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

We Are Not "Sewer Heads" - A Note to Playmates and Nickelodeon

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Last week when Playmates released their first peek at the 2012 TMNT toy lineup, there was also a series of short videos posted to MTV.com featuring Karl Aaronian from Playmates talking about each of the different lines. In these videos, he drops in the term "Sewer Heads," referring to the long-time Turtles fans.



As press coverage of the new toys grows in the build-up to Toy Fair, this term has been showing up again. And it is because of this recurrence of the term that TMNT fans wish to declare to both Playmates and Nickelodeon:

We are not "Sewer Heads." Please stop calling us that.
It is dumb and rather insulting. Think about it.

Now, I realize that we don't have a "cool" name for our fandom to sound off in your interviews and press releases akin to "Trekkers," "Browncoats," "Whovians," or "X-Philes," etc. But the thing is, all of those names happened organically, by the fans. They weren't assigned by marketing departments. We officially reject this "title" that you've assigned us.

If you absolutely must use something in your marketing copy, we respectfully suggest you change it to the less insulting "Shell Heads." We are not declaring this as our title, and take no ownership of it. But it's better than the name you've given us.

Really, it's probably just best if we stay "Ninja Turtles Fans." After all, Lucasfilm and Hasbro seem to be doing pretty well selling their products to "Star Wars Fans."

TMNT fans, whatever they be called, are encouraged to have their voices heard on this matter. Please send Tweets to @PlaymatesToys and @TMNTMaster. You can also post on the Playmates Toys and Nickelodeon TMNT Facebook pages.

Maybe with some good ol' fashioned Turtle Power we can get use of "Sewer Heads" killed and buried before Toy Fair actually starts.

UPDATE! @TMNTMaster has assured us that we will no longer be called Sewer Heads! Your voices have been heard! Thanks for listening, Nickelodeon!

TMNT 2012 Toys - Playset, Vehicles & Roleplay

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These pics have been around for a few days now, but after taking the weekend off I thought another peek at them would be a good way to start the new week.

The Secret Sewer Lair Playset is an impressive accessory for all those action figures. It stands 42" tall and includes features that include telescoping periscopes, a rope swing and swing-down ladders, zip lines, an elevator, Shredder statue, computer lab, doors that open and close, an ooze drain and more!

And some closer shots:

The main vehicle that will be featured in the series is the Shellraiser, the Turtles' converted rail car that travels through the subway and on the streets. Playmates claims it can hold up to eight of the basic action figures inside, with lots of buttons and doors to keep the ninja action going from the outside.

If you don't already have enough motorcycles to go with your TMNT figures, you'll have yet another opportunity with the Rippin' Rider. And Mikey gets another skateboard. The Sewer Spinnin' Skateboard is loaded with electronics that will have it doing 10+ tricks.

The Ninja Stealth Cycle is actually a pretty neat spin on the tired old use of motorcycles in TMNT toys and TV shows. This cycle transforms into a stealth mode that camouflages the rider from anyone who may be looking down from above.

And in case you don't have enough motorcycles yet, the bad guys get one, too. The Dragon Cycle will flip the rider up out of the seat.

Finally, for all the kids Nickelodeon hopes will be playing Ninja Turtles in the months and years to come, we have role play kits with bandanas, plastic weapons, and some plastic throwing disks.

Or, if you'd like a little more lightsaber in your ninja play, Leonardo's Stealth Sword lights up in a choice of three different colors.

These all look to be great toys for their target market; I continue to hope that the amazing promo pics of the basic Turtles released by Playmates last week don't turn out to be a lie for us adult collectors.

A Closer Look at the TMNT 2012 Toys

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Yesterday's exciting reveal of Playmates' 2012 TMNT lineup was part of a pre-Toy Fair event held in MTV's New York offices. In addition to the pictures we saw, there was also a series of short videos posted on MTV.com. These videos give us some closer looks at everything being offered ... and raise a few questions as well. Let's take a look at what there is to see...

Packaging! Bright and bold colors look quite sleek - Very nice! No complaints here.

Here's all of the loose figures on display. And here's where the questions start...

Yesterday we were shown this AMAZING picture of figures that were quite universally coveted by TMNT fans and toy collectors everywhere. These are not exactly the same as the figures shown last year at the Fan Preview Events, but they're equally fantastic.

Now, look at the above two pictures carefully and you'll see that the figures look nothing alike. Mike's awesome chained nunchucks? Gone! Painted weapons? Nope! Any indications of detailed paint work or the wash seen in the first picture? Nadda! I really hope these aren't the figures that will eventually be shipping, because that will seriously deflate my enthusiasm for them. :(

Moving on, let's take a look at another oddity: Splinter.

Last Spring at the Fan Preview Event held at Nickelodeon Studios, the Splinter we saw barely resembled an action figure, so I can't use that as a comparison to this, but I don't recall any of the images we saw of Splinter having a white face. I really hope this looks better in the CGI designs than it does here.

Here's another look at Splinter next to April. There isn't much to say about April, really, but this is our first good look at her character design for the new series. Obviously it's a radical change from any April we've previously seen.

And here's a closer look at the bad guys, a Foot Soldier, a Kraang alien in an exoskeleton, and Shredder.

In addition to the basic figures, there will also be new figures with "special features" released approximately every six months. The first wave will be "Power Sound FX." These figures look to be more closely designed to resemble the Turtles as we will be seeing them in the new CGI series.

Hey, look. The Leo on the package has only two toes.

And there will also be a Shredder figure with the sound feature.

Playmates is expanding the TMNT line beyond the new Nickelodeon TV series to also include a "Classics" line that features highly-articulated figures based on the Turtles seen in the original cartoon series. If the line sells well, it will be expanded to include more characters and, possibly, more universes. These figures will be in the 6" height range.

There is more to look at and share, but I'm going to break this into multiple posts to keep this from getting too long. Stay tuned for more, and considering Toy Fair hasn't even started yet, there should be more pics and news to drool over during the next couple of weeks!

2012 TMNT Action Figure Pictures Now Online

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With Toy Fair fast approaching, MTV Geek has put up an exclusive preview of the 2012 line of TMNT figures from Playmates. There are two links you want to check out: Toys based on the new Nickelodeon CGI series and TMNT Classics.

I am particularly fond of the basic Turtles figures from the new show, but everything looks really amazing! And, if you look closely on the picture of the Sewer Lair Playset on the first link, you'll see figures from what will probably be wave 2, including Splinter, Shredder, and April O'Neil!

Be sure to check out both links for a look at everything, including vehicles and talking figures! The information given to us from Playmates at the Fan Preview Event last year was that these would be in stores in August 2012.

Upcoming TMNT Collections From IDW

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Back in November, IDW released it's first collection of the original TMNT comics by Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird with the oversized hardcover, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Ultimate Collection Vol. 1. Vol. 2 of the Ultimate series is due out sometime in the next couple of months, and a Vol. 3 has popped up on Amazon.com with a July release date listed. The first collection of the new ongoing title is scheduled for next month.


Now, information on some other titles is leaking out:

• Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Heroes in a Half-Shell (April 25, 2012)
• Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Classics: Volume 1 (June 19, 2012)
• Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Micro Series Volume 1 (July 3, 2012)

Over on the IDW TMNT forum, editor Bobby Curnow has shed some light on what is looking to be an aggressive publishing schedule of TMNT reprints. While details are still tentative, it looks like once they get rolling we can expect a book a month in a rotating pattern of different titles.

Essentially we're looking to release everything, staggered... including the Mirage TMNT ongoing (which we will be calling 'TMNT Classic'), Archie (which we will be calling 'TMNT Adventure' I think) and Tales of TMNT (keeping that name).

I think they should start coming out in June, and will follow a schedule something like this:

June- TMNT Classic Vol. 1
July- TMNT Adventure Vol. 1
August- TMNT Classic Vol. 2
September- TMNT Adventure Vol. 2
October- Tales of TMNT Vol. 1
November- TMNT Classic Vol. 3
December- TMNT Adventure Vol. 3
January- Tales of TMNT Vol. 2

And so on.

Again, those are target dates, and are subject to change.

Curnow elaborates that the "Classic" title will include all of the Mirage TMNT books not included in the Ultimate Editions (skipping those in the Ultimate Editions) in the order that they were originally published. These books will be newly colored.

As for the issues that are in the Ultimate Editions, IDW isn't done with those yet. Curnow adds:

HOWEVER, we do plan to release those issues found in the Ultimate Editions on an individual, month by month basis, as stand alone floppies that are colored. The idea being if you want the 'pure, unfiltered' Mirage early stories, you go to the Ultimate Collection. But if you want something new, at a lower price point, there's the floppies, hopefully covering everyone.

So, wow! This is going to be a lot of stuff! This is very encouraging news for TMNT comic book fans, and will hopefully expose the books to many more people who have never read them.

IDW TMNT #6 Variant Cover Guide

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TMNT #6 from IDW is in comic shops today! You can also check out INFESTATION 2 #1, which, featuring the TMNT, is also in shops today (check out the previous post for details).

Here's a preview!

Cover A

Cover B

Cover A: Dan Duncan.
Regular cover; distributed in a 4:1 ratio with cover B.

Cover B: Kevin Eastman.
Regular cover; distributed in a 1:4 ratio with cover A.

Cover C

Cover C: Rob Guillory.
Retailer incentive cover; 1 copy sent to retailers for every 10 copies ordered.

INFESTATION 2 #1 Variant Cover Guide

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Today launches IDW's new crossover event, INFESTATION 2. #1 of the main series of 2 issues is in shops today. Two dedicated TMNT INFESTATION issues will be in shops in March. And then the event concludes in April with INFESTATION 2 #2. There are also other dedicated crossover issues if you want to check those out, but the TMNT will not be featured in them.

If you're not sure about this one (or are really excited for it), you can check out a preview.

Cover A

Cover B

Cover A: Alex Garner.
Regular cover; distributed in a 4:1 ratio with cover B.

Cover B: Livio Ramondelli.
Regular cover; distributed in a 1:4 ratio with cover A.

Cover C

Cover D

Cover C: David Messina.
Retailer incentive cover; 1 copy sent to retailers for every 10 copies ordered.

Cover D: Alex Garner (signed).
Retailer incentive cover; 1 copy sent to retailers for every 25 copies ordered.


Cover E: Alex Garner + Tattoos. (Not Pictured)
Retailer incentive cover; 1 copy sent to retailers for every 25 copies ordered.

Cover F: Joe Phillips (sketch). (Not Pictured)
Retailer incentive cover; 1 copy sent to retailers for every 50 copies ordered.

Scavenger Hunt Costume Giveaway

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Even though we're not in Halloween season, the folks at HalloweenCostumes.com, together with Ninja Pizza, want to give one of you a sweet TMNT t-shirt costume! The winner of the scavenger hunt will receive their choice of the above t-shirt costume designs.

To win, you will need to submit five (5) secret words via e-mail. All of the secret words have been hidden on NinjaPizza.net. The first secret word is located below. Scan the QR code found on each clue to find the location of the next secret word.

The winner will be chosen in a random drawing from all qualified entries received by 11:59pm on Sunday, January 29, 2012. Winner will be announced on Tuesday, January 31, 2012. Contest is open to all United States residents.

Special thanks to HalloweenCostumes.com for sponsoring this contest!

Nickelodeon Universe Announces New TMNT Thrill Ride

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Posted on Nickelodeon Universe's Facebook page, the new TMNT "Shell Shock" ride has been announced for the Mall of America indoor theme park, located in Bloomington, MN. The ride is scheduled to open in March 2012, and will take riders 70 ft. in the air. Each rider will control their seat, which can rotate wildly like a plane propeller or gently teeter-totter like a seesaw, making no two ride experiences the same.

If Nickelodeon needs anyone to test ride this new attraction, I'd be happy to volunteer. ^_^

But what's really neat about this mock-up of the ride is that it gives us a look at the CGI design for Shredder! Of course, we can't be certain that this is his final design, because it is just a mock-up, but the Turtles are consistent with all the images of them that we've seen so far.

Thanks to Sonia for the tip!

"Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles" Trailer Film Cels Now Available

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Last month, as a participation prize in the December Coloring Contest, I gave away laminated strips of 5 film cels from an original 35mm copy of the 1990 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movie trailer. I still have some of these strips left, and am making them available to people who support Ninja Pizza by sending a donation. You can find all the details over on the new Ninja Pizza Store page. Please remember that only clips from the movie trailer are available, not the entire film. And please include a second or third choice for a scene or character, as availability is limited.

As always, thanks for everyone's support!