 Storage Shell Donatello action figure produced by Playmates Toys in 1990. | |
| Type | Action figures |
|---|---|
| Company | Playmates Toys |
| Country | British Hongkong (1988–1 July 1997) Hongkong (1 July 1997–) |
| Availability | 1988–Present |
| Materials | plastic |
Action figures based on the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles franchise have been produced by Playmates Toys since 1988. Staff artists at the Northampton, Massachusetts based Mirage Studios have provided conceptual designs for many of the figures, vehicles, and playsets and are credited on the packaging of the products they created.
Between 1988 and 1997, Playmates produced around 400 figures and dozens of vehicles and playsets. About US$1.1 billion of Turtles toys were sold in four years, making them the third-bestselling toy figures ever at the time, behind G.I. Joe and Star Wars.[1] Influenced by the success of He-Man, G.I. Joe and Transformers, which had promoted toy lines with animated series, Playmates worked with Murakami-Wolf-Swenson to produce the first Turtles animated series,[2] which premiered in 1987 and ran for almost a decade.[3]
- ^ "The complete history of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles". Mental Floss. 2015-06-27. Retrieved 2021-10-17.
- ^ "A bit of Ireland in those green ninja turtles". Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved 2021-10-11.
- ^ Collins, Sean T. (2014-08-14). "Cowabunga: how TMNT went from joke to blockbuster". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 2021-10-09.