Post your thoughts on ComiCon & "Turtles Forever"!
 

I had an effing blast! The Friday night shindig was the greatest time I never thought I'd have/it would be... truly a great time.

Meeting Dan was just awesome... the man I've been talking to over the internets for over a decade, finally we're in the same room. Dooney, Lavigne, Lawson, even Gary... just phenomenal. Tristan knows how to hang too, though by my own witness this tall-ass Aussie is a bit of a nurse when it comes to the liquor! (I kid, I kid)

"Turtles Forever"... I completely didn't expect to like it. Not because I have an axe to grind against the TMNT in the animated media, but just because a crossover between the cartoon versions of the TMNT... while interesting on paper, would just be combining two things... one of which I loved as a child and outgrew, another I like but do not love or hold anywhere near the same alter as the Mirage comics.

It was hinted to me that there might be the inclusion of the Mirage TMNT at some point in the film. It was rather stressed to me. At this point... OK, I was all aboard, or at least my curiosity was extremely piqued.

Long story short, fantastic night, can't express how cool it was to hang with the Mirage crew that night, awesome meeting and hanging with tokka (my brutha!!! avoid the bicycle rides, lesson learned for both of us), Michele, Rose, Amanda, G-Dub, Brina, Dawn, Cynlee, Buslady, Archon, and Spitfire (a treat... didn't know his ass was gonna show up!).

Movie was supremely entertaining. I don't know that I could take someone that had never watched or read Turtles and say, "Hey, watch this movie!" and it would make sense to them/they would enjoy it, but it's -- as others have said -- a true love letter to Turtle fans. All Turtle fans, the fandom as a whole... divisive and diverse as it may be. I'm OK with that... I'm very OK with that. The only quibbles: 1) I'd be the first one to point out how the original cartoon was... to put it politely... not that cerebral? That said... I would agree that maybe this movie made the original cartoon TMNT a little bit more on this level (empty headed) than it deserved. 2) The Mirage TMNT... not enough! :) But I'll take what I can get. That's all.

Since this would be this forum/website's namesake I feel compelled to add... this movie made the Technodrome a truly fearsome, terrifying thing!

Just a great presentation by all parties involved... I wasn't expecting how cool this would be and I'm damned glad I was able to be a part of it. Much thanks to Tokka.

*scans for his name*

Jerk :-P

Um.. (fumbles with some buttons)... it's there. Check again!

Really though man. Great to finally meet you :-)

Hearing it is only 70 minutes long is kind of a bummer... Makes me think the movie feels rushed.

Was hoping for a 1 1/2 hour film or something.

You'd be wrong. At least in my opinion. I was actually talking to Andrew about this, that I feel the movie felt like it ran a little long and could have been shorn up in a few key places.

If that's all it was, it was a long 70 minutes... it seemed like a long time, but maybe it wasn't.

I don't like long movies, LOTR is an exception, but cartoons ought not to be too long. Keeping it fast paced ought to make it flow more and not get stuck at points. TMNT was like 87 mins, if this 70, then it's fine, Can't wait to get it on DVD.

How much actual screentime do the mirage turtles get?

I know, right?
I mean...what the hell man?
*snickers*

All snarky jokes aside, I don't yet have the words to fully express just how amazing SDCC was.

Were there things I'd have done differently? Oh hell yes. I think I'd have spent more time with people, as opposed to trying to make panel after panel. Heck...I would have read the little guide thing, and maybe studied the map a bit more closely.

But aside from those? Just a fantastic con experience. I'm seriously considering registering for next year,...once the financial dust settles, of course.

As for "Turtles Forever"...damn it, September can't come fast enough!

September?!? You know somethin I don't, brotha?

SDCC: Prolly not doin' that again. Just when I think my fear of crowds is manageable... >_<

Turtles Forever: Even missing the majority of the first act (or maybe more), it was still totally worth the trip.

The ~70 minute length is mostly because anything more costs a lot more even if. I don't remember the details but it was explained on Toon Zone as to why the Marvel/DC DTVs are that length and not longer.

You as well, man.

In my guesstimation... blurred now by time and alcohol... the actual time they're on screen, not including just time they're in the B&W "Prime" universe? About 5 minutes. Maybe less. Probably less.

Although...it IS a fairly epic 5 minutes :-)

I hope it comes out in september :D

Agreed.

My first impulse is to hate on the over-beakness of them in this, but since not only is it drawing inspiration directly from Vol. 1 #1, but it's set during the TIME of Vol. 1 #1... I can't say anything negative about it. I much prefer the look that Eastman & Laird evolved into by around #10 or #11 or so, or #50, but hey.

You know... how the OS cartoon Turtles might be described as going "too empty-headed"? I might almost venture and say that the Mirage TMNT went "too hardcore"... at least in the voice department. Just because they actually kill and things in the Mirage material doesn't mean they all need to sound like Rorshach. But I couldn't care less in something like this... it's cool, it's fun, and it works.

I'm just gonna say:

SDCC09 KICKED ASS!

Loved meeting those I havent before and seeing those I've met before.

Couldn't do the movie cos my son's underage, that pissed me off. Hey lets do a toon but kids can't come. Jerks.

You know I love ya and I get that what happened with you and the little ones would be annoying, but going to have to fight you on this. Nevermind that all animated media doesn't necessarily mean a thing is inherently for little kids... the material at hand isn't geared towards anyone but those that have been around at least since the original cartoon... so we essentially still arrive at 21+ year olds.

That, and it was at a club where liquor is being served (did you see downstairs? was quite rockin'). Can't have kids. Simple law.

It was really great to meet the few people who were still there on Sunday. Archon, Vaughn, Tokka and Andrew plus practically the entire Mirage crew were still there and being amazing and very fun to hang out with . Spitfire and I chatted them up for a good while then sprinted over to meet kevin. We left with some amazing sketches, sigs and even some fun bits of info. I met Stan Sakai too! As a really sweet favor he even said hi to my little sister on the phone because she couldn't make it out.
Even though we only made it for a day it was beyond anything I could have imagined. :D:D:D

As a nineteen year old who grew up watching the old cartoon, and as someone who regularly attends booze-serving clubs for the music, I'll say I'd have been very frustrated if I'd gone only to be barred from the screening.

I can see not letting wee tykes in, but seriously. Eighteen and over. Mark hands and issue wristbands for drinkers.

Of course now I'm just arguing for argument's sake...

I thought that was you with Spitfire, but I wasn't sure. Good to meet you, and it looked like you still got to have some fun with the crew... seemed like all were there still and in good spirits.

It was nice to meet you too Andrew. Seeing the Mirage guys and Kevin was awesome. We also got to meet Vaughn, Archon, and Tokka. I'll toss up some pictures later. I got the hardcover 25th book Kevin made signed by everyone turtles related that was there. I only missed Eric Larsen.

Yep that was me, we are pretty much a package deal these days lol. Good to meet you too. It was a pretty chaotic weekend actually but we got even more accomplished then I thought we would so it worked out really well.

Going to have to be the devil's advocate here. Are most exclusive movie premieres... liquor inclusive? Check. Should a Turtles movie be an exception, even if there's kids out there that like it? No. I tend to not see a whole lot of need to look any further into it than that.

I understand and appreciate all that, but it still seems unfair. Maybe I wouldn't bother saying so if the kid who collected the other four buttons for me wasn't so bummed when they took the ticket out of his hand and gave him this 'it said on the website that you needed to be 21' lecture. I was even discouraged from trying to make him feel better. I let him keep the buttons (since they'd only collect dust at my place). But, stupid me didn't think to give him the cine-manga book he helped me win. If I wanted one, which (now that I know what it is) I don't, I'd BUY one. So, I just had to reassure him that he DID win (which appeared to be pretty much his only reason for collecting) in as much as I likely wouldn't be going without his help. He was my hero that weekend.

I don't suppose anyone who was there got video of the pre-show festivities? Particularly of Gary giving out the raffle prizes? I am finding myself morbidly interested in preserving the moment where I had to go accept a prize from Gary because mine was the very first raffle number called. (If only chrome Fugitoid had been given out as prize #1 instead of prize #2!)

I would've, but I felt it would be in bad taste trying to video record anything there. Snapped some pictures here and there. Will post them when I'm back in Seattle... maybe late tomorrow.