Thursday, November 22, 2007

Mutanimals: The Next Mutation ?























Unused character designs for a proposed second team of Mutanimals. Looking back most of them are silly but I kinda like the beaver. He has a bionic buzzsaw tail. The raccoon mutant is named Ring Tone.

31 comments:

Splinter's Iroonna said...

Hmmm.... how did they get their clothes on?


Sorry-- I sometimes wonder stuff like that.

~ tOkKa said...

-->> .. RYAN, ..

..can i faint now ??!!

Steve Lavigne Ryan Brown said...

Yes Tokka! Yes you may.


And ,um... as far as the clothes...never thought about it. I don't know!

Hope everyone had a happy Thanksgiving!

Roseangelo said...

I kind of like the flying squirrel.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Splinter's Iroonna said...

I imagine that there would have been jokes about his being called "Rocky"...


So, there's no way to do something with these nowadays?

Vaughn Michael said...

pretty cool stuff!
The fishy looking guy actully looks the the ray fillet from the 80s cartoon a bit!

~ tOkKa said...

-->>**today i am a..fainting goat.. ..>v<

Steve Lavigne Ryan Brown said...

"...So, there's no way to do something with these nowadays?"



Murph and I have talked at length about the possibility of the return of the Mutanimals or even the Archie universe but I'm afraid that the chances are slim to none of it ever happening.

We both see a ton of potential in revamping and relaunching but we are in the minority.

But at least it was fun brainstorming with Murph again like the old days.

Vaughn Michael said...

There are more fans of the archie comic series than you realize my friend.
The only thing better than bringing back a the archie series or starting up a new one would be for the NECA figure line to expand to all TMNT comic worlds.
I know I'm not the only one killing for an Armaggon or Belly Bomb figure.

Steve Lavigne Ryan Brown said...

Murph is more in keeping with the spirit of the original Archie run while I feel a slick new updated version might be the ticket. You know, a bit darker and on the edge...

Either way it won't happen...

BUT... hypothetically, let's just say after a massive fan-initiated e-mail campaign Murph & I did get the green light to go ahead, in what direction would you the fans want it to go?

I'm curious...

Roseangelo said...

Hmm. It would depend on what you have in mind for going darker. Part of the brilliance of the Archie series was its ability to be for the kiddies while at the same time dealing with deeper issues, including some dark themes, that kept the books interesting for all ages.

Also, the consistency of quality remains unmatched in any other TMNT comic series (IMO at least). If you can put that back into a title, I could care less how dark or light it is, you'll have a winner.

As it stands, The Forever War is pretty much the one bright light I'm looking forward to in the next couple years (as far as TMNT stuff).

Oh, and I also vote yes on Archie action figures. :)

~ tOkKa said...

-->> ..brings up intresting things,Mr.Brown..

.. the Archie books.. while in thier own thing universe as such ,paralleled the classic cartoon ((that's where the first Archie stories originated)) ..

..with newer incarnations ((at least within' the past 10 + years)) ..like y2k3 TMNTS.. TMNT [4] ect.. some differant things have entered into the mythos and Mirage cannon. It is in effect a differant world nowadays..

how would you envision the TMNT Archie world nowadays ??

I mean .. after seeing (for example) the 2k3's Leatherhead ..yakkin' and squwkin' all smart like based on his original incarnation..

say some how he resurrected from the Mutanimals demise..would he but the gumbo hat on and start sayin' "UT !!" again ??

..umm.. ok that's a strange example.. but um..

yeh maybe the 'forever war' project is the best hope..

.. >v<

Steve Lavigne Ryan Brown said...

"...the consistency of quality remains unmatched in any other TMNT comic series (IMO at least)..."

Both Murph and I agree Rose that consistency is the name of the game.



"how would you envision the TMNT Archie world nowadays ??"

Well Tokka, speaking for myself, (while Murph's on holiday) I'd pick up where everything left off and soldier on keeping the continuity strictly intact . I guess the Archie universe has it's own canon and I'd stay true to it. And you can call me Ryan. Drop that Mr. Brown stuff, we're all friends here!

Oh,and Leatherhead would stay a ragin' cajun gator.

Vaughn Michael said...

Have you guys thought about even pitching the idea to a toy company?
Think about how most things started out in the 80's and even in the 90s allot.
The toys would come first then the show or what have you.
Just a thought.
I have an entire cast of characters myself that I want to have made into a toy line some day.
But I'll never know unless I try. ;)
I have to ask though, how would the Archie tmnt world come back?
Through Mirage, Archie, or other?

m. said...

Nice thread.

Mirage owns Mutanimals and historically has pooh-poohed all suggestions via Mr. Brown and/or myself to bring 'em back. :(

~ tOkKa said...

-->> En you ,Tuhddel bois cen call me ..::

"MISTAH TOKKA.. "

..i GEH-RON-TEE !!


♥♥ ..kiddin' kiddin' ..

.. >v<

~ tOkKa said...

M : Nice thread.

Mirage owns Mutanimals and historically has pooh-poohed all suggestions via Mr. Brown and/or myself to bring 'em back. :(


-->> WHY ?? ..>v<

Vaughn Michael said...

Doesn't Mirage poo-pooh all over everything thats a good idea these days?
Unlese it's about dinosaurs, motor cycles or star treck/star wars knock offs?
I see a protest a comin'!

~ tOkKa said...

-->> Well c'mon now,V..

TMNT and Motorcycles ..do cross over pretty well .. >v<

Steve Lavigne Ryan Brown said...

"Doesn't Mirage poo-pooh all over everything thats a good idea these days?"


It all comes down to money I surmise. I mean a title has to have the readership to sustain it and with sales low on vol4 and Tales you can't keep things going forever.
The big question is would a Mirage title based on the Archie universe turn a profit? Would enough fans buy it?

Or the new approach of posting it on the web like vol4 and selling printed collected volumes every so many issues...would it have a fan following big enough to support it?

Roseangelo said...

Ok, this is what drives me crazy...

Mirage assumes that because Vol. 4 and Tales had/have low sales, that ANYTHING they publish will not turn a profit. I don't see ANY blame being put on the content of these titles and I see NO efforts to do anything to increase sales.

Vol. 4 sucked and turned-off A LOT of diehard comic-reading TMNT fans. Myself included, although I kept buying it anyways. You can't bring in and hold a casual reader if you can't even do the same to your built-in fan base.

A TMNT title that doesn't change every month and can offer solid art AND a solid story (that doesn't destroy everything people like these characters for in the first place) has an excellent chance of success. Whether it be the Archie-verse, Mirage-verse, movie-verse, or ANY-verse.

Until such a title is published and actually fails, I don't buy the BS for not giving it a try.

Vaughn Michael said...

Yes Ryan it would.
The archie comics are still getting more and more fans as the years go on.
If the series is more like the later issues of the series I don't have a doubt in my mind that it wouldnt sell well.
& Tokka I know people think I'm coming off as harsh but seriously do we need 50 differnt motorcyled toys, or mutations.
Hell even the turtle variants that come out today are so lame compaired to the wacky things of the 80's and 90's line at least where always brand new sculpts.

~ tOkKa said...

-->> ..your fine ,V ..

..i'm mostly refering to the somewhat recent ..((2004 or so)) ..'Planet Racers' bike..


as a P.R. fan ..it was really neat to see Falcon and crew in TMNT .. and F.F. !!


>v<

Vaughn Michael said...

I agree Tokka I liked that as well.
I just wish that they would have made action figures of the characters or at least Falcon to go with the bike that came out.
Exclusive figures sell vehicles its a well known fact.

Steve Lavigne Ryan Brown said...

Show Mirage your support with The Forever War.

I think that with Pete publishing this it will be a great opportunity for you to show the sales potential out there.

Sure would be cool to see the Archie universe resurrected and continue on immediately following FW !!

There's also a couple other Archie universe tidbits that Pete has suggested that I'm not able to mention. But they are cool.

Vaughn Michael said...

oooo you tease you!! Now I wanna know haha
Any idea how much the forever war is gonna be?
And will we be able to buy it through comic shops or mirage only?
Also please say it will be in color....seriously if it is it will make me seriously want to buy more just to prove a point.

Dierna said...

Lesse...a bird of some sort (Eagle?), a flying squirrel (that would please all us Squirrel Girl fans), a raccoon (those things are kinda scary. There's raccoons the size of bear cubs where Im at. urgh), A Beaver (he's Canadian right?), and a uh er...duck?

That Duck has Namor's ankle wings..hmmm, the Beaver looks like he'd be a tad bit like Wolverine (which is fine for me *L*).

I grew up on the Archie series and will always be a major fan of it. I didn't even know about the Mirage comics till 2003.

I say bring back the Archie-verse and make a Ninjara action figure darnit!!! It's not fair that Mona Lisa (a character who was only in ONE episode) got one and Ninjara never got one!! :(

I am totally looking forward to Forever War! :D

Jeff said...

While I do love the old archie series, im more itching for a comic based on the 2k3 series. I think Teen Titans Go! Is a perfect example. J Torres has done a great job. He has taken the essence of the show, shown fans what they want to see, introduced new characters and even introduced older characters from teen titans lore to a new audience. That is how I would want to see Ninjara especially brought back. If they went back to an archie revival(Which I would totally buy, don’t get my wrong) we would miss out on the characterization of Casey, April, Fugitoid, Leatherhead, Usagi and the countless other characters developed for the show. This would also bring in kids who grew up with the new show who are now old enough to read a more serious comic but one with substance(not a bore-fest) I await anything to bring back either of these series because they have surpassed what is out now, sad to say.

Unknown said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Unknown said...

heres an idea
use the turnstone.. give it to gecko, tottaly unexpected
the turnstone is much like the phoenix... instead of gecko turnin blue he can kinda have a fire bird around him as he flies on his board and uses that power to revive the mutanimals.... but to keep it intersting.. the price mondo would have to pay is his mortality... hed live forever (he needs candy back anyway)
perfect cosmic host.. mg right from marver girl to mondo gecko....
id say the turnstone of life incarnate would be the bestway to ressurect the mutanimals...
let them rise again

Zage said...

Besides Ringtail, what were their names?