Another TMNT Ultimates rant: characters and scale... among other stuff

 I recently posted a shot stating that Krang's Android Body would need to be bigger than Mon*Star.

Since Krang minus tentacles looks a bit too big for the Mon*Star body. But I remembered something: the wave 5 Krang is not truly to scale. As Krang should be about the size of a Basketball and the figure is much larger to fit with Playmates scale.

Using the Super7 Slam Dunk Don figure, I got this:

Rough size comparison:
Obviously, the Krang outside the walker is the resized one
   

If we reduce Krang to the size of  Donatello's Basketball, he could fit a bit better in the Mon*Star body, and be in scale with the characters. That would still make the Android Body a $100 item because we'd need the Body, the smaller Krang, with a smaller Bubble walker. OR option B would be making a larger than Mon*Star body to fit the Beachball sized wave 5 Krang that would be out of scale with the other characters, like the vintage 11" Android Body. 

In Krang's Android Body, Articulation should be limited to the head and limbs. His torso should have the least Articulation possible in order to avoid possible breakages. If we go for the w5 Krang compatible Android Body, then he should get SPECIAL tentacles to use within it. Mainly because the Vintage KAB needed to be extra wide to fit Krang's tentacles. We're teying to keep him close to scale as possible and as he is, he needs to be wider than Mon*Star. The accessories will make or break the figure, metaphorically speaking. I guess the AB getting an alternate head that can get plug in electric blasts from the glasses, reference to TMNT TiT.

Alternate hands based on toon and game weapons... especially since we can't look at Playmates for inspiration. Obviously, Super7 doesn't want to step on NECA's toes and they're playong ball with Playmates despite the latter throwing fits like a toddler.

Groundchuck:

I expect him to be roughly Bebop Sized woth articulated tail (red with green tip). He should look like a hybrid of Playmates and cartoon version. Maybe some changes to differentiate him from other versions is swap the torn scale shirt to a torn shirt with chainmail over it. It creates the same effect as the Playmates toy design, but different.

The cartoon had the great idea of painting his belt a different color from the furry loincloth. 

Slight alterations to the leg armor and cybernetic leg to differentiate from Playmates, like say, have it be slightly more angular while preserving the details.

Different shades of yellow between his bullseyes and the lens on his cyber eye. For his accessories, I'm thinking the Pipe from TMNT 3 Manhattan Project, a taser bullwhip, wrist dart launcher (similar but different to Playmates designs) Foot Clan brand iron (both normal and flaming hot) 

Dirtbag:

Personally I feel he should be 7 inches and a bit wider than a MOTUC. I want him as muscular as the vintage toy and not as flabby as the toon version. Perhaps some middle ground to differentiate him from both versions?

Theoretically speaking He should suffer a departure from vintage in his color pallette. He's supposed to be wearing overalls, but the vintage toy AND toon version have the colors wrong. The overalls are painted like a pair of pants and a separate tanktop. What I would do is have his overalls be the lighter green that his top has, but have his overalls be super dirty, particularly the leg area to create that distinction in color. His removable backpack shows the difference between clean and dirty. Pack should also be very dirty. It should have a loop for the removable spade and 2 clips to hold his dual pick axes (a replacement to the Playmates 4 point Pick Axe) and a Jackhammer. (Nod to the jackhammer gun playmates had) a second head with his miner's lamp "turned on" (GITD white paint) would complete the figure.

As long as we don't get topless Dirtbag from Manhattan Project... though that COULD be the safest direction for S7.

Super7's take on April the Ravishing Reporter:

This is a logical variant for April... even if it's jist to get her out of her banana jumpsuit. Personally, I'd call this variant Anchorwoman April. She'd have Soft goods skirt and blazer in Black. Now for the sculpted clothing. A somewhat sporty white top (most of it is hidden by the blazer) and yellow hotpants with pantyhose. I didn't want to add the hotpants, but decency standards and "children's toy" logic demands them. Hence the teal bloomers on the Playmates figure. For accessories we can recycle from previous April figures. Mic, Flashlight, handgun, turtle communicators from April v1. Camera from Ninja April, the figure would have the usual hands,  3 heads: "Toon April" head from the first release, New "perm head" inspired by Movie April, last head is Toon April with a blindfold and gag. This is the part where people will raise alerts... removable clothes and kidnapped head. That wasn't my intention. Plastic skirts hinder Articulation. The removable blazer was for more display options.

If you are using a modified wrestling announcer table for a Channel 6 display, she can be with her blazer on. But if she's hanging out at the sewer lair, she can be with her blazer off. Now the kidnapped head isn't necessarily FOR this figure. It's meant to be used on the normal April body. If I wanted to be perverted, She would've been in bra and panties. And the kidnapped head would've  been only the mouth gag and her eye makeup would've been all runny as if she had been crying. 

Non mutated forms of certain characters:

I am of course referring to Hamato Yoshi, Rocksteady, Bebop, Baxter Stockman.

NECA had the right idea by making the characters have different body types and heights. I DISAGREE on Baxter. How I would do them?

I already mentioned the Human Baxter idea for both Mirage Baxter and Fly Baxter to share a body. Swappable arms and sone accessories to change from the African American Mirage Baxter to the Caucasian Cartoon Baxter. By preusing the Vernon legs, we put Baxter on the "taller" section. He'd be about 7" or a smidge taller. He would be on the lankier side. Now tackling Rocksteady and Bebop is the question.

First, I'd have them wearing outfits similar to their mutated forms... not based on either the toon or Playmates. 

For Bebop, I'm thinking black pants, red sneakers with his vest opened like normal Bebop, but this vest is a bit longer. He also is wearing a torn T-shirt underneath.... to complement the punker look. I want to give him the nose ring from the get go. Teh only thing missing would be the turtle shell pads. For accessories I once commented using spray cans, I still stand by that, but I'd give him a baseball bat (hint reuse Casey's). Resue the trashcan from normal Bebop and give him a knife and a removable chain that he can wrap around his torso (think ToyBiz Marvel Legends wave 3 Ghost Rider) the idea is that Bebop looks a lot like his mutated version, but in human form. For hos second head Bebop wearing an orange ski mask for robberies, but he wears his sunglasses over the mask and he cut a hole for his mowhawk. Mask has a pink stain on the front. Think of it as foreshadowing.

Rocksteady should be shorter (about April height), like his toon version and stockier (not pudgy like the toon) 

His outfit should be similar to his Rhino self, but without the Turtle shells on his belt or his helmet. For accessories his knife, a Crowbar, a couple of spray cans, I want to give him a firearm, but I don't want to go full machinegun like his Rhino self. Thinking of a cheap snub nose revolver used for stick-ups aka a Saturday Night Special. His second head is a grey Ski mask for robberies. It has a light grey stain on the tip of his nose and rocksteady wears a Green Trucker hat (with either C.R.A.P. or H.A.T.E.) on it. Again it's a bit of foreshadowing.

Now for Hamato Yoshi, here's where things can get complicated. His base body should be based on Shredder, as they're both members of the Foot. Obviously, no spikes on his wrappings. Also he wouldn't have the wrappings on his neck either. Basically he should look almost like a Shirtless Mirage Foot Ninja without the mask, of course. This also works as pre-making parts for a Hyperstone Heist Tatsu. Just use actual Shredder forearms and new dartgun pieces.

But back to Yoshi. Add soft goods hakama and kimono... (hint these could be reused for Tatsu and Oroku Saki in different colors.) Gor accessories, a bow, arrows, quiver, Zatoichi's cane sword...

 I THINK I have done this already. Maybe have Yoshi be barefoot to fully differentiate him from the others who use the same styled lower legs.

I guess I should tackle Oroku Saki while I'm here: He should be in similar proportions and skintone to normal Shredder. He'd share parts with Hamato Yoshi, of course. He also gets soft goods hakama and kimono. For accessories, S7 can go wild, but I NEED at least 2 heads: Normal Saki head and a scarred head. Simple: For those who want Splinter to be Yoshi, they use the unscarred head. For those who want Splinter to be the rat, then scarred head for Saki.

Channel 6 trio:

I won't go into full detail. I just want to discuss heights. 

Irma needs to be a smidge taller than Super7's Alice.

Vernon needs to be normal adult size (ie Shredder/Casey)

Burne should be about April's height, but pudgy. Kinda like human Rocksteady size, but fat.

Pizzaface:

I see him a smidge taller than a Turtle's height, but obviously fat. The Chef hat putting his height over April. 

Walkabout:

I see him about as wide as a MOTUC, but about as tall as Bebop.

Scaletail:

I may be in the minority, but I believe scaletail should be 15 inches long. Hear or I should write, read me out: What I mean by that is that from head to tip of the tail he should be 15 inches long, BUT the way the vintage figure was built that means that a bit under HALF his body is the same size as a normal figure and the other half is his tail. THAT is what I'd like for him.

Hothead:

He should AT LEAST be 9 inches... if using the elongated neck, he should reach 14 inches. Mainly because he's a dragon and he should always be an impressive figure.

Monty Moose:

About Bebop sized makes sense for him. He should be a bit bigger than Lionheart.

Lionheart:

A bit bigger than a MOTUC, but smaller than Bebop or Rocksteady.

Rahzar:

Since Tokka is Slash size, Rahzar should be almost Mumm-Ra sized.

Vehicles:

We know, as seen on the Party Wagon, pure Playmates designs can't be made. 

We'd need an evil vehicle to balance out the Party Wagon. Here are my top choices for "LARGE" Vehicles:

Turtle Tenderizer:

Playmates never released one and all we have are Videogame versions. Sadly, since this is a Rocksteady and Bebop sized vehicle, it would be expensive. I'd combine elements form Manhattan Project and Shredder's Revenge for the toy:

The NES version has 6 guns:

2 on front of the hood (top)

2 under the grill near the front of the tires

2 on the sides near the back of the vehicle.

Personally, I'd add firing effects that plug to the barrels of each gun.

The back of the truck has a cylindrical compartment. I would have that open alongside the tailgate, so spiked mines could be dropped out the back (visually similar to the bombs Rat King drops on Turtles in Time and in function similar to the bombs from the Party Wagon toy).

The colors and shape should match Shredder's Revenge.

Foot Cruiser:

The advantage this one has over any other vehicle, is that with a few modifications it could be reused for a Neutrino Cruiser. Canonically this is a stolen Neutrino Cruiser.

For starters, seats can be moved forwards and back. They should be adjustable for Shredder sized figures or Bebop sized ones. I'm thinking of making it a 4 seater unlike the vintage 2 seater to differentiate. The adjustable front seats determines who sits in the front seat and who sits in the back seat.

The Trunk will be the biggest departure from vintage. Instead of it being the stand of the turret, the trunk becomes the shield of the turret. The guns on the front of the car get firing effects. 

Now the Neutrino variant gets a slightly modified version of the Foot Cruiser. Here's a list of changes:

Alternate front grille with different weapons.

There is no trunk turret. Though the trunk will still be functional and have additional non-lethal weapons for the Neutrinos or Turtles to use. The "winged stands" that the Foot Cruiser has are different on the Neutrino version. The seats would be slightly different. 

Mutant Transport Module:

If there's an Iconic vintage Foot Vehicle, is this one. Made popular by the 87 toon and games from the era. Here's where deviating from Playmates is the better idea. There are two types of Transport Modules:

Elevator and tank.

Playmates made the Tank module. So should Super7. Save the elevator module for a playset.

The Tank Module should be heavily inspired by the cartoon:

It could have the vintage toy colors, but it should look more like the toon version.

-NO REAL TREADS! Cylindrical "wheels" can be hidden within the thread sculpt.

-module should move whether pushed normally or upside down.

-the drill should rotate as the module is pushed.

-I would add the folding lasers from the toy. It should fit Rocksteady, Bebop, and Shredder or Shredder and 4 Foot Soldiers.

Out of the 3 I lean more towards the Module.