VI. MICHELANGELO
LEONARDO
Of all the words I can think of to describe Michelangelo, probably "happy" works best.
RAPHAEL
(pumping fist in air) "Party."
DONATELLO
He's like the heart of the group, or the soul. We may have all our routines down, but it's Mikey who's gonna be smiling while he does them.
LEONARDO
Michelangelo is like the anti-Raph. If you asked Mikey, he'd probably tell you that there's nowhere in the world he'd rather be than exactly where he is.
MICHELANGELO
Since the mutation, I've never stopped feeling fortunate. I mean, due to a complete freak accident, one that had next-to-no-chance of happening, we all have a chance to really live, y'know? And I can't tell you how amazing that is.
MASTER SPLINTER
As our lives have been somewhat of a struggle, especially early on, I have attempted to keep a positive outlook on life. Michelangelo is invaluable in helping me maintain that outlook.
RAPHAEL
It's weird. Even when things get really rough, Mikey's there smiling through it. You heard that joke, right? This king has a really optimistic son, so he fills his room with horse manure, trying to bring him down. He finds him a few hours later, digging away happily. "With all this stuff, there's just got to be a pony, too!" That's Michelangelo in a nutshell.
DONATELLO
Even with my trips to the library, the five of us might've stayed in the sewers forever if it wasn't for Mikey. He totally craves social interaction, and us four couldn't provide enough of it.
MICHELANGELO
I look at Donatello, y'know, working on his stuff or reading a book, and wonder how he does it. I just can't be by myself too long - I start going nutzoid.
LEONARDO
Mikey broke up a mugging one night. Ends up the would-be victim was the bass player for some local punk band - Atomic Zombie Mob. To say thanks, the guy gave Mikey two tickets to their next concert.
DONATELLO
We met up soon after, and he told me had gotten these tickets. I sort of said, "Well, that was a nice gesture", and Mikey said no, he actually wanted to go. I told him, look, forget it - it was too dangerous, and Splinter wouldn't let you go anyway. He said, "Yeah, you're probably right." Then he sneaks out and goes anyway!
MICHELANGELO
It's not like I wanted to disobey Splinter. I knew what I was doing was wrong, and I'd get punished for it. But I felt this was an opportunity to...well, now I'd call it "expanding my social circle". I don't know what I would've called it back then. And I didn't know if I could explain it. So I just snuck off and went.
RAPHAEL
(smiling) In a way, Mikey sneaking off made me feel really good. It was good to see someone acting the rebel besides me. And it made me look good by comparison!
MICHELANGELO
The music was kinda lame, to be honest, but I hardly noticed. I mean, I loved the vibe, with all those people getting off on the tunes. Even though I didn't like the music, I liked how it affected everyone else, so I ended up enjoying myself. A few folks came over to talk to me, and that was just so cool. I mean, humans were talking to me! And they weren't freaked out, either. They just figured I got all dolled up in green for the show. I wasn't even the weirdest looking one there!
MASTER SPLINTER
When I discovered that Michelangelo had gone to a rock concert, I agonized heavily over whether to go retrieve him. I finally decided that that would probably cause even more problems, and so I had to trust that he could take care of himself. When he finally returned, he immediately confessed, but it was obvious that he had had a very good time. (smiling slightly) His punishment was born gladly, you might say.
MICHELANGELO
I told Splinter I was sorry I snuck out like that, but that I had a great time. And I was accepted like any other human.
MASTER SPLINTER
He did admit the music was not all that he had hoped.
MICHELANGELO
I've gone to a lot more shows since that - most of 'em better. Sure, I get looks, and sometimes someone'll say something, but I just say, "I'm here for the music." They always leave you alone after that.
LEONARDO
He dragged me to one concert. (shaking his head) Never again. Well, maybe if Mondo's band's playing...
RAPHAEL
I go along with Mikey sometimes. I like the thrashy hard stuff - three chords 'n' the truth - but Mikey likes it all.
DONATELLO
You know the real reason we hate to see Mikey go to a show? It means someone else has to cook.
MICHELANGELO
Cooking was one of the chores we used to rotate through. Every fifth day, it was your turn to make dinner. But I loved doing it so much, I started switching my other chores for it.
LEONARDO
After awhile, Mikey would be saying, "You want me to cook for you tonight?" And I'd say, "What do I have to do for you?" and he'd say, "Don't worry about it." (smiling) Hard to pass that up. Still, I'd usually end up doing something for him - taking out the trash or something - just because I felt bad that I didn't take something on.
DONATELLO
Actually, that worked out great. My running joke is that I can fix anything except a decent dinner. (smiling) The guys were getting a little tired of my peanut butter sandwiches.
MASTER SPLINTER
Michelangelo became excellent at cooking on a very limited budget.
DONATELLO
Money's not as much of a concern now, so we can eat somewhat better. We even go out to eat once in awhile - to hell with folks staring. But I'd still rather have Mikey's pizza than anything else in the world.
MASTER SPLINTER
Michelangelo was reading a book in which the characters were at a sushi restaurant. Michelangelo asked me "What is sushi?"
MICHELANGELO
Splinter told me what sushi was, and how they make it. I could tell by the way he was talkin' that he really liked the stuff. So I had you get me that book on how to make sushi - all quiet-like, 'cause I didn't want Splinter to know. I read that book over and over - memorized it. Finally, I got up the nerve to make it. I told everyone there'd be a surprise for dinner, and to stay out of the kitchen area.
RAPHAEL
Were we curious? Yeah, of course. But Mikey never let us down, so I knew better than to spoil the surprise.
MICHELANGELO
I was a nervous wreck. I so much wanted this to be perfect for Splinter. (shaking head) It wasn't. Well, it was all right, but getting the shape right and all - it takes a lot of practice. I put the best-looking pieces - two rolls and five singles - onto a plate, then I poured some soy sauce in a little bowl, a little wasabi, pickled ginger. It wasn't the prettiest sushi platter you've ever seen. Didn't really look like the ones in the book.
LEONARDO
So out comes Michelangelo with this plate and little bowl on a tray, and he places them in front of Splinter. To this day, I've never seen a happier expression on Splinter's face.
RAPHAEL
Splinter says, "Michelangelo, this is sushi!" Like he didn't know.
MASTER SPLINTER
(smiling) I pride myself in keeping my emotions from showing. I will freely admit that I failed that night.
MICHELANGELO
I told him to go ahead and eat - I had more to bring out for the rest of us. He picked up one piece with his chopsticks, dipped it in soy sauce, and bit into it.
DONATELLO
Frankly, the food looked pretty strange, so I was watching Splinter's face for some sort of reaction after that first bite. (smiling) Yeah, it got a reaction.
MICHELANGELO
Splinter closed his eyes, chewed and swallowed. Then he just sat there for a second, and I was all set to ask if it was OK. But then he opened his eyes, rearranged himself on his cushion into a kneeling position...and bowed to me.
MASTER SPLINTER
I find it hard to state what I was feeling at that moment. It was not the sushi so much as...it was the first time that I was hit by the realization that the five of us were in fact a family. Michelangelo had done something very special, simply in order to please me. I felt extremely honored and humbled. (laughing) Although I am sure I embarassed him with my reaction.
RAPHAEL
I gave Mikey some hell about it for a few days - y'know, how he was probably Splinter's favorite now 'n' all.
MICHELANGELO
Once I was out on patrol, and I broke up a drug deal. The two guys just split. One of them left behind a skateboard. (grinning) That was fatal.
DONATELLO
Mikey came home with this skateboard, and said he was going to try to teach himself to ride it. I had just started going to the library, so I got him a couple books to read.
MICHELANGELO
The books Donny gave me were real big on safety precautions - y'know, helmets, padding and all that. I beefed up the padding on my elbows 'n' knees, but there was no way I could find a helmet that'd fit me. I figured I'd just have to be extra careful. Which I have been. More or less.
LEONARDO
There was this sewer tunnel that extended over a thousand feet in a straight line. It had a walkway on one side, and that became Mikey's skating tunnel.
MICHELANGELO
It had a brick wall on one side, and raw sewage on the other. Plenty of impetus to not wipe out. I started out going really slow, but picked up speed pretty quick.
RAPHAEL
He was good on that thing, but it's not like he never wiped out. I can remember...at least twice, maybe more. Seeing him come back to the lair covered in sewage. He just grumbled and went to the shower. Had to take the skateboard in with him, then clean up his tracks afterwards.
MASTER SPLINTER
I did worry, for he had no helmet. But I never saw him going very fast, so I simply had faith he would not to anything reckless. He would occasionally scrape a leg, but such injuries are part of the learning process.
DONATELLO
Mikey's taken to writing a lot recently, too. He hasn't shown me much, but what I've seen's been pretty good.
MICHELANGELO
My writing's kinda private. My own thing. I don't mind Sensei or anyone reading it, really, but I didn't really write it for them; I wrote it for me, y'know? So even if they think it sucks, it doesn't matter. (smiling) Because it wasn't for them anyway.
LEONARDO
Of all the words I can think of to describe Michelangelo, probably "happy" works best.
RAPHAEL
(pumping fist in air) "Party."
DONATELLO
He's like the heart of the group, or the soul. We may have all our routines down, but it's Mikey who's gonna be smiling while he does them.
LEONARDO
Michelangelo is like the anti-Raph. If you asked Mikey, he'd probably tell you that there's nowhere in the world he'd rather be than exactly where he is.
MICHELANGELO
Since the mutation, I've never stopped feeling fortunate. I mean, due to a complete freak accident, one that had next-to-no-chance of happening, we all have a chance to really live, y'know? And I can't tell you how amazing that is.
MASTER SPLINTER
As our lives have been somewhat of a struggle, especially early on, I have attempted to keep a positive outlook on life. Michelangelo is invaluable in helping me maintain that outlook.
RAPHAEL
It's weird. Even when things get really rough, Mikey's there smiling through it. You heard that joke, right? This king has a really optimistic son, so he fills his room with horse manure, trying to bring him down. He finds him a few hours later, digging away happily. "With all this stuff, there's just got to be a pony, too!" That's Michelangelo in a nutshell.
DONATELLO
Even with my trips to the library, the five of us might've stayed in the sewers forever if it wasn't for Mikey. He totally craves social interaction, and us four couldn't provide enough of it.
MICHELANGELO
I look at Donatello, y'know, working on his stuff or reading a book, and wonder how he does it. I just can't be by myself too long - I start going nutzoid.
LEONARDO
Mikey broke up a mugging one night. Ends up the would-be victim was the bass player for some local punk band - Atomic Zombie Mob. To say thanks, the guy gave Mikey two tickets to their next concert.
DONATELLO
We met up soon after, and he told me had gotten these tickets. I sort of said, "Well, that was a nice gesture", and Mikey said no, he actually wanted to go. I told him, look, forget it - it was too dangerous, and Splinter wouldn't let you go anyway. He said, "Yeah, you're probably right." Then he sneaks out and goes anyway!
MICHELANGELO
It's not like I wanted to disobey Splinter. I knew what I was doing was wrong, and I'd get punished for it. But I felt this was an opportunity to...well, now I'd call it "expanding my social circle". I don't know what I would've called it back then. And I didn't know if I could explain it. So I just snuck off and went.
RAPHAEL
(smiling) In a way, Mikey sneaking off made me feel really good. It was good to see someone acting the rebel besides me. And it made me look good by comparison!
MICHELANGELO
The music was kinda lame, to be honest, but I hardly noticed. I mean, I loved the vibe, with all those people getting off on the tunes. Even though I didn't like the music, I liked how it affected everyone else, so I ended up enjoying myself. A few folks came over to talk to me, and that was just so cool. I mean, humans were talking to me! And they weren't freaked out, either. They just figured I got all dolled up in green for the show. I wasn't even the weirdest looking one there!
MASTER SPLINTER
When I discovered that Michelangelo had gone to a rock concert, I agonized heavily over whether to go retrieve him. I finally decided that that would probably cause even more problems, and so I had to trust that he could take care of himself. When he finally returned, he immediately confessed, but it was obvious that he had had a very good time. (smiling slightly) His punishment was born gladly, you might say.
MICHELANGELO
I told Splinter I was sorry I snuck out like that, but that I had a great time. And I was accepted like any other human.
MASTER SPLINTER
He did admit the music was not all that he had hoped.
MICHELANGELO
I've gone to a lot more shows since that - most of 'em better. Sure, I get looks, and sometimes someone'll say something, but I just say, "I'm here for the music." They always leave you alone after that.
LEONARDO
He dragged me to one concert. (shaking his head) Never again. Well, maybe if Mondo's band's playing...
RAPHAEL
I go along with Mikey sometimes. I like the thrashy hard stuff - three chords 'n' the truth - but Mikey likes it all.
DONATELLO
You know the real reason we hate to see Mikey go to a show? It means someone else has to cook.
MICHELANGELO
Cooking was one of the chores we used to rotate through. Every fifth day, it was your turn to make dinner. But I loved doing it so much, I started switching my other chores for it.
LEONARDO
After awhile, Mikey would be saying, "You want me to cook for you tonight?" And I'd say, "What do I have to do for you?" and he'd say, "Don't worry about it." (smiling) Hard to pass that up. Still, I'd usually end up doing something for him - taking out the trash or something - just because I felt bad that I didn't take something on.
DONATELLO
Actually, that worked out great. My running joke is that I can fix anything except a decent dinner. (smiling) The guys were getting a little tired of my peanut butter sandwiches.
MASTER SPLINTER
Michelangelo became excellent at cooking on a very limited budget.
DONATELLO
Money's not as much of a concern now, so we can eat somewhat better. We even go out to eat once in awhile - to hell with folks staring. But I'd still rather have Mikey's pizza than anything else in the world.
MASTER SPLINTER
Michelangelo was reading a book in which the characters were at a sushi restaurant. Michelangelo asked me "What is sushi?"
MICHELANGELO
Splinter told me what sushi was, and how they make it. I could tell by the way he was talkin' that he really liked the stuff. So I had you get me that book on how to make sushi - all quiet-like, 'cause I didn't want Splinter to know. I read that book over and over - memorized it. Finally, I got up the nerve to make it. I told everyone there'd be a surprise for dinner, and to stay out of the kitchen area.
RAPHAEL
Were we curious? Yeah, of course. But Mikey never let us down, so I knew better than to spoil the surprise.
MICHELANGELO
I was a nervous wreck. I so much wanted this to be perfect for Splinter. (shaking head) It wasn't. Well, it was all right, but getting the shape right and all - it takes a lot of practice. I put the best-looking pieces - two rolls and five singles - onto a plate, then I poured some soy sauce in a little bowl, a little wasabi, pickled ginger. It wasn't the prettiest sushi platter you've ever seen. Didn't really look like the ones in the book.
LEONARDO
So out comes Michelangelo with this plate and little bowl on a tray, and he places them in front of Splinter. To this day, I've never seen a happier expression on Splinter's face.
RAPHAEL
Splinter says, "Michelangelo, this is sushi!" Like he didn't know.
MASTER SPLINTER
(smiling) I pride myself in keeping my emotions from showing. I will freely admit that I failed that night.
MICHELANGELO
I told him to go ahead and eat - I had more to bring out for the rest of us. He picked up one piece with his chopsticks, dipped it in soy sauce, and bit into it.
DONATELLO
Frankly, the food looked pretty strange, so I was watching Splinter's face for some sort of reaction after that first bite. (smiling) Yeah, it got a reaction.
MICHELANGELO
Splinter closed his eyes, chewed and swallowed. Then he just sat there for a second, and I was all set to ask if it was OK. But then he opened his eyes, rearranged himself on his cushion into a kneeling position...and bowed to me.
MASTER SPLINTER
I find it hard to state what I was feeling at that moment. It was not the sushi so much as...it was the first time that I was hit by the realization that the five of us were in fact a family. Michelangelo had done something very special, simply in order to please me. I felt extremely honored and humbled. (laughing) Although I am sure I embarassed him with my reaction.
RAPHAEL
I gave Mikey some hell about it for a few days - y'know, how he was probably Splinter's favorite now 'n' all.
MICHELANGELO
Once I was out on patrol, and I broke up a drug deal. The two guys just split. One of them left behind a skateboard. (grinning) That was fatal.
DONATELLO
Mikey came home with this skateboard, and said he was going to try to teach himself to ride it. I had just started going to the library, so I got him a couple books to read.
MICHELANGELO
The books Donny gave me were real big on safety precautions - y'know, helmets, padding and all that. I beefed up the padding on my elbows 'n' knees, but there was no way I could find a helmet that'd fit me. I figured I'd just have to be extra careful. Which I have been. More or less.
LEONARDO
There was this sewer tunnel that extended over a thousand feet in a straight line. It had a walkway on one side, and that became Mikey's skating tunnel.
MICHELANGELO
It had a brick wall on one side, and raw sewage on the other. Plenty of impetus to not wipe out. I started out going really slow, but picked up speed pretty quick.
RAPHAEL
He was good on that thing, but it's not like he never wiped out. I can remember...at least twice, maybe more. Seeing him come back to the lair covered in sewage. He just grumbled and went to the shower. Had to take the skateboard in with him, then clean up his tracks afterwards.
MASTER SPLINTER
I did worry, for he had no helmet. But I never saw him going very fast, so I simply had faith he would not to anything reckless. He would occasionally scrape a leg, but such injuries are part of the learning process.
DONATELLO
Mikey's taken to writing a lot recently, too. He hasn't shown me much, but what I've seen's been pretty good.
MICHELANGELO
My writing's kinda private. My own thing. I don't mind Sensei or anyone reading it, really, but I didn't really write it for them; I wrote it for me, y'know? So even if they think it sucks, it doesn't matter. (smiling) Because it wasn't for them anyway.