Trying to predict which next fad is going to enthrall the nation’s youth is probably akin to predicting the next earthquake. No matter how much effort or research goes into the task, it is still, ultimately, a guessing game. And had you told people before the fact that a group of pizza-loving turtles with stealth-like martial arts abilities were going to capture the hearts of millions of kids, you would have likely been laughed at. Of course, that prediction also could have made you wealthy beyond your wildest dreams – as the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles proved to be the biggest thing since sliced pizza.

The brainchild of creators, Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird, the turtles got off to an unimpressive start as the featured characters in a little-known comic book. But somehow, word spread to kids everywhere that these were some cool characters, and the next thing you know – pandemonium. The animated series arrived just at the right time, along with an onslaught of marketing and merchandise, and soon after, every child in America knew everything there was to know about the shelled quartet.

Named after four historic painters of the Renaissance Era, each amphibious fighter was a specialist at a particular ancient martial arts weapon, although you might not guess that from their thick California surfer accents. The group’s leader, Leonardo, wielded a Katana blade, Raphael preferred a pair of Sais, Donatello chose a bo staff, and Michelangelo was a master at the nunchukas. The group, and their leader, a wise master rat named Splinter, had once been typical animals, until they were exposed to a mysterious mutagen, which infused them with human characteristics. Unfortunately, the same was true of their sworn enemies, BeBop and Rocksteady (a rhino and warthog, respectively.) These two bad guys answered to a sinister human master named Shredder, himself a henchman for a pink extraterrestrial named Krang. The turtle team spent their time cracking jokes and eating pizza, but when it came to combat, they were invincible.

The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles debuted in 1987 as a syndicated series, before moving into the Saturday morning lineup three years later. Coupled with a blitz of merchandising, including toys, bedspreads, lunch boxes, video games, not to mention a feature film, the television ratings rose to unbelievable and certainly unpredictable heights. But, like every fad that preceded their success, from the Hula-Hoop to the Cabbage Patch Kid, their most ardent fans eventually grew up, and the next generation needed a fad they could call their own (Thank you, Mighty Morphin Power Rangers) And the creators of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles cried all the way to the bank, both of them more wealthy than they ever could have imagined.