When were multicolored masks first used?
 

Got a question here...when were the multicolored masks first used? Was it the original animated series?

Josh

Yea, I'm pretty sure that's it. Either that or the toyline, I'm not sure which came first.

The original cartoon was the first time that the multicolored masks were used. Then the toyline was the next. The Archie comics were third then the movies.

I could've sworn they were first used in the toon...because the toyline came out a year later than the airing of the 1st season i think.

I know it's a matter of preference, but I prefer the Turtles all wearing different masks, as opposed to them all wearing the same red one.

They're more colorful that way. :wink:

"No cow can resist salt!" - Shredder, from "Mutagen Monster"

Yeah it was the old cartoon. It was probably made so that kiddies wouldn't get confused. Now it has grown on people and will probably be used in future TMNT projects as well.

I've been thinking the same thing all along. BTW, has it eveer occured to anyone that Don and Mike both wear secondary colors while Raph and Leo wear primary colors?

I think that colored masks were allright for the old cartoon, and the early Archie TMNT comics, but for the movie, the later Archie TMNT issues, and the new cartoon they REALLY should have gone with all red masks.

It could be the mark separating "Serious TMNT" from "Silly TMNT", then we'd know what to expect from each medium.

Well color of the bandanas have anything to do with silly or not silly, nor Should I think they should separate the two forms that way. It's nice that Mirage colume 4 still has the red bandanas but im not sure it would work on fast action scenes of a movie or animation. Of course if they would ever chooce to do so, I would have no objections.

I think.. subconsciously. But not till you mentioned it!

Makes you wonder what sort of thought process the 'big wigs' went through to come up with who gets what color... Hrmm.. :D

But didn't someone say that one of the Archie comics had a little story about the colored masks too?

please tell the story! i love stories!!! And I don't know this one!

Splinter was having a hard time telling the TMNT apart since they had yet to develop their distinct personalities, so when he punished all of them for something Michaelangelo did, they decided to get back at him by prentending to be each other while taking tests. Then when Splinter found out, he double-crossed them and they started beating up on Mike right before they had to fight with some thugs who had been skulking around in the sewers. Afterwards, Splinter had the turtles devise a way he could tell them apart, and one of them did after reading a comic book about a certain group of ducks! :twink:

In fast action scenes, they ususally have their weapons drawn so colored masks are unnecessary. In non-action scenes their personalities are on display, so there's still no need for the multicolored masks.

Actually the toy line was made before hand/ at the same time. They wanted to make a toyline, but playmates said they'd only actually make the line if they could get a cartoon to help sell the toys. I believe it could have been both.

The first season of the cartoon was produce by playmates, so it's probably them who came up with the idea. I belive it would probably work if they all had red masks in a cartoon, but it seems that isn't happening anytime soon.

Although the red masks are what mirage had, I still prefer the colored masks. It was a great idea to have color masks, keep in mind Peter Laird isn't the GREATEST at everything, I think the color coding of hte masks was a perfect idea.

You have a right to that opinion, but I happen to greatly disagree with you. I've been wishing for some all red-mask TMNT animation since I was a kid.

You can put them in a strange order that makes the colours lead into each other.

1.Leonardo - Blue
2.Donatello - Purple
3.Raphael - Red
4.Michelangelo - Orange

i believe that is this time around. playmates would only do the toyline after they landed a cartoon series. The old cartoon was made first, with playmates toys (origional line) soon to follow.

Isn't that also the order in which they're introduced in the theme song?

WOW Yeah! Spectoral order. Weird!

Leonardo Leads
Donatello Does Machines
Raphael is Cool But Rude
Michelangelo is a Party Dude!

Still funny... :lol: Maybe it's just me.

Toy line first, cartoon because of toy line, nuff said.

What is so great about all red masks? it's boring. Most people only remember the turtles by the colors as well.

I like the look of all red masks. Also, I think people would easily get the idea if they used them. The only reason people get confused by the all red mask look is because they don't use it enough. So, IMHO the fact that people don't recognize them all in red masks is excactly why they should do it.

I'm sorry man, the red masks work for the comic, but they would just look boring in a cartoon, and in a live action movie it'd be like trying to tell storm troopers apart.

I don't find the multi-colored masks all that "exciting" in the first place. And, in a live action movie it'd be easiest to tell them apart because they always made each turtle look different anyway.

LOL I never noticed that! Wow that's naughty!!!

Woulda been extremely hard to tell them apart for kids in the movies. They have a hard enough time remembering their names as it is. Plus, in the movies, all the turtles had the same color skin...so, it would have made things even tougher. And, if you look, Don and Raph had almost identical faces in the first 2 movies...just different expressions.

http://www.doubledare.tv/rd.jpg
Black and white, for your confusion :).

Josh

Yep, that's EXACTLY why.

Don's on the left. Raph's on the right! HAH! :P

*BUZZ* Oooooh, I'm sorry, you didn't win the prize....

(Bottom of the page...series premiered in '87, toy line came out in '88...BOOYAKA!)

In case you didn't know, that was the original plan. Playmates said they would produce TMNT toys after there is a cartoon on air, and so playmates produced the 5 part miniseries wich aired in december of 87 and toys came out in 88. Well technically cartoon came first, but it was made to advertaise the toys.

Are there any longterm fans here who are old enough to remember when they made the change to the colored masks? I imagine it was a pretty bizarre thing to get used to.

Josh

Well I don't know how many original TMNT fans actually watched the show. On the letter page there was a lot of complaining about how Mirage sold out and such.

It was! When my friend Amanda first got me into the show, she told me about the different mask colors and it was confusing.
I think they should correct this injustice, and restore the TMNT to their original color scheme! (well, it's not really an injustice, but still)

I grew up with the multiple colors, but now I to prefer red ones.

I grew up with both and, still prefer the Red ones.

The first time I saw Mirage TMNT I was like... what the heck? They all have red masks! Now I've grown to like it, but it doesn't really matter to me. I like both. Some things work with the original style and some don't.

Er..Ninja Tiptup, dare I say it, what you said was..(hmm..whats a non-harmful way of saying this) very..Man-on-manish (eh..yeah).you know the, that's naughty!!! part...uh... :lol: