Where would you place TMNT in the world of pop culture?

[Prowler]

As we all know, the TMNT are quite famous all over the world. Most people on Earth have heard of them at one point or another, and I've never met anyone who has not so far. But we also know that the TMNT are not as big or a constant presence as Batman, Spider-man, Super Mario, Star Wars, etc. are.

So basically, the TMNT are very well known, but not the most well-known thing around. They're not obscure when ti comes to their cartoons and movies, but their comics are, especially Mirage.

I know this sounds a bit of an odd question, but let's say you had to divide pop culture into tiers of fame/success/revenue/wtv... where would you place the Turtles? I'd personally place them lower than the likes of Looney Tunes character, Disney characters, Super Mario Spider-Man, Batman, Superman, Many of the Marvel heroes I can't name, Star Wars, DBZ and I guess even Naruto and One Piece.

So that's a lot of popular properties for TMNT to be below of. For a non-obscure franchise that once spawned the most popular cartoon on the planet and the highest grossing independent movie ever(dunno if it still holds that record or not...) it sure goes under the radar for a lot of people. Everyone forgot about the 2k3 series, and the Nick toon seems to have lost steam 2-3 seasons in. TMNT are like that sports team that has one good season every 9-10 seasons or so, finishing in the middle or bottom of them table in the rest. It won the biggest trophy achievable over 20 years ago and is forever remembered as that... well perhaps this isn't a good analogy, let me try another one. TMNT is like a small country that once had done cool things in its history but has lost a lot of its relevancy since then. Or it's a small rather wealthy country but lacks population and GDP to be put on the same league as the major powers.

I dunno, thoughts? Or am I being silly?

[neatoman]

I think the best way to describe them is "Discount X-Men".

TMNT was more less spawaned from the X-Men and they do this day still feature similarities to the X-Men (even if the average Joe off the street might think TMNT is some weird comedy), the main difference is that TMNT doesn't really compare in terms of success. TMNT isn't exactly obscure but it's probably never going to have a movie making more than what the first Bay movie earned, it's never going to have as many movies as X-Men, it's never going to sell as many comics as X-men (not counting the Batman crossover of course) and it's not nearly as respected as the X-Men.

Oh and TMNT is never going to have a TV show as good as Legion, I think (given the current direction) that it only barely has a chance to top X-Men Evolution in terms of quality.

[CyberCubed]

It's a shame TMNT will never have the push DC or Marvel superheroes get, but that's what's to be expected. Mirage was an indie comic publisher and Nick only just recently bought the property.

[IndigoErth]

How about this... The #1 underdogs. On both sides of the screen/page. The littler guy still able to stand shoulder to shoulder with the big(er-ish) franchises sometimes, and has had its own turn at showing pop culture who is boss, though they've unfortunately also suffered a stigma that a lot of those other properties have not. But despite it, they're still hanging around. Hey, it's not easy being mostly not human and lacking superpowers. But they do okay. People love them too much to let them fall into obscurity.

They certainly win one of the down to earth lovable badass awards though. I mean, how many other hero groups might people imagine would be totally up for crashing in front of the tv with you for the evening with a pizza and some movies. The love for the Turtles is just different than it is for some other properties.


DC... I dunno, with their visits with that property, I'm kind of wondering if that relationship will continue to grow into more.

[Original TMNT Cartoon Fan]

TMNT hasn't existed as long as those franchises yet.

[CyberCubed]

Originally Posted by Original TMNT Cartoon Fan

TMNT hasn't existed as long as those franchises yet.

It's been around for over 30 years now, that's long enough.

[Xav]

Originally Posted by neatoman

Oh and TMNT is never going to have a TV show as good as Legion, I think (given the current direction) that it only barely has a chance to top X-Men Evolution in terms of quality.

I think you mean thankfully TMNT is never going to have a TV show as "good" as Legion.

[neatoman]

Originally Posted by Xav

I think you mean thankfully TMNT is never going to have a TV show as "good" as Legion.

What do you have against Legion?

[pferreira]

Originally Posted by Prowler

DBZ and I guess even Naruto and One Piece.

Seriously these three are as niche as you can get. Only fans of Japanese anime may have heard of those properties. No, TMNT is more recognisable than them.

[Prowler]

Originally Posted by pferreira

Seriously these three are as niche as you can get. Only fans of Japanese anime may have heard of those properties. No, TMNT is more recognisable than them.

DBZ is certainly bigger than TMNT. Everyone has heard of DBZ, dude. You're seriously calling DBZ "niche"?

Naruto was pretty big for some years. Granted its popularity didn't match the FW series in its prime, but it has been more on the minds of the general audience than the TMNT have I'd say. Remember tons of people all over the world love anime. And even non-big anime fans watch the bigger anime such as Pokémon, DBZ, naruto, etc.

Tbh I dunno if OP is more or less popular than Naruto. I know that Naruto has always been more popular in USA than OP, so that might explain why CyberCubed thinks only Japanese know and care about OP, but OP is pretty big outside of Japan as well. That being said the Turtles, the characters themselves, are more well known than the main characters of Naruto and OP overall, I'd say.

[Original TMNT Cartoon Fan]

Originally Posted by Prowler

Everyone has heard of DBZ, dude. You're seriously calling DBZ "niche"?

I heard of it from some videogame magazines during the mid-1990's.

[neatoman]

It's also worth mentioning that Dragon Ball, One Piece and Naruto are the top 3 best selling manga of all time, they're in the top 15 best selling comics of all time for god's sake! I seriously doubt any TMNT comic is even in the top 500.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_o...g_comic_series

And if you add up the episodes of their respective TV shows, One piece has 816 episodes, Naruto has 807 and Dragon Ball has 627 (which for the last one, by the way, is because the creator chose to lay the series to rest for 18 years). This makes TMNT's 499 seem like a joke when you remember the others didn't need to reboot and are probably going to continue out-classing it.

[CyberCubed]

Well anime airs weekly all year around with no breaks. American cartoons generally have just 26 episode seasons. Of course shonen anime, most of it is filler, is going to have hundreds of episodes.

Same reason Simpsons only has a little over 600 episodes despite airing for nearly 30 years. You would expect Simpsons to have over 1000 eps by now but it doesn't, and its been airing for 3 decades.

[Prowler]

Originally Posted by Original TMNT Cartoon Fan

I heard of it from some videogame magazines during the mid-1990's.

So you're telling me DBZ wasn't a huge hit in Sweden? Here in Portugal nearly everyone born after 1980 grew up watching and loving DBZ. And, from what I gather, that was basically the case for DBZ everywhere. I mean, anime wasn't a big thing outside of Japan in general until DBZ was exported. France and Italy already were good markets for anime in the 80s tho. Some mangas were translated into French and Italian back in the 80s.

Originally Posted by neatoman

It's also worth mentioning that Dragon Ball, One Piece and Naruto are the top 3 best selling manga of all time, they're in the top 15 best selling comics of all time for god's sake! I seriously doubt any TMNT comic is even in the top 500.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_o...g_comic_series

And if you add up the episodes of their respective TV shows, One piece has 816 episodes, Naruto has 807 and Dragon Ball has 627 (which for the last one, by the way, is because the creator chose to lay the series to rest for 18 years). This makes TMNT's 499 seem like a joke when you remember the others didn't need to reboot and are probably going to continue out-classing it.

Yeah. Thanks for pointign this out.

What about Sailor Moon? Like the TMNT it peaked in the 90s. It had a new anime rather recently. Crystal or wtv its name was. Also, the 90s SM anime was a tad different from the manga. Supposedly Crystal is more faithful to the manga.

Cyber, you mentioned the Simpsons... there is another thing bigger than TMNT. Family Guy and South Park are also bigger.

It's like pretty much every "big property" out there is bigger or feels bigger than the TMNT. I notice the TMNT are mostly an afterthought or something from the distant past for most people. It's something everyone knows it exists but it's not on the forefront of their thoughts, nor is the overwhelming majority into it beyond the most accessible stuff(the Fred Wolf cartoon and the live action movies) out there. Hell, notice how small this forum is compared to forums of other popular properties. And this is the biggest TMNT fan forum out there.

[Original TMNT Cartoon Fan]

Originally Posted by Prowler

So you're telling me DBZ wasn't a huge hit in Sweden?.

I think it was. But it was a time I felt ashame for liking animated series and comics.

[neatoman]

Originally Posted by Prowler

So you're telling me DBZ wasn't a huge hit in Sweden?

The Manga was, it has a full Swedish translation but it hasn't been in print since 2012. None of the shows have been dubbed into Swedish but several of the movies were.

Here's a few clips of Dragon Ball Z in Swedish.

I actually have it on DVD.

[pferreira]

Originally Posted by Prowler

DBZ is certainly bigger than TMNT. Everyone has heard of DBZ, dude. You're seriously calling DBZ "niche"?

Nah, it's not bigger. It was considered very niche in the UK and ask someone which was a bigger phenomenon at the time in both the UK and US and they'll say TMNT.

DBZ biggest claim to fame is that it was probably the most recognisable anime at the time, maybe overtaken when Pokemon started after.

Originally Posted by Prowler

Naruto was pretty big for some years. Granted its popularity didn't match the FW series in its prime, but it has been more on the minds of the general audience than the TMNT have I'd say. Remember tons of people all over the world love anime. And even non-big anime fans watch the bigger anime such as Pokémon, DBZ, naruto, etc.

Never even heard of Naruto until I picked up a graphic novel at my library a couple of years ago. That's how 'popular' is was.

Originally Posted by Prowler

So you're telling me DBZ wasn't a huge hit in Sweden? Here in Portugal nearly everyone born after 1980 grew up watching and loving DBZ.

Yes it was popular...in Portugal...but not everywhere.

[Andrew NDB]

Yeah, "Bargain Basement Jr. X-Men."

At large. Unfortunately.

[CyberCubed]

TMNT will never have the pull of DC or Marvel franchises.

[Prowler]

Originally Posted by pferreira

Nah, it's not bigger. It was considered very niche in the UK and ask someone which was a bigger phenomenon at the time in both the UK and US and they'll say TMNT.

DBZ biggest claim to fame is that it was probably the most recognisable anime at the time, maybe overtaken when Pokemon started after.

Never even heard of Naruto until I picked up a graphic novel at my library a couple of years ago. That's how 'popular' is was.

Yes it was popular...in Portugal...but not everywhere.

I've talked to many people all over the world and they all said DBZ was big in their country back in the day as well. It's definitely not just a Portuguese/select few European countries thing at all like Biker Mice From mars was, for example.

Just because you had not heard of Naruto until recently doesn't mean it's not popular. It was pretty big some years ago. Not sure if it's still on-going or not.