Where did the Langenstein as Irma's surname come from?

[ticktack]

You mean this Irma?

[ToTheNines]

[ticktack]

Originally Posted by ToTheNines

https://media2.giphy.com/media/v1.Y2...hcRC/giphy.gif

[ticktack]

Memes about dogs? What about them?


https://youtu.be/tvirXOPNy-0?si=5WTWDGa7Ds7merJK
https://youtu.be/bDOLLIrTk4Y?si=A8tkoJr420W_JYLa

[neatoman]

Originally Posted by ticktack

You mean this Irma?

https://64.media.tumblr.com/3d977ed2...dabc8f689a.pnj

https://media.tenor.com/dJrZnhM2eJkA...hy-bashful.gif

Hm... Normally, I avoid replying to you because I'm pretty sure you're a troll, but this is something I wanted to talk about.

Character design in Mutant Mayhem and Tales is typically meant to be ugly or at least skewed. Most characters have features like crooked teeth or misaligned eyes, not Irma though, Irma looks surprisingly symmetrical.

[ticktack]

Originally Posted by neatoman

Hm... Normally, I avoid replying to you because I'm pretty sure you're a troll, but this is something I wanted to talk about.

*cries in troll*

[Xav]

Originally Posted by ticktack

You mean this Irma?

https://64.media.tumblr.com/3d977ed2...dabc8f689a.pnj

Why does she look like 4Kids April?

[ticktack]

Originally Posted by Xav

Why does she look like 4Kids April?

Before this, I created an original character for a TOTTMNT version that essentially brought back the 4Kids-style April, but under the name Anna. I also talked about Shinigami and how shipping in the 2012 TMNT series is basically impossible. Looking back, those ideas may have been taken into consideration, because now we have Irma, who reflects a lot of those same elements.

I also asked ChatGPT your question: "Why does Tottmnt Irma look like 4Kids April?"

"Short answer: it’s intentional.
Irma in Tales of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (TOTMNT) is designed as a clear visual homage to the 4Kids/2003 version of April O’Neil.

A soft reboot tradition in TMNT:
TMNT loves remixing past elements:
• names get reused
• personalities shift
• designs get reassigned

In short:
Irma looks like 4Kids April because she is meant to feel like her.
It’s a respectful throwback wrapped into a new character so the franchise can evolve without forgetting its roots."

[neatoman]

Originally Posted by Xav

Why does she look like 4Kids April?

In what sense?

[Heyowakka]

In the sense that she’s not an affront to the eyes, I suppose.

[Xav]

Originally Posted by neatoman

In what sense?

They are both skinny, white, red-headed women in purple shirts.

[ticktack]

Originally Posted by Xav

They are both skinny, white, red-headed women in purple shirts.

From a commenter’s perspective, I’m not sure what kind of answer you’re expecting here—maybe you’re looking for confirmation.


I do have a few working theories, though:

1. The 2003 TMNT series treated its female characters with more respect and consistency, and it wasn’t afraid to show them as genuinely capable and impressive in their own right.

2. TOTMNT already leaned into the “reporter April” angle, so introducing another female character could have added a fresh dynamic rather than retreading familiar ground.

3. There’s a lot of unpleasant baggage around how female characters have been handled in other TMNT iterations—especially the sketchy, exploitative emphasis on shipping and appeal. This is very much in line with the habits of the Teen Titans creative lineage, where questionable choices in clothing, framing, movement, and romance often reduced female characters to props for bizarre male-centered antics rather than treating them as full characters.

[ToTheNines]

[CyberCubed]

Someone summarize, I don't have time to watch an 18 minute youtube video.