Toy Review: Leatherhead / Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (Playmates)

Leatherhead is not a character I remember having as a child in action figure form but a quick google search does reveal that he was indeed a character back then and did in fact have a toy though not in this same likeness (He had more clothes and was more campy, much like The Rat King)   When I think of this character though I think of him as being a number of different things.

For one thing, his very name beckons other references.    If he was Leatherneck he'd be a member of G.I. Joe.   If he was Leatherface he'd have to come with a chainsaw.   I'm not going to look into the whole idea of who named who when and figure out the specifics but please don't make anymore leather themed characters.   ("Leatherfoot" is not a good idea)

My son really likes the Imaginext line of toys right now, mostly Batman and he can even get into the Playskool Marvel version but he calls them all "Batman toys".   Doesn't matter if it's some generic helicopter, wizard, Thor or Spongebob they're all "Batman toys".  

They've created a line of these similar figures for TMNT and Leatherhead is in it.   I kind of want to get him in that small size just to see how my son would play with him and Killer Croc.   Leatherhead is an alligator so I'm curious as to whether or not they'd fight each other based on that or work together since they're both villains.

And oh yeah, Leatherhead is also a mutant alligator who lives in the sewer.    Have you seen that episode of "Growing Pains" where they make a movie about flushing your pet alligator down the toilet?  Because Leatherhead brings up memories of that for me.

His tail design specifically for this figure also reminds me of that of one Whiplash who was a part of the Masters of the Universe line a couple of times but perhaps their most recent version at mass retail in the early 2000's.

It is awkward to try and stand Leatherhead because of his giant tail sticking out behind him, and he came in the package sideways because of it.   Right now my TMNT collection is just sort of floating around on my desk but I do hope to get a shelf for them one day and this just means Leatherhead will have to be in the front.    (Unless someone wants to send me that giant sewer playset thing to review of course)

Leatherhead doesn't come with any accesories because a) he has a huge tail and b) he doesn't really need them.    In his prototype picture (which can be found on Amazon.com) he has slightly more highlighted portions which aren't that dark green.   Mainly his teeth and chest seem to be whiter as well as the brown on his hands and feet just seems to pop more but overall he does have a decent paint job considering some of the ones I've seen before this.

Back when I saw Casey Jones in stores and my son didn't want him but I kind of did and back when I saw The Rat King and knew he'd be mine before I actually bought him, I saw Leatherhead and I think I was so taken by him because I had just watched the episode he was in.   I don't have access to watching episodes of the new Nickelodeon series so I mostly watch the DVDs they put out, one day eventually going for the complete first season once I watch some of my other first seasons, but this is just one of those characters that I enjoyed in action figure form regardless of which universe he happened to come out of specifically.

Simply put: I could walk into a comic book shop or Savers and see Leatherhead for sale with no indications as to his name or what series of toys he's from - and, yes, I do see toys at Savers like this quite a bit- but I'd still buy him just because of what he is.


[Editor's Note: My first set of pictures for this was removed from my Photobucket account for reason unsure to me and still without reason.   I have uploaded these new pictures and will now keep them saved on the computer as well should this occur again]