PLAYMATES Mutant Mayhem/Tales of the TMNT/etc.

Is that where Kyle ended up? I was listening to another one of those Party Wagon podcasts with the guy from Bull Air who seemed to hint that Kyle was working on their Chuck E Cheese line. Then again, he just said former Super7 designer and they laid off like 20 of those people.
 
Mattel worries me for one big reason:

DC X Sonic exists on retail shelves

DC v AvP does not

Mattel is big enough (especially if they team up with Hasbro K-Pop Demon Hunters style) their “master license” could stop all other domestic production.

One of my last remaining great wants as far as TMNT sets go is the four brothers dressed as the Four Robins from Batman/TMNT 3, I think it’s a fun look for them…. It would have to be the one company that could finally deliver on that having both licenses at once would be the one who has told NECA before “actually… no, no loopholes, stop making shit we have the license for!”

(Also that comics like what… five years old now? I’m sure the boat has sailed for the Turts as the Robins, I’m gonna get Donnie as Cyborg, Mikey as Flash, and a bunch of random mashups just like in Sonic… I won’t even get the garbo I crave from this situation!)
 
Until it's formally announced we won't know how restrictive it is, but, yeah, Mattel getting it is probably not a good sign for those who like NECA and some of the other domestic outputs. It could just be for the same deal Playmates got so I wouldn't panic, but if a company has enough money to lock up the license in a more restrictive sense then it would certainly be Mattel. I suppose a hint of hope would be that didn't NECA make those DC vs Alien two-packs while Mattel had that license? I know they were con exclusives, but at least it's something. I kind of wonder too if maybe we haven't heard anything official just yet because Skydance is also renegotiating with other companies? Maybe they want to, for example, up the rate NECA pays to make cartoon turtles and that could have some baring on the final terms of the Mattel deal? With Blake reporting "done deal" I'm just surprised Mattel isn't ahead of this thing to drum up some excitement for their brand. Unless they think they have enough time to do some mock-ups for Toy Fair and feel that's a splashier way to do things, but news travels almost too quickly for that.
 
I suppose a hint of hope would be that didn't NECA make those DC vs Alien two-packs while Mattel had that license? I know they were con exclusives, but at least it's something.

They came out during the “transition period” between Mattel and McF, so technically under Mattel but only because “they’re losing the license in six months what are they gonna do about it?!”
 
Until it's formally announced we won't know how restrictive it is, but, yeah, Mattel getting it is probably not a good sign for those who like NECA and some of the other domestic outputs. It could just be for the same deal Playmates got so I wouldn't panic, but if a company has enough money to lock up the license in a more restrictive sense then it would certainly be Mattel. I suppose a hint of hope would be that didn't NECA make those DC vs Alien two-packs while Mattel had that license? I know they were con exclusives, but at least it's something. I kind of wonder too if maybe we haven't heard anything official just yet because Skydance is also renegotiating with other companies? Maybe they want to, for example, up the rate NECA pays to make cartoon turtles and that could have some baring on the final terms of the Mattel deal? With Blake reporting "done deal" I'm just surprised Mattel isn't ahead of this thing to drum up some excitement for their brand. Unless they think they have enough time to do some mock-ups for Toy Fair and feel that's a splashier way to do things, but news travels almost too quickly for that.
I don't know. We see their own licenses with other companies all the time. MOTU at Mondo, as an example.
 
Sometimes there is still legal paperwork in place that says you cannot get ahead and drum things up.

It gets murkier and murkier with all these social media and leaks, but the old ways are the old ways.
 
Yeah, Playmates still has it through 2026, so whomever has/gets the license ISN'T going to be showing anything off (likely behind closed doors to the public) before possibly NYCC in 2026 and then NYTF for the big rollout.
 
Yeah, Playmates still has it through 2026, so whomever has/gets the license ISN'T going to be showing anything off (likely behind closed doors to the public) before possibly NYCC in 2026 and then NYTF for the big rollout.
Even with the DC situation, Todd only talks about it because people are asking what's going on and he just keeps floating that vague answer.

I don't think Mattel has said anything?
 
I don't think we'll hear anything about the new TMNT license holder until at least SDCC. Hasbro and Mattel both have presence at the show and panels. The license acquirment could be announced there.
 
Welp. I take back what I said earlier.

Take this with the grainiest of grains of salt.

But start appreciating what we have now and getting used to the idea of there only being one company making Ninja Turtles products next year.

Digging around and it's...well, looking grim.
 
Until it's formally announced we won't know how restrictive it is, but, yeah, Mattel getting it is probably not a good sign for those who like NECA and some of the other domestic outputs. It could just be for the same deal Playmates got so I wouldn't panic, but if a company has enough money to lock up the license in a more restrictive sense then it would certainly be Mattel. I suppose a hint of hope would be that didn't NECA make those DC vs Alien two-packs while Mattel had that license? I know they were con exclusives, but at least it's something. I kind of wonder too if maybe we haven't heard anything official just yet because Skydance is also renegotiating with other companies? Maybe they want to, for example, up the rate NECA pays to make cartoon turtles and that could have some baring on the final terms of the Mattel deal? With Blake reporting "done deal" I'm just surprised Mattel isn't ahead of this thing to drum up some excitement for their brand. Unless they think they have enough time to do some mock-ups for Toy Fair and feel that's a splashier way to do things, but news travels almost too quickly for that.
Yeah, Mattel's got a pretty good working relationship with NECA, seem to have over the years and years.
 
I don't know. We see their own licenses with other companies all the time. MOTU at Mondo, as an example.
I think that’s different though since they have 100% control and actually profit off of whatever Mondo and such does. Unless they have a deal in place that gets them a cut of everyone else’s TMNT product.
Even with the DC situation, Todd only talks about it because people are asking what's going on and he just keeps floating that vague answer.

I don't think Mattel has said anything?

They put out a press release last February when they got DC back, which may have been deliberate to coincide with Toy Fair which kicked off a few days after. For a publicly traded company, they want news like that out there as soon as possible.

 
I feel like I'm safe at this point from buying any more TMNT figures.

I have the vintage collection, the 2012 collection, The NECA Movie and Cartoon Collection with some comic collection figures, the Super7 Ultimates, etc. I don't collect any Turtles at this point, and I doubt I'd ever have too again.........UNLESS

Mattel does get it. And they make a Classic TMNT Line based on the vintage TMNT toy line in the MOTU Origins 5.5" scale with the Origins style articulation and swappable parts. Pretty much what Playmates tried to do with their 5.5" Classic Turtles first with the 4 Turtles, then that 6 Pack at Target that had Splinter and Shredder later in 2025.

But just executed better by Mattel and as I said, like the Origins MOTU figures. If that happened, despite all the TMNT stuff I have, I could see myself being interested and possibly buying that line. Which is honestly stupid of me having what I have.

But damn it, I like Adolescent Genetic Defect Karate Amphibians.

Jeez. Mattel could really cost me some money in the next few years, but I'm going to try and be good.

I collect Origins and Masterverse for MOTU, and I hope to make those the last two MOTU lines I ever collect, so I don't need MOTU movie figures this year. But what will happen when I see them? And I have so many TMNT lines, and so many DC lines, I don't need a single figure more from either of those properties.

But guys. What happens when I see them?
 
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