Do you feel like the writers are going through a 90's Playmates toy checklist?
 

Has anyone noticed that the writers seem to be introducing almost every notable mutant from the old 80's/90's Playmates toyline into an episode? Its almost like they're going through a checklist and saying, "Ok we introduced Wyrm, now we need to bring in Scumbug and Antrax. Oh don't forget about Wingnut/Screwloose next, etc"

It seems like in the first seasons the writers were creating new original mutants mostly. Like Dogpound, Fishface, Tiger Claw, Spiderbitez, Snakeweed, Cockroach Terminator, Squirrelnoids, etc. However now it seems like they're more concerned about bringing back every old Playmates toy mutant they can possibly do. There's less new mutants now and more old characters being reimagined.

There's actually only a few notable old mutants left not introduced yet. Groundchuck, Dirtbag, Man Ray, and Merdude remain a select few....and I get the feeling we'll get around to seeing them eventually.

So I looked through the old Playmates toylist. Not counting characters not owned by Nick like Usagi Yojimbo, or Panda Khan, and not counting mutants who never appeared in any episodes or anything, there's only:

- Wingnut/Screwloose (confirmed to appear)
- Groundchuck
- Dirtbag
- Man Ray (although Mikey thought of him)
- Merdude (Mikey called the Daagon in the space arc, "Merdude's)
- Tattoo. (could appear as a Purple Dragon thug, maybe?)

Uh, by eliminating mutants who never appeared in anything you're missing a large chunk of the toyline, bud

I'd love to see some of the toy-only characters, like Scaletail, maybe. I mean, we'd probably not get him 'cause of Karai laying claim to its species already, but there are some designs who totally deserve coming to life. How about a nod to Halfcourt in one of Mikey's feather brained hypothetical thought sequences? :tlol:

Doctor El has a lot of potential as a character

I'm all for some toy-only characters getting exposure on this show. Some of them are really cool and have a lot of potential. But I'm not so sure it's a Playmates checklist. I think it's an OT checklist.

I feel like the post-Season 1 writers are just trying to make this show a modern-day OT. It's very clear to me that these writers must've been huge fans of the OT growing up, and it shows in that this show wants more and more to be like the OT. It chooses to take characters that could be their own thing and instead make them "callbacks" to old characters by using their name. It chooses to change Mikey's catchphrase from "Booyakasha" to "Cowabunga" (a nitpick, I know, but damn has it been bothering me). It chooses to take a lighthearted mood devoid of humor that can't make everyone laugh (paling in comparison to Season 1, there), henchmutants have gone from menacing to silly pushovers, characterizations have gotten blurrier, and, ironically, has gone through a similar seasonal rot as the OT.

Maybe I'm a conspiracy theorist, but think about it. Season 1 of both shows are excellent and the most fondly remembered of both. Season 2 is not as good but still really good. Season 3 is when things start to slip up, get slightly sillier at times, and episodes aren't consistently good anymore. Season 4 is when things hit rock bottom. If the pattern follows, Season 5 is going to be damn near unbearable. I mean, that's basically just me rambling, but I can't be the only one who has noticed that.

But yeah, for better or worse, this show just seems to be going through the "How To Be The OT" checklist and continues to check them off as it goes on. I've noticed that recently and, well sir, I do not like it.

I don't think anyone is losing any sleep over Monty Moose not getting an episode.

I think we all assumed YOU would be the one losing sleep over Monty Moose not getting his big break. :tlol:

Just look at this guy:

http://cdn.sportsmemorabilia.com/spo...186424-500.jpg

He's literally a Canadian Moose! I think his bio on the toy card actually says he was some Canadian guard mutated into a moose.

I have to admit the art of him fighting Rocksteady on the packaging looks cool.

You went to the trouble of digging up a Monty Moose picture? You're absolutely a Monty Moose cheerleader. :tgrin:

Funny, I remember during last year's New York Comic Con panel Ciro mentioned he always loved the Wyrm action figure, hence why he was incorporated into the show, but he didn't seem too aware that Wyrm had a couple appearances opposite Scumbug in the Archie Comics.

The old Playmates toyline had alot of bizarre mutants who never appeared in either the cartoon or Archie comic. Like this guy:

http://mutantooze.org/wiki/wp-conten...octor-el-f.jpg

An African shaman elephant. Makes me wonder if they didn't use him because some might find it offensive.

hows this for one, monty comes to new york on a hunt for torra the polar bear alien thats out to stop global warming and now the turtles have to prevent a freak ice age from happening. i could see it for the 87 series.

Ciro mentioned about the "checklist" so yeah of course. More fun OT characters remake.


The Neutrinos are the worst remade ones though.

I like the Neutrino redesigns for being nothing like the OT versions.

Same. I have no use for the originals.

What they called Neutrinos in this show were literally 3 small robots with no faces and no emotion. They could have called them microbots and nobody would know the difference.

There was no reason to slap on names of established characters to that.

So how do you feel about the Nick Neutrinos versus the IDW Neutrinos?

Technically, Scaletail was in the game For the gameboy "TMNT 3 Radical Rescue" As the 4th boss after Scratch, Dirtbag, And Triceraton.

I love the IDW Neutrinos but I think the Nick ones could've been used a little more effectively. I mean, they seemed very powerful in that episode

That game that practically none of us could beat?

I couldn't even rescue one of the Turtles... took the game back to GameStop and exchanged it or got my money back. :tlol:

They don't have to make him an African Shaman, they could simply make him a Zoo Vet or something that happened to get on the wrong side of Shredder. And how he gets his powers? The mutagen did it, same way how it gave mind powers to Malachi, Monkey Brains and the Rat King.

I would imagine many of these toy characters are mostly just used either because they're pretty much just blank slates for the writers to do whatever they want with or Playmates might need to proctect certain trademarks... Or maybe it's both?

Either way, it's pretty clear they're really just attaching old names to new designs and personalities. How else do explain how you go from this:
http://vignette2.wikia.nocookie.net/...20120725032213

To this?:
http://vignette4.wikia.nocookie.net/...20141011155908

And just for fun, let's have some more examples:

Aside from pizzaface, a lot of those other characters do have similar designs or looks, just new designs.

All villains are always redesigned in every new series. IDW's Rat King looks nothing like any previous Rat King either.

That and the new version of Pizza Face is AWESOME. :tcool:

Also Scumbug has always looked wildly different. Look at Archie Scumbug, he's all brown and looks like a cockroach extemrinator, the cartoon/toy one is all purple.

I like "Pizza the hut" Pizzaface over "Chef Boyardee" Pizzaface

Ditto. But it is a shame Pizza Face (Chef) never appeared in a Fred Wolf episode. It would've been fun.

And I say that as a guy who despises the Fred Wolf series.

The original cartoon has tons of great writing.

Dude.... I've beaten that game several times. Heck, Its one of my all time favorite gameboy and tmnt games!

Well, now I'm embarrassed and I hate you. :trazz: :tlol:

Jealousy is a terrible thing.

Or did he?

http://orig04.deviantart.net/98d2/f/...es-d9bpsk4.png

:)

I was hoping you'd chime in with that! :tgrin:

Love that piece of art. Top notch.

Its pretty funny how the writers of the original cartoon wanted almost nothing to do with the Playmates toyline, they included as few mutants as possible and even then gave only 1-2 episodes to most characters.

Its really bizarre thinking about it now.

WTF with the new Scumbug..... Just..... dude... That extra deformed eye/mouth/face of the human original melting beneath the giant roach face... I mean, does it speak out of that mouth? They really like to get carried away with the body horror, don't they?

The showrunners are horror fans.

But they've done it a few times before. I'd rather not a repeat of the OT. If they feel the need to bring in characters from the OT (which I'd normally be against) or Playmates toys, lesser known or not, but can change them into something completely different or better then I'm content with it. Pizza Face, Neutrinos, Wyrm, Toxic Avenger, Joe Eyeball, Lord Dregg, etc., the redesigns being different helps make them stand out for me. I have the confession that even as a kid, I never liked the Neutrinos.

I don't mind if they adapt the playmates figures into the show, my only issue is how they adapt them, there origins will be very different.

I want them to adapt King Lionheart.

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2579/...1675a14b_o.jpg

Lol. No worries. You wouldn't be the first one that hates me.:trazz:

If the 2012 versions of classic characters are interesting enough, does it matter if they're brand-new or not?