MIKEYSTMNT.COM

Long before the updates, the forums, the soundtracks, the blogs, and even the interviews, there was one little web page that was striving to bring a little bit of fun and nostalgia to the world. When I founded MIKEY’S TMNT PAGE in November 1998, I honestly didn’t think it’d still be around 10 years later. I had no idea it would become a gathering place for fans of all ages, a place where we’d talk TMNT, but life as well. I had no idea ten years later, people would still be interested in the site. I had no idea that anyone affiliated with Mirage Studios would even know or care about our corner of cyberspace, let alone hire our own co-admin as a pin-up artist for the TMNT comics. Mikey’s TMNT Page was meant to be a resource for fans, collectors, and a way to flex my web-building muscles.

In the past ten years, things have built, peaked, declined, built up again, and then continued at a steady pace. The site has weathered three (almost four) U.S. Presidents — one who was impeached, another who is considered by many to be “the worst president ever” and our current President-elect, who is the first African-American Commander-in-Chief.

We survived the Millenium Bug, the 9-11 terrorist attacks, anthrax, the dotcom bust, the real estate boom and its recent implosion, continuous economic struggles, hurricanes, wildfires, tsunamis, and war, war, war. Equal rights for the LGBT community have been given … and taken away. We watched oil prices climb steadily for years, then crash in a day, along with our stock market. Catholics got a new Pope, countless celebrities got new spouses, and who knows how many new cell phones we all got.

When this site was launched, there was no such thing as an iPod, iPhone, Wii, DS or even a GameCube, and we still considered Pluto a planet. Ten years ago, we were listening to the Barenaked Ladies hit “One Week” and watching Armageddon at the theatre. We weren’t wasting time on YouTube or Myspace and Facebook because there was no YouTube, Myspace and Facebook. Myspace and Facebook? We didn’t even Google!

The world has changed plenty since 1998, but I’m so very proud to say that, despite it all, we’re still here … alive and kicking. The success of Mikey’s TMNT is owed completely to the fans who continue to visit and contribute day in and day out, that snapper of all snapperz Tokka, who has single-handedly kept the site afloat during the some of the best and worst of times, and of course, the official TMNT team at Mirage, Peter, Kevin and everyone else… I thank you for your support from the bottom of my heart, and as always… KEEP IT GREEN!