First Official Nick TMNT Preview Art!

[Powder]

The first three pages of this thread will consist of speculation, as until then, it wasn't confirmed. It now is, courtesy Alex Deligiannis (AKA Toon).
I gotta say (haha) it's pretty rad being the first dude to post it.

This picture was copyright Nick on The Wall Street Journal website, and accompanied this article which states more info is to come in about a week. Could this actually be their new look? EDIT: Why yes, it is actually! It is somewhat close to the TMNT designs at first glance, but still infinitely better than them... I could dig the hand-wraps too. Note that Mikey's chucks have been replaced with a Kusari-gama (I personally think that's rad)!

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB1000...111427388.html

Viacom Inc.'s Nickelodeon is betting that the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles still have some fight left in them. The cable channel spent $60 million to acquire the global rights to the franchise and plans to offer a new television version of the series using computer-generated animation in 2012.
[HORIZON] Nickelodeon

The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles were introduced in 1984.

Ciro Nieli, an executive producer of the new Turtles series, says that the coming computer-animated version will be slightly different than past incarnations. The four turtle protagonists, who previously could only be distinguished by the color of their masks, will each have "more individual attributes," Mr. Nieli says. The show will stress their martial-arts combat abilities, he adds.

The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles were first launched in 1984, and have spawned comics, toys, movies and other products. "The TMNT generation is now of the age where they both have children to share with and look to reconnect with their own childhood," said Joe Wos, executive director the ToonSeum, a Pittsburgh cartoon museum.

Paul Dergarabedian, president of Hollywood.com's box-office division, says that because the 2007 movie "TMNT" grossed just $54.1 million at the domestic box office, "some of the magic" may have worn off the franchise. However, Mr. Dergarabedian said via email that "I think a re-booted version could still find favor with audiences given the long-time popularity of these characters." Nickelodeon plans to help reintroduce Turtles toys to the marketplace and Paramount has a feature-length movie in development with filmmaker Michael Bay ("Transformers").

This week, Nickelodeon is to announce details about new shows that are planned for the network, including the fantasy cartoon "The Last Airbender: Legend of Korra" (a follow-up to the network's "Avatar: The Last Airbender" series) and "Kung Fu Panda: Legends of Awesomeness," an animated show made in collaboration with DreamWorks Animation SKG Inc. that is a spinoff of the blockbuster "Kung Fu Panda" movie franchise. "Kung Fu Panda" will will make its debut later this year, with "Korra" to follow in 2012.

Cyma Zarghami, president of the Nickelodeon/MTVN Kids and Family Group, says Nickelodeon spends $600,000-$700,000 per episode to make its animated shows. The network's computer-animated offerings are "a bit more expensive," she says.

The average viewer of Nickelodeon is 11 years old, but some of the new programs might attract older fans. "Korra" features characters who are in their late teens. "It's kind of like the show has grown up," says "Korra" co-creator Bryan Konietzko. "A lot of the viewers have grown up since the show was last on."

The new programs are part of a broader strategy at Nickelodeon to bulk up its animated offerings, especially on Saturday mornings. "Animation is the life blood of kids television," Ms. Zarghami says. "Cartoons last longer, they play around the globe, and they repeat better than live-action shows."

For more on "TMNT" and "Korra,"
go to the Speakeasy blog
at WSJ.com/speakeasy.

I like the fact that they want to "stress their martial-arts combat abilities", maybe we'll have some rad fight scenes akin to the first season of 2k3.

[Galactus]

It looks a lot more Mirage inspired than I thought it'd be. I thought we'd have something more OT inspired as far as their looks but this seems like it's going for the vibe of the movies. If this is what their shooting for I approve.

Now I'm trying to imagine what this would look like in cgi...hmmm.

[oldmanwinters]

Wow, I don't have the WSJ subscription needed to read the rest of the article online, so I appreciate you sharing the full story. I always try to stay optimistic about the future too.

Got a higher res version of the picture?

[Jester]

Yea!! Glad to hear we'll finally hear something. I hope the release next week will really whet my appetite.

[Powder]

Originally Posted by Galactus

It looks a lot more Mirage inspired than I thought it'd be. I thought we'd have something more OT inspired as far as their looks but this seems like it's going for the vibe of the movies. If this is what their shooting for I approve.

Now I'm trying to imagine what this would look like in cgi...hmmm.

Yeah, I know right? They're pretty decent looking.
Granted we shouldn't get too excited, this may just be some random picture.
I don't think it is, but who knows...

Originally Posted by oldmanwinters

Wow, I don't have the WSJ subscription needed to read the rest of the article online, so I appreciate you sharing the full story. I always try to stay optimistic about the future too.

Got a higher res version of the picture?

I unfortunately don't, that's the size it was in the article.

[Jester]

Um....not to be a kill joy, but why isn't Mikey weilding nunchucks?

[Jephael]

I gotta admit, that's a pretty cool image! I wonder who made it.

[FearlessLeader]

I actually really like that art, in fact the more I look at it the more I like it. I hope it is in fact some peek at what will become the character designs for the show. Though Mikey lacking nunchucks is odd??

Still this is all VERY positive, VERY exciting news and it really sounds at least so far like they are going in a more Mirage direction, which was my HOPE, but I didn't really think would happen.

Yay!

[oldmanwinters]

Hmm... so what weapon is Mikey wielding?

[Jester]

One thing that has always bugged me is the "can only tell them apart by..." Ebert said it, and now this press release. I thought the Turtles of the movies and OT had very defined archetypes. Am I wrong?

[Powder]

Originally Posted by Jester

Um....not to be a kill joy, but why isn't Mikey weilding nunchucks?

His left hand is holding what appears to be a 'chuck, but the other hand holds a chain with an iron weight on the end.

Originally Posted by oldmanwinters

Hmm... so what weapon is Mikey wielding?

Based on what I said above, I'm thinking one of those old school ball/chain thingies that The Foot occasionally used in Vol. 1.

Originally Posted by Jester

One thing that has always bugged me is the "can only tell them apart by..." Ebert said it, and now this press release. I thought the Turtles of the movies and OT had very defined archetypes. Am I wrong?

You're not wrong, these people are just oblivious. Leader, hothead, brainiac, goof. Those have been the obvious stereotypical personalities.

[FearlessLeader]

Originally Posted by Powder

His left hand is holding what appears to be a 'chuck, but the other hand holds a chain with an iron weight on the end.

Now I am no weapons expert so anyone with more knowledge then myself please feel free to correct me but it looks like he has a Kama is in left hand, I believe that is the small scythe blade hanging down below his right knee. Attached to it is a chain to make it a Kaginawa???

Maybe??

[Galactus]

Is it just me or is this slightly Dooney inspired. In most of his recent turtle art he always draws them with slightly different stitch belts. Leo, Raph and Don's look like his design. Also he mostly draws Don with an Ipod and if you look closely Don seems to have ear phones sticking out of belt.

Hmm... so what weapon is Mikey wielding?

I'm no expert but I think it's a manrikigusari, I believe they can come with a blade on one end. That would make sense as Mike wielded one #9 of the comic and in the first season of the old show. I'd prefer his chuks though.

[Jester]

Google Image search research shows: Kusari-gama.
www.downloadmunkey.net/images2/ng2etb-01.jpg
http://www.google.co.uk/images?q=Kus...&start=20&sa=N

[Powder]

Originally Posted by Reira

Now I am no weapons expert so anyone with more knowledge then myself please feel free to correct me but it looks like he has a Kama is in left hand, I believe that is the small scythe blade hanging down below his right knee. Attached to it is a chain to make it a Kaginawa???

Maybe??

Holy... There IS a blade! Yeah, that's the thing I was thinking of, but I figured they wouldn't give Mikey a blade so I disregarded that part.

Originally Posted by Jester

Google Image search research shows: Kusari-gama.
www.downloadmunkey.net/images2/ng2etb-01.jpg
http://www.google.co.uk/images?q=Kus...&start=20&sa=N

By god... you're right! I could very much like this.

[Jester]

Originally Posted by Powder

Holy... There IS a blade! Yeah, that's the thing I was thinking of, but I figured they wouldn't give Mikey a blade so I disregarded that part.



By god... you're right! I could very much like this.

It is atleast a legit weapon and not a farm tool....

[Roseangelo]

Weird, I saw the article earlier today, but didn't know there was an image with it. Had to turn off my ad-blocker. Coolness.

[ToTheNines]

That image does not bode well.

Over-all they're kinda cool, but Mike looks like a freakin Blue Bunny TMNT Ice-pop. PLEASE don't make him a blithering doofus. And please give him the correct weapon.

[CyberCubed]

There's still no real indication if the designs of the show look like that.

[sdp]

I really like that image, and it does look like it can translate well into CG. Jester was indeed a killjoy with his post but I guess don't kill the messenger, at least the weapon he has is freaking cool so it does soften the blow a bit. Hope the image is real, and if it isn't at least there is still hope that Mikey has nunchucks. By the way the info of Avatar(ugh) The Last Airbender: Legend of Korra came out just like an hour or so ago so maybe the new info of TMNT will follow very soon?