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Bebop & Rocksteady smash their way onto DVD this September. Image Source: Nickelodeon.
NewsTV/Cartoon News

Nickelodeon Announces Wanted: Bebop & Rocksteady DVD Release

by Justin W
written by Justin W

It has only been a few months since the release of the last Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles DVD. At the time, we praised Paramount for giving fans four episodes from the newest season of the show. These first few episodes from Tales of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles were airing at about the same time that the DVD set hit the market, making the physical release a pretty good value. Unfortunately, their latest efforts in this arena definitely leave something to be desired.

Wanted: Bebop & Rocksteady hits DVD on September 12th. Pre-order today! Image Source: Paramount, Nickelodeon.

Wanted: Bebop & Rocksteady hits DVD on September 12th. Pre-order today! Image Source: Paramount, Nickelodeon.

Wanted: Bebop & Rocksteady includes only four episodes from Tales of the TMNT. Although these episodes have yet to air, chances are that we will see them at around the same time that the DVD set hits store shelves. Sadly, it would appear that Nickelodeon has elected to skip over the Usagi Yojimbo installment for the time being. We don’t know when or if they will release this “tale” at a later date, but for now it seems that we won’t be seeing these Miyamoto Usagi episodes on a physical format anytime soon.

That being said, there may actually be some value behind this release after all. In addition to the four episodes included, this DVD set will also feature the Ice Cream Kitty music video. I know there are some fans out there who have been wanting to see that, so it’s nice to discover that they will have the opportunity to check it out very soon. Wanted: Bebop & Rocksteady is slated for release on September 12th, 2017. Although its MSRP is $21.99, Amazon currently has a pre-order available for just over $15. Something tells me that price will drop even more by the time the DVD is officially released.

As a fan, I wish there was a bit more value behind this release. I’m also a little disappointed that they’ve skipped over the Usagi Yojimbo episodes, but I’ve got a feeling those won’t be left in limbo for long. With all of that in mind, this DVD set might still be a good value for some of my fellow shellheads. The music video is definitely an awesome special feature, but I’m not sure it’s enough to supplement the four episodes included on this set. I guess time will tell whether or not this was a wise decision from Paramount and Nickelodeon.

What do you think? Will you be picking up Wanted: Bebop & Rocksteady? Is this DVD set worth the MSRP? Share your thoughts and feelings in the comments below or on Facebook/Twitter.

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Machelle Noel asked Greg Cipes some very awesome questions during this interview at WonderCon 2017. Image Source: GeekRockTV, WonderCon.
EventsNews

An Enlightening Interview With Greg Cipes at WonderCon 2017

by Justin W
written by Justin W

WonderCon is almost always an amazing experience, and we were fortunate to have a fellow shellhead on hand at the event this year. Machelle Noel (AKA our very own April O’Neil) of GeekRockTV performed interviews with a variety of actors while attending the convention, but her discussion with Greg Cipes may have been one of the most interesting. As you may know, Cipes plays the role of Michelangelo in Nickelodeon’s Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, and he had a lot of interesting things to say about the fifth and final season of this series.

One of the biggest revelations was that he has written the lyrics for an Ice Cream Kitty song which will soon get its own music video. He also revealed that the series will finish off with an epic 3 part story which will wrap things up quite nicely. Afterward, he dropped a not-so-subtle hint which may have answered one of the biggest questions we’ve had for several months when saying “you never know where I’ll pop up in the new show.”

Machelle Noel tried to get some more definitive information about this, but all Cipes would say is that the amount of involvement he has with Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles will depend upon the fans. It would appear that Nickelodeon may just decide to make Greg Cipes a regular on the show if the fans show enough support for him. Regardless of what comes next, he tried to reassure fellow shellheads by stating that he’ll always be Mikey where it counts and he’ll always be a part of the fan base.

After asking these questions, Noel moved on to a quickfire round of sorts which produced some pretty interesting answers. Here’s a rundown of some awesome responses from Greg Cipes himself:

  • He owns a pair of nunchucks and practices martial arts
  • The first Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movie was his favorite
  • He prefers the animated series over TMNT comics or movies
  • His favorite pizza topping is Avocado (he is a Raw Vegan)

These were only a few of the more significant topics covered by Machelle Noel during the interview. If you’d like to see more, make sure to watch the whole thing in the video above. Alternatively, you can also check out her interviews with actors/actresses like Luke Perry, Rachel Kimsey, Wes Gleason, and Marisol Nichols in the video below. If you want to see everything else Machelle has been up to, check out her work on Facebook/Instagram/Twitter @MachelleNoelTV and @GeekRockTV. Special Thanks to Machelle Noel, Matthew Weatherson, Matt Beck, Emily Beck and GeekRockTV.com.

What was your favorite revelation from this Greg Cipes interview? Are you happy to hear that Cipes will be involved with Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles? Share your thoughts and opinions either in the comments below or on Facebook/Twitter.

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If you thought Samurai Turtles were the best thing Playmates would announce at Toy Fair this year, think again! Image Source: Pixel Dan, Playmates Toys.
NewsToy/Action FiguresTV/Cartoon News

6 Amazing Revelations Playmates Made During Toy Fair 2017

by Justin W
written by Justin W

Whether intentionally or not, Playmates Toys made some rather interesting revelations during an interview with Pixel Dan. This wouldn’t be the first time that they have shared some important information with him, but some of the details he discovered hadn’t actually been fully explained by either Nickelodeon or Playmates until now. Considering just how enlightening this short interview actually was, let’s take a look at some of the most significant announcements that were recently made during Toy Fair 2017.

Tales of the TMNT is more than just a promotional name

According to the interviewer, the new “Tales of the TMNT” phrase being used by Nickelodeon is actually meant to denote a series of several episodes which have a common theme. These “tales” will be split into four different story arcs across the fifth season, starting with the conclusion of the Super Shredder plot. Anyone who remembers what they did with the later seasons of the 4Kids series may find this oddly familiar, and it definitely seems like they’re trying to take this cartoon in that direction.

For all we know, this is what they meant when they said that the series was going to end after the fifth season; perhaps they’re just going to re-name the show Tales of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles! Sadly, Nickelodeon doesn’t do a great job of making these distinctions perfectly clear, so we’ll just have to wait and see what actually happens. One thing is for sure: it would be foolish for them to stop producing one of their most popular cartoons. Needless to say, Playmates Toys will be releasing a product line related to each individual story arc.

One of the Story Arcs will include Usagi Yojimbo

We’ve known about Usagi Yojimbo’s return to the TMNT lore for several months now. That being said, we didn’t know how he would end up meeting with the turtles, and now we at least know that he will have his own story arc with our heroes in a half shell. The toy line that Playmates has designed for this arc includes Leo, Raph, Donnie and Mikey dressed up as samurai warriors, which means we can probably expect them to don this armor at some point during the fifth season.

Mikey is looking pretty darn good in Samurai form! How good will Usagi Yojimbo look? Image Source: Pixel Dan, Playmates Toys.

Mikey is looking pretty darn good in Samurai form! How good will Usagi Yojimbo look? Image Source: Pixel Dan, Playmates Toys.

Whatever they actually end up looking like in the series, it’s hard to deny that these toys look really nice. Unfortunately, they didn’t have the Usagi Yojimbo toy yet, but we probably won’t have to wait much longer to see what he looks like. Say what you will about the Tales of the TMNT re-branding, but it’s clear that this idea is resulting in some pretty awesome action figures! Something tells me that collectors and kids alike are going to have a lot of fun getting their hands on all of these variants.

Another Story Arc Will Apparently Reference the Universal Classic Monsters

Although the official from Playmates didn’t specifically state that this toy line will be based on one of the four story arcs in season five, the language he used definitely seems to indicate that this might be the case. This line of toys will be entitled “Monsters + Mutants,” featuring each of the turtles as both monsters and monster hunters. Being that they are apparently going to be hunting monsters, it makes sense that we might eventually see them turn into monsters as well.

Leo looks pretty good as The Mummy, but can we just take a moment to appreciate the majesty that is Frankenstein Donny? Image Source: Pixel Dan, Playmates Toys.

Leo looks pretty good as The Mummy, but can we just take a moment to appreciate the majesty that is Frankenstein Donny? Image Source: Pixel Dan, Playmates Toys.

Fans of Playmates Toys will immediately recognize this line as a reference to their old Universal Classic Monsters toy line from the 90’s. This has always been a fan favorite, so it’s definitely nice to see them returning to form with Mikey as the Wolfman, Raph as Dracula, Leo as The Mummy and Donnie as Frankenstein. The molds for these particular action figures look absolutely wonderful, which leads me to believe that this will also be a popular line of toys for both younger fans and collectors alike.

Bebop and Rocksteady will Feature in their own Story Arc

This was positively confirmed, as the Playmates representative definitively stated that there would be three episodes for that particular plot. Although they are only featured in three episodes, it would appear that the company still has plans to release a special variant of the Bebop and Rocksteady figures. These toys will feature both baddies in their original clothing from the ’87 animated series, which is sure to please both young and old fans. You’ve gotta give both Nickelodeon and Playmates Toys a lot of credit – they know how to appease their audience.

Unfortunately, the next revelation proves that they aren’t always going to please all of the fans.

Bebop and Rocksteady are looking pretty good back in their original clothes! Image Source: Pixel Dan, Playmates Toys.

Bebop and Rocksteady are looking pretty good back in their original clothes! Image Source: Pixel Dan, Playmates Toys.

It looks like we won’t be getting Ice Cream Kitty after all

During a similar interview a few years ago, a Playmates representative gave fans their first look at an Ice Cream Kitty action figure. The feline was to be packaged along with two other small figures, but it was never released. According to this latest interview, it would appear that they no longer have plans to release an Ice Cream Kitty toy. Thankfully, this character has been released in TMNT toy sets from other companies, so it’s not impossible to get a little plastic figurine of Mikey’s favorite pet.

However, we will finally get a Muckman figure

I’m pretty sure that the Muckman figure has actually been in development for an even longer period of time than Ice Cream Kitty. With that in mind, it’s definitely nice to see that they have at least made good on their promises to bring this action figure to market. A lot of fans have been clamoring for a Muckman toy ever since the series originally began to air in 2012, and I’m sure they’ll all be happy to see that this toy is very close to becoming a reality. Playmates Toys might not get everything right, but their sales would indicate that they still manage to keep most TMNT fans quite pleased.

Surprisingly, this Muckman figure looks about as awesome today as it did when they first announced it! Image Source: Pixel Dan, Playmates Toys.

Surprisingly, this Muckman figure looks about as awesome today as it did when they first announced it! Image Source: Pixel Dan, Playmates Toys.

Several Reasons to Be Excited

Regardless how you feel about all of these revelations from Toy Fair 2017, there’s definitely more good news than bad. I’m not sure how I feel about Nickelodeon potentially splitting up season five into a bunch of random story arcs, but I do like all of the different plot concepts they will be exploring. I’m especially excited about the Monsters + Mutants and Samurai Turtles toy lines, which promise a lot of great action figures for fans of all ages. It’s disappointing to see that they won’t be giving us an Ice Cream Kitty figure, but at least we’re finally getting Muckman! I don’t know about you, but I will definitely take the positives with the negatives in this case.

What are you most excited to see or hear about? What is the most disappointing news? Share your thoughts and feelings either in the comments below or on Facebook/Twitter.

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ReviewsTV/Cartoon Series

TMNT – “Broken Foot” Review

by Dan Spitaliere
written by Dan Spitaliere

Screen Shot 2016-08-21 at 2.12.45 PM“Broken Foot” continues Karai’s vendetta against the Shredder. With plans to attack and destroy Shredder’s infrastructure, this episode promised to be action packed, and it did a pretty good job at delivering. The central conflict of the episode revolved not around Karai’s ambushes, but rather her ally in the fight: Leonardo!

Karai and Shinigami hit up a Foot Clan money laundering center, and when they encounter the Purple Dragons and Hun, Leo provides back up. Bringing the Purple Dragons back was a good way to reestablish the street level crime element of the Foot Clan. They still act as comedic relief, but Hun remains dangerous, even though Leo quickly dispatched him. Plus, we got to see Shinigami use that hypnosis ability to trick one of the Dragons into seeing a giant Oni! She really is a source of visual flair for the episode, and I’m glad the writers and animators are utilizing her for this.Screen Shot 2016-08-21 at 2.10.53 PM

We find out after the ambush that Leo hasn’t told Splinter or his brothers that he has been helping Karai. It’s a little weird to see this side of him, as even the other characters all point out that this is more in Raph’s wheelhouse. They even make a callback to Raph’s Nightwatcher alter ego at one point in the episode.

Everything hits the fan when Mikey, Raph, and Donnie (after an always welcome chat with Ice Cream Kitty) track down Leo to the site of Karai’s next mission; A Foot Clan chemical factory (Shredder has a really diversified business, doesn’t he?). Her plan is to infiltrate the factory with Leo, Shinigami, and a new set of Foot Clan ninjas recruited from Japan, place explosives all around the facility, and blow it up. However, they’re quickly discovered by Bebop and Rocksteady, and an all out fight breaks out when Tiger Claw joins them! Karai and her team are quickly over run, but after placing the explosives they escape. The Foot give chase, and when Donnie, Raph, and Mikey arrive, they’re greeted only by the count down of the explosives in the empty factory. Donnie ushers the other two out, but not before getting caught in the explosion and seriously hurt!

Screen Shot 2016-08-21 at 2.16.34 PMLeo catches up with his brothers, who are obviously angry that his exploits have resulted in Donnie getting hurt. They return  home to get help from Splinter, and Leo apologizes for his short sightedness. In helping Karai, trying to keep her in control, he caused the injury of his brother, and failed as a leader. Splinter reminds him that being a leader means being able to see when bad decisions will cause bad outcomes and leaves him to contemplate this new lesson.

It’s important that the show challenges Leo as a leader. I like that it’s not something that the writers take for granted, and show him failing, struggling, and learning to become better. Through this, they also showed how mature the other Turtle’s have become. This shines especially bright on Raph. As we mentioned before, the episode itself claims that this sounds more like something Raph would do. Even he says it. The fact that he isn’t however, speaks to the growth of his character through the life of this show.

While April and Splinter tend to Donatello, Leo asks Mikey and Raph for help. Together, they try to convince Karai and Shinigami to stop attacking Shredder’s assets. Their next target is a Foot Bot assembly plant, and Leo worries that they will quickly be outnumbered. Karai, too consumed with revenge, refuses to listen and they vanish, headed for the factory.

Screen Shot 2016-08-21 at 2.18.49 PMBut it seems they bit off more than they could chew, since the factory wasn’t building the old Foot Bots, but rather the new Elite Foot Bots. Luckily for Karai and Shinigami, the Turtles arrive for the save again! What follows is a sprawling fight, as Karai attempts to plant explosives, Raph tries to shut down the assembly line, Shinigami and Mikey take on Bebop and Rocksteady, and Leo and the Foot Ninjas fight the Elite Foot Bots. Just as the numbers start to overwhelm our heroes, Karai blows up the central molten ore container, getting caught in her own blast, but also taking down Tiger Claw. With the factory destroyed, everyone makes an escape.

Screen Shot 2016-08-21 at 2.19.17 PMThe uneasy partnership between the Turtles and Karai continues to intrigue. As much as Leo likes Karai, I wasn’t expecting him to stick his neck out so far for her. While her missions were ultimately successful, they certainly would not have been without the Turtles help. The fact that she hasn’t realized this, and states her intention to go directly after the Shredder next, shows that she hasn’t really learned anything from this outing. It will be interesting to see where Karai and Shinigami go from here. Will they continue to work with the Turtles? Will they keep risking too much until they’re in a situation they can’t get out of? We know Splinter doesn’t approve of her vendetta, but how long will it be before he interferes directly?

“Broken Foot” was action packed and full of great character beats. Having Leo be the turtle to go behind Splinter’s back was an interesting choice. It showed how far he was willing to go to help someone he cares about, yet pushed him to learn from his lapse in judgement. There’s a fine line between help and enabling, and in this case Leo was enabling Karai, and ultimately at the cost of his brother’s health. “Broken Foot” proved to be another solid step forward for this volume of TMNT, continuing to ask interesting questions about where the fight with Shredder will take us next.Screen Shot 2016-08-21 at 2.19.50 PM

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New Playmates TMNT toys at Toy Fair 2016
NewsToy/Action Figures

Playmates TMNT Toys New to Toy Fair 2016

by Justin W
written by Justin W

Have I ever mentioned how much I love Pixel Dan? Not only is he an unabashed TMNT fan, but he is also obsessed with toys, which means that he features a lot of cool Playmates TMNT toys on his Youtube channel. When the time comes for him to cover the Toy Fair each year, he tends to spend a lot of time focusing on Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles products.

Playmates TMNT toys

He also gets the opportunity to speak with the guys at the Playmates booth about their plans for upcoming releases. This year was no different, and Dan has made some pretty big discoveries about new Playmates TMNT toys that are headed our way. Without further adieu, let’s talk about a few notable discoveries featured in this video.

Armaggon Figure Coming Soon

armaggon-1

That’s right, one of the fan favorites who was once only a character featured in the comic books will now be making an appearance in the toy aisles.

Playmates is planning to release a cool figure of Armaggon sometime in the next year, and you can get a good look at his design and play features by watching the video above.

Karai Human Figure Finally Being Released

karai-1

Fans have been asking when they are going to get a figure of Karai in human form, and their queries have finally been answered. Shown in the video above, you can clearly see they have a model prepared for this variant of Karai and it looks pretty darn good.

It’s about time that she got some respect from Playmates, because she is such an integral part of the story in Nickelodeon’s Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.

Muckman Still Planned For Release

muckman-1

Despite having been shown on packaging before and having planned a release earlier, we still haven’t seen a Muckman figure on store shelves quite yet.

Thankfully, Dan asked about this and received confirmation that they will still be doing a Muckman figure which is due for release later this year. Sadly, he wasn’t represented at the toy fair this year, but at least there are still plans for this action figure.

Ice Cream Kitty Toy Might Be Scrapped

icecreamkitty-1

When asked about the pack of toys that included Ice Cream Kitty, the representative from Playmates wouldn’t confirm or deny that the release had been scrapped, but he did say that it had been put on hold.

The release is apparently being held back to see whether or not these characters will make more of an impression on the fans and in the Nickelodeon show.

Battler Turtles With Action Features

battlertmnt-1

One of the new planned toys was referred to as a “Battler Turtle,” and it looks to be a toy that either punches or kicks with the use of a button on the back of the turtle shell.

These definitely remind me of a lot of toy designs we saw back in the 80’s and 90’s, and it’s cool to see them making a return once again.

Playmates TMNT toys display at Toy Fair 2016

These weren’t the only awesome Playmates TMNT toys on display at their booth at Toy Fair 2016, but if you want to see the rest, you’ll have to watch the video from Pixel Dan. Oh, and you might want to think about subscribing as well, because he reviews a lot of awesome toys and TMNT figures on his channel. Stay tuned for more news about TMNT merchandise that was discovered on display at this year’s toy fair!

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