Chandler High alum wrote story for first Ninja Turtles film

By Jason W. Brooks
Mail | X: @JasonWBrooks2

Bobby Herbeck says it’s the surprises that kept him in business.

The idea of the first Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles’ live-action movie doing well in theaters in the spring of 1990 wasn’t a surprise to Herbeck and the film’s other writers — but it was a surprise to the studio.

“Writers and directors are often more optimistic than studios,” Herbeck said. “We thought the film would do well. But we didn’t know it would do ‘that’ well.”

The TMNT franchise had gone from popular comic books to a household name with the animated series that debuted in 1987, so it was unclear to some how well a movie would be received.

Herbeck wrote the story for the film that used the characters developed by Peter Laird and Kevin Eastman in the mid-1980s. The 1990 film would eventually lead to eight Ninja Turtles movies to date.

Herbeck, a 1963 Chandler High School graduate, made some public appearances in August in the Valley for showings of the 1990 Ninja Turtles film that was re-released to commemorate its 35th anniversary.
The Ninja Turtles project is one of the main career highlights for Herbeck, 80, who dwells in Cave Creek these days.

“It’s been a part of who I am, for, basically, half my life,” Herbeck said. “I’m glad I got to be a part of it.”

Herbeck bemoans the heavy emphasis on movie technology and special effects that have become industry staples and have even crept into the Ninja Turtle franchise; Michael Bay directed two TMNT films in the 2010s.

“I think viewers want them to go back to the original look,” Herbeck said. “A lot of moviegoers are smart. A few have come up to me and talked about the father-figure stuff involving (The) Shredder.”

Herbeck grew up a military family kid, ending up in Chandler his sophomore year of high school when his father was at Williams Air Force Base.

“There were a lot more dusty roads in the Valley then,” he said about Chandler in the early 1960s.

In the entertainment business, Herbeck’s first TV show as an actor was The Outsider series in the late 1960s; the short-lived series starred Darren McGavin.

His first feature film was “Tora! Tora! Tora!” after his agent passed on him playing the part of Radar O’Reilly in the M.A.S.H. film, he recalls.
“What was he thinking?” Herbeck said of his agent.

That was followed by other TV shows and stage in various roles, such as Angie, Alice, Room 222, the Red Skelton Comedy Hour, the Smothers Brothers Show, CHiPs, The Jeffersons, Small Wonder, the Carol Burnett Show and That’s Incredible.

He appeared in seven episodes of Diff’rent Strokes.

And he finally made it to M.A.S.H., appearing in one 1974 episode as an operating-room patient.

Herbeck said he’s a charter member of the Comedy Store troupe at the Hollywood club that opened in April of 1972. He says he and his troupe turned downed the offer to do the Saturday Night Live pilot back in 1975.

“What were ‘we’ thinking?,” Herbeck said.

He’s also been the opening-act stand-up comedian for musicians, including George Benson, Jose Feliciano, Ricky Nelson, Al Jarreau, Kenny Loggins, Joe Cocker, Eric Burdon, Dave Mason and, most recently, at the Hollywood Bowl for the Zac Brown band.

Herbeck said his first love is to make people feel good through the power of laughter.

“It’s the best elixir for whatever ails you,” he said.

His writing credits also include the Facts of Life, Silver Spoons and the Dick Clark Blooper Show. He was a co-producer of the Leslie Nielsen / Kelly Le Brock 1998 comedy “Wrongfully Accused.”

Herbeck is currently co-writing and co-producing a feature for Columbia Pictures. He said he was cast in at least one production that was shrunk by the 2024 Hollywood labor strikes.

Herbeck’s TV commercial credits include some brands of the past and present: Oldsmobile, Sanka coffee, Kawasaki, Von’s grocery store and even the WAZE app.

Herbeck has also done voice-over characters, including one for the Gomorrah streaming series.

It was the Turtles, however, that gave him his big break. “The Secret of the Ooze” 1991 film, the sequel to the 1990 film Herbeck wrote, had an opening weekend of $20 million in ticket sales and made $78.7 million in the U.S., making it the country’s 13th-highest grossing film of 1991.

Herbeck said the re-release includes never-before-seen footage from the archives, extended scenes that had initially been trimmed from the original 93-minute film; behind-the-scenes footage and one-on-one time and commentary with director Steve Barron.

He also enjoys living in Cave Creek and visiting some of his favorite restaurants, such as Harold’s and the Black Mountain Cafe & Lounge in Carefree.

“It’s quiet out here,” Herbeck said. “Thanks to the Internet, you don’t have to live in L.A. to do a lot of entertainment stuff.”

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Jason W. Brooks
News Editor | Chandler Independent

Jason W. Brooks joined Independent Newsmedia, Inc., USA, in July 2021 as an associate editor. After a year covering Buckeye, he has covered Chandler since the fall of 2022, in addition to assisting the Daily Independent throughout his time at INI.

Education: University of New Mexico, bachelor of arts in journalism and mass communication, print emphasis, English minor.

Random Fact: He and his siblings witnessed a Space Shuttle launch and landing in the same year in person, on opposite coasts.

Hobbies: Karaoke, bicycling and American Sign Language.

Community: He supports animal shelters.