What will happen to the turtles?

*ZariusTwo* · 06-02-2012, 01:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Krum

That's an interesting argument. In my opinion the turtles are not cultural icons like Superman. I think it's possible (if managed right) that they could be in another 30-50 years.

Noone has the time to invest in such a timeframe. Results should be more immediate than that. It didnt take Spider-Man the end of the 60s, the decade of his creation, before he had a cartoon and was established as THE go-to-guy fro Marvel. The TMNT are recognized the world over as a passing fad/brand that gets kicking every few years, but utlimately doesnt have the staying power to maintain a global interest. In 30-50 years, it will have the same level of fans, and by that point we'll be trying, and failing, to get our grandchildren interested in it long-term. They'll switch off after a year, maybe two.

Another thing that makes cultural icons interesting is their mythology. Spider-Man is perhaps the greatest cautionary tale in the history of comics folklore, what do the Turtles have? "Oh, someone killed our sensei's owner, let's retaliate and kill him in cold blood...HI KIDS, STAY IN SCHOOL". The mythology's been tweeked many times to make the Turtles a bit more lovable than something bloodthirsty redneck chavs would find endearing, but overall there generic action heroes, they don't have a really meaty modus operandi, they fight crime and get caught up in stuff "Daredevil" was doing years before them, that's it. No big moral lesson to learn here kiddies, no real hook for any of the characters, no investment. Just eat your cereal and shaddap.

If I had to pick any version of the TMNT as cultural icons, it would be the FW Turtles, who are wholesome, fun loving, and live life with continuous optimisum...but those Turtles were a lifetime ago, and outside of one reunion movie, havent resonated across generations. For the Turtles to become icons, a version has to endure across endless spectrums, but in this day and age of reboots and reimaginings, such a thing is impossible for it.