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So, for those of you who are lucky enough not to know, I try to make a web-video movie review series. And as this month is the 25th anniversary of the TMNT, I figured I’d review Turtle films. I’ve already reviewed NT:TNM’s straight to video East meets West, We Wish You a Turtle Christmas, and the 1st movie. Now on to Turtles II The Secret of the Ooze. What is the Secret of the Ooze? Your guess is as good as mine.
Enjoy!
So Peter Laird posted on his blog that he was not a fan of the new Star Trek film. Turtle fans the net over were shocked and dismayed. “Peter Laird may not like a pseudo-reboot of a series he enjoyed since childhood, what could this mean for the pseudo-reboot of the series I enjoyed since my childhood?” Collectively the TMNT fan base wet themselves.
To be honest I don’t see it. I guess there is something to be said of Laird’s distaste for Star Trek. That thing: Peter Laird didn’t like J.J. Abrams’ vision of Star Trek. That’s it. Though I guess the question of whether because Peter Laird didn’t like this changes made to make Star Trek more marketable to the masses, he may be afraid to make necessary changes to the Turtles to make them appeal to the general audiences may be a valid one.
But then again, he already has, for the most part. The original series is the prime example. The Turtles were changed to be marketed to kids, as opposed to the teens and young adults audience of the comic series. All in all, some fans would say, Turtles has changed quite a bit from it’s roots. There are fans who feel, like Laird himself, that the changes to the Turtles have left the franchise almost irredeemable unless it returns to it’s dark roots. Mildly ironic really. Laird as a Trek fan feels Star Trek has abandoned it’s original heart and soul, and Turtle fans see him and his changes to the franchise in a similar light.
So if Laird’s loathing of this newest Trek should make fans wonder anything, it should make us think, “How can he not see that there is a parallel here?”
Well, there’s really not much else to say. I love the Turtles. Maybe not as much as our tattooed host, but they’ve been a part of my life since as long as I can remember. My collection is small, mainly because I sold it when I was 12 or so before a family move to Italia-land. Worst. Day. Ever.
My “collection” as it were mainly amounts to the 2k3 toys, a few 90’s figs here and there and some obscure stuff like the unopened production box of TMNT cereal and the Anti-Turtle expose’ “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Exposed” which is good for a laugh. Did you know that April O’Neil is oversexualized and lead boys to have negative views of women in their adult lives…
Ok….maybe those people have a point!
The one thing I have to my advantage is I’m weird. I have a bizarre perspective when it comes to all things, including the TMNT.
So sit back and relax. It’s gonna be a fun ride.
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.
Hey all, Machias here…
I’ve returned from my first ever Free Comic Book Day, and it was a great event. We were fortunate enough to the Peter Laird and the Mirage crew present for signings and whatnot, which was a big event for the area. The TMNT are kinda considered ‘sons of new hampshire’, since the comics were first created in Dover, the next town over.
Rochester even took the opportunity to get other businesses involved to stir up some ‘tourism’, so to speak. So there were a good dozen different locations that you could go to – Everything from pubs/taverns (like, 3 of them) to things like craft stores, bike shops, wood furniture, heck– even a bridal shop and antique store.
So, my brother and I took advantage of the nice weather, put on our walking shoes, and hit the pavement.
Now, a quick lil thing about Jetpack Comics – They were originally Paperback Bazaar in Somersworth, the original comic shop that first sold the TMNT. And they’re actually in the process of moving into a larger location, so this place is near and dear to the Mirage guys. That was where I first got my hands on TMNT comics, and that is now the main comic shop in the area I believe… definitely check them out if you’ve got the time.
The shop was jam packed with people – adults, kids, teenagers, costumed… got our stamps, the lists of participating businesses that we could get comics from, and a roundabout through a plethora of special edition printings and other freebies. Mostly what they were offering for TMNT was the PBBZ edition of the first issue, which I’d actually gotten at the PBBZ-con back in 2005. (Pics below) We got there pretty early, and managed to beat the Massive crowd and screaming kids that showed up about two minutes before we headed out to the other locations. Let’s just say it’s definitely a good thing that they’re moving to the larger location…
Before we begin, please forgive the graininess of my pictures, my camera wasn’t exactly the best for the situation.
Now the major location where they had the most people/guests and such, was at the Knights of Columbus Bingo Hall. The turnout there was pretty good, packed to the gills with boxes and people. The Mirage crew was spread out over a few tables, showcasing several different things.
There were several large prints for sale, $10 each. Different poses of the turtles and Splinter, which Peter shared on his blog. http://plairdblog.blogspot.com/2008/06/mike-don-raph-and-splinter-in-amazing.html – absolutely stunning to see in person.
They also had a few of the four-packs of the NECA figures – while I was at the table, there was a young kid who started slapping his hands on one of the boxes, screaming that he wanted it. I swore Peter was going to have a heart attack… but the dad pulled the kid away, and the figures lived to see another day.
The Jake Black print was available for purchase, about $20 dollars – I couldn’t afford it myself, but I donated to the cause regardless. Please do keep this talented young man in your thoughts. http://jakeboyslim.blogspot.com/
Also at the location were a few sketchbooks of artwork, cover artwork, comic pages, even a few single character poses and smaller pictures – The golden dragon image (left) was particularly striking, I’m just unsure if it’s been posted in any of the issues. There were a couple sketches of Splinter that I fell in love with, but alas… There was quite a few pics in there that I have Not seen anywhere else. Apparently the turtles aren’t the only ones good at hiding things in Mirage… 😉
In a locked display box on the table, there was an Original first issue that was being lent to them by a vendor from Portsmouth. There was a whole description about it, how it was discovered to be a First printing of the original issue. Sadly, it’s hard to read on the pic here, unless you people have some seriously good eyesight.
On the final table, Dan Berger was selling issues of the Tales of TMNT, where I found an issue I’ve been looking for, and got to chat with him a little about the upcoming “Forever War” series, being done by Steve Murphy aka Dean Clarrain. Now, I’m not sure if this was known, or was mentioned previously in any other blogs. But according to Berger, what was going to originally be a five-issue story for the Forever War, it is now going to be only THREE issues that comes out beginning in October. If that’s old news, so be it. If not… you heard it here first.
So after a very brief chat with the guys and getting some signatures, my brother and I moved on to the other locations that were offering comics for free. TMNT Fans were all over the place, proudly wearing their buttons, shirts, jackets and whatnot, while mingling in with the countless ogres, jedis, and countless Star Wars fans dressed up for the occasion. This fellow in the mask was kind enough to pose for us, and even said there was a Shredder nearby, terrorizing the public. So I kept my eyes open throughout the day.
We visited a few of the participating businesses – Tri City Bicycles, Union Street Antiques, The Cafe at the Governor’s Inn – A Star Wars style ‘cantina’, complete with a life sized Jabba the Hutt. Ben Franklin Crafts, Distinctive Forest Creations, several other places as well. The Old Oak Tavern, The Draught Pick Club, and Mel Flanagan’s Irish Pub weren’t opened Just yet. So After grabbing a slice of Pizza at Fat Tony’s Italian Grille, we took a stroll through Main Street and decided to call it a day. I never did find Shredder, that elusive B*stard…
So now I bask in the glory of my haul. The three issues on the right, as I mentioned above, are the PBBZ editions of the remastered first issue that I got a couple years back. Complete with signatures, even a hail to my favorite tmnt forum.
I also managed to find several of the previous issues that I had really wanted to buy. I’m still searching for a few (sorry, Tristan!), but I continue my mission.
So, all in all this was a pretty fun day. The weather was perfect, the people were all around cheery, and no blood was spilt by battling stormtroopers or Ninjas, which is a positive for anyone.
Thanks for Reading!
Machias B.