Hey everyone,
was taking a tour on my figures on shelves today, looking at them, touching them, squeezing soft heads and stuff collectors sometimes do ....
I remember as a kid when the cartoon and the figures came out I was a bit confused why the figures do not look like in the cartoon but put those thoughts aside quickly and accepted how it is. I have to admit that at this time I had no idea of TMNT origins and a "real" comic existing other than the F/W cartoon.
So I was looking at - mostly - the original playmates turtles a couple of minutes ago and realized almost everything on them looked F/W cartoon except for the white eyes, the straight bandana and a snout that is more like a beak - just like in original comics. This goes on with various other figures, such as shredder too. Like their style is a mix of the cartoon and the original comic style. In any case those playmates figures also feature areas or elements on them that are neither F/W, nor original comic style. Eg splinter is so fat, he could be our mama. Or Usagi who looks like a tall mean guy with 2m long ears. The ears seem to be accurate as he always had them this long in the original (TMNT) comics and in the F/W cartoon but his appearance in all of them was more like a cute lil rabbit guy. But there are also other figures like fugitoid that don't look like anything in the comics or the cartoon. Not to forget general traag cartoon vs figure
If I remember right the idea of TMNT action figures was pitched to playmates who refused to do figures, stating they want a cartoon show for tv launched first to see wether or not it is successful so doing figures could turn out profitable. I am aware that on the action figure market you have certain sizes you have to follow. With that said I understand why shredder kind of had to be sized down, making him look like he's about to take a dump right where he stands, cape included - but what's the explanation for Usagi where at least 2/3 of his total size is ears only
def exceeding the size shredder could have had when standing tall.
Other figures like dirtbag and groundchuck I assume were either first worked out as figures or cartoon characters but most probably those 2 departments were working together closely because figures and F/W cartoon characters pretty much match in appearance and style.
Does anyone know why the figures were neither fully F/W or comic style but a mix-up of both styles with style elements not fitting either of those 2 styles? The more I think about it 30 years later the less sense it makes.