The Deterioration and Restoration of The Leonardo Ninja Turtle Suits

The Ninja Turtles franchise has been a beloved part of pop culture for over three decades. The 1990 film trilogy that introduced the heroes in a half shell to the big screen was a huge success and a fan favorite. However, as time has passed, the suits that were once part of these movies have not held up too well.

Made from a material that has been compared to a nerf ball, the suits have cracked and disintegrated over time. In recent years, some of these suits have started to surface online through auction sites, restoration company sites, and blogs. But it wasn't until recently that one particular suit went viral and took the internet by storm.

The Leonardo zombie suit, a terrifying rendition of the beloved turtle, was featured on an auction site called Prop Store Auction. It didn't sell, but it gained a lot of attention due to its deteriorated state. The most interesting part of this suit is how the mouth has receded back, exposing the teeth. The legs have also fallen apart badly, making this suit an eerie sight to behold.

However, not all of the suits are in such a decrepit state. A company called Tom Spina Designs has restored several of the original 1990 suits, including some of the Leonardo suits. In one of the restorations, you can even see photos of Kevin Eastman, the co-creator of the Ninja Turtles, bringing in an original Leonardo teenage mutant ninja turtle movie costume. According to the caption, Eastman had kept the foam prop costume after filming the original 1990 movie wrapped. Tom Spina Designs was thrilled to be helping Eastman out and to bring another Jim Henson creature shop creation back to its former glory.

Another Leonardo suit that was restored by Tom Spina Designs was an original costume from the 1990 movie. According to the caption, the client was unsure of the best approach to preserving it, but he hoped to turn the screen-used costume parts into a life-size TMNT statue. The finished product looked pretty awesome.

It's amazing to see how these suits, which were once part of one of the coolest movie trilogies of the 90s, have transformed into their present state. The decay and deterioration of these suits are a reminder of the passage of time and how important it is to preserve our pop culture artifacts for future generations. As fans, we can only hope that more of these suits will be restored and preserved so that we can continue to enjoy the adventures of the Ninja Turtles for years to come.