Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles first appeared in a 1984 comic book. By 1987, they had their own Saturday morning cartoon. The franchise was such a success, that selling merchandise licensces was a piece of cake, and just about every Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle thing you can think of was made: Pez, cameras, video games, a role playing board game, breakfast cereal, and of course, toys.
During the 1987 run of the cartoon, Playmates Toys released hundreds of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles action figures (as well as play sets, vehicles, and tons of other toy accessories). The first series featured the four turtles (Donatello, Leonardo, Raphael, Michelangelo), in addition to Splinter, April, Shredder, Rocksteady, Bebop, and a foot soldier. Playmates Toys continued producing the toys, and variations thereof, well into the 2010’s (there was a movie series reboot with a meaner version of the turtles in 2014).