@David315842 I was kind of okay with the initial Mutations toys (regular turtles to mutants and so on), but the Road Ready ones were just ridiculous, even by the standards of later TMNT figures. Poor Splinter, started out as a man, became a rat, then a gaudy van.
@asukasboy I can see what you're saying. It is actually a bit farfecthed for Shredder to become a module or Leonardo a firetruck etc. they were defenatily trying to cash in on other franchises then, that was evident when they crossed over the Turtles with Star Trek, LOL. :D
@David315842 It's a shame, because the first few years of toys were amazing, but as they started to expand beyond just having characters and vehicles from the show and did nonsensical stuff like Farmer Mike and Caveman Leo, it just wasn't the same anymore.
I don't remember when I stopped buying Turtles toys. I think Hasbro WWF figures came along, and between that and Transformers, TMNT toys just faded into the background for me.
@asukasboy Hasbro WWF figures, this must be in the early 90's...I think. I know that some of the earlier toys were from LJN, but Hasbro gained the license for the toys inbetween them and Jackks Pacific. Since TMNT helped put Playmates on the map, they soon turned the Turtles into a huge cash cow. Hopefully when the new revival came along, Playmates didn't go too overboard with the figures this time around. :)
@David315842 Yeah, I got all my Turtles toys between Xmas 1990 and mid-91. After that it was Hasbro WWF figs that plugged the gap for me due to the end of Real Ghostbusters and the increasing scarcity of Transformers. Kept watching the TMNT cartoon for years, though.
I was alarmed when I saw the 2k3 Turtles figs donning skateboard gear, but yes, to the credit of Playmates they mostly seemed to learn from the mistakes that they made in the 90s.
@asukasboy Yep that sounds to be the right era. I knew that WCW figures were being produced by Hornby around 1991, so obviously they didn't produce the WWf figures. :D Scarcity of Transformers? Well G1 after 1992 yes they were, but then we had G2 and nearly streight after that it was Beast Wars, we in Europe were very lucky to have Transformers continue as long as it did. :) No doubt Playmates will release toys based on this new CGI Turtles series that's coming out and won't go OTT with it. :)
@David315842 Yes, the WCW figs were sold here by Hornby on behalf of Galoob. They were more realistic than the Hasbro WWF figures, but as they had no articulation at all weren't nearly as fun.
I'd say from 1991 onwards it was always hit-and-miss as to whether any toy store I went into had Transformers. 96-97 were the REALLY dark years, once even the old G2 stock had vanished. Then Beast Wars kicked in and we were rolling again.
@asukasboy I guess Toys R Us and Woolworths were the places to go for Turbomasters and Predators from 92, as well as Classic Transformers. Hmm I din't know that articulation over realism, seeing as those these wrestlers need to do stuff I would have to go for articulation. I guess this is why Hornby soon pulled out of the action figure buisnes and just stuck with trains. It's funny though, in the end galoob became another company absorbed by Hasbro. :D
They made TV ads for the Dandy? I never knew. 'Course I was never in Ireland longer than 2 weeks a year, so that's probably why.
I loved the Dandy. I was exposed to Bananaman in the US after Dangermouse on Nickelodeon way back in 1984, which helped. And my dad worked for Aer Lingus, so he was able to get me lots of the Dandy and the Beano. I always liked the Dandy more, the jokes were a little more clever. Too bad it's fallen so hard, even the Beano still looks *kind of* like it used to.
@Sprocketman This is the only [UK] example of a comic being advertised on TV that I think I have. Maybe it's a holdover from the days when TV would have been considered a new threat to the attention spans of comic readers. Or maybe they were just too stingy, I dunno. :p
IMO the Beano and Dandy are caught in the same bind as Action Man was - trying to maintain tradition while focus group researchers are insisting that kids won't care unless you're "extreme"!
@asukasboy Well, Well, the Beano certainly had some media. A few TV Specials, one video collection of Beano strips as cartoon shorts, TWO different Dennis the Menace TV cartoons (both rubbish, from what I hear). Yet other than Bananaman, I don't remember the Dandy having really any media presence. 'Course, they certainly made headlines when Dan "retired" back in the late '90s.
But yeah, I flipped through a Dandy last year: I don't think there's a single strip left from my youth in it. Shame.
@Sprocketman Wrong. Desperate Dan survives, as does Bananaman. And his cartoon technically isn't Dandy media, as he was in Nutty comic at the time. The cartoon started in 1983, but he only moved to Dandy in 1985 when Nutty merged with it. They recently revived Korky the Cat as well. All three look very different to what they did even five years ago though. You and @asukasboy both need to pick up a more recent issue, as Dandy had a major revamp in October 2010. Xtreme no more.
How on Earth are girls supposed to play that Mr Bucket Game?! SEXIST!!
anxresi 5 months ago
Having buckets of fun with balls, hmmm. Ah the Mutations line, basically it was TMHT trying to be like Transformers, it was so obvious. :D
David315842 9 months ago
@David315842 I was kind of okay with the initial Mutations toys (regular turtles to mutants and so on), but the Road Ready ones were just ridiculous, even by the standards of later TMNT figures. Poor Splinter, started out as a man, became a rat, then a gaudy van.
asukasboy 7 months ago
@asukasboy I can see what you're saying. It is actually a bit farfecthed for Shredder to become a module or Leonardo a firetruck etc. they were defenatily trying to cash in on other franchises then, that was evident when they crossed over the Turtles with Star Trek, LOL. :D
David315842 7 months ago
@David315842 It's a shame, because the first few years of toys were amazing, but as they started to expand beyond just having characters and vehicles from the show and did nonsensical stuff like Farmer Mike and Caveman Leo, it just wasn't the same anymore.
I don't remember when I stopped buying Turtles toys. I think Hasbro WWF figures came along, and between that and Transformers, TMNT toys just faded into the background for me.
asukasboy 7 months ago
@asukasboy Hasbro WWF figures, this must be in the early 90's...I think. I know that some of the earlier toys were from LJN, but Hasbro gained the license for the toys inbetween them and Jackks Pacific. Since TMNT helped put Playmates on the map, they soon turned the Turtles into a huge cash cow. Hopefully when the new revival came along, Playmates didn't go too overboard with the figures this time around. :)
David315842 7 months ago
@David315842 Yeah, I got all my Turtles toys between Xmas 1990 and mid-91. After that it was Hasbro WWF figs that plugged the gap for me due to the end of Real Ghostbusters and the increasing scarcity of Transformers. Kept watching the TMNT cartoon for years, though.
I was alarmed when I saw the 2k3 Turtles figs donning skateboard gear, but yes, to the credit of Playmates they mostly seemed to learn from the mistakes that they made in the 90s.
asukasboy 7 months ago
@asukasboy Yep that sounds to be the right era. I knew that WCW figures were being produced by Hornby around 1991, so obviously they didn't produce the WWf figures. :D Scarcity of Transformers? Well G1 after 1992 yes they were, but then we had G2 and nearly streight after that it was Beast Wars, we in Europe were very lucky to have Transformers continue as long as it did. :) No doubt Playmates will release toys based on this new CGI Turtles series that's coming out and won't go OTT with it. :)
David315842 7 months ago
@David315842 Yes, the WCW figs were sold here by Hornby on behalf of Galoob. They were more realistic than the Hasbro WWF figures, but as they had no articulation at all weren't nearly as fun.
I'd say from 1991 onwards it was always hit-and-miss as to whether any toy store I went into had Transformers. 96-97 were the REALLY dark years, once even the old G2 stock had vanished. Then Beast Wars kicked in and we were rolling again.
asukasboy 7 months ago
@asukasboy I guess Toys R Us and Woolworths were the places to go for Turbomasters and Predators from 92, as well as Classic Transformers. Hmm I din't know that articulation over realism, seeing as those these wrestlers need to do stuff I would have to go for articulation. I guess this is why Hornby soon pulled out of the action figure buisnes and just stuck with trains. It's funny though, in the end galoob became another company absorbed by Hasbro. :D
David315842 7 months ago
My brother had a Mr. Bucket when he was 2 (which was around that time).
comedylover88 9 months ago
I had EVERY one of those Turtle toys! That and Power Rangers were the ultimate toys that year :D
Mr Bucket, no comment :p
billyh88uk 11 months ago
i pissed myself laughing at the mr bucket advert
DeeJayBee21 1 year ago 7
They made TV ads for the Dandy? I never knew. 'Course I was never in Ireland longer than 2 weeks a year, so that's probably why.
I loved the Dandy. I was exposed to Bananaman in the US after Dangermouse on Nickelodeon way back in 1984, which helped. And my dad worked for Aer Lingus, so he was able to get me lots of the Dandy and the Beano. I always liked the Dandy more, the jokes were a little more clever. Too bad it's fallen so hard, even the Beano still looks *kind of* like it used to.
Sprocketman 1 year ago
@Sprocketman This is the only [UK] example of a comic being advertised on TV that I think I have. Maybe it's a holdover from the days when TV would have been considered a new threat to the attention spans of comic readers. Or maybe they were just too stingy, I dunno. :p
IMO the Beano and Dandy are caught in the same bind as Action Man was - trying to maintain tradition while focus group researchers are insisting that kids won't care unless you're "extreme"!
asukasboy 1 year ago
@asukasboy Well, Well, the Beano certainly had some media. A few TV Specials, one video collection of Beano strips as cartoon shorts, TWO different Dennis the Menace TV cartoons (both rubbish, from what I hear). Yet other than Bananaman, I don't remember the Dandy having really any media presence. 'Course, they certainly made headlines when Dan "retired" back in the late '90s.
But yeah, I flipped through a Dandy last year: I don't think there's a single strip left from my youth in it. Shame.
Sprocketman 1 year ago
@Sprocketman Wrong. Desperate Dan survives, as does Bananaman. And his cartoon technically isn't Dandy media, as he was in Nutty comic at the time. The cartoon started in 1983, but he only moved to Dandy in 1985 when Nutty merged with it. They recently revived Korky the Cat as well. All three look very different to what they did even five years ago though. You and @asukasboy both need to pick up a more recent issue, as Dandy had a major revamp in October 2010. Xtreme no more.
JASpiring 1 year ago