TMNT Convention
 

So I was wondering if there has ever been any discussion on a TMNT convention? It could include celebrities from the movies and people who did the voices in cartoons, as well as artists who have worked on the cartoons and comics. There could be TMNT movie and cartoon screenings, merchandise stands, etc. I realize that this probably would not get a gigantic turn out like a comic con type thing, but if it was held at a hotel convention center and had enough featured guests and neat activities i'll be at least a few thousand fans would show up for it.

All well and good, but who's going to pony up the cash?

Michele Ivey did it once or twice back in the day. It's hard to fund, hard to promote, & just not worth the effort, it seems.

I would attend, but conventions tend to be very expensive to organize and run. Heh, this sort of reminds me of the idea I had as a kid to open a TMNT only store. There used to be so many licensed products that one could have even created different departments within said store.

TMNT is an unusual fandom in that it doesn't have that same long-time built in following of devotees like say G.I. Joe or Transformers. It's sort of in the same realm as Power Rangers, it doesn't have any shortage of fans, but they are mostly made of casual nostalgia types, who grew up with it and only have a vague interest in its current happenings, but would maybe buy an action figure or shirt.

Unfortunately for TMNT, most of the really hardcore fans, like the ones on this site, are widespread across the globe, which creates the first problem: location. The second, and likely bigger problem though is attendance numbers. Even if, people were willing to travel, unless it was held in a really popular place, like Disney World the general admission cost would have to be REALLY low to capture a big enough audience of casual fans to justify doing it. Otherwise, you just end up with 10-20 really devoted fans who were willing to travel, which wouldn't bring in enough revenue to secure any guests or activities that were really worthwhile.

I do think it could be pulled off, but some concessions would have to be made, like it would have to really pander to kids, and be used a cross promotional thing for the Nick show, that just happened to have some nostalgic goodness for the original fans.

I think another problem with this is the core fan base is so polarized. There are fans who loathe anything but the Mirage books, there are fans who dislike the Mirage stuff and prefer the FW series. People who like the 4Kids series over the FW series...some of us who like it all. The multiverse of the TMNT makes for a multiverse of different fans, and that often makes it had to please us all...just look at some of the reaction to Nick's TMNT and the fan event.

Adam you are wrong about Power Rangers their fandom it is much more similar to say Transformers than the TMNT fandom. The PRs fandom is actually quite large and has had 2 official conventions with a third one is already planned, not to mention other fan gatherings like No Pink Spandex Live etc.


TMNT is bigger than many franchises like say He-Man, however there really is no fandom for some odd reason. A collectors line like Masters of the Universe would never survive with the TMNT license since the fandom just isn't big enough, I mean this is the biggest TMNT forum out there and its pretty small counting how big of a franchise TMNT is. Everyone remembers the turtles fondly, but for some odd reason the "hardcore" fan that make the fandom isn't really there. I also don't blame the different incarnation of the turtles because other franchises still have different incarnation yet are able to have a healthy fandom.

Andrew is right, a convention takes a lot of money, especially since an official one would need to be licensed by Nick, other fandoms are quite large so there has always been a person to take the risk and say transformers conventions are fairly popular and while the first PR convention did not break even the second one did. I just don't see anyone in this fandom doing that for the rest of the fandom.

that and turtles was only a fandom for about 10 years after that its not and shoot who knows nick could bring it to a fandom again, or maybe now.

I think a a convention would be awesome and I wouldn't say Power Rangers is bigger than TMNT. TMNT was the biggest thing around in the late 80's and early 90's. At least from what I have been told. Also Power Rangers has been limping the past few years while TMNT has had a successful tv series and a successful movie made as well. Not to mention another series and movie on the way.

But it does strike me that TMNT was only bought for a cool 60 mil and the PR was bought for some un godly amount.... Thats another thing I dont understand why PR was bought for more, when there is more profit to be made with TMNT??? :ohwell:

Well this is another topic but I kinda agree and disagree. I do think TMNT may have been bigger during its peak but PRs was pretty close to it in fact maybe even bigger it just didn't last as a fad as long as TMNT was able to. However overall as a franchise PRs has been more profitable, it was consistently the #1 toy for boys recently, and while it "limped" the last three years that was Disney wanting to get rid of the franchise placing it in terrible slots on a dead kids block after being removed from the main channel it aired on. Now that PRs is back with Saban and on Nick the franchise is stronger than its ever been (well besides when the PR Craze was going on). I mean PRs has been on the air since it debuted not counting the transitional time between the Disney/Saban purchase.

PR was sold for a lot more than TMNT because its simply worth more, heck Saban doesn't even own everything about PRs since Toei owns and controls Super Sentai while Nick owns everything about the turtles. I do think Laird got less than the franchise was worth but it also has to do with the fact that Disney knows more about dealing with these situations and Mirage is really just a small company, not even counting that 10 million of those were for 4Kids and not Laird. Lets not forget that the the turtles already had failed revivals with TNM/TMNT 2007 both failed to excite people and the 2k3 show even if it somehow lasted 7 seasons it went under the radar and was never really a big success. And of course if we're counting fandoms the PR fandom is so much bigger than the TMNT fandom not even close, the TMNT fandom is tiny.

That and PR has practically run non-stop since the late 90's where as the Turtles all but died (in the public eye anyway) between NM and the 4Kids run. That and there's just more PR media then Turtle media...isn't there? Heck, Viacom only owns the comics and the 4kids series. They don't own the FW series, and I'm not sure if Saban still owns NM.

The headline I read in regards to that a while back implied that Saban only bought the PR rights back from Disney. So, I'm guessing Disney still has all Saban's non-PR shows.

But the tie in to PR....:P

This thread sure flew right off the track.

Yeah, the TMNT fanbase certainly is unique and diverse.

One might go so far as to say it's "un-conventional." nyuk nyuk

BOOO HISSSS!!! Get off that stage!

Kidding, nice one Winters.

There isn't enough fans to do this. For one everyone would have to fly somewhere, except the 5 that actually live near where it's being held, pay for a hotel, a ticket to the convention, transportation there, and food expenses. Plus if it's a convention there would be stuff to purchase. Most of us don't have that kind of cash to spare. Plus paying for the venue is another thing like others mentioned.

As fun as it would be to argue which turtle is better at farting then the others in person I'm content with doing it on these boards. It would be extremely depressing to show up to something like this and there be 10 other people there.

So to sum it up:
**** conventions they cost money and the TMNT fandom ****ing sucks no one wants to go to a ****ing TMNT convention.

The "TURTLE TRACKS" have a tendency to do that.

Bingo.:tcool: