It's Halloween! For the last week or so, TMNT fans on Facebook, Twitter, and Tumblr have been sharing pictures of their TMNT costumes and pumpkins. You can check out all of the pictures in a special Halloween Fan Photos album on Facebook.
Hey everyone! I'm really excited today to show you the project I've been working on for awhile, and that's this brand new look to the website! (Something that has been long, long overdue.) Pretty much every part of the site has gotten way cooler. So please, poke around and check all of it out!
This isn't TMNT news per se, but since real TMNT news is far and few between, I'm gonna run with it.
Here's a humorous picture of some folks in TMNT costume T-shirts running in the White Rock Marathon in Dallas, TX, Dec. 13.
If you haven't checked it out yet, yesterday's TMNT episode of Nerdy Show is now available.
Web site MarketWatch, part of the Wall Street Journal Digital Network, has named Hasbro's Brian Goldner as their 2008 CEO of the year.How much do you consider the opinions of hardcore fans of the franchise when making decisions for the films?
GOLDNER: The hardcore fans are an integral part of the thought process. From the very beginning as we thought about "Transformers," we thought about a lot of the characters fans would want to see and the story that we should tell. ...
Was there any particular fan feedback on the first "Transformers" that you took into account for the sequel?
GOLDNER: ... So what we did is, we focused in on some of those things that the fans told us from a very early stage that they wanted to see in the next movie—of course I won't tell you which ones they are.
But you guys are paying attention.
GOLDNER: Constantly. And I think what's great about our creative teams, our filmmaking teams is, they get it. They absolutely understand how to strike that balance, and they want to strike that balance and understand the core fan feedback. Because at the very heart, that's the thread that will hold the franchise together forever, if you'll honor that. And then of course, they also are great filmmakers and in their own right they also have the ability to reinvent the brand in a completely unexpected way.
Here's something random that I found by complete accident.
Hmm... lack of updates recently it would seem. Why? Well, the honest answer is that I've lost all enthusiasm for the TMNT in their current state and form. Unfortunately, that's no exaggeration. My lack of enthusiasm is at a solid 100%. I have totally and completely given up on Mirage Studios and all "partner" companies in their efforts to run the TMNT franchise.
"Things are not good in turtle land, sorry to report. But Wal-Mart has decided to drop TMNT from ALL its stores beginning in the Spring!"
The implications of not being carried at Walmart go deeper than the simple lack of toys on Walmart shelves and pegs. Walmart is the nation's largest retailer and they have a HUGE influence in the market and trends across the board. Not being carried at Walmart means Playmates probably just lost half of their orders. Can Playmates sustain itself on half the quantity of what few products they're already producing? Not likely. And even if they can, it's not unreasonable to expect other retailers to follow suit with Walmart.
There is supposedly a movie company *this* close to inking a deal with Mirage for some sort of "hybrid" movie (I love how Mirage calls it a "hybrid" movie as if they came up with the concept of mixing live action with CGI). I wouldn't count on that happening if there isn't a connected toy deal. And if Playmates can't get TMNT product into Walmart, there isn't likely to be a toy deal. Honestly, no matter what the circumstances are with toys and other related products, that company should just take their money and run away. Run far, far away.
CEO Gary Richardson has a history of making shading licensing deals and making questionable business decisions. His earnings are apparently directly tied to the income generated by the Mirage Licensing division, so he goes for the quick buck and rejects anything that would involve the actual spending of money, be it printing costs for the books Mirage should be publishing next year but won't be or the cost of more employees so that people might actually be able to focus on delivering on what the fans want to see.
Check out this awesome, homemade TMNT manhole cover that Hans made!My name is Hans and I've been an avid Turtle fan since the 80s. With the 25th Anniversary coming up I'm redecorating one of my bedrooms. I've come up with some great ideas and thought I'd just share one with you and anyone who would be interested if you decided to post it. If you look at the attached file, I made a custom mahole cover out of plywood, woodburning, paint, and plenty of free time. It took a couple days and the pics dont do justice. I'd recommend it as a fun craft project, plus it looks great on display. I only recommend patience and safety with the saw and woodburning!
One of my best pals from High School, Erin, emailed this picture to me.
Brandon Stearns helps to remove flood-damaged items from his 83-year-old grandmother's home in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Iowa's biggest cities were submerged Sunday after swollen rivers forced thousands of residents to flee their homes amid devastating floods in the Midwestern US state.
(AFP/Getty Images/Scott Olson)
