In the brand-new Rise of the TMNT episode "The Longest Fight" (#108A), the Turtles have a hard time watching their idol skateboard while stopping a burglary! Then later in "Minotaur Maze" (106B), if the mutant maze can be beaten in 30 minutes or less, the pizza is free! In Nick's super sneak-peek preview from "Minotaur Maze", titled "World's Greatest Pizza" there is no point in eating mediocre pizza when you can have the world's greatest pizza!
Update - Below is a sneak-peek from "The Longest Fight", which Nickelodeon unveiled today at NYCC 2018! In the episode, Rob Paulsen and Maurice LaMarche are reunited behind the mic as Foot Lieutenant, the de-facto leader of the Foot Clan, and Foot Brute, the Foot Lieutenant’s right-hand man!:
Don't forget to check out Playmates Toys' brand-new Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles toy line, available in stores now!
From SyFy.com:
NYCC: RISE OF THE TMNT IS MEANT TO TURN NYC INTO A MYSTICAL PLAYGROUND FOR KIDS (AND KIDS AT HEART)
We got turtle-y enough for the Turtle Club at New York Comic Con.
Why?
It's because we attended the the panel for Nickelodeon's Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.
Among those present were co-executive producers Andy Suriano and Ant Ward, who talked about the influences on the show's art style, which has its roots in the genre of fantasy, as depicted in the 1960s and 1970s.
"We say everything with the show is about chemistry and fun," said Suriano, who heavily hinted at a future appearance of classic Turtles villain Krang.
Ward added that they were fascinated with the idea of hidden realities, leading to the addition of more mystical elments to the property. One goal was to turn every facet of New York into a fantastical playground for kids watching at home. This is a show for kids who look up to their parents and ask with complete sincerity (the kind only children have) if there really are butt-kicking turtles living in the sewers.
Of course, that didn't mean they could deviate too much from the original property. Voice director Rob Paulsen (a legendary voice actor in his own right) went on record as saying that what surprises him most about the TMNT franchise is “the depth of love of the fan base.”
In the photo below, you can see (sitting from left, to right): Maurice LaMarche (Foot Lieutenant), Rob Paulsen (Foot Clan Lieutenant), Kat Graham (April O'Neil), Brandon Mychal Smith (Michelangelo), Josh Brener (Donatello), Omar Benson Miller (Raphael), Ward, and Suriano. The only pincipal cast member not present was Ben Schwartz, who voices Leonardo.
Credit: Josh Weiss
And since Maurice LaMarche was also present, the audience was treated to some Pink and the Brain action. Both Paulsen and LaMarche voice characters on Rise, playing two members of the Foot Clan. However, their P&TB relationship is now reversed here, LaMarche said. He's the dim one now and Paulsen is the smart one.
Josh Brener, talked about how his brothers wouldn't let him play with their Ninja Turtles action figures when they were growing up. But now, well, Brener's got his own toy. "Suck on that!" he exclaimed to his absentee siblings. Wow, that mustv'e been festering under the surface for a while.
The series (already renewed for a second season) is currently in the middle of its first season, with the next two episodes ("Shell in a Cell" and "Minotaur Maze") airing tomorrow, Oct. 6.
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Also, from The Slanted:
‘Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles’ Shares a Trailer with NYCC Fans
The “Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles” voice cast, along with the show’s co-executive producers, treated fans at New York Comic-Con with a look at the new series today. The panel was moderated by Mike Cecchini (Den of Geek) and featured voice actors Omar Miller as Raph, Josh Brener as Donnie, Brandon Mychal Smith as Mikey, and Kat Graham as April O’Neil, along with the co-executive producers Andy Suriano and Ant Ward, and legendary voice director Rob Paulsen. Special guest Maurice LaMarche (Pinky and the Brain) made an appearance to discuss his role as the Foot Brute.
The panel featured a sneak peek at the upcoming episode, “The Longest Fight,” where Paulsen and LaMarche reunited behind the mic as Foot Lieutenant, the de-facto leader of the Foot Clan, and Foot Brute, the Foot Lieutenant’s right hand man.
Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles premiered on Monday, Sept. 17, on Nickelodeon and new season one episodes will continue to air throughout 2018. The new 26-episode series is co-executive produced by Andy Suriano (character designer, Samurai Jack) and Ant Ward (supervising producer, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles) at Nickelodeon in Burbank.
The series stars the voice talent of Omar Miller (Ballers) as Raph, a jagged-shelled snapping turtle; Ben Schwartz (Parks and Recreation) as Leo, a red-eared slider turtle; Josh Brener (Silicon Valley) as Donnie, a soft-shell turtle; Brandon Mychal Smith (You’re The Worst) as Mikey, a box turtle; Kat Graham (The Vampire Diaries) as April O’Neil, a street savvy native New Yorker; Eric Bauza (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles) as Splinter, father figure and sensei to the Turtles; and WWE Superstar John Cena as the villainous, Baron Draxum.
“Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles” was one of five shows renewed by Nickelodeon this past summer. Nickelodeon also announced the renewal of “Henry Danger” season five (20 episodes); “Knight Squad” season two (10 episodes); “The Dude Perfect Show” season three (15 episodes); and “Hunter Street” season three (30 episodes).
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Also, from IGN UK:
RISE OF THE TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES: 'THE LONGEST FIGHT' CLIP
Don't mess with turtles.
At the Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles panel at NYCC 2018, the creators unveiled a never-before-seen clip from an upcoming episode, titled The Longest Fight.
Per Nickelodeon, "Paulsen and LaMarche are reunited behind the mic as Foot Lieutenant, the de-facto leader of the Foot Clan, and Foot Brute, the Foot Lieutenant’s right-hand man."
For a look at the turtles in actions, check out the clip [above.]
Season 1 of Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles premiered on Monday, Sept. 17 on Nickelodeon. The first season will consist of 26 episodes, featuring the voice talents of Omar Miller (Ballers), Ben Schwartz (Parks and Recreation), Josh Brener (Silicon Valley), Brandon Mychal Smith (You’re The Worst), and Kat Graham (The Vampire Diaries).
Nickelodeon also released a new photo from The Longest Fight, featuring the two villains, which you can see in the gallery, below:
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Also, from Den of Geek:
Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Reveals New Villains
Iconic Pinky & The Brain voice duo takes on the Foot Clan on Nickelodeon’s Rise of the TMNT.
Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles arrived on Nickelodeon on Sept. 17. It’s tough following up the long-running and beloved previous TMNT series, which aired on Nickelodeon between 2012-2017, but Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles is quite a departure, introducing an all-new voice cast, a dynamic return to 2D animation, and some new mythology for the characters.
But it also reunites the iconic voices of Pinky and the Brain, Rob Paulsen and Maurice LaMarche as the villainous Foot Lieutenant and Foot Brute, respectively. Like the rest of the series, this is a new take on the Foot Clan, and Paulsen and LaMarche have flipped the dynamic of their old Pinky and the Brain roles. Paulsen, of course, also voiced Raphael in the original TMNT animated series, and Donatello in Nickelodeon’s other recent iteration of the series. On Rise, he also serves as voice director.
I was fortunate enough to talk to Paulsen and LaMarche before the Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles panel at NYCC, where they told me what it was like creating the new voices of these characters, the importance of working together in the booth, and much more.
Check out this clip from the upcoming episode “The Longest Fight,” which sees Paulsen and LaMarche as the voices of the Foot Lieutenant and the Foot Brute. This is a new take on the Foot Clan, and then read the interview below!
Den of Geek: The Foot Brute and Foot Lieutenant seem like edgier characters than we've seen on the rest of this show so far. How did you create these voices for them? They're different from what fans are accustomed to hearing from you.
Maurice LaMarche: I think the perfect thing was that Rob is the voice director and what a treat to be directed by my good buddy over here because he has so many brilliant ideas. When we walked in, he just kind of laid out who these guys were. For once, I'm playing the less smart one, the less witty one. And he's playing the genius, which is apropo of our real life.
Rob Paulsen: That's really high praise coming from Moe and certainly I will accept that compliment in the spirit in which it's delivered by my dear friend. But, obviously, when you're working with a guy like Moe, it is pretty much an endless well of ideas. Remember, the VPs of the show all had great ideas and the way typically things go is that … sometimes they bring in a picture, they give you ideas of what they think they want. And then it's our job to throw a bunch of stuff against the wall and sort of see what mutually excites everyone.
And with Moe, it doesn't take very long. And they just go, "Okay, let's do that." The thing that is a bit different for me, specifically, as Moe suggests, is that most of the things that people know me for are comedic, sometimes snarky, smart-assy kind of characters. And I love that. Or stupid, in the case of Pinky. But kind of happy characters. But Moe has a really broad range and he can play a lot of bad guys, or guys of questionable intent. It is different for me to be that guy for sure.
Maurice: Yeah, I remember seeing model sheets. And I knew my guy was big, so I just kind of brought a big sound for him, you know? That's kind of my way of working. I look at characters ... if I'm lucky enough to be supplied with a model sheet, I just look at the character and channel it. So we threw around a couple of sounds and we arrived at the gravely sound.
I originally played him maybe a little, as I recall, too dumb. And we kind of made him a little more understandable because he was very marble mouthed and we put power into his voice. So there was a little bit of fine-tuning there and it was ... we came up with the characters we've got. The lieutenant was amazing because as Rob said, I'm not used to hearing him be villainous. These two guys will mess with you.
Rob: Right. And they wrote it that way so we do kind of lead folks in and manipulate them and stuff and I'm pretty gnarly. But what's really great is we also have these opportunities to go off and ... particularly my character gets to kind of roll his eyes and...those are really fun ways to incorporate a natural humorous quality to something that's not always so dark.
Because the whole vibe of the show is a little funnier. And the characters they draw and put together for the big celebrity talent, John Cena and John Lydon and Lena Headey, they all have comedic aspects of them that really makes the story go all over the place and it's a blast to work on.
But one more thing with respect to working with Moe. We worked together a lot over the last 25 years and not just on Pinky and the Brain and it is effortless to work with a guy like Moe who is also a dear friend. There really is a thing about chemistry that, at the risk of sounding too fancy-schmancy, when you talk about really great comedy teams throughout at least my lifetime, there is, to be sure, a chemistry that happens. And I gotta say Pinky and the Brain really cemented that for the two of us. So when we get the chance to do this together, it is a natural thing to be able to feel each other's instincts and I don't think it's surprising that these two characters seem to be working. It's just a blast.
Den of Geek: You know it's interesting that you say chemistry because I know with a lot of shows, everybody kind of does their vocal parts individually. But because you guys have such a history together, did you work in the booth together for any of this?
Maurice: Always. And tell them in your Rob Paulsen voice, would you?
Rob: I never work without my “Brain.” That was by design, too. The producers and the folks at Nickelodeon have been very kind to me in my role as director, because when they said, "Hey, Moe's coming in." I said, "Okay, if we're gonna do this, please and obviously we have to work around Maurice's very busy schedule, but if I had the choice, I should say, please bring us in together." Not only is it a lot of fun, but the show will be better with respect to our particular parts if we work together. And I don't think they would change that. It's much better when we're together.
Den of Geek: Rob, this is also your third go around with the TMNT. How early were you brought on as voice director for this? How early in development of this particular show?
Rob: Very. In fact it was January of 2017. It is certainly not my daily work and I made it very clear from the beginning that I didn't want other voice directors who are close to Maurice and me, Andrea Romano, Chris Zimmerman, Kelly Ward, people like that who are really excellent in town. I would never want anyone to feel like I was trying to snake a gig from them. But they said, "No, we really think this might work and it was a mutual idea to say lets get half a dozen episodes." And I told them right from the beginning, I was utterly eager less in this pursuit because I'm good at my job, but this is a new thing for me and if we get half way into it and somebody says, "Hey Rob, we really dig you as an actor, but you don't know anything about this side of the business," no harm, no foul.
So far, everything seems to be going well. I love doing it.
Maurice: I'll just jump in on that and add that we're saying this ... I speak for myself, saying this because you are a very good director. Everybody loves Rob Paulsen. One of the sweetest guys in the world and an amazing talent as a voice actor, but you also kick ass as a director. You talk to an actor as a fellow actor, so you discuss things an actor wants to know, like what the character wants and what the setting is. Where we are in this scene. Because in animation you don't always get that from a script. He really speaks with a compassion to the actor, while making it fun.
Rob: Thank you. And it is a remarkable experience to have three cracks at, pun intended, an evergreen franchise, I mean are you kidding me? The thing about this franchise in particular is that you think about it, when we work in the studio and we have a ball and we go home, and again, people don't recognize you walking down the street. But man, I'm telling you something, I can go pretty much anywhere and people would know Ninja Turtles. It's unbelievable and so much so that every time I have time to chat with Kevin Eastman, one of the creators of the show, inevitably, if we have more than five minutes of conversation, it comes up. Even the creator looks around and says, "Oh my God. I forget sometimes because I'm just standing in line at a CVS and it's Halloween and there's a whole bunch of Ninja Turtle Halloween balloons." And he goes, "Oh my God. That's right. I created that." It's really mind blowing to be part of it and it is as popular now as it's ever been.
Den of Geek: And as a vote of confidence, Nickelodeon renewed you for a second season before the first season even aired.
Rob: They did give us quite a vote of confidence and I think it is because it's a different take on the show. It's certainly different than the last one and that was by design. When you have a franchise that is pretty bullet proof and so strong, it's exciting to see what new artists put into it.
Den of Geek: This was so much fun. Thank you both for taking the time.
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Also, from SyFy Wire:
NYCC: HERE'S WHY SHREDDER IS NOT IN RISE OF THE TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES
Nickelodeon rebooted the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles yet again just a few weeks ago, and one big question still remains: Where in the world is Shredder?
This query was posed to the Rise of the TMNT team at New York Comic Con by (are you ready for it?) a young boy. "He's in all the other shows," said the kid, summing up his point as beautifully and simplistically as possible.
While this drew the obvious bout of laughter from the audience, executive producer Andy Suriano offered a very articulate and logical answer.
“We wanted to do something unexpected," he said in reply. "If you have a bad guy like Shredder in each episode, you know where [the story is] going ... At least for the first bit, we wanted to do something different … we wanted new villains, like Batman ’66 villains … and have fun in that world for a bit.”
Indeed, Rise of the TMNT is helping build out the mythology by introducing new villains such as Meat Sweats (Johnny Rotten of The Sex Pistols), Baron Draxum (John Cena of the WWE), and Big Mama (Lean Headey of Game of Thrones).
The series is currently in the middle of its first season, with the next two episodes ("Shell in a Cell" and "Minotaur Maze") airing tomorrow, Oct. 6.
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"2012 covered so many iconic Turtle franchise moments that it put us in a position to create something new" - Co-creators Ant & Andy talking about the newest version of #TMNT #NYCC
— TMNT (@TMNT) October 5, 2018
"We were really leaning into the mystical ninja aspect... The legend of the ninja, the myth of the ninja" - talking about the newest version of the Foot Clan #NYCC #TMNT
— TMNT (@TMNT) October 5, 2018
Fun fact: For all the 90s fans out there, Rob Paulsen (Pinky) and Maurice LaMarche (The Brain) voice our two main Rise of the #TMNT foot clan ninjas ๐
— Nickel๐de๐n (@Nickelodeon) October 5, 2018
And this time Pinky's in charge! ๐๐ #NYCC18 @yakkopinky @MAURICELAMARCHE https://t.co/9h4NQpXyh7
— TMNT (@TMNT) October 5, 2018
"We looked at the personalities... we looked at what interesting stories we could tell" That led to us seeing what Leo would be like when he doesn't have the weight of leadership #TMNT #NYCC
— TMNT (@TMNT) October 5, 2018
Rise co-creators are being verrrrry secretive about which classic characters might make an appearance next season ๐๐๐ #TMNT #NYCC18
— TMNT (@TMNT) October 5, 2018
"We really wanted to explore some of the more crazy aspects of 2D... Make it visually striking and playful" - Ant & Andy talking about the move to Rise's animation style #TMNT #NYCC
— TMNT (@TMNT) October 5, 2018
If you want a Rise of the #TMNT backstory you're gonna have to keep watching! ๐ #NYCC
— TMNT (@TMNT) October 5, 2018
Live from our cast and crew @TMNT signing at #NYCC pic.twitter.com/PKIuewUMSg
— Nickel๐de๐n (@Nickelodeon) October 5, 2018
#NYCC Panel: We went with mysticism in Rise of the #TMNT because instead of there just being something mysterious in the sewer, there's an element of intrigue with every nook and cranny in NYC
— Nickel๐de๐n (@Nickelodeon) October 5, 2018
Starting Day 2 of NYCC off with the cast of Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles! @tmnt #nicknycc pic.twitter.com/2Q8z6yaiIg
— StarryMag (@StarryMag) October 5, 2018
Rise of TMNT voice cast signing now at IDW booth at NYCC pic.twitter.com/h36Mkw5dbY
— Bobby Curnow (@thedisastrix) October 5, 2018
Catch two brand-new Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Halloween specials this October, only on Nickelodeon!
Also, from Cosmic Book News:
RISE OF THE TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES NYCC TRAILER
Nickelodeon brought Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles to this week's New York Comic-Con and unleashed the following footage and images.
Nickelodeon’s Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles voice cast and co-executive producers gave fans at New York Comic Con a look at what’s in store for the Turtles and April O’Neil during a panel at the Jacob Javits Convention Center. Moderated by Mike Cecchini (Den of Geek), the panel featured voice actors Omar Miller as Raph, Josh Brener as Donnie, Brandon Mychal Smith as Mikey, and Kat Graham as April O’Neil, along with the co-executive producers Andy Suriano and Ant Ward, and legendary voice director Rob Paulsen. Special guest Maurice LaMarche (Pinky and the Brain) made an appearance to discuss his role as the Foot Brute.
The panel featured a sneak peek at the upcoming episode, “The Longest Fight,” where Paulsen and LaMarche reunited behind the mic as Foot Lieutenant, the de-facto leader of the Foot Clan, and Foot Brute, the Foot Lieutenant’s right hand man. Additional highlights included art and clip reveals from upcoming new episodes of Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.
The series stars the voice talent of Omar Miller (Ballers) as Raph, a jagged-shelled snapping turtle; Ben Schwartz (Parks and Recreation) as Leo, a red-eared slider turtle; Josh Brener (Silicon Valley) as Donnie, a soft-shell turtle; Brandon Mychal Smith (You’re The Worst) as Mikey, a box turtle; Kat Graham (The Vampire Diaries) as April O’Neil, a street savvy native New Yorker; Eric Bauza (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles) as Splinter, father figure and sensei to the Turtles; and WWE Superstar John Cena as the villainous, Baron Draxum.
Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles premiered on Monday, Sept. 17, on Nickelodeon. New season one episodes will continue to air throughout 2018. The new 26-episode series is co-executive produced by Andy Suriano (character designer, Samurai Jack) and Ant Ward (supervising producer, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles) at Nickelodeon in Burbank. Veteran animation industry voice actor Rob Paulsen is voice directing the series.
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Also, from The Beat:
Rob Paulsen & Maurice LaMarche Enlist in the Foot Clan for RISE OF THE TMNT
A reversal of roles for the former Pinky and the Brain voice actors
There have been countless beloved comedy duos over the decades like Laurel and Hardy or Abbott and Costello, but children of the bygone 90’s will undoubtedly agree that Rob Paulsen and Maurice LaMarche deserve to be among those legendary ranks. Possibly best known for voicing Pinky and the Brain respectively, those genetically altered lab mice with their nightly crusades to try (and unsurprisingly failing) to take over the world and whose iconic catchphrases from “”Narf” to “Are you pondering what I’m pondering” are still remembered to this day, even decades later Paulsen and LaMarche still maintain a friendship just as strong as Pinky and Brain albeit with less verbal and physical abuse.
Though Paulsen and LaMarche have worked together on various animated projects, Nickelodeon’s Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles is significantly different in that Paulsen has taken on the role as voice director for the series. But you can’t take the actor out of Paulsen quite so easily, since he also plays the villainous Foot Lieutenant with LaMarche, his former “Brain” ironically voicing the dimwitted Foot Brute. It’s a fun reversal of roles that’s not lost on either actor.
During New York Comic Con I had the opportunity to interview Paulsen and LaMarche and let me tell you, these two entertainers are just as animated and hilarious as the various cartoon counterparts they’ve voiced in the course of their extensive careers.
Taimur Dar: I was recently talking with my parents about how TMNT was an enormous part of my childhood—
Rob Paulsen: Did your parents buy action figures?
Dar: Oh yeah, absolutely!
Paulsen: Then thank you Taimur’s mother and father because as a result of your kindness my child’s teeth are straight today.
Dar: [Laughs] Besides being the voice of Raphael in the original 1989 cartoon, Rob, you’ve mentioned in your podcast how much your own son loved TMNT growing up as a child of that era like myself and so many others. So I was curious Maurice if TMNT was a part of your own son’s childhood?
Maurice LaMarche: Jonathan, my boy who’s now a man of 24, came along a little bit later. He watched the Canadian version of the Turtles as a kid. So yes, it was a part of his life but not the Rob Paulsen version. He never got really into animation.
Paulsen: He’s a crazy town musician. He’s got it all. Really handsome, really talented, very nice and so unlike his father.
[LAUGHTER]
LaMarche Also incredibly slim! He’s a great boy as is your son.
Dar: When they were casting, were you aware that Rob was going to be the voice director?
LaMarche: Yes. I didn’t think I was going to get anywhere near it. The first news I heard was from Rob. We text each other all the time. I got to do a couple of episodes of the last iteration as that Marlon Brando sounding frog. We not only play friends on TV we actually are friends. I think I was one of the first people Rob texted that he would directing the next iteration of Turtles. At no point did I go, [deep voice] “Oh good, I got a guy on the inside. Hope he gets me in there!”
But they did make a call and they did say that I would be good for Foot Brute. I said, “Hey, I’m there for Foot anything. I have a foot fetish…
Dar: [LAUGHS]
LaMarche: I’m kidding. I don’t actually have a foot fetish except when it comes to playing characters from the Foot Clan. I got to the studio and the first time there I forgot that he was the director because we’ve been clowning around with each other for nigh on 25 years. It took me a second to go, “Oh wait a second. He’s the boss on this one.”
I thought he [Foot Brute] would be a one-off and these guys [Foot Brute and Foot Lieutenant] have been back every third or fourth episode.
Paulsen: What’s really cool, especially for guys like “Moe” and me, we’re really good at our job and we’re very lucky but in the traditional sense we’re not celebrities. We get the characters that are famous. We have people like Lena Headey from Game of Thrones, John Cena, Rhys Darby from Flight of the Conchords, John Lydon which is a big deal for me because he’s Johnny Rotten for God’s sake. They’re rock stars and movie stars. Kat Graham, Omar [Benson Miller], Ben [Schwartz], Josh [Brener]—all TV people.
The great thing about Nickelodeon is that they understand that there is a huge fanbase who is very aware of what Maurice and I do. From the beginning when I got to work, Ant [Ward] and Andy [Suriano] said, “Do you think Maurice will work on the show?” Not, “Do you think Maurice will audition?” There was never a question about that. They have treated “Moe” and me with utter deference in the same celebrity vein as they have with John Cena and all the other famous people by including us with these celebrities who are being featured in the show. They asked if Maurice and me would do it and that’s a big deal to us. We do not take that lightly.
Dar: As you mentioned, besides acting as the voice-director Rob also voices Foot Lieutenant. When you record your lines together are you on opposite sides of the glass?
Paulsen: I work with “Moe.” We sit next to each other.
LaMarche: That’s why I said it was hard for me to remember that Rob is a fellow actor AND he’s directing our segments of the episode. We [the cast] don’t often get to record together not only because of the schedules of our celebrity friends but also ours. The voice actor is the nice smelling plumber.
Paulsen: Beautifully said!
LaMarche: We’re running around from studio to studio. On a good day you got four sessions and you’re bopping around! So my agent will say, “You can have ‘Moe’ from 4-5 but he’s busy all the rest of the day. He’s got a cartoon the next morning and he’s gotta leave to go do a promo.” I’m very lucky to be working that much.
So when we do it, it’s often just Rob and me, and that’s why I often forget he’s directing. It’s tremendous fun and I love hearing my friend speak the voice of the director and yet still talk “actor” to me.
Dar: Rob, on your previous two tours of duty in the TMNT franchise, you had the great fortune of working with possibly two of the best voice directors in the business, Sue Blu and Andrea Romano. Has there been anything you’ve learned from them that you’ve been able to apply now that you’re in the voice director chair yourself?
Paulsen: Thank you for asking. It sounds like the pat answer but it’s the truth. As “Moe” said, I learned to speak to actors. I know a lot of people I’ve worked with and I can mess with. And I love that camaraderie because I get to work with people who are my very best friends in the world, one of whom is sitting right here. I love Maurice with all my heart. He’s one of my very best friends. We have a lot of other mutual friends with whom we work on a regular basis. Not everybody gets the joke the way we do.
As a result of seeing how Sue and Andrea—and you are right in mentioning them in the pantheon, I am not even in their shadow. But I know now how to work with actors, new folks and celebrity talent coming in who are, believe it or not, very insecure when they get into the booth because they hear Maurice or Tress [MacNeille] or Frank [Welker] and they go, “I can’t do that.” And I reassure them and tell them that they don’t have to do that. I know how to make them relax because I’ve seen how people do it with others. So that’s really what I learned from people like Sue and Andrea and I’m very grateful. It’s not hyperbole. They’re the best.
Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles premiered on Monday, Sept. 17, on Nickelodeon. New season one episodes will continue to air throughout 2018. The new 26-episode series is co-executive produced by Andy Suriano (character designer, Samurai Jack) and Ant Ward (supervising producer, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles) at Nickelodeon in Burbank. Veteran animation industry voice actor Rob Paulsen is voice directing the series.
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Also, from Bleeding Cool:
Raphael in Charge and a New Look for April – The Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Panel at NYCC
Nickelodeon’s Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles panel certainly wasn’t lacking any starpower at NYCC. We were graced by Andy Suriano, Ant Ward (executive producers), Omar Miller (Raphel), Josh Brener (Donatello), Brandon Mychal Smith (Michelangelo), Kat Graham (April), Rob Paulson (Foot Lieutenant) and Maurice LaMarche (Foot Brute)
This new iteration of TMNT comes hot off the heels of the widely acclaimed and loved 2012 CG series. Ant Ward was already working on that series when he began his pitch for the new turtles show. The Nickelodeon executives put Ward and Suriano in contact to work on the new series. The two meshed instantly and found their vision of a “new perspective” for the turtles lined up perfectly.
You might notice some of that new perspective right away. For example, Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles is the first series to feature April O’Neil depicted as an African American Woman. Kat Graham, who grew up as a fan of the original Turtles cartoon, was both surprised and humbled by her selection to the role. She said it was important to depict April with a level of “silliness” as well as “fierceness” to give girls everywhere an empowering figure to look up to. In that same vein, you can expect April to do her fighting alongside the turtles, rather than taking a support role as she has with previous iterations.
Speaking of roles being shifted around, Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles will see a change in the classic dynamic of the turtles. Raphael is the leader this time, a role usually taken by Leonardo. Both Omar Miller, and Andy Suriano made it a point to say that Raphel is the eldest turtle, and because of that, the de facto leader. Ant Ward chimed in that the main focus of the show is the turtles as a family unit, so it is no surprise a heavy emphasis on the sibling dynamic drives the characterization of the turtles. Raphael was also given some new weaponry for the show, switching out his classic sai’s for a pair of twin tonfas. Ward claimed that he felt the tonfa’s simply fit Raphel’s fighting style, and overall design (big, square, blocking) better than a pair of twin knives. He did, however, hint that Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles covers a “very specific point in the hero’s career” and is very much about their journey to “becoming the characters we know and love.” Maybe we will see those sai’s after all! This also opens the door for better characterisation and storytelling for Leonardo. The show showed promise of delving into what makes Leo, Leo, rather than simply tagging him as “the leader” of the group. I think this can be seen pretty transparently in the clip below!
The biggest takeaway I got from the panel was a shift in tonality from the 2012 TMNT series. Both Ward and Suriano agreed that the previous show dove heavily into the science fiction angles of the TMNT mythos. With Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, the duo hoped to push the series into a more “mystic” place. This is heavily represented by the reimagined foot clan, voiced by the legendary Rob Paulson and Maurice LaMarche. The pair’s chemistry in person was as palpalbe as it is on the show. They mused of the role reversal in this show compared to their previous work on Pinky and the Brain. “This time, I play the dumb one” quipped LaMarche. Paulson is also the voice director for the entire show. Though LaMarche said he isn’t used to Paulson being “the boss” Omar Miller praised Paulson for his guiding influence as an experienced voice actor. To have someone like Rob Paulson, who is synonymous with the animated turtles throughout generators, work on this show only bodes well for its success.
There you have it. New weapons, new designs, more magic, same turtles! Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles is shaping up to be another stellar instalment in the storied franchise of TMNT. The cast acknowledged they have big shoes to fill from the 2012 series,and have done their best to differentiate themselves from their predecessor. Ward even went as far as to say that simply retelling the stories from the 2012 version would be “disrespectful” and wanted to go into uncharted territory for this version. I for one, can’t wait for a fresh new take on the turtles! Cowabunga!
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Also, from The Good Men Project:
Nickelodeon’s Rise of the TMNT at New York Comic Con 2018!
The Showrunners & cast of Nickelodeon’s “Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles” visited New York Comic Con last weekend and treated to sneak peek of the awesome new series!
The cast of Nickelodeon’s “Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles” visited New York Comic Con last weekend and previewed a fresh vision of my beloved #heroesinthehalfshell!
It’s been 33 years since Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird scraped enough cash together to print issue #1 that gave the world four teenaged anthropomorphic turtles named after Italian artists of the Renaissance trained by their anthropomorphic rat sensei in the art of ninjutsu!
From their home in the sewers of New York City, they’ve battled countless petty criminals, evil overlords, mutated creatures, and alien invaders while attempting to remain hidden from society.
The characters originated in comic books published by Mirage Studios then quickly expanded into cartoon series, films, video games, consumer products, and toys. During the run of the 1987 TV series, Playmates Toys produced hundreds of TMNT action figures, along with vehicles, playsets, and accessories, becoming one of the top collectibles for children.
A brand new line of Action Figures and Playsets from Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles is available for Holiday 2018 from Playmates I’ll be reviewing soon!
In this new show, our four turtle brothers with ninja powers encounter new allies and villains and discover a magical world they never knew existed beneath the streets of New York City.
Here’s the Comic Con 2018 Trailer-
Press Release:
Nickelodeon’s Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles voice cast and co-executive producers gave fans at New York Comic Con a look at what’s in store for the Turtles and April O’Neil during a panel at the Jacob Javits Convention Center.
Moderated by Mike Cecchini (Den of Geek), the panel featured voice actors Omar Miller as Raph, Josh Brener as Donnie, Brandon Mychal Smith as Mikey, and Kat Graham as April O’Neil, along with the co-executive producers Andy Suriano and Ant Ward, and legendary voice director Rob Paulsen. Special guest Maurice LaMarche (Pinky and the Brain) made an appearance to discuss his role as the Foot Brute.
During the Main Stage Panel, fans were treated to a sneak peek of an episode featuring longtime TMNT voice actor Rob Paulsen. The immediate thing that struck me about the new show was the dynamic art style that Andy Suriano explained was inspired by Belgian Cartoons of the 70’s. Also of note Kat Graham (The Vampire Diaries) who is Black is cast as April O’Neil, who is for the first time in TMNT is also drawn African American, she spoke about the changes –
“I really appreciate the acceptance by the fans embracing me as April. Not only for the move toward diversity, but also her more assertive role fighting alongside the Turtles.”
Another thing that differentiates this iteration of TMNT is the more mystical elements that are personified in the Brothers new awesome magical weapons. I’ve embedded a video that explains them and their powers
below.
Along with the magical upgrade, hot-headed Raphael voiced by Omar Miller (Ballers) the team’s bad boy, with his aggressive nature, and impatient personality is now the leader and brandishes magical Tonfas that create a mystical shield and augment his strength instead of his trademark Sai.
Leonardo voiced by Ben Schwartz (Parks and Recreation) the tactical, courageous and devoted student of his sensei is taking a step away from team leader. Leonardo still wears a blue mask but now wields a powerful, five-foot-long ลdachi Sword that creates mystical portals!
This inspired change to the team dynamic is bound to have a learning curve for both brothers who’s rivalry fueled many of the subplots throughout the franchise’s history. This is a total Splinter move! It makes perfect sense. I’m sure for their development as ninja and to strengthen the team, both Raph and Leo need to learn to appreciate each other’s attributes.
Mikey is still a clown and Donnie is still the brains of the outfit and it will be interesting to see how those two brothers are challenged to grow as the show progresses. Here’s a video that introduces the new team the brothers + April-
I interviewed Brandon Mychal Smith (Mikey), Josh Brener (Donnie), Andy Suriano (Co-EP) and asked them about what longtime fans can expect from the newest TMNT show.-
We didn’t break anything from the previous incarnations. It’s a fun, enjoyable experience. Anybody that loves action, comedy, family, pizza it’s all there. We just sprinkle different toppings on it.-Andy Suriano Co-Exceutive Producer
Well, I’m SOLD!! Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles premiered on Monday, Sept. 17, on Nickelodeon. New season one episodes will continue to air throughout 2018. The new 26-episode series is co-executive produced by Andy Suriano (character designer, Samurai Jack) and Ant Ward (supervising producer, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles) at Nickelodeon in Burbank. Veteran animation industry voice actor Rob Paulsen is voice directing the series.
Here’s the Full Extended Theme Song from Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles ๐ข ๐ข๐ข๐ข #turtlepower – art credit / Nickelodeon
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The voice cast of Rise of the TMNT - Kat Graham, Omar Miller, Brandon Mychal Smith, and Josh Brener - as well as the show’s creators, Ant Ward and Andy Suriano stopped by the Hollywood Life portrait studio at NYCC 2018!
n portrait studio for the 2018 event. We kicked off NYCC 2018 with the cast of Nickelodeon’s Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles on Oct. 4. Stars
More Nick: Nickelodeon USA's October 2018 Premiere Highlights | Halloween | Nick Or Treat!
Originally published: Friday, October 05, 2018.
Additional source: Anime Superhero Forum member @RoyalRubble.
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