Old Box Art

[Spitfire]

Anyone know who did the old box art? It was really great and I bet the line sold well on that alone. What got me amped to ask was I saw an Ebay auction with this
http://img521.imageshack.us/img521/1183/10723qz7.jpg
Check out bondage Mikey, poor guy. Pretty morbid for a toy box haha

Alot of the old boxes I never saw because I tossed them out when I was a kid and I don't remember them.

[BigApple3AM]

Ask Dan, he knows, he told me once but I forgot. It was some marketing group or something. Don't know about individual artists.

I remember the boxes very well even though I threw them away for the most part. One of my favorites was the footski where I think Mikey is getting eaten by the snakes or something. I always thought the center of the vehicle's front, the little sticker, was mikey's remains because of that.

Cool stuff.

[Spitfire]

That's awesome, I vote we dedicate this thread to posting old school box art. As much of it as we can find. I'm sure some of the members here have some, or can take pictures. I've seen some of them collections.

[Nostalgia82]

Yeah, the box art was amazing! Had its own style and really pushed the sale. I have the Turtle Van and Turtle Cycle that I can take high pics of but I can't post it unless its a lousy thumbnail. I also had the blimp and lair but I have those in storage which I can't get to.

[oldmanwinters]

Who would have thought Leo and Raph could make a garbage can strapped on a motorbike look so good?

http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a56/slimer2erasmus/The%2080s/turtlecycle.jpg

Note that photo is not mine but taken from an ebay seller's collection.

[MrPliggins]

I loved the original package art as a kid. I think this is one reason I got so into the Turtles. I even saved all of the action figure cardboards after I opened them because of the art.

[VaughnMichael]

The Box art is/ was amazing if any of you are wondering why we no longer have such cool box art ask Peter Laird he's the one who made it pretty clear that he doesnt like it.
Honeslty I think if they did such a thing these days in stores it would only help the sales of the toys because every other line has generic box art.

[MrPliggins]

Yeah,, generic art is a way to cut costs too. I remember in the old days, eventually they started using the same brick wall pattern and just created different character art. Then they dumped the brick wall concept altogether.

[BigApple3AM]

Brick wall pattern? You mean for card art? Like what the entire line was until they switched to the generic turtle cards? I don't think that pattern was a way to cut costs, it was the layout they used. None of the figure cards broke that layout except for deluxe gimmick figures like the wacky action or head dropping.

Now if you're talking like the reissue figures where it was like the turtles climbing around the sewer, THAT is cutting costs.

The only time Playmates used artwork for the new line was the sewer spewer, and it was glorious. Cool box art for a cool toy.

[MrPliggins]

Yeah, I'm talking about the card art. Shoulda specified. What I meant was, in the first few series...The brick wall was different for each character. A couple years into the toyline, they used the same brick wall drawing, but just overlayed the different characters on the same bricks. Anyways, I never cared much for that art.

You're right, it may not be a way of cutting costs, but may be a way of streamlining the process.

[HalfcourtGame]

Here are a few that I have:

http://i109.photobucket.com/albums/n54/kdm30/P1000437.jpg

http://i109.photobucket.com/albums/n54/kdm30/P1000435.jpg

http://i109.photobucket.com/albums/n54/kdm30/P1000434.jpg

http://i109.photobucket.com/albums/n54/kdm30/P1000433.jpg

The Party Wagon is my personal favorite with a couple of foot soldiers getting dominated :tlol:

[BigApple3AM]

The party wagon is my most sought after MISB vehicle. I got really close to getting one for $20 on eBay a few years ago but missed it because I wanted to snipe and get the best deal. D'oh. Congrats on that one.

The art is actually pretty bad in terms of anatomy and stuff. If you look at Leo's arm in the party wagon box for example. I still love it though.

I'll take pics of my vehicles later tonight.



Pliggs: Personally I love the old card art. The vehicle art was always better but they had more room to do cool things. I especially loved when they had the toy you were buying choking a turtle or vice versa at the top.



Edit: PICS!!!

http://i217.photobucket.com/albums/cc166/turtlebros/PA260308.jpg

http://i217.photobucket.com/albums/cc166/turtlebros/PA260309.jpg

http://i217.photobucket.com/albums/cc166/turtlebros/PA260310.jpg

http://i217.photobucket.com/albums/cc166/turtlebros/PA260311.jpg

http://i217.photobucket.com/albums/cc166/turtlebros/PA260312.jpg

http://i217.photobucket.com/albums/cc166/turtlebros/PA260313.jpg

http://i217.photobucket.com/albums/cc166/turtlebros/PA260314.jpg

Off topic but interesting:
http://i217.photobucket.com/albums/cc166/turtlebros/PA260316.jpg

This screams early 90's:
http://i217.photobucket.com/albums/cc166/turtlebros/PA260317.jpg

[Spitfire]

Killer stuff guys, that Party Wagon picture is awesome. They should put this stuff on T-shirts.

I saw some 2K3 role play weapons called blasters on the official site and the art on those is pretty neat.

Edit: Awesome pictures! I had that turtles power book!

[METALHEAD]

:D oh i just love this thread, i love the old artwork brings back memories:P thats the stuff that makes playing the best

[OA]

This screams early 90's:
http://i217.photobucket.com/albums/cc166/turtlebros/PA260317.jpg

I have those skates!!

[Spitfire]

Do they still fit? Lol Seriously wouldn't it be awesome if stuff like that still fit us. I had a bunch of old TMNT shirts I wish I could wear now.

[Slash]

This screams early 90's:
http://i217.photobucket.com/albums/cc166/turtlebros/PA260317.jpg

And that was when Young Jenna Jameson was innocent! And she looked good in skates!

[CudleyCowlick]

And that was when Young Jenna Jameson was innocent! And she looked good in skates!

:lol:AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA... ROTFLMAO... AHAHAHAHA.... :lol:

I'd like to throw some of my box art up there, but ever since I moved my enormous vintage MIB/MOC TMNT collection is still sealed in boxes and stacked in the closet. I do need to get it out anyway to make sure everything survived the move, so when I do, I'll finally get some box art pics and maybe even pics of the whole collection since it's long overdue.

I agree with y'all on the awesomeness of it. I never even noticed anything else when I went toy shopping back in the day. I loved how each figure in the early days had the same background, but with the actual character you were getting drawn all over it in several different poses. And as far as anatomical correctness goes, I certainly didn't notice that when I was 8. It was still better than I could do, so I was impressed! I'll bet that's what ticked off Peter Laird about it though.

[Mr._Mutant_Man]

Looking back that art was amazing, I was just too young to appreciate it at the time. They just don't make them like they used to.:(

[shuriken]

The party wagon is my most sought after MISB vehicle. I got really close to getting one for $20 on eBay a few years ago but missed it because I wanted to snipe and get the best deal. D'oh. Congrats on that one.

The art is actually pretty bad in terms of anatomy and stuff. If you look at Leo's arm in the party wagon box for example. I still love it though.

I'll take pics of my vehicles later tonight.

Pliggs: Personally I love the old card art. The vehicle art was always better but they had more room to do cool things. I especially loved when they had the toy you were buying choking a turtle or vice versa at the top.

Yeah I stumbled upon the Party wagon in a thrift store that also happened to have Leo's role playing gear. and It was only 3 bucks!!!
Aww man I was so happy. Of course a lot of the accessories were missing, but I really didn't care seeing as I've wanted that since I was like 4. Although I've always wanted the Technodrome, which was the most awsome vehicle/ playset thingy ever.

[Kendamu]

Wow. I wish Mirage could find whoever did this art to make art for the new shirt line or for some Tales issues.

I always liked this art because each picture had this strange imperfection about it that somehow stylized it even more rather than making it look bad.

[Spitfire]

Well technically they own that artwork so they could put that art on a shirt.

[BigApple3AM]

Picked up a really junker partywagon (using it for parts) in a very nice box for $10. I'm still gonna try for a misb one day, but this will make my childhood van nicer.

Also got the turtle sewer hockey set, it's beat up but playable, with box for $6. The thing is HUGE. A loose triceraton with belt and tail for $2. It was a good toy show, I'll try to take pics of the sewer hockey box.

[Spitfire]

Yeah I'd love to see that, I never even heard of the sewer hockey set.

[Jon]

Think I recall seeing that in stores. Was a small hockey game (table top variety, I think) with TMNT characters in place of the typical hockey players. And could slide each back-and-forth in a short area.

[Slap-Happy]

Any one notice on the party wagon box raph has 4 fingers?

[Krueger]

Yeah I'd love to see that, I never even heard of the sewer hockey set.


http://cgi.ebay.com/Ninja-Turtles-MUTANT-SEWER-HOCKEY-GAME-IN-BOX-Rare-TMNT_W0QQitemZ200176345346QQihZ010QQcategoryZ49014 QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

Here is one on ebay. It is definitely used but currently only 99 cents.

[Spitfire]

Wow that's awesome, Rat King and Leatherhead on the team as well.