Could Peter's bitterness toward Fred Wolf be about more than just content?

[pannoni1]

Many people just are so selective in what they comprimise as canon. Peter just has a preference toward a darker tone than Eastman/Mark Freedman/FW and it just wasn't what he was expecting. Since PL didn't approve of FW's content, it likely caught up to him when he wanted to talk to FW and focused more on the movies/comics than the OT. He also seemed to be less open to having a huge franchise consume his creativity with all of those legal claims and it really felt too much to him. He also would have preferred the OT to be aimed at a somewhat older audience like the 2003 version did. At least with 4kids, PL felt that his animated visions were close to what he dreamt of, except for Fast Forward in which he feels that silly turtles just don't do it for him. However by then, it was too late to save the relationsip with Eastman.

[pferreira]

The way I see it the Fred Wolf series is an interpretation of the Ninja Turtles idea. It's got no more or less value than any other interpretation of the Turtles over the years. The comics are the originals and will always be canon (Volume 1 anyway) as it's the original source material but the FW has brought as much entertain as anything else in the franchise. As fans we have been fairly lucky, we've made bigger hits than misses. When the franchise is done right we get the Fred Wolf series, the 2003 series and the live-action movies. When the franchise is done wrong we get stuff like The Next Mutation and the 2007 CG movie. Peter Laird is entitled to his opinions of the franchise as he of course co-created it but the choices made by Wolf and David Wise were the right ones for the series success.

[Original TMNT Cartoon Fan]

Originally Posted by Jephael

It really is sad what corporate greed does to people. I have a cool idea for a TV series that I'd like to produce someday but the more I hear of these legal issues people keep having I'm very hesitant to share my ideas with the world.

Nice. Tell me everything about your ideas, how you want the characters, origions, storylines and stuff. You can send message to me if you want. You'e one of my favourite TMNT fans.

[Dirty Blond]

Do you think Laird is chomping at the bit to rip the Nick series?

[ToTheNines]

Originally Posted by Dirty Blond

Do you think Laird is chomping at the bit to rip the Nick series?

Um... no. I don't expect him to have many praises for it, but there's no way he's "chomping at the bit" to sh*t on this cartoon. Peter still has a love for the TMNT, and he sold the property to to Nickelodeon because he was confident that they would competently handle it. Keep in mind he'd received several offers before.

Why would you say that?

[FearlessLeader]

Originally Posted by Dirty Blond

Do you think Laird is chomping at the bit to rip the Nick series?

Like to make fun of it?

Doubtful. Certainly he will have opinions about it, but I hardly think he is sitting at home gleefully waiting to say nasty things about the series.

[CyberCubed]

I gather he'll likely watch maybe the first 1-2 episodes, and if he isn't thrilled about it he'll simply not tune in.

He already isn't very interested in the IDW series either so far.

[Killer Moth]

Originally Posted by CyberCubed

I gather he'll likely watch maybe the first 1-2 episodes, and if he isn't thrilled about it he'll simply not tune in.

He already isn't very interested in the IDW series either so far.

Indeed. As it is, I can appreciate his turn of phrase over certain TMNT products during the year, "it didn't make me puke." I wouldn't express that way, myself, but it sums up my current feelings toward the Nicktoon and IDW-until-issue-7 in a nice-yet-sick way. We'll see, as the wait isn't too much longer.

In terms of the lawsuit itself, I have to admit in watching the OT lately, it does sometimes pop up in my head. I won't say it doesn't interfere majorly with my enjoying the series, yet I do occasionally have a very slight uncomfortable feeling with the fact people apparently went to court about it. I console myself by thinking that the show has brought me joy, and I don't wish to blame it for the legal lulz. It's an interesting feeling to have, and I'm still trying to flesh it out.

[oldmanwinters]

Originally Posted by Killer Moth

In terms of the lawsuit itself, I have to admit in watching the OT lately, it does sometimes pop up in my head. I won't say it doesn't interfere majorly with my enjoying the series, yet I do occasionally have a very slight uncomfortable feeling with the fact people apparently went to court about it. I console myself by thinking that the show has brought me joy, and I don't wish to blame it for the legal lulz. It's an interesting feeling to have, and I'm still trying to flesh it out.

What made the OT so special were the talents of the writers and voice actors who worked directly on the show, not the lawyers and businessmen who wanted to get as big a piece of the Turtles marketing pie as possible.

[Killer Moth]

Originally Posted by oldmanwinters

What made the OT so special were the talents of the writers and voice actors who worked directly on the show, not the lawyers and businessmen who wanted to get as big a piece of the Turtles marketing pie as possible.

Of course, you're right. Just because there was behind-the-scenes legal lulz doesn't take away the series' uniqueness or its impact on viewers. My about-to-be-resolved issue is a mere young child vs. adult intellectual struggle. Frankly, the young child in me would kick the adult's posterior if I were to let that interfere with my viewing or my enjoyment.

A similar example would be James Bond's Thunderball, and the legalese from that. For those unfamiliar, co-author Kevin McClory contended about the rights with the book plot, Blofeld and S.P.E.C.T.R.E. In turn, the legal battle -- and the 80's remake, "Never Say Never Again" -- would later ban Blofeld and S.P.E.C.T.R.E. from later Bond movies. It doesn't take away my fondness for the character or the organization, nor should it. All it does is give me a slight pause, and then I move on and enjoy the past materials that are available or will become available.

Sometimes, it eventually works out, as rumor has it that Blofeld might be in Skyfall. Hope springs eternal, and, indeed, IDW (and Kevin Eastman) has proven the same with their TMNT book. It all works out.

Not that I don't blame Laird for his feelings (and I'll wax about that in a future post), but I do second pannoni1's observations. His serious ness isn't always a bad thing, either, as he saved us from some major 4Kids clunkers. There is always a balance somewhere.