TMNT: 30-minute Toy Commercials?
 

Some people might think this thread should go in the toy section, but I think it is more general. People constantly complain that Sat. morning cartoons are nothing more than market-driven attempts for Toy companies to sell more action figures. Are they right? Who knows...

But the old TMNT cartoon sure had a lot of random cameos by contraptions and vehicles from the toy line. Here's some samples:
http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a56.../flushomat.jpg
The FlushOmatic in Mich.'s Birthday. Shredder captures Mikey to use him as bait (but planned to kill him anyway). Shredder already had his mutagen-sprayer, laser-blaster armed goons, etc. So why go to all the trouble to haul this thing all the way up from the technodrome. In fact, why even waste time building it? It's just mutagen poured into a funnel that drips down on a turtle tied to the base. Is a machine like this really necessary if you already have the mutagen AND the captured Turtle?!? Seems like Shredder was giving a sly nod to Playmates on this one. I wonder how much he got paid?

And what's this?
http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a56...ys/footski.jpg
The foot-ski from Pizza by the Shred. Can that thing really fit down a manhole? Apparently it can, but not without a lot of sweat from Rocksteady and Bebop! Isn't it odd that the villians JUST HAPPENED to be carrying this thing around? And doesn't it seem like they go through unnecessary trouble to use it? Again, Playmates is likely sending the Benjamins to Krang.

Of course, but that's also the superficial excuse some of these "fans" use to avoid judging series like this on their own merits of quality. Make no mistake, TMNT, Transformers, etc, were toy commercials, but they were also more than that at the same time.

TMNT could get away with that less reallisticlly because it was an adventure/comedy series

Let me clarify right off the bat, that I like 30 minute toy commericals, especially this one! I wouldn't have bought the DVDs if I didn't:D

The purpose of this thread is to relive the fond memories of our childhood while at the same time being tongue-in-cheek about some of the plot ideas. I am encouraging everyone to post pictures of random Playmates toys cameos. I think it will be fun.

I know, I was just taking a pot shot at other "fans" I've crossed paths with, none of 'em are on this forum, so let's go ahead with this:)

Someone get a Knucklehead quick!

A toilet seat-turned funnel, no less. :lol:

Great thread idea, oldmanwinters. I don't have any pics of the old 'toon, (or the DVDs, unfortunately), but I'd love to see some more toy cameos. Keep it coming!

OH NO it's horrible that Playmates and Fred Wolf worked together to actually make the toys and show sync up. Lol but seriously the toy ad is FF not the old toon.

spit we're friends in all but seriously all of the versions of the tmnt shows have been adds for toys...except when it turned into red sky they didn't make a single thing from those shows sadly.

To me the old toon had toys based off the series but at the same time had it's own little story going on with just the toys. Felt like separate things to me. With the '03 show it started off like a toy ad, but then again the toys never matched the characters. So it didn't seem like they were trying to sell toys and they didn't.

I saw 3 episodes of FF*and they were probably the worst ones" but they felt like toy ads, like the other 4Kids shows. So yeah if I saw more episodes I possibly wouldn't think that but if you look at what I got to go by it seems possible. And hell hope it does sell toys, keeps the show on longer.

Ill just say this real quick. Sure, the old toon was a 30 min toy commercial...but they were some damn good toys. So no complaints here.

amen to that man shame I cant say the same for what tye've been doing.
The old toy line to me is more classic than the old toon was.

I honestly wish more toy line characters were in the show, like Pizza face and characters that did make it were in the show for more episodes like Casey and Mondo Gecko.

I think allot of people do..I mean hell I sure did atleast when I was a kid.

Damn, how can you even PLAY with such a thing? :|

I don't mind unless the gizmo cameo makes no sense. Like the getups the Turtles were in after Mikey's rematch (2k3 'toon). A simple explanation of their ceremonial purpose would have been nice... (though they'd have to be retrofitted to the end of the Battle Nexus finale for that purpose to make sense, ergh) I'm sure there was at least one in the old 'toon as well, but I haven't seen most of the eps in years.

Or if the show has very little point besides "look! shiny! poor quality! cool gadgets!" *coughfastforwardcough*

I think that's part of why Donny's always cast as supah-genius instead of a (still smart) fix-it turtle... he's the lifeblood of the line of vehicles/gadgets that must be converted to toys.

Don and April's aunt need a mundane means of transportation. Turtle Van is the logical choice right?

Not when we can show off this nifty Turtlecycle which apparently comes out of nowhere!
http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a56...rtlecycle1.jpg

http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a56...rtlecycle2.jpg

Now I know the TMNT get criticized as being hypocritical for driving around in a van that has their name all over it, but at least the van enclosed them (I always thought the Party Wagon could have benefited from some tinted windows), but this Turtlecycle business completely throws any notion of ninjitsu-shadow-warriors out the door. Splinter must have completely given up on his teaching at this point.

Still, you have to hand it to the Playmates company... with packaging like this it was nearly impossible not to want to buy this thing and see it in every episode!
http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a56...urtlecycle.jpg
Who would have thought Leo and Raph could make a garbage can strapped on a motorbike look so good? Sorry, Don and Aunty just can't compare to the Toy packaging on this one.
(Pic taken from an Ebay seller's collection)

Hmmm... excellent question. Was the show made to sell toys, or were the toys meant to sell the show?

I mean, one thing I can agree on is that if a show is an advertisement for a toy line, it doesn't mean it's a bad thing. Transformers, GI Joe, Super Mario... all are toy commercials, but they are all enjoyable and not poorly done.

You can make a show based on toys to be great, or you can make one to be terrible (Bratz nudge nudge, wink wink, say no more). A cartoonist can make their own show to be good or terrible as well.

I do not like the practice of making cartoons 30 minute toy ads, myself... but I won't deny that they had some very good ones that broke free from that. I agree with old school animators they aren't necisarrily great cartoons, but then of course, toons from the 70's, while not toy based, were pretty formulaic, and often based on the assumption they'd sell records.

But, yeah. Playmates did help TMNT get animated, so of course they'd use the run to promote new gadgets and characters to drive up toy sales (or to create both, to make into the toy line). Big Deal. It's still great animated TV.

This should be in the toy forum, that forum needs more fun threads.

Also about 30 minute commercials. Everything in our country is based on making money, to the point that it's probably going to far, but I won't get into politics here. I will say that the only thing wrong I see with toy companies promoting toys in cartoons is that they target young children. Young children tend to latch onto things which is probably why we're all still here. You could always argue that it's done no harm, except that they've gotten a lot of our money through toys. But everything takes money so whether it's a problem is a personal issue really. If turtles bring you happiness then don't worry about it.

I'd also like to add that every company, TV show, hell even politicians, is doing this commercial thing lately. Sesame Street = Tickle Me Elmo... X-TREME. Many psychologists are getting on Sesame Street's ass for targeting children. It may be an educational show, but they're making money off toys and stuff too. Kinda sad for a show that's supposed to be public broadcasting and something for everyone, only to sell products that most kids won't get for Christmas because it's the "hot" item.

At least Turtles isn't being hippocritical in that sense.

And for the most part, the old Turtle toon wasn't all that bad in promoting toys. Most of the toys never made it to the show and a lot of characters in the show barely made it into toys. It always seemed like the show had its own agenda and the toys really just sold naturally because they were well done.

Well, a big part of the cartoon was selling the toys, hence all the cameo appearences by certain gadgets (I thought the Flush-O-Matic was cool and wanted to see it in more episodes when I was six). However, the show still managed to be entertaining regardless so I don't think it should be disregarded as just an ad.

This reminds me of when I was five and got the sewer playset. In the commercials they would show the ooze coming down through the holes in the manhole cover onto a turtle. So I decided to give it a shot. However, being only five I wasn't a good judge on how much to pour down and it started to overflow onto the rug. I tried so hard to keep it pushed back into the sewer and not on the rug and I was flipping out. My mom laughed so hard at it that I didn't get in any trouble.

Another pair of questions would be: can a toy line succeed without a TV show or vice versa?

The success of one may have a direct impact on the longevity of the other.