A question for TMNT fans

[The Sarge]

Christ Next mutation was terrible. Somehow the thing that bothered me most was the terrible costume redesigns- even though there was so much more wrong with it.

 

[Chris Wallace]

There was SO much wrong with it. It felt like a Power Rangers revamp.

 

[Dread]

Yeah, NEXT MUTATION was basically Kevin Eastman's attempts to keep the Turtle franchise alive after the end of the movie and CBS cartoon franchise by hopping onto the coattails of Saban's POWER RANGERS success. This incarnation even had a crossover two part episode with POWER RANGERS IN SPACE, which I watched once on TV and felt dirty afterward. Granted, by 1998-1999, the Power Rangers weren't nearly as fresh as they once were, with POKEMON ruling the airwaves, and NEXT MUTATION fizzled. The costumes weren't too hot and it tried to emulate PR too much.

Although I will admit I went to TMNT: COMING OUT OF THEIR SHELLS at Rockefeller Center in NY as a kid with my aunt and cousin, and it was fun. I was probably super young, though.

Many comic franchises have their embarassments, though. SPIDER-MAN is getting a musical for chrissakes; SUPERMAN actually had one very briefly. The Ninja Turtles are hardly the only franchise that resorted to embarassing cash-in grabs for their time.

 

[Chris Wallace]

But when you're not as well established, you can ill-afford such gimmickry.

 

[Dread]

True. Still, through gimmickry or not, TMNT is celebrating 25 years.

 

[Chris Wallace]

No-that statement implies that they've been in circulation & in the public consciousness for 25 years, & are still going strong. Still being talked about, still being read, still adored by fans after 25 years. No. They were introduced 25 years ago. That's hardly the same thing. That's like celebrating your wedding anniversary after you're divorced.

 

[Dread]

That's open to interpretation. They still have a TV show on Saturday mornings, that has just wrapped a 7th season. There are still toys in the shops. There still is a comic, TALES OF THE TMNT, shipping monthly. There is an animated DTV special coming up, and a feature film just two years ago. A video game is on the pipeline this year for the Wii. While hardly the juggernaut they were from 1987-1991, the Turtles have outlasted plenty of other properties like, say, the Go-Bots or Street Sharks.

I mean, we're all talking about 'em.

Still, past associations and "gimmickry" are why most dismiss the comic roots.

 

[Kargo Warrior]

A fad?

The original show lasted 9 years,one of the most popular cartoon in history,dozens of comic book series,4 movies,a second show that is in it's 7-th season...a new game is on it's way,a possible new movie...

Of course with the current technology,Transformers are visually more attractive while the turtles have already been seen before in almost every way imaginable.

 

[PyroChamber]

Yeah, NEXT MUTATION was basically Kevin Eastman's attempts to keep the Turtle franchise alive after the end of the movie and CBS cartoon franchise by hopping onto the coattails of Saban's POWER RANGERS success. This incarnation even had a crossover two part episode with POWER RANGERS IN SPACE, which I watched once on TV and felt dirty afterward. Granted, by 1998-1999, the Power Rangers weren't nearly as fresh as they once were, with POKEMON ruling the airwaves, and NEXT MUTATION fizzled. The costumes weren't too hot and it tried to emulate PR too much.

I always thought this was the reason the show added a female Turtle, it makes it like PR only Ninja Turtles and that way they'd have a fight between the groups.

 

[K.B.]

Say what you want about NEXT MUTATION but leave the Coming Out of Our Shells tour out of it.

That thing was just pure awesome t:

 

[Chris Wallace]

My point was, it diminished their credibility, as I expect the "Spider-Man" musical will do to the web-slinger.

 

[K.B.]

Oh god the Spidey musical

Trust me that will be about a jillion times worse then you thought the Turtles band was.

 

[Sam Fisher]

My point was, it diminished their credibility, as I expect the "Spider-Man" musical will do to the web-slinger.

I don't know about that. I mean, did the Superman musical diminish Superman?

 

[Chris Wallace]

I don't know about that. I mean, did the Superman musical diminish Superman?

I wasn't aware that there was one. But there's more than enough other things to tarnish Superman's image & make him a joke. Among them:

 

[K.B.]

Absolutly none of those would even come close to making Supes a joke or tarnishing his image and all 3 franchises are friggin' amazing works.

 

[Sam Fisher]

Agreed.

 

[Chris Wallace]

The point I was making is, he's become too much of a commodity. It's like everywhere you look, another character-spoof or serious-is being made in his image. Powers, costume or both.

When your image is everywhere & used by everyone, you're not taken as seriously. You can't be.

 

[K.B.]

Batman is a spoof of Superman how?

 

[Chris Wallace]

Batman is a spoof of Superman how?

I said spoof or serious. Batman is a serious character but his costume is almost a direct copy of Superman's.