Mattel TMNT: what I'd like to see:

 I am Talking about an adult collector line... WWE Scaled. I mentioned this before.

I want a MOTUC Approach, but not necessarily tied to a storyline. I want versions INSPIRED by each era... in addition to the hodgepodge new era.

I want my humans mostly in realistic proportions. That means Hun won't be a Juggernaut, but more like Brock Lesnar sized.

Now let's talk Turtles:

I want the classic idea that they pretty much look the same. But the main differences would be their belts and weapons.

Leonardo:

His would be the Closest thing to a pure Mirage design. Very Ancient Ninja looking. Second head can hold a kunai on his mouth.

Donatello:

His belt and bandolier would be more Utility belt-like with pouches. His Kneepads are moee of workshop kneepads than fighting pads.

Second head has goggles with a purple band

Raphael:

His would be more Modern Ninja with a Militarized look. That extends to his pads.

Seocnd head has him without Bandana but he has dark red greasepaint on his face.

Michelangelo:

His would lean more into a Fred Wolf insipired lookalmost Superhero-looking. His pads looking brightly colored, his belt emblazoned with a large M. Second head is an orange cowl.

The idea is to have a somewhat  vanilla turtles, but they have a bit of their personality flowing through.

Leo is the Purist. He keeps the traditions alive. He believes that Mastwring the fundamentals allows for self-improvement.

Don is the tinkerer. His passion is building and disassembling things to study them. That allows him to MacGyver everything the Turtles have.

Raph is the badass. Point him to an ass, and he will kick it. He lives for the battle.

Mikey is the silly one. He sees all this ninja stuff as a Saturday Morning cartoon superhero thing... He wants the spotlight in a world of shadows.

Tackling Splinter is hard. Because if we go with the Mutated Rat look, clothes become nearly pointless, so a burlap sack worls for him. If we go for the mutated Yoshi, then clothes make sense, as there is still Yoshi.

My Proposal:

Both Soft goods clothes should come with him.

A poncho type outfit for the mutated rat and the traditional gi top for Yoshi.

His weapons would be his walking stick and a wakizashi.

April:

This one will be heavily based on Fred Wolf, but not be Fred Wolf accurate. By that I mean her jumpsuit. It'll be soft goods and removable...

Not for the reason you're thinking.

Base body will have a white blouse that shows same amount of cleavage as toon April. She'll be wearing blue jean shorts and white sneakers.

Soft goods yellow jumpsuit based on fred wolf

Soft goods yellow blazer and skirt for her News reporting. Yellow oversized t-shirt for downtime. Nods and callbacks to fred wold, 2012, and live action movie.

Casey Jones:

We go Mirage for the most part, visually.

Masked and unmasked heads.

Accessories:

Removable hockey chest pads

The standard Casey weaponry.

Shredder:

90s live action helmets... movie 1 and SOTO helmets as his heads in Mirage Colors. His Armor blades can be like the movie but in Mirage colors. He is wearing a black undershirt to match his tights and has a soft goods red Tunic and black belt. For weapon a katana.

The Foot:

I touched Shredder before the Clan... not remotely what I meant.

Foot Soldiers vs Foot Ninja:

They will share heads and soft goods tunics.

The torsos and limbs will be similar, but not the same.

The difference is Panel lines. Just as Revelation's Tri-Klops has cybernetic details on his arms, I want the Foot Soldiers to have those.

This would also apply to the Shredder Elites.

Hattori (Tatsu):

Less Toshishiro Obata, more generic bald Japanese man. This is a chance for Mattel to test Hakama bodies for the eventual Oroku Saki and Hamato Yoshi.

Hun and Chris Bradford:

The American Enforcers. In Bradford's case, I want him Shredder Sized, as I intend to suggest an Impostor Shredder Bradford, as well as other impostors (Mirage clones, Lady Shredder Karai, Raphael as Shredder, etc.) In Hun's case, I want him to be as tall as Shredder but more muscular... think of an HBK figure having the Shredder body type, whiel Brock Lesnar sized body is Hun's.

Karai:

There would be 2 figures of her: 

Normal and Lady Shredder.

Normal Karai would be visually inspired by Tournament Fighters, while Lady Shredder is just Karai wearing a Shredder outfit just as the OG Shredder from this line.

I already mentioned that I want the mutated animals to be huge for the most part on the bad guy side, whole the good guys seeming smaller. Creating a David vs Goliath kind of thing. Pizzaface would be the exception for the bad guys being generally larger. He should be very malformed, but Danny DeVito short. Also, he should be exclusive to the Ninja Pizza Mini Playset.

I guess I'll have to tackle the mini Playsets:

These won't be HUGE Clamshell playsets like MOTUC Grayskull. These would be akin to the backstage WWF/E From Jakks that were part plastic part cardboard... but crossed with MiWorld stuff. 

I'm thinking a Pizza flinging oven, breakaway glass. Collapsible turtle flattening sign. Various flingable pizzas plus Pizzaface and his accessories (his various peg legs and x-tra large puzza bag shield.)

2nd Time Around Antiques:

A mini playset like Pizzaface's but instead it comes with a "Mirage Perm April" a Dark skinned redeco of April with a new head, blue tshirt, jumpsuit, Blazer, and skirt. (Lazy Mattel Logistics at play) The idea behind this playset, aside getting Mirage April, is to toss in an accessory pack and diorama with waxky accessories that wouldn't be released with figures. 

Larger Playsets? Highly unlikely... I just can't see Mattel doing sturdy big Playsets a la Grayskull...

Medium Carbiard and plastic hybrids maybe.

Another FTC Civilians expansion ideas rant:

 I will keep insisting on this, because FTC has something good that needs to be nurtured. They could become the Go-To company for background characters... 

Will try to not get into super specifics, but I probably will:

We need more fat people.

We need more black people.

We need more women.

We need more clothes variety.

We need more ethnicities.

We need people with visible disabilities.

Before you scream WOKE!! hear me out:

Having a body with arm amputee options is not going woke... not when you can sell Cyber Arms as an accessory pack.

Having a body with the option of no legs, Cyber legs, or stuck on a wheel chair is custom fodder potential.

This has nothing to do with making a Pizzaface custom... I'm trying to get an OG PF to use his peg legs and maybe his head on a FTC fat buck...

The scary part will be hollowing the PF head to fit on the FTC Neck. But back on topic..

Fat people? Murica is full of those... i kinda want a fat kid... who I may or may not name Eric. If he's dressed in green and orange, he'll totally be an Otto. 

Fat females could reuse the fat male buck with a few new parts that would benefit both.

Yeah, like I wasn't gonna make a Big Mama reference.

Fat men with long pants and shoes is a given... or short pants and shoes.

So we tackled fat people and people with visible disabilities... and kinda more women... well not really... we need to tackle something in between.

Dad bod men;

I'm looking for pudgy bellies in otherwise slim bodies. Perfect excuse to bring forth the shorts and sandals for the slim body. Hell, sleeveless arms too.

Attire options:

I've spoken in other rants about the polo shirt upper torsos for the men, One piece leotard and braless mannequin bodies for the ladies.

I mentioned a while back some overlays, especially for the females. Well, I will go back on these and add more.

The onepiece leotard upper torso allows for painted turtleneck sweater looks, allows for sleeveless dresses.... with a new crotch overlay, a cheongsam or qipao dress for the hypothetical Asian ladies.

Using the thigh cut short shorts can be made. Body can be paint like wearing a romper

The mannequin torso can be used for tube tops and other strapless dresses... like the Diamond top... which in this case should be an overlay.

A sweater tied around the waist

Like that. Of course this can work on male figures with one made for males.

Speaking of overlays: Jackets...  normal amd cropped jackets/vests for the ladies, jackets/vests for the males. Leather jackets, denim jackets, letterman styled jackets.

Fanny packs can ba a crotch overlay for the guys and gals. Cooking apron could be another... but this one would be better as soft goods.

More women...

This is rather obvious:

Whiel we need more characters in general, the deck favors the guys too much.

Kids:

2 girls

3 boys

Slim adults:

4 women 

7 Men

Fat adults:

0 wonen

6 men

Of course I want more guys too, but we need some more women.

Right now the kids are better proportioned than the adults.

That's why Im proposing expanding the civilians beyond just Wrestling.

Now this leads to more ethnicities...

More ethnicities:

Thanks to 

I know that FTC Can do more skintones. So...

A slightly more yellowish light skin color for Asian characters, a slightly more olive-ish darker skin tone for middle eastern and mediterranean characters.

We need more black people

There's only 4 black people in the entire fans line and zero for the crew and law enforcement lines.

For example black dude with afro using Hunter's body with green hoodie, green long sleeved tshirt (cop arms on standard body)... or if we're lazy Joe face dark skin repaint with Orange blond hair... purple Brad hoodie. Using the Brad body.

Crazy characters:

Cowboy, Sumo Wrestler, Ninja, caricature crook, etc.

Fakong Filmatipn Documentary update:

 Not looking good. 

The latest update had some bad news:

Hi everyone,

I wanted to share a meaningful progress update on Faking Filmation, including where the film currently stands, an upcoming potential screening milestone, and an important clarification about one aspect of the original campaign.

The short version:

• The rough cut of the documentary is complete and the film is moving through final refinement and legal review.

• We are currently aiming for a screening at Power-Con 2026 in Cincinnati (https://thepower-con.com).

• Due to legal restrictions, we cannot distribute or facilitate access to The Return of Faker as part of this campaign.

• We are evaluating whether there are responsible ways to acknowledge that change for backers while the documentary itself moves toward completion.

Below is a more detailed update on where everything stands and what happens next.

Some encouraging news first

We are currently working toward a potential screening of Faking Filmation at Power-Con 2026 (September 12–13 in Cincinnati). https://thepower-con.com

While final details are still being worked out, the goal is to premiere the film for the community there if the project is in the right state to do so.

Whether that screening is a finished film or a work-in-progress preview will depend on where the legal and finishing process lands over the coming months — but it’s an exciting milestone we’re actively aiming toward.

Where the film stands

The rough cut of Faking Filmation is complete, and the film was very close to picture lock when my previous update was drafted.

However, since that time Andy Mangels has come on board as a producer, and his involvement has opened up access to additional archival materials and resources that significantly elevate the film. In several cases we now have the opportunity to replace temporary or lower-quality materials with better source elements and higher-quality archival assets.

Because of that, portions of the film are currently being refined and upgraded, which has required temporarily stepping back from the near-picture-lock state the film was approaching.

At the same time, we’ve begun a clearance process where we are attempting to license as much of the material used in the film as possible, rather than relying solely on fair-use doctrine. While fair use remains an important legal framework for documentary storytelling, licensing material where feasible helps strengthen the long-term release path for the film.

Once we determine which elements can be licensed and which must rely on fair use, the film will go through a formal legal pass to ensure everything sits on solid ground before final picture lock.

This step is standard for documentaries working with archival footage, commentary, and case-study material — but it does mean the finishing process takes a little longer in order to do it correctly.

Creatively, the film is where it needs to be — and I’m really proud of how clearly its core themes are coming through.

Unfortunately, there is some difficult news to share

Since this campaign first launched, the landscape around fan films has become more aggressive and significantly less forgiving. Enforcement actions have increased, tolerance has narrowed, and the environment has grown more cut-throat overall. In that context, even within a documentary, it’s essential that any use of fan-created material is clearly grounded in commentary, criticism, and transformation — not distribution.

There’s also an undeniable irony here. Faking Filmation documents a period when fan creativity was institutionally supported and licensed, even as the modern space for similar work has tightened while we were making the film. As we explored that history, the present-day reality became clearer: the very forces the film examines are still shaping what can and can’t exist now.

While early legal discussions explored potential ways the fan film might be handled within a documentary context, following subsequent legal review and in light of how the project now exists in the world, where we have landed is a clear and final boundary.

I can’t explain or elaborate on this further — but it’s important that I state it plainly and explicitly so there’s no gray area:

After subsequent legal review, and because Faking Filmation examines the legal gray area around fan films, at this time we cannot distribute or facilitate access to The Return of Faker. Any potential future release would require a separate license and rests solely with its creator, James Eatock.

That distinction matters, and it reflects the reality the film itself explores — the tension between fan creativity, intellectual property, and permission.

Why your support still mattered

It’s also important to say this clearly: even though we cannot distribute or facilitate access to The Return of Faker, the documentary did succeed in doing something meaningful.

By examining James’s story and the broader fan-film ecosystem, Faking Filmation helped raise awareness around this specific project and fan films more generally — contributing to a legitimate and significant outcome for The Return of Faker that exists entirely outside this campaign.

Many of you supported this project because the original cease-and-desist felt unjust. Your backing helped shine a light on that story, give it context, and ultimately change how it was understood. That impact is real, even if the form it takes isn’t what was originally imagined.

What Faking Filmation does include

While I cannot distribute the fan film itself, Faking Filmation is being delivered as a feature-length documentary, along with a substantial set of Additional Documentary Materials designed to deepen and expand the story.

These materials are framed as case studies and contextual analysis, and may include things like:

• Expanded examination of The Return of Faker as a creative and legal case study

• Spotlight segments on other fan filmmakers featured in the documentary, including their experiences navigating similar challenges

• Extended interviews and discussions that didn’t fit into the main cut

• Deeper exploration of Saturday-morning cartoons, Filmation, and the creative environment that gave rise to shows like He-Man

• Comparative analysis of licensed vs. unlicensed continuation, and why some projects move forward while others remain unresolved

All materials are presented as documentary exploration and commentary, not as standalone releases of fan films.

Backer likeness participation (clarification)

I also want to clarify something for backers who selected the reward tier that included having their likeness appear in the 40-minute iteration of The Return of Faker.

While I cannot distribute or facilitate access to the fan film itself, I can still facilitate the inclusion of backer likenesses as part of the ongoing production of that version of the film, in coordination with James as the creator.

This participation relates only to inclusion in the creative process — it does not involve access to, previews of, or distribution of the finished film, which remains solely at the creator’s discretion.

A note about refunds and rewards

I also want to address something I know some people may be wondering about.

This campaign was funded and produced several years ago, and the funds raised at the time were used to support the production, travel, research, and post-production work required to complete the documentary.

Like all Kickstarter campaigns, this project was ultimately about supporting the creation of a film — and that film is being completed and delivered.

At the same time, I recognize that many backers originally supported the campaign with the expectation that The Return of Faker would be part of the overall package. As explained above, subsequent legal review has made it clear that we cannot distribute or facilitate access to that film.

While the documentary itself and the additional documentary materials remain the core deliverables of the campaign, I also understand that the absence of the fan film changes how some backers may view their original support.

Because of that, we are currently evaluating whether there are responsible ways to acknowledge that change, and I’m discussing potential options with our legal team. That process takes time, and I want to make sure anything we consider is done thoughtfully and within the legal realities surrounding the project.

For now, I ask for patience while we explore what may or may not be possible. When there is clarity, I will share more in a future update.

Regarding delivery and backer copies

Many people have asked whether backers will receive their copies of the documentary — and the associated rewards — before the potential Power-Con screening.

The honest answer is that it depends on the state of the film.

If the film reaches final picture lock and clears the legal pass in time, we will move as quickly as possible to manufacture the discs and produce the remaining physical rewards so they can be delivered to backers.

If the Power-Con screening happens while the film is still finishing its legal and post-production process, the screening there may instead be a work-in-progress presentation.

Either way, the priority remains the same: finishing the film properly and ensuring it can exist cleanly and professionally in the world.

Perspective on the timeline

I also want to acknowledge the time this project has taken.

This film wasn’t put on pause and forgotten — it continued, often quietly, through years of research, production, legal review, and a shifting creative and industry landscape.

The work changed as the world around it changed, and the responsibility was always to finish the story honestly — not quickly or recklessly. I know that doesn’t erase frustration, but it’s the truth of how this project arrived here.

Why this matters

Faking Filmation has always been about more than a single project.

It’s about how a generation of creators was shaped, how fandom evolves, and why the rules around creativity and ownership matter — especially when passion collides with legacy IP.

In that sense, the current status of The Return of Faker isn’t separate from the film’s thesis — it’s central to it.

Thank you for your patience and continued support. I’m excited to share the finished film and its additional materials with you soon, and I appreciate your understanding as I make sure this project can live cleanly and professionally in the world.

— Rob

And James Eatock confirms the bad news.

Howdy,

By now you will have received an in-depth message from Faking Filmation director Rob McCallum revealing that, whilst the documentary is nearly complete, "The Return of Faker" will NOT be a part of the Blu-ray set due to legal hurdles that are very much one obstacle too many for this production to overcome.

HOWEVER, and this is key (so please read carefully): any and ALL things you paid for in the Kickstarter/Indiegogo campaign (prints, minicomic, likenesses, etc.), you WILL receive. For example: if you paid for a 40 minute version of "The Return of Faker", then you shall receive a 40 minute version of "The Return of Faker". Simple as that.

All of this will very much take place before Power-Con's MOTUFest in September!

Finally, THANK YOU for your support and patience for both Rob's documentary (which I've yet to see due to him wanting to surprise me in person) and "The Return of Faker". Trust me; the wait will have been worth it!

James Eatock.

Without The Return of Faker, some folks may feel ripped off... but unfortunately, copyright laws can be a bitch and with an upcoming MOTU movie, NBC Universal may not want a fan project eclipsing their IP... among other things. C'est la vie and all that. I won't pretend that I'm accepting this in the most mature way, but I won't be all

LeCaillou... about it.

Hypothetical Playmates TMNT farewell wave.

 I made a version of this rant already, but... I feel I should try again.

IF NECA ever makes a Pizzaface, Burne's body should be the starting point.

I got the Pizzaface figure to use its head for a custom Ultimates... Sadly, my plans hit a snag.

The Pizzaface figure and the figures toy company fat body aren't compatible. Due to his open mouth, I cannot dremmel the head to make it fit on the FTC neck. THE ALTERNATIVE, kills all neck articulation... since I'd be chopping off the FTC neck...  back to the drawing board. 

So, in order to rethink my strategy, I thought on making the vintage styled last hurrah.

 I'll start with the Super7 dick move accessory pack:

Undercover Raph heads repainteed in Don the Undercover Turtle colors, UC Raph coat, UC Raph suitcase and gun in Don colors, Recolored NVG Goggles from UC Raph as a substitute for the Groucho mask.

TOON Shredder Soft Goods Tunic. Red Shredder Tunic. Wacky Action Shredder head 

Now for the wave: 5 Items. 4 figures and an accessory pack. 3 Vintage character, 1 turtle variant.

Glam Rock Raphael:

Based on the vintage Heavy Metal Raph.

2 heads with different expressions.

Standard hands

Accessories:

Drumstick sais

Twirling sai effects

Bass guitar

2 Glam Rock Wigs that fit his heads.

Pizzaface:

Based on the rumored Pizzaface prototype by the 4 Horsemen.

If it wasn't included, use the prototype head with the meatball siamese twin 

2 heads with different expressions. 

Accessories:

Standard hands

Chef hat

Vintage peg legs

New pizza peel peg leg

More tossable pizzas

Soft plastic pizza dough.

We lose the pizza shield, something something Playmates.

General Traag:

Krang's General is an obvious choice. I'm gonna be a dick and make him a $75-80 figure...

Not just because of his size, but he'll be a 2-in-1 figure.

A snap on upper torso piece to make Granitor.

Heads:

Traag head

Granitor head

Srandard Hands

Accessories:

Snap on Granitor upper chest (hard plastic)

Gun

Rifle

Knife

Flamethrower

Fire effect

Dask the Neutrino:

Essentially Toon Dask in order to have a pair of Neutrinos.

2 heads

Standard hands

Accessories:

Jetpack

Repainted Zak hoverboard 

Tracker

Blaster

Accessory pack: aka Roadkill Rodneys:

I'll recycle my Rodneys from this old rant.

I'd toss in some other new and old accessories. EVIL Communicator, Oroku Saki head, Triceraton gun in Bebop color, Machete with scabbard for Rocksteady, Dramatic hands for Bebop and Rocksteady. 

That's it for the final Ultimates line... but there are Deluxe redecos. Figures get 1 new piece. About $42 per figure.

Attila the Frog:

Genghis repaint with new flail.

"Mirage" April:

Dark skinned April with blue jumpsuit and brown boots. Gun is her accessory new perm hair head.

Rasputin the Mad Frog:

Gengis repaint with new bow and Splinter Arrow.

Skateboarding Mike:

Using the Slam dunk Don body with Rappin Mike Sneakers, Mondo Gecko Skateboard and Paety wagon helmet.

This isn't vintage accurate, but vintage inspired.

TOON Napoleon Bonafrog:

Genghis repaint with a bendy snake whip.

Surfer Leo:

A repaint of Sewer Surfin' Mike with Surfboard and Sewer Samurai Leo sword. 

These deluxes would be "released"/preordered on ither montsh where there aren't turtles stuff... ie the final wave. Not all deluxes would be released at the same time. It would be A Frog and another figure.

Orphan Kitten is orphaned.

If you know, you know.

If you don't...

It comes with a cardboard box... 

Has a tuna can plush... it kinda looks like the cat from the game.

After having it in hand, I had to put it in the closet because it reminded me of my Mom's cat.

 

Thundercats Leaks! YOUR MOOOOOOOOM!!

 Apparently, we are finaly getting Wizz-Ra... which was leaked about a year ago.

Yeah... The $65 proce tag makes me unlikely to get Nepthu 2: Turdtastic Poopaloo.

Another depowered Mumm-Ra.

Hopefully the cape is soft goods. But I can't see myself spending $55 for just a new head.

Some lady... ancient Thundercat sorceress or something. Deep cut, but I will not get... $65+s&h makes me extra picky. Especially with Hun and April just around the corner 

A 4 armed nemesis of Mumm-Ra's... I'm saving money here.

It came from the toy chest: Lloyd is an angry nerd.

 

The only adult who isn't in a multipack. Lloyd is a fat body figure. The only other figure who is not in a Multipack is Ethan, the dark skinned child. He kinda looks like someone I used to know.

Articulation 

The figure has OK articulation. His fat body has some Articulation restrictions that slimmer figures lack. The arms require double jointed elbows to reach the 90° angle that a single joint elbow does on a slim figure. Legs fare a bit better though, but it can be a bitch to get the lower half of the knee going. There are no ankle rockers. The torso is surprisingly decent.

3.5

Paint and sculpt 

Lloyd uses the fat body so, The sculpt is essentially a fatter and bigger version of the Children but with Sandals instead of the Chuck Taylors. It's scary how much this figure is to what I wear on my leisure time.

Most of the paint job is in the face. Pretty much everything else is molded in the appropriate color. 

The thing that is eating me is: are his pimples painted or sculpted?

They could be multiple layers of paint or actual sculpt.

4.5

Accessories 

Like the other figures, he has

Dramatic hands 

Judo chop hands

Fists

C-grips (these are a bit wider than MOTUC weaponry.)

Pointing finger

Cellphone hand

Accessory hand

5.0

Overall

La-Loyd gets a 4.33 as his final score. He's a decent figure. I just wish we could get more options for these bodies, like long pants on the heavy bodies and shorts on the slim bodies.

It Came from the Toy Chest: I've completed the FTC: Ultimate Wrestling fans... women

 Tasha will be reviewed at a later date. Today I tackle Lisa:

Articulation:

Lisa has: Butterfly shoulders double jointed elbows and knees, but the ankle are the the second sour point. The articulation there is kinda Limited. The thigh articulation is the biggest annoyance. These girls can't Cage punch a dude.

4.0

Paint and sculpt:

I've mentioned my Torso sculpt beef all the way back in 2025. While the paintjob does a decent job of covering the sculpt issues, when in hand, they pop up easily. I feel they did her dirty with that Jay Leno chin. I ended up repainting her hair, as I always end up repainting FTC Fan figures.

4.0

Accessories:

Lisa has the bunch of hands all the fans have.

Sure one could ask for more hands,

La-Loyd(VO): Well, well, well, if it isn't Jade Green, Tasha Bhatia, Amber Holt, and Lisa Seamann.
Girls: Ewww! It's La-Loyd.
La-Loyd: It's Lloyd! Damn you LEGO Ninjago!!

Overall:

Lisa gets a 4.33 as her final score. For a cheaper than Marvel Legends figure she is pretty great. I kinda wish FTC made these bucks available and custom heads to make more folks.