height of and downfall

[fastforwarddregg]

I noticed the height of the Turtles popularity was in the 1989-1990 ( was in first grade then) season! as it had more episodes! and that was when the movie came out, more of the interesting toys, the cereal of turtles came out and the Burger king promotion came out. and the season it had more episodes (Was that when people started to get tired of Shredder and Krang over and over, but they still worked good on the show and gave teh show life). it had more interesting episodes then. 1990 was a big year for them as it then aired on CBS too!

I miss the BK promotions!!!!!!!!!!! and Cereal!

Interest was waning in 1992 after Season 5 (1991) and the quality of the episodes of Seasons 5 and 6 were going down, and Shredder and Krang's appearances were less. and the show was too far gone when they tried to revitilize it in 1994 with red sky and the show finally died in 1996 and left the air waves in 1997.

they let the show die a long slow death.

do you agree with me on all this.

[Scandia]

I agree that the 1989 season was the apex of the OT's popularity. I was in the 7th grade at the time. My brother had a bunch of the TMNT toys and I would play with them. He even had or rented the NES game. When at the beginning of 8th grade the history teacher asked for names of Renaissance artists, the whole class said the Turtles names in chorus and the teacher rolled her eyes I said "I know, I know, the Ninja Turtles". I watched them in both Spanish and English. The movie boosted their popularity even more- though a lot of people I know did not like the first movie and only liked the second one due to Vanilla Ice.

I loved the Turtles then. I love the Turtles now. I just got all emo and nostalgic about the comics because "Sons of the Silent Age" has an ad in the back for the first movie and I was in the 7th grade back then and I wish I could turn the clock back to the 80s- but with the knowledge I have now. I am about to start crying- silly emo me.

[Drtooth]

I think the height and downfall could be traced to the third movie. Before it was released, it was at the hight of the popularity. But after, that's when things went off.

However, I feel that other then the gap between the end of the live action series and the 2k3 series, they really haven't been gone that long. Like most super hero based cartoons (Batman and Spiderman for example) they pretty much just come and go and come back on and off.

[Mr._Mutant_Man]

I'm baffled by how Pokemon has managed to last as long as it did. Ninja Turtles' popularity seemed to hit its high from 1989-1992 roughly, but then it really dropped off the radar fast. Pokemon on the other hand is still managing to hang in there. Same with Power Rangers.

[ZariusTwo]

I'm baffled by how Pokemon has managed to last as long as it did. Ninja Turtles' popularity seemed to hit its high from 1989-1992 roughly, but then it really dropped off the radar fast. Pokemon on the other hand is still managing to hang in there. Same with Power Rangers.

Pokemon and PR are still on because Japan

-Still produces the anime and movies
-Still produce the footage PR uses for their series
-Both franchises have incredibly succesful merchandise

[Spitfire]

I haven't seen Power Rangers merch in stores in a loooooong time. And Poke'mon has been less and less.

[Kendamu]

I still see PR figures in Wal-Mart and stuff. It's like "Oh! So that's what they look like this year!"

[CyberCubed]

Pokemon is still going because its based on the excellent videogames made by Nintendo which sell millions.

The anime's ratings are still strong enough for it to continue going, and the games will never stop because Nintendo loves money and its their top selling franchise next to Mario and Zelda.

[TheAnimatedSeries]

'92/'93 school year I had TMNT folders and even then me and my cousin declared that the Turtles were over. That was second grade. I stopped watching the show then I think, before the third (totally sweet) movie came out.

There was alot of good stuff to get a kid's attention back then, I think after Turtles I was all about Sonic.

[odupianist]

Spitfire what stores are you going to? lol PR and Pokemon are two of the big groups of boys toys I see at stores, next to Star Wars, PotC, Ben 10, and then the misc stuff. I'm with Goonga, that's how I figure out which line PR is doing this year. I remember when there were like two or three versions of PR, the good ones, *sigh* I'm getting old...

[Drtooth]

PR is pretty much one of the highest selling toy lines, consistantly every year. Pokemon keeps getting back into stores, but I don't think they consistantly sell as well. Kids pretty much got tired of it after a while.

Funny thing, though. I always felt GI Joe and Transformers have waves of popularity. They almost seem to never go away.

[Spitfire]

Spitfire what stores are you going to? lol PR and Pokemon are two of the big groups of boys toys I see at stores, next to Star Wars, PotC, Ben 10, and then the misc stuff.

Target and Walmart mostly, lots of different ones*We got alot around in my area*.

We got wrestlers, crappy Pirates 3 figures, awful Spider-man 3 figures, horrid Transformers figures, GI Suck, Ben crap, and then sometimes I see like a Poke'mon beanie baby or something but that's it. I haven't seen Power Rangers in ages nor talked to anyone adult or kid who thinks it's cool for that matter.

Could just be my area though.

[Jon]

Guess it is (your area).

As there are alot at various stores I go to as well.

Wow... don't like many of the toylines out in stores do ya. I haven't bought many figures lately, but most of those series have actually looked pretty good to me at least.

[Spitfire]

Well the Ben 10, Transformers, and Pirates 3 figures are all tiny as hell and for how much they cost a complete rip off.

The GI Joe figures are small to, and I mean Jesus how long can they keep making this crap?

Spider-man 3 figures really piss me off because the Spider-man 1 and 2 toys were awesome, 2 espcially. So I figure the 3rd line would be even better! But no, I get ass. I get puny little figures that look horrid and from what I can tell have no articulation. You could move everyone of Spider-man's fingers on the Spider-man 2 toy. And even if you can on this new series their still tiny as hell. Way to screw over all the kids who want to have their 3rd movie figures fight their other ones. Now their all disproportioned.

Then there's the wrestlers...They've been making the same toys for these since I was a kid. The only difference now is they use the scantron thing so they don't have to worry about messing the face up. Toys still suck. I don't get how kids have them do any wrestling moves with how un-bendable they are.

From the stand point of a kid comparing todays toys to the ones I had these toys are garbage. Even the TMNT line looks like ass compared to the old days.

Old toys had everything on the new stuff. And packages that were worth keeping because of the insanely cool artwork. So no I don't like the new toys.

[Drtooth]

Then there's the wrestlers...They've been making the same toys for these since I was a kid. The only difference now is they use the scantron thing so they don't have to worry about messing the face up. Toys still suck. I don't get how kids have them do any wrestling moves with how un-bendable they are.

You know what I hate about the wrestling toys? All this time I was waiting for Captain Lou Albano's figure to hit Target so I could get it cheaper, and the only "legends" figure they have is the sad left over Moolahs that I don't think anybody wants. Put the damn thing on clearance already. no ones buying it.


Old toys had everything on the new stuff. And packages that were worth keeping because of the insanely cool artwork. So no I don't like the new toys.

Blame that on safety standards, though I do think the new TMNT line (until they killed it with useless varients and repainted vehicles) is much better than the first one, at least in terms of design. The only good toys I ever see are for collectors. And sadly, they're wasted on stupid B-movies from the 80's. I wish I got that Toxie, though.

[Mr._Mutant_Man]

Pokemon is one thing because it's backed by Nintendo, but I would have thought by now that Power Ranger's American popularity would have had a much larger drop.

Anyway, I dislike a lot of the action figures that come out these days. I'll admit I have quite a few of my old action figures displayed, but the thing of it is is that they're supposed to be intended for kids. Even if I pick them up now that I'm older, that's part of the charm of action figures. The whole nostalgia aspect of getting something you liked as a kid. 100 points of articulation and extremely detailed sculpting just seems a bit much. Not to mention how darn expensive action figures are these days. I remember getting some every so often with my allowance. I don't know how kids can manage that these days.

It reminds me of comics too. I'd totally go back to newsprint comics if it means they were a little cheaper and I could pick out a few more of them.

[ZariusTwo]

Pokemon is one thing because it's backed by Nintendo, but I would have thought by now that Power Ranger's American popularity would have had a much larger drop.

PR is backed by Ban-Dai. Same thing. Toys sell that show, and Japan continues to produce Sentai, so therefore there are new toys. VR Troopers and Beetleborgs only ended because their source material was cut off after Japan canceled their "Metal Heroes" series, not because they simply failed as series (Beetleborgs had higher ratings than PR when it was axed)

[Mr._Mutant_Man]

PR is backed by Ban-Dai. Same thing. Toys sell that show, and Japan continues to produce Sentai, so therefore there are new toys. VR Troopers and Beetleborgs only ended because their source material was cut off after Japan canceled their "Metal Heroes" series, not because they simply failed as series (Beetleborgs had higher ratings than PR when it was axed)

Not surprised. Turbo is when my interest really dropped for the franchise. Switching to cars after several seasons of robotic dinosaurs and animals seemed kind of uninspired. Plus the villains that season weren't very interesting.