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With only a few weeks to go, we've finally discovered the voice actor behind Usagi Yojimbo. Image Source: Nickelodeon.
NewsTV/Cartoon News

Tales of the TMNT News: Voice Actor for Usagi Yojimbo Finally Announced

by Justin W
written by Justin W

With only a few weeks until the episodes actually air, we’ve been curious about who would actually be taking on the role of Miyamoto Usagi during the Usagi Yojimbo/TMNT crossover episodes. At first, IMDb had listed John Boyega (Star Wars: The Force Awakens) as the voice of this rabbit ronin, but this actually wasn’t the case. Someone close to the development of the show informed us that this information was not correct, but they didn’t mention who the actual voice actor would be. Thankfully, that was recently revealed by the actor himself on Twitter!

It's been a long time coming, but we're finally about to see the turtles meet up with their rabbit ronin friend from another dimension once again! Image Source: Nickelodeon.

It’s been a long time coming, but we’re finally about to see the turtles meet up with their rabbit ronin friend from another dimension once again! Image Source: Nickelodeon.

The voice behind Miyamoto Usagi will be none other than Yuki Matsuzaki. He is perhaps best known for roles in films such as Letters From Iwo Jima and Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides. Perhaps ironically, he also had a part in a short film known as Mr. Rabbit (or Usagi-san). Based on his body of work, I’d have to say that he’s perfect for the role. Although it would have been interesting to hear a version of this character from John Boyega, something tells me that we’ll be far better off with Matsuzaki.

We don’t know for sure, but it wouldn’t surprise me if he made an appearance at SDCC 2017. Whatever happens, I’m sure they’ll at least discuss this casting decision at some point during that event. Fans have been waiting a long time to see Miyamoto Usagi meet up with his turtle friends once more, so it wouldn’t shock me if most shellheads were just happy that this is finally happening. Either way, it’s nice to see that they found a professional actor to perform the role of Usagi Yojimbo in this awesome crossover.

What do you think? Will Yuki Matsuzaki do justice to the character of Miyamoto Usagi? Are you still excited to see this Usagi Yojimbo/TMNT crossover event? Share your thoughts either in the comments below or on Facebook/Twitter.

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Stan Sakai has finally brought the turtles back to his Usagi Yojimbo universe. Image Source: Enterainment Weekly, IDW.
Comic Book NewsNews

IDW and Stan Sakai Team Up for Usagi Yojimbo/TMNT Crossover Comic

by Justin W
written by Justin W

It all started with a simple picture from a Playmates Toys event. In the photo we could clearly see the logo for a new toy line based on the Usagi Yojimbo franchise. It didn’t take long before speculation began to grow about whether or not we’d see the Rabbit Ronin appear in any other form. Fans were curious if we’d see the character play a role in the current TMNT cartoon or perhaps even another comic book crossover. After a few months, it was revealed that Miyamoto would in fact appear in Nickelodeon’s Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Now we can officially announce that Stan Sakai will be combining his property with our heroes in a half shell for a new comic book series.

This won’t be the first time that we’ve seen Miyamoto Usagi team up with the turtles in a comic book, but it’s been at least a few decades since the last time they met up between the panels. As Kevin Eastman explains, the two properties have a lot of history with one another:

It's been far too long since the Rabbit Ronin joined his turtles in battle. Image Source: IDW.

It’s been far too long since the Rabbit Ronin joined his turtles in battle. Image Source: IDW.

“Stan and I both started out the same year, 1984, and here we are still living the dream telling stories with characters we created over three decades ago. I love the fact that our two creations were intertwined from the beginning and could not be more thrilled that Stan is coming back to tell a new story in the IDW TMNT comics universe.”

Entertainment Weekly got the scoop this time around, performing an interview with Sakai and asking him plenty of interesting questions about the new Usagi Yojimbo/TMNT crossover comic. When asked about bringing the turtles back to his stories, Stan had the following to say:

“Usagi has met the turtles many times before, but this incarnation of the Turtles is very different since the series has been rebooted. Though Usagi is familiar with the Turtles, he’s not familiar with these Turtles. So they’ve got to reestablish group dynamics, they have to reestablish relationships, and there are suspicions all the way around.”

It will definitely be interesting to see how the crossover works out. Thankfully, we won’t have much longer to wait before this hits store shelves, as the release date is scheduled for July 2017. Here’s hoping that Miyamoto Usagi plays well with his long time friends from another dimension!

Are you excited to see that Stan Sakai has been working on a Usagi Yojimbo/TMNT crossover comic? Will you be buying these comics as they are released? Share your thoughts and plans 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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Nickelodeon's Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles may be nearing its end, but that doesn't mean the franchise has no future. Image Source: Nickelodeon.
BlogOther

Is The Future Bright for the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles?

by Justin W
written by Justin W

Our heroes in a half shell have had a pretty difficult year. As 2016 began, fans were excited about the prospects of an entirely new video game and movie. Nickelodeon had begun production on the fifth season of their Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles series and there was reason to be excited about the future of the turtles. Sadly, as the year comes to an end, the outlook for this franchise isn’t excellent. Paramount’s Out of the Shadows bombed, Mutants in Manhattan failed to impress most audiences, and Nickelodeon is reportedly considering the cancellation of their TMNT animated series.

With so much negativity surrounding the franchise, it doesn’t look like 2017 will hold much promise for the turtles. That being said, something tells me that this could be the year that turns everything around for our boys in green. Here are a few reasons to remain hopeful for the future of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles:

The Return of Usagi Yojimbo

One of many Usagi Yojimbo comics from Stan Sakai. Image Source: Fantagraphics.

One of many Usagi Yojimbo comics from Stan Sakai. Image Source: Fantagraphics.

Although Nickelodeon may cancel their Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles cartoon after the fifth season, there’s always a possibility that they will continue the franchise in some other fashion.

Stan Sakai has confirmed that Usagi Yojimbo will appear in Nick’s TMNT, and we have seen evidence that this may just be the beginning of a resurgence for the Rabbit Ronin.

The first hint of Miyamoto Usagi’s return came in the form of a logo which appeared at a Playmates Toys event. This logo indicated that the character might get his own toy line, but the reality might be far more interesting. What if the end of Nickelodeon’s Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles brings about the beginning of an animated Usagi Yojimbo series?

Other than the aforementioned logo, there is no real reason to expect that this might happen – but it’s still fun to imagine the possibilities.

Nickelodeon Wouldn’t Just Dump the Franchise

Although some fans insist that Ciro Nieli only had plans for five seasons of the animated series, something tells me that the fifth season won’t be the last TMNT property to receive investment from Nickelodeon. In the past few years, they have experimented with a variety of different concepts such as the Half-Shell Heroes animated special which found the turtles traveling back in time and befriending dinosaurs. There was no indication that these experiments were not successful, so it could be that they were looking to prove that this franchise can easily branch out.

The potential end to Nick's TMNT is definitely a shocker, because there have been no indications that this would happen anytime soon. Image Source: Nickelodeon.

The potential end to Nick’s TMNT is definitely a shocker, because there have been no indications that this would happen anytime soon. Image Source: Nickelodeon.

Although Nickelodeon’s Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles series may soon come to an end, there’s very real potential that it could be replaced with a different TMNT project. In addition to the possibility of a Usagi Yojimbo animated series, it’s entirely feasible that Nieli’s success with the franchise convinced Nick to give him the reigns of a spin-off series. Why would they cancel one of their most popular cartoons if they didn’t have something to replace the show? Something tells me we haven’t seen the last of the turtles on Nickelodeon.

Viacom Will Be Trying New Things

TMNT: Out of the Shadows Blu-ray. Image Source: Paramount Pictures.

TMNT: Out of the Shadows Blu-ray. Image Source: Paramount Pictures.

After the recent news that CBS would not be merging with Viacom, the stock value for this company has nearly dropped to the status of junk. Nobody is coming to the rescue, and it appears that the company will be on its own. If they really want to turn things around, it will be important for them to try new things. Thankfully, it would appear that the new CEO has big plans for the media conglomerate which include a more global approach.

What does a global approach mean? Well, just take a look at how they distributed Out of the Shadows. Paramount worked with the Chinese company Alibaba in order to distribute the film to a global audience. In the modern entertainment business, China represents perhaps the second largest market for film. If you need evidence of this, simply take note of how much money Warcraft earned in this market. If it weren’t for Chinese audiences, Warcraft would have been a bomb at the box office.

So what does this mean for the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles? Well, when it comes to Paramount’s TMNT movies, chances are that Viacom is going to return to the drawing board. They will probably take a good look at movies which performed well in popular markets such as China and seek to aim their products more at these global audiences. This could be a good thing or a bad thing, but I’m personally hopeful that they come up with something far more agreeable than the last two Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles films from Platinum Dunes.

TMNT Toys and Collectibles are Still Popular

2016 saw the announcement of several popular Ninja Turtles collectibles and toys. Just when you thought the franchise might be losing steam, another toy company came out of nowhere with yet another awesome TMNT figure. Companies such as NECA, Playmates Toys, DreamEX, Prime 1 Studios and Good Smile produced plans for some of the most incredible TMNT collectibles we have ever seen. Something tells me that we wouldn’t see this much interest in the property unless there were a lot of fans buying these kinds of products.

Donatello introduces Michelangelo, Leonardo and Raphael to the 90's TMNT movie figure line. Image Source: NECA.

Donatello introduces Michelangelo, Leonardo and Raphael to the 90’s TMNT movie figure line. Image Source: NECA.

If even half of this merchandise sells well, chances are that we will continue to see these companies explore new ideas for TMNT collectibles and toys. I’ve already seen some figures indicating that at least Playmates Toys has been doing very well this year, so I’m confident that we will continue to see awesome Ninja Turtles action figures for many years to come.

TMNT Comics Probably Won’t Go Anywhere

Batman/TMNT Adventures variant cover art by Hilary Barta. Image Source: IDW, DC Comics/via CBR.

Batman/TMNT Adventures variant cover art by Hilary Barta. Image Source: IDW, DC Comics/via CBR.

When all else fails, we can always count on IDW to produce some amazing content. In the past few years, we’ve seen them create two crossovers with Batman which have both been wildly popular.

They’re also working on the Artisan Edition of the original Mirage Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles comics. Oh, and then there’s the Kevin Eastman Notebook Series, which provides a historical look at the origins of the TMNT. These are just a few of the projects they have been working on, and it looks like they’ve got big plans for many years to come.

Even if we don’t see a spinoff cartoon series or a new movie anytime soon, chances are that IDW will keep working with the turtles in perpetuity. No matter what happens with the franchise in any other respect, we can always rely upon the original realm of the turtles to keep their stories alive and well.

 

Are you hopeful for the future of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles? Have I made some valid points, or am I speculating a bit too much about the possibilities for our heroes in a half shell? Share your thoughts either in the comments below or on Facebook/Twitter.

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According to Stan Sakai himself, Usagi Yojimbo will be making an appearance in Nickelodeon's TMNT. Image Source: 4Kids
NewsTV/Cartoon News

Stan Sakai Confirms Usagi Yojimbo Will Be In Nickelodeon’s TMNT

by Justin W
written by Justin W

The creator of Usagi Yojimbo was signing comics at Rose City Comic-con last weekend, and according to several different reports, he confirmed that his character will in fact be making a return to the lore of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Although we had previously seen the logo for a new line of toys based on the rabbit ronin, there was no confirmation that we would be seeing Miyamoto Usagi in any other form. If the latest reports are true, Stan Sakai himself has finally confirmed that Usagi will be in Nickelodeon’s Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles series.

There may not be an official announcement from Nickelodeon as of yet, but the creator himself has already broken the silence. If I had to guess when we can expect the official press release, I chances are that we may hear something at NYCC in October. Regardless, it’s nice to hear that Sakai has been nice enough to allow Nick to use his character in their TMNT series.

Considering how careful he has been about where and how Miyamoto would appear in other franchises, something tells me that he personally read and approved of the script. If Stan Sakai likes your work enough to bring back Usagi Yojimbo, that’s definitely a good sign. That being said, we have no idea how much involvement Sakai has had in this project. All we know for sure at this point is that he signed some paperwork.

Miyamoto Usagi has a long history with the turtles, so he should be a perfect fit in Nick's TMNT series. Image Source: Fantagraphics Books.

Miyamoto Usagi has a long history with the turtles, so he should be a perfect fit in Nick’s TMNT series. Image Source: Fantagraphics Books.

Nickelodeon’s Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles has already made references to several different iterations of the franchise in its first four seasons. At this point, it makes perfect sense for them to finally introduce yet another memorable friend of the turtles.

I don’t know about you, but I am hopeful that this will be more than just a one-time episode. How awesome would it be if Usagi Yojimbo became a somewhat regular character in Nick’s TMNT series? Whatever happens next, I’m just happy to see Miyamoto Usagi return to the Ninja Turtles lore once again. Now all we have to do is wait until we see those rabbit ears pop up on our TV screens for the first time in a decade!

Are you excited to hear that Stan Sakai has confirmed that Usagi Yojimbo will be making an appearance in Nickelodeon’s TMNT series? Let us know your thoughts either in the comments or on facebook/twitter!

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