The Technodrome Forums

Go Back   The Technodrome Forums > TMNT Universes > TMNT Comic Discussion

Notices

Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
Old 09-09-2021, 11:24 AM   #1
oldmanwinters
Overlord
 
oldmanwinters's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2004
Location: Between yesterday and tomorrow!
Posts: 14,896
End of Mirage Group

Don't know if this has been posted or not, but it's a downer for me. An end of an era.
Quote:
September, 2021
Mirage Studios sold the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles intellectual property to Viacom/Nickelodeon in October 2009 and, after winding down business affairs over the last dozen years, the four Mirage corporations (Mirage Studios, Inc., Mirage Licensing, Inc., Mirage Publishing, Inc., Mirage Management, Inc.) were dissolved in 2021. Mirage is no longer conducting any merchandise sales, either directly through this site or via eBay as of September 19th, 2021.
This site will no longer be updated and is being maintained primarily as an archival resource related to the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles comics published by Mirage between the years 1984 and 2010.
While Mirage has gone out of existence, but thanks to you, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turltes will live on forever. Thank you all for your years of support. It has been a pleasure sharing the Turtles’ story and universe with you.
Cowabunga!
https://www.miragelicensing.com/
__________________

Experience the TMNT Fan Commentaries!
Check out my TMNT fan comic, "Nothing to Fear"!
View my sketch work!
I'm selling some of my hard-to-find TMNT items!

Last edited by oldmanwinters; 09-10-2021 at 09:37 AM.
oldmanwinters is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-09-2021, 11:37 AM   #2
Andrew NDB
Weed Whacker
 
Andrew NDB's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: Auburn, WA
Posts: 29,137
Well that's a scrotum kick I wasn't expecting. Also, not very comforting as to the chances of Vol. 4 being continued anytime in the foreseeable future.
Andrew NDB is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-09-2021, 11:38 AM   #3
oldmanwinters
Overlord
 
oldmanwinters's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2004
Location: Between yesterday and tomorrow!
Posts: 14,896
Largely irrelevant question at this point, but did the 2009 franchise sale to Nickelodeon grant the "can publish 18 comics a year" provision to Peter Laird himself or to "Mirage Group," and how does the dissolution of said company affect the agreement, if at all?
https://www.mtv.com/news/2595341/doe...end-of-mirage/
__________________

Experience the TMNT Fan Commentaries!
Check out my TMNT fan comic, "Nothing to Fear"!
View my sketch work!
I'm selling some of my hard-to-find TMNT items!
oldmanwinters is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-09-2021, 11:39 AM   #4
Coola Yagami
Overlord
 
Coola Yagami's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2004
Posts: 13,980
Damn. I'll always remember them fondly as the creator of the teenage mutant ninja turltes.
__________________
"I was down with TMNT once, but then they changed what TMNT was. Now what I was down with is no longer TMNT and what TMNT now is seems weird and scary. And it'll happen to YOU."

Check out my blog for Comic Reviews and other things. https://markepicblogofrandomness.blogspot.com/
I also started The AEW Crew, the All Elite Wrestling Fan Club! https://www.facebook.com/groups/637508120044168/
Coola Yagami is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-09-2021, 11:42 AM   #5
Andrew NDB
Weed Whacker
 
Andrew NDB's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: Auburn, WA
Posts: 29,137
Quote:
Originally Posted by oldmanwinters View Post
Largely irrelevant question at this point, but did the 2009 franchise sale to Nickelodeon grant the "can publish 18 comics a year" provision to Peter Laird himself or to "Mirage Group,"
Strictly Peter himself and strictly in terms of projects he himself would have a heavy hand in. Untransferable to anyone, even family members and is void when he dies.
Andrew NDB is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-09-2021, 11:43 AM   #6
profobligadoo
Mouser
 
profobligadoo's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2021
Posts: 8
Quote:
Originally Posted by Andrew NDB View Post
Well that's a scrotum kick I wasn't expecting. Also, not very comforting as to the chances of Vol. 4 being continued anytime in the foreseeable future.
I've lost all hope for a conclusion to vol 4.
profobligadoo is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-09-2021, 11:45 AM   #7
Andrew NDB
Weed Whacker
 
Andrew NDB's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: Auburn, WA
Posts: 29,137
Quote:
Originally Posted by profobligadoo View Post
I've lost all hope for a conclusion to vol 4.
Probably reasonable to do at this point. Or even for a "fan" one. Maybe in a few years Lawson might change his tune but any sort of conclusion without him (he won't be involved without Peter) wouldn't be worth doing, frankly.
Andrew NDB is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-09-2021, 12:02 PM   #8
Sharman
Foot Soldier
 
Join Date: Mar 2019
Location: UK
Posts: 190
Indeed a stark moment. But all good things ...
Sharman is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-09-2021, 12:11 PM   #9
Andrew NDB
Weed Whacker
 
Andrew NDB's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: Auburn, WA
Posts: 29,137
Quote:
Originally Posted by Sharman View Post
Indeed a stark moment. But all good things ...
... came to an end? Like 10 years ago? Yeah, I guess.
Andrew NDB is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-09-2021, 12:23 PM   #10
mrmaczaps
Banned
 
mrmaczaps's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2012
Location: Maine
Posts: 2,619
Sad day. RIP TMNT. At least decent TMNT stuff.
mrmaczaps is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-09-2021, 12:30 PM   #11
AquaParade
Banned
 
Join Date: Aug 2005
Posts: 8,450
My favorite Mirage cover:

Spoiler:


RIP.
AquaParade is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-09-2021, 12:47 PM   #12
CyberCubed
Overlord
 
CyberCubed's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2004
Posts: 40,949
Goodbye, sweet prince.

They posted more on the history page:

https://www.miragelicensing.com/html/tmnt-history.html

Quote:
A BRIEF MIRAGE STUDIOS TMNT HISTORY
Background
The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles were the crazy creation of comic artists Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird. With a few thousand dollars of borrowed money, the duo, doing business as Mirage Studios, created, wrote, drew and self-published 3,000 copies of a black and white Turtle comic in 1984. The comic was an immediate success and the first issue was reprinted several times to satisfy initial demand. Over the next two years, sales of the self-published black and white comic grew to a then record-setting130, 000 copies per issue and a small amount of licensing activity took place in the role-playing game, trading card and collectible figures areas. In late 1986 and early 1987, Mirage entered into agreements with Surge Licensing, Playmates Toys, and Murakami, Wolf, Swenson Films. These agreements put into place the marketing, merchandising, and entertainment engine that would introduce the Ninja Turtles to the world at large and fuel the property’s tremendous success.
The success of the TMNT has now spanned decades and has included: multiple theatrical motion pictures, hundreds of half-hours of TV programming, top-10 all time sales status for worldwide sales of toy action figures, over 1,000 worldwide merchandise licensees, record setting sales of video games, sold out live-tour stage shows around the world and record-setting fast-food promotions. Just some of the records established by the Turtles during their first twenty-five years are as follows:

• #1 Rated Saturday morning TV show, and highest rated in its time slot ever for CBS.
• #1 Rated daily syndicated animated TV strip for children.
• #1 Top grossing independent film when released in 1990.
• #1 Best selling toy line in 1991, above G.I. Joe and Barbie.
• #1 Male action figure toys in 1990 and 1991, with over a 70% market share.
• #1 Live touring arena show in the U.S.A. in '90s.
• #1 Nintendo 8-bit and Gameboy video game in the world in 1991.
• #1 Kids' breakfast cereal in the world from Ralston Purina in 1991.
• Only non-Disney characters to appear on cover of Disney magazine and at Disney parks.

Along the way to setting the above records, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles became the most successful “character introduction” in history and redefined the children’s entertainment and trademark licensing and merchandising businesses for all time.

Movies
Between 1990 and 1993, three live-action theatrical motion pictures were produced by Golden Harvest Films and distributed by, then fledgling mini-major, New Line Cinema. The total amount grossed by these films translated into some of the industry’s highest rankings. The first picture ranks in the top grossing movies of all time, and it was the 4th highest grossing movie of 1990. Furthermore, both the first and second movies have spots on the list of the most rented videos of all time. All three of the live-action Turtles films continue to be broadcast on TV on a regular basis around the world.
In 2007 Warner Bros. and The Weinstein Company released the CG animated movie TMNT produced by Imagi Studios. Like the 1990 movie, the 2007 movie won the opening weekend box office race and the film went on to rank in the top 50 U.S. and worldwide films for the year.

Television
The immensely successful long run of the Turtles animated series began in syndication in late 1986, when Murakami, Wolf, Swenson Films produced an initial five episode mini-series. Despite the immediate popularity of the mini-series, no one could have predicted at the time that the first series would last 10 years, set all sorts of ratings records and produce an animation library of almost 200 half-hour shows. It was only a programming decision by CBS in 1996 to go with an all FCC friendly educational line-up on Saturday mornings that led to the cancellation of the original series.
In 2003 a new animated series, produced by 4Kids Entertainment and Mirage, debuted on the Fox Network in the US. Over 150 half-hours were produced and broadcast around the world in over 20 languages.

Toys
Playmates Toys, Inc. has been the worldwide master toy licensee since 1986. Since that time, Playmates has sold hundreds of millions of toys, making the Turtles one of the top action figure toy lines of all time. In 1990 and 1991, the Turtle toy line held over 70% of the action figure market. And, in 1992, it was estimated that 9 out of 10 boys age 3 to 8 in the U.S. owned at least one Turtles action figure. Playmates continues to sell Turtles toys around the world.

Merchandise
Ninja Turtles merchandise, including everything from sleepwear to shaped ice cream, has been sold and distributed through a network of over 1,000 licensees in virtually every country on the planet.
Interactive
Over the first 25 years, Konami produced and released several hugely successful video games and arcade games, including: "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles", "Back From The Sewer", "Turtles in Time", and "Tournament Fighters". In fact, in unit sales, the Turtles are one of Konami’s best-selling video games ever. In January, 2006, Mirage awarded the video game license to Ubisoft, and they released several successful games based on the 2007 CG animated movie.

The Turtles popularity has lasted much, much, longer than any of the “experts” predicted in the late '80s, when they first burst on the scene. The combination of its many records and longevity truly establishes the Ninja Turtles as one of the few evergreen properties in the entertainment world, and one of the few properties to accomplish worldwide gross revenues in the billions of dollars.


The end of an era for sure.
CyberCubed is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-09-2021, 12:49 PM   #13
oldmanwinters
Overlord
 
oldmanwinters's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2004
Location: Between yesterday and tomorrow!
Posts: 14,896
Quote:
Only non-Disney characters to appear on cover of Disney magazine and at Disney parks.
Now THAT surprises me. And I'm also surprised that anyone could have access to enough data to make the claim! Is that still true to this day?
__________________

Experience the TMNT Fan Commentaries!
Check out my TMNT fan comic, "Nothing to Fear"!
View my sketch work!
I'm selling some of my hard-to-find TMNT items!
oldmanwinters is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-09-2021, 12:51 PM   #14
Andrew NDB
Weed Whacker
 
Andrew NDB's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: Auburn, WA
Posts: 29,137
But still... what does this really change from yesterday? Or a year ago? Or ten years ago?
Andrew NDB is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-09-2021, 12:53 PM   #15
CyberCubed
Overlord
 
CyberCubed's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2004
Posts: 40,949
Because now Mirage is officially dissolved as a company? They were still in existence as a skeleton crew for last several years. Mirage essentially now is no longer in operations, they're out of business.
CyberCubed is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-09-2021, 12:54 PM   #16
oldmanwinters
Overlord
 
oldmanwinters's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2004
Location: Between yesterday and tomorrow!
Posts: 14,896
Quote:
Originally Posted by Andrew NDB View Post
But still... what does this really change from yesterday? Or a year ago? Or ten years ago?
The lack of being able to marvel over the sale prices of vintage items on Mirage's ebay store.
__________________

Experience the TMNT Fan Commentaries!
Check out my TMNT fan comic, "Nothing to Fear"!
View my sketch work!
I'm selling some of my hard-to-find TMNT items!
oldmanwinters is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-09-2021, 12:56 PM   #17
Andrew NDB
Weed Whacker
 
Andrew NDB's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: Auburn, WA
Posts: 29,137
Quote:
Originally Posted by CyberCubed View Post
Mirage essentially now is no longer in operations
But they haven't operated anything in over 10 years now. Again, nothing has really changed. Just... instead of sporadic eBay auctions of nick-knacks that 99.9% of the fandom didn't even know were happening at ninjaturtles.com, now there will be 0.
Andrew NDB is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-09-2021, 01:00 PM   #18
frank_one
Mad Scientist
 
frank_one's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2009
Location: Southern Europe
Posts: 1,969
How come those four Mirage corporations were still alive after more than 10 years?
Irrelevant news, we all know Mirage died in 2009. This isn't in any way related to the possibility of new Volume 4 issues coming.
frank_one is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-09-2021, 01:02 PM   #19
Andrew NDB
Weed Whacker
 
Andrew NDB's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: Auburn, WA
Posts: 29,137
Quote:
Originally Posted by frank_one View Post
This isn't in any way related to the possibility of new Volume 4 issues coming.
It is a little bit. If Peter intended to "publish" Vol. 4 #33 it'd reason to think he'd at least bother to protect the "Publishing" part from lapsing.
Andrew NDB is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-09-2021, 01:13 PM   #20
Chris
Mad Scientist
 
Chris's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2002
Location: UK
Posts: 1,889
Sad to hear. Not unexpected, they’ve been in wind down for a long time now, but this is the official end of the Mirage era (even if it was technically over a decade ago). I have fond memories of getting almost all of my Mirage comics from them around 1999/2000 and getting to know the characters beyond the original cartoon and it’s the reason I’m still a fan today.
Chris is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Tags
mirage

Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off

Forum Jump


All times are GMT -6. The time now is 02:55 AM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.7
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.