Staff artists at the Northampton, Massachusetts based Mirage Studios have provided conceptual designs for many of the figures, vehicles, and playsets and are credited on the packaging of the products they created.

Not entirely willing to risk marketing a small cult comic book, Playmates insisted that a cartoon series be produced first.

Aaronian brought on several designers and concepteer and writer John Schulte and worked out the simple backstory that would live on toy packaging for the entire run of the product and show.

Playmates and their team essentially served as associate producers and contributing writers to the miniseries that was first launched to sell-in the toy action figures.

If one was to clip the "Pizza Point"s located on the reverse side of the packaging then a person could redeem them along with a small fee for other Turtles merchandise like VHS tapes, posters, bath towels, among others.

Corresponding firmly with its animated series counterpart, the original TMNT action figure line would last ten years and develop a legacy within the toy realm.

Each figure had at least 7 points of articulation (neck, shoulders, wrists, hips), many accessories including each character's signature weapon, and a bio card on the back of the blister package that kids could cut out and collect.

Colorful characters like General Traag, Rat King, Mutagen Man, Scumbug, Pizza Face, Muckman, and many others featured intricate details such as small animals crawling over them, large scars, torn clothing, and pieces of garbage stuck to their bodies.

With the release of the second series in 1989, fans saw ten entirely new figures: five allies and five enemies, six new vehicles/accessories, the first playset, the Turtle Battle Fun role-play sets, 9" and 13" plush dolls, and official Retromutagen Ooze.

These often expressed the humorous side of TMNT with gadgets commonly made out of sewer lids, trash cans, plungers, and toilet seats.

Other TMNT toys would be sold individually such as the Turtle Communicator, Raphael's Spy goggles, and Leo's Sewer Force Sword.

One of the most famous components of the TMNT realm is the radioactive slime Retromutagen Ooze, which mutated the Ninja Turtles from common house pets to "mean, green, fightin' machines."

Ooze was an essential component to playsets such as the Flushomatic, and action figures like Muckman, who could have it run from his hollow head and out his mouth.

By the second, less violent TMNT film, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Secret of the Ooze, Playmates decided to create a figure collection based on the characters' live-action appearance.

Each character bore a friendly, animated appearance with a glittery paint job and including some type of "cartoon" action feature (Raphael's head spun, Michelangelo's tongue unraveled in Tex Avery fashion, etc.).

This collection featured the Ninja Turtles once again in their Movie Star likeness and sporting samurai armor, as well as several other side characters.

In 1994, Playmates, in an attempt capitalize on toy lines like Mighty Max and Polly Pocket, shrunk the Turtles down to an equally small size in a sub-line simply named "Mini Mutants".

This line included: The Undertaker (Don), John Cena (Leo), Sting (Raph), and "Macho Man" Randy Savage (Mikey).

[8] The original Ninja Turtles line ran for almost ten years and, in that time, various planned items would ultimately not hit toy shelves.

During post movie success, many commercials relied on live-action, animatronic Ninja Turtles similar to those seen in the "Coming Out of their Shells" Tour.

Prime examples of these include 1992 spots for the Bubble Bomber vehicle featuring Raphael in military fatigues and Bodacious Birthday figures where a surprise party was thrown in the Turtles' sewer lair.

Alongside the basic TMNT characters, this collection of taller scale figures included a female Ninja Turtle named Venus.

The show's demise, however, would further confirm the dissolving popularity of the Ninja Turtles, and the franchise would remain in limbo for years to come.

These figures are based on early Mirage comics and include Splinter, Shredder, and a Foot Soldier among the four Turtles in red apparel.

Wave 13 featured Mikey Turflytle, Karai Serpent, Stockman-Fly, Head Droppin'Leonardo, Donatello, Raphael and Michelangelo.

Wave 16 featured Dimension X April, Dimension X Casey Jones, Mozar, Lord Dregg, Robug, Shadow Ninja Color Change Leo, Shadow Ninja Color Change Mikey, Eye-Poppin' Leo, Tongue-Poppin' Mikey, Spittin' Raphael and Spittin' Michelangelo.

The First line includes Leo, Donnie, Raph, Mikey, Splinter, Shredder, Slash, Metalhead, and Tiger Claw.

During the series Playmates Toys canceled some figures: Undead Shredder, The Creep, Biotroid, Savanti Romero, Kraang Prime, Mutant Pets 3-Pack (Featuring Spike, Ice Cream Kitty and Dr. Cluckingsworth), Kavaxas, Jei, Parasitica Wasp and Mix and Match Mutations Stockman-Fly.

A basic figure assortment wave was released for the 2014 Jonathan Liebesman Ninja Turtles movie which included Leonardo, Donatello, Raphael, Michelangelo, Splinter, April O'Neil, Shredder and Foot Soldier.

[14] With the introduction of Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles in mid 2018, a new action figure line was produced by playmates.