Mondo’s new TMNT figures will make you feel like a kid again – and that’s the point

When Mondo announced its new line of soft vinyl Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles figures, the collection certainly stood out among the many other collectible companies offering from the franchise. In a market flooded with highly articulated, “ultimate”-style figures based on everything from the original comic book to the cult-favorite Coming Out of Their Shells concert tour, Mondo’s bigger, sturdier reinterpretations of the original action figure line were certainly a unique take.

When Mondo sent me a prototype of their Michelangelo figure to review, I noticed that there was something about the toy that evoked a much more impressive sense of nostalgia than almost anything else on the market. I couldn’t quite put my finger on what that was, however, until I spoke with the creative minds behind Mondo.

The company’s soft vinyl toys are larger than most collectibles on the market, and with the upcoming release of the Ninja Turtles figures, the reason for that is crystal clear.

“You get your nostalgia from the colors and the idea of ​​a Turtles toy, but there’s a tangible nostalgia,” Mondo Senior Director, Creative and Product Development Hector Arce told GameSpot. “We said when we were kids and you held a Turtle toy in your kid’s hand, they felt a certain way. Now that we’re adults, our hands are bigger. (These) feel in your hands the way they did when you were a kid.”

Peter Santa-Maria, Mondo Senior Creative Director, added: “Not many people have held them. When we let them hold them in their hands, they say the same thing, and it’s kind of a subconscious tactile experience.”

As someone who played with a truly ridiculous number of Ninja Turtles as a kid, I can attest that it recreates that experience wonderfully. Even the articulation is nearly the same, though the wrists are articulated instead of the elbow joints of the original toy line.

San Diego Comic-Con was the first time consumers got to see the figures in person, and the end result is certainly a striking toy — and a line of collectibles with plenty of room to grow. In addition to the TMNT figures already available for pre-order The Baxter Stockman prototype was on display at Funko’s Comic-Con booth and looked downright gigantic with its enormous flying wings.

The reason Mondo decided to go in a completely different direction than most other toy companies, namely larger and more stylized figures with less freedom of movement, as opposed to the near identical reproductions of TMNT toys, cartoons and movies we loved so much back in the day, was simple.

“In a sea of ​​great turtle collectibles, we had to do something different — create a different space,” Arce said. “And I think these do just that.”

And it doesn’t stop at Ninja Turtles figures. Mondo already has soft vinyl toys for franchises like Halloween, Scott Pilgrim vs. the World, Stranger Things, and even an assortment of Godzilla and King Kong figures. And for those who crave figures with a little more articulation, those are also available for select properties. These include Masters of the Universe, Batman: The Animated Series, and even X-Men: The Animated Series.

Ultimately, as with the posters and limited edition vinyl records, Mondo is simply looking for a way to put its own stamp on everything it releases.

“There are millions of great collectibles out there,” Santa-Maria explained. “We’re just trying to find that white noise. We’re trying to infuse everything that we get the rights to work on with a little bit of our own creativity. What can we do to make it still feel familiar, but at the same time push it to something that feels fresh?”