TMNT is Sold.

[Canadian Turtle]

Just wanted to see if people on here have started posting about the sale of TMNT. If you haven't heard or read about it its up on www.gogreenmachine.org if you want to read it.

What are peoples feelings?

[Shredder]

I was doing the same here.............


One of these days I wish I still had a website around, let alone as popular as mine was back in the 90's.

I still don't know what to make.  on the bright side, now that turtles is with a UNION property, this could be good news for turtles forever and classic voice actors returning.  Maybe tha was part of the hold up..

[Aignatius]

No idea, really.
Maybe more projects will get done, depending on what the market dictates.
Also, there may very well be more restrictions on fan based material involving the characters. It could go in a myriad of different ways.

[Canadian Turtle]

All in all this should be a great move! Things are coming and moving fast, this is a great time for a Turtle revival and all new materials! I think we are in for some cool stuff!

[TurtleNinja]

I have to say that I'm sitting on the fence about this.

I'm not a fan of Nick shows by any means, or the network itself, so therefore, I'm actually a bit anxious at the idea of them acquiring the rights to the TMNT. I'm hoping they don't ruin the series and turn it into the same sort of mindless drivel I've seen on some of their other shows.

On the other hand, this could also be a good thing in taking the TMNT series in another new direction, so I'm willing to remain open minded in spite of my anxiousness in hearing that Nick of all networks got the rights to the franchise.

I'm anxious and hoping that the TMNT don't get washed up and watered down like a lot of cartoons(Nick and otherwise, as I've noticed that it seems to be the trend for cartoons in general), but will wait and see what happens when the time comes.

[Jade]

This is rather shocking to me.  I honestly don't want to judge the possible future of the upcoming new tv show and the movie until I see it.  Honestly part of me is glad that the cartoon show gets to live on even if the story line is started over.  Searching the blog and Peter's blog a couple questions came to mind and one was asked a few times to Peter but he has not given a responce yet

-Does this mean the comics are entirely done?

-Will Nick offer the voice actors of the 2003 series a chance to continue with the show with them??

[Leonardo_Mystic]

-Will Nick offer the voice actors of the 2003 series a chance to continue with the show with them??

I wondered that myself and mentioned somewhere else, which will remain nameless, but I got scoffed at. I really love Mike S, Wayne, John and Sam. They are Leo, Mikey, Raph and Don in my opinion. I don't know if I could take hearing a new voice coming out of the Turtles, especially Leo. It makes little difference to me they've had numerous voices in all the incarnations of the Turtles. The 2k3 voices were the best.

[Jade]

I wondered that myself and mentioned somewhere else, which will remain nameless, but I got scoffed at. I really love Mike S, Wayne, John and Sam. They are Leo, Mikey, Raph and Don in my opinion. I don't know if I could take hearing a new voice coming out of the Turtles, especially Leo. It makes little difference to me they've had numerous voices in all the incarnations of the Turtles. The 2k3 voices were the best.

I find it silly they scoffed at you for a question probably a lot of us are thinking.  I agree with you, all the voice actors in the 2003 series have done such an awesome job, it would be weird to hear new voices.

[jayjayblnks]

I'm not happy with the news. I feel as tho we are losing the fan-creator interaction. We've always been able to write an email with a burning question and a real live person who was directly involved in the creative process was always there to respond. Will that happen now with Nickelodeon/Viacom?  I think not.  We are losing the closeness the fandom always had to the direct source and I feel very troubled by this. 

[Nightwatchersonlygirl]

Really so TMNT has been sold what about the fandom will the fans get a say

[Silver Sentry]

I must say that I am worried after learning that Nick has FULLY acquired TMNT!  I am very afraid that the original vision Eastman and Laird had will be lost forever under new "management".  I guess I will have no choice but to wait and see!  I just hope they don't decide to slime everything in the new upcoming series they're working on!  LOL  But seriously I'm going to miss Mirage, 4Kids and Playmates!   Playmates and Mirage have taken us, the fans, from day one to the present!  So many questions....so little answers!

[Canadian Turtle]

As far as I can tell they will be still working with playmates. Also Mirage is not gone! they just don't own the Turtles anymore. They also still have the rights to publish the Turtle comics if they want to....

Where is Ivey? I am interested in her feedback/feelings on the subject?

[Jade]

As far as I can tell they will be still working with playmates. Also Mirage is not gone! they just don't own the Turtles anymore. They also still have the rights to publish the Turtle comics if they want to....

Im glad to know they still have rights still for the comics, and hoping they will continue on with them.  I know this has been a question for many fans.

[Amicitia]

Wow... I saw this last night, spent today sorting out my feelings about it from my feelings about some other things, and now I'm going to put in my two cents.

First, let me say that none of the following should be taken as criticism of Mr. Laird or the rest of the Mirage crew. I know next to nothing about the business and creative aspects of the TMNT, and I am certainly in no position to judge any decisions being made on that end.

Let me further say that, by and large, I think Peter has done a good job with the Turtles over the past twenty-five years. I don't doubt that the decision to let them go was a carefully considered one, and that he made sure that his creations were going to a good home.

But with this announcement coming so suddenly, from out here in the peanut gallery it looks like a petulant child got bored of his toys and gave them away to some random kid who showed up at the garage sale.

The fandom is understandably concerned. Hopefully more information will be forthcoming, to explain the details of this deal, both in how it came about and in what it means for the future of the TMNT.

I am trying to be optimistic.

When I first heard about the 2k3 cartoon, I knew nothing of the larger history of the Turtles. I was only familiar with them from the '80s cartoon, and I thought that someone had revived the franchise in order to squeeze a few more marketing bucks out of my childhood.

When I finally came around to watching the new show (mostly by accident), it made me fall in love with the characters all over again.

Similarly, my first reaction to this news was that Nickelodeon was grabbing up the Turtles so that it could produce some drivel involving them, which would be successful because the characters are already popular. I was angry at the thought that someone could acquire the rights to a fictional universe by throwing large amounts of money at the people who created it, without ever doing a lick of work to develop that world and share it with fans.

But, in light of my experiences with the 2k3 cartoon, I'm trying to remain optimistic that Nickelodeon bought the property because they have some good ideas about where to go with it, because they have worthwhile stories that they want to tell, because they believe they can produce a new incarnation that new and old fans will enjoy.

In conclusion, I'm going to reserve judgment, and wait for 2012.

Thanks to Peter and the Mirage crew for the vast amount of stuff they've given us over the past twenty-five years (none of which ceases to exist just because Nickelodeon now owns the franchise), and good luck to them in their future endeavors.

[BoggleKng]

Much love and thanks to Peter and the guys at Mirage for all their hard work over the years.. I am still in shock but hopefully as to what the future might bring.. Still hoping for that Turtle Doc, CT....

[Aignatius]

Amicitia:

But with this announcement coming so suddenly, from out here in the peanut gallery it looks like a petulant child got bored of his toys and gave them away to some random kid who showed up at the garage sale.

An interesting way of putting it, and I'd agree only not so much bored as very tired and real life is getting the better of him. At least that is what it sounded like, in his blog.

The comics publishing/cartoon/media world is a grueling one, and you have to be on fire to get anywhere in it, and even then, it's no guarantee of success. Only a few really make it big in that realm. Those who do make it big have to keep treading water to stay there. What with teh market as fickle as it is... and such.

[BloodStainedWings]

I have more info on this, on this thread http://www.tmnt-l.com/index.php/topic,4456.msg45040.html#msg45040

I made this thread before knowing about this one.

[ResidentEvil7]

I read the update on the soon-to-be former ninjaturtles.com website where it mentioned the Nickelodeon purchase of the rights to this franchise, and I was OK about it at first, up until I read further which mentioned that those people who ran this site and Mirage will now loose their jobs.  I feel for those who either are struggling and working hard to get any job, like me, or those who worked hard for the jobs they have and suddendly it's gone, all because of big-wig management.  And I hope Nickelodeon does the right thing with Ninja Turtles (airing the old 1987 TV series for a starter), because I've not be real pleased with Nickelodeon since the mid-late 1990s.  I think Nickelodeon was MUCH more fun to watch before 1997, now it's really IS a bunch of drival, except some of those classic Nick At Night/TV Land shows.

[FumikoKaida]

I find this news particularly horrifying.  I know that most of my posts are pessimistic, however, I've seen Nick go from having amazing shows to Spongebob Squarepants (I'm one of those people who thinks that the show is inappropriate for children).  I'm deathly afraid to see what they will create TMNT to be.  I just don't want to see TMNT turn into an animated version of Next Mutation (Next Mutation wasn't that bad but please hear me out) with toilet humor like Spongebob Squarepants, lame lines, and more bad sound effects than anyone would care to think about.

However, on the bright side, at least they didn't sell to Disney who feels the need to make movies and then make a 3 sequels that the series doesn't need(I can see Disney going along the fan fiction route where the turtles get married to other female turtles, have kids of their own, and then the kids have to fight Shredder).  Either that or they somehow make the moral for April of "wear more make up and be thin and everyone will love you" or for the turtles and Casey "be that prince that every woman deserves and the women will come banging down your door!"

[Ninjara]

  I think what we all lived to witness is the end of something very, very unique in this world.
  The Turtles as a property grew from something being drawn in a living room, to something that reached all around the world. It was a global thing.  But the one thing amazing about it was, for twenty-five years, is that it still had the feel of something still being drawn in the living room, by friends, that one felt a connection to.....some of us knew them personally.  Of anything, I think that is our greatest loss.  We literally cannot go Home anymore........ to relate to anything Turtle anyway.
   Mirage still exists, true.  And we haven't lost the option of connecting with any of our friends there, if they stay on.  But if one wants to talk Turtles now, it won't be one discussing the actual creative process.  And I can't see that happening with artists at Nick.
    As far as Nick acquiring the TMNT......well, they DO have a set up where they can utilize this property and satisfy both kids and adults.......but my wonderment is, do they really KNOW what they've bought?
     Communication is gone in my eyes.  It won't be any better than it was talking to 4Kids most likely.  We just have to hope for the best. 
   
         

[Mica]

I think everyone is just a bit too negative about this. Here is a re-post of my thoughts that I originally posted on my LJ:

Everyone keeps freaking out over the new transition. RELAX, IT'S NOT BAD!!

It's kinda like GW's comparison of the parent's (Kev & Pete) divorcing and the wrong parent getting the Kids. It's like all of the sudden the "kids" (the TMNT) got yanked out of the parent's custody and placed in an adoptive family's home. It doesn't matter how wonderful the new home is, or how badly the Kids were being neglected, the knee-jerk reaction is sadness. However it is what is best for the "kids"!

I think if we had gotten a LITTLE pre-warning like even a post saying "Oh yeah! Something big might be coming up! So keep your eyes peeled!" last week or something, the fandom wouldn't be in such a giant frothy ball of anger, confusion, and angst right now. (although, there would be some of that, but hopefully not as much) But that's just more of Peter's strange way of interacting with the fans and mis-handling the turtles. Which is MORE REASON why we should be GLAD they are going to a new, more posh, home.

Think about all the things Nickelodeon can do for the TMNT! It's gonna be so awesome. I'm all squeally just thinking about it! Not to mention, Nick is prolly the BEST corporate entity to get control of the TMNT that I can think of. They tend to LISTEN to fans, and I'm happy they are in good hands!

YAYNESS!

I hope now that some of us have had some time to digest the news that most of the fandom will settle down and realize the awesome potential of this move!

NYAR!
~Mica

PS.. Also, take into account the fact that Nickelodeon owns 3 (that I know of) stations that show cartoons! Nickelodeon, The N, and Nicktoons Network. And since they paid so much for TMNT, I doubt they will let them sit dormant. YAY for awesomeness of re-runs!

[Aignatius]

 And Mica with her Angelo optimism arrives to lend some perspective. 

[Michaelangelo]

Added a poll for this topic.

[soliloquy]

I'm sitting in the optimist's camp with this one. I have to admit being very excited to see what the future holds. If anybody knows kids it's Nickelodeon! I have confidence that they will be able to draw in today's generation of kids and that will be what ultimately keeps TMNT alive in the future. Plus, there will be more TMNT stuff to buy - which is currently a pain in the butt to find in most stores other than Hot Topic and Spencer's.

Though, I never thought about how we won't be able to communicate with the creators like we did with Mirage - and that's the first really negative thing I can see with this. So far it's the only, but it was a big deal (not to mention awesome) actually personally knowing the creators behind TMNT and being able to talk with them. I know we won't be able to do that with Nickelodeon, sadly.

I'm eager to welcome the fans who will see the new show/movies and come to our message boards, and I'm really grateful for those of us who remain ever supportive of our Ninja Turtles no matter what happens.  Honestly, I've seen people denouncing the entire fandom over in Peter's blog and it saddens me.

Take care,
Jenn
 

[Amicitia]

But with this announcement coming so suddenly, from out here in the peanut gallery it looks like a petulant child got bored of his toys and gave them away to some random kid who showed up at the garage sale.

An interesting way of putting it, and I'd agree only not so much bored as very tired and real life is getting the better of him. At least that is what it sounded like, in his blog.

Crud, I didn't realize this thread had a second page. I wondered why no one was posting...

I just want to say, as an addendum, that things really do look much better now that we've gotten some more info. And I've remembered that the Turtles have always "belonged" to companies other than Mirage. Mirage was not directly responsible for either of the cartoons, TNM, or any of the movies. They oversaw those things, yes, but the content of them was largely created by other entities. So, just as those companies created interpretations that I liked, I am confident that Nick can also give us something good. 

And while I'm on the subject of things created by other companies...

And I hope Nickelodeon does the right thing with Ninja Turtles (airing the old 1987 TV series for a starter)...

It is my understanding that Mirage did not own the rights to the '80s cartoon, so I assume that Nickelodeon does not now own them either.

[Aignatius]

In case some didn't know about the latest posts from Peter's blog:

http://plairdblog.blogspot.com/

[ResidentEvil7]

Besides a few things dawned on me.  First off, and this may of been answered already, but why did Mirage sell Ninja Turtles anyway?  I thought it was Ninja Turtles is what made their success.  And besides someone [above] mentioned that Nickelodeon didn't buy the 1987 TV series, but I thought when you buy the rights to Ninja Turtles, you bought the rights to ALL the Ninja Turtles dating from the first 1984 comic book issue to today's date.  I mean it was Mirage that created each of the characteres, so when they sold it to Nickelodeon, why didn't Ninja Turtles everything carry over in that case?

And it's kind of funny on how they would sell the Ninja Turtle Franchise out just as they're still releasing old 1987 TV series DVDs, 25th Anniversary Tour, Ninja Turtle Video Games, and still more comics.  So it's kind of funny on how they're releasing a lot of things just in the past few months, and then just sell them out to a network that hasn't pleased me since the mid-1990s.

And as far as this idea of a CG TV series in 2012, wansn't there a CG pilot that was released several years ago, and it was a total flop?  If so, why would they continue with an idea that failed in the first place?

[Michaelangelo]

Answers to why the Turtles sold can be found at this blog:
http://plairdblog.blogspot.com/

[Mica]

Besides a few things dawned on me.  First off, and this may of been answered already, but why did Mirage sell Ninja Turtles anyway?  I thought it was Ninja Turtles is what made their success.  And besides someone [above] mentioned that Nickelodeon didn't buy the 1987 TV series, but I thought when you buy the rights to Ninja Turtles, you bought the rights to ALL the Ninja Turtles dating from the first 1984 comic book issue to today's date.  I mean it was Mirage that created each of the characteres, so when they sold it to Nickelodeon, why didn't Ninja Turtles everything carry over in that case?

I won't get into why Mirage sold the turtles, you can look to Peter Laird's blog for his very sound and understandable reasoning behind that. However, the 1987 TV series wasn't owned by Mirage. It is owned by the production/animation company that made it, called "Fred Wolf Films". Does that help explain it?

And as far as this idea of a CG TV series in 2012, wansn't there a CG pilot that was released several years ago, and it was a total flop?  If so, why would they continue with an idea that failed in the first place?

The use of CGI animation has grown in leaps and bounds since that show was proposed. Most shows nowdays ARE computer animated. The 2K3 TMNT show was computer animated, it just wasn't advertised as such.

[Leonardo_Mystic]

I won't get into why Mirage sold the turtles, you can look to Peter Laird's blog for his very sound and understandable reasoning behind that.

Sound, maybe, understandable.... Maybe not so much. I don't know... To me, it could have been as easy as de-turtlizing himself for a few years. Shelved it, take a vacation from it and then come back again when he felt ready again to. I don't think he should have really sold it, but it's just my opinion, of course.

[Amicitia]

To me, it could have been as easy as de-turtlizing himself for a few years.

He said somewhere in his blog that he's a hover-er... he can't step back from things unless they're totally off the table.

And can you imagine the uproar if he had posted "Taking a break, no Turtles for the next few years!" ?

Other people may feel differently, but I'd rather have a crummy version of TMNT than no version at all. At least then I get a choice about whether I'm going to watch it.

[Michaelangelo]

They've done the no Turtle stuff before, and fans were not really quiet about it.  In 2000 we had no new comics or shows.  And Mirage itself passed the comics off to Image in the late 90's for a few years there, to take a break from it. 

Though even during these times, he still had to worry and think about the Turtles.  He's taking his break from it now... testing the waters to see where he wants to go with his life.  We should respect that, none of us would want people telling us what we should do, right?

[Michaelangelo]

Ok, I waited a few weeks to really put my two cents in about the sale of Ninja Turtles.  I didn't want to rush out and say stuff without thinking this through. So I've sat on this subject, not really posting my true feelings anywhere on the internet.  I've read what had to be said in the press releases, the blogs, and the websites. Even though we are just the fans, a lot of us have connected personally to the people behind the scenes over these past 25 years, and so we are taking this more personal than we would if it was just another media we barely pay attention to.

I have to admit, I always thought that if Peter Laird was to ever let go of the Turtles or Mirage, it would be back to Kevin Eastman.  I thought the Turtles would remain Mirage as long as they were out, because it was apart of who the Turtles were to us.  A survivor in a world of business and money, big names, big companies.  These heroes that came out of left field, stormed the world with entertainment, and stayed around... were able to live against all odds and keep millions of people happy.  It was something to all of us to see, an inspiration that even if we're down on our luck with work, there's always hope of something changing the tide for anyone who tries.  And that is what Eastman and Laird did, they kept trying even when they were not with any big company, did not have a lot of money... they took their ideas and shared them with the world.  And thanks to them, a lot of our lives have been changed for the better.  So yes, I've always been one of those fans who hoped that the Turtles would remain free from large corporate businesses.

So being a fan who felt that way, when I first heard the news I was depressed and upset by it.  I felt like we didn't even get the chance to say good bye to the Mirage-side of the Turtles properly since by time we heard, the Turtles were already sold.  I felt that we were loosing that comfort zone.  And at first I didn't hear anything about Peter still being able to do comics, so I thought we'd never get the chance to see Mirage Turtles again, even if Peter wanted to.  So I was scared of loosing that.

I was on the road at the time this news came to me, driving from South Dakota to Michigan without stopping to sleep. I just took this time to think, and even that wasn't enough time for me.  I only talked to a few friends to be able to vent this out over the phone as I went over and over the news.  Though I got messages from people asking for my thoughts. I just was not ready to really reply.

During that drive I thought about Peter, what he's done for us, what he's been through, and just how much of his life he's given up for us.  None of us have the right to ask Peter to give up his full life to the Turtles... for the fans.  He's human.  He's an artist who's for the most part lost his chance to take other creative rolls because the Turtles take up so much of his life.  When Peter brought TMNT Volume 4 out, he said in the letter page how he would do this as long as he was having fun.  He said that it was fans who helped inspired him to get back into this.  He made the choice to bring the Turtles back, for us, the fans.  Though in the last 9 years it has fully taken over his life.  The show, the movie, the toys, the conventions, the comics, and every other little thing. And what makes it even harder on him is every thing that comes out, every choice he made was being judged by the fans.

Starting early on fans were not happy with some changes, then other fans were not happy about something else and more fans not happy with another thing here or there.  For every 10 fans that were excited and enjoying what was out there, there was 10 to 15 fans getting mad and taking things personal.  And sadly the feedback that usually is sent out, isn't the feedback from people who are happy, but those who are upset.

So while a lot of us sat here happy and not said much unless we saw them in person or got the time to write something, those that were angry were making their voices heard and usually aimed their anger at Peter, or even the CEO of Mirage, Gary Richardson.  These are people who are not just working to please the fans now, but please their business partners.  Trying to do what they can to keep the Turtles around for us.  So for these past 9 years, Peter lost the time that he needed to work on the comic which is what he wanted to do, he's been attacked by upset fans in angry blogs or letters, he's been doing more of the business man route, which isn't who he is.

Anyone who has talked to me in the last 3 or 4 years normally would know that I do speak of this.  How I feel for the spot that Peter and Gary have been thrown into.  How we're going to loose the Turtles if things keep this way.  The Fans are killing what we have.  And yes this is a reason I have moved down to only speaking in very few areas of the fandom.  I don't care for the negative side of things.  It's why we don't allow the bashing of people or forums by names, true people are allowed to vent.. but don't make it personal by bringing who you're mad at into the topic.  Just release how you're feeling and why, and be able to move on.

As fans we don't get true say in where things go when it comes to the comics, shows or movies... we sit back and see what happens.  And no one is forced to be a fan of every media out there, we're welcome to limit what we like, only buy what we want to.  And watch what we want to.  So all the negative energy isn't really needed, but it's there.  I have mentioned to people over and over how in that first comic of Volume 4 that Peter was only going to stay with it, as he enjoyed it. I do feel that he stayed with it longer than he intended to, and the enjoyment part of it has been harder for him.

As I thought of this, I put myself in his shoes and realized that I too would want out.  But than came the question of why he went the route he did with this.  Kevin Eastman is doing his Heavy Metal stuff, it's his dream area.  I have not heard his personal feedback on how he feels about this, so I can not speak much on why things didn't head back that way.  I do know that Peter wanted to keep the fans happy, and keep the Turtles going strong.

And than I looked at the choice... I have to say, not that I don't like Disney cause I do see all of their movies and such, but my first reaction was "At least it's not Disney" (Sorry all Marvel fans!!!).  Than I thought of Nick itself, I have never seen a show get destroyed by Nick, true I've seen shows that I don't like on Nick, or their animation was low quailty even if the story was good.  Though those were all Nick originals.  But than you stop and look at how well they're doing with other shows like "Wolverine and the X-Men", "Fantastic Four" and "Iron Man".  These are not bad shows, they're not original Nick characters, they were not destroyed by Nick.  I realized than, that I watch "NickToons" these days more than any other cartoon channel.

So is this really a bad direction?

I don't think so. I think Nick will treat the Turtles with respect and make this buy worth their money.  They're going to do something different, they're going to give us a new view of the Turtles.

And is that a bad thing?

Not every version of the Turtles that has been on TV has been new versions. With the original cartoon, most of the original fans of the comic did not like this show too much, because it was a bit too kiddie. But Millions of fans out there loved this show, it introduced a lot of us to the Turtles to begin with.  It made the Turtles a household name around the world!  Than we had the Next Mutation, while up in the air if this is good or bad, when it was airing the reviews that were passed around TMNT-L was good. Fans looked forward to each week.  It was number one for it's time slot and Kids programming!  It was handled a lot differently from the Original cartoon series.  And than there's the 4Kids Series which was a mixture of both the original series and the Mirage comics with twists of it's own.  None of us knew what to expect, a lot of us were scared of a new cartoon.  Though it ended up being a great show that brought us a lot of wonderful story lines.  All three of these are different from what the fans beforehand knew of the Turtles.  All three of these were a success of their time.
 
Ok so we got something new coming... let's bring it on and see where it leads us!

One of our problems with Turtles and 4Kids wasn't the show or the toys, or even the movie.  It was the promotion for everything.  It was so low key, we barely got noticed at times.  Even when the movie was out of the theaters people would see me wearing Turtles and say "Hey I heard there's a new movie coming out" I'd break the news to them that it's already been out.  The 4Kids series, did you really see ads for it outside of the 4Kids block on weekend mornings?  I didn't.

The Turtles were getting buried by this lack of promotions and this isn't something I see happening with Nick.  They have the ability, the connections, the money and the power to get the word out there.  If a new movie is coming out, they'll let it be known and we'll know when it's in the theater.  If there's going to be a new show, there will be ads and not just on one channel.  If any company can promote the Turtles it's Viacom, and they can do it with keeping the edge to the guys that we enjoy.

I think the thing that made me relax the most about the news on this sale was the fact that Peter Laird can do up to 18 comics a year.  This made me breath easier as it took a lot of my depression off of my head.  This told me that Peter can still be a part of the Turtles if he chooses to be.  This tells me that we can still see his creative side and views of the Turtles, which I would of missed if he did not get this. True there's no promise of a Turtle Comic from him, esp anytime soon.  Though to know he's got that choice, the option of still giving us Turtle stories and being who he wants to be again.  It made this full sale make sense.

When both Eastman and Laird entered into this... they never thought we're going to become businessmen in charge of a huge global market where their choices were going to either make a lot of people happy or make a lot of people unhappy.  This is not what they went in for.  They're comic book fans, big time comic book fans.  They did this for the comic, they did this to have fun and if people read what they were doing, that was cool.  But they wanted to enjoy doing what they loved.  And Turtles blew up way too big for them to be able to still do what they enjoy and manage the Turtles at the same time.  By selling off the Turtles to Viacom, Peter can become this artist again... he can get creative again.  And if anyone has read his other work, they'll know he's got some good stuff he can still work on besides Turtles.  He just wants his life back, and after 25 years of giving and giving for the Turtles and the Turtle Fans... he deserves this.

I hope that Peter gets his break that is much deserved and needed, though I also do hope to some day see future comics from him about the Turtles.  I always enjoy seeing where he's going with the story lines.  I want to thank Peter for everything he's done for us and let him know that I have truly enjoyed his work over these years.  And not just the Turtle work, I love Planet Racer!!

So how do I feel about this sale?  I feel that things can go well with it.  I know that it won't stop me from being a fan.  It's not the death of the Ninja Turtles, just a new branch.  I will miss the artist and writers who have made the Turtles what we've known for the last 25 years, and hope to see their work in future Mirage comics.  I will not stop being a fan of their work.  I will still hope to see these people who've touched our lives and hope to remain friends with those who I already know.

My biggest regret about this sale... not knowing back at San D. It would of been nice to have given the Mirage crew a real "Good Bye and Thanks for the 25 years" party.  Where we could of talked to each of them on how they felt and been able to give them our respects for everything they've done for us.  "Turtles Forever" isn't a lie, they'll always be around... but the movie itself is a great nod to the 25 years of Mirage!

What is going to be different for me with this... well my autograph shirt is going to be one difference.. I'm going to keep that shirt as a first 25 years shirt.  Meaning only people who's worked on TMNT from 1984 to 2009 can autograph it.  I'll need a new shirt for the people who do 2009 + work  

Other than that, I don't see how my fandom can change.  I love the characters for who they are.  I don't see Nick or anyone else changing that.  I am a fan of Michaelangelo, Donatello, Raphael and Leonardo.  And will always remain a fan of them, who ever is taking care of them at that time, voicing them, drawing them, ect.

A Big Thanks to everyone who's been with us for the past 25 years working on bring the Turtles to Life!  You are and always will be a part of the Turtles, no matter your new paths! 

[Shredder]

I haven't read the entire thing, but I did  glance over it.  And I just wanted to say that my being negative over the last two years started with negative things at  home.  Home used to be pretty much all I had in life.  I was never invited anywhere, I made my own travel plans, etc.  And when home became nasty (I.e. Parent divorce worries). that slowly changed how I posted online.  The one place I could enjoy life was now also a source for worry.

It didn't help that I was reading constantly negative things on Murphy's blog.  Both by Murphy and the trolls that posted replies looking to stir up trouble.    Other online fandom's also got worse in the last two years as well.  Couple that with OCD and a growing depression, and you've got me bashing people up and immediately regretting it the next day. 

Now I can't speak for all fans who, for whatever reason have turned negative and are not the usual trolls, for the last few years. But that is my situation.  So once again I would like to offer an apology to the former Mirage employee's for anything I may have said over the last two or three years that may have upset them.

I'm all but avoiding online fan message boards for any franchise these days......I think a few year break from 'fandom' is what is called for .

[Aignatius]

Understood, Shred. This was all supposed to be something fun, so you'd forget the stresses of life for a while, not add to them. But wherever there are humans gathered together for some reason or another, there will be contention, from time to time. 

[Mica]

Thanks so much for letting us know your thoughts on it Ivey. They are very level-headed and very simular to my own. I second all that you said! Hear hear!

[Nanette]

 james Arnold Taylor did a good job of being Leo's voice in the movie TMNT,he's doing Obiwan Kenobi's voice in the Clone Wars series.He sounded like Ewan Mcgregor's Obiwan. good thing too.
 I rather Cartoon Network gets the Turtles.but at least we get to watch the Turtles again .we can always send our collective voices together and tell Nick network to do a good job on our favorite reptiles.

[turtleman4ever]

if i had to guess i would say that the comics would b put on hold for a while....it is a huge investment for them to publish them i think they will wait to see if the new show is a success or not..this would make since cause if it is a failure then they r stuck with all the merchandise...but i could b totally wrong just looking at it from a business view...what do u all think bout this

[Michaelangelo]

Newest Cowabunga Corner blog based on the sale of TMNT to Viacom, here it is:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZIT7dMqC7aE