Your Source For TMNT News, Current Events, and Culture!
For those of you who don’t know, I am writing a blog post series for TMNT25.com about my years in the Ninja Turtle fandom. If you’re interested in knowing more about me or the Ninja Turtles, head on over to TMNT25.com and check it out. Click the pic to go directly to my new blog post.
Time for the latest profile! I’m still looking for more fans to profile so please contact me (click my name in the “Contact Us” section) to see yourself profiled. Thanks!
-Terminator
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1) Please tell us a little about your self.
Hey everyone. My name is Chris. I am 39 years old and a life-long TMNT and GI JOE action figures collector! I have been a comic book collector for 27 years now and an action figures collector for about 20 years or so. I have a very extensive TMNT figures collection, although most of them are now in storage because I simply don’t have the space to showcase them all. As you can see from my pics here, I only have a few shelves to show them off and I frequently cycle through them when I get bored looking at the same stuff for a while. I have also created my OWN CUSTOM figure stands for EVERY SINGLE ONE of my TMNT figures. Sure, it has been a lot of work measuring them and cutting them, but it is so worth it! I would also like to go on the record as confessing that I have NEVER read a single issue of any TMNT comic book, and I have only seen maybe 2 or 3 episodes of any of the cartoons. I am certainly not into the whole TMNT Universe like Stephan, but I have a similar passion for the action figures. I SIMPLY LOVE THESE FIGURES!
2) How long have you been collecting TMNT and what prompted you to start?
I started collecting them the day I found them at my local Target store back in 1988! I knew about the comic book, and the figures were just great! So, I scooped them up any time I could and… of course, any time I had the cash on me. I loved the smaller, more cartoonish scale of these figures and the packaging was really colorful as well. I am a Graphic Design and Illustration professor here in southern California, so I can appreciate these things. Even back then, when I was just entering college, that was on my mind, so they appealed to me in that way as well.
I have just about 35 more figures left, and I will then have EVERY SINGLE figure ever produced… and, they are all Complete with their individual Accessories too!!!
I am working on a collector’s reference with complete pictures of every figure with every single accesory that came with it from the years 2002 up to the present.
I have also photographed every single figure and all their individual accessories from 1988 up to the Next Mutation line. But, it will take quite a while to work on that volume since I am currently extracting every single photograph in Photoshop with the Pen Tool for a perfectly clean image in my book. It is quite a lot of work, but it will be so worth it when it is done. I don’t do anything with half the effort, so stay tuned…
3) What specifically do you collect (toys, comics, etc.) and how large is your collection?
I have a 27 year old collection of Uncanny X-Men comics. I also have every issue of every different GI JOE comic series that has been released. GI JOE are the first action figures I ever collected. And, like I said, I am very near to completing and entire collection of the TMNT action figures since 1988 all the way up to the present. I also collect all the Mini Mutants figures.
All of my TMNT figures are opened. I do not own a single, carded figure. What is the use of keeping it in its package? I am not buying these for some kind of future investment. I don’t want to eventually sell these off! I just enjoy having them, so I open them… I display them… I ENJOY THEM.
Unfortunately, about the same time I was finishing up college, I stopped collecting TMNT figures right when the NEXT MUTATION line came out! That was the biggest, dumbest mistake I made! I am still trying to find the rest of those figures even to this day!
And, of course, any and all GI JOE 25th Anniversary figures and vehicles that have come out so far. Most of my collection, however, is in storage due to lack of space…
4) What is your favorite piece in your collection and why?
I really love the Shogun Shoate figure! Not only do I really like the way he looks but I also got him on ebay for a steal at only $30 a couple months ago! I just really lucked out on that one! And, for some crazy reason, I think my favorite figure of all is the Monty Moose figure. I just really like the way he looks and the coloring that was applied. He is a great figure.
5) How do you store/display your collection at home?
My collection is displayed in my guest room and my home office. As you can see from the pictures, I don’t display too many figures at a time… I don’t like the dust they accumulate and the fading that can occur from being on display for too long. So, I am constantly changing them around every couple months just for fun. My ultimate dream is to become a millionaire and have a special room, or a basement, made just to show off my collection. I would have it decked out to look like the underground sewer headquarters of the Turtles as seen in the Imagi Film. Damn, that would be sweet!!!! Hey, I can dream!
6) What are your top five most wanted TMNT collectibles?
1. A Complete “Scratch” figure. And, yes, I would open it up when I get him!
2. The “Cloth Trenchcoat” Undercover Turtles. Any of them! I don’t have a single one of the four.
3. The “Chef Boyardee” Black Super Shredder. I still don’t have that one yet.
4. The SWAT ATTACK figure/vehicle set. I passed that one up and I totally regret it.
5. The Next Mutation Hydro Skimmer Vehicles. They look cool and they are impossible to find as well.
Tonight on TMNT Treasures, we bring you fans of the 2k3 show something special. This is a test shot of the unreleased Purple Dragon figure.
Originally slated for release in 2006, This Purple Dragon figure was one of the handful of figures that were slated for production that got the axe. Here is an example (not a part of our collections) of a painted prototype of the figure:
Unfortuantely ours is missing the jacket… and while ours isn’t painted, it is still a fine example of good Playmates work that will never see the light of day…Except…you know…here 🙁
Click the top pic to go to an album of the figure.
I guess I am a little late as most of you have probably heard all about the event and all the exciting news!! Well maybe I can shed a little more light on the subject from our world on the Turtle Doc team so hear it goes…
The TD team pulled into NYC mid morning totally lost and running late after a stop over in Scranton. This would be the third time into NYC on the Turtle Doc tour and driving the 10 hours down was getting old. It was 11:45 or something, we were in some industrial district in NJ, and I was pissed off. I was fuming about some mundane crap and not happy that we were late and had to stop at our apartment to sign in before we were to be at 4kids for interviews at 1:30. By the time we got to 4kids I had grown up, got over it and had time to eat a sandwich. Three hours and $40 of parking later we had shot interviews with two more 2k3 voices and Galen Walker (producer of TMNT and the now future TMNT movie) who is a GREAT guy by the way.
Bright and early on day two we pulled up to the empire state building ready to go. We got hooked up with the Turtle team and started shooting. I wasn’t even aware what was going on until Rob turned to me and said “hey its about to start so stand over here”. I got in front of the press much to their chagrin and got the announcements and switch flipping on tape. I hate getting yelled at but the press didn’t like the video guy standing in front of their shots. Away we were swept up a complicated series of elevators to the roof-top where more press were waiting. This was a first for me, although I was unable to take in the fact that we were up there until it was too late. We were shot out and going back down. Now for anyone who was attending the event on the bottom floor and was trying to get to the top at the same time was impossible. It takes over an hour to get up there and costs money via conventional methods and we were up and down in 15 minutes.
Now off to the Tribeca event. The rest of the day was more or less straightforward. The Turtles, April, and Ernie did martial arts and shows for kids. Steve Barron hung out in and around the crowd soon joined by Kevin, and almost no one noticed Mike Turney also showed up which was cool. This was a great event, kids and families came out to enjoy the Turtle fun and pass on the torch to future generations. And contrary to you nay sayers I don’t think it was kid fluff nor was the April “annoying” I think she did very well considering what she had to work with and the fact that there was a lot of kids watching. Calm down….
Now here is something many of you have probably not thought of with regards to the new movie. Take a look at the production team; Scott Mednick who is on board has done some cool stuff: 300, Superman, We are Marshal and so on. Take it from me, we had a chance to talk to Scott and Galen and I assure you!!… They know what they are doing. Galen is a true fan and they both know how to handle this property!! There’s some cool things coming in the TMNT world for sure!
Also watch for the TDTeam footage in the upcoming TMNT25.com web videos of the event!!!
All in all it was a wonderful experience and trip overall. Aside from the cold the screening was great, the fans loved it, and the Turtles are back at it again! Here’s to another 25 years everyone! As far as franchises go, we are pretty lucky!!
Here’s the latest profile! I’m still looking for more fans to profile so please contact me (click my name in the “Contact Us” section) to see yourself profiled. Thanks!
Rich (rich@tmnt-ninjaturtles.com)
1) Please tell us a little about your self.
I’m really just a “normal” guy. I live in the great state of Colorado and am a Colorado native. I work in the Technical Publications field for a mid/large-sized company. In addition to the TMNT, my interests include watching sports of all kinds (especially soccer, football, and hockey), mountain biking, playing golf and softball, computers and tech stuff, and spending time with my beautiful family. I like intelligent, witty, and sharp (sometimes dry) material that makes me laugh and/or ponder (e.g., shows like Arrested Development, Seinfeld, and Breaking Bad; movies by the Coen Brothers). I’ve been known to get into trouble on occasion with my sense of humor. This mostly occurs when I mistakenly determine a situation to be one that is ideal for the interjection of humor when, in actuality, it is not.
2) How long have you been collecting TMNT and what prompted you to start?
It has been about 23 years since I started my TMNT collection. I bought my first TMNT comic book sometime around 1986 but the actual conscious decision to collect the TMNT was something that didn’t come until a few years later. At the time I purchased my first comic the TMNT were gaining in popularity within the comic book community but they were still fairly obscure elsewhere. I wasn’t even really that big into comic books at that time. I just liked to browse the comic book store when I was at the mall. I can remember seeing TMNT #1-4 (Vol. I) displaying on the wall at that shop and how unique they were in size, color, and cover art (not to mention that weird title). After a few weeks of admiring them I just had to check them out in greater detail. I was surprised to find out that the #1 was a 3rd printing and the #2 was a 2nd printing considering the price they were asking for them. I was fairly young at the time and, even had I actually intended to buy them, the prices they were asking definitely put them well out of my reach. A few weeks later those oversized books had disappeared from the wall and in their place was a 4th printing of #1, an autographed 3rd printing of #2, and all the TMNT one-shots. Eventually what prompted me to acquire my first issue was this curiosity I had about what a “Ninja Turtle” even was (or did). Unfortunately, I don’t remember what TMNT issue was my very first but it could very likely be issue #7 given that I have a few copies of this issue but one in particular shows a significant amount of wear. Issue #7 would have been brand new around the time of my first purchase and I wouldn’t have needed to settle for a second-hand copy in that condition. Although I’m not a TMNT “elitist” I definitely wouldn’t purchase a #7 in this condition today and so it was likely one of the first ones (if not the first) I bought and read and then carelessly left lying around my room. I do remember, however, that it only took that one issue (whichever number it was) for me to determine that the TMNT were really cool (and violent!). So, I began purchasing the new issues as they came out and then gathered all the back issues I could find. I also saved up so I could buy that autographed copy of the 3rd printing of #2 (which was one of my first 5 TMNT comics). As the rest of the mainstream populace was becoming familiar with what a Ninja Turtle was (and did), I was already well underway with my new lifelong pursuit.
As an aside, although that mall and comic shop are long gone I can still see that shop in my mind today just as vividly as when I was actually standing in the doorway gazing at that display wall. I’m sure that’s not solely due to those first TMNT issues but I’m betting they have a lot to do with it.
3) What specifically do you collect (toys, comics, etc.) and how large is your collection?
I am primarily a collector of the comic books that contain TMNT appearances. I’ve always had a special passion for the comic books and so I focus most of my collecting efforts (and dollars) there. My goal is to acquire at least one copy of every comic book that contains a TMNT appearance. This is no easy task but it is definitely a labor of love. My collection also contains a large assortment of unopened TMNT action figures (many from the original 1980’s Playmates line) and miscellaneous other TMNT collectibles (some very rare) that I’ve found over the years.
As to the size of my TMNT collection, the best word I can think of to describe it would be “extensive.” The comic books alone total somewhere near 1,000 copies. I am currently in the process of building a website to display my entire collection (http://www.tmnt-ninjaturtles.com) and I’m hoping for a launch this summer. In the meantime, you can find a bit more information about me as well as some interesting previews of my collection at my blog (http://blog.tmnt-ninjaturtles.com/).
4) What is your favorite piece in your collection and why?
Wow. That’s a good question. I’m not sure I have one single piece that is my favorite. However, in the interest of providing a better answer than that, I do have two pieces that always come to mind when I think of “favorite.” These pieces would have to be the ultra-rare and elusive Gobbledygook #1 and #2. Of course, the main answer to “why” these are my favorite is already known to you fellow TMNT collectors: rarity. However, there are additional reasons why I might consider these to be my favorites.
One of those reasons is that the story behind my acquisition of these is quite interesting. While I’ll save the actual story for the debut of my website I will tell you that it is quite unique. That acquisition story actually concludes with an even greater reason these could be considered my favorite pieces but, in the interest of providing a great “teaser,” that’s all I’m going to say for now.
5) How do you store/display your collection at home?
I store the entire collection (with one exception) in a climate-controlled and ultra-secret location. Really. It would be great to have everything out and available for public viewing but, due to the sheer size of my collection, I would need a small museum to do that. In fact, that’s the reason I’m in the process of building the website. I want to ensure that my collection retains its integrity while still providing TMNT fans all over the world the opportunity to enjoy it.
The one exception to this is a framed NY Comic Con print signed by Michael Dooney that I have hanging in my office. I rarely buy prints or original art for a number of reasons but I thought it was a really cool print that depicted the TMNT (and Splinter) in a very distinctive way. It also marked the TMNT 25th Anniversary without actually noting it as such. Cool print Mike!
As for “how” I store my collection, it is really quite an intricate process and a ton of work. I can’t reveal too many details of my archive process since it was developed to set my collection apart from other collections. I can, however, provide a basic overview of the process.
For comics, every issue gets sealed in its own bag with a backing board, the cover is scanned, and the image is saved to my database. For action figures (and all other non-comic collectibles), each one gets photographed and the image is also saved to my database. After that, everything is sent to the aforementioned ultra-secret location. I take great precautions to safeguard every single item because, regardless of its rarity or value on the open market, if any one of them is damaged or misplaced, my collection would be incomplete.
6) What are your top five most wanted TMNT collectibles?
I’m sure most of this list will come as no surprise to anyone and that these would also appear at the top of most TMNT wish lists. However, if you are in possession of any of these I’d love to hear from you (even if you aren’t interested in selling them). Here goes.
