Author: Hero_777

UK-Based, longterm TMNT enthusiast, proud parent and professional Santa Claus.

Cakeworthy TMNT Flannel

As I write this, we are in a difficult global pendamic which has put a lot of the usual ‘everyday’ on hold til we ride it out.

I’ve been eyeing up the TMNT Cakeworthy Flannel Shirt for a while (as well as thier Ghostbusters one). Since I’m in the UK, importing goods from abroad is off the table. Fortunately, I discovered that TruffleShuffle.co.uk are selling Cakeworthy clothing and I just had to snag this ‘retail therapy’ item.

There’s stock images online, but these are my personal up close photos. This shirt is beautiful up close.

I did take a selfie too…

Stay in, Stay Safe.

===HERO

Lord Dregg, the later villain.

Lord Dregg to me was a character I didn’t get to know until long after the original 1987 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles animated series concluded.

Growing up in the UK during the 90s, our terrestrial BBC 1 helping of the original cartoon was the extent of an edited down rendition of the first 3 seasons. Any household wanting to watch beyond this had to have Satelite or Cable TV to have the SKY 1 network that broadcasted the later adventures including the ‘red sky era’.

When I finally had more internet access, I was like a kid in a candy store getting up to speed with the original Fred Wolf TMNT production. Rewatching the uncensored episodes was like a ‘directors cut’ with unseen clips that made more sense of what I was watching. The episodes after introduced a big new player in the game of the Turtles defending Earth.

Lord Dregg (voiced by the late Tony Jay) and his alien armada made thier debut and the overall tone of the long running show had a makeover.

I was really pleased years later that Lord Dregg or rather a newer version of the character was joining the 4th season of Nickelodeon’s 2012 TMNT series. Not just that, he was getting an action figure from Playmates!


Dregg stands as one of my all-time favorite Turtles villians and I’m sure the TMNT fanbase has not seen the last of future incarnations of this galactic overlord.

===HERO

GGM Halloween 2019

Whatever you’re doing this season; stay safe, wrap warm and don’t get too stuffed full of candy and pumpkin flavored everything.

Have a spook-tacular time!

– GGM Team

TESCO 2014 Mutagen Promotion.

In the earlier waves of the TMNT 2012 toyline, Playmates reintroduced Mutagen Ooze. Based on its new cloudy blue depiction from the current animated series the slime was presented in Kraang cannister packaging and also contained a plastic mini-turtle for good measure.

The blue Ooze was just the start and a 2nd wave of goo started hitting retail in multiple colors of Green, Orange, Purple and Yellow (as well as the ‘bitter agent’ changed up). It was like the Ecto Plasm play slime from Kenners Real Ghostbusters toyline again – but for Ninja Turtles! Sadly, this 2nd wave of TMNT Mutagen stayed on the American side of the map and the UK/Europe had nothing beyond wave 1.

However, UK Supermarket chain Tesco steps in with a randomly exclusive release of Orange only wave 2 Mutagen complete with a one-off Gold variant of the mini turtle toy as a chase figure for a promotional competition. One of a kind Gold Turtle aside, the Orange Ooze mini-turtles were in different shades of green rather than the bandana-colored variants that came out the US.

Each Cannister of Ooze had a code number of authenticity that can be entered into the competition website. Aside from the Top Prize of a 5-Day getaway to Greece there was also lots of runner up prizes of merchandise to be won.

5 years have passed since the competition and whether anyone found the Golden Turtle or not will remain a mystery. The ooze was since spotted on clearance after the October 31st closure date. It was a fun promotion while it lasted, and I acquired lots of orange slime through it! 🙂

US wave 1 Leo on Left, UK Wave 2 Leo on Right
Screengrab from the competition website. No longer online.

Usagi in the countryside

Presenting here an unpublished shot from a Usagi Yojimbo photoshoot during the summer of 2017.

The countryside area used to photograph here has sadly been fenced off for housing development. It was a good backdrop while it lasted.

I went through a lot of organisation (even just to take snapshots of an action figure) to get this shoot the way I wanted it. Climbing over gates, getting caked in mud, jeered at by passers by was all worth the effort!

My original Usagi at Sundown is viewable here:
https://www.deviantart.com/herokenflatt/art/USAGI-AT-SUNDOWN-696366900

This alternate shot is slightly darker and further into the evening. Usagi looks ready to clang some swords as much in this one. I only wished I brought the Samurai Turtles along, but kept the outing simple.

===HERO