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Old 12-09-2017, 09:57 AM   #23
Tetsu Deinonychus
The Iron Dinosaur
 
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Join Date: Mar 2003
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Prowler View Post
The comics were never popular to the point of getting a movie. If they were popular then more than 1% of the world's population would know of them, certainly... Hell, I don't think even 1% of the world's population has heard of the Mirage comics, let alone read them.
They were popular to the point of getting a cartoon/toy deal in the first place. The idea that the Mirage comics were some kind of failure is a myth that hardcore FW fans like to perpetuate, but it really doesn't make sense. Yes, it was mainly the cartoon (and the movie, video games, etc.) that made TMNT a huge mainstream worldwide phenomenon, but that only happened because Mirage TMNT was already a hit with comic fans (which is a smaller audience but much more than 1% of the worlds population), and that attracted Playmates attention.

Whether or not the movie deal was related to the toy/toon deal, it started development at around the same time the cartoon did, so unless the cartoon flopping would have cancelled the movie in mid production the movie would still probably have come out.

Though, it probably would not have been as successful without every kid in the world wanting to see it.

Also, it's a fact that they got movie offers before the cartoon's success, but they were mostly stupid ones like the idea where they were played by famous comedians and fighting naked nuns. So, it might have been the cartoon that attracted a good movie deal. But, I remember reading that the movie deal that led to the movie we got coming at around the same time as the cartoon/toy deal, not sure if they were directly related.

As for other shows...

Bucky O'Hare comics would have happened, but I'm not sure about the show.

Swat Kats, I'm not sure. They don't seem too TMNT inspired to me.

TMNT was a big part of a big wave of anthropomorphic animal heroes at the time, but I'm not sure they were the source of that wave.
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