TMNT Origins (Rumour!)

[RicksNerdLife]

I look forward to seeing it, but I personally think I'm sated with what we've gotten. Like I said, they really have to wow me.

I was not impressed with the MOTU mashups.

 

[Damien]

What can they really add to differentiate from any of the other companies that they haven't already given us?

The point is that they don't have to differentiate. They just have to offer a good product at a good price. You can't compare Mattel's ability to satisfy demand at 30-40 dollars by saying 'someone already did it just as good/better' if that someone charged 90 dollars. Mattel could (for the sake of argument) copy the Fury Toys designs 1:1 and if they can make it a good action figure and keep it at normal US retail price, they will sell more than Fury Toys ever did. Because very few collectors are actually buying $75+ action figures on the regular.

Same reason Mattel can sell the shit out of MOTU product constantly despite Mondo making beautiful 1:6 figures and now beautiful 1:12 figures. The market for both of those products is vanishingly small compared to a 25 dollar figure you can buy at Walmart.

 

[Niko (protozoalord)]

I'm referring to from a purely aesthetic, design viewpoint-- not price.

The Turtles are the Turtles, and they have a very basic appearance to make them the Turtles. At most, they add wraps here or there. They give Raphael a do-rag bandana versus a mask. That's about the extent of it.

What can they really add to differentiate from any of the other companies that they haven't already given us?

From an aesthetic point of view, I think there's room for more. Every offering has been a unique and hyperspecific take with their own artistic flare added. What we don't have is a set of all-rounder, evergreen Turtles.

What I personally would do is create a set of Turtles inspired mostly by Dooney's art, and include an alternate belt and belt buckle for the "tied" and initials looks, and also include swappable long and short headbands. While I still think there'd be room and desire for a "Cartoon Collection" set of releases and tons of variants, something like this would kick off Mattel's era with a set of Turtles that anyone could parts swap to make their own mental image version of the Turtles.

 

[RicksNerdLife]

Fair enough, y'all.

 

[ChrisLyne]

The only thing that could really get me on board at this point is indeed a proper IDW run.

It still amazes me that NECA never attempted an IDW line.

I disagree, mostly because the options we have are fairly expensive and incredibly limited in availability and scope. There's room for something like this!

I think there's room for Mattel in the classic vision of the franchise as Playmates never really satisfied anyone with their retro attempts and while NECA's stuff looks good, there's no durable, highly, articulated line out there. I don't know if I'll go in on such a thing, but I could see Mattel making a line that pleases Legends and DC collectors and fits into a similar aesthetic.

Yeah. If Mattel does something similar to what Mety/JoyToy/Heat Boys have done (basically their own "evergreen" take) but at Chronicles price point & quality, that's going to have much wider appeal, not to mention availability, than the import lines. It's also the most logical play as they get to put their own stamp on the brand whilst not repeating what another company has already done (leave that to the Origins style line).

From an aesthetic point of view, I think there's room for more. Every offering has been a unique and hyperspecific take with their own artistic flare added. What we don't have is a set of all-rounder, evergreen Turtles.

What I personally would do is create a set of Turtles inspired mostly by Dooney's art, and include an alternate belt and belt buckle for the "tied" and initials looks, and also include swappable long and short headbands. While I still think there'd be room and desire for a "Cartoon Collection" set of releases and tons of variants, something like this would kick off Mattel's era with a set of Turtles that anyone could parts swap to make their own mental image version of the Turtles.

Whilst I don't know cost wise how much they'll be able to include alternate heads and belts and stuff, I would absolutely love to see that for their first set of Chronicles/collector turtles.

Give me a relatively classic design (with the brown wrist, elbow and knee pads rather than the modern wraps). Each turtle can have a slightly different build (but not extremely different, you should have to look close to notice), slightly different shades of green (so a nod to the vintage line but no where near that different). Swappable belt buckles (initial and knot) and swappable heads (colored and red bandanas). Add in a few alternate hands, signature weapons and I'd call that good to go. Realistically I'd take colored bandanas and knot belts but it would be nice to get swappable parts.

I'd actually save cartoon collection type stuff for the Origins line as that's something we've not really had (rather than compete with NECA's existing super accurate lines).

 

[cmoney]

I've said it before, but I don't have a default or set look I prefer for the Turtles. There are no "must haves" in a redesign, for my tastes. I just evaluate what I see and decide from there. I like new takes and iterations and styles. Some work for me, some don't. I'll know when I see 'em.

 

[NORM]

When will they release turtles that look like the actual Renaissance artists they’re based on?

 

[Niko (protozoalord)]

Whilst I don't know cost wise how much they'll be able to include alternate heads and belts and stuff, I would absolutely love to see that for their first set of Chronicles/collector turtles.

Give me a relatively classic design (with the brown wrist, elbow and knee pads rather than the modern wraps). Each turtle can have a slightly different build (but not extremely different, you should have to look close to notice), slightly different shades of green (so a nod to the vintage line but no where near that different). Swappable belt buckles (initial and knot) and swappable heads (colored and red bandanas). Add in a few alternate hands, signature weapons and I'd call that good to go. Realistically I'd take colored bandanas and knot belts but it would be nice to get swappable parts.

It depends. If we go your route of slightly varying bodies, I think alternate headband and belts are not on the table. BUT if we have the bodies the same, it should be fine. Personally, I would have just the front shells different on each body. Make it a separate molded piece and we're good.

Otherwise, the Turtles are going to be the smallest figures of the line and also the best selling, so they should have the most bang for their buck. I'm a long, red bandanas truther, and "strap belt" fan (which would be a whole second belt in my ideal release), but I would save red bandanas for a color variant and let any alt head be an extra expression for each Turtle. Ditto on wanting Playmates alternate skin tones, that's my kind of Turtles.

Realized after my initial post that the exact style of Turtles described here are just the type of Turtles they've been using in every single comics crossover for the past decade. MotU, Power Rangers, Batman, Street Fighter, etc. They're all generally pretty simple and comic skewing in style, have the Playmates variance of green, and sometimes have long or short headbands, strap belts, initial buckles, or tied belts. Give us something like those, Mattel!