05-21-2019, 02:33 PM | #1 |
Foot Soldier
Join Date: Mar 2019
Location: UK
Posts: 190
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The sad decline of Mirage
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I find this rather depressing - written today (21 May 2019) on the Mirage website: "ATTENTION: Peter has retired from signing items because he is rarely in the studio these days. As of today, Mirage is no longer offering a signing service, so no items purchased from this site or through eBay will be eligible for an autograph. Unfortunately all good things must come to an end. Thank you very much for your support over the years, and for your understanding in this matter. Life, at best, is bittersweet." Whilst PL is more than deserving of his (semi-)retirement, it's sad to think of what this means. |
05-21-2019, 02:38 PM | #2 |
Mad Scientist
Join Date: Jul 2011
Posts: 1,902
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I am surprised they still post auctions. I wish they would have a "studio sale" at the studio!
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05-21-2019, 02:43 PM | #3 |
Hench Mutant
Join Date: Nov 2014
Location: MA
Posts: 293
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05-21-2019, 03:33 PM | #4 |
Overlord
Join Date: Dec 2004
Posts: 41,031
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It still surprises me Dan Berger puts up ebay auctions like once a week. Like what else goes on there? Katie is their entire shipping department, so it's like two people in the studio going through old boxes of toys once a week, and selling them and that's it?
I hope he'd getting paid to do that. |
05-21-2019, 10:31 PM | #5 |
Hench Mutant
Join Date: Nov 2012
Posts: 448
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I got a vacuum-metallized Fugitoid figure with the box signed by Peter Laird in 2015. It's the only signed TMNT item I have. I was surprised that they weren't sold out by then, but then again it wasn't something that was heavily promoted. It doesn't feel right that the original team behind TMNT isn't actively involved anymore, and someday it will cease to exist, but like it was said: "Life at best is bittersweet."
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05-22-2019, 12:57 PM | #6 |
Overlord
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: Sweden
Posts: 10,155
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Ninjaturtles and Mutantooze
I miss the old Ninjaturtles website. Thankfully, Mutantooze has restored much of it.
http://mutantooze.org/ninjaturtles/ |
05-24-2019, 12:28 PM | #7 |
Hench Mutant
Join Date: Jan 2019
Location: Dearborn Heights, Michigan
Posts: 295
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Well it was nice while it lasted. I am suprised that every other fan didn't comment on this.
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05-24-2019, 03:55 PM | #8 |
Foot Elite
Join Date: Dec 2003
Posts: 3,006
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I suspect Pete is done with the Turtles. Which is perfectly fine. He dedicated a good chunk of his life to them. If he wants to move on, I can respect that.
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05-24-2019, 04:03 PM | #9 | |
Weed Whacker
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: Auburn, WA
Posts: 29,251
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Quote:
A real shame he fought for the 18 comics a year clause just to sit on it. That's his business, though.
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05-24-2019, 04:52 PM | #10 |
Annalist
Join Date: Jul 2004
Posts: 16,435
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Yeah, it is odd. If he's that not into it, that burned out on Turtles, it seems odd that he'd even care to give himself a legal "in" like that.
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05-24-2019, 06:24 PM | #11 |
Annalist
Join Date: Jul 2004
Posts: 16,435
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True, true. Wish he'd want it a little more.
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05-25-2019, 09:53 AM | #12 | |
Foot Soldier
Join Date: Mar 2019
Location: UK
Posts: 190
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Quote:
It's a shame he never went through with publishing his outline for the remainder of Volume 4, which he hinted he might do. Ah, well ... |
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05-27-2019, 06:19 PM | #13 |
Hench Mutant
Join Date: Jan 2019
Location: Dearborn Heights, Michigan
Posts: 295
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Well I guess this is good bye mirage.
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05-27-2019, 06:33 PM | #14 |
無問題
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: Moesko Island, WA
Posts: 14,313
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You know just back before the sale when Pete was detailing his day-to-day life which consisted mostly of spending the day on his motorcycle or Segway and would roll into "work" like it was the least important part of his day, I was kind of bothered by it. It just seemed like he could not give even a thirteenth of a s**t about this empire he built. Then he sold it off and it was even more bothersome.
In hindsight, it was incredibly ridiculous and childish for me to feel that way. Especially since I totally get it now. After working at the same place for 12 years with no real out, I would not want to work on the same thing for that long, no matter how "awesome" it was. Burnout is real, yo. I would love to be able to make something I could sell off and retire.
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05-28-2019, 08:12 AM | #15 |
Hench Mutant
Join Date: Aug 2010
Posts: 435
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Maybe I'm alone in this, but I really don't see this as any big change vs. what we've seen in the last 10 years.
Peter Laird hasn't done a whole lot with the TMNT in the last decade, but occasionally he'll get an itch (or get prodded by a friend) and he'll make an appearance or put out an issue. We've gotten 2 "new" issues since he sold the property and he's done several appearances throughout the years where he seems happy to sign TMNT items for fans and answer their questions. This announcement just sounds like they are discontinuing the option of have items held at Mirage for Peter to sign. It doesn't sound to me like he's never going to sign again...just that he wants to be free from a commitment that he's not terribly passionate about anymore. For me, this doesn't seem like part of a sad decline. Personally, I'm happy that there's still remnants of Mirage to enjoy. I'm not sure this happens very often when a large company "buys out" a smaller property. And besides, the sale opened the door for the IDW comic series and the 2012 cartoon, both of which I'd say are excellent additions to the larger TMNT world. The alternative would be Mirage sitting on the property and not doing anything with it, just letting it fade to obscurity. As declines go, that would have been infinitely sadder. |
05-28-2019, 10:19 AM | #16 |
Weed Whacker
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: Auburn, WA
Posts: 29,251
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It's also entirely possible there is just less and less demand for him to actually sign stuff from the website, not enough to justify his taking trips out there anymore.
I mean, hell, I didn't even know that was an option until they're just now saying they're not doing it anymore.
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05-28-2019, 10:56 AM | #17 | |
Overlord
Join Date: Feb 2004
Location: Between yesterday and tomorrow!
Posts: 14,929
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Quote:
I appreciate that I have a few Peter Laird-signed items, including one of those limited vacuum-metal painted Fugitoid figures from last decade.
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05-30-2019, 12:14 AM | #18 |
Stone Warrior
Join Date: Feb 2003
Posts: 926
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At least he will do cons , John Erwin stopped signing totally 2 yrs ago and he will prolly never do a con
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05-30-2019, 09:26 PM | #19 |
Thug
Join Date: Apr 2018
Location: Philadelphia, PA
Posts: 67
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Yeah. I imagine them in a little apartment above Peter's garage (his motorcycles below) sorting through boxes under fluorescent light.
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06-03-2019, 10:52 AM | #20 |
Foot Elite
Join Date: Feb 2010
Posts: 2,514
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This is the first thing I thought as well. It's probably the deciding factor. Not enough stuff for him to sign so why bother taking trips to his company.
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