Mirage Panel

[Vegita-San]

Part 1 is currently converting in it's proper HD....Hopefully will be done in the 30 minute time frame it suggests. by 11AM it should be viewable again....

http://www.vimeo.com/3118182

[Roseangelo]

Yay! Thanks Neil! Can't wait to see the rest!

[LeoNerdo]

cool, thanks a lot!

[dripgutz24]

That's a sweet video, I hope if there is another one they talk about the future TMNT.

[Andrew NDB]

That's a sweet video, I hope if there is another one they talk about the future TMNT.

I'd imagine you'd prefer to hear positive news instead of that, though, wouldn't you?

[dripgutz24]

I'd imagine you'd prefer to hear positive news instead of that, though, wouldn't you?

Both would be great.

[Jester]

Hooray Neil, any reason as to why Murph dropped out as moderator?

[Raph's Girl]

Hooray Neil, any reason as to why Murph dropped out as moderator?

His wife (I think it was his wife) posted on Facebook that he's sick.

[Jester]

You're his (or his wife's) Facebook friend?

But he is in NY....hmmm...

[Raph's Girl]

You're his (or his wife's) Facebook friend?

But he is in NY....hmmm...

No, Im Jake Black's facebook friend. She posted on Jake's wall.

[Vegita-San]

I want to get some of the smaller stuff up first, and I'll render the rest of the Mirage panel. Hopefully part 2 will be up before midnight

[Vegita-San]

Part 2 being rendered, or re-rendered now....

Should be up by tomorrow....

[Archon_Turtle]

Hooray Neil, any reason as to why Murph dropped out as moderator?

Steve had a flu bug. He was making friends with the toilet all day. He was up and about at the con today (saturday).

[twopinacoladas]

Nice thanks for posting :)

[gobo]

Neil rocks! ^_^

[Vegita-San]

Part 2
http://www.vimeo.com/3129813

Part 3
http://www.vimeo.com/3129835


Should be Done converting by 10:30

I left 10 minutes early to see the end of another panel

[Vegita-San]

Part 2 and 3 are now active....

Typing this from the con.....The TMNT 25 Panel will be up before the end of the day...

[CyberCubed]

The fans shouldn't have asked them questions about the old toon, the Mirage guys couldn't answer them since none of them really watched the old show.

Vegita-San, were you the one who asked them about the red sky seasons?

[Mr._Mutant_Man]

I like how they mentioned the lack of press when it comes to Splinter's death. I know he's not as mainstream a character as Robin, but you'd think even among comic fans it would be bigger news.

[Roseangelo]

I agree that Splinter's death should have gotten more press, but considering how he died I'm glad it didn't.

[Jester]

How did he die? Heart attack, stroke? Became a glowing cloud of dust and evaporating into nothing?

[Roseangelo]

How did he die? Heart attack, stroke? Became a glowing cloud of dust and evaporating into nothing?

He keeled over in a closet, or while reaching for milk in the fridge. Something like that involving an apparent heart attack.

[Vegita-San]

The fans shouldn't have asked them questions about the old toon, the Mirage guys couldn't answer them since none of them really watched the old show.

Vegita-San, were you the one who asked them about the red sky seasons?

Nope,

I asked about the rat king in the new toon at thetmnt 25th anniversary panel...

Surprise answer there for rat king fans :)

[Raph's Girl]

How did he die? Heart attack, stroke? Became a glowing cloud of dust and evaporating into nothing?

He'd been having heart problems from the get go in Vol 4 (you could see him cringe in pain every once in a while). His heart finally gave out in the broom closet on the farm (which is now like a retirement home for super heroes)

Altho according to Tales of the TMNT he really ascended and became the new Rat God/Rat King in this Pantheon of Animal gods....the Bat King looks like Batman. The Cat Queen and Splinter appear to be ahem quite close....

Since his death he's appeared in dreams to Mike and Raph, helped Raph with his feral anger issues (after he was bitten by vampires), and for some reason appeared to April in Alaska.

[Andrew NDB]

How did he die? Heart attack, stroke? Became a glowing cloud of dust and evaporating into nothing?

He keeled over in a closet, or while reaching for milk in the fridge. Something like that involving an apparent heart attack.

He seemed to be clutching his chest, I think, so I'm guessing a massive coronary.

I agree that Splinter's death should have gotten more press, but considering how he died I'm glad it didn't.

What people often forget about all the media attention the deaths of Superman, Captain America, and Batman have gotten for the comic books... is that the media doesn't have sleeper agents reading all the comics and reporting to their bosses whenever big deaths happen. No, the media is contacted BY DC, BY Marvel ahead of time or after the fact, to generate and ride the buzz. I am fairly confident that no one at Mirage made any effort whatsoever to spread the word to any media outlet about the death of Splinter, before, when it came out, or afterward.

I really liked how Splinter's death was done. It seemed true to life, as shocking and sudden as it can often be. Everyone's first reactions seemed heartfelt. It reminded me of an old episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, the one late into the show where Buffy just walks into the living room and oh... there's her mother, dead. Completely randomly, but effective thematically.

I do take serious issues with the follow-through on Splinter's death, however. The funeral was so-so, but I was really expecting things to take-off from there. Like, maybe Splinter left behind a Last Will & Testament, and the Turtles have to carry out his final wishes, maybe going to Chihaya Village in Japan or something. Anything.

Also, I would've liked to have seen some follow-up on the vision of Splinter's death from TMNT Vol. 2 #1, but what can you do.

[Andrew NDB]

Possibly dumb question now. Why wasn't Peter Laird at the Mirage panel?

[Roseangelo]

(Ok, trying to type this out fast enough before my rabbit shuts down Firefox again...)

I would have no issues with how Splinter died if there had been actual consequences to the story. But there weren't and Mirage couldn't even make it into a publicity stunt, so the whole thing is just a joke to me now.

Possibly dumb question now. Why wasn't Peter Laird at the Mirage panel?

I think the official reason is simply that it was never planned for him to be (I know, not much of a reason). My personal guess would be an unwillingness to face audience questions.

[Wes]

Bloody hell, this thread needs a warning! I'm reading about massive heart attacks and remembered the stuff about Murph being sick and I was like :o :cry:

...but apparently you were talking about Splinter. Okey-doke, then! Carry on. :)

[ToTheNines]

Nope,

I asked about the rat king in the new toon at thetmnt 25th anniversary panel...

Surprise answer there for rat king fans :)

Lemme guess, all that "sewer snow" was actually white rat sh*t?

[turkishproverb]

Possibly dumb question now. Why wasn't Peter Laird at the Mirage panel?

Didn't want to have to deal with questions from fans who thought he was flushing the franchise?

[johnnyblaze]

Possibly dumb question now. Why wasn't Peter Laird at the Mirage panel?

tired I guess
http://plairdblog.blogspot.com/2009/02/nycc-day-one.html




I think the official reason is simply that it was never planned for him to be (I know, not much of a reason). My personal guess would be an unwillingness to face audience questions.


Didn't want to have to deal with questions from fans who thought he was flushing the franchise?

:roll:
Lame responses. If he was hiding from fans with questions then he wouldn't have been sitting all weekend at his booth meeting and shooting the **** with fans. If anyone had questions you had all weekend to talk to him one on one at the booth.

[Dragon Turtle]

What people often forget about all the media attention the deaths of Superman, Captain America, and Batman have gotten for the comic books... is that the media doesn't have sleeper agents reading all the comics and reporting to their bosses whenever big deaths happen. No, the media is contacted BY DC, BY Marvel ahead of time or after the fact, to generate and ride the buzz. I am fairly confident that no one at Mirage made any effort whatsoever to spread the word to any media outlet about the death of Splinter, before, when it came out, or afterward.


Mirage doesn't have anyone to handle such duties, I don't believe they have anyone there to let the media know when the next comic is due out.



I do take serious issues with the follow-through on Splinter's death, however. The funeral was so-so, but I was really expecting things to take-off from there. Like, maybe Splinter left behind a Last Will & Testament, and the Turtles have to carry out his final wishes, maybe going to Chihaya Village in Japan or something. Anything.

Also, I would've liked to have seen some follow-up on the vision of Splinter's death from TMNT Vol. 2 #1, but what can you do.

Splinter is really alive, TMNT Vol. 4 will be revealed as Mikey's dream.
If you don't have a plan to deal with a characeter's death, don't kill them off, TMNT needs all the developed and established characters it can get.

[Ninjinister]

Splinter is really alive, TMNT Vol. 4 will be revealed as Mikey's dream.
If you don't have a plan to deal with a characeter's death, don't kill them off, TMNT needs all the developed and established characters it can get.

Nah, the end of Volume 4 will conclude with April sitting in a corner chewing on her hair, wearing a straight jacket. She's in a padded cell. Oroku Saki is the tough security that she hates so much. Casey Jones is the doctor that treats her; she has a fixation on him. The Turtles were her pets as a kid; Splinter a rat she saw in the parking lot once. The entire series was a delusion in her mind.

And I swear to God if that's how things end, I'm pretty sure Mirage Studios would go bankrupt or get carpet bombed.

[Andrew NDB]

Mirage doesn't have anyone to handle such duties, I don't believe they have anyone there to let the media know when the next comic is due out.

Nonsense. It just takes a simple E-mail to AICN, a simple E-mail to Newsarama, to Wizarduniverse.com or comicon.con or simply visiting "Contact Us" at any news station. 5 minutes of work in all to send a multi-E-mail to all.

TMNT Vol. 4 will be revealed as Mikey's dream.

I was giving serious thought to wanting to see something... similar to that. I was thinking/hoping at the conclusion of Vol. 4, maybe the Utroms finally decide that their contact with Earth has been a failure. All aliens head offworld and mankind's memory is wiped of the alien encounter.

[Dragon Turtle]

Nonsense. It just takes a simple E-mail to AICN, a simple E-mail to Newsarama, to Wizarduniverse.com or comicon.con or simply visiting "Contact Us" at any news station. 5 minutes of work in all to send a multi-E-mail to all.


Yet no one does that, nor is anyone asked to do so, despite how easy it is. Mirage as a company doesn't see the value in a such a thing.

[TristanHuwJones]

Nonsense. It just takes a simple E-mail to AICN, a simple E-mail to Newsarama, to Wizarduniverse.com or comicon.con or simply visiting "Contact Us" at any news station. 5 minutes of work in all to send a multi-E-mail to all.

Trust me when I tell you it is far from as easy as this.

[Andrew NDB]

Trust me when I tell you it is far from as easy as this.

Trust me when I tell you it is. I've done it before... and within the past two months.

Though that doesn't guarantee the media would be interested. I bet Splinter's death would've perked up some ears, if not quite as many as did for Superman, Captain America, etc.. A Wizard article at the least.

[johnnyblaze]

Nonsense. It just takes a simple E-mail to AICN, a simple E-mail to Newsarama, to Wizarduniverse.com or comicon.con or simply visiting "Contact Us" at any news station. 5 minutes of work in all to send a multi-E-mail to all.



I was giving serious thought to wanting to see something... similar to that. I was thinking/hoping at the conclusion of Vol. 4, maybe the Utroms finally decide that their contact with Earth has been a failure. All aliens head offworld and mankind's memory is wiped of the alien encounter.
They don't post all news though. Maybe they don't think its big enough news. I mean Splinter is popular, but he's in no way Superman level popular so to expect a whole lot is a bit naive I think. Not every character that dies in a comic is going to get a lot of press. I mean for all we know, people could have written and said something and the result was still not a lot of press.

[TristanHuwJones]

Trust me when I tell you it is. I've done it before... and within the past two months.

Though that doesn't guarantee the media would be interested. I bet Splinter's death would've perked up some ears, if not quite as many as did for Superman, Captain America, etc.. A Wizard article at the least.

Dude, you know what I mean. The act itself is easy as piss, getting the outlets interested enough to run something is an entirely different story. I've been trying to get it done for Mirage for the past year and only just recently did SOME websites decide they wanted in on the 25th, and even then the support has been sketchy!

[Andrew NDB]

Dude, you know what I mean. The act itself is easy as piss, getting the outlets interested enough to run something is an entirely different story. I've been trying to get it done for Mirage for the past year and only just recently did SOME websites decide they wanted in on the 25th, and even then the support has been sketchy!

Right, because apart from the 25th Anniversary (and even that... is there even concrete release dates on any of the coinciding tentpole comics like Forever War?), there haven't been any events that have been newsworthy with the TMNT comics (and I don't mean that as a slight to the comics, I just mean it in terms of news to Joe Public... "This month, Donatello Gets Shrunk!" doesn't rustle up much general public interest).

[Roseangelo]

Dude, you know what I mean. The act itself is easy as piss, getting the outlets interested enough to run something is an entirely different story. I've been trying to get it done for Mirage for the past year and only just recently did SOME websites decide they wanted in on the 25th, and even then the support has been sketchy!

Probably because no one gives a crap about the TMNT; they aren't taken seriously and there's really no reason for them to be.

[johnnyblaze]

Why be so negative? People care about the TMNT. I know because I saw it first hand this weekend. And every other Con where they had even the slightest presence. There was one girl who came into the Animation panel this weekend and mentioned how her last experience with the turtles was the old school cartoon and that she was there because she was genuinely intrigued about what she has been seeing and hearing about the turtles today. Thats the buzz that really matters. They will always have fans and love and they will always be gaining new fans and love.

Splinter isn't the first comic character to die and not get press and he won't be the last. Superman was the representative of all that is superhero related. He was more or less the first, so of course he gets the press (he also gets a **** load of complaints and eye rolls too but I digress). How does that take anything away from the turtles? Because they aren't Superman big? Most superheroes aren't so its not fair to assume they need to be at that level for people to care.

[Roseangelo]

:roll:
Lame responses. If he was hiding from fans with questions then he wouldn't have been sitting all weekend at his booth meeting and shooting the **** with fans. If anyone had questions you had all weekend to talk to him one on one at the booth.

Actually, I heard a report that someone who was interviewing Peter asked him about the creator rights issue and he promptly changed the subject and went off on some BS tangent.

[DK2]

Really sad the panel didn't really expose much for news at all. It really sounds so bland for the TMNT B-day.

[FearlessLeader]

I actually really enjoyed the panel. It encompassed what one would think an anniversary panel should which was to reminisce about the last 25 years the guys at Mirage have had with the Turtles.

Lots of silly and interesting stories were shared and it was a great chance to really get to see the guys that work with the Turtles that don't get a lot of spot light shed on them.

Excuse a small spark of snark but it does make me laugh that all the people being so critical in this thread are all the people that were not there :roll:


There is a reason Eric, Mike, Steve and Jim are such incredible men and it shone in this panel. Good times! <3

[Vegita-San]

ALL Video is finally up...God that was allot of annoying work.

Mirage Part 5...online and final
youtube needs an upgrade to handle all this HD traffic..

[Andrew NDB]

Excuse a small spark of snark but it does make me laugh that all the people being so critical in this thread are all the people that were not there :roll:

Actually, it would make a lot of logical sense, wouldn't it? The people that weren't there can truly be objectional while the people actually in attendance of such things tend to get starstruck and put their blinders on.

[FearlessLeader]

Actually, it would make a lot of logical sense, wouldn't it? The people that weren't there can truly be objectional while the people actually in attendance of such things tend to get starstruck and put their blinders on.

Starstruck?

Please don't make me laugh. Devotion to people that I enjoy talking to and spending time with perhaps. Considering how much time I have spent with the crew at Mirage the last 5 years sense I have met them, yes I do have a certain level of devotion to them. But anyone would to a group of people that have been as kind as the Mirage crew has been to myself and my friends.

No to me when you are not there and simply assuming things because of second hand knowledge or because what you hear doesn't fit your idea of what should have happen it sounds like sour grapes to me.

Either way I don't honestly care. I had a blast this weekend at NYCC largely in part to the time I spent with the Mirage crew and the fun I had talking to them not only about the fandom but just getting caught up on life.

If you want to be negative and unhappy about a fandom as fun as Turtles that is your choice. I choose to be positive and enjoy it. *shrugs*

[turkishproverb]

tired I guess
http://plairdblog.blogspot.com/2009/02/nycc-day-one.html






:roll:
Lame responses. If he was hiding from fans with questions then he wouldn't have been sitting all weekend at his booth meeting and shooting the **** with fans. If anyone had questions you had all weekend to talk to him one on one at the booth.

And Peter is alleged to have dodged questions there. As to the panels, there is video so not being there is hardly the best justification for kicking them out of the discussion. And at bootsh people typically aren't expected to answer questions. Why do you think so many fans get angry when they try and it slows thing down?

Furthermore, my criticisms have been primarily of the fact i just learned about Luke and Gary's relationship, a disgusting addition to the problems at Playmates.

[Ralphmacchio]

I was disappointed with the panel as well.

[trustno1]

And Peter is alleged to have dodged questions there. As to the panels, there is video so not being there is hardly the best justification for kicking them out of the discussion. And at bootsh people typically aren't expected to answer questions. Why do you think so many fans get angry when they try and it slows thing down?

Furthermore, my criticisms have been primarily of the fact i just learned about Luke and Gary's relationship, a disgusting addition to the problems at Playmates.

alleged. by someone who takes nearly every opportnity to smack talk laird. someone asking a question like that would have posted it some where regardless of responce.

[TristanHuwJones]

Furthermore, my criticisms have been primarily of the fact i just learned about Luke and Gary's relationship, a disgusting addition to the problems at Playmates.

Say what you want about the situation with NECA, but without Gary's eldest son Jesse, the NECA figures would never have happened. I met him at NYCC last year, great dude, even gave me a ride from NYC to Northampton. Just because you don't like the sound of something, doesn't mean it's necessarily bad. If you have someone who grew up with the Turtles as the brand manager there, then how is that a bad thing?

[VaughnMichael]

Say what you want about the situation with NECA, but without Gary's eldest son Jesse, the NECA figures would never have happened.
Yeah, Murph told me that at the show and I got down and worshiped him lol not really but I said wow your awesome man now get them to make more and stop being babies!

[Archon_Turtle]

Say what you want about the situation with NECA, but without Gary's eldest son Jesse, the NECA figures would never have happened. I met him at NYCC last year, great dude, even gave me a ride from NYC to Northampton. Just because you don't like the sound of something, doesn't mean it's necessarily bad. If you have someone who grew up with the Turtles as the brand manager there, then how is that a bad thing?

Very well said Trist.

[turkishproverb]

Say what you want about the situation with NECA, but without Gary's eldest son Jesse, the NECA figures would never have happened. I met him at NYCC last year, great dude, even gave me a ride from NYC to Northampton. Just because you don't like the sound of something, doesn't mean it's necessarily bad. If you have someone who grew up with the Turtles as the brand manager there, then how is that a bad thing?

Jesse and Luke are not in and of themselves the issue. I'm sure his kids are fine. Gary, however, is a separate problem. The issue of luke being his kid is the fact that alot of the inferior turtles projects when it comes to action figures can be attributed to the fact playmates (not either of the sons, playmates) thinks/knows Gary won't cut the lisence as long as the kid has the job with them, and does whatever they please. Similarly, his at best cronyism got the book lisence sent into seeming perpetual oblivion.

[johnnyblaze]

And Peter is alleged to have dodged questions there. As to the panels, there is video so not being there is hardly the best justification for kicking them out of the discussion. And at bootsh people typically aren't expected to answer questions. Why do you think so many fans get angry when they try and it slows thing down?

Furthermore, my criticisms have been primarily of the fact i just learned about Luke and Gary's relationship, a disgusting addition to the problems at Playmates.
don't give me that alleged bs. alleged doesn't mean he did it. and someone in another thread even said that Laird was answering her (his?) questions about the show that they asked. granted I imagine he couldn't get as in depth because he had people who wanted things signed/drawn but that still doesn't change the fact that if someone had a question they sure as hell could have asked and the fact that Laird was trying to answer questions. i asked, that person asked, and i am willing to bet a bunch of people did to. seems to me that some people are just annoyed that no one did/is putting Laird on blast for whatever reason. lame.

[turkishproverb]

I didn't say he was alleged to have dodged every question. just some. At the very least we know of 1 accusation made on this board. I'd heard similar suggested by someone else. And alleged specifically is to deal with the fact it has not been proven.

[johnnyblaze]

I didn't say he was alleged to have dodged every question. just some. At the very least we know of 1 accusation made on this board. I'd heard similar suggested by someone else. And alleged specifically is to deal with the fact it has not been proven.
Who said he dodged their question? And what question?

[TristanHuwJones]

Alleged, and suggest are both words that imply something. They don't confirm or deny anything either way. Someone said it earlier, where's the interview? If someone were interviewing him about an issue as topical as that, then we would have seen it online by now. I personally haven't looked, so if it shows up, then we have confirmation, but right now there's nothing.

[turkishproverb]

Not every interview gets posted right away, especially if the interview A: Went badly in a usefulness point of view or B: was planned to be used later on anyway.

It was supposedly him changing the subject when a question was brought up. A question about comic creators rights according to the post on this board. It's kind've an issue since he was a participant in the group that originally formed them, and mirages current practices not agreeing with the "bill of rights" they put out with their (including his) names on it.

The Creator's Bill of Rights info (http://www.scottmccloud.com/inventions/bill/bill_of_rights.html)
The Bill itself. (http://www.scottmccloud.com/inventions/bill/rights.html)

Hardly topical by most definitions, at least not in the environment up until Previews made it harder for indie publishers by changing requirements. Little too short into the new one to say its topical now either. Interesting to the right people though.

Not even saying I agree entirely with the Bill as it is, or think anything of peter on the issue of it (truth be told, I'm a bit gray on how to interpret a few of the terms as they relate to him having people do WFH), but the matter was allegedly brought up.

[Roseangelo]

It was supposedly him changing the subject when a question was brought up. A question about comic creators rights according to the post on this board.

Yes, I said that I heard a report along these lines. A statement I stand by because the person who told it to me has no reason to make up/lie about things, though I understand the desire to see/hear/read the referred to interview.

Not even saying I agree entirely with the Bill as it is, or think anything of peter on the issue of it (truth be told, I'm a bit gray on how to interpret a few of the terms as they relate to him having people do WFH), but the matter was allegedly brought up.

The whole creator's rights issue is a bit wishy washy. I've actually spent the evening reading over (again - I've read over it quite a few times over the last year or so) what little documentation I have about how Mirage has compensated the artists over the years (and as far as I know, this is about as much documentation as there is - everyone's been pretty mum about it, it would seem) and there really is no right or wrong. Except logic says that there is... so you just kinda end up all confused.

The short version of how I see it is that it was a logistical nightmare for them to continue doling out residuals as they had in the first few years. The lawyers (and yes, Gary) convinced Kevin and Peter that they needed to get everyone who had ever worked for them to sign retroactive work-for-hire contracts, which basically took away all their ownership/royalty rights for any Turtles work they had ever done.

As a quick aside, I think this may tie into why "The River" isn't considered canon by Peter - Rick Veitch refused to sign the contract, so Mirage isn't able to freely republish those stories (although I would assume they could if they paid him the royalties to do so).

But while I can somewhat understand the logistical nightmare angle of it, where I get stuck is why this policy, which was implemented at least 15 years ago when the TMNT were taking over the world, would still be necessary at a time when the TMNT are barely a blip on the RADAR of the world. There's simply no excuse at present to not have some sort of royalty/compensation system that isn't as insulting as the work-for-hire model.

As it stands, the studio guys, who in many cases were responsible for us finding and/or maintaining long-term interest in the TMNT, have no big payoff waiting for them when they eventually retire and/or quit working at Mirage for whatever reason. Jim Lawson said on his blog recently that he's never even had a raise. 20 years of his life - his entire professional career - and the man has never had a raise. The company I work for treats me like **** (quite similarly to the Mirage guys, actually), but I've still managed to get a few raises here and there. And all of the other guys are pretty much in the same boat.

I dunno.. I'm still working my thoughts on the situation out into something more cohesive and, hopefully, insightful. But for all of you guys who jump on me for constantly being negative and/or attacking Peter (and Gary), perhaps you'll finally see that I am not so for the sake of being malicious, but I feel forced to do so because (virtually) no one else is. The situation at Mirage directly affects people I call friends, and some of the emails I've received recently have been, quite plainly, heart breaking, both as a friend and a fan.

Kevin and Peter were both very vocal about how Marvel treated Jack Kirby (an irony in itself); this is me being vocal for my own personal Jack Kirbys.

[trustno1]

point is, we do not know who asked the question,what the question was or how peter answered. alleged this and alleged that. until something solid comes out there is nothing there in that panel for people to whine about and the fact that peter was out in front of everyone proves he was not hiding f rom questions he didn't want to answer.