The Turtle Van - My Life With The TMNT

This Is Pretty Much Only Cool To Me...

2009-02-19T02:41:00.000-08:00

Unless you play WoW that is. I got my albino drake mount tonight. You get it by obtaining 50 mounts (which is no easy task). Been working on this for months. Yay!

Collaborative Blog Project

2009-02-18T17:55:00.000-08:00

I am now recruiting for a yet-to-be-named collaborative blog project. Like the Turtle Van, it is a niche blog that caters specifically to the tmnt fandom. The difference is that this new project will involve a number of contributors. Fans, industry professionals, people involved in the creative processes of the tmnt, etc. The vision here is to create a SINGLE place where a tmnt fan can go to keep current on the universe, find great deals on toys, or whatever else is interesting in the TMNT world. I am looking for Passionate, Enthusiastic, Well written folk who would like to apply to be part of our initial writing staff.

Here's a Quick FAQ!

Does this cost me anything/Do I get paid?

Nope and Nope! I'm footing the bill for everything we need to get the site going. From then on it will all be donations or...me.

As far as getting paid...like...ever...don't count on it. The people I want on staff are going to want to do this because they believe in the vision and are passionate about the brand.

How many writers are you looking for?
I have no idea yet. Too many cooks in the kitchen isn't good. And we don't want to be so big that we step on each others toes with posts, etc. I don't have a solid number in my head at this time though.

If I am not chosen, can I still contribute?
Of course you can! There will be contacts on the site to be able to submit news, stories, whatever! It just means that you won't be blogging first hand. And there will be no guarantee that your content will be used. Of course we will credit the sources whenever requested

If chosen, can I contribute anonymously?
Sure! This allows people involved in the creative aspect of the brand to be able to contribute more freely! When choosing screen names, it will be up to you what it is, and who you tell.

I'm sold! How do I apply?
Send a breif turtles related writing sample to me at ittstephan@hotmail.com. Other than being turtles related, it can be about whatever the hell you want. Please don't go over a page in length. Your blog posts will probably never be over a page, no reason your writing sample should be.

The people who I have already contacted either verbally or via email need not apply. Just accept or decline the invitation. Being involved in the TMNT creative process also gives you an automatic approval for either guest blogging or a staff position.

If you have any other questions, feel free to ask at the above address or in this thread.

And Now For Something Completely Different...ME!

2009-02-18T16:31:00.001-08:00

My wonderful sister April posted this picture of me and my kids on her facebook. I thought it was cute. Not quite Christmas Card cute...but cute none-the-less. Those are my gym clothes, not my underwarez :-P

A Creative Force's Take on the Barnes and Noble Thing

2009-02-18T15:28:00.000-08:00

So, I was speaking to one of the people who are somehow involved in the Turtles Creative Universe...Yes...It is vague...Deal.

Anyway, the important part isn't who they are as much as what they said. I thought this was very insightful input on the subject:

Hi
Just saw your post online about the B&N.com selling tales.
It's only online. NOT in stores.
I think TMNT's biggest problem is that it's too diverse a property.
So, what a step in the right direction for one part isn't going to save the franchise as a whole.
There's not a lot of crossover from one part to the other--meaning those who read the comics don't necessarily watch the cartoon
Those who collect the toys don't care about the comics, etc.
And it doesn't help that every part skews to a different age group and audience.
Sooooo…
Step in a right direction? Kinda. I guess. But I'm not really optimistic. They've been on Amazon forever, but no one buys them there.

Agree or disagree, it is interesting input.

P.S. The Picture is just something I stole from google image search. If it is yours, let me know so I can credit you.

Barnes & Noble Sells Tales of the TMNT?

2009-02-18T14:45:00.000-08:00

Yes, this is a few days old. I hate you too ._.

Super Slueth and all around good guy dromer Cipher dug up this interesting factoid:

Barnes & Noble Sell Tales of the TMNT?

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Or at least, they seem to have started to carry them online with issue 55: http://search.barnesandnoble.com/boo...WRD=TMNT&SAT=1

Most definately a good move and a step in the right direction! Good find Cipher.

TMNT III, The Manhattan Project for NES: Soundtrack S-T-E-R-E-O Edition

2009-02-17T11:50:00.000-08:00

New kid on the block, GodzFire remixed the soundtrack to the Turtles III NES game as his contribution to the 25th anniversary. Download links can be found on his technodrome post here.

Pretty Insightful For Someone That Rides A Moose.

2009-02-17T11:39:00.001-08:00

My favorite Canadian - Isaac - Whom you may or may not know is spearheading the turtledoc project, had a pretty insightful post over on the technodrome. Thought I would share it.

So as many of you know I am currently deep in production on the TMNT documentary project, I can say we are achieving much more than I thought we would be able to! The official TMNT community has been a major help so far! I can't thank them enough!

I have seen a lot of threads on here about the "doom and gloom" of the franchise, talking about the ending of TMNT, if and when we get a movie, and so on.

Well, as you can imaging I spoke about such things with many of the people I was privileged enough to get to know.

I can't say everything but I will say a few things.

First off these people all deserve a lot more credit than we give them, they are too often cut down on here with no reason. They are working very hard to continue to bring you a quality product that we all love and enjoy.

The Current Show: I know that Peter is very proud of what they have accomplished on the new show! As I believe many of us would agree. When the new show comes to an end we shouldn't freak out, we can't expect it to last forever. It is no secret that there is a "feature" project with the new cartoon being premiered at Sandi Con by 4kids. This was discussed at their panel which I am sure you can find on the net.

The New Movie: This I can't say to much about other than they are talking about it, it would likely be a "hybrid" style shoot, and people are confident it may happen some day soon. In the world of movie making deals rest on dollars and contracts, as much as the Mirage crew wants to make something it can be put on hold by the powers that be. Though Peter seemed optamistic about it!

TMNT Longevity: Personally I think it is silly that people are worried about TMNT "going away" How can it go away any more than super man or batman can go away? Even if it sleeps for a while it will never disappear forever. From the perspective of some at Mirage taking a break can be a huge help to get those creative juices flowing again. When being so close to one specific property some times you need a little time to step back and take a breather, but in that case they will be back.

Lets cut them some slack, I think we are pretty lucky and have a vibrant and very alive franchise compared to pretty much all others of the same generation.

Thanks! Check for more updates on the doc at: www.turtledoc.com

I completely agree. As much as I bitch about certain aspects of the brand on occasion, I am sick to death of all the negativity. It is funny, because a number of you have told me that I've "gone soft" or that I've "changed". The truth is kids...I am just too tired to be bitter anymore. I will not allow myself to be consumed by it anymore. You shouldn't either.

FragDolls NYCC09 Montage

2009-02-13T17:13:00.001-08:00

My adorable friends, the FragDolls, put me in their video montage for NYCC09. Check it out! Thanks to Rhoulette for the heads up!

http://www.fragdolls.com/index.php/video/ny_comic_con_montage/

TMNT25 NYCC 09 Photos

2009-02-12T13:06:00.000-08:00

The folks at Peppercom share photos back and fourth with me pretty regularly. I was sifting through their photostream for NYCC and I pulled out a few that I thought were neat :-)

My New Favorite Picture

2009-02-12T11:05:00.000-08:00

Not the most fantastic picture of me...but then...that really isn't the point :-P
Myself, Isaac, and Kevin - Out in New York City

Signed "Robot Smash" Poster

2009-02-10T13:08:00.000-08:00

This is something I did for NYCC 09 that I am particularly proud of. Every year I try to bring something that all of the TMNT gang can sign. This year it was a robot smash poster (now on my wall at work :-))

Turtle Tattoo

2009-02-10T12:55:00.001-08:00

You know, I didn't catch this guys name, but we met at con, and I always love collecting pics of other peoples TMNT tats...since there are so few of us.

Edit: HAHA! You can read his name off his badge in the picture. His name is Chris Wilcock :-)

Terribly Late Post About the Nuart Showing

2009-02-10T12:33:00.000-08:00

A couple weekends ago, the Nuart Theater in Los Angeles showed the first turtles movie at midnight. I was there, and I thought I would share a couple pictures. Everyone there was really really enthusiastic, some of the people there were even wearing home made costumes and makeup. There were about 200 people according to the ticket count.

TurtleDoc

2009-02-10T12:25:00.001-08:00

Do you know about the the TurtleDoc project? It is a totally fan driven documentary headed up by my good friend and fellow Turtle fanatic, Isaac Fisher (sp?). For more information, please visit Isaac's site http://www.turtledoc.com

NYCC 2009 - Trip Summary

2009-02-10T12:09:00.000-08:00

Day 1

I actually woke up really late day one. Got to the con, went straight to the Heavy Metal booth and talked to kevin for awhile. Went to the Mirage table in artist alley and got my Volume 1 #4 misprint signed by all the guys. Met up with Issac (Canadian_Turtle) and his cousin Rob. Spent most of the day running around the con with them. Attended the Panel (I'm the charming gentleman with the handy cam in the front, right in front of Eric Talbot). After the con, Issac Rob and I went and explored NYC. Went to dinner at the Hard Rock, desert at Sardi's.

Day 2

Bought a Poop-ton more turtles art, and ordered a water color painting from Eric Talbot. Saw Avenue Q (it's an adult level humor, puppet musical. It's fantastic) on Broadway. Met Vaughn! Met with the Brand manager of the TMNT for Playmates, and had a good long talk that was actually constructive. Luke is a great guy. After the con closed, Isaac, Rob, and I had drinks with Kevin Eastman at the bar in his hotel, the 4 of us ended up spending a good 3 or 4 hours talking about a multitude of things. Which...was surreal for me. Afterwards I went and started packing since I had to move my crap out of my hotel on day 3.

Day 3

Sunday was pretty awesome for me. First off, I actually convinced Peter to do a Wolverine turtle to go with my wolverine turtle custom. The Painting Eric did for me turned out FANTASTIC. When I went by the Heavy Metal booth to say hi to Kevin, I had a realization that, despite the countless things he has signed for me... he had never actually done a sketch for me...so he did. Then at noon, Murph and I went to lunch. Shortly thereafter I was back on a plane headed for Los Angeles. All in all a fantastic weekend. I'd like to especially thank Isaac, Rob, Kevin, Murph, Eric, and Luke, for all the contributions each of them made toward making my weekend awesome.

NYCC 2009 Photos - Day 3 (I didn't really take photos on day two)

2009-02-10T11:42:00.001-08:00

Photobucket Album

NYCC 2009 Photos - Day 1

2009-02-07T22:14:00.001-08:00

Photobucket Album

Hello From NYC!

2009-02-05T21:50:00.000-08:00

I got into the city at around 6pm local time. I'm going to try to cover as much as I can at the con over the weekend. Stay Tuned!

Worried About the New Lead In Toys Law?

2009-01-30T15:22:00.000-08:00

It's cool homie:
http://www.snopes.com/inboxer/pending/cpsia.asp

So Cute It Could Destroy You

2009-01-29T16:43:00.000-08:00

Remember last Halloween when my Co-Worker Keith brought his little girl into the office dressed as a ninja turtle? He just dropped this picture off at my desk... Be warned...you might die from the cuteness:

LAAAAAAAME!

2009-01-27T16:11:00.001-08:00

So I was in my local Toys-R-Us the other day...
Check out these end caps:

The Actual TMNT End Cap is loaded up with Wrestling Figures

While The TMNT product seems to have been packed in with the Wall-E stuff

Nice to see that TRU has so much respect for our favorite brand.

Dan Berger Responds to The Diamond News

2009-01-21T13:25:00.000-08:00

I asked Dan Berger @ Mirage Publishing to comment on the Diamond price hike. Simply put, he said:

Howdy Stephan,

At the moment Mirage's comics are not in danger of being dropped, but
this is certainly alarming for the future of B&W comics as a whole.

Thanks for writing!

Cheers!
Dan Berger
Mirage Studios' Official Web Dude
http://www.ninjaturtles.com

Take that with as much or as little salt as you see fit.

The End of "Tales of the TMNT"?

2009-01-20T11:32:00.000-08:00

Reblogged From My dear Friend Roseangelo @ http://ninja-pizza.blogspot.com/:

The End of "Tales of the TMNT"?
It has been made widely known that the Tales of the TMNT comic book title exists on the whim of Peter Laird, who has continued to publish the book, for the most part out of his own pocket, even though it doesn't sell enough copies to support itself. As such, TMNT fans head toward each new year wondering if Tales will still be around. As of right now, there is no confirmation for Tales' existence--or non-existence--in 2010; however, it seems that Diamond Comic Distributors may have made that decision for Mirage already.Newsarama is reporting today that Diamond has raised its purchase order minimum from $1,500 to $2,500. This means that in order for Diamond to list and distribute a title, it would need to generate $2,500 of revenue for Diamond (not total). The break down of this is basically that "a typical $3.00 comic would have to sell over 2,100 copies to meet the benchmark." Tales currently sells for $3.25/book.The most recent sales data available, for November 2008, lists estimated sales of 2,381 for Tales. In comparison, the January 2008 estimated sales were 2,684. In the months in between, at least the ones where Tales was ranked in the top 300, a steady decline in sales can be seen. Thus, it can be concluded that Tales hangs dangerously close to being below Diamond's newly required threshold.There are about three possibilities for titles that do not currently meet the new threshold:

Raise the cover price.
Find different means of distribution.
Cancel the title

Some titles are likely to move to Web-only, but as we've seen with TMNT Vol. 4, TMNT fans want their Turtles on paper, making that an unlikely option for Mirage. It appears that this new change is immediate, although a grace period to allow publishers to achieve the newly required numbers is likely. This will make it extremely difficult for Tales to even get to the end of 2009, and, given Mirage's publishing history, makes cancelation come 2010 nearly certain.That said, nothing is set in stone. And if you don't pick it up already, now is the time to go to your comic book shop and let them know that you want Tales of the TMNT!

"Shreddeeeeeeeeeeeer?!?!?!?!"

2009-01-19T22:49:00.001-08:00

The Original Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Playing at the Nuart Theatre!

2009-01-13T13:52:00.001-08:00

For all you Los Angeles kids!

The Nuart Theatre will be showing the original Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movie at midnight on friday, January 23rd. I am going, you should go too. For more information, visit http://www.landmarktheatres.com/Market/LosAngeles/LosAngeles_Frameset.htm

The end of the line...

2009-01-09T23:56:00.000-08:00

So this is it kids:

1989

Gags, Jokes & Weapons #1
Gags, Jokes & Weapons #2
Turtle Battle Fun Assorment Leo
Turtle Battle Fun Assorment Don
Turtle Battle Fun Assorment Mike
Turtle Battle Fun Assorment Raph

1990

Michaelangelo's Exploration Belt
Leonardo's Sewer Force Sword

1991

Tokka Battle Fun Set
Michaelangelo's Bugchuku Set

1992

Raphael, Your Ninja Practice Pal
Turtle Communicator
Turtle Bubble Sword
Retromutagen Rifle
Sewer Squirter
Mutant Maker
Sewer Sports Balls
Sewer Sports Soccer Ball
Sewer Sports Football

1993

Giant Mutations Leo
Ninja Practice Pals
Movie III Mike Samurai Fun Set
Movie III Raph Samurai Fun Set
Movie III Samurai Sword
Talkin' Turtle Communicator

1997

Leo's Katana

MINI-MUTANTS AND MINI-PLAYSETS

Firefightin' Frenzy Combo
Metallized Motorin' Combo
Mighty Muscle Combo
Pizza Police Combo
The Mutant Combat Combo
Metallized Turtle Travelin' Combo
Cyber-Rover Playset
Party Wagon Playset

This is all I have left to complete the entire 88-98 Playmates TMNT run...so close...yet...so far away. Some of these items get...pricey. HOWEVER! I am still planning on seeing my new years resolution come to pass! I will complete this dumb collection by 2010! If you have any of the items on this list, please do not hesitate to let me know. Thanks!

I'm Back!

2009-01-08T22:31:00.000-08:00

Hey gang! Sorry I've been so lazy with the blog...holiday season and all... But I'm back to posting on a regular basis now! ANYWAY... Here is some good news (in my opinion).

So I went to target tonight looking for the anniversary turtles, and they were sold out. I asked a target employee about them and he checked his cool little Target palm pilot thing (that is connected to target's network) and we saw that every single target in the Los Angeles area is currently reporting being sold out of the figures. As much as it sucks that I couldn't pick some up for myself...I'm ****ing thrilled that they appear to be selling that well!

The "Command Center"

2008-12-16T02:40:00.000-08:00

So I finally have finished my "Dream layout" for my Gaming PC.
I play a lot of WoW, and I play two accounts at once, so it was important to me to be able to be able to see both accounts and have a monitor for a browser as well. Please keep in mind that the follow is set up using a single PC.

So here we have a 3 monitor system. The first two monitors are instantly obvious. The Primary monitor is mounted on the far wall and is a 65 inch LCD Aquos Television. The Secondary monitor is the 21 inch ViewSonic on the table below the primary monitor. While this monitor isnt very good for reading websites or text due to its proximity from the desk, it is perfect for running a second WoW character (as pictured).

The third monitor is actually inside the desk. The desk is designed with a recessed mount for a monitor. This monitor is perfect for browsing websites while playing games on the other displays.

Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this little presentation, I'm pretty proud of my handiwork :-)

Newest Acquisitions!

2008-12-12T02:20:00.000-08:00

My NYCC 09 Plans

2008-12-11T16:05:00.000-08:00

Hey Gang,

I just confirmed all my NYCC plans! If you remember last years NYCC craziness of mine, you'll notice these plans are much less condensed and far less frantic.

Burbank Bob Hope (BUR) to New York John F Kennedy Intl (JFK)Departure (BUR): February 5, 8:45 AM PST (morning)Arrival (JFK): February 5, 4:58 PM EST (afternoon)

New York John F Kennedy Intl (JFK) to Burbank Bob Hope (BUR)Departure (JFK): February 8, 6:00 PM EST (evening)Arrival (BUR): February 8, 9:36 PM PST (evening)

Also, while I am there, I am going to go see Avenue Q:

Date: Sat, Feb 7, 2009

Option: 2:00PM Weekend Performance

If anyone is going to be attending, and would like to hang out (I will have plenty of time for you this time around), PM me for my cellphone number.Thanks!

California judge orders company to stop making Bratz dolls

2008-12-05T01:13:00.000-08:00

The collective pout on the lips of Jade, Cloe, Yasmin and Sasha is about to become even more pronounced.

A judge in California ruled late on Wednesday that the makers of Bratz, the attitude-laden teenage dolls that exposed Barbie as a square, must immediately stop making the hit toy and recall its models from shop shelves in the new year.

The ruling sent shockwaves through toyland as the industry gears up for its busiest time of the year. In June, sales of Bratz in the US reached $3.1bn (£2.1bn) since their launch in 2001. Sales of Barbie, still America's most popular toy, fell by 15% in 2007.

The ruling comes three months after Mattel, the makers of Barbie, won a copyright case in which it argued that the Bratz concept had been developed by one of its designers. A jury agreed that Carter Bryant had come up with the original designs while at Mattel and had taken them to MGA, which launched the Bratz line in 2001. The jury awarded Mattel $10m for copyright infringement and $90m for breach of contract.

Judge Stephen Larson's ruling effectively places the Bratz brand under the control of Mattel.

"Mattel has established its exclusive rights to the Bratz drawings," Larson wrote, "and the court has found that hundreds of the MGA parties' products, including all the currently available core female fashion dolls Mattel was able to locate in the marketplace, infringe those rights."

Perhaps most troubling for fans of the Bratz extended family will be the fate of the Bratz Babyz, the Bratz Kidz, the Bratz Petz, the Bratz Boyz and the Bratz Ponyz. On her blog, Bratz girl Yasmin chose to ignore the legal fuss to focus on her busy life "with school and community stuff", and to tell her readers about her next door neighbour's new horse, Leo.

Yasmin's boss, MGA chief executive Isaac Larian, expressed surprise at the scope of the ruling and promised to appeal. "We believe ... that issuing such a broad injunction is inconsistent with the limited jury verdict and the law," he said. "MGA intends to immediately appeal the injunction."

The judge said the ruling, which could put MGA out of business, thus removing one of Mattel's chief rivals, would not take effect until February, when he rules on post-trial motions lodged by both sides.

Mattel chief executive, Robert Eckert, said in a statement: "We're extremely pleased that the court granted Mattel's motion for an injunction and ordered MGA to stop selling Bratz products that infringe on Mattel's rights."

The ruling, he added, "underscores what Mattel has said all along - that MGA should not be allowed to profit from its wrongdoing".

The ruling saw shares in Mattel rise by 5% on the New York stock exchange.

The two sides continued to argue about the scope of the ruling. MGA said that it applied to just the first four characters in the Bratz range; Mattel countered that all Bratz dolls infringe its copyright.

But even as one competitor seems set to leave the marketplace, Barbie faces other challenges to its dominance of the dollhouse. The new girls on the block, Hannah Montana and Mattel's own High School Musical range, are the second and third highest-selling dolls in the US this year.

Radio Boy Update: Radio Boy Was At One Point, Stolen!

2008-12-02T14:41:00.000-08:00

From Scott Hensey:

No, I never molded him. Playmates would sometimes cancel a figure and start a new one. I would invoice them for the percentage of the figure finished to date. That piece could not have been more than half done.
I can see where you might want to pursue this piece - it's a curiosity I suppose, but it's is far from a wonderful display piece.
I don't know how this thing got on the market anyway. I'm assuming one of my sculpture staff took it home when I closed the Los Angeles shop.

The Quest For Radio Boy

2008-12-02T13:17:00.000-08:00

So chances are, if you're reading this blog, you've seen this clay sculpt on ebay. It has been up there for AWHILE...and frankly, I had always questioned it's authenticity. SO... I decided to do a little super sluething. First I hit up Steve Murphy at Mirage.

I Said:

Hey murph, You may have seen the wax sculpt in the link below on ebay before. The guy claims that it was an unproduced TMNT figure. The guy wants FAR too much for it obviously, but before I go through the trouble of haggling him down to something reasonable, I wanted to try to confirm that it was intended for the toy line…Do you remember this one ever coming across Mirage for approvals?

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=220012759708&ssPageName=STRK:MEWA:IT&ih=012

Steve replied:

Hi Stephan,
Hmmm, it doesn't ring a bell but that doesn't necessarily mean anything. Let me forward it on to Ryan Brown: he has a much better memory for these things than I do. Back at ya...

Being the impatient guy I am, while I waited on Ryan's input, I shot an E-mail to Scott Hensey at Anaglyph Studios, who sculpted a large portion of the original line.

I said:

Hey Scott!

It's Stephan Reese, I have a question for you about one of your pieces.
It is definitely your style, so I'm not questioning that you sculpted it, but I do question that it was for TMNT and not for a different toy line. I asked Steve Murphy at Mirage about it, and he doesn't remember it coming through them for approvals, so I thought you might remember what you sculpted him for.

Thanks!
Stephan

Scott Replied:

Hello Stephan-
Thanks for the contact-
Yes, I remember that piece. It is clay by the way, not wax.
Yes, we sculpted it here at my studio. To tell the truth though - I can't say for sure it was for Turtles, it may have been for Toxie. It was one or the other for sure.
Good luck, let me know how it turns out.
scott

The plot thickened! It was definately either Toxic Crusaders or TMNT. Minutes later, Ryan got back to me.

Ryan said:

Yes. It was never approved though...I have the concept drawing for it somewhere.

So then I sent an e-mail to GML Enterprises, the person who has the Radio Boy Sculpt.

I said:

Dear gmlenterprises,

I was able to get absolute confirmation from Ryan Brown at Mirage Studios that radio boy did come through them for approvals. So, that means I am interested... Now, I would like to talk about price.

The current price you have set for the figure is frankly astronomical. And I have noticed that you've had him on the market for QUITE some time now. I am probably the foremost collector of ninja turtle prototypes and wax sculpts in the world. My collection includes such rarities as: *The HotSpot Wax Sculpt
*A Scratch resin Prototype
*A Pizzaface resin prototype (Unreleased version, hand painted by the sculptor)
*The wax sculpt for an unreleased version of Casey Jones.

I have never paid more than (Price Edited Out) for any of these items, some of which are much more historically relivant to the toy line than radio boy (as he was never approved). As such, I would like to offer you (Price Edited Out) for the radio boy sculpt. Let me know either way.

Thank You,
Stephan

So that is the saga so far. I will tell you more as the story unfolds!

Stories Like This Make My Heart Hurt

2008-12-02T11:15:00.000-08:00

Originally Posted by Sage Ninja @ TheTechnodrome

I work in the toy department at Wal-Mart, and since the 2007 movie dubuted all we;ve had is variants on the movie toys. That is till this past summer, know all we have is left overs. This past Sunday I had two seprete kids in the 11/12 range come up to me asking if we had ninja turtle toys from the cartoon series instead of the movie. I assumed they ment the older ones from FF and the earlier seasons so I brought them to the clearance aisles where we had a few straglers that we can't get rid of thats been around forever and on both occassions each kid said no they wanted to know if we had toys from the most recent season Back to the Sewers! I was freakin shocked! I was like "uh no, we don't have any toys for the new season the cartoon series" And both wanted to know when we would carry them. I couldn't bring my self to tell them that wheren't going to be any because both kids seemed like they really wanted them.Gee, how idiotic of playmates to not make toys for Back to the Sewers, I'm surpised as heck that I actually had some one ask me about them instead of Bakugan or something.

*sigh* I fucking hate playmates...so...much. Thank You so much for single handedly ruining the Ninja Turtles for a new generation.

Sheesh!

2008-12-01T16:51:00.000-08:00

I thought I was being ambitious when I threw in $100 for this lot...Someone wanted it a LOT more than me!

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=190269140099&ssPageName=STRK:MEDW:IT&ih=009

IT'S MY BIRTHDAY!

2008-11-28T03:08:00.000-08:00

27 Years ago today, this little bastard burst onto the scene!

Happy Birthday to meeeeeee!

HAPPY THANKSGIVING FROM THE TURTLE VAN!

2008-11-27T11:48:00.000-08:00

All The Best To You And Yours. Have A Great Holiday!

BWAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHA!

2008-11-26T18:33:00.001-08:00

TMNT Invade WoW

2008-11-25T15:46:00.000-08:00

So I don't know how many of you play World of Warcraft, but the new expansion came out a couple weeks ago...and this image was taken in the sewers of the city of Dalaran:

I don't even know what to say about this.

2008-11-25T15:24:00.000-08:00

These Came Today

2008-11-20T23:33:00.000-08:00

Four Archie trades. Signed by the Mirage Crew:

What's With the Widget?

2008-11-18T14:47:00.000-08:00

Normally I like to keep my blogs blessidly widget free...Until now.

You will now notice an ESRB ratings finder widget at the bottom of this blog. Working in the video game industry, I am very passionate about parental attention to the ESRB rating of games. Some people think that the answer to the problem of children playing adult games lies in the censorship of content or banning of the game all together. Not only is this ideal unconstitutional, but its downright ridiculous. Adult material is suitable for adults, enjoyed by adults, and made for adults. Therefore, adults should have the right to enjoy this material without the intervention of the government.

The answer to the problem is better parental involvement and parental education. This starts with making the material that is already out there as accessible as possible. So my small way of contributing to the solution is adding the ESRB search widget to my blog. You can type in the name of any game that the ESRB has ever rated, and it will tell you about it. If just one person uses the application from my blog then I have done my part. I encourage any of you who are also passionate about the video game education of parents to add the widget to your blog as well.

Stephan

Where The Hell Has Stephan Been?

2008-11-18T14:37:00.000-08:00

As you may or may not have noticed, I have been pretty MIA recently.As explanation, I offer this picture:

Yeah, I am one of those people. I play World of Warcraft pretty religiously. The new WoW expansion (Wrath of the Lich King) released on thursday, and I have been devoting a large chunk of my time to the playing of it. So if I were you, I wouldn't expect a terrible amount of posting on the turtle van unless something in the turtle world explodes. Once I get my sufficiant fix, I am sure I will be back to my almost one a day posting habbits. Until then...courage.

The Carnage Doesn't Stop There!

2008-11-09T15:08:00.001-08:00

Here's some video!

Max says, "This is what I think of your thanksgiving!"

2008-11-09T12:17:00.000-08:00

Some of you may already know, I kind of have an addiction to claw machines. So last night I went to Carrows after a LAN party and a friends place, and while I waited for my food, I fished a thanksgiving bear out of the claw machine (On the first 50 cents baby!)

Anyway, pretty much all my claw machine animals get sacrificed to my dogs. This is Max with the bear about 30 seconds after I'd given it to him. He had already ripped its face off lol. As you can see, hes already done a number on the couch!

My Friend Jeff Drew This

2008-11-07T10:19:00.000-08:00

The Art of my co-worker Jeff Thomas!

This is...different

2008-11-05T12:56:00.001-08:00

I'm told this is at the University of Mariland...weird!

Michael Crichton - Dead at 66 :-(

2008-11-05T12:25:00.000-08:00

Jurassic Park is my favorite book :-(

Michael Crichton, the million-selling author of such historic and prehistoric science thrillers as "Jurassic Park," "Timeline" and "The Andromeda Strain," has died of cancer, his family said.He died Tuesday in Los Angeles at age 66 after a long battle with the illness.Chrichton was a brand-name author, known for his stories of disaster and systematic breakdown, such as the rampant microbe of "The Andromeda Strain" or dinosaurs running amok in "Jurassic Park," one of his many books that became major Hollywood movies."Through his books, Michael Crichton served as an inspiration to students of all ages, challenged scientists in many fields, and illuminated the mysteries of the world in a way we could all understand," his family said in a statement.The 6-foot-9-inch author was also a screenwriter and filmmaker, earning producing and writing credits for the film versions of many of his titles. He also created the TV hospital series "ER" in 1994.In recent years, he was the rare writer to get on well with President Bush, perhaps because of his skepticism about global warming, which Crichton addressed in the 2004 novel, "State of Favor." Crichton's views were strongly condemned by environmentalists, who alleged that the author was hurting efforts to pass legislation to reduce emissions of carbon dioxide.A new novel by Crichton had been tentatively scheduled to come next month, but publisher HarperCollins said the book was postponed indefinitely because of his illness."While the world knew him as a great storyteller that challenged our preconceived notions about the world around us — and entertained us all while doing so — his wife Sherri, daughter Taylor, family and friends knew Michael Crichton as a devoted husband, loving father and generous friend who inspired each of us to strive to see the wonders of our world through new eyes," his family said.

Japanese Man Petitions To Allow Marriages between humans and cartoon characters.

2008-11-04T12:27:00.000-08:00

A Japanese man has enlisted hundreds of people in a campaign to allow marriages between humans and cartoon characters, saying he feels more at ease in the "two-dimensional world".Comic books are immensely popular in Japan, with some fictional characters becoming celebrities or even sex symbols.Marriage is meanwhile on the decline as many young Japanese find it difficult to find life partners.Taichi Takashita launched an online petition aiming for one million signatures to present to the government to establish a law on marriages with cartoon characters.Within a week he has gathered more than 1000 signatures through."I am no longer interested in three dimensions. I would even like to become a resident of the two-dimensional world," he wrote."However, that seems impossible with present-day technology. Therefore, at the very least, would it be possible to legally authorise marriage with a two-dimensional character?"Befitting his desire to be two-dimensional, he listed no contact details, making it impossible to reach him for comment to explain if his campaign is serious or tongue-in-cheek.But some people signing the petition are true believers."For a long time I have only been able to fall in love with two-dimensional people and currently I have someone I really love," one person wrote."Even if she is fictional, it is still loving someone. I would like to have legal approval for this system at any cost," the person wrote.Japan only permits marriage between human men and women and gives no legal recognition to same-sex relationships.Japan's fans of comic books, or "manga," sometimes go to extremes.Earlier this month, a woman addicted to manga put out an online message seeking to kill her parents for asking her to throw away comic books that filled up three rooms.

Goodbye Little Penguin: Berke Breathed Retires Opus

2008-11-03T12:25:00.001-08:00

Opus has been retired:

After a career spanning 3 decades in the funny pages spread across a trio of different series, Opus the existentialist penguin will shortly be no more. Creator Berkeley Breathed recently announced that the final strip of his Sunday-only comic Opus would run on November 2, 2008, and that it would mark the end of both the comic and its title character.Goodbye Little Penguin: Berke Breathed Retires Opus, Oct 2008

You should read the whole article.

Happy Birthday To The Technodrome!

2008-11-02T14:06:00.000-08:00

I know I am a couple days late, but Halloween was the 9th birthday of The Technodrome!

I make references to it all the time in my blog, and if you've never been there, you should check it out! Come rub elbows with the Ninja Turtle elite! lol

Anyway, HAPPY BIRTHDAY TECHNODROME!

This Showed Up Over The Weekend...

2008-11-02T13:57:00.000-08:00

So I'm pretty excited about this. This is the non-glow in the dark variant on the Japanese exclusive devil-shredder. Surprisingly, this non-glow in the dark variant is much more rare than the glow in the dark one! This was the last Japanese figure I needed to complete the set.

Here are both Devil-Shredders side by side. The box art is actually a little different as well. The silver signature on the glow in the dark variant is that of Kevin Eastman.

FIRE!

2008-10-31T16:57:00.001-07:00

My Halloween 2008 Costume. Wheeler the Planeteer:

Awwww Happy Halloween!

2008-10-31T11:46:00.000-07:00

I love other peoples children!

My dear friend and co-worker Keith (pictured below) has this little girl (named Noa) who recently underwent dramatic open heart surgery TWICE. I had gotten her this really snuggly teddy bear after her ordeal. Well today was the first time I had seen her since. She leapted into my office with a giant "BOO!"

...dressed like this...

I almost cried :*)

Like My Customs? GO VOTE FOR ME!

2008-10-30T12:06:00.000-07:00

Hey gang!

My custom Wolverine Turtle is in the most recent custom contest at The Technodrome

If you like my customs, you should vote for me. Even if you don't vote for me, you should vote for someone :-) But seriously...vote for me. :-)

Mirage To Hire 3rd Grade Class To Produce Promotional Content

2008-10-29T15:14:00.001-07:00

Normally I don't post about things that I really have no interest in...but what the hell:

A Press Release From Mirage:

SHELL-EBRATION PLANS BUILD AS MIRAGE STUDIOS and 4KIDS ENTERTAINMENT ADD PARTNERS FOR TMNT 25TH ANNIVERSARY

CRT/tanaka Interactive and Kicking Cow Productions Inc. Join Team to Execute TMNT25 Website and Cross-Country Mobile Tour.

NEW YORK – October 29, 2008 - With approximately two months remaining until the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles kick off their 25th year in 2009, brand owner, Mirage Studios, Inc., and licensing agent 4Kids Entertainment have added two new partners to its TMNT Shell-ebration family. CRT/tanaka Interactive and Kicking Cow Promotions Inc. have come on board to enhance the multi-dimensional plans for 2009, building and executing the TMNT mobile tour and the fan-based www.tmnt25.com web site respectively.

To pay tribute both to the original fans, who are now young adults, and the 25-year history of TMNT, the CRT/tanaka Interactive team will work hand-in-hand with Mirage, 4Kids Entertainment and Peppercom Strategic Communications to build out the existing TMNT25 teaser site and develop a full blown micro-site. The site will include a number of interactive functions from a photo gallery to downloadable wallpapers and a personality test that determines which Turtle character users most identify with. The site will also spotlight 25th anniversary-oriented products and related links to help fans track down these awesome items.
“Our decision to bring CRT/tanaka’ on board for the Shell-ebration was motivated by their expertise and clear knowledge of and enthusiasm for the Turtles,” said Gary Richardson, CEO, Mirage Studios. “CRT/tanaka made a powerful impression with their comic-book inspired proposal and Turtles-inspired video (see below). They brought a great vision, a strong team and a love for all things Turtles to the table.”

Additionally, Kicking Cow Promotions Inc., a full-service event and promotional marketing company will work with Peppercom to manage all elements of the Turtles’ Party Wagon nationwide mobile tour. Kicking Cow’s role will include re-creating the real-life Party Wagon, implementing innovative marketing strategies at each tour stop and managing ongoing fan communications.

“Taking the Turtles on the road in 2009 is a key element of our campaign and something our fans have been clamoring for,” added Richardson. “To execute the mobile tour in true Turtles fashion, we knew we needed a partner that would bring energy, creativity, and a spirit that embodied TMNT, and we found that partner in a Cow. From a buzz building, fan engagement perspective, Kicking Cow has a proven track record of successful tour execution. We look forward to their next big ‘road show,” this one starring the Turtles.”

The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles made their world premiere in May 1984 in a comic book created by Peter Laird and Kevin Eastman published and distributed by their company, Mirage Studios. A hugely successful TV series quickly followed, along with three successful theatrical films. In 2003, the Turtles were re-introduced to a new generation through a fresh animated television series, a CGI-animated theatrical movie and new merchandising program. The 25th year of TMNT will provide fans with radical, new multi-experiential opportunities to experience and celebrate this iconic brand.

The promotional video is definately worth watching, as it appears to be created by a 3rd grade class...No seriously...Look
http://www.ninjaturtles.com/html/crt.html

Seriously guys...at some point you have to run out of bad business decisions...and then they'll only be good ones left...right?...RIGHT?!?

Also, have you looked at CRT's Client list?

AeroGrow International
All-Clad Metalcrafters
Amadeus North America
American Physical Therapy Association
AMERIGROUP Corporation
Atkins Nutritionals
Better Business Bureau
Bon Secours Health Systems
Capital One
CB Fleet
Charles Schwab & Co.
Chick-fil-A Kyle Petty Charity Ride
Council for Responsible Nutrition
De’Longhi
Discovery Channel Stores
Girl Scouts of the USA
HoMedics
ITT Night Vision
Longwood University
MAGIC International
Owens & Minor, Inc.
Performance Food Group
Philip Morris USA
Schering-Plough
Sprint
SunTrust Mortgage
Target Stores
VHA Inc.
Wachovia Securities
Wines from Rioja

As you can see, plenty of clients that deal with animated properties...oh wait...

But Hey! They DID do some work for Philip Morris! They market to kids right?

So I Found This Dog...

2008-10-27T23:43:00.000-07:00

So a few weeks ago I brought to you the story of this blind cat that I found and turned into the humane society. That cat, by the way, was returned to it's owner! So yay for that!

Anyway, so today I am at my coffee shop, and there is this shiba inu running the hell all over the place. Collar but no tags. Nobody within shouting distance claims the dog, so me and my friend bernie take him down to the vet to see if hes got a chip, as pure breeds tend to do.

So yes, he had a chip...but come to find out the retards that own the dog NEVER REGISTERED THE GODDAMN THING. So anyway, he is at the Humane Society in Pasadena. If he is your dog, his pet ID number is A241256. I am on his last resort list, so if he is going to be destroyed, he comes home with me. I hope he likes dalmatians :-P

Here are some pictures:

Warrior Rahzar With Fur

2008-10-20T11:59:00.000-07:00

Last week I emailed Dan Berger in regards to the fabled Warrior Rahzar with fur prototype. I thought you guys would be interested to see the conversation:

Hi Dan,

It's Stephan Reese. I'm not sure weve talked about the topic before, but I am an avid collector of vintage tmnt prototypes and wax sculpts. Recently I was able to add the unreleased versions of both pizzaface and casey jones to my collection (heres some pics: http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v247/JNCOPosterboy/The%20Collection/Vintage%20Protos/)

Anyway, the reason I'm emailing you is that I would desperately like to add the Warrior Rahzar with Fur Prototype to my collection. Providing you still have it, I'd like to offer you (Price Edited Out) for it. Let me know what you think!

Thanks!

Stephan

His Response:

We've never had one - the pic on the site is taken from a Playmates Toys catalog. Some people believe that it was never released, but I thought I saw one at a Dollar-type close-out store at one point - unfortunately I didn't buy it if I did. My memory is pretty lousy, though, so I could be mistaken and it may have never been released.

Thanks for writing!

Cheers!

Dan Berger

Mirage Studios' Official Web Dude

http://www.ninjaturtles.com

Not the response I was hoping for obviously. But interesting that these may have had an extremely limited release. I however, remain skeptical. Even so, if anyone CAN produce one of these figures, please let me know!

4Kids Rep "Doesn't Know What People Are Freaking Out About"

2008-10-17T16:01:00.001-07:00

Continuing my coverage of the cancellation rumor! Again, I would like to point out that this coverage is neither confirming, nor denying the truth of the rumor...Only presenting the facts to all of you so YOU can decide for yourself!

I had asked a 4Kids rep who posts on the drome if we could get some kind of a statement:

"Could you possibly get your team to release an official announcement wither confirming or denying the cancellation rumor? It is causing considerable friction around these parts. Brother against Brother! Dog and Cats, Living Together! MASS HYSTERIA!In all seriousness though. Any announcement, either confirming or denying, would be more comforting then silence."

This was his response:

I don't understand why everyone is freaking out. It is too soon to know. Half of the current season hasn't even aired yet. We are still working on the current season.There is no word either way on the series being canned. It took MONTHS last time to get the go ahead on Back to the Sewer AFTER Fast Forward wrapped.Peter doesn't know, no one knows. As I've stated we are still working on the current season... and that special something. I would wager we don't hear either way until March or April of next year.

As always. Take it for what it's worth. Good News? Outright Lies? You Decide and Comment!

Protech "Star Trek" Cases

2008-10-17T11:53:00.001-07:00

If you are like me, you have been looking for decent protective cases for your carded turtle figs for quite some time. Well, thanks to Technodrome User "Spazzy", look no further! He has provided us with photos that show the Protech "Star Trek" cases are a perfect fit for the original carded figs. A simple google search can find you an online retailer for these cases. Thanks Spazzy!

For Those of You Concerned About The Forever War

2008-10-17T11:16:00.000-07:00

Good morning friends!

I know a number of you are concerned about the Forever War releases in light of the recent "Doom and Gloom" atmosphere surrounding the 25th anniversary. Well fear not! I got your back!

I had the opportunity this morning to breifly speak with Steve Murphy about The Forever War releases. And the response was simple, yet encouraging:

The Forever War is still on track. The first issue is scheduled for release September 2009. 5 monthly issues in all.

So there you go my little Archie friends! Hope this brings a little sunshine to your stormy turtle world. :-)

Peter Speaks About The Cancellation Rumor

2008-10-16T19:07:00.000-07:00

Someone Had to Ask, Might as well be me:

Hey Pete,
I'm sure a large number of us would be interested in your take on the current rumor about the upcoming cancelation of the cartoon...as the rumor is pretty much melting the internet right now :-P

Could I talk you into putting up a post on the subject?"

No, but I'll comment about it here. I suppose there is a possibility that the rumor is true, but I have not heard anything from 4Kids confirming it. If it is true, it's unfortunate, but not the end of the world. -- PL

Take it for what it's worth.

Blah!

2008-10-16T16:16:00.000-07:00

Originally Posted by Press Release found at ninjaturtles.com
COSTA MESA, CA –It's a shell-ebration! Everyone's favorite lean, green, TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES celebrate the 25th anniversary of their comic book debut in 2009 by incorporating totally radical new retro segments to the merchandising mix and innovative new themed products both supported with in-pack promotions including video games, pilot episodes of animation and other interactive content and entertainment. Action figures based on the new TV show airing on Fox and the CW, and a new segment of the popular Mini-Mutant line including figures and vehicles will be the lines' foundation. On the retro front, Playmates is re-introducing the original awesome 1987 action figure line, twelve figures in all, including the four Turtles, Splinter, Shredder and more. These figures will feature a "tubular" nostalgic 25th anniversary package design with a random assortment of classic TV episodes from the inaugural season. Playmates Toys is the long time master toy licensee for the TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES brand; 4Kids Entertainment handles exclusive worldwide merchandising rights; while The Mirage Group continues to nurture and manage the TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES property.

So let me get this straight...the only thing that they could think of doing for the 25th anniversary of the toy line that put Playmates on the map...is a re-release of 12 figures that were made by people that probably haven't worked for Playmates in years? Bravo guys...bravo.

The best part is that these figures will probably sell for more in the store than what you can buy the originals for on ebay...Ugh...Why can't their be people who work for Playmates that have a 10th of the passion for their OWN PROPERTY that I do? Way to honor the only reason you aren't still trying to sell shitty talking dolls named Jill that nobody wants to buy.

The begining of the end

2008-10-14T15:15:00.000-07:00

The following is 100% lifted from the blog of Vaughn Michael:

Going forward with my coverage of the wonderful TMNT 25th Anniversary
Shellibration, here is the next bit of news from my insider at 4kids as promised
last week.Next Season 4Kids brings you the best season yet as it will return us
to everyone's favorite period of TMNT the 1998- 1999 season of turtles, oh wait
there was no 98- 99 season of the old show. *sarcasm*

"The TMNT cartoon is NOT being renewed for Fall 2009. This looks like
the end of the cartoon, folks (aside from that "special" airing in Spring
2009)."

So there you have it TMNT fans, you better enjoy the show now while it's still around.This fans ultra excited for the funeral er I mean anniversary of my fave green heroes.

So yeah, though this is still rumor status, I give Vaughn the benefit of the doubt in stuff like this. I'd start saying my goodbyes to the series now kids.

But not to worry, I'm sure we will see the turtle franchise reboot a few years down the road.

Neat!

2008-10-14T13:49:00.000-07:00

Ok I guess this is non-turtle related post day or something. But I thought this was really really cool.

Robot Band!

There Goes My Childhood :-(

2008-10-14T11:39:00.000-07:00

The ending was abrupt: Workers for the company, which shifted its baking and distribution operations to plants in Ohio and Canada in 2006, told workers Friday that operations would cease and cookies would no longer be made as of Monday.

The company cited rising prices for raw materials and fuel, and on Monday filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware.

The company that made Mother's cookies at the end was the Archway & Mother's Cake and Cookie Co. of Battle Creek, Mich. It was owned by Catterton Partners, a private-equity firm in Greenwich, Conn., which in 2005 purchased it from an Italian firm, Parmalat Finanziaria, which was plagued by scandals at home.

In 2006, Mother's Cake & Cookie Co. was uprooted from its plant on 81st Avenue in Oakland and relocated. About 230 employees lost their jobs.

According to industry lore, the company was founded in 1914 by a newspaper vendor, N.M. Wheatley, as a one-person shop. It expanded and moved to the 81st Avenue location in 1949.
Mother's later had a series of corporate owners: a Belgian company, Artal B.V., bought it in 1991; it was owned by Specialty Foods Corp. of Illinois in the late 1990s; in 2000, Specialty sold Mother's and Archway Cookies to Parmalat, which in turn sold the combined business to Catterton for an undisclosed sum.

Catterton said in a statement it "took a number of actions to remedy" the company's financial crisis, "but these actions were not sufficient to overcome the losses and return Mother's Cake & Cookie Co. and Archway Cookies LLC to profitability."

One of those efforts was to seek financing. "But, as you know, the credit environment is very difficult now," said Meaghan Repko, a spokeswoman for the owners, in New York.

The owners did not comply with the federal law that requires a 60-day notification of any layoffs and said that was due to "unforeseeable business circumstances." A business uses that language to seek exemption from the act's 60-day notice requirement.

"Having reviewed the options available, the company believes that this (bankruptcy filing) was the only course of action," said Jeff Granger of Focus Management Group in Tampa, Fla., who is expected to be appointed chief restructuring officer of the company.

Sixty people are out of work at the Battle Creek office, and Battle Creek City Attorney Eileen Wicklund said Wednesday that she had advised workers to explore a lawsuit against the company.

"Any loss of employment is a blow for any community," she said.

The company had many drivers, including 60 in Northern California, represented by the Teamsters Union. One of them, Frank Makely, 59, of Fresno, an employee for the past nine years, called the short-notice dismissal "unimaginable."

"The owners came in to get rid of us, to chew us up and spit us out," he said, alleging their intent was to gain a profit by selling assets and neglecting service of trucks and other expenses.

"This is part of the economic crunch, with the CEOs taking the money out and not putting more money into the company," said Makely. "I'm too old to get a driving job. Who would hire me?"

The company response was to refer a reporter to its statement.

E-mail George Raine at graine@sfchronicle.com.

This article appeared on page C - 1 of the San Francisco Chronicle

The Quest

2008-10-13T13:29:00.001-07:00

So the other day, Peter posted to his blog about a prototype meeting between Playmates and Mirage regarding the 1st wave launch of the turtles. In that meeting they were shown two prototypes (pictured above). It is instantly clear which version they ultimately chose for the launch. But that left me wondering as to the whereabouts of the unchosen wax sculpt. So I ofcourse have taken it upon myself to find out! I emailed Paula at Playmates and inquired about the piece. Here is a portion of the email I sent:

"The wax sculpt on the left is a proposed version of a series 1 ninja turtle that was never produced. It is my understanding that at this point it was a choice between going stylistically with the figure on the left or on the right, and as you know, the figure on the right was chosen. I however, am extremely interested in the fate of the figure on the left. I'd like to know if it still exists , and if it does, wither or not it could possibly be for sale. There are a number of items in my collection that I consider historically important to both the ninja turtle toy line, and to toys in general. That figure is one such piece. If it still exists, I would desperately like to add it to my collection so that it can be properly cared for, preserved, shared, and enjoyed along with other important pieces I have."

She said she forwarded the inquiry on to the marketing department to fidn out what happened tothe piece. I will keep you posted as the story unfolds. I just hope that poor thing didnt get melted down or disgarded :-(

Here's Hoping.

A Historic Edition!

2008-10-10T20:26:00.000-07:00

Copied from my official release on the Technodrome:

My friends. Tonight I present to you the most monumental additions to my collection in the 20 years I've been a Ninja Turtle collector. Weeks ago I announced on my blog that I had secured some very special items, but I did not want to reveal them to you until I had them in hand. Well...today they arrived. Friends, I give you my most prized possessions:

This is an original urithane cast prototype of Pizzaface. He is hand painted, and features the Unreleased "shrunken head" head sculpt. The sculptor, Scott Hensey, has confirmed that this is the only existing example of this version of Pizzaface. Enjoy some pictures, and we will get to the next item.

The next item is even MORE exciting than the Pizzaface cast. This is the Original WAX SCULPT OF CASEY JONES. As if that weren't incredible enough, he also features the unreleased Maskless alternate head. This sculpt has also been confirmed by Scott Hensey as being the only one in the world.

Both of these figures came with certificates of authenticity signed by Scott Hensey. I am so overjoyed that I was able to acquire these figures, and that there is such a wonderful community that I can share this event with. Thank You all for reading!

New Protos

2008-10-10T10:57:00.001-07:00

2008-10-09T14:46:00.000-07:00

So most of what ends up on the tmnt25 twitter page is useless garbage...or...you know...pictures of me without my notification or permission . But occasionally they dredge up something good from the internets. I have to say, I am in love with this picture. If it is yours, let me know so I can A) Credit you, and B) order a print!

Ever see the Spawn cartoon on HBO?

2008-10-08T12:14:00.000-07:00

I know I talk about it all the time..."They should totally make a cartoon based on volume 1 that is in the spirit of the old spawn cartoon!"

However, seeing as how a number of you have never seen it, I thought I'd post a video montage I found on youtube. ***CLIP MAY NOT BE SUITABLE FOR MINORS***

Click Me

"All in the same picture or it didn't happen!"

2008-10-06T03:23:00.000-07:00

So Rose put me up to the challenge of displaying my entire vintage collection in one picture. While I still can't do one picture...I have relocated the entire vintage line into one location. I moved every single non-vintage item out of the kitchen (where I house the bulk of my collection) and moved all the vintage stuff from around the house into the kitchen. The relocation of so many non-vintage toys is going to be a huge pain in the butt (right now its all in a HUGE box)... but I think the finished display is worth it...

For a ton more pictures of individual shelves and such. Go here:
Click Me!

Newest Super Cool Find!

2008-10-03T17:32:00.000-07:00

So this came in the mail today. It's the 1992 Playmates Catalog. Now you're probably saying, "Stephan! I have seen these catalogs many times before. What makes this one worthy of being called super cool?"

To which I say, check out the inside cover!

This particular catalog was purchased from Steve Murphy of Mirage studios, and at my pleading, he was kind enough to run around and gather john hancocks for me :-)

Complete Collection Photos

2008-10-03T11:18:00.000-07:00

Ok you guys, this is it!

Click on the link, the years will be listed on the left side of the screen. Pick a year, and it will show you every figure and vehicle for that year. Other than by year, the photos are in no particular order.

Also, Ninja Newscaster April is not yet pictured. Mine has gone missing, and rather than spending all the time looking for her, I just ordered another one, which is already on its way.

You may also notice a few figures missing belts or figures that have breaks in them. These flaws were identified at the time of photography, and replacement figures have been ordered.

Enjoy!

http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v247/JNCOPosterboy/The%20Collection/Complete%20Vintage%20Action%20Figure-Vehicle%20Collection/

I am TOTALLY Stealing This Guys Idea!

2008-10-01T14:52:00.000-07:00

I will post whatever I come up with. If you want to buy this guys stuff, here is the link, but it is expensive: http://ryanmcelhinney.com/ryan2/toy_mirror2.html

I call Shenannigans!

2008-09-30T00:21:00.000-07:00

***DISCLAIMER!*** This is MY website! I am an opinionated asshole! Please read with caution!

A friend of mine pointed me at This Interview with Peter Laird

Most of it is pretty standard stuff that you've most likely seen before if you keep up on turtle stuff...and if you're reading this blog...you probably do.

One thing struck a nerve with me though:

ENI: It was said that you just recently completed buying out your partner Kevin Eastman in March 2008, a process that began back in June 2000. Can you talk about why the two of you decided to go your separate ways, why did the process seem to take so long and do you think the two of you will ever work together again, either on TMNT or other projects?

Peter: I think that all relationships go through phases, and evolve over time, often in response to stresses of various types. The huge success of the TMNT put a lot of stress and strain on our friendship, and after a while it began to illuminate exactly how different we were in many ways. Kevin moved out to California sometime in the late 1990's, I think, and I rarely saw him. It's difficult to run a business together under those circumstances, and after a few false starts, we came to an agreement in 2000 whereby I purchased all of Kevin's rights to the TMNT property (he continued to get a small percentage of profits). Then, earlier this year (2008), Kevin decided for his own reasons that he wanted to sell that as well, and I bought him out of that final piece of the deal.

We have hardly seen each other over the last seven years, and haven't really talked either. We've exchanged a few emails, but that's about it.

Will we ever work together again? I suppose it's possible, but I doubt it. A truly sad irony is that, earlier this year, I had gotten to the point where I felt it might be time to let bygones be bygones, and maybe do something together, perhaps something for the upcoming 25th anniversary of the TMNT. I was ready to email him and see if we could get something going, some project which would be the first Eastman and Laird Turtles thing in many years. And then, literally the next day, I had the misfortune (or fortune, I haven't yet decided which) to read his interview on newsarama.com. Reading that insulting crap sucked all the heart out of any desire I had to collaborate with him again. Will it ever return? I really don't know.

On this, my friends, I am calling mother fucking Shenannigans! Peter, I have the utmost respect for you and your work. However, the day that YOU of all people decide to let bygones be bygones with Kevin is the same day Playmates stops outsourcing sculpts to Korea and begins to once again actually care about the quality of product they put out.

You, my friend, know how to hold a grudge better than just about anyone I know. This is what I think happened...I think you did read the newsarama interview with Kevin, and you WERE insulted by what he said (frankly, you insult fairly easily *cough* Rose *cough*) and you took this as an opportunity to take a jab at Kevin. Plain and simple...But I do not for a moment think that you were entertaining the idea of working with Kevin again. I know it, you know it, Kevin knows it. So please, don't shovel that kind of bullshit down the throats of the unwitting public. And for god sakes, learn to take criticism!

My Major Collection Milestone!

2008-09-29T21:15:00.000-07:00

Hey gang! Very exciting personal news for me! This is an announcement 20 years in the making for me!

As of today I own every single Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle action figure and vehicle produced by playmates from 1988 to 1998 (variants, mini-playsets, and roleplaying items excluded).

In the coming days I am going to be photographing EVERYTHING individually and creating one MASSIVE photo album, which I will share with you guys upon it's completion. I just had to make the announcement as I was bursting at the seams to share this! SO EXCITED!

Logan The Turtle

2008-09-28T05:23:00.000-07:00

Every so often, thetechnodrome.com has user hosted custom contests. I have entered a number of these contest now...and I keep getting better. I think this one has a good shot at winning.

In 1984 Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird did this sketch:

A "What if..." montage of Marvel themed Ninja Turtles. This is by far my favorite Eastman/Laird...it is just too much damn fun! So anyway, I decided to do my latest custom based off of one of the characters in this sketch. Namely...The Wolverine

THE WORST TMNT FANFIC EVER IN THE HISTORY OF THE WORLD!

2008-09-27T00:42:00.000-07:00

A friend of mine who shall remain nameless to protect the innocent, showed me this truly awful TMNT fan fiction...and it needs to be shared with the world! As a courtesy, I am not listing the name of the author of this tragedy, SO DON"T GET ALL PISSY IF IT"S YOU! Nobody knows! Ok...Here we go!

I awoke late one cold, snowy, December morning Christmas morning and stared up at the ceiling. I felt TurtleNinja stir next to me and knew that she could sense that I was awake. I felt her drape an arm over my plastron and felt her kiss my neck.
"Morning." she said, her voice muffled because her face was buried in my neck.
I nuzzled her gently and felt her rest her head on my shoulder. A second later, Michaelangelo burst through the door, a big grin on his face.
"Ready to get the tree?" he asked.
TN giggled and buried her face in my shoulder as she tugged the purple comforter up over our heads. Mike pulled it back and I had half pulled myself into my shell.
"Aww, c'mon!"
He tugged on my arm and I reluctantly got up. TN rolled onto her shell, giggling.
"Okay, okay." I said.
Mike grinned and ran to wake Leo and Venus. Venus chased him out of the room a few seconds later. I saw him turn and blow her a raspberry. Venus giggled and pretended to be mad, but she couldn't stay mad for long. Not at Mikey. He had gone to wake Raphael, but Raph shoved him out, slamming the bedroom door. Poor Raph hadn't been the same since his divorce. It had been messy and Raph had always been grumpier than usual since then. Mike was disappointed, but didn't give up. He headed back into Raphael's room and I heard Raph grumble a bit, then decide to be a bit more cheery for Mike's sake. Splinter was already awake and had hurried back upstairs to see what the commotion was. Venus was leaning on the doorway, a smile on her face. Leonardo stepped up behind her and slipped his arms around her in a hug. For as long as any of us could remember, Mike had always been carefree. He could be mature any day, but this was the time of year when he could be a little immature. Venus turned and hurried back into her room as the baby began to cry. I looked over at TN and saw her rest her hands on her lower plastron and look down at it, a small smile on her face. I sensed something from her. Could she be pregnant? It was possible. Boy, wouldn't that be a Christmas surprise. Venus came back with the baby in her arms and I remembered back a year to when the baby was born...

[Flashback]

Christmas morning, 2008, 3:00 AM. I awoke to the sound of Venus screaming in pain. My mind was still sleep-fogged, so I didn't realize what was happening at first. Leo threw my bedroom door open and I immediately realized that Venus was in labor. Leo saw that I knew and hurried back to his room. I followed a few seconds later to find that the baby was halfway out.
"How long has she been like this?" I asked, shocked.
"I don't know. I awoke when I heard her scream and went to get you. She may have been in labor for hours."
"There's no time for painkillers. The baby's ready to come right now. I'm afraid we'll have to do this the old-fashioned way."
Although Leonardo and I were worried, Venus was not.
"Do not worry, Donatello. I am not afraid, for I am built for this. My body can withstand it."
I swallowed hard and nodded, knowing that she was right. Leo sat next to her and held her hand.
"It's okay, Venus. It's okay."
I think Leo may have said that to calm his own nerves rather than Venus'. Twenty minutes later, their daughter was born.

[Present]

I watched Venus and Leo as they tickled the baby and then watched Mike trying to cheer Raphael. Ever since his divorce from Tai two years ago, Christmas had been painful for him. Maybe this year, it would be different.

[Flashback]

I awoke late in the morning to the sound of yelling coming from Raphael's and Tai's room.
"I can't believe that you were drunk again last night!" Tai cried.
"As if you haven't been drunk before."
"Do you know how worried we were last night? Do you even care?"
A few seconds later, Tai stormed out of the room. Fights between her and Raph had escalated these last few weeks and this may have been the final straw. She kept her distance from Raph all day until that evening, when she left, never to return. I tried to comfort Raph on the loss of his wife, but he pushed me away. But the next morning, when the fact that Tai had left him sank in, he accepted me. I gave him a brotherly hug, letting him cry.
"Why'd she have to go do this to me?" he sobbed.
I could have easily answered him, but I didn't want to upset him more than he already was.
"I really screwed up this time, didn't I?" he asked.
I didn't know how to comfort him.
"Aww, hell, I deserved it. Go ahead, Don. You can say it. Go ahead."
I don't think Raph could have felt any more pain than he did at that moment. I could have condemned him, but didn't.
"Raphael, no. You didn't deserve it. Nobody does. Tai's hurting, too." I said softly.
He looked up at me with bloodshot eyes.
"How do you know?" he asked.
"Tai told me to give this to you before she left."
I handed him a box and a note. Raphael read the note, his eyes filling with tears. Tai had been in tears when she gave me the note, but I didn't tell him. Raphael set the note aside and slowly opened the box. He burst into tears the moment he saw what was inside. Inside was a framed picture of him and Tai on their wedding day.
"She loves you, Raph. Despite what happened, she loves you." I said.

[Present]

By now, Mike's cheerfulness had begun to rub off on Raph and he was his old self again. But there was a time when Mike hadn't been cheerful at Christmas. No, there was a Christmas five years ago when he had not been cheerful.

[Flashback]

"See you guys later!" Mike cried.
He was the lucky one. He had been invited to a mostly human Christmas Eve party. None of us knew what was gonna happen, though.

* * *

Mike was having a blast at the party. Lots of pretty human girls were surrounding him and fawning over him. One of them brought a glass of punch. He drank it, not knowing that she had slipped a pill into it. He soon fell into a drug-induced stupor. At home, Splinter sensed that Mike was in trouble and sent me after him. I found him sprawled out on the sofa half-conscious, and a barely clothed human girl was sitting next to him.
"Hey! Get offa him!" I yelled.
The girl looked up at me and screamed. She crawled over the half-conscious Mike and off the couch. Mike looked up at me and said with slurred speech;
"Donnie? Hey, what the hell are ya doin' here?"
A second later, he passed out. I glared at the group of girls, knowing that they had done this to Mike. I picked him up and hurried from the party before we made an even bigger disturbance. Mikey woke up halfway home.
"Mmph...hey, Don, what's goin' on?" he asked.
He was still drugged, but I answered anyway.
"I'm bringing you home."
"Why?"
I set him down and supported him as he wobbled on his feet.
"Nevermind. Let's just get you home."
I pretty much had to carry him. He stumbled many times and I eventually lifted him up onto my shoulders to carry him home. He passed out again just as I walked through the door. Splinter was waiting for us in his room with a cup of tea.
"How is he?" he asked.
"Mikey was awake, but passed out twice on me. Once at the party and once just now when I walked through the door."
"Stay with him and give him the tea when he wakes up."

[Present]

Mike was very ashamed of his actions when we told him the next morning and trusted very few humans afterward. TN and I followed the others downstairs to get the tree. Mike was even more exited when we got it in the house to decorate. Christmas had always been a special time for us because we were fighting crime most of the year. Mikey's eyes sparkled with a playfulness that we didn't get to see everyday. TN and I brought the decorations downstairs and we all began to decorate the tree.
"Venus, I have something for you and Leo. Actually, it's for the baby." I said, holding up a brass ornament.
"Ooh, thanks! She'll love it."
I grinned and once again caught TN looking at her belly with a funny little smile on her face. I slipped an arm around her shoulders and gave her a hug.
"You okay?" I asked.
"Yeah. A little tired, but I'll be fine."
I smiled at her and whispered in her ear;
"Just wait until we trade presents."
She smiled again and we looked up at Mike, who had tapped us on our shoulders and pointed up. While the two of us had been talking, Mikey had hung mistletoe above our heads.
"You guys know what to do." he said with a mischievous wink.
TN and I looked at each other before sharing a kiss. Mike whistled loudly and gave a thumbs-up. Later that night, we exchanged presents. Mikey had the surprise of the night. He went upstairs and when he came down again, he had a female turtle with him.
"Guys, meet Setsuna, my new wife." he said.
She giggled as he gave her a hug and a kiss on the cheek.
"When did you get married?" I asked.
"Yesterday afternoon when we got the tree. Sorry I didn't tell you about her sooner, but she wanted to be a surprise. Didn't you babe?"
Setsuna giggled again and nodded.
"If you guys don't mind, we've got some honeymoonin' to do." Mike said with a laugh.
But before they could go upstairs, there was a knocking at the door. I hurried to answer it and was surprised to see who was there. I let them in and hurried back to the other room.
"Raphael, there's someone here to see you." I said.
As he looked up, Tai stepped into the room. A look of shock crossed Raph's face when he saw her.
"Tai!"
He leapt up and ran to hug her.
"I thought I'd lost you for good, babe!" he said.
"No, you didn't. I have a surprise for you."
"What?"
She stepped aside to reveal a two-year-old male turtle baby that looked like Raphael.
"Hi, daddy." he said.
Raph looked at Tai and said;
"He's beautiful."
"Yes. And he's yours."
"What's his name?"
"Raphael. I named him after his dad."
Raph bent down and scooped up Raph Jr.
"Merry Christmas, baby." Tai said.
Raph hugged both her and his little son. At that moment, all his previous pain had melted away. Later that night, when we were in our room alone together, TN showed me that she had another present for me.
"What? Another present?" I asked and TN nodded.
"I've got news for you."
"What news is that?"
"Well...I'm pregnant. You're gonna be a dad."
It took me a moment for her words to sink in.
"Me? A father?" I asked.
"Yes. You knew, didn't you?"
"Well, sort of. I kinda suspected because every time Venus mentioned her baby or her and Leo did something to do with their baby, I saw you look down at your belly and smile to yourself, as if you had a surprise for me."
She grinned and gave me a kiss. Wow, what a Christmas surprise! Me, a father? Finally, TN and I were gonna be parents.

I AM THE COOLEST NERD IN THE WORLD!

2008-09-26T19:40:00.000-07:00

If you don't know what they are, or why they are cool, or how much trouble it is to make these bastards...you can pretty much never talk to me again.

Laird on NECA Turtles

2008-09-26T16:35:00.000-07:00

Once in a blue moon I will directly jack a post from the technodrome.com forums because I think it is interesting enough to put on my blog. This is one such post. This was actually already stolen from the wizarduniverse site, so I'll just spam you the text. It is an interesting read:

Indie comics legend Peter Laird who, along with Kevin Eastman, created the original Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles as a group of ass-kicking mutants hanging in the sewers of Manhattan. ToyFare got a chance to sit down with Laird to talk about the upcoming Ninja Turtles figures coming from NECA. Laird will be signing NYCC exclusive box sets—the ones you've probably seen on this lovely site—tomorrow. The set includes all of the accessories that will come with the individually packaged figures.

Have you seen the NECA Ninja Turtles figures?

They're awesome, I love them—they're beautiful. I'm very happy with them. We got a glimpse of the black and white variants at Toy Fair and they looked great. Yeah I think they just nailed it, which is funny because the first piece of art they sent us was horrible. It was just so bad, but I give them credit because we told them that and ever since then they've done a great job.

What kind input did you have on the designs? Did you send them sketches or did they send them to you for approval?

Basically what we did was we sent them copies of the original comics and told them that this is what we want, try and make them how we used to draw them 25 years ago. They did send us some concept sketches with poses and we suggested a few things like shortening the neck, but once they understood what we wanted they did a fantastic job. When they started sculting there were only three or four minor things we asked them to change, like the long necks, but it was very minor. It was something I wished that I wished Playmates would have done. They came close with those cold cast figures, which had pretty nice sculpts and were close to the original look, but not quite there.

Did they approach you about the line or did you guys go to them?

For as long as we've dealt with Playmates, they've been a great partner, but they've been very tight about anyone else doing any kind of figural toy, even when Burger King wanted them for kid's meals. It so happens that 4 Kids, our licensing company, was approached by NECA and then went to Playmates at a time when the guy at Playmates who was in charge of overseeing that part of the business was on vacation, so his lieutenant said sure, as long as they only sold in specialty shops. Apprently when the guy got back he wasn't too happy, but by then the deal was done.

Do you know what other figures they're doing in the line?

I'm almost positive they're doing Casey Jones, I've seen the April sculpt and they're doing Mousers along with April. They did a great job sculpting her, she looks just like the comic. I hope they keep going. I really hope they do a Fugitoid with chrome metal.

So I Rescued This Cat

2008-09-24T00:56:00.000-07:00

So get this. I'm driving home from a coffee shop I frequent at close to midnight, and there is this cat in the middle of the road, just kinda walking around in circles. He wouldn't get out of the way of my car, so I threw my hazards on and stopped the car in the street. I got out and talked to this cat (who still wasn't moving out of the way, or away from me), and after about a minute I tried to pick it up. It let me grab it like it knew me.

Anyway, I take him to the vet. They check him out and say hes fine except for the fact that hes totally blind! Poor kid. Anyway, I'm taking him down to the humane society and I'm going to post fliers around where I found him. I am going to tell the humane society that I want the option to adopt if they are going to destroy him. Anyway, here are some pictures of the poor little guy:

Extinct tortoise 'can live again'

2008-09-23T11:35:00.000-07:00

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/7630239.stm

Doctors Use Wii To Induce Seizures

2008-09-20T15:46:00.000-07:00

Oh the irony!

http://www.truveo.com/Wii-used-to-induce-seizures-in-patients/id/3036024880

"Doctors have found another use for the Nintendo Wii game console. In this case, they are using the Wii to help induce seizures to a patient to further study her episodes. The game help tire the patient which in turn helps to cause her episodes. The Wii provides a fun an enjoyable activity to distract this young child from the pressures of hospital life."

Like I said, I just posted it cause it's ironic :-)

The Great Dilemma

2008-09-19T01:56:00.000-07:00

So I have this dilemma...Very soon I will find myself with the entire loose vintage playmates turtles toy line. Every single figure from 88 -97. The problem is...There are a number of figures in my collection that are NOT loose...and are in fact, MIB. Now, these are some of the more expensive figures. All my Turtleflage figures for instance, are boxed. Effectively thousands of dollars of figures in box.

Whys is this a problem you ask? Well...I feel the collection will display better if it is all out of the box. I am going to put this stuff behind glass, grouped by year, and a mix of Loose and boxed just wouldn't look as cool as the entire collection loose.

The shame is, that while I am never going to sell this collection, I did pay TOP dollar for some of the rarer boxed figures, because I could never find one loose.

So help me decide guys...Unbox everything and sacrifice hundreds of dollars of "worth"? Or keep what I have in the box, in the box?

Mickey Anikin and Darth Maul Donald

2008-09-17T23:18:00.003-07:00

I picked these up at Disneyland over this last week. THey are pretty much the best thing ever.
They had 4 new "Big Figs" based on the first 3 Star Wars episodes. Minnie Amadala (Not a very fun pose, kinda detracted from piece) and Goofy Jar-Jar (but it's Effing Jar Jar!) were the two I passed on. But check out how awesome these two are! All four statues are limited edition of 600 each and numbered.

TMNT figs in the pictures are for scale.

Go Buy My Stuff!

2008-09-17T23:18:00.002-07:00

I have a ton of stuff on ebay this week! Check it out!

Mail-Order Bigfoot Figure:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=180290678868&ssPageName=STRK:MESE:IT&ih=008

Optoma EP739 DLP Projector w/ Mount And 100in Screen!:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=180290705130&ssPageName=STRK:MESE:IT&ih=008

Lot of 16 Nintendo DS Games! Final Fantasy III + More!
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=180290708086&ssPageName=STRK:MESE:IT&ih=008

Lot of 29 TMNT Ninja Turtle Comic Books! Archie, Vol 1:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=180290713110&ssPageName=STRK:MESE:IT&ih=008

Lot of 9 PSP Games! God of War, Daxter, and more!:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=180290692595&ssPageName=STRK:MESE:IT&ih=008

Thanks!

Have You Seen This Prototype? Wanna Buy It?

2008-09-17T23:18:00.001-07:00

My very good friend Scott Hensey is the original sculptor for a large number of vintage turtle figures. Right now he has up for auction on ebay, a resin cast prototype of the Creature from the Black Lagoon Leonardo! You should goto ebay and buy it. This is being sold BY Scott himself, and he will provide a letter of authenticity with the figure.

You know all those cool protos I post about? Yeah, it's Scott's work. You deserve it to yourself to have a piece like this in your collection.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=180290088445

Mystery!

2008-09-04T23:01:00.001-07:00

Tonight I have secured the most exciting acquisitions in my Ninja Turtles toy collection to date. What have I come across that would get me so excited you ask? Well, as I don't have them in my hot little hands as of yet, I don't want to let the cat out of the bag until I do. Suffice to say, I am EXTREMELY excited, and eager to tell all of you.

Delicious Badassery

2008-09-03T11:20:00.000-07:00

My Co-Worker just sent me this, it made me smile after my previous post had me kidney punching smurfs:

Yes. That is a cake. Thanks Brown!

It Only Takes One.

2008-09-03T10:44:00.001-07:00

This is nothing but a simple rant post. Over at The Fifth Turtle Blog (A blog that I love and respect, ran by Murphy, who I also love and respect) there is a commenter named Armaggon. He is, for all intensive purposes, a complete waste of space. He is the kind of person who would have you swallowing killer bees as a better alternative to speaking with him.

The guy is an instigator. He gets his rocks off by going into public forums and being crudely negative for the sake of being crudely negative. Some of the ridiculous nonsense that spews out of his mouth is astounding. He he basically the love child of Andrew Dice Clay and George W. Bush.

Now, after his many months of countless un-constructive nonsense posts on the 5th Turtle, Murphy has had enough:

"I admit it: I'm suffering serious "blog fatigue" when it comes to this TMNT site. The primary reason is due to the moronic comments by Armaggon and the replies that they in turn engender, as well as the rampant bitching that often takes place in the comments section. At this point I'm on the fence about shutting this down, or at the very least of killing the comments option all together. Time will tell. Be well. "

You get what you wanted now you little shit? You are the DIRECT cause of the possible downfall of one of the best TMNT community resources out there. Fuck you. No seriously, fuck you. Maybe if you brought ANYTHING constructive or interesting to a single conversation you've been part of, it would be different. But that has never happened.

Here is an idea. Start your own blog where you can rant about whatever the hell is up your ass and people can choose to read it or not. Or better yet...next time you have the urge to post, instead of posting, go play a nice rousing game of Hide-And-Go-Fuck-Yourself.

New Prototype - Movie Series Foot Soldier

2008-08-20T01:17:00.000-07:00

Left: Prototype

Right: Retail Figure

TMNT Treasure: Post 6 - Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #4 Misprints

2008-08-18T18:50:00.000-07:00

I know I haven't done a Treasures Post in awhile, but something came today that is undoubtedly a treasure...

These are TWO copies of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #4 Misprint issue. These books are up there in rarity with TMNT #1.

The second printing of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #4 was printed in May of 1987. It has a full color glossy cover and the inside is black and white on newsprint. The original artwork for the cover of TMNT#4 and Tales of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #1 were sent to the color separator, each piece was scanned separately and somehow got switched when the negatives were assembled for the printer. 60,000 were printed and bound and prepared for shipping. When the mistake was realized, all the copies should have been destroyed. It is believed that 800 to 1,000 copies may have survived. This is one of the rarest TMNT comics ever printed.

The third picture below shows the misprint issue (left) with the actual Tales #1. You see the difference in the titles and the issue numbers below the "S" in "TURTLES":

EarthQuake Damage Report!

2008-08-10T17:20:00.000-07:00

Ok so most of you who read this blog with any regularity know that I live in southern california. And unless you live under a rock, you know that southern california was hit by an earthquake last week. For years, one of the first questions people ask upon seeing my TMNT collection (link on the right hand side of your screen) is "My god, what is going to happen in the event of an earthquake?!?!?"

Well, I am here to tell you, with certainty, that the answer IS...............not a whole hell of a lot.

I had the same fear you all did. I was at work when the earthquake hit us, and the first thing I thought was "oh shit, I am going to have a lot of turtles to clean up". Fortunately, I was wrong. Out of the roughly 1200 ninja turtle items I have on display in my home...about 20 of them fell over. No vehicles moved, and only 3 figures broke (two of which were customs, and one that was already glued back together from breaking previously).

So I guess the conclusion that you can make is that it is going to take a much bigger quake than a 5.4 to screw with my collection...in which case I will probably have bigger things to worry about at the time.

Got Myspace?

2008-08-10T16:28:00.000-07:00

Go add the TMNT Special Edition DVD Myspace page to your friends list and leave a comment to Warner Brothers! Do it NOW!

http://www.tmnt.org will link you directly to it!

Spread The Word!

2008-08-05T13:02:00.000-07:00

From The5thTurtle Blog:

Steve Barron, director of the first Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movie, recently had this to say in an email to a Warner Brothers rep: "...there has been quite a lot of blogging about a director's special edition of the first movie, particularly in the light of its impending 25th anniversary. I would be very keen to contribute to this idea if you thought it a good one. I have lots of original artwork and even a rough cut with a few extra scenes on tape. I think it would be nice to do a definitive release as the extras have always been very limited.

"Great idea, innit? If you think so, spread the word, blog it, discuss in forums, get WB to pay attention.

And be sure to check out Steve's latest film, The Choking Man.

Do Your Part To Make This A Reality And Preach It!

SanD Comic Con 2008: Friday

2008-07-27T00:56:00.000-07:00

So I got up too late to catch the train on Thursday...so I went friday instead. I am just going to do a photo update and if you have questions about particular photos. lemme know!

Greatly Concerned

2008-07-26T01:36:00.000-07:00

Greetings Shellbacks! Tonight I blog about a topic that Rose brought to my attention while we were on a bus together at con this weekend.

So with the launch of tmnt25.com comes this contest... A contest which features the original two-issue Gobbledygook as its grand prize...For those of you who don't know, Gobbledygook was the mirage comic that pre-dates...well...everything. These books are the holy grail of holy grails for some of us collectors. When these things pop up on ebay they go for thousands (even the ones that we are pretty sure are fakes). Sounds great right? Yeah...not so much...

You see, this contest is open to anyone...ANYONE. From the 4 year old down the block , to your grandmother. So the chances of these books ending up in the hands of someone who will actually love and treasure them for what they are...is pretty slim. Chances are, these books will either end up on ebay, or destroyed by a child.

Frankly, I would much rather see a copy of ninja turtles #1 as the grand prize. It is still a book worth hundreds to thousands (in the right condition), and it wouldn't make me die a little inside if it got used to make confetti.

SanD Comic Con 2008: Preview Night

2008-07-24T02:03:00.000-07:00

I COULD sit here at 2 in the morning and write about my great couple of hours at the comic-con today...but I have to get up and go back tomorrow...so I am going to take the easy way out and show pictures ;-)

Alien Hunter Mike Prototype

2008-07-15T23:38:00.000-07:00

My first New Movie line prototype came in the mail today. As you probably know, I have a slew of prototypes at various stages from various turtles series. However, I had yet to get one from the newest series...till today!

Remember how I was bitching about how Playmates outsources all their work to Korea? Well guess where this little guy shipped from? You guessed it! Korea! Anyway, while I am admittedly not at all thrilled with most of this series, at least now I can say I've got a prototype from it. :-)