Lack of female action figures (esp. Renet)

[Danetello]

I was wondering - and obviously there is never going to be a publicly clear answer to this, just speculation - why have we never had a Renet figure in any series?! Then that got me thinking, in fact, with this current/ending series we only got TWO female characters, period! (Karai and April.) Is there a reason that Playmates are so averted to other female characters? Shinigami, Renet and Mona Lisa would have all been very well received by fans, I think.
As I said above, we never got a Renet, period, and the lack of female characters in any series/range has been kind of shocking (I admit, we did get Irma and Mona Lisa in the classic line, but they're so hard to find now without paying over the top prices, it makes me believe they weren't widely distributed to begin with).

[useasneeded4pain]

The corporate line for big toy companies has always been "little boys don't buy action figures of female characters". The real data behind that? I dunno.

Me personally, I always wanted female figures from GI Joe, MOTU, TMNT, etc.

[oldmanwinters]

Sure, April has received far more conversion into 3.5 inch plastic than the other female personalities of the TMNT universe, but it's still notable. For the most part, April has been the only "regular" cast member of the various TMNT incarnations. Most other characters haven fallen into the occasional recurring character status like Karai (she's had at least four figures total now), Princess Mitsu (one), Mona Lisa (one), or Venus De Milo (uncertain).

All things considered, Playmates Toys' original TMNT line was probably one of the few lines of that era that marketed primarily towards boys yet still produced female action figures. Just thing how many April O'Neil variants they produced after her original figure became so much of a collector's item? If you don't count color changes and tweaks to head sculpts, I think she's probably got at least 13 unique figures from Playmates.

On the other hand, how many action figures can one say were made of Lois Lane or Mary Jane Watson, despite their prominence in bigger name properties? How many Catwoman figures were produced prior to the success of the Batman Returns movie? Even the 90s phenomenon of the X-Men had far less female figures produced than male counterparts despite their prominence in the comics. Most toy companies in the 80s assumed (rightly or wrongly) that female action figures would sell less than a male action figure.

I've scanned and attached a very information article from an old Collectible Toys & Values on the TMNT toy line where Playmates' VP of Marketing is interviewed about the success and future of the TMNT line. They had quite a bit to say about April's role in the line too, even the supposed controversy over her limited-run "Press" variant:
https://www.mediafire.com/file/n56dw...uly-300dpi.pdf

[Coola Yagami]

Honestly, yeah it's awkward buy a girl figure as a boy. I've never done it as a kid, and i still feel weird now as an adult. Sure I'll buy a Shredder figure just fine, not caring what people might think, but an April figure? Awkward.

[Candy Kappa]

"Girl figures don't sell" said the old geezer from marketing, meanwhile people are going nuts over the new female characters Marvel Legends is getting.

[plastroncafe]

I continue to question how bad one has to be at marketing to not be able to sell dolls to girls.

[Powder]

Originally Posted by Coola Yagami

Honestly, yeah it's awkward buy a girl figure as a boy. I've never done it as a kid, and i still feel weird now as an adult. Sure I'll buy a Shredder figure just fine, not caring what people might think, but an April figure? Awkward.

Why should it be? That's stupid. I've got hella female figures. If you're gonna be an adult who buys toys, your shame meter should be all or nothing. Those who are going to judge you for it probably don't care about the gender of said toys, they'll think it's weird or immature no matter what (& their opinion means jack in the first place). It's not like you're buying a Barbie doll or something, & even then, who's to say your cashier would think it was yours? For all they know you're buying your daughter a gift. Most people don't give a damn about you either way, no sense putting too much thought into it.

[Candy Kappa]

It is a shame that Karai have 1 playmates figure more then Venus, and Karai's figures spans over 3 different lines.

[mrmaczaps]

Depends on the quality of the figure. The 2014 movie April figure is improperly balanced and doesn't stand. Her arms and legs are quite frail and thin. But I own it and the Nick April. I also own the Supergirl tv figure and the Harley Quinn SS movie figure and I think I have a boxed Supergirl & Batwoman from the Superman/Batman line of figures from DC.... I didn't buy the 2016 version of April though due to the issues with the previous version standing....

Could be the scale they are working with, I mean, the Nick Casey Jones toon figure doesn't stand very well either so... Turtles are all thicker figures while the humans seem super thin and bendy...

Super Powers Kenner did just Wonder Woman in the 80s I believe...

MOTU had She Ra figures and her cartoon supporting cast was almost all female characters... Pretty sure those figures did decently for the time. Teela and the Sorcerous were decent figures too. Don't think there was a Queen Marlena (sp) figure though...

I had some of the 90s xmen figures but they were all open loose figures and always more of the male characters available than the female ones...

Depends on the line of figures and who the PTB think will sell well, I guess.

[CyberCubed]

There weren't many female toys in the original toyline either. Just about 5-6 variants of April, Mona Lisa, and Irma...and uh...? I guess Princess Mitsu from the Movie III line?

They didn't make Lotus Blossom.

[oldmanwinters]

Originally Posted by Candy Kappa

It is a shame that Karai have 1 playmates figure more then Venus, and Karai's figures spans over 3 different lines.

I can remember 4 Karais (4Kids era in Shredder armor, 2k7 movie, Nick era Snake Mutant, and Nick era human form). How many figures did Venus get?

[Cryomancer]

A Renet toy would have trouble standing up, probably.

[DonnieLaForge]

I just got DreamEx Newshen today and she's a beaut! No shame here playing with me dollies! Woops, wrong thread...or is it?

[oldmanwinters]

Originally Posted by mrmaczaps

Depends on the quality of the figure. The 2014 movie April figure is improperly balanced and doesn't stand. Her arms and legs are quite frail and thin.

Originally Posted by Cryomancer

A Renet toy would have trouble standing up, probably.

Yeah, just about every Playmates Toy figure I've owned that doesn't have humongous feet is super tough to stand up. Female TMNT characters are known for being less bulky and smaller bases. Nick toon April was probably an exception, since she has those humongous elephant foot shoes that do allow her to stand fairly well. Additionally, the thinner arms and legs just about always lack articulation joints common among the Turtle variants and other mutants. So that trend has limited the "play value" of just about every female action figure of the line.

I recently picked up a 2k7 movie April, and she's got tall thin legs that practically run parallel to each other. No knee or ankle articulation. She's got a ton of accessories she can wear but tiny feet, and might be impossible to stand up on her own.

[DonnieLaForge]

Originally Posted by oldmanwinters

I recently picked up a 2k7 movie April, and she's got tall thin legs that practically run parallel to each other. No knee or ankle articulation. She's got a ton of accessories she can wear but tiny feet, and might be impossible to stand up on her own.

Yes...that is just an awful, awful action figure.

[LilithMV]

I'm still waiting for a decent April figure from anyone else but Playmates. That is, a 5-6 inch one. Not the 1/6 one even though I do collect stuff (clothes and weapons mostly) for 1/6 figures because I have a few Phicen, Very Cool, etc. Mentioned the latter because of the new April 1/6 scale figure coming out. If she's still coming out that is. Edit: Yeah okay she's out already. Can't say i'm really interested in getting her, though.

In general though the male figures I own and collect tend to be the turtles and various male figures from the TMNT line. Maybe a few others such as the old Talespin ones from the 90's, and some Toxic Crusaders I've been looking at recently. All the rest of the figures I have are only girls. No matter if it's anime/manga figures from Figma, Revoltech, S.H Figuarts, or just DC and Marvel figures. I only collect female ones. Oh and a few, hrm, lewd anime statues/figures..

[Ninjinister]

We got Quarry too. That's something at least.

Originally Posted by Candy Kappa

"Girl figures don't sell" said the old geezer from marketing, meanwhile people are going nuts over the new female characters Marvel Legends is getting.

The dumbest instance of this actually was a Marvel thing, and semi-recent. They forced the villain of Iron Man 3 to be a dude because apparently they didn't think they would be able to sell a female villain figure.

Then said villain, as a male, ended up getting zero figures anyway. In fact, his only toy representation were as a Lego Minifig and a Heroclix.

[Autbot_Benz]

Originally Posted by Candy Kappa

"Girl figures don't sell" said the old geezer from marketing, meanwhile people are going nuts over the new female characters Marvel Legends is getting.

I know right. I love my Marvel Legends Gamora figure from GOTG vol 2 its a really good figure

[CyberCubed]

It's the same reason there aren't many female mutants. Nobody wants an animal toy with boobs.

[Ninjinister]

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