SDCC 2013: Playmates Bebop and Rocksteady Classics Figures

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Second to the 1990 movie classics figures, the most-exciting reveal Playmates had at their panel were these Bebop and Rocksteady figures, which will also be part of the "Classics" line. However, they did let us know that Splinter and Shredder would eventually also be added to this series.

SDCC 2013: Playmates 1990 TMNT Movie Classics Figures

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Playmates' Comic-Con panel didn't have much excitement to share. However, the best thing they showed was truly impressive. As part of their larger, more-detailed "Classics" line, Playmates will next year be releasing figures based on the Turtles as we saw them in the 1990. These are the Turtles as realized by Jim Henson's Creature Shop. Despite advancements in movie effects in the 20+ years since, these Turtles for many are still the definitive movie Turtles.

Unfortunately, all they had for us was this one slide. And despite the text at the bottom saying it was on display at the Diamond booth, it wasn't. However, Toy News International has the hi-res versions of the pictures shown in the slide.

Two are below; check out the rest.

TMNT Guide to Comic-Con 2013

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It's that time of year again! And as always, Ninja Pizza is your go-to source for everything TMNT at Comic-Con! If you'll be at the show, check out the points of interest below. If you'll be watching Comic-Con from home, be sure to follow Ninja Pizza on Facebook and Twitter for all of the latest updates as they happen!

All dates, times, locations, and generally everything is subject to change.

Panels:

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Featuring Kevin Eastman
When: Thursday, 10-11am
Where: Room 9

A special discussion about all things TMNT featuring co-creator Kevin Eastman! Join Eastman and other members of the IDW Publishing TMNT creative brain trust, including editor Bobby Curnow and writer Tom Waltz, for what promises to be one shell of a fun and informative time!

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Action Figure Showcase
When: Thursday, 2-3pm
Where: Room 25ABC

Members of the mutant marketing team for Playmates Toys-the master toy licensee for TMNT since the 1980s-prepare to "unleash shell," discussing what's now, new, and next for the articulated heroes on a half-shell. Get sneak peeks at future toys (perhaps some from season 2 of the Turtles' animated series or the upcoming TMNT movie), and ask questions of "team green" members who've worked on all three incarnations of the Turtles since their debut decades ago.

Go Green! With the Lean, Mean, Ninja Team: Nickelodeon's Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles!
When: Friday, 2:15-3:15pm
Where: Room 6A

Check out Nick’s latest mutation as Executive Producers Ciro Nieli and Peter Hastings and Story Editor Brandon Auman discuss the upcoming finale for Season 1 and get an exclusive look at what’s in store for Season 2. Meet members of the incredible Ninja cast: Sean Astin (Raphael), Greg Cipes (Michelangelo), Rob Paulsen (Donatello), Mae Whitman (April O’Neil) and Kevin Michael Richardson (Shredder). Stick around for the “unmasking” of a fan-favorite character.

IDW Kids Comics: A Panel for All Ages! Ponies, Turtles, and More!
When: Sunday, 11am-12pm
Where: Room 4

Editors Sarah Gaydos, Bobby Curnow, and Tom Waltz (and a host of amazing creators) discuss the growing slate of all-ages titles at IDW -- including My Little Pony, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles New Animated Adventures, Samurai Jack, Powerpuff Girls, Ben 10, Ghostbusters, Popeye, KISS Kids, and more. Plus, free comics!

Signings:

Nickelodeon TMNT Cast & Crew
When: Friday, 3:45-515pm
Who: Sean Astin, Rob Paulsen, Greg Cipes, Mae Whitman, Kevin Michael Richardson, and Ciro Nieli
Where: Nickelodeon booth (#4113)

IDW TMNT Creative Team
When: Friday, 6-7pm
Who: Tom Waltz, Erik Burnham, Andy Kuhn
Where: IDW booth (#2643)

IDW TMNT Creative Team
When: Saturday, 12-1pm
Who: Kevin Eastman, Tom Waltz, Erik Burnham, Andy Kuhn
Where: IDW booth (#2643)

Artists' Alley:

Who: Michael Dooney
Known For: Drawing countless Turtles
Where: DD-22

Who: Dave Garcia
Known For: TMNT Adventures, creator of Panda Khan
Where: GG-17

Elsewhere:

Who: Kevin Eastman
Known For: TMNT co-creator
Where: Booth #1529 (Heavy Metal)

Who: Alex Deligiannis
Known For: Artist at Nickelodeon, TMNT mega-fan
Where: Booth #1802

Exclusives:

What: Shredder figure with chrome armor and removable helmet.
Where: Nickelodeon booth (#4113)
Price: $30

What: TMNT Funko Pop! Metallic Variants
Where: Funko book (#5343)
Price: $15/each

What (left): TMNT New Animated Adventures #1 variant cover
Where: Diamond Comic Distributors booth (#2401)
Price: $4

What (right): TMNT New Animated Adventures #1 variant cover
Where: Awesome Conventions booth (#620)
Price: $20

What (left): TMNT: Ultimate Collection Vol. 4 black & white variant cover
Where: IDW Booth (#2643) [pre-order here]
Price: $50

What (right): Kevin Eastman's TMNT Artobiography black & white variant cover
Where: IDW booth (#2643) [pre-order here]
Price: $50

What (not pictured): TMNT on-going #21 comic-folio
Where: IDW booth (#2643)
Price: $35
Notes: This is an IDW Limited item that will be available in limited quantities at the show. Additional quantities will be made available online within a few weeks. Watch Ninja Pizza for more information as it becomes available.

Pictures From Toy Fair 2013

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Toy Fair is underway! And already, Toy News International has posted some pictures of Playmates' new offerings. Even though we've already seen a lot, there are still a few new things slipping in. Some highlights are below.

Check out the full gallery of pictures!

Playmates 2013 Toy Fair Preview

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Last week we saw some photos of Playmates' upcoming 2013 TMNT line taken at the Hong Kong Toy Fair. As the New York Toy Fair approaches, MTV Geek has an exclusive video preview (above) of what we can expect to see from that show.

Of particular note, is the glimpse we get of the next two figures in the TMNT Classics line: Bebop and Rocksteady!

2013 TMNT Playmates Toys Figures

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The above video recently appeared on YouTube, featuring a slideshow of photographs taken at the recent Hong Kong Toy Fair. The pictures showcase what we are likely to see from Playmates at next month's Toy Fair in New York.

If you watch the full 7+ minutes you'll notice a lot of new items, including Leatherhead, the Rat King, an unmasked Shredder, a full line of mini figures, a 7-pack of Mousers, and 2 2-packs of small "Ninjas in Training" Turtles figures, among others. Snapshots of some of those new items are featured below.

New TMNT Figures Launching in the UK Nov. 24

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While the new Nickelodeon TMNT figures are not scheduled to launch in the UK until December 1, several toys stores will be holding special launch events a week early, on November 24.

Midco Toy Planet
Event will feature an appearance by a TMNT character, as well as an opportunity to purchase the (not-so-Comic-Con-exclusive) Night Shadow Leonardo figure (pictured left - only 100 available).

The event starts at 9am, local time.

Location:
Midco Toy Planet
174 South Mall Westfield Centre
Derby, Derbyshire DE1 2AZ

Forbidden Planet
The store will be handing out a special TMNT goody bag to early shoppers (supplies are limited - get there early!), as well as also offering the Night Shadow Leonardo figure for sale and TMNT graphic novels signed by Kevin Eastman.

The event runs from 9:30am-1:00pm. Get full details.

Location:
Forbidden Planet
38 Priory Queensway
Birmingham, B4 7LA

Hamleys Toy Shop
Breakfast pizza will be served, starting at 8:30am, along with freebies and face painting. The store itself will open at 9:30am, with more competitions and giveaways happening throughout the day.

Full event details.

Location:
Hamleys Toy Shop
188-196 Regent St.
London W1B 5BT

First Look at 2013 TMNT Toys from Playmates

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Toy News International has posted a sneak peek of some images of new TMNT action figures and toys we can expect to see for sale next year from Playmates Toys.

The new assortment features the four Turtles in some sort of stupid outfits, Baxter Stockman, Snakeweed, some new vehicles, a pizza box that unfolds to reveal a playset, deluxe "Flinger" Turtles, and a few other things.

Frankly, I find myself extremely disappointed with what we see here. Playmates actually went to the trouble of making new Turtles sculpts that more closely reflect the designs of the series, and they still covered them in stupid costumes. Really, Playmates? Have all the complaints about this tired and outdated strategy of yours really fallen on deaf ears? How far are we from the return of Music Turtles?

The new sculpts are actually quite adorable. I would love to buy and display them! BUT I REFUSE TO BUY TURTLES IN STUPID THEME COSTUMES. These new Turtles should just have their traditional gear. Those figures would be awesome.

Ugh. I might buy the baby turtles, but otherwise I'll be spending my money next year actually learning karate.

Toys R Us Names Ninja Turtles as a "Hot Toy" of 2012

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The Christmas/Holiday shopping season is upon us, and, just in time, Toys R Us has released their annual list of "Hot Toys" that they expect to be in high demand. Included in the top 15 toys for the year they have included the new TMNT Secret Sewer Lair Playset from Playmates (conveniently, a Toys R Us exclusive item).

This story has been reported by many media outlets in the last 24 hours. Ninja Pizza reader Brandon B. shared this video of his local news station and an anchor who seemed a bit disconnected from the report.

Shellraising Showdown Contest

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Target and Nickelodeon have launched the "Shellraising Showdown Contest" to celebrate the new TMNT toys from Playmates. The contest requires you to create a stop-motion ending to a comic book with your new Turtles toys.

You can read the comic book, written by Tom Waltz from IDW, on the official contest website, or download it directly. Physical copies of this comic were given away in mass quantities at San Diego Comic-Con this past weekend. I have a stack of them that I will be distributing to Ninja Pizza readers in the near future!

The website also features a sample stop motion video ending to the comic. (Of course, this video features figures with much better paint than the ones being sold in stores. :p)

Rules and prize information are also available on the contest website. Good luck to all who enter!

2012 TMNT Guide to San Diego Comic-Con

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Comic-Con starts tomorrow! If you're lucky enough to be attending, there's a lot of exciting points of interest for TMNT fans. I've pulled out the biggest highlights and listed them below. It sounds like Nickelodeon has one or two other surprises in store, so be sure to keep following Ninja Pizza on Facebook and Twitter for all the latest news!

EXCLUSIVES

Night Shadow Leonardo
Details on the availability of this figure haven't been released, but pictures of it appeared on Playmates' website last week. The current guess is that it will be available for sale at the Nickelodeon booth (#4113) for around $20.

IDW Comics, TMNT #11 Exclusive Cover
As previously reported, IDW will have a special Convention-exclusive variant of TMNT #11 at their booth (#2643) for $5. The 40 people who pre-ordered the special Convention bundle of the Ultimate Collection hardcovers will be able to pick up their purchases at the booth, as well. This item is not available for walk-up purchase.

PANELS

FRIDAY, JULY 13
10:15-11:15, Room 6BCF - Go Green! With the Lean, Mean, Ninja Team: Nickelodeon's Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles! Experience Nickelodeon's very first Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle Comic-Con panel, as executive producer Ciro Nieli sets up the new series and unveils never-before-seen footage. Meet the incredible Ninja cast: Jason Biggs (Leonardo), Sean Astin (Raphael), Greg Cipes (Michelangelo), Rob Paulsen (Donatello), Kevin Michael Richardson (Shredder), Hoon Lee (Splinter), and Mae Whitman (April O'Neil). Hear and see the radical undertaking of this 25-year-old property and some of the creative insights that have taken it to new and reinvigorating heights. Prepare to be shell-shocked! Moderated by Rich Magallanes, senior VP of current series for Nickelodeon.

FRIDAY, JULY 13
4:00-5:00, Room 4 - The IDW Show (55 min, TV-MA): Hosts Chris Ryall and Dirk Wood welcome guests Duane Swierczynski, Brea and Zane Grant, John Layman, Zach Howard, Conor McCreary, and Anthony Del Col. Plus special announcements by Bobby Curnow, Stupid Audience Tricks, and musical guest Alan Robert and The Grants. NEW (CC)

AUTOGRAPHS

THURSDAY, JULY 12
6:00–7:00pm, IDW Booth (#2643)
TMNT Comic Crew – Kevin Eastman, Tom Waltz, Dan Duncan

FRIDAY, JULY 13
12:30pm, Nickelodeon Booth (#4113)
Nickelodeon Voice Cast & Crew - Ciro Nieli (Executive Producer), Jason Biggs (Leonardo), Sean Astin (Raphael), Greg Cipes (Michelangelo), Rob Paulsen (Donatello), and more. (I think this signing may also include Kevin Michael Richardson, Hoon Lee, and Mae Whitman, but I don't have confirmation that they'll be there.)

SATURDAY, JULY 14
11:00am–12:00pm, IDW Booth (#2643)
TMNT Comic Crew – Kevin Eastman, Tom Waltz, Dan Duncan

PEOPLE TO SEE

Kevin Eastman - Expect to find TMNT co-creator Kevin Eastman throughout the weekend at the Heavy Metal booth, #1529.

Ernie Reyes Jr. - Ernie, known to TMNT fans as Donatello's stunt double in the first TMNT movie and Keno the Pizza Delivery Boy in TMNT 2, will be at booth #5112-5118 with his new comic book, Sonny's Dragons. This comic book is of particular interest to TMNT fans, as it was drawn by the one and only Jim Lawson!

Michael Dooney - This TMNT artist extrodinare will be at Artists' Alley booth #DD-22 throughout the weekend.

Dave Garcia - Mr. Garcia did work on the old TMNT Adventures comic book series. He and his wife Monica also created the character Panda Khan, who TMNT fans should know as an old Playmates action figure. He will be at Artists' Alley booth #FF-11.

Erik Larsen - Find Erik Larsen of Image Comics fame, who was also a key player in the publishing of TMNT VOl. 3, at Artists' Alley booth #II-16.

David Petersen - David Petersen is well-known for his Mouse Guard comic books, and has recently become a recognizable name to TMNT fans for his recent cover art work on the TMNT Micro-Series books from IDW. He will be at Artists' Alley booth #GG-09

James Silvani - James Silvani has done some TMNT licensing art in recent years. You can find him at Artists' Alley booth #DD-11.

New TMNT Nickelodeon Toys Appearing in Stores

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Despite original reports that the new TMNT action figures would begin appearing in stores in August, some stores have already received their shipments and are selling the new line.

Early reports had the toys appearing in some Toys R Us stores. These sightings have included the action figures, vehicles, and role play toys.

Target stores have also begun receiving their shipments, although these haven't yet been placed in the aisles. A savvy member on the Technodrome forums was able to provide the DPCI number, which can be used to check stock of an item online and in stores.

The DPCI number of the basic action figures is 087-06-0494. Click here to check stock at your local Target store. If your store has the figures in stock, you will have to go there and find an employee to help you get the figures from the back room. Provide them with the DPCI number to help them find them as quickly and efficiently as possible.

Target stores are holding the figures in the back rooms for an aisle reset that is scheduled for July 29. Some employees/stores may give you trouble and refuse to sell the figures to you because of this date. People who have run into this problem have had luck by requesting to talk to a manager. Whatever they try to tell you, let them know that this date is not a hard sell date. If they try to tell you that the registers won't let them sell the figures to you, this is a lie. If you still have no luck, try another Target and/or a different employee.

I personally had to try two Targets, as the first wouldn't sell to me. The second did, and I purchased the four Turtles pictured above. Good luck to everyone on the hunt!

New TMNT Playmates Action Figures Appear on eBay

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Two months ahead of the schedule we've been told, a seller on eBay has gotten ahold of some of the new action figures for the upcoming TMNT CGI cartoon series from Nickelodeon. I'm not going to link to them, but if you go looking, just remember that if you wait you'll be able to easily purchase these for $8.99 in a couple months and the premium for getting them now probably isn't worth it.

Given that we've seen plenty of pictures of the front of the new action figures back in February from Toy Fair, I found the backs of the cards to be interesting to read.

TMNT Panel Report from MCM Expo London

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From @TinaMcCannMD on Twitter.

Attendees of MCM Expo London this past weekend were treated to a series of TMNT exclusives and reveals for the upcoming CGI animated cartoon series from Nickelodeon. There are several in-depth reports of the event available online, including Toonzone, What the Shell! Podcast, and some members of The Technodrome.

The panel was hosted by Nick Roche, Rich Magallanes, and Kevin Eastman. Unfortunately, photography and video were not allowed inside. A lot of the information covered at the panel seems to have been stuff we already knew. Here are some bullet points of new and old information:

• The visual style of the series is meant to be a sort of mash-up of CGI and anime.
• A short preview was shown of the Turtles using Mikey as bait for a "killer robot." Mikey ends up running back toward the other three Turtles as he's being followed by head-seeking missiles. Mikey ends up dangling from a beam across from a pizza parlor.
• The Kraang are only able to talk through their robot bodies, and their agenda is to colonize Earth.
• Leatherhead, Baxter Stockman, and Karai will all appear in the series.
• The panel seemed to avoid answering the question if Casey Jones will appear in the series, but we know from previous Mutation in Progress events that they are planning to bring him in for season 2 (but watch the backgrounds for graffiti tags from Casey during season 1).
• Bebop and Rocksteady will not appear in this series.
• In place of "Cowabunga!", Mikey's new catch phrase will be "Booyakasha!" (Ok...)
• While the toys will hit the States in August this year, they won't be out in the UK until January 2013. The show itself should start around October in the UK this year, which should only slightly delayed from its start here in the US.

A trailer for the series was also premiered. Here is how Toonzone.net described it:

Things start with the brothers darting across rooftops of NYC at night before settling in an alley. Mikey is goofing off playing kick the can, which causes his three brothers to angrily shush him in a Teen Titans-reminiscent sight gag. A group of Foot soldiers emerge from the shadows, and Leo's cocky quip is met by several more. The Turtles still emerge triumphant and their demand for a better challenge is met with the sinister mocking laughter of the Shredder. Focus then switched to an encounter with a Kraang, visibly freaking the brothers out before Mikey starts beating it unconscious in another comedy sight gag. Waving his trophy around, he berates the other three for not believing him such a creature existed before it wakes up and latches onto his face, leading Raph to quip, “How can you be proven right and still look stupid?”

And finally, Playmates had some of the new toys on display, including this lineup of Leonardo action figures through the years.

New Photos & Info From Toy Fair

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Iiiiiit's Toy Fair! After a couple weeks of exciting lead-up, Toy Fair officially started over the weekend and we've started to see some new pictures, and with them a few new details.

The first bit of business is a sign that is hanging in the Playmates display, which outlines Nickelodeon's goal for the TMNT over the next few years.

The picture is a bit blurry, so let's go through it together.

• New episodes committed through 2015. (Woohoo!)
• Fall 2012: North American debut (US & Canada)
• 2013: International launches
• Fall 2013: TV show stripped on Nickelodeon (i.e. it'll run at the same time every day, Monday - Friday)
• Paramount live-action feature film in development

As it says at the top, Nickelodeon truly seems committed to making the TMNT, once again, into a huge TV series and consumer product powerhouse! Turtle Power, indeed!

Another photo shows a TV screen that seems to indicate Playmates/Nickelodeon is showing animation clips, as well as a "Sizzle" reel. Hopefully these will be released to the web soon!

Moving on to the actual exhibit display, here's a wide shot showing a bunch of the basic figures.

A lot of these figures we've already seen, but the exciting thing is that there are some new ones we haven't! And there are even more concept designs not yet created as prototypes.

A close-up look at the newly revealed prototypes:

Dogpound

Metalhead

Fishface

And the figures still only in the concept stage, which are scheduled to be in stores in Spring 2013.

Leatherhead

Stinkweed

Baxter Stockman

Baxter Stockman is shown in the armor we saw him in in the animatic pilot shown at the Fan Preview Event last year.

Additional news that's been reported is that, apparently, only Toys R Us is currently committed to the Classics figures. They are trying to add more (that's part of the purpose of Toy Fair, after all), but if you don't have a TRU near you, you can also expect to find them at various e-tailers.

And, lastly, there is also a San Diego Comic-Con exclusive figure planned, although it's not specified if it's for this year or next year. (Let's just assume for now that it's for this year, because that sounds like a pretty awesome way to kick off the TMNT hype.)

Hit up these links to see more great pics from Toy Fair:

Toy News International

TheToyVerse.com

ToyArk.com