Was there any particular reason Krang, Bebop and Rocksteady were dropped from Archie?

[neatoman]

Not counting the initial mini-series or any of the other minis, do you want to know how many issues these characters are in out of all 72?
It's 12 by the time they're temporarily removed and 3 before they go away entirely, that would be 15 in total. Needless to say, they're play a fairly minor role in the series, especially compared to their presence in the cartoon.

But why is this the case? Did Murphy just not care about the characters and there wasn't contractual obligations to force him to use them? The fact that they show up again after a year of absence only to end up in the same exact place where they were left before... Well that makes me think there wasn't any plan at all to bring them back, just some minimum issues requirement.

[Powder]

I can't speak to it officially, but it's no secret that the Mirage gang did not like the Fred Wolf created characters. I'm sure they were probably just there to boost the initial sales.

[neatoman]

Originally Posted by Powder

I can't speak to it officially, but it's no secret that the Mirage gang did not like the Fred Wolf created characters. I'm sure they were probably just there to boost the initial sales.

... True, the show and the comic generally only shared characters if there was a toy to promote. I seriously doubt Murphy felt much attachment towards these characters. But even if I think the first year and only three more issues afterwards is relatively little, it's still the first year. If it was entirely within his power, he could probably done it in about six issues, maybe even as few as three.

[CyberCubed]

It's rather obvious Murphy didn't want to re-tread the cartoon that was airing at the same time and wanted to do his own thing with the series. The fact that Maligna is introduced at the end of the first year of Archie with issues 12-13 shows he already wanted to make his own villains.

[neatoman]

Originally Posted by CyberCubed

It's rather obvious Murphy didn't want to re-tread the cartoon that was airing at the same time and wanted to do his own thing with the series. The fact that Maligna is introduced at the end of the first year of Archie with issues 12-13 shows he already wanted to make his own villains.

But he still used the Shredder and the action figure characters.

[slashpieturtlemix]

I am happy that Archie was handled the way it was. I like my Fredwolf villains as much as the next person but they had such unique characters that I felt like I was embracing something new when I read this series as a kid. I couldn't get enough of Null and his four horsemen.

[darthsmozers]

I don’t know, but re-reading it now is so fun. We start with the familiar cartoon adaptations, we have the traditional villains (and some new ones) around for about 15-20 issues, then we explore all new storylines, themes, and characters (with the very occasional reappearance of shredder or other characters) as we go along. It’s like growing-up with the characters as it unfolds. Not bad for a kids comic.

[Leo656]

Originally Posted by darthsmozers

I don’t know, but re-reading it now is so fun. We start with the familiar cartoon adaptations, we have the traditional villains (and some new ones) around for about 15-20 issues, then we explore all new storylines, themes, and characters (with the very occasional reappearance of shredder or other characters) as we go along. It’s like growing-up with the characters as it unfolds. Not bad for a kids comic.

That's how it felt for me at the time as well. I still watched the cartoon but it was getting pretty formulaic and predictable, which the Archie book was not. Stories progressed and characters developed, changed, and even died. Even though it started in exactly the same place as the cartoon, it felt like it took a big step forward very early on.

[DrSpengler]

Originally Posted by darthsmozers

I don’t know, but re-reading it now is so fun. We start with the familiar cartoon adaptations, we have the traditional villains (and some new ones) around for about 15-20 issues, then we explore all new storylines, themes, and characters (with the very occasional reappearance of shredder or other characters) as we go along. It’s like growing-up with the characters as it unfolds. Not bad for a kids comic.

Very succinct summary. Near the end, you even get the "wistful nostalgia" phase, where Scumbug and Wyrm come back for an issue and Murphy/Clarrain opines in the credits that things have changed and he misses the old days.

[superstaff]

Originally Posted by darthsmozers

I don’t know, but re-reading it now is so fun. We start with the familiar cartoon adaptations, we have the traditional villains (and some new ones) around for about 15-20 issues, then we explore all new storylines, themes, and characters (with the very occasional reappearance of shredder or other characters) as we go along. It’s like growing-up with the characters as it unfolds. Not bad for a kids comic.

Yep.

You summed up why I love the Archie Comics TMNT. Probably my favorite incarnation of them all.

[Leo656]

Originally Posted by superstaff

Yep.

You summed up why I love the Archie Comics TMNT. Probably my favorite incarnation of them all.

For me it's probably second, right after the 1990 movie, which I doubt will ever be displaced.

[Busta Uppa]

It's funny how the "____ Adventures" comics of the '90s worked. Seems like the "Adventures" suffix was always used for cartoon adaptations. But the rules were all over the place.

TMNT Adventures: direct cartoon episode adaptations that quickly veered off and did its own thing

Batman Adventures: appeared to be set in the same DCAU continuity as the animated series, but telling its own separate stories right from the start

X-Men Adventures: literally just full seasons of the TV series adapted to a comic. This was the first one I stopped following as a kid, simply because I caught on to the fact that it didn't really need to exist.

...and I'm sure there was plenty others!

[Original TMNT Cartoon Fan]

Originally Posted by Busta Uppa

TMNT Adventures: direct cartoon episode adaptations that quickly veered off and did its own thing

But at least TMNT Adventures lived up to that name, with international tours, time travels and space adventures.