that you should never rush into anything and be over-confident. Walt Disney Productions created a Silly Symphonies cartoon titled, The Tortoise and the Hare in 1935.
Fast-forward to the early 1980’s and enter Leonardo, Donatello, Michelangelo, and Raphael. Yes, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles captured the minds and imaginations of the main stream pop culture. The whacky and humorous superhero turtles were created by the minds of Kevin Eastman and his friend Peter Laird. The TMNT steam-rolled into the mid 90’s and raked in large revenues accumulated from their faces being plastered on lunch boxes, skateboards, clothing and apparel. Not to mention most boys and even some girls who grew up in that era can testify to playing with the dozens of action figures and toy accessories. There was a successful cartoon series and even a trilogy in the box-office.
And who of us can forget about dear Franklin; a children’s book series written in 1986 by Paulette Bourgeois and illustrated by Brenda Clark. Franklin the turtle and his animal friends taught about different life lessons and the popular books eventually made their way onto the television screens in 1997.
Yes the turtle may be slow and timid in real life, but society found a way to let the slimy creature into their hearts.
