Original Toon Screencaps

[Darth Shredder]

What episode do you believe had the absolute best animation?

[oldmanwinters]

Originally Posted by Darth Shredder

What episode do you believe had the absolute best animation?

Obviously the 5 episode pilot stands alone. But other than that, "Turtles on Trial" comes to mind as perhaps the best for both character design, action sequences, and general consistency. Other great eps from season 3 and 4 include "Leonardo VS. Tempestra" and "Name That Toon." Maybe I'll remember some more. "The Fifth Turtle," "Burne's Blues," and the Metalhead episode were also quite a wonder to behold. The biggest thing was that characters stayed on model and didn't look deformed like in other episodes.

[Darth Shredder]

The animation in Season One was meticulous and quality, then again so were the episodes from the Red Sky Era. I really liked the slightly tweaked designs from the latter.

[oldmanwinters]

I will give credit to the animators who worked on all the CBS episodes. I have found the characters to be generally and consistently "on model" and the action to be crisp (we only need more of it!). Nice use of adding shadows to the cels as well.

Originally Posted by Darth Shredder

The animation in Season One was meticulous and quality, then again so were the episodes from the Red Sky Era. I really liked the slightly tweaked designs from the latter.

It is especially obvious going from the first to second seasons. The second season is animated generally well, but the character design, animation style, and color pallete changed drastically. Among this season, I think the best animated episodes are "Enter the Fly," "The Catwoman from Channel Six," "The Mean Machines," and "New York's Shiniest." The rest are alright, but not as consistent in quality as those four.

[Jelly Bean]

Originally Posted by oldmanwinters

It is especially obvious going from the first to second seasons. The second season is animated generally well, but the character design, animation style, and color pallete changed drastically. Among this season, I think the best animated episodes are "Enter the Fly," "The Catwoman from Channel Six," "The Mean Machines," and "New York's Shiniest." The rest are alright, but not as consistent in quality as those four.

Season two's coloring looks brighter and more shiney than season one and the turtles look...rounder? I can't really put my finger on in. I thinkm in season two they made their faces more expressive and porpotioned. Season one they almost looked like muppets at times.

since I was ignored in the "best lair" thread.

Can some one post me detailed screen caps of the 80's toon lair please? I'm trying to get an idea of the lay out of the lair because sometimes it doesn't seem consistant. In the 4KIDS cartoon the layout of the lair is very clear and you have a very good idea of where everything is and what rooms connect to each other. The 80's lair not so much.

[oldmanwinters]

Yeah, I think the Turtles put on some pizza pounds and got content since Shredder and Krang were off in Dimension X. And I love that Muppet reference. Maybe that's the reason I like Season 1's style so much!

I'll try to get you at least a few tomorrrow night. Anybody know a good episode that features the lair?

[DonatelloDomeHead31]

Thanks for the Donatello and Michaelangelo pics, the one with the plunger on the frog i remember but i don't remember the episode name.

this request came to me: In "Turtle Tracks," when the turtles are fighting the foot soldiers on the rooftop, there's a scene where Michaelangelo leaps into the air to take off the trenchcoat, which is a great way to get out of disguise and attack, but i need a scene of the other turtles getting out of the trenchcoats to attack.

I request this because Michaelangelo's was more of a quick attack moment, while the others is a slow movement; in other words, the foot could have attacked them while they were taking the coats off

[Darth Shredder]

Originally Posted by Jelly Bean

since I was ignored in the "best lair" thread.

I don't think it was that you were ignored. Sometimes it takes people time to reply, because perhaps they don't have the screenshots on hand, or they're unable to take them, or whatnot. This was the right thread to come to, though. It has a few people who take really high resolution snapshots. I appreciate the hell out of it.

[Jelly Bean]

thanks you make a good point about that, also I like the picture of Karia you have in your sig

[Legendofmetal777]

Thanks!! These are perfect!!!!!!!!!!

Originally Posted by tone-master21

here are some more

[Kendamu]

Originally Posted by Darth Shredder

What episode do you believe had the absolute best animation?

Off the top of my head, not counting the first season, "Turtles on Trial" and "April Foolish" stand out in my mind as having great animation quality. I bet those two episodes alone killed the animation budget for all the rest of the pre-CBS episodes.

[oldmanwinters]

Originally Posted by Goongasnootch

Off the top of my head, not counting the first season, "Turtles on Trial" and "April Foolish" stand out in my mind as having great animation quality. I bet those two episodes alone killed the animation budget for all the rest of the pre-CBS episodes.

Hmm, I didn't think "April Foolish" was all that crisp animation wise. The character design looked pretty good, but I don't think it's comparable to "Turtles on Trial", IMO. Maybe I should go back and watch it!

[Darth Shredder]

Originally Posted by Jelly Bean

thanks you make a good point about that, also I like the picture of Karia you have in your sig

Why thank you. I like your sig as well!

[tone-master21]

Originally Posted by Jelly Bean

Season two's coloring looks brighter and more shiney than season one and the turtles look...rounder? I can't really put my finger on in. I thinkm in season two they made their faces more expressive and porpotioned. Season one they almost looked like muppets at times.

since I was ignored in the "best lair" thread.

Can some one post me detailed screen caps of the 80's toon lair please? I'm trying to get an idea of the lay out of the lair because sometimes it doesn't seem consistant. In the 4KIDS cartoon the layout of the lair is very clear and you have a very good idea of where everything is and what rooms connect to each other. The 80's lair not so much.

[tone-master21]

[tone-master21]

Originally Posted by donatello22

Thanks for the Donatello and Michaelangelo pics, the one with the plunger on the frog i remember but i don't remember the episode name.

this request came to me: In "Turtle Tracks," when the turtles are fighting the foot soldiers on the rooftop, there's a scene where Michaelangelo leaps into the air to take off the trenchcoat, which is a great way to get out of disguise and attack, but i need a scene of the other turtles getting out of the trenchcoats to attack.

I request this because Michaelangelo's was more of a quick attack moment, while the others is a slow movement; in other words, the foot could have attacked them while they were taking the coats off

[tone-master21]

[Darth Shredder]

Mikey looks so fierce in those pics, lol.

[oldmanwinters]

Originally Posted by Jelly Bean

Can some one post me detailed screen caps of the 80's toon lair please? I'm trying to get an idea of the lay out of the lair because sometimes it doesn't seem consistant. In the 4KIDS cartoon the layout of the lair is very clear and you have a very good idea of where everything is and what rooms connect to each other. The 80's lair not so much.

Alright, here's my attempt to map out some of the lair through caps from "Nightmare in the Lair." I think you are right that it isn't always consistent. The most glaring inconsistency is the sleeping area. Sometimes the Turtles are seen sleeping in bunk beds in a tunnel. Usually, they each have their own room. I wonder if Splinter sometimes made them sleep together for the sake of community?


TV... the centerpiece of the Turtles' lair. Without the TV, the plot doesn't happen.


Turtles sit around watching TV. Exit/entrance is to their left. Kitchen is behind them, slightly to the right.


Splinter emerges from the Kitchen.


The entrance to the bedroom area is past the TV on the left. Obviously, kitchen is offscreen to the right.


The TV couch is in the background. This is the bedroom area. Donatello's room is in the hole on the right.


Mikey's room is also on the right, past Don's.


Leo is in the center of the bedroom area. Each turtle has their own "room."


This cat appears from the other side of the bedroom area. I am not sure what is in the room behind the cat. Splinter's meditation area?


Donatello's room also functions as an entrance to his Lab. Creepy Eddie enters from the Lab through Don's room.

[oldmanwinters]

Entrance to Don's lab after passing through his room.



Don's lab. The two holes in the background lead back to the bedroom area.


Another angle on Don's lab.


The other side wall of Don's lab.

Other shots:

Street entrance to the lair.


Sewer entrace/exit to the Turtles' lair with lights out.


The lightswitch to the right.