Saturday, July 14, 2012

TMNT at Comic-Con

According to comicbookmovie.com, Comic-Con fans will be getting an extra TMNT treat. To celebrate the new TMNT TV series scheduled to come out September 29th, Nickelodeon will let fans decide to join either the Turtles or the Foot.

Nickelodeon has set up street teams in downtown San Diego and San Diego International Airport who will be handing out information about what side to choose.

The event begins Thursday, July 12 and ends Saturday, July 14, from 10 a.m.-7 p.m.

Those who choose to join a side will receive a free badge of allegiance to either the Foot Clan or the Turtles. Fans will also be able to receive a free trucker hat. In addition, fans will also qualify for a chance to win a prize pack with collectibles and an autographed piece of classic memorabilia from co-creator of the original TMNT series, Kevin Eastman.

Nickelodeon has put up information throughout both cities encouraging fans to visit their mobile website, m.turtlesvsfoot.com, to participate in missions. Fans can receive a phone call from either Splinter or Shredder.

Comic-Con will also host a panel dedicated to the new series on Friday, July 14. Executive Producer, Ciro Nieli, will be unveiling never-before-seen footage. The panel will feature voice actors: Jason Biggs (Leonardo), Sean Astin (Raphael), Greg Cipes (Michelangelo), Rob Paulsen (Donatello), Kevin Michael Richardson (Shredder), Hoon Lee (Splinter) and Mae Whitman (April O'Neil).

Many other TMNT celebrities will be involved with Comic-Con. To represent TMNT comics, Dave Garcia, Erik Larsen, David Petersen, James Silvani and Michael Dooney will be in artist alley. 

Garcia helped create the character Panda Khan. Khan is a samurai panda bear, who was featured in early comics of TMNT.

Larsen took the Turtles in a more violent direction. Events such as: Leonardo losing a hand, Donatello becoming a cyborg, Splinter becoming a bat, Raphael's face being scarred and taking on the identity of Shredder.

Peterson is a cover artist involved with the IDW TMNT Comics. IDW is an eight issue series for Micro comics based on one character per an issue. Peterson has stated on his blog that he has been working closely with Nickelodeon, which could mean the IDW comics may be mentioned in the new show.

Silbani and Dooney have worked on many TMNT comics over the years, however, Dooney designed some TMNT toys.

To represent the TMNT movies, Ernie Reyes Jr, will be in attendance. Reyes is best known for his work on the first TMNT movie as Donatello's stunt double and and as Keno in TMNT 2.

The biggest name at Comic-Con will be TMNT co-creature Kevin Eastman. Eastman will be involved in a number of panels throughout the weekend.

Nickelodeon is banking that the new TMNT series will take off. If the series is done right, it could mean big money for them. Recently, Nickelodeon launched the “The ’90s Are All That" campaign and had results. “The ’90s Are All That" is a programming block that features shows from the 1990's, including cartoons.  

The 90's hold a special place in TMNT fans hearts. The franchise was at its peak. For TMNT fans Comic-Con will not only be a tribute to the old turtles, it will provide an inside look into what the future holds for them.

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