"If you're a TMNT fan, you're a fanatic and have to buy all the toys!" (Newsarama)
 

http://www.newsarama.com/tv/090514-a...s-tmnt-25.html

It's the video that's linked there that's a little angering.

"If you're a TMNT fan, you're hardcore, a fanatic, and you want everything!"

Who the f*** does this guy think he is?

Hm, he called April a "old toon creation" whereas he really should have said "reporter April," not April herself.

Hm...this almost sounds as if the guy didn't even know about the 4kids TMNT cartoon, which lasted 7 seasons.

As much as I disagree with this statement, isn't that rather truthful about how TMNT fans are judged? Being the biggest TMNT fan basically boils down to who's the most materialistic.

If you look at things materialistically though. I'm sure there are people out there that are bigger TMNT fans who only own the comics than those who have to have everything out there with the brand name on it.

The whole handling of TMNT related articles over at Newsarama is completely woeful, and the problem is that the general populace of posters over there get lulled into it all. The response over at Mark Millar's forums to the TMNT is great, and I don't think I've seen a single 'dromer over there. See, if more of us were posting over there, I guarantee you that ignorant outlook would change in a snap. Matt Brady scours the boards there, and if people make a shitstink about how things are portrayed over there, it's changed very quickly.

I think I heard that in the season 7 bonus feature. It's pretty ridiculous, I just rolled my eyes for an hour or so and got over it.

Eh... that's what most fandoms are becoming these days. Collect all the cards, all the action figures, all the pokemon monsters...

Generalizing about the fandom is really unfair. Not all fans fill their houses with action figures, or paint their attics to look like sewers or get tattoos or whatever.... they're seeing the extreme cases and posting mostly about that. What about the rest of us?

There's some who have only a few things, but really love the whole TMNT legacy. Then you have those that collect everything they can get their hands on, and they're not satisfied with Anything in the franchise. These shows only portray the extreme 20 percent. There's 80% left to explore and understand.

An hour? Took me 3 seconds.

But it is that 20% that the general populace (particularly the primary target demographic for these DVDs) will find interesting. Especially when you have like 10 minutes or less of run time. I'm not saying its right, im not saying its just, I'm just saying that, in the case of these "crazy fan" shows (Totally Obsessed, etc) or DVD special features, that this angle is the most marketable to the widest consumer base.

Well yeah, for ratings, you don't want something boring. I mean just regular portrayal and understanding of fans. Like... not all Star Trek fans dress up as Vulcans and memorize Klingon language. That's the typical type of fan we see on TV, but it's not the norm.

It wouldn't bother me if not for the fact that I truly believe that's what these sh*theads believe... and then when someone who doesn't know any better will watch that thing on Newsarama and go, "Oh jeeze... the TMNT fans are all really like that? Yikes!"

I see your point. It almost to me is more offensive in that they see the Turtles as only a merchandising juggernaut and nothing more.

To be honest I doubt very much that most non-fandom people would even pause to think about that line. At least I personally feel that this particular issue is being blown out of proportion in regard to who out there is going to care or even stop to think about it. Of course, you're all entitled to your opinions.

Agreed. It is disconcerting that these kinds of blanket statements and theories are coming from the mouths of the people responsible for the brand. You heard him, they are essentially driven by their marketing department.

There is that too, isn't there?

Isn't that all Mirage sees them as anyways?

I don't know that that statement is applicable to the entirety of Mirage. But what is one more blanket statement on top of the pile in this thread :-P

He actually says:

"It seems like if you're a collector of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, you are a hardcore fan of the brand"

Which is true actually, it doesn't necessarily mean he's saying "if you don't buy the toys, you're not a true fan".

But wait, what about all those people who collect ninja turtle action figures that... arent.... fans.... waaaaait a minute!

That's a gross generalisation right there.

This entire short on the new TMNT dvd made me agrivated and roll my eyes I mostly said that's it? I couldn't believe how short it was.
Also showing a crap load of new toys when the thing talks about vintage I wanna see vintage.
And those guys at Playmates serioiusly wow, I thought they where stupid and out of touch before but after watching the doc. I think they have not one single clue about the current toy market at all.
Put me in there and I'd hire a staff of people who know their sh1t and clean that mess up in 1 day.
The only good thing now is I have names and faces to direct my anger at.:evilgrin::lol:

You can have all the turtles stuff under the sun it doesn't make you anymore of a fan then someone who has nothing, a few comic books, or the DVDs. Having things to show your a fan is nice but you don't need them as proof. You can know everything about turtles and not own everything.

I happen to own all the comics and have a fair amount of toys but I would views myself as just as big of a fan even if I didn't.

that article was horrible made, he haven't done his homework

Haha! Those are my NECA Turtles in the clip. Cool...

Sure, he's wrong. But whatever. I'm not too worried about it.

It's not just TMNT fans that are generalized like this. When I worked in a comic book store I saw what the media sees comic book fans as a whole. Wacky eccentrics who listen to techno and play Dungeons and Dragons. The local news covers a comic book store hoping to catch a wacky moment with an employee talkin geek with a customer and gets huffy when they see casual conversation. Still can't believe the chick asked me "How had the death of Captain America effected you personally?" I just wanted to be a smart ass so badly... As a Turtle fan I feel the same way. Yes I collect some of the Playmates figures, and I have all the Neca figures. But I don't consider that I'm just about "the brand". I think this guy in the video made an off statement.

So.... what did you say to the employee? You left me hanging there.

^^that is true, it's not just TMNT fans that cop this flack. Still, anyone with an iota of intelligence knows that mere stuff does not measure love and devotion.

How lame ass

im a big raph fan, i don't have everything and i don't want everything...specially if it's playmates junk

wow april a cartoon creation....what a dope.

meh....

Oh, no! I was the employee. The chick was a reporter. Sorry I didn't clarify. I think I said something like "I won't lose sleep, besides Marvel will probably bring him back in 2 months." Ok, so I was wrong and Cap is still wormfood. On another note, I didn't make it to TV that night either. I'm just glad they didn't find someone in the store weeping over Cap's death. I'd hate to see the stereotype fed any more than it has been. We're not like that... well for the most part.

Stupid STUPID Marketing Creatures.

I'm a fan because I like the characters. Because I like the stories. Because I like the art.

I keep buying the comics, not because of any vague notion of "brand loyalty" but because I want to know what happens next!

Please, for the love of all that is great and small, stop talking about characters that I love as "properties," "franchises," and "market shares." Yes, I realize the bottom line is important. If people aren't pulling a profit, then there won't be any more stories. I get that. Really. I do.

But if buying everything in site to show my devotion is what it takes to be a "real fan"? I'll....be over here reading my back issues and surfing forums.

The problem with this is, while a Batman fan would never be expected to have anything more than a large collection of comic books, Turtle fans are expected to have all sorts of paraphernalia because it's a "brand", rather than a respected series.

Bull. I haven't bought a toy since I was ten-years-old. I like the various Turtles fiction, not the "brand." This isn't a toy-based franchise like Transformers (and even then not all fans collect the toys), and it shouldn't be treated like one.

I'm a big raph fan too and a bigger one of Nightwatcher I don't have everything to with TMNT

Here is the thing.

First of all we considered approaching Playmates on our LA leg of the doc shoot. We decided against it, because we got an interview with Sisti that day and it was way out of town. THAT and there isn't ANYONE left there that was actually around back in the real hay day of the turtles.

Second, I would agree, that guy is very wrong. I will admit that I am the kind of collector that likes his stuff. There is an important difference however that I do not let my material possessions define me, I define my possessions. That said there are a million different ways to collect and love something.

Third and the most important. These DVDs of season 7 are created for a mass audience, MOST of which know little to nothing about the history of TMNT. I would say this is an unfair thing to include in the interview as the percentage of TMNT fans who are actual toy collectors is astronomically small. Look at this forum... How many people ACTUALLY use this? Maybe 7 or 8 hundred at best. Of those maybe a hundred come on, on a regular basis. And of all of those how many actually collect hard core? In the grand scheme of things, we are a drop in the bucket when it comes to TMNT fans out there. Everyone and their dog knows who they are, and my experience shows me that a lot of people love them just as much as we do. You don't have to have a big collection or a single Turtle thing, or be part of an online community to love them at all.