TMNT Flashback: Happy New Year!

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To close out 2007, here's the TMNT newspaper comic strip from December 30, 1990.

Saliendo De Sus Caparazones

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In addition to being a collector of obscure TMNT items, I'm also a bit of a tech geek. This means I ask for things like USB turntables for Christmas. And, having received such an item, I have now used my basic audio editing skillz to record the LP of the Spanish translation of the Coming Out of Their Shells Tour to MP3.

As such, I am offering these files for download for a limited time. You can download the album here. Grab 'em while they're there!

Track Listing:

1. Rap Del Tortugon (original song)
   
2. Baila Tortuga (original song)
   
3. Cuenta Con Nosotros (Dance Mix) (original mix)
   
4. Saliendo De Nuestros Caparazones (Coming Out Of Our Shells)
   
5. El Poder De La Pizza (Pizza Power)
   
6. Buscando Piedras (Skipping Stones)
   
7. A Luchar (Walk Straight)
   
8. Cowabunga
9. No Hay Tratos (No Treaties)
   
10. Sigue A Tu Corazon (Follow Your Heart)
    
11. Cuenta Con Nosotros (Count On Us)
    

TMNT Flashback: We Wish You A Turtle Christmas

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The live-action, direct-to-video "We Wish You a Turtle Christmas" hit stores in 1994 at the same time as its counterpart, "Turtle Tunes." Each video is 30 minutes long and features the Turtles and sometimes Splinter and sometimes these random kids (who apparently know the Turtles quite well) singing songs that never had a chance for a Grammy.

Pictured to the top left is the cover to a Netherlands release that combines both videos onto a single DVD. Although I'm not exactly positive that this is an official DVD release (you can see the whole DVD cover here and judge for yourself).

To the bottom left is the cover to a promotional cassette soundtrack that was released to advertise the original VHS tapes (full cover insert here). The cassette features all of the songs from both videos, although some songs are missing dialog that leaves them with awkward chunks of instrumental. One of the songs actually runs longer than it did on the video.

Merry Christmas to everyone who is celebrating today and tomorrow!

The Forever War: The First 6 Pages

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Regular readers of The 5th Turtle know that Murphy has taken the last five days to tell the story behind The Forever War and why it never saw print in issues 71-75 of the Archie comic book series, as was originally planned.

We still have over a year to wait to see this story in print, but in the spirit of the Holiday season, today Murphy has gifted us with the first six pages from this story.

You can read these six pages at The 5th Turtle, here.

Mini Mutants Playsets Now Shipping

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The TMNT Mini Mutants playsets are now shipping and have been spotted at Toys R Us for $19.99. Each playset comes with two exclusive Mini Mutants figures.

Pictured to the left are Leo's Ninja Dojo (with Leonardo and Shredder figures) and Raph's Iron Pumpin' Gym (with Raphael and General Mono figures).

Also available are Don's Secret Survelliance Lab (with Donatello and Bigfoot figures) and Mike's Kickin' Crash Pad (with Michaelangelo and Foot figures).

Tales of the TMNT Vol. 1 Treasury Edition TPB Now Available

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Tales of the TMNT Vol. 1 Treasury Edition shipped to comic shops this past Wednesday. To the left you can see the exclusive bookplate that is tipped-in to all copies of the book ordered and shipped from PanelToPanel.net, while supplies last.

You can order from Panel to Panel here, or you can check out your local comic shop or order directly from Mirage Studios at NinjaTurtles.com.

TMNT Code Green Sweepstakes

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Playmates is sponsoring a new "Code Green" sweepstakes in partnership with 4Kids.tv. Game cards are available in the new Alien Hunters and Mutations action figures. There are eight different cards (pictured above), each of which has a code on the back redeemable at 4Kids.tv/codegreen.

Prizes are:

• One (1) Grand Prize: A trip to New York City, a visit to the 4Kids Productions studio to do a TMNT voice recording and a full set of Spring 2008 TMNT toys from Playmates.
• Twenty Five (25) First Prizes: A complete set of Playmates Spring 2008 Toys.
• One Hundred (100) Second Prizes: One (1) Raphael Alien Hunters action figure.

To receive a free game card, send a postcard with your name, full address and phone number postmarked by May 30, 2008 to:
TMNT Code Green Sweepstakes
P.O. Box 928
New York, NY 10159-0928

Must be age 3-17 and a resident of the United States to win. For full contest details and eligibility requirements, visit 4Kids.tv/codegreen.

New Mutations Action Figures Now Shipping

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The new movie-based Mutations action figures are now shipping and have been spotted at Toys R Us. These figures come with a canister of ooze and a trading card from the new "Code Green" promotion. The TRU price tag on these is $10.99, but don't be surprised to see these for $9.99 when they show up at Target and WalMart. Of course, if you can find 'em before the end of the month, you can use the UPCs to send away for a Bigfoot action figure.

Mike is pictured above, here are the other Turtles:
Mutating Don
Mutating Leo
Mutating Raph

Free Bigfoot Action Figure Offer Expires Soon

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Time is running short, but it's not yet too late to snag a Bigfoot action figure from Playmates for the low, low price of 3 UPCs + $5 for shipping. The offer is good through the end of the year, December 31, 2007.


You can download the certificate for Bigfoot here.

TMNT Flashback: McCain Elio's Foods Trading Card #15

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This is a promotional trading card from TMNT-branded frozen pizzas from McCain Elio's Foods sometime around the release of the first TMNT movie in 1990.

I'm not sure that Splinter would approve of Raph's less than ninja-esque habits.

Australia Merchandise Sightings

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emerald_7 shares with us some photos of items she's recently found on store shelves in Australia. Pictured above is the front and back of a TMNT Advent Calendar (although she reports that the chocolate on the inside isn't so good). And below is a series of personal hygene products: Bubble bath, shampoo + conditioner, and bar soap.

     

Etchstar Product Review

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Blue reports in with the TMNT dog tag she recently ordered and received from Etchstar.com:

So I got my dog tag Friday!! I would have posted sooner, but I had important things to do. Like....um....

Anyway! It's very light (because it's anodized aluminum), and it's my new favorite thing- I wear it everywhere, even to bed. DON'T YOU JUDGE ME. I may wear it to work tomorrow, under my shirt. I am seriously considering it.

Sorry if it seems a bit blurry in the photo- but this is the best I can do without exerting effort. It looks very neat. :D So, yes, Etchstar: recommended!

And remember that if you order before the end of December you can receive free shipping if you use this coupon code: SHPFE12

Blue says that's a savings of (at least) $9 - Good deal!

TMNT Flashback: Ninja Rap is Born

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Here's a look at the photo that was used in TMNT II: The Secret of the Ooze for the newspaper at the end of the movie that declares: Ninja Rap Is Born!

Actually, if you compare it to a screen shot from the movie, this photo is slightly different, so it was most likely taken right before or after the photo that was actually used.

TMNT Retro T-Shirts Hitting Stores

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The first items from the new "Retro" line of TMNT merchandising is beginning to hit stores.

HotTopic now has the Bebop and Rocksteady t-shirt pictured to the left (top), as well as new hats and wrist bands. You can see all of HotTopic's TMNT merchandise here.



Urban Outfitters also has a couple t-shirt designs, the best being the "Say YES to Pizza, Say NO to Drugs" shirt (bottom left). There is also a women's tee.

80sTees.com is also featuring some new t-shirt designs.

NECA Figures: Final Sculpt & Paint

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This is old news now, but to the left you'll see the final sculpt and paint for the upcoming Leonardo figure from NECA. All four Turtles will be available in the spring.

You can read NECA's press release on the figures on their Web site.

TMNT Flashback: Cowabunga en Español

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1990's Coming Out of Their Shells Tour was a huge hit in the United States, but the album also made its way overseas and even got translated for Spanish-speaking countries.

This image is of a 7" LP single of the song "Cowabunga" from the main album. The B side has a dance mix of "Count On Us" ("Cuenta Con Nosotros").

While I'm not 100% certain, I do believe this single and the Spanish-language version of the full album only got released on LP.

TMNT Nominated For Annie Award

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TMNT has been nominated for an Annie Award in the category of Storyboarding in an Animated Feature Production

Storyboarding in an Animated Feature Production

• Don Hall – ‘Meet The Robinsons’ – Walt Disney Feature Animation
• Denise Koyama – “Surf’s Up” – Sony Pictures Animation
• Ted Mathot – “Ratatouille” – Pixar Animation Studios
• Sean Song – “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles” – IMAGI Animation Studios
• Nassos Vakalis – “Bee Movie” – DreamWorks Animation

Good luck to Sean and the entire Imagi crew!

Thanks to Andrew for the heads-up.

TMNT Flashback: Michaelangelo as David

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This is Michaelangelo as Michelangelo's David as drawn by Dan Berger for the January 27, 1991 TMNT newspaper comic strip.

Tales of the TMNT #44 Preview Pages

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Dario Brizuela has posted some previews of the pencils for Tales of the TMNT #44 on his blog.

You can check out the preview pages here.
You can check out the pencils and final version of the cover here.

Tales of the TMNT #44 will be on sale in March.

Tales of the TMNT Vol. 1 Treasury Edition TPB Now Available For Pre-Order

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Panel to Panel is now offering Tales of the TMNT Vol 1: Treasury Edition for pre-sale with their exclusive bookplate. This book includes all seven issues of the first volume of Tales of the TMNT as well as a brand new full-length story and a new frontispiece by Jim Lawson.

Click here to order.

Mini-Mutant Figures Now Shipping

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The new Mini-Mutant 2-packs have been sighted at Toys R Us stores for $5.99. Pictured to the left is the mini-Foot Tech Ninja with his larger counterpart.

Thanks to Putrescent for the tip and photo!

TMNT Flashback: A.C. Farley Leonardo Bust

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In 1992, Mirage Studios released this Leonardo bust sculpted by artist A.C. Farley. Pictured above are both a print ad for the bust and the bust itself. This is the bronze-brushed version; there is also a plain white version that you can paint yourself if you're so inclined (and have the talent). There are also sword scabbards that glue onto the back.

The box says that it was an edition of 500, but I've read that there were production issues and that the actual number shipped was less than that.

TMNT Flashback: A Belated Happy Thanksgiving

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I didn't post anything on Thanksgiving because I couldn't think of any TMNT Thanksgiving-related items/images. Then tonight I was browsing through my Next Mutation coloring books and I found this.

So there ya go: Happy Thanksgiving!

TMNT Flashback: Eastman & Laird Pullout Poster

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This image comes from inside the pages of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Adventures comic series from Archie. This collaborative work by Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird was a pullout poster inside issue #50.


Published in 1993, this is probably one of their final joint artistic efforts.

Alien Hunters Figures Now Shipping

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These two figures from the Alien Hunters series have appeared on eBay, bringing about the natural conclusion that these are now shipping to stores and the lucky Turtle fan might be able to find them in time for gift-giving - or maybe a little gift-buying for yourself.

NECA: First Glance at Final Version

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The image to the left comes from the December issue of Previews, Diamond's comic shop catalog, and is from NECA's up-coming series of TMNT comic book-based figures. Items in the catalog are scheduled to ship in February 2008.

Hopefully we'll be seeing bigger, cleaner images in the next few days.

Thanks to duhril for providing this picture!

Update: Steve Murphy has posted a bigger version of the Previews pic at The 5th Turtle.

ASIFA-Hollywood Members Screening of TMNT Dec. 1

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Warner Bros. Pictures, Imagi Animation Studios and ASIFA-Hollywood
Invite Members and a Guest To a Special Screening of

TMNT

Saturday, December 1st, 2007
1 p.m.
AMC Burbank 16
125 East Palm Avenue
Burbank, California

The screening will be followed by a Q&A with the filmmakers.

See your email for RSVP instructions. If you did not recieve the email announcement, contact membership@asifa-hollywood.org to have your email address added to the list. Most ASIFA-Hollywood communications go out via email. It is vital that you keep your address on our list up to date.

This invitation is for ASIFA-Hollywood members only and space is limited. Reservations are taken on a first come, first serve basis.

Thanks to Kristy for the info!

Jagwar Action Figure: No More?

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Back in August, Murphy reported that Playmates would be releasing a Jagwar action figure as part of next year's Global Mutant Missions series. This series was to include the four Turtles as well as four new characters.

This week, Murphy reports that Jagwar has been scrapped from this lineup. Playmates has decided to reduce the number of non-Turtle characters in this series from four to two. While no specific reason has been given for Jagwar's boot, signs point to it being nothing more than a random decision.

Would you rather buy Jagwar or a random mutant character with absolutely no history in any of the TMNT universes? If you'd rather buy Jagwar, it is highly recommend that you let Playmates know right now, before it's too late.

Here are several methods through which you can contact Playmates and let them know you want a Jagwar action figure:

email: toys@playmatestoys.com
website: Customer Service
snail mail:
Playmates Toys, Inc
Attn: Consumer Service
611 Anton Blvd. Ste. 600
Costa Mesa, CA 92626

Many thanks to Putrescent for organizing this campaign. You can discuss this on the Technodrome forums.

TMNT Flashback: Let's Talk Turtle!

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Back in 1997-98, when Ninja Turtles: The Next Mutation was airing for its single season, Fox produced a quarterly "Totally Fox Kids Magazine" that featured articles and activities about the different shows they were airing. This scan is of a 2-page spread in the Autumn 1997 issue, which coincided with the premiere of the series.

Tales of the TMNT #44

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From NinjaTurtles.com:

Tales of the TMNT #44
Ship Date: March, 2008
Format: 32 B&W pages, full color cover, standard size comic
Retail Price: $3.25

Cover art by Dario Brizuela; plot by Murphy and Jake Black, script by Jake Black, art by Dario Brizuela
“The Amulet” - This issue features a tale of young Foot initiates, including fan-favorite Karai, and their quest to unearth an amulet of power. The newbie ninjas find what they seek through hard-fought battles with mythic creatures only to face the most deadly enemy of all - treachery from within!

Playmates Mini Mutant Figures

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Dan updated NinjaTurtles.com today with pictures of the upcoming Mini-Mutants figures and Battle Shell vehicle.

Don vs. Foot Tech Ninja
Leo vs. Hun
Mike vs. Rat King
Raph vs. Triceraton
Battle Shell

TMNT Flashback: Cerebus

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Years before TMNT hit comic stands, Dave Sim's Cerebus the Aardvark had started paving new ground for independent publishers. In an extremely rare crossover event, Cerebus found his way into the pages of Mirage Studios' TMNT #8, published in July 1986.

TMNT #8 introduces three key characters into the Turtles' universe: the Timemistress Renet, Lord Simultaneous, and Savanti Romero.

The poster above was sent to comic shops as advertising for this historic crossover.

Cerebus is © Dave Sim.

Raphael: Bad Moon Rising #4 Now On Sale

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Most comic shops received Raphael: Bad Moon Rising #4 this past Wednesday. I say most because mine didn't. Hopefully your shop is better than mine.

Of course, if all else fails you can always order it direct from NinjaTurtles.com.

Tales of the TMNT #41

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Murphy has posted this preview page from Tales of the TMNT #41 at The 5th Turtle.

Is that Complete Carnage the eyes do spot?! Could Radical be near as well?

Tales of the TMNT #41 hits comic shops in December.

TMNT Fast Forward Comic - "Ghost in the Shell"

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"Ghost in the Shell" from TMNT Comic magazine #4.
Reprinted with permission.

For more original TMNT comics, UK readers can subscribe to TMNT Comic magazine at a discounted price.

Script: Tristan Jones
Pencils: Nick Roche
Inks: Martin Griffiths
Colors: Hi Fi Design
Letters: Jimmy Betancourt/Comicraft

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