I've tried to explain to my niece what it was like being a kid at the height of 'Turtlemania' in the early 90s. But unless you were actually a kid at the time, you'll never really understand. TMNT (or TMHT here in the UK, as 'Ninja' was deemed too much and was replaced with 'Hero') was EVERYWHERE. I remember my friends and I at primary school pretending to be the Turtles on the playground. Bringing to school coloured scarves into which eyeholes had been cut. Of course because it was so popular we'd end up playing with 4 Leonardos, 8 Michelangelos, a few Raphaels, and MAYBE one Donatello (he wasn't as popular). The TMNT arcade game was one I'd always seek out in arcades. Four kids could crowd around the cabinet to play as the four Turtles. There is SO MUCH TMNT merch coming out still to this day. TMNT is still wildly popular... but will never recapture the FEVER of its early 90s peak. If you lived it, you know what I'm talking about. Toys, t-shirts, lunchboxes, bedding, backpacks, stickers, coins, books, tv, posters, magazines... the Turtles' visages were on everything and anything you could think of. I'm lucky. I was a kid during, what I believe to be, THE best time to be a kid. The 80s and 90s were amazing times. At a time of a cartoon-driven pop culture explosion few things would have the lasting impact of the Teenage Mutant Ninja (or Hero) Turtles. As my favourite Turtle Raphael would say: It was radical.
TMNT was up monumental and encapsulated the late 80s, where we it felt like it put together my own love for gross-out stuff like Garbage Pail Kids with the craze for the martial arts, mutants...it hit at the right time for so many kids. The early 80s giants either felt like the older kids stuff, or for me as an older kid at the time, the next novelty as I gradually lost interest in Transformers and COPS didn't stick around for long.
it really was an excellent time to grow up 60s kids had like, a bunch of life experiences and interesting movieworthy stuff to do, and great music, but we had nonstop electronic and plastic entertainment of the highest caliber. And by the time more cerebral nerd pursuits came out, anime, digital art, internetting in general... we were mature enough to get it. Just.. really wish we could have held onto that a while longer, because all of it's ruined now.
Know that in that time in a different part of the UK, I experienced the TMHT (no ninja for us) hype just as you did. You literally had to live them days to understand how popular they were. Great days. 🫡
What a great comment.. it’s all so true. It was a wonderful time and nobody can understand unless you lived it. My four year old wanted me to find this specific scene so he could watch it. He went from Ghostbusters crazy to Turtles crazy so I think he’s being raised pretty ok.
im 40 but i still remember this fantastic era of the tmnts. Had a couple of figures, Donatello and Leonardo. It was a great time to be alive. Now its all about paying bills and work :(((
Loved this toy line. It’s amazing how much the Turtles ruled the late 80’s and all of the 90’s. I loved how much variety they had with the different turtle variations.
Turtle Power was massive and no individual can take credit for TMNT worldwide success. it was a group effort. if anything, us kids back then is why creators made so much money
This and Bat mania in 89 made every other big pop culture fad afterwards seem weak by comparison. Such a massive force of pop culture to get to experience. How lucky we were and didn't even know it.
I definitely think the cartoon had a hand in the turtles becoming icons. Although the comics were definitely excellent, i think it would have taken much longer for the popularity to grow without the cartoon.
Fred Wolf was ABSOLUTELY responsible for making the Turtles a billion dollar franchise. Most artists hate it when business makes their creation 'more marketable'. It takes away from their vision, but I'm positive the Turtles would have stayed very niche and underground without the changes. I used to play the old TMNT RPG, based on the gritty comics, so I do prefer them, but there's no way they would have been popular with children without Wolf. You get older, you read the gritty stuff, like Last Ronin, but you love them nonetheless.
Great retrospective video. These were my favourite toys for a long time. When the show first hit the UK, the four turtles would sell out everywhere. I eventually got them all and was very happy. I remember making a playset out of cardboard with a removable sewer hatch, ladder and pipes sticking out of it. I wanted to extend it, have the entire living room as an underground sewer for the turtles but my parents weren't so enthusiastic.
In the Reagan years, I don't know if there was ever one clearly dominant action figure franchise. He-Man, GI Joe, Transformers, Thundercats, Voltron: everyone had their favorite. But in the Bush years, there was never any question as to which toyline reigned supreme; TMNT just eclipsed everything else. It united the kids who were into violence (i.e. martial arts) and the kids who were into silly humor in a way that no other toy did.
Even as a kid, the comparisons to MOTU in design and packaging stood out to me. Another great memory I had was when my grandma was visiting from Japan and knew all the names of the Turtles' weapons. It helped so much that the accessories and playsets were so damn cool too. I remember my friends and I taking cardboard boxes to cut up and build our own playsets for days
I had virtually everything TMNT. What I still find hilarious is how the turtles adopted four entirely different dialects, despite being a byproduct of a single human from Japan, raised in a single location.
Ahhh the fond memories I have of this franchise and its toy-line. Aside from Transformers, this was the one toyline I was hyped to get my hands on every toy I could, or at least attempted too. Being born the year Transformers hit the air and toyshelves, I missed a chunk of Gen01 by the time I was old enough to be allowed to play with the toys. I mostly got the vintage goodness via hand-me-downs from my brother or stores carrying plenty of back stock from other retail chains, while enjoying the latter half of Gen01's final run (alas I never got my hands on Fort Max, or Scorpinok). With Ninja Turtles I was there from the start of the line, and ready for Turtle-mania. When the vehicles and playsets started rolling out from 1988 and onward, I was jazzed that my four heroes finally had stuff to interact with, and it was fun running over Foot Soldiers, or BeBop and Rocksteady with the Party Wagon/Turtle Van. Christmas 1989/1990 the Sewer Den playset was the perfect gift from Santa, only to be topped by the Technodrome in 1991, and boy I could go on. Thanks for helping me relive the goodness from back then Michael!
I got the Cheapskate and Rocksteady ages before I could get a Turtle as they were constantly sold out/unavailable in the UK. They were in catalogues like Kays and Argos (0:42), so you could spend hours staring at them, but you just couldn't get them; orders were backed up for months. The second phase Turtles with movements were being advertised (again, 0:42, and they were available but no one wanted them) before you could even get the first phase ones. I remember the day one of my school friends brought in a Donatello they'd got on a family trip to London the weekend before and it was the first one we'd seen in the flesh - it was almost unreal.
I've never owned the original turtle figure designs, I just prefer the storage shell ones. Sure, the originals are classics, but the storage shells had a place to store weapons, more detailed head sculpts, and the belt wasn't removable so you couldn't loose it! Anyways, I can't wait until the history of the kenner ghostbusters 1987 edition!
I think TMNT definitely would have survived without the cartoon and such, but it wouldn't be NEARLY as big as it is now. It'd be a more niche and subdued franchise.
I was the target audience when these came out. Had most of these. The cartoon and these toys are 1000% responsible for the success. Without that, there is no original movie either. As a kid I had no clue there was a comic originally.
TMNT and masters of the universe were my jam for sure.i was a little late being born in 83.but they were definitely still around when I was old enough to request toys for Christmas and birthdays.
Loved it so much as a kid. Thank you mom for spoiling me. From the first line up ive got the 4 turtles, splinter, footsoldier, rocksteady and the cheapskate. Oh i loved that skateboard. From the other line ups ive got leatherhead, a duck with wings, the rabbit, a blue hoovercraft vehicle for the footsoldier. A trap where you put slime/acid on top and a turtle is captured on a bench, a catapult that throw slime and oh i loved this one. A vehicle that shoots pizza. That was awesome. Those were the best years to be a kid. Nowadays toylines suck, cartoons suck, the world suck
Buddy of mine introduced me to TMNT with three mint issues of ‘first’ print (since originals prints were lost) of issue one. Thought the concept was weird. Then a few years later they exploded! Love to have one of those first issues…
I always thought that the mutated super hero and villain idea in comics like X-Men and Spider-man was silly, so I totally got the humor of the TMNT comics when they debuted. The comics and cartoons are still awesome!
As a child of the 80s. I found out about tmnt like the majority of other kids my age... Through the cartoon. I have to say without the cartoon i doubt it would have kick start that amount of merchandise and other medias.
Much fun, thanks for making this! Yes the parachute was an excellent way to drop your figure off the stairs and near free-fall speed :) I have to admit, when folks think TMNT, they sing the song, and the song is from the cartoon...
I've really enjoyed collecting the playmates re-release of this line the last year or two, I've found every character except rat king who I've only seen online and he's over a 100$ for some reason lol still been fun though, the turtles are the first toy line I can remember buying in the early 90's. Thanks for the video.
Maybe I’m unaware but was there ever a Daredevil/Ninja Turtles crossover? That would be a cool concept! The ooze that affected Matt Murdock didn’t turn him into a mutant or monster but have him his traditional powers. And the spilled over ooze effected the turtles. Then they team up! 😂 I laugh but that would be fun!
Is radical that Playmates reissue them... I've recently managed to grab the reissue party wagon.... The seller have the reissue Turtle Blimp as well but i noticed it's glider is totally different from the original vintage... So I pass....
I am huge fan of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles as well as your channel! I always appreciate the effort you put into these "History of" videos! I have been a TMNT fan for most of my life, and I have never realized the meaning behind their weapons. That was very interesting to me! I also didn't acknowledge the connection with Daredevil. Keep up the great work!! Cowabunga!!
My introduction to the heroes in a half-shell was not the cartoon nor the toys, it was the first two NES games by Koonami! I couldn't have been any older than 6 when I first saw my older brother and his friend play those games, especially the second one which was a NES port of the Arcade game. From that moment on, the Turtles were in my brain 24/7! My older sister must've had to hear "Cowabunga" at least a thousand times every day, lol. So yeah, even though I'm much more interested in retro video games and LEGOs, I always have a soft spot in my heart for the green teens. 🐢🐢🐢🐢
I remember being in second grade in the fall of 88 when these things caught on. Those next three years were insane. Eventually their popularity diminished due to X-Men and Batman taking over but holy shit they dominated the late 80s and very early 90s. I think the 1990 movie is one of the top 3 greatest superhero films of all time.
I really wish you would do a short video on that odd audible anomaly heard in the original TMNT intro where the singer says "Heroes in the half shell TURTLE POWER" and try to explain wtf it was that made it sound like that or why it sounded like that?
One of the best things about the Turtles, unlike my beloved Transformers and GIJoes, was a certain director NOT making a terrible movie that totally disregarded beloved origins and storylines. .... wait... nononononoNO, GAWD NO!!! I swear, it is as if one Michael Bay and a couple of his goons, took a time machine back to look at our childhoods. Looked upon our toy chests and shelves and said, "I will be the destroyer of dreams and imagination. I shall rip asunder their memories from youths and torment their future selves! And they shall pay me to do so. Oh yes, they will alllll PAY!!" [Laughs maniacally, as lightening strikes and thunder booms]
Finally!!!!!! I've been waiting for you to review the Classic Ninja Turtles Toyline,like, forever. I even had some of these when I was a kid. Awesome review, as always, Michael.
how about the colors of the original shredder figure. I had this figure (which also had the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles print in the Netherlands. Strange because the other figures came in Teenage Mutant Hero Turtles packaging) and a Shredder figure that you could wind up with a button on the side. The figure I was able to wind up was much more fun to play with and looked a lot more like Shredder from the cartoon and live action movie.
I think they would have caught on. It just wouldn't be the same. It would be more like Tank Girl's following is now. We all wanted toys and action figures for that but cannot get them..
When I moved out of my childhood house I threw away all my toys and regret it every day, I had at least 60-70 tnmt figures with many vehicles etc. seeing the original line up at 7:11 brought a tear 😢 I had every single one of those plus many more in the future as more got released.
For some reason, I never got into this line. I watched the show, and I really liked the movie, but I didn't care for the snarling faces--which was more faithful to the comics, but what did I know about underground comics at age ten?
I still remember buying my first turtle (Leo) at Toysrus and my first bad guy (rocksteady) at genovese. Such a great toyline, comic book, and show. Waiting for my son to be old enough to play with them to break them back out.
This video is radically awesome I love it, Michael & Happy 40th Anniversary to the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (1984-2024). 👍🏻💚🤩❤️😉💙😘🧡🥳💜🙂🤩🌟⭐️🍨🧁🎁🎂🍰🎊🎈🍦🐢🐢🐢🐢🐀🍕🥷🏻
I am always so ridiculously grateful that turtle mania was something that I got to live through as a kid. I am from the OG generation. And for many years, I was protective of my generation of ninja turtles. So much so that for many years, I didn't give the more modern movies a fair shake. One day, I was watching the 2014 movie and I just came to this realization that the same way kids of that era viewed that movie was the same way I did in 1990. And it just made me feel glad that other kids after my generation had that same feeling. I even watched and enjoyed the Mutant Mayhem movie. I'll never be able to control entertainment. But him happy knowing that kids today get to vibe out to things that mattered to me as a kid. I wish that I could wave a wand and make people feel the turtle mania atmosphere that was everywhere in the very early 90s. There was so much anticipation because you couldn't just google everything in the world. You had to be lucky enough to catch a commercial, or some magazine advertisement for a new line or action figure or merchandise or whatever. And here was the absolute most euphoric feeling of mania you could have experienced as a kid: Just being at the store with your parents and finding some strange character that you didnt even know existed because you never saw the episodes with them yet. That's how I discovered Ace Duck and Metalhead. I found a Shredder in the playground soundbox one day. My brother once found the orange Ratking belt. We found Krang's walker in a box my parents got at an auction one day. Like 7 of my mom's girlfriends got me and my brother a Casey Jones, so we'd the extras to kids who didnt have him, or if they had a trade- Got Muckman by one of my spare 7 Casey Jones'. My brother got Yasagi Jimbo in a trade, but our other brother cut the ears off when he got mad one day. My eldest brother got Slash one Christmas. I don't mean to ramble but this video was a very happy walk down memory lane for me. Thank you for creating this. If only laughter could ride in the vehicle of time.
Say michael mercy can you also a teenage mutant ninja turtles 2003 edition video when you've done all the teenage mutant ninja turtles 1980s&1990s editions videos
Was there a version where they "transformed" into baby turtles? i remember the arms folded into their shell, the back legs rotated to become the front legs, and there were rubber back legs inside the shell. please tell me this did exist.
Favorite toys as a kid ever! I loved the mid 90s. My mom would take me to second hand thrift shops and these stores are where I got half my figures and toys. And cheap. Got so many TMNT and Batman and Street Sharks. Had a big 4ft by 5ft toy box right full. Then when we moved, the entire toy box with every toy I ever had, destroyed by kids where my parents kept some of our stuff. Broke my heart. And there's no way TMNT would be as big without the cartoon. No way in hell.
I loved groing up with these toys. They were just as amazing as the show itself. I just met the very artist behind the show at a signing at my local game shop. He even did the comics when they first went to color instead of being just black & white. And even worked on the original live action films. Appearently they based michelangelo's character in the cartoon/movies. After meeting him in person I can believe it. LOL Thanks for another fantastic review. It brings back alot of fond memories of those days.
Your history videos are so dang good its crazy, and this was my second favorite toyline to transformers. This is for sure going to be a great video. Much appreciated.
TMNT arguably had the best playability when it comes to 80s action figures besides Masters of The Universe and G.I.Joe. Especially when it comes to articulation, accessories, vehicles and other playsets.
Comic was great but without the changes made by the cartoon and toy line, they would not have ever reach the level of popularity that they did. Actually, probably would have faded to obscurity. Kind of like Bone , Savage Dragon, Usagi Yojimbo, Flaming Carrot, GROO,: all are cool comics and still well loved but never became billon dollar makers and world wide recognition or culture Icons.
🤷♂️ I’m not sure if 1/2 was fair but I could see 1/3-1/4 as fair. The animated series is 💯 responsible for passing one the TMNT from generation to generation. My kids love the cartoon and are too young to even comprehend the comics (they are brutal).
You could not get these toys in the 88 in the UK for love nor money, I remember a home catalogue selling them in pairs, I think it was Leonardo and Michaelangelo as one and Donatello and Raphael in the other pair, the were single packs but you couldn't buy them individually! Anyway I had to wait around 3 months for them to arrive and was one of the first. I think the UK hero turtles only came in a single green skin colour for the first editions but I could be mistaken and they later added the different hues like the US versions. They were good toys to be fair, you got loads in the blister packs
Personally, I always thought it was "Raphael is cool but through" meaning he's done with this. Which fits with his attitude. Also, at the start of your video you have the sound bite "now to find out how good these turtles really are" I've always wondered how do you go about that? Do you have to painstakingly watch episode after episode to find something that will fit what you're thinking of or is there a similar explanation? Thank you
The theme song and presentation made a big impact for them Turtles! It was mysterious and radical! I wanted to make myself the bo staff which Donatello wielded.. And I did! 😅
Man I'm 40 years old and I remember this like it was yesterday. I played all of the video games and my cousin had most of the toys. So many great memories.
Without the cartoon that spawned merchandise esp the action figures, laird and Eastman would still be struggling to find an audience for their comic book outside of New Hampshire.
