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.

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!

Nickelodeon TMNT "Mutation in Progress" Comic-Con Event

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Check in desk.

The Comic-Con "Mutation in Progress" event was held on Friday at Basic in downtown San Diego. All of the giant glass plate windows of the place were adorned with double-sided decals that created giant images of the Turtles on both the outside of the building and on the inside. Three sessions (all with the same content) were held at 4pm, 5pm, and 6pm, with pizza and beverages provided. I attended the 6pm show and arrived to find many familiar faces and friends hanging out outside the premises. Also hanging out were some of the ninja street team I had spotted earlier in the Gaslamp. They were handing out ribbon bandanas that had the new TMNT logo on them. None of the information revealed was particularly new if you've been paying attention (especially here on Ninja Pizza!), but I'm going to do a straight run-down of all of it. (Hold tight. This is gonna get a bit long.)

TMNT Guide to Comic-Con 2011

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San Diego Comic-Con 2011 cometh!! And with it, an exciting line-up of TMNT events and promotions. The three biggest items of note are the plans for IDW's convention floor booth, the "Mutation in Progress" private TMNT event on Friday, July 22, and Kevin Eastman's reissue of his TMNT 25th anniversary book.

AT THE IDW BOOTH (#2643)

• Visitors to Comic-Con can pick up a free ashcan of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and get an early look at the upcoming August release for the new series.

• Members of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles will be signing at the IDW booth, #2643.

• TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES Ashcan (FREE) will be available at the IDW booth, #2643, during Comic-Con, while supplies last.

• TMNT "Launch Party" at the IDW booth on Saturday, from 1:00pm-2:00pm. Kevin Eastman, Dan Duncan, and Tom Waltz will be signing the ashcan comic.

KEVIN EASTMAN
Per usual, TMNT co-creator Kevin Eastman will spend much of the Con at the Heavy Metal booth (#1529). As previously reported, Kevin will be selling the reissue of his TMNT 25th Anniversary book, with four different covers available. And if you ask him nicely, he'll probably draw a picture in it for you.

Kevin will also be signing at the Hero Initiative booth (#5003) on two occasions:
Friday, July 22 - 5:30pm-7:00pm
Saturday, July 23 - 11:30am-1:00pm

MICHAEL DOONEY
Look for Mirage Studios artist Michael Dooney to be selling and drawing art in Artists' Alley (#DD-22) throughout the weekend.

SIDESHOW COLLECTIBLES
Expect the upcoming Shredder comiquette statue to be on display, somewhere within their massive floor space (#1929 - This is almost right next to the Heavy Metal booth).

MUTATION IN PROGRESS EVENT
As previously reported, this event will be on Friday and a ticket is required. Fans will be treated to a one hour preview of Nickelodeon's up-coming TMNT CGI series, as well as the new toys from Playmates and the new comic book series from IDW. Sessions are at 4pm, 5pm, and 6pm. Pizza will be served!

PANELS
There are even more panels with TMNT-related guests participating; these are some of the highlights that I've picked out. The only panel that is likely to feature TMNT content is the IDW panel on Thursday.

TMNT "Mutation in Progress" Event Set for Comic-Con

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If you've been watching Facebook or Twitter, you've heard by now that there will be a special "Mutation in Progress" event held during Comic-Con next week in San Diego. Here's some additional information on the event, as well as some ways in which you can get a ticket (if you don't yet have one).

On Friday, July 22, there will be a special fan preview event for a limited number of invited guests. TMNT fans will get a sneak peek of the “Mutation in Progress” of the new animated TV series, including a look at the new comics from IDW and toys from Playmates. There will be three one-hour previews, at 4, 5 and 6 PM at an off-site location close to the convention center.

Fans can come by the Nickelodeon booth at Comic-Con to learn more about how they might get a ticket. They can also be on the lookout at the convention for ticket giveaways via a ninja street team and a series of Foursquare check-ins. A select number of tickets are also being given out in advance of Comic-Con via a series of giveaways by @TMNTMaster on Twitter this week.

Capacity for the event is extremely limited and all guests must receive a confirmed ticket from Nickelodeon events in advance of the preview.

Turtles in Time Re-Shelled Going Away June 30

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Joystiq.com is reporting that TMNT Turtles in Time Re-Shelled will no longer be available after June 30, due apparently to Ubisoft's TMNT license expiring. Turtles in Time Re-Shelled is, of course, the X-Box Live Arcade and Playstation Network updated version of the classic arcade and SNES game. Obviously, if you have not yet purchased the game and you wish to, you should do so now without delay. However, it is also interesting to note the expiration of Ubisoft's license. Does this take them off the table for any upcoming games related to Nickelodeon's new CGI series, or the eventual movie from Paramount? I guess we'll just have to wait and see.

Thanks to Harris for the tip!

Nickelodeon TMNT 2012 Voice Cast Revealed

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Sean Astin is Raphael; Greg Cipes is Michelangelo

   

Nickelodeon today revealed, via press release, EW.com, and Rob Paulsen, that Sean Astin and Greg Cipes are on board to play Raphael and Michelangelo, respectively, in the new CGI animated series set to debut next fall. Rob Paulsen, who will be the voice of Donatello in the series, further revealed Hoon Lee to be the voice of Splinter. Jason Biggs has been previously announced as the voice of Leonardo.

While Greg Cipes was present at the Nickelodeon Fan Preview Event a couple months ago, Sean Astin was not. Instead, voice actor Eric Bauza was present as Raphael. According to Rob Paulsen's post to Facebook this morning, Nickelodeon had been waiting to finalize the deal with Astin before making the final casting announcement. Hoon Lee was also present at the Fan Preview Event as Splinter.

Even though he won't be Raphael in the series, Bauza did make for a fantastic Raphael in the pilot animatic, and he was kind enough to also sign an autograph for me.

And although Sean was not at the Fan Preview Event, I absolutely adore Samwise Gamgee (among his other awesome roles), so I've had his autograph for quite a few years. ^_^

Nickelodeon TMNT Fan Preview Event - Final Notes and Thoughts

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To put a final period on last week's series of posts on the Nickelodeon Fan Preview Event, I thought I'd share some final pictures and notes. To say that they were generous and gracious hosts to the bunch of us would be a huge understatement. Thank you so much to everyone who made this event happen! I hope that all of you got the kind of feedback you were looking for, and that you might use some of it to make the new TMNT series even better than the small glimpses at it that we got. Thank you to all of my fellow TMNT fans in attendance, for just being awesome! It was great to see old friends (some for the first time) and meet new friends. Now here are some pictures, some of which showed up on Facebook over the last month...

After Nickelodeon had made the invite to the event official, they sent all the attendees a special pizza delivery. Yes, there was an actual pizza inside. ^_^

   

About a week before the trip, all of our travel info showed up in shiny bubble envelopes.


When we got to our hotel rooms, there was a package of goodies waiting. Inside included some snack food (green apple licorice, New York pizza-flavored Pirate's Booty), water, and a t-shirt. This was awesome, but it is rather large and would not fit in my simple carry-on luggage I had brought. Oh well, two carry-ons wouldn't be a problem.


At the end of the big day, they gave us a poster tube and a USB drive in a pizza slice pouch. Very awesome, but the poster tube was also too big for my little carry-on luggage. Now I was up to three pieces of carry-on. Hmmm. But it all worked out - Since my flight was just on a little plane, they have to put the carry-on luggage down below anyways. So I only had to carry the box and the poster tube into the cabin, where they both fit in the overhead without trouble. Whew!

     

Below is the one notecard of notes that I took throughout the day. It's not much - nothing here is really new from what I shared last week - and more than anything it just shows off my bad chicken scratch hand writing, but this is the stuff that stood out for me as being worth writing down. Remember: This is all still a Mutation in Progress and things could easily change before the final product airs in a year and a half.

• Eastman Theater - This is from the pilot animatic, where the theater April is waiting for the Turtles at had a giant sign naming it the Eastman Theater. Kevin Eastman, of course, is one of the co-creators of the TMNT.

• Shredder, Serious Business - Basically, expect Shredder to be a no-nonsense badass bad guy.

• April, 16, Peer - In describing why April has been redesigned to be 16, we were told it was to make her a peer to the Turtles, as well as to give the girl audience someone to relate to.

• 30 min - The running time of an episode (with commercials). Kinda a no-brainer.

• Comedy, Action, Mutation - What attributes we can expect from the new series.

• Deeper Storytelling, Mythology - Expect the background story to be revealed slowly in parts instead of all at once and for a mythology to build throughout the series.

• Kid Relatable - Expect the Turtles to act more like teenagers than they ever have before.

• CG Meets Anime, Comic Book Feel - The visual style you can expect to see from the show.

• Splinter, Human w/ Daughter - As mentioned last week, Splinter will start as the Human Hamato Yoshi who leaves behind a daughter (is she dead or alive? we have no idea) when he flees from Japan to New York.

• AI Chip in MP3 Player - This is what we saw in the pilot animatic.

• Less Than $6/Figure - Hey, looks like I remembered the $5.99 price for the action figures correctly. Hopefully Playmates can stick to this.

In general, I'm very happy with what I've seen. I was really surprised to see the series using the comic books for as much of a source as it has. Something I was not able to get across well in any of my posts is just how funny the pilot was. Not the slapstick humor a lot of you are afraid of, but just really funny banter between all of the characters. The biggest question marks will be how the final CG ends up looking and how April's character changes are integrated into the story.

Another area of concern I had, which I haven't really made mention of, was the fear that Michaelangelo would be written as the stupid little brother, instead of a regular goof. In the pilot I thought he was just perfect; I just don't want to see his character degrade into stupidity like he did in the 4Kids series. But otherwise, I think we're in for a real treat - something better than could have ever been possible had Peter Laird not sold the TMNT rights to Nickelodeon.

And finally, here's the list of attendees, some of whom have posted their own accounts of the event:

• Rosemary R. (me)
  
• Mikey P.
• Vaughn Michael
• Amy D.
• Rich H.
• Carol Z.
• Coty G.
• Derek P.
• Jack R.
• Joseph D.
• Matt F.
• Stephan R.