Premise Story/ Early Ed. Venture Redesigns and Influence map

The Idea

My premise idea is to create an 80s style toy commercial for a fictional toy line based on a fictional 80s inspired action cartoon. The plan is to design a toy line based around my archeologist character Ed. Venture, that I created for my script to screen project. The toy line would take heavy influence from toy lines from the 80s and early 90s mainly Masters of a the Universe and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Figures with crazy gimmick based designs and pun based names, the toy line would also be based on an action cartoon of the time, often made in order to sell toys and give the toys a world for kids to be invested in, in order to sell more toys. The series would be a globe trotting, monster of the week adventure seeing out hero, Ed. Venture, searching for artefacts and saving the day from a formidable rouges gallery. The plan for my film would be to intersect CG scenes that would display the toys in action, with 2D animated segments meant to be scenes from the cartoon, the two types of animation interaction with each other like a toy commercial from the era. Including graphics and a catchy theme song, possibly even with live action kid actors reacting with what’s going on. The plan is to create a sort of parody/love letter to the style of toys, cartoons & adverts of 

the time, as cheesy as need be.

Influence 

As mentioned prior most of my influence will derive from the cartoons and toy lines of the 80s and early 90s. With crazy muscular gimmick driven troupe based characters present in TMNT and MOTU. The influence map below displays the full extent of the types of cartoons/toys and design elements I’d like to implement into my film.

Early Designs

In order for fit Ed. Venture into the world of an 80s action cartoon he is in need of a slight redesign in order to incapsulate the style and flair that is notorious in cartoons of the era. For these designs I took a variety of different influences, 1) Is more inspired by Thundercats with rippling muscles and a a humanoid design, 2) Takes direct influence from MOTU figures with a standard body mould that would be reused on other characters in the line. 3) Is more inspired by Darkwing Duck and Danger Mouse and 4) Is Directly inspired by TMNT figures from the extreme expression, damage, weird details and one colour accessories and animal sidekick! Although not part of the character design I also worked on some light branding, although not finalised, I wanted to get a feel for the packaging, specifically looking at the Kenner inspired ’Proof of Purchase’, company and packaging text and writing.