Has "Turtlemania" reached its height yet?

[Redrumh2o]

Do you think that in the next few years, TMNT has a chance of being more popular than it has ever been? There is a hit TV show, popular comic line, micro-series, reissues of almost everything in the future, the toy line is selling extremely well, Lego line, and countless other licensing items. Eastman is currently very involved, and a new movie on the horizon.

You also have to take into consideration the first generation fans that are still into TMNT with a lot of disposable income, and a whole new generation of TMNT fans being created. I am sure if the first gen turtle fans have kids...they will be forced onto their children.

Just curious as to what everyone thinks.

[CyberCubed]

We're very, very early into the Nick generation of TMNT. Usually a series doesn't take off in popularity until the second season.

The Nick cartoon has only been airing for 5 months for goodness sakes. Give it another year or two and then we'll see if Turtlemania has returned.

[Refractive Reflections]

If definitely has a chance since TMNT is now backed by Nickelodeon/Viacom. If the advertising and merchandising plays their cards right in appealing to BOTH kids and adults (former kids).

I noticed in Kohl's that they were deliberately selling "TMNT Retro" clothes (OT style animation) at the men's department so they seem to be doing well in covering both generations so far...and also from what you (Redrumh2o) mentioned earlier.

But CyberCubed does have a point, we usually have to wait 2-3 years from its premiere to see how fast the interest takes off. I think to truly assess if it surpasses the peak of the late 80s-early 90s, we'll have to look at it from a hindsight perspective and if it can permeate and flood back into the mainstream like it before. Right now, the Nick version and the excitement of it still seems confined/centered toward the Nick channel and kids. It will be a big sign in its popularity if adults (outside of TMNT fandom) and other media channels begin talking about it.

It'll be interesting to see how Nickelodeon tries to balance appealing to 2 generations at a time.

[CyberCubed]

The new movie also has a strong chance of influencing the publics opinion on TMNT. If the movie bombs or goes with the horrible alien origin, it could potentially alienate older fans and younger kids would be confused.

If the movie does well enough that they decide to make a sequel, Nick will likely keep the show on the air till the second movie comes out as well.

You look at how the Batman, Spiderman and X-men movies largely influenced "casuals" opinions on those franchises. People don't realize that more people will go see a single movie than watch a cartoon or read a comic. The TMNT movie has to be good.

[MrPliggins]

I think the Nick resurgance is helping cement them as a cultural icon, rather than just a one-off 80s show. As good as the 4kids show was, most people didn't even notice it. And the 2007 movie was just a blip on the radar. Nick seems to be better at marketing and general public awareness is higher now than it has been in years. The comics seem popular for the first time in a long time too. It's a good time to be a turtle fan.
I know some of you are too young to remember the rather insane "turtlemania" phase of the late 80s and early 90s, but it is nowhere near that now (and I'm glad- a little too crazy for me). I don't know if it ever will be like that again, but it seems they will stay in the public's consciousness for at least a little while.

[CyberCubed]

There aren't that many big childhood fads anymore. Certainly not on the level TMNT, Power Rangers and Pokemon were during their prime. Arguably Dragonball Z in the U.S. was the last truly big one.

[Refractive Reflections]

I know some of you are too young to remember the rather insane "turtlemania" phase of the late 80s and early 90s, but it is nowhere near that now (and I'm glad- a little too crazy for me). I don't know if it ever will be like that again, but it seems they will stay in the public's consciousness for at least a little while.

Oh I remember...LOL :lol:

It was a time when you could get anything TMNT from clothes, food, backpacks, underwear, school supplies, furnishings, wallpaper, stuffed animals, board games, etc. (Not just comics, TV shows, action figures, and video games). It was a merchandising free-for-all. I'm sure you could literally cover your entire house with TMNT stuff and not have to make it yourself. LOL

TMNT merchandising insanity for boys that time was nearly equivalent to the insane merchandising for girls with New Kids On The Block, except TMNT had a longer time span (5-6 years) than NKOTB (only 2 years).

[Jephael]

I hate to be a pessimist, but I get the feeling the Ninja Turtles are never going to be as big as they were when we were kids, mainly because people nowadays have such short attention spans. We can only keep ourselves interested in something for just so long.

[ToTheNines]

I hate to be a pessimist, but I get the feeling the Ninja Turtles are never going to be as big as they were when we were kids, mainly because people nowadays have such short attention spans. We can only keep ourselves interested in something for just so long.

Not just that, but kids are "growing up" faster.

The average 8 year old nowadays has a cell phone, a facebook account and plays Call of Duty.

That being said, the show is pretty popular with kids. If this movie doesn't totally blow in 2014, we'll see a big surge in TMNT popularity.

[dkram230]

There aren't that many big childhood fads anymore. Certainly not on the level TMNT, Power Rangers and Pokemon were during their prime. Arguably Dragonball Z in the U.S. was the last truly big one.

IMO, Spongebob was the last huge childhood fad. Nearly 14 years in and everywhere I turn there still seems to be something Spongebob. That being said, Spongebob mania is nowhere near what it was 7 or 8 years ago when it was probably at its peak. But the craze and the merchandise seems to refuse to die! That being said, SB never seemed to heavily penetrate the action figure market. A market that while nowhere near as relevant as 20-30 years ago, seems to have been conquered by TMNT in just 5 short months!

[FoxZerro]

IMO, Spongebob was the last huge childhood fad. Nearly 14 years in and everywhere I turn there still seems to be something Spongebob. That being said, Spongebob mania is nowhere near what it was 7 or 8 years ago when it was probably at its peak. But the craze and the merchandise seems to refuse to die! That being said, SB never seemed to heavily penetrate the action figure market. A market that while nowhere near as relevant as 20-30 years ago, seems to have been conquered by TMNT in just 5 short months!

Yes the fact that the biggest selling toy of this past Christmas season was Ninja Turtles is a huge testament to the franchise. I'm sure a lot of it was fueled by nostalgic parents, but I don't think over night Turtles became the
hottest Christmas toy.

I had strangers asking me about the toys when I would go out shopping and which one they thought their kid's would like best. I went to the store the day the series premiered and every family I saw had a kid buying a TMNT figure. I was in Toys R Us three weeks before Christmas and saw the deluge of parents in the aisle trying to find figures. It was quite a sight and something I won't soon forget. I think if they can maintain that level of popularity then things will be alright, even with the short attention span of the current generation

[Zulithe]

I think this gen will be the most popular since the OT. Its popularity will peak in season 2 or 3, but if the live action film turns out to be GOOD it could extend its influence significantly, just like the early 90s turtle movies helped give the property a boost.

[Donatello19]

I don't think it will ever be like it was back in the day, but i could see it becoming a huge fad like Angry Birds currently is. It's certainly more popular than the 2k3 series. Anyway, pretty much what everyone else said about the movie doing good or not. Like someone else mentioned, kids think it's cool nowadays to act older/try to grow up faster and whatever. They'll regret it when they're older :trolleye: So yes, I do think TMNT will become a huge success again, but i don't think it will ever be as good as it was.

[Candy Kappa]

if there's a new TMNT band, then maybe theres a chance we'll get a Turtlemania II electric bugaloo.

[Lulu]

I agree with many of the responses about kids having short attention spans. Not only that, but there are so many other franchises to be into.

The 80s was a special time that I will always treasure, anyway I don't think I'd like to see TMNT blow up that big again.

[Donatello19]

I agree with many of the responses about kids having short attention spans. Not only that, but there are so many other franchises to be into.

The 80s was a special time that I will always treasure, anyway I don't think I'd like to see TMNT blow up that big again.

The thing is, kids don't really get into franchises too much, and if they do, they will get out of it quickly because they think it's cool to act older than they really are.

[Original TMNT Cartoon Fan]

Turtlemania = Absolute peak years (1989-1994)

Then came some down periods after it, but the early 2000's saw TMNT re-appearing in popularity. Not Turtlemania again, but rather becoming well-established in popular culture.

[pannoni1]

if there's a new TMNT band, then maybe theres a chance we'll get a Turtlemania II electric bugaloo.

We have a long way to go to get to anything like Coming Out Of Their Shells, which was like no other kids' fad of the past where a comic book/cartoon went that far. But its definitely passing 4kids already, though I'm worried about the movie given the mishaps of 2012 with the leaked script. Nick is doing a good job promoting the property in this age of media convergence (Mobile/TV/Basic Web), and the momentum is currently in the right direction. I sure hope we do get a video game since they are just as important as movies nowadays when released, particularly with this new generation of video games starting to unfold. Its biggest competition will pretty much be itself, since other classic franchises such as Power Rangers and Pokemon basically are coasting off of their original fans, and newer fads such as Angry Birds are sort of at the level California Raisins were back in the day.

[oldmanwinters]

Turtlemania = Absolute peak years (1989-1994)

Then came some down periods after it, but the early 2000's saw TMNT re-appearing in popularity. Not Turtlemania again, but rather becoming well-established in popular culture.

I actually think "Turtlemania" started to wane about a year after Secret of the Ooze went to theatres. By that point, everybody owned the VHS tape of the first two films (watched them repeatedly, I'm sure), and was being bombarded with TMNT merchandise and commercials almost 24/7. By the time the TMNT 3 previews even started to air, most people just weren't as into the franchise as they once were.

[Coola Yagami]

I actually think "Turtlemania" started to wane about a year after Secret of the Ooze went to theatres. By that point, everybody owned the VHS tape of the first two films (watched them repeatedly, I'm sure), and was being bombarded with TMNT merchandise and commercials almost 24/7. By the time the TMNT 3 previews even started to air, most people just weren't as into the franchise as they once were.

Actually I remembered when I first saw the commercials for TMNT III I was like 'whoa... really?'. It just came out way too late into the TMNT lifeline. If it was released a year after Secret of the Ooze (in 1992 and not 1993... I think 92 was still a good year for the TMNT due to the new CBS eps and Turtles in Time and such) and with better costumes and such, it would have done way better. TMNT III was just released too little too late.

As for Turtlemania... yeah... I doubt it will ever surpass how it went down in the 80's. And I'm afraid this new movie will be as lame as TMNT and will either go unnoticed by the non-TMNT fans or mess things up all over again.

[oldmanwinters]

Actually I remembered when I first saw the commercials for TMNT III I was like 'whoa... really?'. It just came out way too late into the TMNT lifeline. If it was released a year after Secret of the Ooze (in 1992 and not 1993... I think 92 was still a good year for the TMNT due to the new CBS eps and Turtles in Time and such) and with better costumes and such, it would have done way better. TMNT III was just released too little too late.

As for Turtlemania... yeah... I doubt it will ever surpass how it went down in the 80's. And I'm afraid this new movie will be as lame as TMNT and will either go unnoticed by the non-TMNT fans or mess things up all over again.

That was kinda my reaction to the news of the third movie. We got the first two films a year apart. And having to wait two years for a another film made my kiddie brain feel like it wasn't ever going to get made.

Movie culture certainly is different these days from what it was in the early 90s. Nowadays it isn't strange to wait 3 years between the big name superhero action movies, but back in the 90s, we just felt like were were entitled to a new movie every year!

[CyberCubed]

Power Rangers came out in 1992 and that's when TMNT lost fad status.

The show was up to Season 6 at the time. Most childhood fads only last about 5 years anyway.

[Original TMNT Cartoon Fan]

Power Rangers came out in 1992 and that's when TMNT lost fad status.

The show was up to Season 6 at the time. Most childhood fads only last about 5 years anyway.

Wikipedia says 1993.

[dkram230]

True or not, I’ve always felt Power Rangers killed off the Turtles. I never quite understood why. PR came out when I was 12 and my passion for TMNT and its chapter in my life was nearing a fast close. But as a 12 year old, Power Rangers looked completely ridiculous and to me, still do today. Nick has a new updated version (Power Rangers Samurai) and the show and how it presents itself appears just as absurd and low budget today as it had in the 90’s. Unless the show is trying to make fun of itself, I never understood that. But as I mentioned in a different thread several months ago, had I been born in 1985 instead of 1981, I may have “got” the fad and seen its appeal as an 8 year old.

[FoxZerro]

True or not, I’ve always felt Power Rangers killed off the Turtles. I never quite understood why. PR came out when I was 12 and my passion for TMNT and its chapter in my life was nearing a fast close. But as a 12 year old, Power Rangers looked completely ridiculous and to me, still do today. Nick has a new updated version (Power Rangers Samurai) and the show and how it presents itself appears just as absurd and low budget today as it had in the 90’s. Unless the show is trying to make fun of itself, I never understood that. But as I mentioned in a different thread several months ago, had I been born in 1985 instead of 1981, I may have “got” the fad and seen its appeal as an 8 year old.

I will say this about Power Rangers when the show wants to make fun of itself it does it in spades. Dino Thunder had an episode that totally ripped apart exactly what the show is in a very meta way.

That being said Power Rangers Samurai... does not appear to be making fun of itself in the least.

[Coola Yagami]

That was kinda my reaction to the news of the third movie. We got the first two films a year apart. And having to wait two years for a another film made my kiddie brain feel like it wasn't ever going to get made.

Movie culture certainly is different these days from what it was in the early 90s. Nowadays it isn't strange to wait 3 years between the big name superhero action movies, but back in the 90s, we just felt like were were entitled to a new movie every year!

Well... more like.. TMNT 1 and 2 hit theaters when TMNT was hot. TMNT III hit when it was already declining. It's the equivalent of trying to release a Pokemon movie in American theaters now instead of back when it was starting out and the Pokefad was going crazy. Yeah, I know it's still on the air now, but that show also can't compared to how big the craze was when it was new.

[The Fifth Turtle]

Great thread idea! I have wondered this myself after first hearing of the Nick show. IMO I think it can get back to the same height the franchise had once reached. The show is amazing (my second favorite incarnation of the turtles to date), the comic rocks and Nick seems to be knocking it out of the park on a regular basis. Being born in 84 I was around for the Turle Mania days and remember them very well. In Nick's hands the franchise can return to former glory if they continue to play their cards right.

Is there anything as of late that has reached the magnitude of the OT TMNT? I know Sponge Bob was every where a while back but not as popular as the boys in green.

[Original TMNT Cartoon Fan]

Power Rangers came out in 1992 and that's when TMNT lost fad status.

The show was up to Season 6 at the time. Most childhood fads only last about 5 years anyway.

Didn't He-Man and Transformers last longer. Which are the peak years.

[zkarlette]

I feel like it's to early to say, but they have a good start, hopefully they will be as popular as before.

[FoxZerro]

Is there anything as of late that has reached the magnitude of the OT TMNT? I know Sponge Bob was every where a while back but not as popular as the boys in green.

Someone mentioned Angry Birds and I have to agree the fact that they now have a crossover with Star Wars and all sorts of crazy merchadising... I would point to that as a modern day OT Turtles level market penetration

[CyberCubed]

Angry Birds has no TV show though. At least not yet.

[***First of Two Latin Kings***]

The turtles never seemed as popular during the 2003 TV series as they did during the early '90's. They already seem to be very popular again due to the new animated series.

[zkarlette]

Angry Birds has no TV show though. At least not yet.

Exactly and most people are already fed up with them, I honestly hope no show comes out of this.

[Jephael]

Angry Birds has no TV show though. At least not yet.

Exactly and most people are already fed up with them, I honestly hope no show comes out of this.

I never undetstood the premise of the game. Why are the birds angry and what's their beef with those pigs?

[FoxZerro]

I never undetstood the premise of the game. Why are the birds angry and what's their beef with those pigs?

The Pigs stole there eggs and the best way to stop them is from kamikazing themselves into the pigs various strongholds because if Japan is any indication you don't need your parents in order to grow up big and strong and eventually topple the Western World's Economic System...

[DonatelloNinja82]

Actually I remembered when I first saw the commercials for TMNT III I was like 'whoa... really?'. It just came out way too late into the TMNT lifeline. If it was released a year after Secret of the Ooze (in 1992 and not 1993... I think 92 was still a good year for the TMNT due to the new CBS eps and Turtles in Time and such) and with better costumes and such, it would have done way better. TMNT III was just released too little too late.

As for Turtlemania... yeah... I doubt it will ever surpass how it went down in the 80's. And I'm afraid this new movie will be as lame as TMNT and will either go unnoticed by the non-TMNT fans or mess things up all over again.

I still remember seeing the previews for it, too. I was 11, screamed like a crazy fan girl and began running around my house...my mom thought I was crazy!

Personally, I dont think TMNT will ever get to the point they were in the early 90s.

[mikey22]

this is a different time we live in

it can easily surpass my generation of tmnt especially with internet and ease of finding/watching reading episodes/books whereas for us kids we only have television or a small few scattered episodes on vhs tape or tapes we customly did lol

[BAXTER STOCKMAN 19]

We can not know for sure how popular it will become. I hope that it can become even more popular than the 80 toon but what we can be sure is that it will never die. When one tv show ends then another will start. When 80 toon ended we got the 2k3 now we have nickelodeon years after we will have another one and goes on. The francise will never die. Some cartoons of it will be better and more popular than others but what most important is that the francise is still popular enough and will be alive forever!

[Mewzard]

True or not, I’ve always felt Power Rangers killed off the Turtles. I never quite understood why. PR came out when I was 12 and my passion for TMNT and its chapter in my life was nearing a fast close. But as a 12 year old, Power Rangers looked completely ridiculous and to me, still do today. Nick has a new updated version (Power Rangers Samurai) and the show and how it presents itself appears just as absurd and low budget today as it had in the 90’s. Unless the show is trying to make fun of itself, I never understood that. But as I mentioned in a different thread several months ago, had I been born in 1985 instead of 1981, I may have “got” the fad and seen its appeal as an 8 year old.

And four Ninja Turtles serving under a Rat Sensei to fight another group of Ninjas, occasionally other mutants, and even more villains isn't ridiculous at first glance?

As a person who followed Power Rangers for several years, and dropped $200 last year to get the first 7 seasons on DVD (with Season 20 starting next year, and still going strong), I can speak from experience that it has got something that kids like. At first, they tried to keep the actors, suits, and style of show to a theme, and that worked for a while, but after that, they started following the way it's done in Japan, and every Season became its own show (minus the regular team up episode(s) and the occasional returning character), which let old fans get something new they could like, and new fans try without feeling too lost/come back after a season they didn't like.

It works. I also followed those other big "fads" in Pokemon (the eternal juggernaut that it is, though I prefer the manga and the games to the now repetitive to the point of brain damage anime) and Dragon Ball (the franchise had ended long ago, but they keep finding ways to milk it, the home releases still sell like crack, and we're finally getting a new movie this year with Battle of Gods). Never watched Spongebob though. I fell out with Nick years before Spongebob...at least, I think I did. Maybe I just missed the start before I stopped watching.

They might be "fads", but like TMNT, they survive on to some degree, some better off than others (The sixth gen of Pokemon games, Pokemon X and Y were just announced to come out world wide in October, on the 3DS), they all grab at least a reasonable diehard fanbase that keeps them going to some degree. TMNT is one of the fads back on the rise (as for Pokemon and Dragon Ball, they have had dips, but they're still going strong, with Dragon Ball Z Kai airing successfully on both Nicktoons and the CW's Vortexx *formerly 4Kids* block, GT airing on Nicktoons as well, and the Pokemon games still sell like crack, plus that anime won't die anytime soon).

If the right moves are made, though...TMNT could go back to that old level of hype, maybe even beyond. But, odds are, it'll just capture a fraction of that magic, and Viacom will ride the high 80s style (dead hooker, blow, and DeLorean sold separately; collect the whole set!).

[Plasticplayhouse]

IMO, Spongebob was the last huge childhood fad. Nearly 14 years in and everywhere I turn there still seems to be something Spongebob. That being said, Spongebob mania is nowhere near what it was 7 or 8 years ago when it was probably at its peak. But the craze and the merchandise seems to refuse to die! That being said, SB never seemed to heavily penetrate the action figure market. A market that while nowhere near as relevant as 20-30 years ago, seems to have been conquered by TMNT in just 5 short months!

i agree with all this. Adventure Time is probably the most current fad. the show, toy, and accessory lines all seem to doing very well. i'm hoping between the comic and show that tmnt will continue to grow in success and even one day grow to the status of the big guns like batman, spiderman, etc. i mean tmnt is well known all over the world, but they got a ways to go to get to the mega star level. like mewzard said, many people find the initial concept of mutated turtles with ninja skills that have a man rat as their leader too far fetched to get into. not me personally, i love them, but others are less accepting.