Sunday 6 March 2016

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle Heroes 01

I respectively dedicate this post to my friend, Andy Nash, aka da Gobbo Grotto. It was thanks to his wonderful blog posts about the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (TMNT), their friends and villains that inspired me to collect my own versions of these iconic characters from comics, film and TV. Andy and I both agree that the best 28mm scale figures of the four "heroes in a hard shell" are produced by Russian  company, My Way Miniatures. Their customer service is first rate.
From left to right are Donatello, Leonardo, Michelangelo and Raphael, all named after Renaissance artists by their rat sensei, Splinter. From their home in the sewers of New York, they battle petty criminals, evil overlords, mutated creatures and alien invaders whilst attempting to remain hidden from society. Note that these are all multi-part figures made of resin and are rather fiddly to glue together.
Donatello (or Donnie) is a scientist, inventor, engineer, and technological genius. He wears a purple mask and wields a bo staff. Donatello is perhaps the least violent turtle, preferring to use his knowledge to solve conflicts, but never hesitates to defend his brothers.
Leonardo (or Leo) is a tactical, courageous leader and devoted student of his sensei. He wears a blue mask and wields two katanas. As the most conscientious of the four, he often bears the burden of responsibility for his brothers, which commonly leads to conflict with Raphael.
Michelangelo (or Mikey) is the most stereotypical teenager of the team. He is a free-spirited, relaxed, and often goofy jokester and known for his love of pizza. Michelangelo wears an orange mask and wields a pair of nunchakus. He provides the comic relief, though he still has an adventurous side. The least mature of the four Turtles, he shows characteristics of a "surfer" type and is often depicted with a Southern Californian accent.
Raphael (or Raph) is the team's bad boy. He wears a dark red mask and wields a pair of sai. He is physically very strong, has an aggressive nature, and seldom hesitates to throw the first punch. He is often depicted with a very pronounced New York accent. His personality can be fierce and sarcastic, and often-times delivers deadpan humour. He is intensely loyal to his brothers and sensei.
Next up are two very important characters in the TMNT world, April O'Neil and Splinter.
April O'Neil is a former lab assistant to the mad scientist Baxter Stockman and is the plucky human companion of the Turtles. April first met the Turtles when they saved her from Baxter's Mouser robots. She embarks on many of the Turtles' adventures and aids them by doing the work in public that the Turtles cannot. Originally, April was a television news reporter. Later, she and her friend and TMNT ally, Casey Jones, worked for a shipping firm. My version of April is clearly based on her role as a TV reporter. The figure is a conversion of the Crooked Dice Games second version of Pandora King. I snipped of her pistol and made it into a microphone. I also cut off the holster from her right hip. It was a very easy conversion.
Splinter is the Turtles' sensei and adoptive father. He is a Japanese mutant rat who learned the ways of ninjutsu from his owner and master, Hamato Yoshi. Originally, Splinter was Hamato Yoshi mutated into a humanoid rat instead of being just Yoshi's pet. In the IDW comics, he is Hamato Yoshi reincarnated as a mutated rat. The figure I used for Splinter is by Mantic Games from their DreadBall set of three team trainers (the other two are human and dwarf). In DreadBall, he is a Veer-myn team coach. He is such a good match for Splinter that I didn't have to convert him at all.

Andy knows far more about the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles than I do and I recommend checking out his own post for the four hero Turtles here. He covers April and Splinter in this post here. Note that he has chosen different figures from me to represent both characters. Finally, in yet more praise for my esteemed blogger friend, he has created stats for the TMNT and friends to appear in the 7TV2e game, which is exactly what I want to use them for. Check out his 7TV2e stats for them here.

Finally, before I leave, I'd just like to point out these are the first photos I took with my brand new Canon EOS 1200D camera. It took me no time at all to get the hang of it and transferring the photos to my computer so I could edit them and show them on my blog was a doddle. I couldn't be happier with my new purchase and I look forward to many years of hassle-free photography.

26 comments:

  1. Annnnd relax......phew! Lol

    Can now breathe that sigh of relief Bryan ;-)

    Now where do I start? Thanks awfully for the blog plugs, appreciate that dude, I like to share my enthusiasm for the TMNT world and hope that shows through my posts.

    Glad you got that camera up and running when you did man, thought I was gonna explode! and it did not disappoint look at all that turtley goodness! The figs are great aren't they? You're totally correct when you say how fiddly they are to put together, there were many curse words emanating from da grotto when i was putting these together! But well worth it dude, well worth it :-)

    Splinter and April proxies are spot on man, bravo! I was gonna use the dread ball coach myself but couldn't source one without getting the other two coaches who I couldn't use, just as I was about to buy them anyway I found the Greebo site. But he remains one of my fave representations of Splinter so I'm glad to see him get some vampi paint! I'm flattered you will use my stats for 7TV2e and hope you enjoy my post tomorrow with the Foot Clan getting the 7TV2e treatment

    All in all worth the wait Bryan, thumbs up from this turtle fan! So looking forward to your first batrep with them....... Ah the pressure builds once more :-P

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    1. Andy, many thanks for your high praise but most of all, a huge thank you for inspiring me to collect these figures. It would not have happened if not for your enthusiastic blog posts.

      Believe me, there was much swearing as I glued them together, or tried to. The worst culprit was the chain for Mikey's nunchakus. Which idiot glued it to the bottom of the nunchuk before realising his mistake? D'oh!

      I must admit I was in two minds about getting the Mantic DreadBall rat coach. However, I do have a use for the other two coaches so I went for it. I'm using them as civilians for use in a Judge Dredd setting.

      The Foot Clan Ninjas are high on my shopping list and are the villains I went to use against the Turtles in my first batrep, so I'm very much looking forward to reading your first 7TV2e batrep with them. Great minds think alike! I'm most probably going to get the same other figures you've used as well, such as Casey Jones, Shredder, Bebop and Rocksteady.

      Finally, in my next post I'll be showing my 20mm scale TMNT figures alongside size comparison photos between them and the My Way Miniatures. I think you'll enjoy it!

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    2. ooh you little bugger Bryan, by replying about ME inspiring YOU to get TMNT you have mentioned Judge Dredd!! damn you, i have kept my head down when warlord released their Dredd game as I knew that would be collecting gangs based on the grim but awesome Lawman and now this..... lol

      haha Mikey was a pain wasn't he and those bandanas?!? awkward but so worth it.

      look forward to the comparison pics then mate, i wasn't going to mention that you had promised pics at all ;-P

      right time to start looking at 2000AD figs...ooh is that Strontium Dogs......

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    3. When I receive my Battle Systems Urban terrain sets this summer you can expect to see batreps for a new ATZ campaign and for something I've been itching to do for a long time - a Judge Dredd campaign. I have a vast collection of figures inspired by the galaxy's greatest comic - 2000AD. Yes, ABC Warriors, Rogue Trooper, Strontium Dogs and of course, Judge Dredd.

      Mikey had me swearing the most once I realised my stupid mistake. The bandanas were awkward until I realised I had to have them lying against the Turtle's shells instead of sticking straight out.

      I just thought I'd better mention my other TMNT figures, in case you thought I'd forgotten about them. As if! ;-)

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    4. as if indeed haha

      omg (as the kids say!) ABC warriors! Rogue! Dogs! Dredd! aaahh so excited.... dark Judges, Anderson, Hershey, Giant.... overload imminent...

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    5. Yep! Dark Judges, Anderson, Hershey, Giant, plus countless others - I've got them all! I do fear I may be causing grievous harm to your wallet, Andy. Sorry, mate!

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    6. Yes you will be! I used to have some lovely Dredd and dark judges figs and they have disappeared over time. :-( although I now have the chance to get more yay!

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    7. Nice models, thought I'd reply here as playing with the models in da grotto was a pleasure and I've seen the Judge Dredd figures and I am getting the urge to get some as I love Dredd. I have to thank the Grotto master though as he introduced me to the man himself via the comics all those years ago..... Although Stallone polluted th4e dredd waters somewhat

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    8. Many thanks, Damon. I've been collecting the 2000AD comic since prog 1, so I'm a massive fan of Judge Dredd. Stallone certainly did pollute the franchise but Karl Urban more than made amends.

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  2. Well that was undoubtedly worth the wait, my friend, as those heroes in a half-shell look absolutely superb and were clearly very lovingly painted. They are a joy to behold Bryan and I'm now extremely jealous of both you and Andy for having painted them up. I really must put mine together and get some colours on them. My fave has to be Donatello as I simply love the sculpt's pose and its good to see him back on his feet after being supposedly killed by Rocksteady in TMNT #44 by "IDW Publishing".

    April and Splinter are also inspired choices and really look the business too. That's a great group you've put together and I look forward to seeing them in a BatRep soon; perhaps helping the British Bobbies stop a fiendish crime wave? "Turtle Power!" :-)

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    1. Do I have to start pressuring you as well Simon? I could start now and it will only build until Salute then I can do it person........lol

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    2. Thanks, Simon, and I'm going to add to Andy's pressurisation - get your Turtles painted!

      As I said to Andy in my reply above, my first 7TV2e batrep with the Turtles will see them doing battle with the Foot Clan Ninjas. I'll be sending off for them next week and they seem simple enough to paint, so hopefully, I'll be able to play that game sooner than later.

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  3. Nicely painted. The TMNT were so much better in comic book form than on TV (In my not so humble Opinion). But bringing them to TV did at least deliver the names of Italian Renaissance artists to the younger publics notice, if nothing else. Nice job mate.

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    1. I'm the same Clint, the comics were cracking, the tv shows just bought the TMNT world to a wider (if not younger) audience. That did mean that we got some live action film goodness out of it....

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    2. I totally agree with you, Clint. Well said and thanks.

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    3. @Andy. I'm ashamed to admit it, but I have never seen any of the TMNT films.

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  4. Too smart to comment upon. Super.

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  5. Hehe they are quite cool! Now I want to get piza....If only that pesky footclan would get out of my way!

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    1. Cheers, Johnny. I'll send the Turtles to deal with those pesky Foot Clan Ninjas for you!

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  6. These are awesome! Nice work Bryan great use of Pandora for April as well looks perfect!

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    1. Much appreciated, Simon. Pandora was my first choice for my April O'Neil conversion.

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  7. Whilst I was aware that Andy had painted these up, I've yet to read that post (Sorry Andy! I will get to it...) Nice figures abd nice painting. Luckily, as I'm not a massive turtles fan, I'm not tempted by them...which is lucky as they're a bit out of my price range. However, I'd not seen that Veer-myn coach, who would make an ideal Nezumi wizard for my existing rat-men, so ta for that.

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    1. It's probably just as well as you're not that interested in the turtles, Jez. Thanks to Andy, my wallet has, and is, taking quite a pounding with this project. Makes a change from me causing others to spend money, LoL!

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  8. Well this is a bit different Bryan! I really liked the original graphic novels but the more mainstream cartoons and movies that followed had lost the darkness of the original, so left me a little meh.
    You've done a fine job painting these Dude! The April conversion is excellent, fair play. Any chance of these guys fighting zombies? That would be a sight to see.

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    1. Thanks, Bob. I like a bit of diversity on my blog as it keeps my readers on their toes. The early TMNT comics were great but the TV series were dire. I haven't seen any of the films so I can't comment on them. A fight between the Ninja Turtles and a zombie horde has a very good chance of happening. Zombicide: Black Plague would be a great set of rules for this scenario.

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