Scratch and Hot Spot
 

Is anyone else nearly insulted at the lack of originality in these two characters? I mean, I get that Playmates was going for goofy, silly figures in the original TMNT line, but for some reason, these two stick out to me like a sore thumb. Not only do they seem unoriginal (a cat that's a burglar and a dalmation firefighter), but they look so damned cute, they look out of place. The moment I laid eyes on them, I just thought to myself "They probably spent 2 minutes coming up with these guys".

Anyway, I just want to know if I'm the only one that gets pissed at the sight of these two figures.

I don't get pissed, but I do feel the same as you do. I imagine most of the world did, too, as that's why they're rare. No one bought them back then. They were unoriginal characters put out at a time when the turtles were on their popularity decline. Not to mention that being said is the reason why less were produced.

But yeah, they're stupid. I can appreciate Scratch a lot more than Hotspot, though.

I do like Scratch, mostly because he sort of made it into the Archie Adventures comics under the name, "Hallowcat." Plus, his design looks pretty cool when its drawn a certain way:
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3619/...ccf984ca2e.jpg
Ryan Brown's "Scratch": Playmates' Toys Concept by oldmanwinters, on Flickr

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3614/...0a1f35e9d5.jpg
1st Ever Drawing of "Scratch" by Ryan Brown by oldmanwinters, on Flickr

But, yeah, some of those random mutants in the toy line just felt so underdeveloped that even the most die-hard fans didn't have the urge to buy them back in the day.

That scetch of the Owl character would've been a pretty cool figure! I would've ate that sh!t up when I was a kid.



I'm just pissed cause this was the same toy manufacturer that came up with Ray Fillet, Mondo Gecko, Mountie Moose, Dr. El, Merdude, Dirtbag, Groundchuck, Pizzaface, and a bunch of other cool characters, and then we get Scratch and Hot Spot. Clearly the decline in TMNT popularity must have been a factor in the lack of thought into these characters.

In defence of the toys I actually like them and at least some of their accessories made sense like the bag of loot for Scratch and all of hotpsots accessories... even though the cake gun is a bit out there... I just hated it when figures included useless accessories like napolean bonafrog for example, nothing he came with really seemed to make sense to me even though I do like the figure... im just wishing he came with somthing other than a fly squat a sheild and an eel.

I do agree both characters lack originality but I do enjoy the stereotyping... i'd rather playmates bring out a tonne of new characters using ideas and concepts that haver beenused and done before than weird wacky new versions of the four turtles.

Also I have a lees action figure review from way back when these 2 were released.... not sure if i remember this right but i'll have to dig it up but i thought there was an issue with the moulds for both of these two characters which reulted in the scarce production run...

I am not 100% as i might be confusing this with leatherhead which an earlier issue states that this happened however they rectified it whereas if it happened to hotspot and scratch they obiously couldnt be bothered.

And curiously the magazine stated hotspot was far scarcer than scratch and was far more sought after..... but they could of had their info wrong.

I liked hot spot, he WAS out of place how ever, Cute simple fire dog, and i bet they were watching a certain episode of ren and stimpy too when they came up with him.(2 stupid fire dogs) but scratch....he looks kinda feral and deranged and....yeah....lol

I like Scratch. I think he is just an unusual looking figure but very neat at the same time, Hot Spot is cool too but I do not ever remember these guy's as a kid probably because I was already out of the TMNT scene at that time, but I def want them now.

While I agree that they look out of place I really like Scratch. Don't really care for Hot Spot as he just looks out of place but I really like Scratch's design. He just looks plain wacky and I love it. Hot Spot however is just too plain.

Same with me, i saw them and the newer storage shell turtles at a hardeware store during the turtles final wave.So i got storage shell ralph, if i knew the ywould have been worth something i would have picked them up, i also remember a bizarre giraffe who plays basket ball.Also i have no problem with scratch i think he just kinda looks...deranged lol, in a good way.

I'd have to say that Dr. El and Mountie Moose strike me as ridiculous, and maybe it's because they were characters, like Hot Spot (to a lesser extent Scratch, cause he's kinda cool, and might have Archie origins) and Half Court...oh gah Half Court, who were only toys and never went beyond that like Ray Fillet, Mondo Gecko, and others. (Though Pizza Face is the exception, but man was he wicked.)

The bizarre giraffe who plays basketball is no other than.....

HALFCOURT!

[IMG]http://img691.imageshack.us/img691/6883/cimg0839pa.jpg Uploaded with ImageShack.us[/IMG]

Half court is one of my favs in the basic lines of the old toons. Scrath is ok Hotspot is weak!

It's funny, despite all of the hate that Halfcourt gets, he's one of my favorite mutants from the old toy line as well. Though I like most of the **** Brown came up with.

But I say Doctor El > All other mutants from that line

P.P.S- I never noticed this before but it looks like Halfcourt stepped in his own **** with his right foot.

Yeah thats him lol he looked neat for what he was.

I like 'em. I'd take Scratch and Hotspot before something like the birthday turtles or turtle trolls any day of the week. I'd also take them above anything in the toy aisles today.

Oh I agree with you on the B-Day turtles I never had any use for them. But the thing is I will probably buy them just to have them with my collection. As a kid though I hated them.

I like both of em. Sure they arent the best figures in the line but they are part of the TMNT franchise and because of it I dig em.

I saw Scratch at a store one weekend it must have been 1993, the TMNT were still very popular. I thought he was awesome, I spent the whole week thinking about how i would play with him and when the next weekend came and I went to the store to buy him I never saw him and I never did again, I was sad. So I disagree Scratch was awesome, Hotspot and that Jiraffe thing I'd agree they look terrible. I also hated that grotesque chef figure, I have no idea why I owned it, I'm guessing I never chose it and someone bought it for me but why would they chose that figure?
edit:wow the grotesque chef is called pizzaface and people actually like him? ugh.

Anyways I think TMNT was still strong during that time, it wasn't as huge but it was still big even if Power Rangers took most of its market it was still enough to hang around for a while.

If you put the pump gun in his arm and turn his neck partly sideways he looks ridiculous sweet! Also its a basketball on his shoe not ****. Lastly I take Halfcourt over Scratch any day.

lol The birthday turtles were a little much, honestly i just liked the commercials at that point, using the movie costumes for such silliness, like Ralphs used auto emporium :P

I know it's a basketball, but it looks like ****.

I like the figures, especially Scratch and his crazy eyes - started buying them and can't really stop. I have 7 Scratch figures and 3 Hot Spot figures. I have been in search of finding one of each that would grade an AFA 85+, but it is so hard to find one in that condition. I do own an AFA 80 Scratch with subgrades (C80, B85, F90), but the other six I have would not likely exceed 85 so I have not sent them in.

I wager most of those Playmates mutants should have never been created unless they were going to appear in an episode.

Some of those extra mutants were pointless. King Lionheart, Monty Moose, Halfcourt, Sandstorm, etc. are all terrible characters.

I agree the only, "good" one that never got an episode was Pizzaface, only because he's awesome.

I really wish Wyrm appeared outside the Archie series though, but at least he got an appearance in that series.

Who the shell is Ralph?

Just curious... have you bought all 7 Scratch figures just in the attempt of getting a higher grade card or are you actually mass collecting scratches?

Because that would ahve to be one hell of an expensive hobby. lol

Well, I keep purchasing them in an attempt to get a higher grade card, but then I can't bring myself to sell them after I get them. Part of me want to get them all graded just to preserve them for others to enjoy.

Wow thats awesome man I wish I had a loose complete Scratch, let alone 7 MOC!!!

Yeah, cause everyone can enjoy them while they sit in your house unseen.

Yeah we'd really enjoy them if you let them go really cheap lol! :lol:

Well it would make perfect sense to me if he held onto them just for a little while if he was after a perfect a card example.

There are few enough carded Scratch figures on the market that the odds of him selling one then buying it again at an inflated price are a believeable possibility, although probably not that likely. Better to be safe than sorry.

Also I can see the sense of enjoyment in having a tonne of the same rare figure assembeled in the one place... I would imagine there would be some sort of sense of accomplishment. I know of a few Star Wars collectors who hunt after multiples of blue snaggletooths and many recieve scrutinising by jealous fans but the way i see it, if they wish to devote their time and effort hunting them down then good luck to them.

Im still looking for Scratch but have no interest just yet for a carded example... but since loose complete ones seem to come up on the market far less frequently im almost tempted to start looking for one on a really beat up card.

LOL. :D Yes please :) :p

It really was not my plan to hang onto them all. In fact, I plan on selling the extras at some point but figured I would feel better sending them out graded knowing that they will more likely be preserved/taken care of. I have a habit of grading rare figures because I feel like I have preserved a little bit of history that way.

I totally agree. Even when I was a kid, I prefered original characters as opposed to the 'themed' Turtles. Give me King Lionheart any day of the week over olympic swimmer Raph.



And I keep forgetting to mention Wingnut and Screwloose in the awesome characters list.

I meant Raph, and im sure most people knew that, for some reason i add an l.

I really don't see where the lot of ye are comin' from. Scratch and Hot Spot don't stand out at all from the recent of the menage of mutants that were released.

Coming at cha!

My new shirt by Powder!




Bottom line.....Scratch rocks!

Where can I get that???:tcool:

http://www.redbubble.com/people/powd...3578-1-scratch

Right here. :tgrin:

Will you do that on a gray shirt??? That is awesome!

Just did. The same link will direct ya to it, where grey is now an option. Glad ya like it!

As much as I dislike the figure, that shirt is pretty badass!