It was 17 seconds long. A young boy in zombie face paint stood before a local news reporter at an arts festival in Portland, Oregon. When asked about his freshly painted face, he delivered a response that would echo across the internet for years to come: “I like turtles…”
That 2007 viral video became one of the earliest internet memes and helped define viral culture in its infancy. The boy at the center of it all, Jonathon Ware, was quickly dubbed “Turtle Boy” or the “Zombie Kid” as the clip spread across early social media platforms.
Now, nearly two decades later, Ware has re-emerged — reflecting on the moment that made him famous, landing a role in a major film and building a new chapter around the persona that started it all.
The Moment That Launched the Viral Meme: ‘I Like Turtles’
The original clip was filmed at the Rose Festival in Portland, Oregon. Ware, just a kid at the time, had gotten his face painted and was approached by a local news reporter. His deadpan declaration became an instant sensation, leading to media appearances on The O’Reilly Factor and Tosh.0.
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In a 2023 interview with Yahoo Entertainment, Ware, then 26, looked back on the moment with humor and self-awareness.
“It still makes me laugh,” Ware told the outlet. “It’s like in the Marvel films when Groot says, ‘I am Groot.’ That’s me, except ‘I like turtles.’”
He also explained the simple truth behind the famous line.
“Seriously, I just like turtles,” he added. “A kid’s mind wanders and goes, Oh s***, what am I gonna say on a news channel? I wasn’t nervous or shaking or anything. I was just like, well, I guess I’ll say, ‘I like turtles.’”
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For years after the clip took off, Ware largely stayed out of the spotlight. But in 2023, he appeared in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem, where he repeated his famous line. He described the opportunity as a return to the public eye after years of staying private.
“If I can make someone laugh, smile or change their mood and make them have a better day, I’m all for it. That’s what it is about and that’s why I did it,” he told Yahoo Entertainment.
Ware said he hoped the cameo would spark joy for fans who remembered the original clip.
“I thought, you know, maybe people can relieve some stress because they’ll be like, ‘Oh my god, he’s back.’ That’s what I was hoping would come out of it anyway, for people to say, ‘Is this 2007 again? Look, he’s all grown up — but he hasn’t changed!’”
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The ‘I Like Turtles’ Kid Is Building a New ‘Turtle Boy’ Brand
Following his film appearance, Ware created social media accounts on TikTok and Instagram for the “Turtle Boy” character, with plans to share new content.
“After I did all this promotion work for the movie, I created accounts on TikTok and Instagram for the character: the Turtle Boy,” he said.
His approach to content is deliberate — and intentionally slow.
“I’m 26 now,” he said back in 2023 to Yahoo. “I’m more confident and have great ideas,” he says. “I’m not using [social media] all in one shot. I’m giving you guys a little tiny piece here and there, you know, I’m not gonna be posting constantly. That’s part of the character. It’s mysterious, nobody knows about it.”
Even his wife has gotten in on the fun. “She finds it hilarious. She’ll bombard me 10 times a day to say ‘I like turtles.’”
His Instagram @turtleboy2007 is now private, but his TikTok @jontheturtle remains accessible.
The ‘I Like Turtles’ Kid on Dealing With Imposters and Misinformation
One downside of viral fame: people pretending to be you. Ware has addressed ongoing confusion online, including individuals falsely claiming to be him or associated with the original video.
“I’ve never created a YouTube channel!” he said. “People copy me all the time, claiming they are me to get that clout and all the other stuff to get followers.”
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He added that while the issue does not usually bother him, it occasionally prompts reactions.
“They haven’t really bothered me, but there are times where I have some flare ups. I’ll make a burner account [to see what they’re saying]. Especially the ‘It’s Turtle Time’ one. When people put that guy out there, ugh, that gets me.”
Ware also acknowledged that some misinformation appears in online articles, noting that it can lead to corrections when the real source is identified.
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Ware has said he originally preferred to stay out of the public eye due to privacy concerns but has since become more comfortable engaging with his viral identity.
“I just wanted my privacy,” he said. “I wanted to wait until I was older, more mature and developed to see where [Turtle Boy] would go, and how my mind would develop creatively.”
