TMNT RPG book we never got

[oldmanwinters]

I wasn't really sure this was thread worthy at first, but I shot this by DrSpengler, and he thought it might be worthy of public viewing. If you are not familiar with the Palladium series of TMNT RPG books published between 1985-1990, then check out this thread:
http://forums.thetechnodrome.com/showthread.php?t=32860

The thing is, Palladium planned to put out at least one more major TMNT sourcebook, an extensive revision of the original volume that would feature some kickin' new art capturing the Turtles & company in their "new" Next Mutation era appearance. It appears to have been completed sometime around 1997, yet continuously delayed until Palladium dropped the license after 2000. The following is my account of how I learned of this fact.

Anyhoo, while at my local comic shop on Wednesday to pick up Darkwing Duck and Ghostbusters, I spotted a surprising sight. It appeared to be yet another Palladium RPG book featuring the TMNT! Alas, this was not quite the case, rather it was an issue of Palladium's "The Rifter," which I assume functioned as their fan-zine/newsletter/gaming supplement back in the late 90s-early00s. It featured an awesome Simon Bisley cover (even if he can't correlate the weapons with the right turtle) with some original TMNT artwork inside. Apparently, this may have been the last TMNT-associated product that Palladium ever put out, as it announces why they decided to discontinue the license and cancel the proposed TMNT RPG, 2nd Edition.















It's a shame that book never saw the light of day, Paulo Parentes Studio had drawn up some niiiice work; I never knew the "Next Mutation" designs could look so awesome! I started to wonder if the rest of their work is still out there somewhere buried under somebody's stack of papers.

Here's what little I was able to find about the never published "TMNT RPG, 2nd Edition" on the internet:

An extensively revised, updated, and expanded second edition of the TMNT & Other Strangeness RPG, now being titled TMNT & More Strangeness, is being readied by Palladium Books, with new material from the Image Comics series (Volume 3) and Simon Bisley (of Lobo & Body Count fame) art (will somebody remind him that the comic book TMNT do not have different colored bandannas & lettered belts already?). After missing an expected release date of "Fall 1997," then missing another release date of "May 1998," then again missed its scheduled release of "late October or November 1998," was slated for release on January 29th, 1999, was slated for release in "late February," and was yet again slated for release on "April 30th," and currently has a much more broad "late summer 99" release date.

Alas, it was not meant to be. Paladium canned this 2nd edition when sales began to dip in the Image TMNT series during 1999.
http://members.fortunecity.com/neode...e/tmntrpg.html

Official Palladium site, courtesy of Internet Archive:

The expanded edition of this best-selling RPG will include character & world updates, new villains, the mutant underground, new artwork, new cover, and over 20 pages of additional material.
Don't underestimate the popularity of the Second Edition among old fans of the first edition, and the suitability of its use with Heroes Unlimited, 2nd Edition.
We regret the frequent delay of this title and we will slot it in for a summer release -- probably August.

Cat. No. 502-2
Retail Price: $12.95
Page Count: 128 pages
Cover by: Simon Bisley
Interior Art: The Parente Studio, Jim Lawson, Eastman, Laird and others.
Written by: Erick Wujcik and Kevin Siembieda
Compatible with Heroes Unlimted™, 2nd Edition.
Date of Release: Summer 2000.
http://web.archive.org/web/199910090...ess/press.html

Looking back over a decade after the fact as a person who has next to no interest in RPG gaming, I have to admit I'm really disappointed the book never saw the light of day, as the sample art in "The Rifter" looks amazing; I can only dream of what treats might have awaited in a 128 page volume! The saddest part of the story is how Palladium only got about 30 pre-orders for a book that was solicited for a long, long time. I'm guessing some of you long-time, hardcore TMNT fans out there were among that small but faithful group. Can anybody else shed some more information on this lost piece of TMNT lore?

The editor's explanation for cancellation:
http://web.archive.org/web/200002291....com/tmnt.html

[Powder]

I've NEVER seen the Next Mutation turtles look better. Yowza!
If you decide to scan each piece of the characters individually at high-res, lemmie know! Thanks for sharing this, dude.

[Jester]

Yozza. That's some weirdly awesome art. I agree with the majority that seeing the NM Turtles in this style is wicked. Though that cover still bugs me as much as it did when Kevin used it for the Heavy Metal books.

[oldmanwinters]

Originally Posted by Powder

I've NEVER seen the Next Mutation turtles look better. Yowza!
If you decide to scan each piece of the characters individually at high-res, lemmie know! Thanks for sharing this, dude.

Yeah, I think a rescan is certainly warranted in the near future.

Also, here's another Palladium TMNT product I wasn't aware of until I saw it advertised in "The Rifter":

TMNT® RPG Accessory Pack™ (Game Shields): Two tri-folded game shields, one for TMNT RPG and one for the After the Bomb® series containing pertinent character creation, combat, and mutant animal data.

Plus a 24 page booklet with more data and adventures for Mutants of the Yucatan and After the Bomb®. Random Mutant Villains Table, Quick Roll Tables for creating mutant animal villains, and a guide to finding data on the Empire of Humanity. The entire package is shrink wrapped together.

• Written by Erick Wujcik
• Shields designed by Kevin Siembieda.
• Two, tri-fold, reference shields, full color covers.
• One, 24 page adventure/source book
• Compatible with the mutant animal section in Heroes Unlimited.
• $11.95
• Cat. No. 512, I.S.B.N. 0-916211-45-2
http://web.archive.org/web/199905071...atalog/512.htm

An "Accessory Pack" sounds pretty cool. I've never seen any pictures of it though.

[Slap-Happy]

Whoa! The turtles look AWESOME!

I too would like some higher res scans of the turtles. Perfect for coloring!

[Stingray69]

Thats some great art work. To bad they got the weopons wrong on the cover and I like raphs double sie.

[oldmanwinters]

[Download link removed, but thanks to wilddiverse anyway]

Now, if only the actual TMNT RPG, 2nd Edition was floating around out there in cyber-space! Ah, but a guy can dream, can't he?

[wilddiverse]

The Second Edition had a working title of "TMNT & More Strangeness". In 1996, as a way to increase interest in the new edition, Palladium ran an advertisement in comics offering a free copy of the First Edition to the first 600 interested responders. I still have mine!

There's no mention of the Second Edition ever being printed so apart from this material from Rifter #9, it appears that Palladium just paid the writers/artists for their contributions to the project it's sat in a drawer since. Shame.

I did see on the wiki that in 2007 Palladium was toying with getting the TMNT license again, but they were waiting to see how the CGI movie did. Clearly, nothing came of that notion-- I wonder if the latest iteration of TMNT comic/cartoon/movie might make publishing an RPG edition viable again?

[oldmanwinters]

Originally Posted by wilddiverse

The Second Edition had a working title of "TMNT & More Strangeness". In 1996, as a way to increase interest in the new edition, Palladium ran an advertisement in comics offering a free copy of the First Edition to the first 600 interested responders. I still have mine!

Ah, a testimony!

Originally Posted by wilddiverse

There's no mention of the Second Edition ever being printed so apart from this material from Rifter #9, it appears that Palladium just paid the writers/artists for their contributions to the project it's sat in a drawer since. Shame.

After scratching around on the internet, I discovered that there is some mention of the proposed "TMNT & More Strangeness" books in some of the earlier issues of "The Rifter" (#4, 5, 6), and I even found this awesome Image-esque Casey Jones preview!


Advert on Page 110 of "The Rifter" #4 (also appears in "The Rifter" #5)

[Gooseatello]

Casey Jones looks awesome

[Venom]

Great, even more to add to this list! >_<

[adz]

Man that art is outstanding.

[Master Splinter]

Originally Posted by adz

Man that art is outstanding.

These are very cool. Would IDW have license to print these?

-ms

[Cowabunga Carl]

I think it would be great if someone got the license from Nick to make RPG books. The problem then becomes though who do you market them to? Do you base it off the new comic or the new show both of which are currently going to be in the public eye, or do you base it off of the older comics, the Fred Wolf toon, or the 4kids show?

[wilddiverse]

Whether IDW could do anything with these would depend on what sort of licensing arrangement Palladium and Mirage had in place-- if Mirage owned the content, then Nick would now hold publishing rights, yes? From what little information there is, it sounds like the unused art for the Second Edition book was created on Palladium's dime but never actually published. It's all conjecture on my part, but I would assume Palladium would maintain ownership of that.

Who to market a TMNT RPG to was very much the problem that Palladium ran into-- in the "Good Bye, Ninja Turtles" editorial above, it's stated that the TMNT franchise's success with the preteens had much to do with the decline in sales of the Palladium RPG as older fans didn't want to mess with kiddie fare.

I contacted Palladium to inquire about the availability of the TMNT 2nd Edition and the response was that it's never been made available in any form-- so it can join the other TMNT projects that never quite made it.

[Xav]

Why is Leo wearing purple?

[oldmanwinters]

Originally Posted by wilddiverse

I contacted Palladium to inquire about the availability of the TMNT 2nd Edition and the response was that it's never been made available in any form-- so it can join the other TMNT projects that never quite made it.

I'm glad someone got in touch with them and got a response. At least they haven't forgotten about its existence. How awesome would it be if they just decided to make it public domain as a pdf file?

[Rooish]

Originally Posted by Xav

Why is Leo wearing purple?

Why is Don wearing orange, and Mike blue (with a "D" on his belt buckle)?

[Slap-Happy]

Bisley was never all that good at getting the colors or weapons right.

[Abnormal Freak]

The strangest part about Bisley's piece to me is that there doesn't seem to be an actual "blue one." :p Both Leo and Don-Mike have varying shades of purple.

Anyway, yow, I didn't know this existed, this magazine with published art from the canned book. I may have to track down a copy and do me some ULTRA HI-RES SCANS for my own amusement. April looks funkarific, but those Next Mutation-esque Turtles look totally boss. And that Casey Jones RIIIIIIIIPS.