New TMNT Nickelodeon Toys Appearing in Stores

Tweet

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

Tweet

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

Tweet

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

Tweet

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

Tweet

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

Tweet

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

Tweet

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

Tweet

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.

Sideshow Shredder Comiquette Shipping Soon

Tweet

Sideshow Collectibles has sent out shipping soon notices to people who pre-ordered the Shredder comiquette. Sideshow will start charging credit cards on Oct. 26, and the comiquettes will start shipping soon after.

Both editions of the Shredder comiquette are still available to pre-order, so it's not too late to snag one of these great collectibles for yourself! Click the Shredder on the left for the exclusive edition, or the Shredder on the right for the regular edition.