TeenageMutantNinjaTurtles

Should you ever need a reminder that the 1990s were a strange, strange time, look no further than We Wish You a Turtle Christmas. Released in 1994 at the height of that hazy, pre-Pokemon era when when the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles franchise reigned as the most popular thing in the entire world, Turtle Christmas was a 25-minute video in which the Turtles sang Christmas songs about themselves. If that sounds weird, believe me that it's actually even weirder. So today, deck the sewer walls and wash that pizza down with eggnog as we take a look back at this holiday classic, and the great many questions it raises just by its very existence.

Two heroes are down as Shredder advances his plot to take New York City in next week's Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #23. Writers Tom Waltz and Kevin Eastman's "City Fall" storyline kicked off last month, giving fans a taste of what kind of shocking transformation may be in store for one of the Green machines, and this month artist Mateus Santolouco (along with alternate cover artists Dan Duncan, Andy Kuhn, Ben Bates, Ross Campbell and Dave Wachter) turns up the tension as a team short on allies prepares to confront multiple foes.

Created just for the new continuity of IDW's current ongoing Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles comic book series, new villain Old Hob was one of the first (furry) faces fans were introduced to when the book's first issue arrived in 2011. Beginning life as a mutant by attempting to straight up eat an ooze-covered Raphael before having his eye gouged out by a still-normal-rat Splinter, the new villain's predatory instincts have since culminated in one of Casey Jones and Raph's worst beatings in the series thus far. This week in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Villain Microseries #3: Old Hob by writer Jason Ciaramella, artist Dave Wachter and colorist Tyler Walpole, however, fans will have a chance to see another side of Hob and learn what set the kitty down a life of brutality.

Take a look at today's Link Ink, after the jump.

As the home of an abundant assortment of licensed titles -- many of which popularized at one time or another in animation -- IDW's in a pretty good place to play up its ties to Saturday morning cartoons. This September, the publisher will play up this relationship in titles with direct ties to animation like Black Dynamite, Doctor Who, Ghostbusters, G.I. Joe A Real American Hero, Popeye Classics, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles New Animated Adventures and Transformers: More than Meets The Eye, but also Danger Girl, Judge Dredd, T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents and... The X-Files? Hit the jump to see September's full line of "IDW Gets Animated" alternate covers.

Take a look at some of today's coolest links, after the cut.

Take a look at some of the coolest links of the day after the jump.

The year 1993, man. For Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird's Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and their fans, it was the best of times and kinda the worst of times. On one hand several TMNT comics were going strong, the animated series was in its seventh season and Playmates was on the cusp of releasing some of its most tubular toys yet. On the other hand... the near-universally loathed Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III dropped and a lot of kids were moving on to watch the newly-launched Mighty Morphin Power Rangers. With so much going on, many fans probably didn't realize what they missed out on: A ninja-piloted Party Wagon toy that "mutated" into a giant mecha warrior suit.

Gaming: Michelangelo busts some ninja heads in a new Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows trailer. Toys: Hot Toys has unveiled its Power Pose Iron Man 3 Red Snapper figure images. Looks... snappy! Gaming: Batman: Arkham Origins may just have multiplayer functionality...

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles co-creator Kevin Eastman has been collaborating with co-writer Tom Waltz and a number of artists over the course of IDW's new ongoing comic series, but he'll be taking full command of he and Peter Laird's Green Machines this Wednesday with a solo story all his own...