There's no shortage of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles collectibles out there these days. Turtle Mania is back in full force, and plenty of companies have been getting in on the fun. But there are TMNT figures and there are TMNT figures, and Mondo has definitely impressed us with their newest release.
Mondo is kicking off a new line of 1/6 scale, collector-oriented TMNT figures with Donatello. This figure isn't directly based on any past incarnation of the franchise, but is instead meant to capture the best elements of the movies, comics, and animated series to create the ultimate Donatello. We like to think they succeeded, but you can judge for yourself in the slideshow gallery below:
This Donatello figure measures 12 inches tall and includes all the accessories you'd expect, such as multiple swap-out heads and hands, various weapons, a pair of Mouser robots, and even the head of Metalhead. The figure will be available exclusively on the Mondo site as a timed edition, with a price tag of $250.
IGN spoke with Mondo's Sr. Director, Creative and Product Development, Hector Arce to learn more about the design philosophy behind this figure. Arce explained that while this is hardly Mondo's first crack at the TMNT license, they saw an opportunity to create a line of original designs that can stand alongside other figures from the Masters of the Universe and Thundercats lines.
"Mondo was the first to do 1:6 TMNT back in the day, and those were directly based on the Mirage comics," Arce tells IGN. "When we decided to jump back into this space, we wanted to make sure we approached it from a fresh angle that celebrates the look and feel from the '90s films while also creating a brand-new Mondo-specific story that informs all the figure design choices. This meant really digging into that vibe and grounding our designs in that era. Paramount also gave us a generous amount of freedom to add new characters, weapons, accessories, and such that have never been done with other TMNT figures. These new TMNT 1:6 now live alongside other MondoVerse 1:6 where we have redesigned iconic characters in our own style."
While this is an original design, Arce notes that the team was heavily inspired by the classic '90s movie series, and that informed the detailed textures and the desire to make Donatello look less like a mutated turtle and more like an actor in a suit.
"The 1st and the 2nd [movies] became our main source of inspiration, keeping this line looking grounded and gritty - and most importantly keeping that vibe of an actor in a suit," Arce says. "With those films as our starting point, we then wanted to expand that a bit, what if the crazy sci-fi and more fun elements from the cartoon were brought into that world? What if, Krang appeared and pulled Shredder out of the Hudson and told him 'Hey maybe stop using teenagers as your foot soldiers and replace them with my robotic army.' From there Peter [Santa-Maria, Mondo Senior Creative Director] and I started to build character bibles for the turtles, making sure that every accessory has a meaning, informs the potential storyline, and expands into the next figure release."
Arce explains that the goal with the huge swath of accessories in this release is twofold - Mondo wants colelctors to have as many display options as possible, but the accessories also help tell the story of this particular TMNT universe.
"As with many of our other 1:6 scale figures, we love to cram swappable heads, hands, accessories, and so forth in with every release. It's about giving our collectors options to display their figures in endless ways and also a way for us to have fun and sneak in easter eggs and such. In this case, all the heads and accessories are there to help further our story - Donny has now fully embraced being the 'tech guy' of the group. He's experimenting in his lab, creating new tech for the turtles to use, updating some of their weapons with new tech driven enhancements that will help them fight these new and improved (and robotic) Foot Soldiers."
Arce continues, "At this point in our story, Donny and the other turtles have already encountered the Mousers in battle. Donny, always trying to find a way to learn about the tech that Krang uses, decides to take two Mousers back to his lab to study, but then ultimately turns them into his helpers and buddies. This gave us a chance to introduce two brand new characters, two frankesteinded Mousers named Newton and Magellan. Newton being his lab assistant, helping with everyday needs and Magellan being a combined RC truck/Mouser that Donny controls with his gaming glove to get into small areas the turtles can't get into. We really put a lot of thought into everything that goes into this figure release, really wanting it to feel like an experience and drive a story as much as being a cool collectible!"
Naturally, the obvious question with this release is when and if we'll see the rest of the Turtle family in this new 1/6 scale format. Arce confirms that Mondo is developing more TMNT figures, though Shredder appears to be the next figure in the pipeline.
"You can't redesign the four turtles without also tackling their big nemesis, Shredder," Arce teases. "We have shown off some early looks of the character at some conventions this past summer and we're so excited to show everyone the direction he's going in. He's turning out really cool! Outside of that, as I mentioned there's a ton of fun easter eggs we're including with all the figures that will inform potential future releases. Donny for example comes with a Metalhead head that he's been working on, that could lead to a future release of the robotic turtle. I personally would love to explore the mutated villains and really discover what their real-world designs will look like."
Will you be adding this Donatello figure to your collection? Let us know in the comments below.
In other TMNT news, check out our interview with the comic's new artist, Freddie E. Williams II.
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