When we first heard of Turtles Forever, we were in TMNT heaven. Then crushed, when it was taken away. But then happy again when it was brought back as a TV movie. Unfortunately, many folks missed the airing, and with no specific talk of a DVD or theatrical release, the special was thought to be lost. But, ah, the joy of the internet! Thanks to awesome video sites, and the caring upload of loyal fans, Turtles Forever now lives online, in an unedited director’s cut format. So now, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles actually are “forever”, as you can watch the entire special right here on ToonBarn! Check it out (more… )

A few days ago, we previewed the Simpsons and Coca-Cola commercial spot during this year’s Super Bowl. As the Colts battled the Saints during Super Bowl XLIV, Mr. Burns was battling the recent bad economy (gee, who could have caused that?) as all of his precious belongings were being taken from him. Just when things looked the bleakest for the billionaire, the town of Springfield rallied around him, enjoying a nice soda and good spirits in the park. If you missed it (or just wanted to see it again!) check out the full minute-long commercial spot right here (more… )

Does the name “Bernie Madoff” ring a bell? He’s not exactly on every cartoon fan’s mind, so we’d understand if not. As a quick sum up, he’s the guy in all the trouble lately because he ran illegal “Ponzi schemes”, stealing millions of dollars from unsuspecting folks. To retrieve some of that money, the government has been auctioning off his belongings, including his luxury penthouse apartment on the Upper East Side of NYC’s Manhattan. Here’s the toon connection: the new owner is none other than the CEO of 4Kids Al Kahn. That explains the sudden influx of “bad dubs, new duds” emails we’ve been getting lately! The New York Post reports the head of 4Kids Entertainment, the man behind Pokemon, Yu-Gi-Oh!, Cabbage Patch Kids and more, bought the 4,000 square foot home for about $8 million dollars. (more… )

Hachette Collections SNC has just signed a monster of a deal. Er, a dinosaur of a deal? Well, that doesn’t sound right, but it is accurate! The group is now a new publishing licensee for Dinosaur King. The property, licensed into an animated series and trading card game brand by 4Kids Entertainment, will see Hachette take over in various European and African locations, joining a number of other licensees on the property, like Harper Collins. What will all this mean? Lots and lots of new Dinosaur King products! Books, magazines, clothes, and more, all available within the next few months. Until then, check out the show in action! (more… )

Team Green may be relocating from 4Kids to Nickelodeon in the next year or so, but they have no plans on abandoning the company that has been their action figure home for the past 20 years. How do we know? Because we know everything!!! Well, and also because we’ve gotten word that Playmates Toys has just signed a new global master toy deal for the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, pledging that they will continue to making toys based on the TMNT brand, now owned by Nickelodeon & Viacom Consumer Products. We’re still waiting to see what plans Nick has in store for the Turtles – maybe we can get some sneak peeks out of an upcoming Playmates line…?

The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles now have a new home. TMNT has long since been associated with The Mirage Group and 4Kids Entertainment, but those days are long gone as the boys are now headed to their new home at Viacom’s Nickelodeon. As part of the deal, the animated series will continue to air on CW4Kids through next summer, but future series will all be up to Nickelodeon — maybe even Turtles Forever. In addition to the toons, the deal also includes all toys, video games, clothes, accessories, etc. Nick has even already announced plans to develop a new CG animated TMNT series, hoping to hit Nickelodeon airwaves in 2010. Leonardo, Michelangelo, Donatello, and Raphael … we’ll see you on the other side!

About two weeks ago, ToonBarn reported that every TMNT fan across the universe would witness the shell-ebration of a lifetime: Turtles Forever, a movie featuring every generation of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles teaming up across the big screen. It was a fitting tribute to the Turtles on their 25th anniversary. But now, there is only shell-shock, as it appears the project has been cancelled! After seeking official comment, ToonBarn was told “Due to unforeseen circumstances this event will not be shown in theatres. Unfortunately, 4Kids Entertainment and Mirage Studios were unable to reach an agreement with Fathom Entertainment” Surely, this was the work of Krang, the robot and human Foot Clan, Beebop, Rocksteady, and every version of the Shredder! October 29th will come and go with no theatrical presentation, but perhaps TMNT Forever will move to TV or DVD. We’ll keep digging for you, so stay TOONed! In the meantime, check out the alternate poster to what could have been Turtles Forever after the break.

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If you’re living in Japan, or at least have access to the Japanese Toei Channel (or Toei Channel HD) then you should soon be able to check out all 40 episodes of the animated series Kame Rider Dragon Knight. The Adness Entertainment series, which currently airs during the CW4Kids Saturday morning programming block, is based on Toei’s Kamen Rider Ryuki, a Japanese series that dates back about 35 years, and this will be the twelfth installment of the Kamen Rider series. Fans, globally, rejoice!